Victoria & Tasmania Fishing Monthly - September 2016 by Fishing Monthly

TROUT OPENING • 9 PAGES OF TACKLE PRODUCT WINNERS

Features

Stream craft: spinning for trout • Opening trout opportunities • AFTA product winners •

Boating Buying a boat: new or used? • Crossing a coastal bar safely • Getting the lowdown on hulls • Horizon 525 Scorpion • Sea Jay 488 Avenger •

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September 2016, Vol. 11 No. 11

Contents WEST COAST West Coast

Warrnambool 18 Portland 18 Apollo Bay

Cobden 20

CENTRAL Geelong 22 Port Phillip West

Port Phillip North East

Port Phillip East

Mornington Peninsula

Western Port North

Western Port South

Phillip Island

EAST COAST Marlo 39 Gippsland Lakes

McLoughlins Beach

Bemm River

NSW SOUTH COAST Mallacoota 41 Eden 41 Narooma 42 Merimbula 43 Bermagui 44

VICTORIAN FRESHWATER Horsham 68 Robinvale 70 Mildura 71

From the Editor’s Desk... THE AFTAMATH Wow. What a big week it was for Fishing Monthly Magazines at the annual Australian Fishing Trades Association (AFTA) Trade Show at the Gold Coast at the end of July. We had 11 staff covering the event and delivered our readers information in a multitude of ways. For the first time, through our new tackle engine www. tacklejunkie.fish, we covered the show with five LIVE broadcasts from inside the show – Simon Goldsmith and I ‘lived’ up the best tackle and the biggest personalities we could find to bring you the newest and the best, the quickest. The feedback from the coverage was awesome – so thank you to the thousands who tuned in – either live or in the subsequent days with the shows archived on the tacklejunkie.fish Facebook

page and indexed in the website tacklejunkie.fish. And that website was the next place the information ended up. Ever since the show, there’s been a stream of write-ups on the new tackle we found, and you’ll find them there before this magazine hit the shelves. Did you want more video

content? Yep, we’ve got that. Over 50 videos featuring the new products released are available to watch on the Fishing Monthly YouTube channel (search “Fishing Monthly” on YouTube and remember to subscribe). Finally, of course, there’s nearly a dozen pages in this issue dedicated to the best-

of-show. Literally, with the Best of Show award winners getting some space inside, but also the tackle that we thought was the coolest and most innovative. The Best of Show awards were voted on by the retailers themselves and there’s a fair assumption that if your local store thinks it’s cool, then you may just very well think it’s cool, too. Too much tackle? Maybe, but we’re all Tackle Junkies in here and there was no way we could sit still and shut up with that much going on. Incidentally, the weather on the Gold Coast was immaculate for the duration of the show. You can rest assured that as long as the public aren’t allowed a glimpse of what’s being released, then we’ll be doing our best to show you what’s coming to a tackle store near you.

Shepparton 72 Wangaratta 73 Jindabyne 74 Eildon 76 Bonnie Doon

Central Gippsland

Melbourne Metro

Bendigo 78

Back to Basics

Boating 90 Chappy’s Hotspot

Dam Levels

Fun Page

Junior City Fishing

Inland Fisheries Service

Kayaking 87 Spearfishing 64 Tasmanian Lake Levels

Tournament News

Track my Fish

Trade and Services Guide

100

Victorian Tide Times

102

VRFish Update

SPECIAL FEATURES Stream craft: spinning for trout

Field Editor: Kelly Hunt Publishers: Steve Morgan Matthew Drinkall Advertising: Ph: (07) 3387 0800 Fax: (07) 3387 0801 Copy and materials should be sent direct to: ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

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Greg Seeto with a beautiful looking trout. Get ready for the opening season.

SEPTEMBER 2016

Sub-Editors: Bob Thornton Nicole Penfold Cordelia Adams

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Trout

Honing your stream craft: spinning for trout WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

Winding through the mountain valley’s and down through the lush green farm lands throughout the state, small creeks, streams and rivers are awash with trout. One of the more

in all instances. When looking at a river, there may be a log or fallen tree lying deep halfway across the width of the river. A creek may have a series of boulders under the water but just breaking the surface and in a stream; there may be a large set of rapids opening up into a slow flowing deep pool. These features are what

coming down with the flow of the current. On approach to a river, this information is vital as it provides you with the knowledge as to where to walk so to not spook the fish. Of course, the most common technique in fishing a stream, river or creek is to walk along the bank’s edge. This is highly effective, however can have

Where the end of the run meets the slow running pool, trout are usually lurking. adverse effects. Walking along the edge of the bank puts you at risk of being seen and spooking fish purely by the sheer size of you, which can easily be seen. Walking the bank does require quite a stealth approach to avoid these two key points becoming an issue. An alternative to walking the bank is to wade the river. This means donning on a

You don’t have to fish with tackle that is too heavy for trout. Often a light approach is the best. photogenic species of fish to catch, trout are a viable option year round, except during the closed season that is. Victoria’s trout fishery is so wide spread, that they can be caught high up in the alpine regions right down to coastline and in brackish water. Regardless of where they can be caught, trout are quite easily spooked, requiring a few special tactics to coax them to the hook. READING A RIVER Rivers, streams and creeks are all similar in their form. Sure they may look visually different with rocks, logs, depth, trees and shrubs in different locations, but it is the water and how it runs which is quite the same

to look for and where you’ll find fish holding. Other features could be a build up of tree bark, or anything else for that matter that causes the main current to slow around, after or nearby the structure creating a location for fish to escape the current. Deep pools, eddies and slow runs are locations where fish can relax and constantly keep an eye in the current for any potential foods to wash down past them. WORKING A RIVER The key to being successful when working a river, stream or creek is to avoid spooking any fish. Trout, regardless of species, always hold facing upstream. In doing so, they can see everything that is

Bridges can offer good locations for cover; however it is the slower pools where you are most likely going to find fish.

When flicking rivers and streams, always ensure you have a good selection of lures at your disposal. In the one river, you’ll require different lures for shallow pools, deep pools, rapids and so on. 8

SEPTEMBER 2016

pair of waders and hopping into the water, walking up it. Of course, this technique is the most effective stealth approach; it can lead to some incidents to arise. Walking in the river while casting well ahead can lead to some issues such as the force of the current pushing against you as well as slippery rocks and logs underfoot. Of course in this instance, you could fall over and get

wet. While this is the biggest issue, others tend to arise about slipping and injuring yourself so to combat this, ensure you always have good secure footing before taking the next step. However, as you approach a river, creek or stream, continue to keep an eye out for specific areas in which to land your bait or lure to entice a strike. This might mean casting ahead of a log or boulder so to bring the lure and or unweighted bunch of worms down with the current and into the slow pool or eddy to where fish could be holding. Casting accuracy is vital in order to have the lure travel in the right location to follow the current past specific structures. Once you understand such points, locating fish will become much easier each time you wade or walk a river. LURES Bait selection is always vital, regardless of the species being targeted, however, when it comes to trout, special consideration should be payed to what your choosing to use. Trout season ends on

Sometimes, the river can be too deep in parts to wade. If this is the case and you’re up on the bank, make long casts so you don’t spook any fish.

Trout midnight the Monday after the Queen’s Birthday until midnight on the first Friday in September. Depending on the time of year you’re targeting

trout harass larger females in order to fertilise their eggs as well as eat any eggs free floating down river. When the smaller males are out and about, larger males are quick

100mm in brown trout and rainbow trout colours for deeper pools and Rapala 11cm and 13cm in TR and RT colours for both shallow and deep pools.

There are some very impressive trout in Victoria’s rivers, streams and creeks, all it takes is time to seek them out. trout, different lures work more effectively than others. At the end of autumn and heading into winter, the first signs of rain stimulate

to defend their female and often eat and or attack smaller males. Anglers in search of trophy trout at this time of season end need to use lures

You can always expand a lure selection into soft plastics if you feel the need, but for most of the creeks, rivers and streams fished at

There are very few rivers in which brook trout can be caught. The Rubicon River is one such place due to escaping from a nearby fish farm. In recent years, they have also begun to spawn in this waterway. trout to begin their spawning cycle. This means that trout begin to congregate in the river mouths waiting for the rivers to rise so they can head up stream and over any obstacles to get to where they can lay their eggs in the soft rubble of the riverbed. During this time, smaller

replicating smaller trout. Building your collection should at least begin with Yo-Zuri 90mm Pins Minnow in colours BWTR and M99 for the fast shallow runs, Yo-Zuri Minnow Magnet MR 70mm in HSYM for deep slow running pools, Yakamito Slim Minnow

this time of year, hardbodied lures as mentioned are more than enough. When the season opens in September, the fishing is much slower than closing, however, if you’re up to a little exploring, there are a lot of fish to be found. To page 10

Fishing skinny water isn’t all about catching monster trout. The majority of trout caught range from 15-30cm. SEPTEMBER 2016

Trout From page 9

From September through to May, trout may be found in similar locations, however they respond less aggressive than when in spawning mode. Throughout this period, it is vital to downsize lures as there will also be a lot of smaller fish in the systems. Larger trout have already done their business and have made their way back into the lakes where they

live and are doing what they do in the deeper waters until the cycle begins all over again. Smaller fish have quite a varying diet and while hard body lures work exceptionally well, soft plastics and spinners should also be found in the tackle selection. A good lure selection for the rest of the open season may consist of Yo-Zuri 50mm and 70mm Providing you’re stealthy while wading streams, it is not uncommon to spot fish.

Larger trout tend to be caught during the spawn when they head upstream to lay and fertilize their eggs.

Pins minnows in colours BWTR and M99, Yakamito Slim Minnow 60mm in brown trout and rainbow trout colours, Rapala Original 5cm and 7cm TR and RT colours along with the 70mm Zerek Live Flash Minnow Wriggly in the 008 colour and Mustad Darter Jig Head 1.8g #1 hook. Spinners are equally important, as on occasion you’ll be flicking into some real shallow water where there may be a lot of debris and only a spinner will be able to be worked just below the surface without being hung up. Worden’s Rooster Tails in the 206 and 208 sizes are ideal with colours FL, BL, PK, BRTR and RBOW the ideal size and colour selection to be used

throughout this period. VICTORIA’S TOP TROUT WATERWAYS Even I find it hard to decide where to head for a flick throughout trout season each season, and lucky for us Victorians, we are fortunate to have so many creeks, rivers and streams to fish. Out west, not all of the trout rivers are closed to fishing between Queens’s birthday and September. These are the: Aire River downstream of the Great Ocean Road Bridge, Avon River downstream of the Stratford Railway Bridge, Ford River downstream of the Great Ocean Road Bridge, Gellibrand River downstream of the Great Ocean Road Bridge, Hopkins River downstream of the Hopkins Falls, Merri

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Bridge and the Tambo River downstream of the Bruthen Road Bridge. Throughout the north and south east of Victoria, the alpine region provides anglers with a huge selection of creeks rivers and streams to fish with some producing some magnificent fish. Of the more popular waterways, the Yarra River, Monbulk Creek, Goulburn River, Acheron River, Stevenson and little Stevenson rivers, Rubicon River, Snobbs creek, Big River, Howqua river, Deletite River, Tanjil River, Tarago River, Tyers River, Toorongo River, Snowy River amongst a million other creeks, rivers and streams are all abundant with trout.

It is not just brown trout that are the target; rainbows are also a viable catch.

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Trout

Give more opportunities for South West trout anglers COLAC

Scott Gray

Last year at a VRFish (Victorian Recreation Fishing Peak Body) state meeting, on behalf of

recreational anglers. BACKGROUND Brown trout fisheries in the South West Victorian coastal rivers, the Hopkins, Mt Emu Creek, Merri and Moyne rivers have relied on annual fish stocking

30km of each other, close to the regional centre of Warrnambool, and have extensive public access. Anglers can target brown trout over a wide geographic range. During winter, river flows increase

Increasing access by removing the closed season on these waters will mean more big fish and big smiles for recreational anglers.

Looking out over the junction of the Hopkins and Mt Emu Creek. the regions’ freshwater anglers, I proposed to support the removal of the salmonid closed season regulation in four annually stocked South West coastal rivers. This was in an effort to increase the return rates of stocked brown trout to anglers, and to give recreational anglers better access to these fisheries. I’ll explain some of the rationale for this proposal, and share some perspectives on the background of these fisheries, issues and recent fisheries research. The salmonid closed season regulation, for these South West stocked coastal rivers, is an unnecessary fisheries management tool. The regulation limits opportunities for

with yearling fish for decades. There is little to no natural recruitment. These same rivers are subject to a three month closed season, implemented to protect vulnerable spawning fish. This raises the question, why stock fish to create angling opportunities, and then limit access for social reasons, unrelated to the sustainability of these fisheries? These rivers are the only stocked coastal rivers in Victoria. They’re well known, popular with local and visiting anglers, and are stocked annually by Fisheries Victoria with brown trout yearlings. These river catchments exist in close proximity to each other. They flow south into the ocean within

SEPTEMBER 2016

contributes significantly to the fishery, as over 70% of fish identified in the survey are fin-clipped. This means natural recruitment is either unlikely or very low. The return rate to anglers is 3.5%, of which only 68% is actually retained.

Fish respond to all techniques, although flyfishing and lure fishing are very popular.

Researchers from ARI conducting a survey in the electro-fishing boat looking for signs of natural recruitment in the upper Merri River in February 2016. 12

and fish are most active. This is usually during the closed season period, and anglers often miss out on high quality brown trout. CURRENT MANAGEMENT These fisheries were stocked as follows for

2015: 4000 in Hopkins River, 3100 in Mt Emu Creek, 11000 Merri River and 1000 Moyne River. The current bag limits are five fish per day, per person, with no more than two over 35cm. Gear is restricted to two rods per angler, and two hooks per line. Add a closed season period from the end of the Queen’s Birthday long weekend in June, to the first week in September. FISHERY CHARACTERISTICS PAST RESEARCH The 2003-2004 Hopkins-Merri salmonid recreational creel survey conducted by Fisheries Victoria identified key characteristics of these fisheries. Stocking

Therefore, the harvest is only 2.4%. Many fish are not caught or utilised. The catch rate is as low as fourteen hours for one trout. The fisheries produce high quality brown trout – over a third of fish measured in the survey were more than 50cm, or 1.5kg. Overall, the Hopkins and Merri rivers produce low yielding, but are high quality brown trout fisheries for experienced anglers. Exemptions from the closed season regulation are already are in place for the lower reaches of these coastal streams, with a ‘sea run trout fishery’ classification. This simply funnels the effort into more limited sections of the waters, and results in lower

catch rates. Anglers are dissatisfied and face issues with access. They’re also just targeting and catching typical stocked river fish. No significant sea run fishery actually exists. The closed season management tool for salmonids was reinstated in the late 1990’s by the Victorian Government, state-wide, in response to concerned recreational anglers about wild stocks in rivers. This has been an effective management tool for protecting vulnerable fish in many salmonid river fisheries across the state, particularly where wild fish contribute significantly to the fishery, and where they can be vulnerable to fishing mortality when aggregating to spawn. In this unique situation, it raises questions. Why have this regulation on stocked waters with low return and catch rates, which are heavily reliant on stocking and have little or no natural recruitment. The fish are not vulnerable to overfishing. Why is a stocked river fishery managed differently to a stocked lake fishery, which has no closed season regulation? Removing the closed season regulation would allow anglers to capitalise on the investment and value of these fisheries, without jeopardising their sustainability. These rivers are managed by individual catch limits, gear restrictions and are stocked with brown trout to create recreational opportunities for anglers. Currently, they are clearly underutilised. Anglers are not getting the return on their Recreational Fishing Licence investment and revenue. This has been the cause of continual frustration for

Trout over a decade. In the past, anglers continued to fish throughout the closed season period by targeting a range of other species. They’ve often caught and retained trout without consequence. Since the implementation of the closed season, not a single person has been booked for a salmonid related offence. It’s not a high compliance priority. Law-abiding anglers don’t get to target trout, when

other anglers don’t even face consequences. Why have regulations that aren’t enforced? With so little natural recruitment, there’s no clear scientific or sustainability reason for the closed season here, which means they are currently significantly over-regulated. The current sea run exemptions have caused further confusion. The removal of this regulation would enable anglers to reap the full

benefits of these unique regional fisheries, resulting in social and economic benefits for anglers and local communities. RECENT RESEARCH FINDINGS After presenting the proposal to VRFish representatives, angling association delegates were able to share their concerns about potential changes, and in response to the proposal. Fisheries Victoria was asked to facilitate a

The South West stocked coastal rivers produce quality, well conditioned trout, just like these two fish taken trolling in the Merri River.

A Fisheries survey in 2003-2004 indicated that fin clipped fish made up a high proportion of the catch, indicating the importance of fish stocking annually.

survey of one or more of these rivers to determine whether there is likely to be a significant level of natural recruitment in these South West streams. The aim of the research was to not provide comprehensive assessment, as it would take several years and substantial cost, but rather assess any indication of natural recruitment from winter 2015, to provide evidence and assist anglers to take an informed position.

South West river survey sites were selected in close consultation with fishers, based on accessibility and historical monitoring. On 27-28 January this year, Arthur Rylah Institute scientists used boat and backpack electrofishing to survey two sites on the Merri River, Bligh Road and Grasmere, as well as two sites on the Hopkins River, Warrumyea Road and Framlingham. Recreational anglers from Australian Trout

Foundation, VRFish and Warrnambool Fly Fishers attended the sites while they were being surveyed. Over the four sites, 27 brown trout (17-54cm) were surveyed, indicating that the Merri and Hopkins rivers continue to support good numbers of large brown trout. This is consistent with previous years. As the smallest trout caught in the survey was 17cm in length, the survey found no evidence of To page 14

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Trout From page 13

natural recruitment derived from spawning, as trout spawned in 2015 would be considerably smaller. This finding is consistent with previous surveys that found these waters were principally maintained by stocking, as demonstrated by a high proportion of fin-clipped trout in angler catches. There is no evidence of overfishing, and there is high compliance with harvest regulations in the Merri and Hopkins rivers. THE FUTURE A unanimous vote by

VRFish representatives, at a state meeting conducted in May, supported trialling the removal of the closed season regulation next year. There is still work to be done with fisheries managers to secure this opportunity. These fisheries are clearly unique and should be recognised by the legislation accordingly. Salmonid fisheries have been successfully micromanaged across Victoria. There’s no reason that an exemption can’t be made for these waters, subsequent to the support seen in recent years from the recreational

angling community. For now, the future looks bright. Hopefully in coming years, both local and visiting recreational anglers will be able to enjoy some of Victoria’s best quality brown trout fishing, on a year round basis. • These are the opinions of the author and aren’t necessarily reflective of the magazine. For more information on this debate, search the South West rivers proposal and the author’s website, at scottgrayfishing. com.au, or the Australian Trout Foundation at atfonline.com.au.

When the river is flowing in the cooler months the fish are very active.

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Brook trout official release

Brook trout are being released into Lake Purrumbete near Camperdown, which is the first official release of the fish in Victoria. Executive Director of Fisheries Victoria, Travis Dowling said anglers have often expressed a desire to have the species stocked into Lake Purrumbete. “The brook trout is a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family and although it is called a trout, it is actually a char,” Mr Dowling said. “The fish are not expected to grow large (a kilo fish would be big), but

what they lack in size, they make up for in appearance. “They are native to eastern North America, in the United States and Canada, but have been introduced into other countries around the world.” Mr Dowling said it’s a striking looking fish, with a dark green to brown colour, with a distinctive marbled pattern and a sprinkling of red dots on its back, surrounded by blue halos along the flanks. The lower fins are often reddish in colour with white leading edges. “The stocking is the first of a two year trial stocking

the fish into the lake,” Mr Dowling said. “Lake Purrumbete supports a popular redfin fishery and is already stocked with Chinook salmon, brown trout and rainbow trout. “If successful, the stocking will create a unique lake based brook trout fishery and thus adding to the range of fishing experiences available at Lake Purrumbete,” he said. “This complements the State Government’s Target One Million plan to get more people fishing more often.” – Fisheries Victoria

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SEPTEMBER 2016

Estuary fishing is flowing for great catches WEST COAST

Shane Lowery

September sees us transition from the cold and wet of winter into milder temperatures. It can be one of the best months of the year to fish the Glenelg River. The preceding months of winter saw much desired natural inflows. Combined with the strategically timed environmental flows, there have been real and tangible

benefits for the river as a whole. The predominant angling species like estuary perch, southern black bream and mulloway, all rely heavily on flows in the river for their complex life cycles, and to ensure successful spawning. Natural and environmental flows have seen the reconnection of the whole system from the estuary itself, right up to the wall at Rocklands. This means fish like estuary perch are once

again encountered in the highest reaches of the river. In fact, it’s becoming common to catch perch in areas they’ve not been found for many years. I attended some survey work recently conducted by the Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority. They undertook electro fishing to identify what fish inhabited some of the highest reaches. Several large estuary perch were captured around Balmoral, which is 300km from the estuary. Clearly, these

Big spring time bream are moving up onto the shallow edges.

Dave Standing, bream enthusiast, with a brace caught from the salty estuary and further up in the fresh. Note the difference in colour.

fish undertake large migrations similar to the salmon runs seen in other countries. This renewed interconnectivity is also allowing lesser known species, such as blackfish to make a real comeback in the system. This is a great sign for the future sustainability of the river and its ecosystem. In September we start to see the spawning bream and EPs disperse from lower parts of the river, and spread throughout the entire system again. They move from deeper drop offs around 3m back

onto heavy snags and shallow edges. Finding the fish is a matter of trying different terrain, casting lures or baits into the shallows around rock walls, weed banks or mud flats. This will give you an indication of the areas that are holding fish, and this pattern will tend to be consistent through the whole river. Keep in mind that it can change from day to day. September also holds the promise of large mulloway entering the river. In years gone by, this month has been

very productive for fish in excess of the 10kg mark. The estuary itself is always a reliable hunting ground when fish are about. Larger soft plastics, and vibe or blade style lures, are always a go to when targeting mulloway down the front. Jointed hardbodies and live baits like mullet are also great to target the bigger fish. The best times are the three days in the lead up to the full moon and the three days after. The slack water period at the top and bottom of the tide is also a peak biting period.

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Estuary perch will also be moving upriver and back into heavy snags.

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SEPTEMBER 2016

New season begins PORTLAND

Nigel Fisher

We’ve had a couple of up and down months of fishing in Portland. The

icy cold weather, winds and large swells hit us hard and made the fishing trips turn into a real challenge. The tuna season was reasonable, and the number of fish caught was

We’ll start to see some good mixed bags of table fish as the weather improves.

good when anglers could move. There was no need to travel far. Tuna are still out there, but most charters have made their way back to Melbourne by now. Local anglers are pretty over it by now and start looking at options for the new season. When the weather has been kind, some very nice fish have been caught in the deep water. Very nice blue-eye are around the shelf area. The 130m mark has seen some very impressive Tassie trumpeter over 10kg, big flathead over 2kg and awesome snapper around 4-7kg. There’s been the chance of a nice gummy or school shark. Bridgewater Bay has also been fishing well when the weather permits, with good hauls of flathead and sharks. This side of Lawrences Rock has been killed by small ‘couta and pinkie snapper, which make it hard to fish the bottom. When you can, pass them. We should see flathead around, and big whiting. There are large schools of salmon around, which can be caught in the boat or

The new boat ramp is working nicely and saved a lot of congestion this tuna season. off the land. Flicking lures around, blue baits generally work the best. The Lee Breakwater has been very quiet for the last couple of months, apart from ‘couta, salmon and the odd calamari. Locals are itching to see the breakwater improve and can’t wait to

see the first big snapper arrive, then the chase will be on. Anglers have had fun with salmon cruising around Yellow Rock and towards Bridgewater. Some of the salmon have been up to 3kg. Lures and lightweight baits seem to work well in those areas.

For the fishers chasing bream, the Fitzroy and Surry rivers have been fishing well. The Fitzroy has seen perch and the odd mulloway. Of course, the mighty Glenelg River is a fantastic place to fish and has the chance of big bream, big perch and mulloway.

September South West species WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

Spring has sprung in the South West but cold water species such as trout, tuna and salmon will still be the major focus for anglers in the month of September. We had a couple decent rain events in July, which made the rivers rise and dirty up more than last season. Hopefully this will continue and have a positive effect on trout fishing in September.

School tuna continue to be in good numbers offshore.

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There have been good 2kg fish taken in the lower Merri and Hopkins during the winter sea run open season, but it’s been hard work for most. With all areas reopening on 3 September, trout anglers can spread throughout the local rivers and streams, as opposed to hitting the smaller region that was open over the winter months. I’ve had good success with the 9cm Daiwa TD minnows in dirty water, and switching to the 6cm models as it clears up. The school run of bluefin has continued, when conditions allowed anglers to get amongst them. These fish have been further out than they can be at this time of year. The 50-60m range has produced goods. Bag limit catches have been easily achieved, once fish are located. No big fish landed locally has been like those at Portland. In past years, you would expect the tuna run to be pretty much over in September, but this time last year, fish as huge as 100kg were still around in September, so here’s hoping. Local salmon beach hotspots like Levis and Killarney have cranked out good fish recently. Those strong northerly wind days that tend to wipe out options locally, are often good

Good water flows in the river will get big browns like this on the move. times to hit the beach in search of a salmon or two. The bream and EP in the Hopkins haven’t been difficult to find lately. Large schools can be sounded up in the lower reaches. Getting them to bite is the issue. Coinciding a run-in tide with a high barometer can help, and depending on conditions,

some good EP fishing can be had in September. The Moyne River has continued to provide plenty of fun with trevally, mullet and salmon – all available around the boat ramp jetty on a high tide. The back passage area is always worth a look for decent trevally at this time of year.

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Apollo Bay is looking fresh APOLLO BAY

Daniel Kent apollobaysurfshop@bigpond.com

Winter has lived up to all expectations and delivered plenty of freshwater in the Apollo Bay region. All the signs are pointing to an exceptional spring season for bream, estuary perch and trout in our coastal estuaries and streams. After such a good flush out, the rivers will thrive, and anglers can’t wait for trout season to open on the first Saturday in September. Fish places like Smythes Creek, Skenes Creek, Kennett River, Barham

River and the beautiful Aire River. Cast small soft plastics or hardbodied lures for plenty of feisty trout, and also drift unweighted scrub worms. With such large, open mouths on the rivers, the tidal flows will push in large amounts of saltwater. This drives the bream and estuary perch nuts, and there is no better time of year to be chasing these species. Try hopping a small grub soft plastic along the bottom as the tide pushes in, or a hardbody around any structure, as the water rushes back on the receding tide. The Barham and Aire rivers are prime places to tangle with these hard

fighting estuary species. This time last year, we had an amazing late run of jumbo-sized bluefin tuna. Will it happen again this year? It’s looking good out there, with plenty of bait and school tuna still around. I’m tipping the big ones will be there too. Troll a spread of skirted lures around any signs of bait, or over the reef systems on the tide change. It’s been an excellent season on the tuna already. Gummy sharks and snapper are biting on fresh cut fish baits, off Cape Otway in the 35-45m water. For the best results, fish tide changes. The boat harbour has

been giving up some quality calamari on small prawn style jigs, fished over the sea grass beds. Schools of salmon have been travelling through the area. Both beach and boat anglers are catching good numbers of fish, once a school has been located. Keep an eye out for dark patches in the water, or areas of rippled surface water, as these are both sure signs of salmon. Another good option for September is to berley up the shallow reef edges along the coastline. Silver trevally and King George whiting are common captures, as are species such as cowanyoung and Australian salmon.

Jarvis Kent caught this ripper black bream under the Great Ocean Road Bridge in the Barham River at Apollo Bay.

Rivers for all to sea COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

We are still in the rigid grip of winter with not many days conducive to chasing fish in the great outdoors. The rain keeps falling, which we still need to give our rivers a decent flush out. All our estuaries are currently open to the sea, including the Curdies River, which was manually opened in late June. Most of our rivers receive run-off from farmland. This water is high in nutrients from the fertilizers used to promote fodder growth. This water needs to be flushed out to sea to prevent algal blooms taking hold in the warmer months. An influx of highly oxygenated salt water pouring in also helps to promote a healthy estuary. The bream in the Curdies have spread throughout the system, and while many remain in the lower reaches of the river, more have entered

the lake in their quest for food. On any given day they can be hard to locate. I can attest to this as I recently spent much of the day trying to find a school of feeding fish. The bream that I caught were very welcome indeed. I used a variety of metal vibe lures as well as soft plastics. Three hours into a cool late July morning, a Fish Arrow 4.5’’ Flash-J Grub in white/silver finally worked. I hoped this plastic would imitate the local ‘greyback’ minnow that are often found in this estuary, along with shrimp for bream. Those bank fishing down near the mouth, or fishing out of tinnies in the lower channel have found bream. Bait has been the number one attraction and even packet frozen baits, such as prawn and whitebait, have been successful. Anglers who could source scrubworm and small yabbies have also had success. The sheer amount of run-off entering the river upstream, combined with high seas, has slowed down

the run-out of fresh water and halted the influx of highly oxygenated salt water. This explains why most of the fish caught to date have been taken in the lower half of the lake. The Gellibrand River at Princetown has the same problem, on a higher scale. The river flows out of the Otway Ranges, which attract the highest rainfall in the state, so the water is very turbid there at present. Some excellent gummy sharks around 14kg have been caught off the surf beaches. Gibsons Steps is one of the popular spots to wet a line. Baits like cut freshwater eel, pinned onto ganged hooks and secured with hosiery elastic, is the way to go. These sharks are mainly taken after dark in the gutters, right behind the wash. Pieces of eel are tough and resist being eaten by sea lice and crabs with the skin left on. During the day, schools of feeding Australian salmon inhabit these same beaches. Chrome slices, pilchard and squid baited on a double paternoster

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A Fish Arrow 4.5’’ Flash J Grub in glow/silver is a good imitation of the local ‘greyback’ minnow in the Curdies. rig are all working. Don’t forget to introduce berley into the wash to increase your chances of hook-up. King George whiting, up to 38cm, have been caught off the Port

Campbell jetty in recent times. The fish are only responding to pipi meat, and with rough seas, the chance to nail a whiting has been reduced, even though fish are there waiting to

be caught. A word of caution: don’t fish off the bottom platform of the jetty during rough seas, especially at night. These often get inundated with water.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Abalone ban and $4,000 fine

A Point Cook man has been fined $4,000 and banned from collecting abalone for two years after being convicted for a number of offences relating to the collection of blacklip abalone on Phillip Island in February. Central Acting Regional Supervising Fisheries Officer Mark Gibson said the man was convicted in the Korumburra Magistrates Court earlier this month and the large penalties reflected the seriousness of illegally collecting abalone. Mr Gibson said the 42-year-old man was caught collecting the molluscs at Pyramid Rock, Phillip Island, where he breached a number of fisheries regulations. The man had collected

29 blacklip abalone, which is nearly six times the daily limit of five. Nineteen of the abalone were under the legal minimum size of 11cm for that area. A quantity had also been removed from their shells, also illegal under the Fisheries Act, which prohibits shucking abalone, or being in possession of shucked abalone, on or near Victorian waters. Fishers may only shuck abalone at the place of consumption. “The abalone were also taken from a shallow rock pool less than 2m deep, which is classified as the intertidal zone and protected from all mollusc collection, including abalone,” Mr Gibson said. “The regulations relating to the collection of abalone are in place for a very good reason and

the penalties demonstrate just how important it is to obey the regulations and help protect Victorian fisheries.” The Magistrate noted the man should have known better and when interviewed by Fisheries Officers he acknowledged what he was doing was wrong. He was convicted and fined $4,000 and also issued with a court order prohibiting him from possessing any abalone or being involved with fishing activity relating to abalone for two years. Anyone who sees or suspects illegal fishing activity should phone the 24-hour reporting line 13 FISH (13 3474) anytime. For more information about abalone regulations visit www.vic.gov.au/ fisheries – Fisheries Victoria

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Winter slumber is over as the water warms up GEELONG

Neil Slater slaterbunch@optusnet.com.au

September is a heck of a time to be alive around Geelong and the Surf Coast. Snapper rub their eyes and emerge from their winter slumber. Things are starting to warm up. This time last year saw some epic tuna captures along the Surf Coast, so don’t forget to pack the heavy tackle, if you plan on slipping offshore. If you’re looking to entertain the kids over the school holidays, you can take them to one of the lakes stocked with ready to catch rainbow trout, by DEPI. St Augustines Waterhole, at the Warn Ponds end of Highton, is scheduled to receive 500 of these trout. Likely, there are some left over from the previous stocking, nudging 800g or more by now. Early morning is best. Berkley PowerBait, worms, corn, small blade spinners, minnows or soft plastics work great. A new jetty was installed last year for easier access, but a lot of bank here is muddy. Pack gumboots

and a pack of Cheezels if they’re not biting. For more information, including which lakes are stocked, head over to the DEPI website. Last month, Michael Evans, from Last Cast Fishing Adventures, fished Wurdi Boluc Reservoir. He caught a cracking redfin that measured at 50cm and weighed in at a whopping 1.7kg. Michael was using a Nories Metal Wasaby spoon cast and retrieved from the bank. The Surf Coast should see an influx of bait-stealing draught board sharks, and line burning school sharks. The odd snapper will show up towards the middle of the month, depending on water temperature. Try deep reef areas from 1020m while a run-out tide can be best. Corio Bay has good numbers of garfish kicking about. Anglers fishing from piers and break walls have done well, with small fish baits under floats, when the weather is good. Limeburners Break Wall, Geelong Waterfront, Griffins Gully jetty and St Helens have all produced gars for land-based fishers.

Michael Evans caught this beauty 1.7kg redfin, ready for the camera. Best results have been with a good dose of berley, lobbed out to keep them

keen. Chook pellets are great soaked in tuna oil, as they sink and don’t attract

birds. Cormorants and other birds are natural enemies of garfish, so if they turn up,

the party’s over. Portarlington Pier has seen a few garfish and juvenile salmon. Those fishing St Leonards Pier have picked up some gars as well as quality King George whiting, using squid for bait on dusk. Snapper have been sporadic, however, fish from legal length to 50cm have been caught, from Corio Bay’s inner harbour to St Leonards. Smaller fish at 30cm are showing up around the piers, while larger fish have been caught in the deeper water by boat anglers. Clifton Springs has seen calamari caught over the shallow reef areas in good numbers, but whiting were very quiet here last month. Rod Ludlow, from Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head, indicates that this has been one of the better whiting seasons he can remember. They continued the bite right over winter. Sizes ranged from legal length to 45cm on occasions. Smaller fish were in close, while longer fish seemed to be in the deeper water drop offs. Oddly, pipis were running second choice to squid, so make sure you catch a few calamari for bait on

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the way to whiting. Rod says that while the whiting ebbed somewhat, over the last month or so, calamari kept the anglers busy with plenty caught around the Bellarine Peninsula. Bass Strait from Barwon Heads to Lorne has seen good numbers of gummy sharks, up to 12kg. Anglers, drifting in 40m of

water and using fresh squid for bait, have caught pinkie snapper up to 3kg. The lower Barwon estuary has seen an influx juvenile Australian salmon and yellow-eyed mullet. They’re excellent fun on light gear and can be caught one after the other. They love fish bait such as pilchards, glassies and

blue bait. They’re also keen on shiny lures and soft plastics. This time last year saw the same thing with the salmon, except a few rippers over 50cm were also caught, which sure tests skills on light gear. John Albrecht from Torquay Angling Club says there’s been quality King George whiting, biting in

the shallows off Torquay lately, along with quality gummy sharks further out. Jan Juc Beach has Australian salmon and small pinkie snapper biting well in the surf. John says the best time for Jan Juc has been the falling tide on dusk. He notes that Spring Creek has opened up to the sea, after recent rains. This could kick local bream into gear. Australian salmon have been biting well along the coast with fish close to 2kg

being beached just on dusk at popular beaches such as Bancoora, Thirteenth and Jan Juc. Rock fishers have done well on the big salmon with Cathedral, Jump, Artillery and Wye River rocks all producing fish around 2kg. They’ve been cautious with lures, but slamming any fresh fish baits like pilchards, bluebait or glassies. Mick Allardyce from Anglesea says the local beaches, such as Hutt Gully, Urquharts Bluff and

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Preparing for spring PORT PHILLIP WEST

Andy Smith andy@ebbtidetackle.com

Melbourne has certainly lived up to its wet and windy winter tag. Welcome rainfall brought much needed water for our waterways and bay health. When the sun comes out and the winds back off, we can get amongst it and enjoy a rewarding fishing season! September defines spring, as the snapper season begins. The reds aren’t in huge numbers, but the keen and seasoned anglers target big quality fish early in the season. You may have to put in serious time on the water,

up, grab the gear and give it all a good once over. Thoroughly check rod guides for hairline cracks or chips that need replacing – it can save you lost fish and spools of wasted line! Strip the old line off your reels and re-spool. Make sure bearings are run smoothly and reels are serviced as well. Give the local tackle store a call, as most stores are happy to spool reels for you. This will save your dollars, rather than buying a handful of ‘one shot’ size spools. While you’re at the local tackle store, and you’ve gotten out of mowing the lawn, grab some leader, hooks, swivels and lumo beads to pre-tie plenty of rigs. There’s nothing more

hit stores. While the winter blast has made it difficult in the motivation stakes, those who braved the local conditions have had some quality fishing. METROPOLITAN RIVERS Werribee River has turned on classic fishing after a decent flush of fresh water. The initial flows in winter saw fish move down the system, but after steady flows and consistent rain, fish have revelled in the conditions. Bream spread throughout the river and quality fish up to 40cm+ in length have been taken. Bait anglers excelled with freshwater yabbies and tubeworm or sandworm baits. Lure anglers fishing

Calamari continue to fish exceptionally well across Western Port Phillip Bay. so make sure you’re on the prime areas at the right times for a solid chance at snapper. Hit the water early and have your berley established before the dawn change of light. Couple this with a tide change as well to really maximise your chances. Before you get fired

frustrating or heartbreaking than a fish lost to an easily preventable rigging error. As the saying goes, ‘proper preparation prevents poor performance.’ For lure anglers, this time of year is fantastic, as the new season releases from the annual trade show are starting to

sandworm imitation and OSP Shrimp or OSP Craws have been taking their share also. The incoming tide has delivered the most results. Mulloway have shown up, as big as 6kg and have been taken with small live baits, and 4-6” paddle-tail soft plastics. Lunkerhunt

The Cranka Crab has redefined metropolitan bream fishing. Swim Bentos, Squidgy Fish and OSP DoLive Shads are definite standouts and have been extremely successful. Local Werribee Angling Club members, Chris Abbott and Peter Aldersea, both landed mulloway while targeting bream in a recent competition. Tide changes and dusk have been productive times. Schooling bream in the Yarra and Maribyrnong rivers are targeted with vibes very well at this time of year. Fish them slow and make use of your sounder to locate schools and patches of feeding fish. However, another ideal technique is to target them with Crab style lures. The Cranka Crab is an extraordinary lure and brings in many bream. Go slow and deliberate, even a slow drag can produce the goods. Land-based anglers should see success on pinkies and nice salmon around the Warmies area, once the rain and freshwater flow back off. Williamstown, as always, provides a great opportunity

for a mixed bag of species. ALTONA TO POINT COOK The winter staple fishery of pinkies around the reefs continues to be a great option throughout the area. Reports have been a little slower than usual from the area due to the windy, Antarctic conditions we have experienced. Searching the reefs from the Williamstown Anglers Club, Millers Road and Altona area should provide results. Half pilchard is always reliable, but don’t rule out large oily baits such as saury, to tempt a solid snapper. POINT COOK TO WERRIBEE RIVER We should rename this stretch of water Squid City. Over the last year, it’s continued to produce great catches for anglers. Recently, fishing depths ranging 4-5m have seen the main catches. Red, orange and other dark foil jigs continue to produce. Local Werribee South anglers have continued to do well across the whole area, but as you drift and find pockets

of larger concentrations, use your sounder or GPS and return to the area. Where there’s one, there’s more. Never rule out a feed of flatties, local angler Rob Kriz has landed some great fish up to 46cm with the ever-reliable Berkley Gulp Turtle Back Worm. Land-based anglers have the ability to make use of the Werribee South Marina wall. Please ensure you take your rubbish home and leave this awesome platform clean for everyone. Fantastic catches and access have been given to fishers, so let’s make sure we don’t spoil it! Bream, salmon, pinkies, snapper, whiting, gummies, calamari and more, are all likely targets here at any time. BEEN FISHING? I’d love to see and hear fishing experiences in the local area! Send through fishing reports and high resolution photos of your great catches to andy@ ebbtidetackle.com with as much detail as you can share.

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Melbournites welcome PPB’s famous spring PORT PHILLIP NE

Wayne Friebe wfriebe@bigpond.net.au

We’ve endured the longest, coldest and wettest winter for some time. Better weather, and longer warmer days are just around the corner. September is a real month of transition in the bay, and marks the change into the bay’s famous spring cycle. As the weather warms, the food chain and the species on offer will shift, which will also bring a spike in the fishing. For many traditional anglers, spring is the start of the fishing for the

to get excited, quality reds have been caught right through the winter months, and the annual spawning migration is not that far away. Recent reports I’ve received have come from land-based anglers, as they are able to fish effectively in less favorable conditions, and there have been more land-based anglers targeting snapper of late. Mornington Pier is an ever-reliable favorite amongst the die-hard locals, as well as the various rock ledges and platforms from Frankston to Safety Beach. Bradford Road, Hearn Road and Bay Road are always

normally follow this pattern. The Outer and Inner Artificial out from Carrum, Frankston Wreck, and various reef marks right along the eastern seaboard are all worth a look. Be prepared to have a good look on the sounder before dropping the pick and setting up. A good strong berley trail is paramount to your success. Also be prepared to change up the bait selection, even try fillet baits and smaller presentations to get the fish to bite. If things are slow, use lures or soft plastics. This can be very effective, and will often draw an aggressive response. It’s fair to say the

The lure fishing in Patterson Lakes has been awesome lately. This bream was one of several fish landed on the shallow sand flats during a recent canal session. next 6-8 months. Now’s the time for preparations – for gear, boats and everything else important. For most anglers in PPB South, the spring and summer months are all about the mighty snapper. While it’s a little early

worth a look, especially during or immediately following a strong westerly blow. Early season, and resident snapper are more likely to be found close to structure. Much like the land-based anglers, successful boating efforts will

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exceptional run of whiting in PPB this year caused many anglers to change their focus during the snapper season. They have continued to feature in many anglers’ bags through the winter months. Although harder to find during colder weather and water temperatures, they’re bigger and provide great sport, and of course, tucker. I’ve enjoyed a purple patch on the local beaches this year, and it’s still going. Early and late in the day is prime time to target whiting, as well as well into the night. Fresh bait is always the best – mussels, pipis, squid and even peeled banana prawn are very effective. Talking to a few of the local anglers at the ramp, many believe that this run of whiting will continue right into the summer and beyond. Here’s hoping. I know the kids and I, and many other anglers in the bay, will be thankful. Another great winter staple, the humble Australian salmon, has been about in the usual areas, in big numbers. They taste great when the water is cooler, and I have no trouble presenting them to the family for dinner. I’ve been spinning up a heap of them on dusk recently, from ‘Fishies’ Beach, Mount Martha Beach and also in Mornington Harbor. Keep

Ben Cunnington with a quality PPB winter gummy shark. your eye out for birds and also bait in the area. They’re fairly easy to see when they are feeding close to shore, but can be a little harder to see when they are cruising. They will take almost anything when in the mood, lures, flies or bait. Rain has made the bay’s rivers and creeks dirty and hard flowing. Bream fishing has been exceptional, especially for the finesse lure anglers in the Patto, and also the bait

anglers fishing near the drains. Don’t be put off by dirty water. Bream feed heavily during these times, and tend to be more aggressive. Conversely, squid fishing has been patchy along the inshore reefs along the eastern shore, due to frequent flushes from the creeks and drains. Deeper reefs in depths of 3-5m have been more productive, as well as the inshore and deeper areas further south.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Scientists help fight native oyster parasite While the common pacific oyster remains under threat from a viral disease, Agriculture Victoria scientists are taking the extra step to investigate a problematic parasite effecting native flat oysters. Aquatic Health Veterinarian Dr Tracey Bradley is currently leading the research at Agriculture Victoria laboratories in Queenscliff and oyster farms in Port Phillip Bay. “Bonamia is an oyster-specific parasite found within the blood cells of native Australian flat oysters. It kills large numbers of oysters by draining their energy until they can no longer keep their shells together and are exposed to predators,” Dr Bradley said. “The disease is not harmful to humans but is the greatest potential risk to the long-term sustainability and the export potential for native Australian flat oyster farming in Port Phillip Bay.” “Infected oysters can survive with the disease and be successfully harvested for safe consumption.” Dr Bradley said its unknown what causes some oysters to be overwhelmed and killed by the parasite. “The only way to detect

if oysters are infected with the parasite is to take tissue samples for testing, this process kills the oyster,” Dr Bradley said. “When the parasite is detected in an oyster population it’s hard to predict which oysters will live with the parasite and survive through to when they are ready to be harvested.” Two current research experiments are set to improve disease management practices for oyster farmers by identifying factors in the oyster’s environment which switch oysters from being simply infected and living with the parasite to dying in their hundreds and thousands. “We test and monitor carrier oysters in a range of different on farm conditions such as heavily and lightly stocked cages, deep and shallow stocked cages and different age classes,” Dr Bradley said. “We are also conducting lab experiments to determine how temperature, rough treatment and starvation affect the carrier oysters while monitoring which oysters die and whether it was the parasite that killed them.” “Results from this research aim to provide farmers with a better knowledge on how heavily to stock their cages, what

age to harvest and any other management factors that will assist in making sure the oysters live happily to harvest time.” Other parts of the project are looking at how best to kill the parasite and how the parasite is transmitted. “We know the parasite is most active in the warmer months of the year and it would appear that temperature is an important factor in stressing oysters and causing them to die from the parasite. This is particularly concerning as climate change appears to be causing an increase in our marine water temperatures,” Dr Bradley said. Dr Bradley said the project could help develop a sustainable flat oyster industry in Port Phillip Bay. “Many of the world’s fisheries are either fully exploited or overexploited and as the global consumption of seafood increases so will the need to protect and develop our aquaculture.” “There is an excellent potential market for the popular native flat oyster and our research aims to improve Victorian oyster farmer’s ability to grow the constant, good quality supply required.” This project is led by Agriculture Victoria in

collaboration with CSIRO and the South Australian Government. The project is funded by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation and set to conclude in 2017. BACKGROUND Port Phillip and Western Port bays have historically been the home to large populations of Australia’s native flat oyster. Farming of native oysters was trialled in the Victorian bays in the late 1980s but was abandoned in the early 1990s after Bonamia destroyed both farmed and wild oysters. A group of farmers again ventured into native oyster production in Port Phillip and Western Port bays in 2010 and have since been working with Agriculture Victoria to establish if their oysters are infected with Bonamia and how best to prevent their oysters from dying. In 2013, some of the oysters tested gave positive results for the parasite. However, the level of parasite was too low to affect their health. In March 2015, approximately 75% of oysters in parts of the bay were found to have been killed by Bonamia. – Fisheries Victoria

PPB is now coming to life after a long winter PORT PHILLIP EAST

Lee Rayner info@fishingfever.com.au

There is no denying that it’s been a genuine winter this time round in Victoria, with everything from solid rain to more than a few howling gales, and generally a lot of wind. On the upside however, the solid amount or rain that has fallen over the state is going to be a good thing for the fishing in general over the coming year or so. As we roll into September, it’s time for everything to start coming out of the winter slumber, with the trees and plants starting to blossom as we put winter behind us and we head towards another summer. September can be, and often is, one of the wettest and windiest months for the year, however those bouts of ordinary weather are generally dispersed with some great spring days. At this time, it’s the perfect opportunity to set out in search for some early

season snapper, which are now the focus for a lot of anglers for the next three months. MORDIALLOC TO BLACK ROCK The creek and the pier have been fishing really well for mullet and bream, with anglers also reporting that there have been salmon and pinkies on various days, especially if it’s been a bit rough. The coming weeks are the time to get serious for a land-based snapper as the big fish move into this area from now on to feed. The best results have been coming from those anglers who are brave enough to fish when the wind is howling in their face, especially at night. The best rigs are the standard paternoster, but a lot of our customers at Fishing Fever also had great success last season using the Black Magic distance casting rigs, as they allow far better distance in your cast, especially in a head wind. This is the prime time to be on the pier for a big snapper. Up in Beaumaris Bay,

it’s also prime time to be putting in effort on the Beaumaris Pier, with the calm conditions seeing plenty of squid around, and when it’s rough the big snapper flock to this area. For the past few years it’s been a prime place to catch a snapper. Out in the boats, it’s also the time to be looking for a good early season snapper, and while the pinkies have been going great over the past few weeks, now is the time to get serious by fishing some larger baits or plastics. It’s only a matter of time until the big fish move in on to the shallow reefs. Good areas to focus on over the coming weeks are the Parkdale Pinnacles and the very point of Ricketts Point, with the area out the front of Table Rock often seeing some of the first big runs of snapper for the season. Further along towards Black Rock the pinkies and the salmon have been in good numbers, but the big news has been the large numbers of garfish on offer for anglers to target for

Squid have been moving about on most reefs and rubble patches within Port Phillip Bay.

Where there’s one squid, there are usually more. both food and bait. Fingerscrossed this will continue in September to provide us with a great source of snapper bait. SANDRINGHAM TO ST KILDA Plenty has been happening over the past few weeks, with really good pinkies found all along the shallow reefs from in front of the Red Bluff Hotel, all the way along to Brighton, with the 6-8m line producing numbers of fish up to 45cm in length. Out wider and around the Anonyma Shoal, the garfish have been great, with good numbers of them being caught. Anglers have been reporting that the gars around the Anonyma are a great size and, as an added bonus, flicking a squid jig around this reef system has also seen some solid squid being taken. So with all this life around the area, it would make perfect sense to put some effort in for an early season snapper.

Back in close to shore, the shallow reefs have been holding squid and that should continue over the coming weeks, with good reports coming from the Green Point area and any of the shallow reefs that lie either side of the point. Up Off Brighton, pinkies have been taken at night by land-based anglers, and now it’s time to get serious for some bigger fish. On the inside of the wall, I have still been hearing of a few pinkies and trevally getting caught by anglers who berley up and fish floating baits. Up at North Road, I haven’t heard too much on the fish front over the past weeks, but when the water has been clear the squid reports have been good with anglers reporting plenty of smaller sized calamari on offer. As this month rolls by, the wider grounds out towards the Fawkner Beacon will also see some better sized snapper being taken

as the big schools of fish start to feed and move their way up along the edge of the shipping channel. ST KILDA TO PORT MELBOURNE Solid amounts of rain have kept a fair bit of colour in the water over the past few weeks, but this won’t affect the snapper fishing one bit. In fact, many anglers live for the dirty water, as they feel that this is what the snapper are following to feed and spawn in. Either way the coming weeks could and should see some solid reds being taken in this part of the world, with Kerford Road and Lagoon piers being top places for the land-based anglers and the area around Princess Pier being one of the top choices for the boat anglers. No matter what you get up to in the coming weeks, now is the time to get the gear ready and head out on the water in search of that elusive early season snapper.

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A very welcome break MORNINGTON PENINSULA

Dan Lee info@peninsulatotaltackle.com.au

You’d be forgiven for lamenting the weather over the last few months.

AUSTRALIAN SALMON This has been a quiet surf fishing season compared to recent years. While we’ve had northerly winds, usually ideal for our back beaches, we also had big swells, which

make the steep peninsula back beaches a challenge to fish. Consequently, reports have been up and down. We simply haven’t got a run-on where anglers have had a clear crack at fishing for this great cool

The Broomfield kids getting in on some nice calamari!

Danny Goudge took this nice Aussie salmon off Gunnamatta back beach. We had ordinary wind and rain. It was certainly a true Victorian winter! That said, we have now seen the first signs of spring. It’s a welcome break. Let’s hope there is a lot more of it to come. Fishing over the last four weeks has been weather interrupted, but we’ve seen pretty gummy sharks taken, and stable fishing on the squid and salmon. GUMMY SHARK I’ve been surprised with the quality and number of gummies taken in our local waters. Although a year round fish, they generally come off during the cooler months. Unfortunately, they are often replaced by legions of swell sharks, which do a good job of devouring baits and make it hard to fish. Most of the action in recent weeks has been on the local channels. Anglers soak up time with some fresh calamari or salmon in the water and have often been rewarded with good gummies up to 12kg.

weather species. Inside the bay, sporadic pockets of salmon have turned up at Dromana Pier, Rye Pier and Blairgowrie Marina, which have kept

Left: Jules Frank with a couple of squid from Southern Port Phillip Bay. Right: Peninsula local Paul Cooney did a quick trip away to Bermagui, and landed this ripper Bluefin!

The Squidezy® makes cleaning squid quick and easy – and anyone can use it. With practise, you can clean squid in under a minute, without the usual mess and effort. The set of three tools is designed and manufactured in SA from certified safe materials. It works and is a great asset in the tackle box, especially when you bag out… trust us! You can purchase your set via the website www.squidezy.com.au or checkout your nearest stockist.

SEPTEMBER 2016

a few of our land-based anglers happy. GARFISH For the first time in about a year, we’ve actually seen consistent fishing for

gar off our local piers. While the fish have not been huge, anglers fishing at Blairgowrie Marina, Sorrento Yacht Squadron Pier, and even at Portsea have found big schools on the flood tide. Berley is a must with gar fishing, and quality baits like maggots and fresh silver fish will have you hooked up in no time. The nice thing about fishing for gar, is that it can be done at any time of day. Often, you only need to devote a couple of hours to get enough for dinner – a great opportunity to take the kids outdoors on a Saturday afternoon. LOOKING AHEAD September is the genuine start of the fishing season. Within a month, the footy finishes and with that, many anglers return to the water after a hiatus through winter. Snapper are the name of the game, but there are many options through this period – breeder squid, offshore pinkies, gummy sharks on the channel and even good whiting returning to our local weed beds. It’s a month of change, and no doubt an exciting month for all those who love their fishing!

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St Kilda is building mussel MELBOURNE

Jason Tanti

Cold miserable days are still with us, here in Victoria. Fishing hasn’t been easy at the best of times, but there have been good fish getting around. My mates and I fished Kerferd Road Pier in St Kilda recently, and have been catching good

numbers of squid. The pier is only a two minute walk from St Kilda main pier. This side of the bay isn’t renowned for squid fishing, but fishing the right areas at the right time is very effective. When it comes to choosing a time, target squid just before dusk and into the dark. There’s a lot of talk about picking the squid jig to use. There’s a lot to take

into account – time, amount of light and depth. On average, Kerferd Road Pier is 3m deep, so using a squid jig size at either 2.5 or 3.0 is perfect. Make sure you fish when the water is clean. You should be able to see your jig right on the bottom. My favourite colour is an orange jig, with a bit of white – they just love it. Yamashita has an awesome

FISHING FILL-ITS

Data bonus for fisheries Did you know that over the past 5 years, more than 70 volunteer angler diarists have measured over 6,000 snapper in Port Phillip Bay to help monitor the health of the fishery? This is a rich source of data for fisheries managers and scientists to better understand what’s happening with fish stocks. The diarists’ 2015 catch information indicates an abundant pulse of 20-30cm snapper entering the adult fishery in the next 5 years. These small snapper are 2-3 years old and represent the most significant pulse of snapper seen in the last 10 years.

This is terrific news for recreational anglers, made all the better given the 33 netting licences that exited the bay fishery in April caught 87% of the commercial catch of fish targeted by recreational anglers, including snapper. The contribution by angler diarists in tracking undersize year-classes of

snapper fills an important knowledge gap and helps us forecast future snapper catch rates in the fishery. The angler diary program is funded by recreational fishing licence fees and is a great example of volunteer anglers giving back to the management of their fishery. – Fisheries Victoria

range to choose from. Technique and retrieval are relatively easy, getting it right is the key. The first thing you want to look for is a weedy patch on the bottom – that’s where the squid will be holding. Simply cast your jig until it hits or gets close to the bottom. Give it a couple of twitches and then let it sink again. Your aim is to give the jig as much action as possible. Excite the squid. Repeat this process all the way back to your feet. Squid may not be the best at fighting when you hook up, but they’re one of the best to eat. Once you hook up to one, keep casting in the same area, because your chances of catching more in that same space of time are good. Keep in mind, the bag limit for squid is ten per person. Other than squid, we are continuing to pick up good numbers of pinkies and flathead from St Kilda pier, using small soft plastics such as the Zman GrubZ, but it takes longer. Early wake ups have been painful in these cold winter mornings, but to fish the prime time when fish are most likely to feed is worth it. Many anglers have been

Nicholas Kayafis holding an impressive squid. sitting on the side of the pier, baitfishing. The main thing is having a good time. So for anyone that wants to wet a line and take a feed home, give St Kilda pier a

go. Use a small to medium size bait holder hook, with a bit of mussel as bait. The pier is surrounded by mussel, which has become the main fish food source.

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The calm before the storm in Western Port WESTERN PORT NTH

Adam Ring

I’m not going to lie, the last month has been a very testing month for the recreational angler. We have had quite a bit of rain, the bluefin out west have been red-hot, but when we have been

able to get out the fishing has been a little bit tough, even for this time of year! But, there is a silver lining. The reports that we have seen are very promising and everything is pointing towards a pretty good start to the snapper season! SNAPPER I will open this month’s

report on the snapper. The top end of Western Port is an early snapper season anglers’ dream. It’s generally pretty shallow, and there are various nice little drop offs that provide great cover for these fish as they sit and wait for conditions to reach the right point to begin spawning. The shallow flats

Jason Varadi and his beautiful 7kg top end snapper.

SEPTEMBER 2016

around Lang Lang and Bouchiers Channel get the most out of the little sun that we get this time of year, boosting the water temperature up just that little bit, which tends to cause this area of the port to fire first for the snapper. Like I mentioned earlier, it has been a little bit tough so far, but the fish that have come in have been a size class of fish worth making the effort to catch. Jason Varadi took advantage of one of the few days we have had with glass calm conditions and spent a few pleasant hours on the waters through the top end. Jason hit the water armed with fresh calamari rings and was rewarded with a stonker of a snapper that pulled the scales down to 7kg. A beautiful looking fish and great way to open the account for the season. Joes Island has just about been the pick of the spots for a snapper over the last month, and I would predict that this will be the case for the coming months too. Gaven Methers, who is a regular to these reports, had the family out for a few hours and was another who took

Dave Osmond and a horse of a Tyabb Bank calamari.

advantage of one of those calm days that we were presented with. Gaven’s young bloke, Brodie, once again taught his old man a thing or two and boated a lovely fish that weighed in at 6kg. Once again it was the fresh calamari that got the job done. Harry Sellars is another local who enjoyed the calm waters around Joes Island and spent a recent Friday afternoon in search of a big red. Harry spent a little bit of time with the sounder trying to mark up a few fish, but once he found them, it didn’t take too long for them to fire with Harry boating the first fish with in the first hour of baits being in the water. Staff members Dave Kennedy and Kallan BraidBall took the boat for a spin in the North Arm and also found some success, which is really promising as the north arm tends to fire a little bit after the top end, with Kallan finding himself up tight to a really nice 5.6kg of really fresh looking early snapper. The plan was to spend a little bit of time catching a couple of calamari for bait, but when the squid didn’t want to play the game, they resorted to the smelly old pilchards they had thrown in the boat for berley and the snapper

White and red squid jigs have been the standout colours, but it pays to have a few different colours in the box as squid are notorious for picking one colour and it can be a long day if that colour is not in your arsenal!

This time of year is really exciting, as you can almost smell the snapper in the air and we wait with anticipation on what kind of snapper season we will be dealt. Good luck in the coming month, and keep those reports coming!

FISHING FILL-ITS

Gillies Young Guns

Kallan Braid-Ball with 5.6kg of north arm red. didn’t seem to mind at all! CALAMARI Apart from the snapper, the calamari have been the other consistent player over the last month. There has been some exceptionally nice specimens sitting on the Tyabb Bank, and there are quite a lot of anglers taking advantage. It’s a

great time of year to target the squid, because we start to see some real jumbos, but there is still quite a lot of good bait size squid around to pop a few in the freezer ready for the snapper season to really kick into gear. Dave Osmond was one who found one of these jumbo squid on the Tyabb

Bank in a recent trip. It’s as simple as having a really good drift and just covering plenty of ground. I prefer to be casting squid jigs in sizes 3.0 and 3.5 depending on tide, but don’t discount having a baited jig out the back as plenty of monstrous squid are taken using this method.

JM Gillies, we’re passionate about getting kids out fishing and looking after the future of our sport. With this in mind, we’re excited to announce our new Gillies Young Guns program. We’re looking for the best and keenest young

you will have your own angler profile on our website, you’re your images on our dedicated social media channels, write up stories of your fishing adventures for publication on social media and our website. You will also receive a Gillies Young Gun fishing tackle package,

anglers, all across Australia, to join our exclusive Young Guns team. In return, we’ll support them on their fishing adventures. We’ll provide a platform for the Young Guns to share their photos, stories and experiences with others, and assist them in becoming the best possible anglers they can be, while inspiring others to follow in their footsteps. If selected as a part of the Gillies Young Guns team

tailored to your fishing needs and opportunities to fish with some of Australia’s greatest. That’s not all. If this sounds like you, or someone you know who’d love to be involved, please fill out our survey at https://www.surveymonkey. com/r/NCVPSVK. Applicants must be aged between 13-18and will need parental consent if selected. – JM Gillies

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Simply sit and wait for snapper WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

Finally, dreaded winter is over. With a hint of spring in the air, sunshine breaks through the rain clouds and snapper are being caught. It’s no wonder so many anglers are hyped. This past winter would be the first I’ve stayed indoors. Six weeks of fishing little reward ended up as another six weeks tying rigs, sorting tackle and getting my rods and reels in order for a full on snapper season. The sheer amount of anglers put a spin on things, all hitting the port in search

Always use the best tackle when targeting all species in the Port, especially snapper. of fresh bait for when the reds come. Calamari, yellow-eye mullet, Australian salmon and garfish are all worthy

Whiting are still a viable option throughout the Port.

baits for snapper, and readily available if you know where to look. While the reds are still doughy for the next few weeks, fish the shallow banks with berley to attract fish for snapper baits. Don’t complicate the berleying process. A bottle of Wilson berley pellets, with added aniseed and a little tuna oil, will attract a wide variety of fish. Catching bait, most of the species have small mouths, aside from calamari. In the berley trail, flick out a paternoster rig, containing two droppers tied from 10lb Mustad Fluorocarbon leader. When targeting these species, the right small hook should

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be able to hook anything. Mustad’s offset stainless steel mid shank hook in size 6 is ideal for this method. By having the twin dropper arms, two baits can be suspended at different heights in the water column. This gives you the advantage to catch bottom dwellers such as king-George whiting, yellow-eye mullet, flathead, leather jacket, silver trevally, salmon and garfish. On the snapper front, reports are becoming regular. The Corinella area is the most consistent so far. Some fanatasic quality fish have appeared. The last few hours of the flood tides are most productive. Fish as big as 5kg can be caught. Joh Matherson caught a lovely fish around the 4-5kg, mark fishing the edge of the bank near Spit Point. Joh’s red took a stinky pilchard, which he had in the freezer since last summer. Other reds have been caught around both Pelican Island and the well-named Shnapper Rock. These are not places to lurk in the dark if you’re unfamiliar with them, but are easily navigated by day. There tend to be smaller snapper in these parts, around 2-3kg. On occasion, a thumper turns up. This is what local angler Gary Smith found when he landed a nice 4kg fish. Gary was fishing for mulloway in 6m of water, on the edge of Pelican. There have been pinkies caught at the Corals near Observation Point, Rhyll. These have been by-catches, while anglers are out for whiting. Small school sharks have been a huge problem, but will dissipate when the snapper hoards arrive. Land-based fishing has been good for those keen to head out on weekends. During each tide change, calamari are a viable catch from the San Remo jetty. As the water

When targeting snapper, a single circle hook and a calamari ring is best. temperature increases in the next few weeks, they’ll be plenty. The Newhaven jetty has seen nice schools of silver trevally, salmon, whiting and the odd pinkie, for those flicking out paternoster rigs. Keep in mind, the bottom is rocky here, so it pays to beef up your leader material to at least 40lb. Don’t rig up with too big a hook though, stick to a Mustad offset circle in a 3/0 size. Ventnor Beach has been productive for land-based fishers. When the night’s calm, local anglers catch lovely calamari. The most effective technique has been to cast silver whiting, threaded onto a squid jig. This is suspended around 50-70cm, under a bobby cork float, and cast as far as possible. Don’t forget the glow sticks though, otherwise you won’t see the drift rate of the float. You could end up snagged, or busting off on the reef. The last hour of the rising

tide and first hour of the run out are prime times. Cleeland Bight at the end of Cottosloe Avenue, Woolamai, is another popular land-based calamari location. The same technique applies and is very effective. This location has a little fishing pressure, along with boats drifting in casting range. If this is the case, drive further down, to the Cape Woolamai surf beach. Walk over the dunes to the back of the eastern entrance. At the end of the sandy path, the water is deep with significant weed beds. This spot’s popular for whiting. September is the kicker for anglers of all levels. Snapper arrive, and those with ‘snapper brain’ head out at any opportunity. Don’t just follow them. Use your sounder, work the channels and locate your own fish. At this time of the season, they’re not always on the bite, so don’t rush. Be patient and sit with a tide.

AND LEE RAYNER SUBSCRIPTION TO BE

WON

EVERY WEEK 34

SEPTEMBER 2016

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The shallow banks around the Port are where you’ll encounter most of the reds in September.

Sage advice for anglers heading to San Remo PHILLIP ISLAND

John Dalla-Rosa

This past month, when the weather permitted, I fished different locations with varying success. I put a day in chasing winter snapper up at the Boulton Channel, which is the northern

end of Western Port Bay, and never had a touch. I fished Gunnamatta Surf Beach and landed a few nice salmon. I spent three days at Bemm River with my brother and caught plenty of bream, with some fish over a kilogram. Even though it’s the middle of winter and it’s cold, if you

rug up and get out there, there’s still good fish to be caught. SURF BEACHES Williamsons, Baxters and Gunnamatta beaches are all fishing well. Salmon up to 3kg are being caught. A lot of people regard salmon as a poor table fish, which is a bit of a misnomer. Bleed the fish

Tony Dalla-Rosa with a couple of nice bream caught at the Bemm.

The author with a 3kg Gunnamatta salmon.

As tough as they come

as soon as it’s caught. When you fillet the fish, take the skin off and cut out all the red meat bits – you’ll be surprised. My favourite way of cooking salmon is to make fish cakes. When the fish is prepared properly, there’s no bad taste. People don’t believe me when I tell them that it’s salmon. SAN REMO AREA Below the bridge,

Now with

the Cleeland Bight area is producing sweet calamari, and the odd whiting on the last of the run-off tide. There have been good schools of salmon moving in and out of the Entrance. If you see birds working, you know there’ll be salmon underneath. Cast lures where the birds are working to get into the fish. Above the bridge, there’s

been occasional big winter snapper, coming in from the northern end of the bay if you’re prepared to put the time in. Calamari are around in reasonable numbers on the Tyabb and Quail banks. A few lovely gummies are around in the deep water off Ventnor. Fishing the slack water on low or high tide is best to target them.

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Fishing Fill-its

Snaggy sanctuary for EP Research in the Shoalhaven River estuary is providing valuable information on the importance of snags as habitat for estuary perch. NSW DPI Fisheries has released video footage showing large numbers of perch and other fish using the areas with woody habitat. SNAG MYTHS Snags are a natural part of waterways, and the aquatic environment has adapted to their presence over time. Millions of snags have been removed from Australian rivers in the past. They were mistakenly thought to have negative effects, including reducing the capacity of rivers during flooding; increasing erosion; hindering the navigation of watercraft; and reducing the efficiency of water delivery. Many of these impacts have been overstated or proven incorrect. We now know that snags do not significantly decrease channel capacity or lead to increased flooding, and are a natural part of erosion and deposition processes. RE-SNAGGING New habitats can be constructed out of woody material sourced from development activities (for example, subdivisions that involve clearing vegetation and road and bridge construction), redundant bridges or other infrastructure to imitate the roughness and structure of natural woody habitats. In-stream erosion control structure, such as timber groynes and other bed-control devices, can be extended to include submerged complexes that can act as a surrogate to natural woody habitats. Additional woody habitats can also be sourced opportunistically, for example timber washed up to weirs and bridges during floods. The effects of re-snagging on waterway

users can be minimised by identifying priority resnagging areas away from the most popular boating areas. Woody habitats can also be secured safely and positioned in a way that does not block the river channel. River restoration activities will not adversely impact on recreational fishing. Resnagging aims to

represent critical spawning habitat for estuary perch, and are important feeding and refuge areas for a number of key fish species. By putting woody habitat back in estuaries, the fish habitat can be rehabilitated, which will provide flow-on benefits to anglers. To view the video, go to youtube. com and search for ‘estuary

This footage was taken in the Shoalhaven River, in an area where trees fall naturally in the water. Image taken from video by Dylan van der Meulen, courtesy of NSW DPI.

enhance native fish habitat, thereby leading to a more robust fish community resulting in benefits for recreational fishers. ESTUARY HABITAT VIDEO Re-snagging projects have been extensively carried out on inland river systems. However, according to DPI Fisheries, no such work has yet been conducted in our estuaries. Estuary entrances are some of the most modified areas of our rivers, with rock groynes, launching facilities, marinas and so on. Fallen woody habitat is an important component of healthy estuaries but, due to land clearing, trees don’t fall into rivers as they did in the past. NSW DPI Fisheries’ new video is a compilation of underwater footage taken in the Shoalhaven River, in an area where trees still fall naturally in the water. These areas

fish on woody habitat’. OTHER REHABILITATION PROJECTS The NSW DPI plays a lead role in rehabilitating fish habitat and native fish populations in NSW through the Aquatic Habitat Rehabilitation Program (AHR Program) and the formation of strategic partnerships. Besides re-snagging, key ways to improve fish habitat include restoring riparian areas by removing weeds and replanting with native plants and fencing; and improving fish passage by installing fishways, making road crossings more fish friendly, removing weirs and actively managing floodgates. For more information on each of these initiatives visit the DPI Fisheries website at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/ fishing/habitat – NSW Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries

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Estuary perch find refuge around submerged timber. Image taken from video by Dylan van der Meulen, courtesy of NSW DPI. SEPTEMBER 2016

VR VR Fish Fish Update Update

Fishers rejoice at stronger club grants VR FISH

Dallas D’Silva

VRFish, the peak body representing the interests of Victoria’s 838,000 recreational fishers congratulates the Minister for Agriculture, the Hon. Jaala Pulford and Fisheries Victoria for kicking off the $2000 fishing club grants. Angling and diving clubs have a long and proud history in Victoria. They are one of the cornerstones of recreational fishing and part of our social fabric. VRFish Chairman, Rob Loats said “Fishing clubs are a meeting place for fishers of all persuasions. They not only teach kids how to fish, they are a gathering place for fishers of all backgrounds.”

One of the centre pieces of the Andrews Government Target one million program are the $2,000 grants for clubs and associations to boost membership and help grow fishing. The club and association grants are now open and $100,000 has already been allocated to 50 clubs by the State Government. VRFish General Manager, Dallas D’Silva added, “The $2000 club and association grants are a fantastic investment in grass roots fishing. We congratulate Minister Pulford for this initiative and delivering another great win for recreational fishers.” Stronger fishing clubs and associations mean a more resilient fishing community. It also means fewer kids

on iPads and Xbox, and more kids enjoying the great outdoors. The grants are now open and we encourage established clubs and associations in Victoria to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity. Further details on the grants program can be accessed at http://agriculture. v i c . g o v. a u / f i s h e r i e s / recreational-fishing/targetone-million/strongerfishing-clubs. VRFISH STATEMENT ON LAKE TOOLONDO We will continue to explore all potential options to help secure the trout fishery at Lake Toolondo. While there are good spring rains predicted, we face the longer-term challenges posed by climate change. Toolondo is viewed by many as our best trophy trout fishery and we must leave no stone unturned in trying to sustain it for the future. We are calling for a review of the Bulk Water Entitlement framework. This is the overarching framework that determines how water is allocated and managed. We support the use of environmental flows where they have a defined and demonstrable benefit to

VRFish will continue to explore all potential options to help secure the trout fishery at Lake Toolondo. recreational fishers and the environment. We also support secure water allocations for our premier stocked fisheries in lakes and impoundments. Special mention to local champions Trevor Holmes,

Geoff Stock, Charlie Officer, along with our very own Chairman, Rob Loats for all of the hard work that has been done over the years. We would also like to thank the Andrews

Government, Fisheries Victoria and GWM Water for the work they have done to date. The fishery would not have provided such a great return to the community without these efforts.

strategic plan 2016 – 2021 OUR 5-YEAR VISION >

OUR GOAL >

Enjoyable, responsible recreational fishing from healthy habitat supporting abundant fish populations and safe, ongoing access to fishing grounds.

Recreational fishing, for everyone, ...forever!

OUR pRIORItIES > IMPROVE FISH HABITAT

SEPTEMBER 2016

Habitat protection, restoration and enhancement

Co-management of natural resources

Secure water allocations for recreational fishing

Shared benefits for recreational fishing from environmental flows

INCREASE PARTICIPATION & RECOGNITION OF BENEFITS

SAFE, EASY & ONGOING ACCESS

Maintain and extend access to fisheries

Improved pier and land-based fishing opportunities

> >

Better boating infrastructure, governance and investment Safer harbours for ocean fishing

BEST PRACTICE FISHERIES MANAGEMENT & INFORMED FISHERS

Promote and grow participation amongst non-fishers, especially youth

Adoption of responsible fishing practices and behaviours

Affordable fishing opportunities

Prioritised fish stocking

Quality fishing experiences and catch rates

Improved recognition of social and economic benefits

Stronger fishing clubs and associations

ORGANISATIONAL EXCELLENCE, ADVOCACY & PARTNERSHIPS

Quality governance and organisational processes

Greater accountability to stakeholders

Science-based and responsible fisheries regulation

Improved recognition and support from recreational fishers

Greater investment into research, development and extension

Strategic and effective communications and engagement

Legislative recognition of recreational fishing

Improved aquatic pest management

Strong and constructive relationships with Government and stakeholders

Well tested and credible policy positions reflecting diverse membership

Floods will challenge even the most hardy anglers GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

The rain back in July was the first classic East Coast low we’ve had for many years – a flood event similar to 2007. Although this flood was smaller, the two days of solid rain hit catchments that were already saturated from early downpours. It’ll take a few months for things to settle into normal bream, perch, mullet and flathead fishing. Sadly, we were on the cusp of a big yellow-eye mullet run, with reports

of huge schools gathering near the rivers prior to the deluge. It appears the fresh water may have flushed those fish out to sea. The good news is that plenty of hungry bream are eating bait, and keen anglers have already caught big fish in the clearing waters. Lure anglers are slowly catching up. LET THE RIVERS RUN All of the five rivers feeding the Gippy Lakes went into flood – some touched major levels for a short time. The Avon did its usual trick and rose from a trickle to a raging torrent in a matter of hours. The Avon

The muddy water after the floods is challenging all lure anglers. Bright coloured hardbodies will need to be worked deep and slow.

rises and falls quicker than any river I know and I hope the thousands of stocked bass hang in there. The Latrobe does the opposite, it gathers pace over many weeks and takes much longer to drop out. The Nicho, Mitchell and Tambo Rivers all filled to minor floods levels, within a day or two after the rains. The results for anglers are dramatic. Unsurprisingly, fishing reports were dismal after being inundated with muddy water. Rivers are now clearing nicely and weird things can happen after big rains. For instance, in 2007, six estuary perch I tagged in the Gippsland Lakes were not only flushed out to sea, but also turned up at Port Albert. That represents a 200km swim from where I released them. There’s real proof that fish exit the system, but what happens as far as the Gippy Lakes recruiting fish? I hope kingfish return to the Metung area in summer, and for the mulloway we found at Hollands Landing and Lake Wellington, I’m sure they’ll return at some stage, however many months away. Sadly, looking back into my fishing diary over the last 20 years, I noted that after floods like the last one, the Hollands Landing fishing can take at least six months for lure anglers to confidently target fish again.

The author caught some stunning bream from 35-41cm while working the dirtiest shallow water. He used a favourite old Squidgy Wriggler, with eyes used for weight instead of a usual jighead. In that chocolate water, who knows how the bream found the lure. BAIT ANGLERS REJOICE For the vast majority of bait anglers fishing the Gippy Lakes, times are good. For those who know how to fish flood water, winter rain has been a blessing. Tambo is best fished with scrub worms using a little sinker. You could find bream as far up as the highway bridge. The hotspot recently has been the Mitchell River from the area between the Cut, right along the Silt Jetties to the lake. Lower Nicho is fishing better than most areas. The best bait, by far, is live shrimp. I’ve received plenty of reports

of bream up to 40cm, days after the high flows started backing off. LURE FISHING The water is still clearing up and fishing has improved almost every day. Lure anglers got word of big fish in the Mitchell, and although catch rates are less than the bait anglers’, large bream have been caught. Most fish are sitting in deeper water, right near the bottom, so black blade lures like the Sting 37 in Cracked Black are doing most of the damage. Heavily weighted Z-man GrubZ are also working okay. Bright coloured, sinking hardbody

lures have been my go to lure – the Hurricane Kaplunk in the pink colour has worked a treat. Black hardbodies will also work just as well. Historically in dirty water, dark lures can even outscore my favourite bright colours. It may be a tough time of year to target fish in the Gippy Lakes, but most anglers enjoy the challenge. In fact, I get pictures from different anglers with more bags of bream around 40cm, caught on blades in the Mitchell and Nicho. Sometimes a flood event can get the bream biting hard. There’s no time to waste, I’m off to fish.

Second low wreaks more havoc MARLO

Jim McClymont mcclymont@net-tech.com.au

In the last edition, I mentioned we had received an east coast low causing some flooding, and just when you think

things couldn’t get worse, they have… This time in the form of another east coast low dropping huge amounts of rain into the estuary catchment and causing major flooding of the Snowy River with floodwater inundating all of the low lying land.

Anglers can expect good bream fishing after the big flush.

As the water subsided, the huge amount of water forcing its way to the ocean gorged a deep channel, making the entrance the best it has been for a long time, and should be easy to navigate for a while. With the deep entrance, huge amounts of water are pumping in and out with the tides, allowing big schools of fish to enter the estuary and re-populate the system. With big numbers of fish entering the system, you would imagine some big mulloway following their prey and maybe making some interesting fishing over the next summer! Already, anglers have reported catching some very good size black bream fishing with peeled prawn, shell and sandworm. Reports have also come in of several anglers catching their bags of big bream in the Snowy using sandworm and fishing the incoming tide. Big schools of salmon and tailor are coming in with the big tides and giving anglers fishing with lures plenty of action down towards the entrance. By now, all the other species should have re-populated the whole

system. The surf beaches are firing with plenty of salmon and tailor in huge numbers, and one angler demonstrated how easy it is to capture the salmon, showing me some footage he had on his head camera of him capturing a salmon every cast using a metal lure. The offshore grounds are fishing well, with plenty of flathead, gurnard, barracouta, squid, pinkie snapper and gummy shark, and some of the gummy shark caught have been over 20kg. Don’t let the low dampen your spirits; the fishing is only going to get better from here!

Wade Heyne from Marlo Ocean Views Caravan Park with two solid Marlo bream.

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Gippy rains make fishing tough INSIDE MCLOUGHLINS It got very dirty inside over the past month due to all the rain, and the boat ramp looked terrible with the water so dirty, you couldn’t see your motor propeller in the water! All the freshwater was going through the entrances making most of the tides unfishable, except for the last part of the run-in tide and the start of the run-out where there was enough salty water to find some clean patches. This made fishing tough, but some anglers managed a bit of success down in the Manns Beach entrance, where schools of salmon were following the dirty water back in and

MCLOUGHLINS

Will Thompson allwaysangling@bigpond.com

Large downpours of rain in July wreaked havoc on the South Gippsland estuaries, sending large volumes of freshwater through the system are turning key locations like McLoughlins Beach and Port Albert pretty dirty. The fresh dirty water leaving the entrances has also spread across the beaches making a line of dirty water in close on the surf beaches as well. This has made fishing very tough and slowed up the inside fishing quite a bit, and rendered offshore fishing the best bet to get a fewer fish.

leaving the entrance as the dirty water flowed back out. There wasn’t any thumper sized salmon caught, but there were plenty of salmon to 35cm and as high as 40cm caught on metal lures, heavy soft plastics and large hardbodies. PORT ALBERT Inside Port Albert has been hit and miss due to dirty water as well, but the offshore guys have been having a ball landing plenty of flathead on the drift around Rabbit Island, and also further out wide on the 27 and 35m lines. The bigger flatties seem to be further out on the 35m line and all you need to do is drift. There’s been some quality gummy sharks

caught on the drift as well by flatty anglers. There are stacks of barracouta around as well, and next month you can expect to find pinkies feeding on the reefs in-between the islands off Port Albert. Inside the whiting should fire up in a big way and we will see the first reports of snapper inside the whole corner system as well, so get ready! • 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!

Wayne Clark with two ripper gummies caught on the drift offshore Port Albert. The heavy rains have made fishing offshore the best option at the moment.

Bream spring into action season. Nature has taken its course over the autumn and winter months and ensured the health of the system. In July we saw heavy rains, which caused the river to flood twice within a

BEMM RIVER

Robyn Sturgess

Spring is upon us and we can look forward to another dynamic fishing

couple of weeks, but luckily the entrance was still open to let the dirty water and debris out to sea. During the past weeks, I have had anglers, who have visited the area for many

These two happy anglers enjoyed the big bream that Bemm River can dish up at this time of year.

Samuel caught his first bream on a lure, which is a fantastic achievement for such a young angler.

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years, maintain that their most recent trip has been the best. This area just keeps getting better. A high percentage of anglers now fish using soft plastic and hardbodied lures, and recent reports show a mixture of species in their daily catch, with anglers releasing fish under 30cm and over 40cm. Species including perch, bream, trevally, luderick, flathead,

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salmon and tailor have all been common. While the entrance remains open and quite large, anglers have been targeting the channel and lake because the river has been difficult to access due to sand bars and shallow water. Frozen prawns and even cooked prawns have been successful bait for the anglers targeting bream. The surf beaches have also been productive with plentiful amounts of salmon and tailor. As the water begins to warm the flathead will be back and prove once again that this is an angler’s paradise. The brave hearted surf angler who ventures onto the beaches have been rewarded with quality salmon. Book your fishing trips now to avoid disappointment! Our Tag-A-Fish winter promotion has only just finished, so we’ll post details of winners in the October issue. Just a reminder to all boaties – the commencement of the spring fishing season – ensure all your safety gear on board your vessel is up to speed, especially fire extinguishers, flares and PFDs. This year, the water police will target this area to make sure everyone is safe on the water.

• For on the spot and up to date fishing reports check out Robyn’s website: www. bemmaccommodation.com. au or ‘like’ us on Facebook

– Bemm River Holiday Accommodation Phone: (03) 5158 4233/Mob. 0427 584 233 Email: bemmaccomm@ bigpond.com.

Jasper was happy to get into a few Bemm River bream recently.

NSW South Coast

Getting past the cold points

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MALLACOOTA

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

Mallacoota is now at its quietest. With the cold winter weather, and no shortage of rain, there are very few visitors in town for the next few months. The water temperature in the lake has been freezing with a good flow of freshwater heading into the system. The temperature stays right down at 9°C on the run-out tide and 12-13°C on the incoming and along the beaches. There’s very little to report on the offshore fishing scene, as there have been few opportunities for boats to head out in these conditions. The boat ramp at Bastion Point is once again full of sand as work is underway to make it more user-friendly – an ongoing problem. Great gutters are along all the local beaches, but at present the water is still dirty after all the rain. Once it clears, we should start to see the salmon turn up in numbers. It’s worth a

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It’s great fun teaching your kids to catch fish, and Crystal is a fast learner. walk along the local beaches on high-tide, because if the fish are there, you will have no problem catching a few on baits or lures. Salmon will enter the lake, terrorise the schools of whitebait and find their way upstream as

far as Gypsy Point. Flathead have been really slow, so catching a feed has been hard. Fish can be found, but won’t bite. You need to fish slowly and once the water warms a few degrees they will liven up a bit. Tailor

Nicholas with his first fish on a lure – a good bream.

are everywhere with plenty of choppers about, along with some bigger models. They are so thick at times they become annoying by chopping up soft plastics and stealing blades or hardbody lures. Imagine the impact they have on the bait schools and any other small fish in their path. The real action this time of the year has been the black bream. Fish are being caught in the bottom lake as far upstream as Gypsy Point, depending on how the rain pushes them up and down the system. Catching is another story. Many fish already escaped being caught. They are cunning and present a challenge even to the best anglers. Bait fishing has been hard. Lure fishers are doing their best on soft plastics and vibes. Some good size yellowfin bream are still being caught and the back of Goodwin Sands is a good spot to start looking – just have to be in the right spot at the right time.

More fish for warmer water EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

It’s the time of year when the town gets quiet and few visitors come over the winter months. After the recent bad weather, it’s been great to see some sunny days without much wind. The water in the rivers and ocean has finally cleared, which is great news for the fishing. Along the beaches, plenty of salmon have shown up. With good

gutters on the local beaches, fish are being caught at all stages of the tide. Average fish are around a kilogram, with a few bigger fish up to 2kg. Some decent tailor are also being caught on the beaches. In local estuaries, the winter months can see some big models. In most encounters, the fish gets away, takes your lure and leaves you wondering how big it was. Water temperatures have been up and down with the low temperature around 15°C, and reaching as high as 18°C. Around Christmas it should really

start to warm up. Offshore, the southern bluefin tuna have arrived. Big schools of baitfish (pilchards) are about too. Find the food, and that will put you where the fish are. On the inshore reefs, there’s been sweet kingfish caught, which is unusual for this time of year, but there’s nothing usual about the weather we’ve experienced – some really warm winter days. Tiger flathead and sand flathead are still around and the snapper are starting to bite. Some cracker fish around 4kg have been caught.

Fishing around daybreak has seen cool snapper caught from the local headlands. Fish are moving out deeper once the sun comes up. Local rivers are running, and will do for some time yet. Fishing for black bream has been good as the fish move upstream during their annual spawning run. At times, it’s hard to catch them – they have other things on their mind. Remember with these fish, when they come on the bite they near commit suicide. Good fishing.

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All-round Narooma fishing starts heating up NAROOMA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

Spring’s here. With it comes the anticipation of warmer, longer days and a few more fish. Those who braved the winter elements, were rewarded with some solid results especially in the estuaries. Narooma’s Wagonga Inlet fished pretty consistently through the winter months with an abundance of estuary pelagics. Species like tailor, salmon and trevally kept anglers busy. The usual bread and butter species were bream, but flathead and whiting were hard to entice. This will change with the water warming every day, as we head further into the season. September sees the first signs of mulloway activity. They follow the

blackfish schools as they re-enter the system after spawning outside around the rocky headlands. Mulloway love luderick, so when they school up big, you can expect the mulloway close. You tend to find bigger mulloway at the start of the season with fish to 25kg quite possible, especially for anglers fishing big baits at night around tide changes. I remember last year, a visiting angler lost a cracking mulloway over the side, that would have nudged 50lb. Targeting one of these brutes isn’t hard, but you need to put in the time, or be lucky to snag one early. Look at the drop off. It’s easy to find as you come out of the channel, into the main basin on the flooding tide. Anchor in the shallows and fish your baits down the ledge into 8-12m of water. Big flathead are around, with the added bonus of a possible

decent red playing the game. If the bait and night isn’t for you, then target them on softies and big soft vibes will work. Concentrate your efforts around the tailor and whitebait schools, but be prepared to go through a few lures. Again, tide changes are prime time. If the bait is there, you’re always in the game. The channels from the drop off to the charter boat wharf is an excellent area to fish for bream, trevally, luderick and whiting. Concentrate your efforts on the flooding tide, anchoring up and fishing fresh worms or bass yabbies should see a fish or two for the pan. Anglers fishing the stones around Mystery Bay’s High Rock, and the Golf course rocks in town, have had a few shreddings from kingfish. Just like Merimbula, there are some greenback bruisers patrolling the stones. A

Black bream have been good in Tuross and Wallaga. Andy Kolber found out these fish couldn’t resist a well presented soft plastic.

Solid snapper are around, as these boys found out on charter with Nick and Benny from Playstation. mate of mine had a crack at Mystery the other day and got dusted up four times in the morning. The lost fish have some added jewellery. Larger poppers are the go to method. He told me at times, there were four or five kings following his popper. Some ate it, others didn’t. The action is certainly better around the full moon period. If the kings decide to play hardball, there’s plenty of salmon to keep you interested. If the big game isn’t you, then blackfish and drummer will keep you happy. There’s ample ammounts of both species at most rock locations with a decent wash. Fish fresh cabbage or cunjevoi for best results. Outside anglers are doing it tough, especially on the tuna. The southern bluefin tuna have thinned out, only the sporadic patches turn up, 60mi out. With the windy weather we’ve had, the journey to the grounds is

almost impossible for trailer boat anglers. We may see some yellowfin and albacore wide of the shelf, but a lot will depend on prevailing currents, temperatures and tidal movements. At Montague Island, there’s good snapper and morwong, with the kingfish playing hardball some days. The kings are there, but pretty finicky at present. It can be frustrating when you know they’re there. This should change as we head further into the month. Late September is traditionally the start of the jigging season. With a few bigger kings in close, the inshore reef at Lake Brou and Potato Point may be worth a look. It may just fire up. On the beaches it’s a salmon frenzy. Loads of fish are chewing on most beaches. If the beach has anywhere near a half decent gutter, then it’s all systems go. It depends on how you want to catch them, there’s that many. Plenty of fishos

are grabbing bream rods, with a handful of smaller chromed slices and having a ball on the sambos. This type of fishing is easy. It’s cheap, you can take the kids, and if you like making salmon patties, then you’re in for a decent feed. Casting lures, I like to change the trebles to a single straight shank 5/0. This will improve your lost fish count when the salmon jump. You’ll be surprised how many fish will make the sand. If salmon isn’t your go, then bream, whiting and yellow-eye mullet numbers will gradually get better, as the month progresses. Anglers using live worms and pipi baits will fare best. Rockier, protected beach corners are the pick of places to fish. Use a little berley, but not too much, or the unwanted sting rays and banjo sharks will drive you nuts. Better beaches to try include Narooma main, Tilba and Brou beaches.

The boys from the Keysborough Angling Club had quite a surprise on their club trip down the Werribee River. Within half an hour of each other, Graham Simester (left) and Terry Quirk (right) both caught a mulloway. Graham’s fish was 75cm and weighed 3.5kg, and Terry’s weighed 4.57kg and measured 84cm.

SEPTEMBER 2016

NSW South Coast

Kingfish on fire this spring MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

It’s been an incredible month for the rock-hopper brigade. The best run of kingfish I’ve ever seen is here in Merimbula, arguably for the last twenty-five years. The kings, or ‘hoodlums’ we should call them, are big. These turbo charged bruisers are averaging 15kg, as big as 22kg. Now there are big fish to land from the boat and shore, but this is what’s happening. Kings can be found from the wharf inside Merimbula Bay, right around to Long Point. Tura Head would also hold a few and I know of a couple shreddings from there this last week. It’s exciting how they’re caught. Anglers who fish big poppers have fared best. Some casts raise three and four fish at a time, which is crazy stuff. When a 40lb fish smashes a surface lure, you don’t forget it easily. To see it many times in a session is truly remarkable. There’s been catches on sinking stickbaits fished erratically back to shore. These shine when the sun gets a little higher. Over the last

week, I know of twelve big kings landed, but at least thirty lost. There’s certainly a few out there. Some fishers have used the boat, trolling close to shore, and have caught some on deeper bibbed minnows. Cast poppers back to the washes for some action. It’s anyone’s guess how long this will last, but if the bait and water stays the same it should continue in spring. Offshore, boaties have done extremely well on

southern bluefin, when the weather allows. Fish are out wide, so a decent sized boat is needed to get out there safely. Trolling is certainly the go and fish are averaging 40-50kg. A mixture of skirted pushers and bibbed minnows should do the trick. There’s been yellowfin mixed with the bluefin, which is great to see. Albacore numbers are great along the 100 fathom line. Troll smaller skirts for albies. Closer to shore, snapper

Kingfish are here in force. These two solid models were caught off Merimbula Wharf.

have been okay on inshore reefs, but they’re slow. Move around and use fresh baits, you will be rewarded. If you’re after a feed of flatties, their numbers have been excellent. The Sticks off Pambula is the hotspot at present. In the estuaries, the water is still pretty cool and clear, so fish slow presentations with small to mid sized soft plastics. You can expect flathead in the main basins of both Pambula and Merimbula lakes, but expect to work for them. Concentrate around the ribbon-weed edges for the best results on the draining tide. Anglers fishing blades have caught a few – bream, whiting and luderick also succumb to these little bits of metal. Small hops and draws are the go, as most hits come on the lift. Most of the action is happening in the channels. Cast smaller stick-style softies, these have accounted for most catches, including trevally, salmon, tailor and the odd bream. This next period going into spring is when we will see the estuaries really fire up. Those fishing the beaches have had the usual success with salmon and tailor. Beaches like Tura Main, North Tura and Haycock have

This 17.5kg king was caught on the rocks around 100m from the main wharf. been great. A solid gutter to the south end of Tura main is the best. Anglers using a paternoster rig have fared well, though casting smaller shiners will also work. Bream and whiting should start to fire up,

especially around the estuary entrances, after spending time on the beaches. These two species will be hungry after spawning, so a well presented live beach worm will be hard to resist.

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Gaining the advantage BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

When fishing, all anglers want that advantage whether it be finding a new secret lure or fly, a particular way to rig or put a bait on, or some

special place that no one knows you visit, but where you always seem to come back with fish. For me it is the height factor, whether you are on a fly bridge of a game boat, a rock out crop overlooking a trout stream, on some sand dunes staring at a beach or manmade structure like

bridges, jetties or wharves, using the height advantage will make for easier angling. One such place at this time of year is the bridge across the Bermagui River where you can do so, and this can be done both at night or in daylight hours. What I have observed here on the start of a rising

One of several bream taken over sand flats in Wallaga Lake. These fish were located by standing on the bow of the boat taking advantage of the height offered.

Looking down on a luderick, which was sight fished by standing up high on man-made structure.

tide is fish species in the form of blackfish, bream, trevally, whiting and a few others, congregating on the eastern side of the bridge. They hold on this area for an hour or two, where a well-placed nipper or worm will eventually be seized upon. In this period of time it can be quite easy to rack up a reasonable one-day cricket score before these fish disperse up the river to feed over the flats where the fishing becomes more difficult. You can also be assured the next day this pattern will continue lasting for about a month. Not only will you catch fish here in daylight, but you will have similar results of a night under the lights on the same rising tide. Check out any of the other estuaries that are open to the ocean, as simular events can be seen in them as well. Offshore, not a lot is happening on the game scene and I don’t expect so for another month or two when the cooler 15-16°C water temperatures are replaced by 19-20°C, bringing with it an early run of yellowfin, striped and albacore tuna, with

also a hope of a stray striped marlin. So while game fish might not be on the go, the offshore reefs definitely are. Snapper are being targeted heavily, with fish being taken from the close inshore reefs through to the deep ones just inside the Continental Shelf. These snapper are now being captured in a variety of ways on the shallow reefs. Soft plastics are popular either on the drift or used at anchor in conjunction with berley. This covers both options for if the fish are not responding to the plastics and you resort to bait. Wider out towards the Shelf, drifting is your only option where bigger baits attract bigger fish. These species may include Tassie trumpeter, hapuka, large tiger flathead and plenty of morwong both blue and jackass. At this time of year, those tiger flathead start to show in vast numbers where they can be captured from as close as 20m water depth, right out to the Continental Shelf were the larger ones usually lurk. They are a popular table fish much sought-after by

anglers and this should be the start of the run of these fish, which will last for some months to come. Beaches are a little slow until you strike a patch of passing salmon, where things can often get a bit rushed for a while as you try to make the most out of the school before they pass. As mentioned earlier, vantage points on adjacent headlands may allow you to sight these passing schools thus giving you an indication as to which beaches the fish are frequenting. There have been some nice gummy sharks taken in the deeper gutters with the odd mulloway, while bream and mullet are starting to show more regularly. In the sweet water of Brogo Dam, the river below the dam and the upper reaches of the Bega River, bass are starting to move about, particularly in the rivers after spawning looking to regain the condition lost while doing so. Warmer days may find these fish on the chew although its early days and the fishing will only become better as the weather warms.

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Hop on down to the Hopkins as the water hots up CRANBOURNE

Mitch Chapman

The Hopkins River is located in South West Victoria and is very popular to local anglers and tourists. The two main drawcard species that bring anglers here are the black bream and estuary perch, along with a few

others, including the ever elusive mulloway. The fishing can be hot and cold, but with good boat and launching facilities and plenty of bank side access, it is the perfect river to fish for all skill levels. PRIME TIME It is and all year round fishery, and this is what makes the Hopkins a popular location for all to fish. In

times of drought, or flood, an angler can always hit the water, put a plan together and ruffle up a few fish to the surface. THE GEAR Like most estuary fishing, a light graphite spin rod with a 2000 size reel is best when chasing bream and perch. This type of outfit spooled with light braid will be more than enough

Gez the wizard with a cracker bream taken off the edges on a slow worked plastic.

Bream and structure go hand-in-hand. This brute took a surface lure off the snag in the background.

for pretty much any species in the system, including mulloway. BAIT AND LURES The key to a successful session on the river is fresh bait. Podworm, crabs, shrimp, or live fresh water yabbies are abundant in the river itself and are the go-to. If lure fishing, then a variety of small soft plastics, deep and shallow diving hardbodies and, of course, in the colder months, vibes and blades catch their fair share of big bream

and perch. BEST METHOD When targeting bream and perch in the winter months then a quality sounder is essential. Locating schooled up fish in open water and casting small blades to the fish is by far one of the best methods and most enjoyable ways to spend time on the water. HAZARDS Be aware that there are ski zones on the Hopkins, and several outcrops that can damage the bottoms of

kayaks and boats. HOT TIP Keep an eye on your sounder, especially around the Bay of Biscay and a little bit further up, as there are underwater reefs full of coral, which make excellent fish holding structure, but can also be the difference between landing fish and loosing fish. On calm still mornings if the fish are on the go and feeding, you can actually hear them chewing on the coral under the water.

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A Look At...

Get tied up with knots MELBOURNE

Luke McCredden www.thelongline.net

As a youngster, my dad strongly wanted me to learn to tie different knots. At that time, three or four knots was more than enough for the fishing I was doing – a fact still true to this day. I’ve had to

If you don’t tie your knots right, you don’t land your fish, simple as that. I can feel the can of worms being opened, but it’s a long-lived debate that will continue. There are great knots out there to learn and apply, and you need to be confident with them. As with all fishing, confidence is key. I did the rounds and asked friends, that spend

Orton, Andrew Hart and Lee Rayner, with a focus on knots for sportfishing, casting, jigging and live baiting. What is your preferred knot for sport fishing? LR: If I have time, I’ll generally go for the FG knot. If I’m in a rush, or busy, I use a surgeon’s knot. My connection knot to terminal is called a hangman’s knot (uni knot). It’s bloody strong. AH: I was confused for a long time about which knots to use, but I now have a couple go to knots, which won’t fail me. We filmed some knot testing for Hook, Line and Sinker, which involved tying a bunch of popular knots and then using a set of scales, we tested where the knot would snap. After this rigorous scientific testing, I was left in no doubt that the strongest knots are the FG knot and the uni knot. I use an FG knot to join braid to leader, and a five turn uni knot for attaching a swivel or hook to the leader.

Andrew Hart tried out different knots until he found the strongest. TO: My favourite knot is a five turn uni knot, with the line reversed back down itself for a clean knot. I use this knot for attaching hooks, swivels, topwater lures and jigs. It’s one of the simplest knots to tie and works day in day out. We use this knot from snapper and kingfish to marlin and tuna.

AR: For sure, FG is my favourite. Knowing you can lean into a cast and not have to worry about it catching a guide is too good. There are multiple ways of tying it, so finding a way is easy. This knot’s reliability is second to none – it just doesn’t fail! CC: For years, I was a Modified Albright man, but

Matt Watson uses the San Diego Jam knot. include a couple of stronger knots over the years, as I developed my love of sportfishing. Knots are one of the vital parts of fishing.

plenty of time on the water, their thoughts on the matter. I spoke to Matt Watson, Dave Standing, Chris Cleaver, Adam Ring, Tony

Tony Orton uses a nice clean uni knot.

almost everything I tie these days is an FG knot. It’s strong and smooth through the guides. Its only downfall is that it can take longer to tie. DS: For casting stickbaits, I use an FG. It’s super strong, goes through the guide and I can tie it relatively fast on the boat, if need be. For the connection to the lure, I use a loop knot to maintain good swimming action, which also negates the need to have a bulky swivel hanging off the nose of the lure. MW: For me, the best knot is the San Diego Jam knot. You can tie it in heavy mono and flouro, it’s neat, strong, and provides a nice meaty 5-10mm between a hook or lure and the leader. It handles abrasion and teeth like no other knot I’ve used. Make of that what you like. Some of the best in the business have commented here. There’s a lot of fishing applications with different knots. Find what works well and what you’re confident with. Confidence plays a pivotal role in fishing. If you see a knot you don’t know, jump online and learn something new. Enjoy your knot tying!

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Adam Ring uses the FG knot for its reliability. 46

SEPTEMBER 2016

Beating the baitcaster blues NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.com

Mastering modern overhead reels isn’t so difficult, if you follow a few basic steps. Last century, when I was much younger, casting overhead reels was a challenge and proficiency with baitcasters and overheads was seen as a

badge of honour: something most of us keener anglers ultimately aspired to try. Modern baitcasters are much easier to tame than their predecessors. However, while reduced, the risk of muffed casts remains. That’s because an overhead’s spool must spin (at considerable speed) during every cast. Problems arise when a significant difference occurs between the rate of that spool rotation

and the progress of the lure or sinker through the air and into the water. The most commonly encountered problem in this regard takes the form of loose loops of line rising suddenly from the rapidly spinning spool as the passage of the casting weight slows. That’s called an over-run. In more extreme cases, these loops can tangle together, catch back on themselves and suddenly

Baitcaster reels are particularly popular amongst anglers chasing Murray cod and other heavyweight targets in both fresh and saltwater.

Keep your casting stroke smooth when using a baitcaster.

snarl into something known as a backlash (a phenomenon that also goes by several much less polite names!) Particularly bad backlashes can result in broken or damaged lines, not to mention ugly tangles that take time to carefully tease undone. In days of old, the only reliable safeguard against the dreaded backlash was something widely known as an ‘educated thumb’. The very same thumb that pinned and held the spool after the reel’s gears were disengaged, and then released it at the optimum moment in the casting stroke to send the lure flying on its way, would also hover gently over the whirring line load as it spun. That educated thumb felt for the first tell-tale brush of a rising loop, gently feathering the spool as the flight of the weight slowed, before clamping down to stop it completely as the sinker or lure hit the water. Over the years, baitcaster and overhead reel manufacturers have tried all manner of built-in braking devices to tame that wildly spinning demon. These have included mechanical, magnetic, centrifugal, friction and even digital

controls. All these clever systems work to varying extents, although none have completely removed the need for a little ‘smart thumb’ input from the nut that holds the rod. If you’re a new chum to casting with overheads, I strongly suggest hitting the park or beach and having a few practice sessions before your first serious fishing foray. It might also pay not to spool up with the most expensive line on the market to begin with! Make sure your sinker, lure or practice plug is heavy enough for easy casting, and that it falls into the suggested weight range of the rod (usually printed on the blank). As a rule of thumb, weights below 7g (1/4oz) are much harder to throw with an overhead reel, as are highly wind-resistant lures or complex rigs that tumble in flight. Begin by winding the weight up to rod tip before free-spooling the reel and allowing the weight to simply drop to the ground. Practise stopping the spool with your thumb as the lure or sinker hits the dirt. After doing this exercise a few times, tighten the bearing cap on the handle side of the reel until it’s just firm enough to stop the weight from descending. Free spool the reel and gently back the bearing cap off until the weight slowly begins to drop. As it falls, ease the bearing cap pressure up again until it stops. Play around with this setting until you develop a feel for

Golden perch are another popular target when using baitcaster reels, but their use is certainly not confined to freshwater. just short of it (nine or ten on many reels). On some baitcasters, you’ll need to open the end plate using a quick release mechanism and manually engage a series of sliding brake blocks or magnets. Refer to the reel’s manual or on-line videos for information on

described, but they’ll also limit your casting distance. You’re effectively riding a bike fitted with training wheels! As you begin to feel more comfortable, you can slowly back off the mechanical cast controls described to free the spool up and increase your casting

The bearing cap on the handle end of the baitcaster reel is clearly visible in this shot and should be your first point of adjustment when setting up for casting. that precise point of release (where the weight begins to slowly descend). Leave it set there for now. Next, move your attention to the opposite end of the reel, where there’ll be some sort of built-in cast control. If this mechanism has an external dial, crank the setting up to its maximum point, or

how to do this, but start out by engaging all of these spool brakes to their maximum settings before closing the end plate. You can now begin making gentle, smooth casts to get a feel for the reel. It should be quite difficult to suffer overruns or backlashes using the maximum settings I’ve

distance. Take it easy and be ready to re-apply controls if you change casting weights or face a headwind. Baitcasters and overheads are wonderful tools for many applications, but unless you follow the steps described here when you start out, the problems described can turn the process into a nightmare… Happy casting! SEPTEMBER 2016

The 20-80 rule of fishing SUNTAG

Stefan Sawynok

There is a rule in fishing that almost everyone I have talked to believes: 20% of fishers catch 80% of fish. In this issue, I am going to have a look if that rule is true, as well as look at the conditions that might change that rule. The 20-80 rule is interesting to me, because it is a vital part of the core issue that is driving our business plan. There is no future in which harvesting more wild fish is acceptable or achievable in Australia or Globally.

Track My Fish plans to play a pivotal role in assisting communities to take advantage of lower harvest, more ecologically sustainable fisheries that produce better catch rates and allow fishers to get what they need while taking less. While this article is not specifically about Queensland, I am using data from Queensland to provide an understanding of the effect on the 20-80 rule. Answering these sorts of questions is a big part of the reason why it’s important for recreational fishers to collect data independent of researchers and government. It would be interesting to see how other data sets that exist out there stack up.

A POINT OF REFERENCE First, a baseline. I had a look at the Suntag database covering 25 years of data. To ensure a consistent sample, I am only looking at tagged fish caught as a part of typical fishing, so excluding fish tagged for stocking or surveys. That comes up to a sample of 308,433 fish captured by 4782 fishers. That is in all fishing conditions. If anything, this set looks as though the 20-80 rule may not be enough, but when I looked closer at individual river systems the data evened out a lot more, with a few locations showing the top 20% taking less than 80%, but most hovering around the 85% mark.

GENERAL SUMMARY 25 YEAR OF SUNTAG DATA All fishers Top 20% of fishers Top 1% of fishers Bottom 20% of fishers

Catch rate (fish/fisher/day) 5.52 6.14 8.97 1

% of total catch 100% 94.3% 44.6% 0.3%

SUMMARY FROM TWO SAMSONVALE TAGGING SURVEYS (OUT OF BOUNDS AREA) All fishers Top 20% of fishers Top 1% of fishers Bottom 20% of fishers

Catch rate (fish/fisher/day) 27.19 49.41 124.5 6.8

% of total catch 100% 49% 8% 3.6%

SUMMARY OF SAMSONVALE OVER EIGHT YEARS (AVAILABLE WATER) All fishers Top 20% of fishers Top 1% of fishers Bottom 20% of fishers

Catch rate (fish/fisher/day) 11.36 11.93 10 1.91

% of total catch 100% 85% 31% 0.54%

SUMMARY OF FITZROY BARRAMUNDI OVER 25 YEARS All fishers Top 20% of fishers Top 1% of fishers Bottom 20% of fishers

Catch rate (fish/fisher/day) 4.0 4.61 5.74 1

% of total catch 100% 88.4% 41.8% 0.6%

SUMMARY OF FITZROY BARRAMUNDI DURING 2011 All fishers Top 20% of fishers Top 1% of fishers Bottom 20% of fishers

Catch rate (fish/fisher/day) 5.53 6.40 7.97 1.20

% of total catch 100% 77.4% 26.5% 0.9%

In general, the worse the condition of the fishery, the higher the ratio that the top 20% takes. If that is the case, what happens when the fishery is in excellent condition? LAKE SAMSONVALE 2015/2016 How great does the fishing have to be to be considered mind-blowing? Lake Samsonvale, just 40 mins out of Brisbane, has some mind-blowing fishing. In the course of the last two years of monitoring events, 23 boats have raked in 3718 fish. That is 161 fish per boat. Unfortunately, the monitoring area is only accessible once a year. On the other hand, that restriction is part of the reason why the fishing is so good. It’s the perfect example of what happens when fishing effort is restricted, in this case, down to near 0. The mind-blowing fishing has the effect of spreading out the catch more. Fish that don’t know what a lure looks like allow less capable fishers into the game. So much so that the 20-80 rule no longer applies. So is this just a fluke? Time is a factor here, in that there was focused fishing but having surveyed all fishers, none deviated from their regular fishing plan. All reported greater success just doing what they would normally do. As a comparison, here are the monitoring results at the impoundment in the part of the impoundment where fishing is allowed. As you can see, while the results are slightly better than the baseline, all in all, the results line up pretty well with the baseline, just with better catch rates. So, even though this is a better fishery than the average, the same dynamics apply. For the record, this is a sample of 8521 fish and 114 fishers over eight years. FITZROY RIVER 2011 In 2011, the Rockhampton wild

Awoonga barra making a bolt for freedom! barramundi fishery entered a zone not seen for over 25 years. With three years of high recruitment and little harvest by commercial fishers, it left the river as to full of barramundi as has occurred in living memory. During 2011, catch rates improved considerably and there was a corresponding bounce in improvement for the middle tier of fishers. The improvement was not of the same quantum as in Lake Samsonvale, but that is understandable. The event at Samsonvale had no tidal influence, was in a small area and required no additional knowledge of the fishery, whereas the wild barramundi fishery does. The Rocky Barra Bounty is an event held each year to monitor the river and promote the local fishing. In 2011, the Bounty lasted two days with a broad array of community fishers of varying skills. As it happened, the Bounty experienced near perfect fishing conditions for the two days making for the most successful bounty ever by quite some margin. In fact, it was a factor of six improvements on the previous best. In these perfect conditions, again it was the middle tier of fishers that benefitted the most. AWOONGA ESCAPEES 2011 Also in 2011 there was a large-scale escape of barramundi from Lake Awoonga. An estimated

SUMMARY OF THE TWO-DAY ROCKY BARRA BOUNTY IN 2011 All fishers Top 20% of fishers Top 1% of fishers Bottom 20% of fishers

Catch rate (fish/fisher/day) 6.80 14.65 26 1.72

% of total catch 100% 49.5% 4.4% 3.6%

SUMMARY OF LONG-TERM DATA FROM AWOONGA AND BOYNE RIVER All fishers Top 20% of fishers Top 1% of fishers Bottom 20% of fishers

Catch rate (fish/fisher/day) 2.85 3.14 3.95 1

% of total catch 100% 85.8% 28.4% 0.7%

SUMMARY OF AWOONGA AND BOYNE RIVER AFTER 2011 FLOODS All fishers Top 20% of fishers Top 1% of fishers Bottom 20% of fishers 48

SEPTEMBER 2016

Catch rate (fish/fisher/day) 3.67 4.21 7.07 1

% of total catch 100% 62.6% 9.8% 0.9%

Stephen Pill from Barra Jacks with a beast of a Fitzroy barra from the Barra Bounty.

30,000 big hungry barramundi charged into the wild fishery in the space of a few days. If that isn’t the definition of ‘improvement’, I don’t know what is. Needless to say, the commercial fishers had a field day, their take growing a massive 1600% before fish health issues intervened. After the mass escape, the fishing in the river improved considerably with the top fishers nearly doubling their catch rates. Once again though, it was the middle tier of fishers that benefited, with many experiencing the thrill of a big barra for the first time. CONCLUSION The 20-80 rule of fishing is an interesting concept. Looking at the data, in general, it holds true where there is a traditional fishery. When there is less harvesting or another means of improving fish stocks, the 80-20 rule starts to break down, giving less-skilled fishers a bigger slice of the expanding pie. The most interesting thing I discovered though is the top 1%, in general, make up the largest part of the 20%. So maybe there should be a rule for the top 1% of fishers. The takeaway lesson is that more fish improve the fishing for the middle tier of anglers both in numbers and catch rates. It’s in this middle tier of fishers that the ‘more fishing’ occurs as they fish less under normal circumstances. In other words, less take benefits all fishers, not just the elites. The other big winner from a better fishery is the top 1% who see their catch rates skyrocket. If you aren’t catching fish as often as you like, then you might be in the 80%. The simple answer to that, from my observations, is to know a range of techniques on the day. In almost all the monitoring events I have worked at in the past six years, it’s been the most flexible fishers that fit in the 20%. The top 1%? Well, they are just obsessive.

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BEST OF SHOW AWARDS

best of the afta show

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display. We’re taking you inside the show in three ways: behind-the-scenes Facebook Live videos; individual product videos; and written reviews. You can find our Facebook live videos on the Tackle Junkie homepage at tacklejunkie. fish. The individual product videos are on our YouTube channel at www.youtube. com/user/FishingMonthly, and we’re adding the written reviews to the Tackle Junkie website every day. And of course, we have created a big magazine feature for you. In this issue you’ll be treated to nine pages of new products, including the winners of the Best Of Show awards. We hope you enjoy checking out these great products as much as we did!

came from as far away as Japan, the USA and Europe, and they were bursting with enthusiasm for their latest innovations. And of course, Australian tackle designers and manufacturers were also on hand to explain what went into their designs. It’s always interesting finding out why someone decided to make a particular lure (or other piece of tackle), and the challenges they faced along the way. When you look at any original lure design, you can pretty much be sure that a lot of frustration and headscratching went into its creation! We had 11 staff at the show, which has allowed us to provide comprehensive coverage of the most interesting products on

The 2016 AFTA Tackle Trade Show is the premier event on the Australian tackle industry’s calendar. The 2016 show was the biggest yet; the whole show floor was buzzing with tackle retailers and media who came to see the latest innovations. The 2016 AFTA Show was well timed, being held just after the ICAST trade show in the USA. That meant the latest products unveiled there were able to be fast-tracked to Australia, and they certainly turned heads! The best way to get an insight into any new piece of kit is to speak to an industry expert, and there were plenty of those at the show. Tackle designers and representatives

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RPM Innovations’ P6000mA/h Powerbank is portable charger with a torch built in. The Powerbank can store enough energy to charge a smart phone twice, and it’s a great device to take with you anywhere, not just camping and fishing. There are two USB out ports, which means you can charge two devices at once, and it also has an in port, which means you can charge it from a car cigarette lighter or a powerpoint. The Powerbank also has a solar panel as a bonus feature. The panel won’t charge the battery completely, but it can help to top it up at a pinch. Another great feature is if you hold the button down for three seconds, you get a 280 lumen LED light, which will last for eight hours. If you press it again, it will go down to 140 lumens, which will last for 16 hours. There’s also the standard emergency strobe setting. Finally, there’s a battery meter on the unit, so you know when to start charging it up again. www.rpminnovations.com.au

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BKK now have a super strong, rust resistant treble that you can use both inshore and offshore for a wide rage of species. The hand ground points mean these hooks come super sharp straight out of the box, so nothing is left to chance, and the Ultra anti-rust technology ensures that constant use in saltwater won’t see these hooks slowly deteriorate from corrosion. With sizes ranging from no. 4 to 5/0, there’s options for just about any angler with these incredibly strong trebles. From mangrove jacks in the creeks to jumbo-sized GTs offshore, these hooks will always have you covered, and the bit of extra coin you pay goes a long way and will result in less lost fish to terminal tackle. The Nomad boys recently tested the no. 1 size on black bass in Papua New Guinea, and needless to say, they weren’t let down in the hook department. www.nomadtackle.com

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BEST TERMINAL TACKLE

Halco Tackle Company has released the highly anticipated big brother to the award-winning Max 130: the all new Max 190. The Max 190 (190mm/7.5”) has an incredibly wide effective operating envelope, working well from a fast cast and retrieve speed, all the way to a 14 knot troll. This lure dives to 2m, and the slender rear profile allows for increased hook clearance, vital for effective hook-ups on pelagic species. The larger Max 190 features #7/0 inline singles, providing a larger hook gape and less leverage on tackle exerted from the fighting fish, as well as increasing angler and fish safety when handling large pelagic species on board. This lure is forward weighted for a long cast into the strongest of headwinds without tumbling. Weighing in at 163g (5.75oz) with ultra-thick walls and a reinforced nose for extra strength, the Max 190 is cast in Halco’s high tech polymers. This lure is the ultimate in strength and durability, reflecting the usual high quality Halco standard. The Max 190 is available in six fish catching colours. www.halcotackle.com

Halco Max 190

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Fish Candy Smash Crab Following the success of Fish Candy’s Crusty Crab, the demand for a larger

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model was so great that the Smash Crab was born. This lifelike crab is made from a durable and flexible 10X material, and it’s easy to use, even for baitfishers. When cast it falls naturally onto its belly where it remains as it slowly sinks, with its legs and claws vibrating to simulate a real crab. When it reaches the bottom it sits with its claws raised in a typical defensive position. It can be slowed rolled, jigged or just left in the rod holder where it can drift through the water column or bounce along the bottom. The Smash Crab is already proving to be particularly effective on mulloway, and it’s sure to be irresistible to snapper, sweetlip and other reefies. Just about any fish will eat a crab, so the potential is endless. The Smash Crab has a custom made forged 4/0 hook rated to 40kg that’s located in the perfect position to reduce snagging and facilitate secure hook-ups. This lure measures 100mm and weighs 39g. There are five colours available including natural, UV, glow and translucent. Price: SRP $19.95 www.river2sea.com.au

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Plano’s redesigned Guide series Plano’s popular Guide series is redesigned for 2017, with the integration of the

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BEST CLOTHING ACCESSORIES

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Shimano Ocea Fishing Gloves Shimano’s new Ocea Gloves are designed for the offshore anglers wanting to

protect their hands from the harmful elements that offshore angling can dish up. Ocea fishing gloves provide extra grip in wet conditions, while also protecting the wearer from abrasive materials like braid and sharp scales and spikes from fish. Anyone throwing big poppers for big ooglies out on the blue will appreciate the protection they offer. These Ocea Gloves have an ultra-thin titanium alloy, which provides insulation and warmth to the wearer on cold days while letting your hands breathe on the hotter days. They also create the perfect cover from the suns harsh rays to hands that are always exposed while on the water. With a reinforced non-slip material on the index finger and palm increasing casting and jigging grip in wet conditions. They come in sizes ranging from large to extra large. www.shimanofish.com.au

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Rapala Floating Aerator

The new Floating Aerator from Rapala gently mixes air into the water, combining effective aeration with the advantages of a compact size. Features of this award-winning product include automatic activation when submersed in water; air release stone at the base; durable construction with stainless fittings for saltwater use; 18-hour continuous run time; and 36-hour runtime with 15 minute intervals. The Floating Aerator aerates 1.5L of water per minute. This handy product measures approximately 10cm wide by 18cm long, operates on 3 x C batteries (not included); and is ideal for most bait storage containers. Price: approx. SRP $60 www.rapala.com.au IN

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new moulded Utili-Tackle Rail System. The innovative top securely holds one StowAway, while the perimeter features anchoring points for attaching and organising other fishing necessities. The new redesigned Guide series has 17 attachment points for accessories and other bits of gear. So you can keep pliers, knives, clippers and other potentially dangerous pieces of equipment stowed away from trouble. This unique moulded component is duplicated on the base of the bag, for attaching longer items like rod holders, and it features overmoulded rubber feet to prevent your gear from sitting in puddles or sliding off decks. So whether on foot or fishing from a boat, the Guide series with its Utili-tackle Rail System will make your tackle management much easier and convenient, and keep everything organised. The more organised you can be on the water, the more time you can spend fishing! www.jmgillies.com.au

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Shimano Zodias spinning rods Using Shimano’s exclusive Hi-Power X Construction graphite blanks, Shimano’s

Zodias 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 to reduce heat buildup at a key point — and a CI 4+ reel seat for an additional weight saving. Hi-Power X blanks are really something else. Their acute sensitivity crisply transmits every tap from a snag, weed, or a cautious short-striking fish, especially when used in conjunction with reels spooled with zero stretch braided line like Power Pro. There are four light to medium spin rods of 6’ 8” and 7’ lengths, the latter in two piece, and a pair of 6’ 6” baitcasters to choose from. So whether it’s black bream in the Gippsland Lakes, or barramundi in a muddy tropical creek, you’ll be impressed with the performance characteristics of the new Zodias series. www.shimanofish.com.au

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Shimano combo kit Shimano have devised the perfect combo for anglers all around the country, and

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whether you’re land-based or fishing from a boat, you’ll agree that this is a real winner. Imagine taking all the best features of Shimano’s legendary Symetre, Aernos and Technium spin reels, combining them into one super spin reel series with some high tech accoutrements —that’s what you get with the new Nasci spin. There are five reels in the lineup, from the 1000 size for fine line finesse work in freshwater and the estuaries, right up to the saltwater standard 5000 with its generous braided line capacity and powerful gearing. The ever-popular Raider rod line-up has been given an exciting freshen-up for the 2016 season, with new cosmetics, custom Shimano reel seats, ergonomically-shaped EVA split grips where applicable, and Fuji aluminium oxide guides. These two have been combined to make for a fantastic rod and reel combo, and there’s a combo to cover almost every fishing situation. www.shimanofish.com.au

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Kairiki PE Braid Smooth, supple and sensitive — these keywords sum up Shimano’s new Kairiki

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Shimano Stradic Ci4+ Shimano have taken a favourite reel in the fishing community and made it even

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better. The newest member of Shimano’s Stradic range, the Stradic Ci4+ is made from lightweight carbon material. With reels, it’s hard to find a balance between being light in weight, but also staying tough. Shimano have achieved this with the ingenuity of this reel's design. This new Stradic comes with an asymmetrical rotor shape because the line roller and the bail trip mechanism are now on different sides of the reel. This now balances it out and means the overall weight of the reel can be reduced. Along with being lighter, this technology also allows the angler to enjoy a lighter-feeling retrieve. The Stradic Ci4+ is 30% more rigid than the previous model, meaning there’s less rotor play under higher drag pressures. Finally, the CoreProtect technology applied to this reel will help to keep the water out, meaning you’ll get a much longer life with this reel. www.shimanofish.com.au

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BEST FLY FISHING REEL

XDS offers the same saltwater reliability and brute strength of its predecessor in a new lightweight design. There are many features that make this latest model the latest and greatest in fly reel technology, and a very tough customer for tackling saltwater sportfish. A reduced weight design will aid casting for long periods, and will prevent angler fatigue when the fish are few and the casts are many. Setting up the drag is convenient, with the easy to use 340° colour coded drag control, which in the largest model can be cranked up to 30lb of pressure! The Fortuna XDS comes in 4 sizes, an 6/7/8, 8/9/10, 10,11,12 and an absolutely monstrous 12/13/14. So whether you’re on the flats chasing tailing bonefish, or out on the ocean chasing blue marlin, these reels will shine above the rest when it comes to saltwater fly reels. www.purefishing.com.au

Hardy Fortuna XDS fly reel With all the legendary strength of the original Fortuna series, the new Fortuna

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off huge swells to a beer and a BBQ with your mates. Rebel is the only eyewear that fuses ultimate visual clarity with comfort and classic style. The design for Rebel took its inspiration form the iconic movie star styling of the 50s – James Dean, Marlon Brando and Marilyn Monroe. Classic retro styling incorporates an embracing lens shape to comfortably wrap your face and deliver ultimate glare protection. The lines of the frame have been selectively moulded to incorporate classic fluid elements – eliminating flat and boring. Spotters have developed a slim temple design with a sweeping curve to keep your eyewear secure and removed any barrier to sliding these sunglasses on quickly and effortlessly. Rebel’s finishing touch is the bold temple branding. Frame finishes are available in gloss black, matte black or crystal brown. www.spotters.com.au

Spotters Rebel Rebel will take you seamlessly from fighting big marlin and penetrating the glare

BEST SUNGLASSES

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BEST REEL

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SX 8 braid. Being an eight-carrier Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) PE braid, its smooth finish means it creates less friction over rod guides when cast, and it slips through the water with reduced resistance and thrumming on the retrieve or when trolled. Kairiki SX8 is well behaved on the reel spool, with even lay and less propensity to throw off annoying wind knots. Sensitivity is brought into the manufacturing process by reducing overall stretch and having less elongation than competitors’ brands. An exclusive process that the raw material undergoes before braiding enhances abrasion resistance. It’s available in 11 breaking strains from 6-80lb on 150m spools at the lighter end and 300m from 20lb upwards. Its neutral Mantis Green colour means it is every bit at home in an impoundment as it is on a trout stream, or down in the estuaries and offshore. www.shimanofish.com.au

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BEST OF SHOW AWARDS

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Lowrance Elite-7 Ti series New touchscreen displays deliver incredible performance at an affordable price,

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Rio Big Nasty fly lines The Rio Big Nasty is a fly line specifically designed for casting big flies. Originally

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used the US to throw big streamers at big river brown trout, word got out and now Australia is bringing them in to cast big flies for our natives! As the name suggests, the Big Nasty allows an angler to throw big nasty flies at big nasty fish. They come with a very short and heavy head, and a diagram of the taper profile can be seen on the back of each of the boxes they come in. The line is actually heavier than the industry standard, and this is to load modern rods up faster. Anyone looking to throw flies at Murray cod or impoundment barramundi will find that the Big Nasty will make light work of what used to be an incredibly arduous task. For ease of use, it comes with pre-welded loops at both ends of the line, so setting up is a piece of cake. www.jmgillies.com.au

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JOHN DUNPHY AWARD FOR INNOVATION

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Sage X fly rods

Sage have just unveiled the newest in the line of Flagship fly rod models, with their 10th update, the Sage X. The X is the Roman numeral for 10, which is where this rod’s name comes from. Using Konnetic HD (high density) technology, Sage has removed the resin between carbon fibres to create a slower action in the rod blank. Because if this, there’s more feel in the blank, and the bend is deeper and longer, bending all the way to the butt. The rod butt is made from the highest quality cork, meaning that water and other nasties like fish slime won’t get in as easily, and can quickly be washed off. In the X range there are 22 models, ranging from a 7’6” 3# to a 9’ #10, so whether it’s stream trout or offshore pelagic species, this rod is up for the challenge. www.jmgillies.com.au

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and has been designed and tested by one of the best in the business: Simon Rinaldi from Red Hot Fishing Charters. Mark Richter, owner of Richter Lures, said Simon is one of the best tuna anglers in Australia. “He tested the Splash Medium for over a year before the launch, and has reported exceptional results on southern bluefin tuna,” Mark said. The design of the head gives it a unique action, creating a great bubble trail, and it holds well in rough water. Simon reports that it works very well on the short rigger, but you can run it anywhere in the spread. As well as SBT it has accounted for big blue marlin at Port Stevens and is set to smash wide range of pelagics. “The Smash Medium’s bigger brother has proven to be a well-balanced lure for all pelagics,” Mark said. “It’s caught every popular pelagic species, and we expect the Medium to perform just as well.” The Splash Medium measures 240mm and comes in 11 colours, including UV and lumo. Every part of the lure is handmade in Richter’s factory in South Africa. Price: SRP $54.95 www.richterlures.com TE

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Richter Splash Medium The new Splash Medium from Richter is based on the successful Splash Large,

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BEST MARINE ELECTRONIC

BEST GAME LURE

and Lowrance has launched the new, premium Elite-7 Ti standalone fishfinder/ chartplotter. The Lowrance Elite-7 Ti touchscreen fishfinder/chartplotter offers anglers highperformance at an incredible value. With an easy-to-use touchscreen interface, Bluetooth and wireless connectivity, proven Lowrance navigation technology and high-performance sonar – including CHIRP sonar, StructureScan HD and DownScan ImagingTM – the Elite-7 Ti Series is a robust, feature-rich, yet compact solution. The Lowrance Elite-7 Ti is designed for anglers who want a complete view of the area beneath their boat. CHIRP Sonar offers improved fish-target separation and screen clarity, while the StructureScan HD sonar imaging system with exclusive Lowrance DownScan Imaging delivers photo-like images of fish-holding structure on both sides and directly beneath the boat. The Elite-7 Ti is available now, so make sure you give them a look if you’re currently hunting for a sounder. www.navico.com

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Deeper Pro+ Fish Finder Following on from the original Deeper Fish Finder released last year is the new

Deeper Pro+ Fish Finder. This newest version from the Deeper range can be synced to your smart phone like the old one, only this one talks to your smart phone via WIFI signal, and works even when you don’t have mobile reception. It can be cast on most standard PE lines, and in the process will automatically start mapping out the terrain of your chosen waterway, even if you’re land-based. The Deeper is water activated, so it automatically turns on when it hits the water. All you need to do is to download the Deeper App, which is free. The moment you have connection, the app will look like a fish finder, giving you depth, structure, fish, water temperature etc. You can also use the GPS on your phone to mark waypoints, and save spots and map for future reference. www.rapala.com.au

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STORM R.I.P MULTI DEPTH SCREW SYSTEM

New from Storm is their multi-use, multi-depth, R.I.P. Screw System. Designed to cater for the boom in oversize soft plastics, the R.I.P Multi-Depth Screw System allows anglers more rigging options for truly giant baits than ever before. The heart of the system is the long, wide pitch rigging screw, which can be inserted into the nose of any suitable soft plastic. The next step is sliding over the twin VMC treble hook rig, crimped on strong, stainless steel multi-strand wire. Finally, anglers select their desired weight and slide it on in front of the hook rig. This simple yet ingenious modular design allows anglers to adjust weights and rigging position to get the optimal performance for their chosen species. Perfectly suited to ferocious feeders like barramundi, the Storm R.I.P Multi-Depth Screw System is ideal for baits 6-8” long, and is shipped with 3 different weights in each package. www.rapala.com.au

PELICAN 2780R LED HEADLAMP

Meet the Pelican 2780R LED Headlamp – the most powerful Pelican headlamp available. With this new light you can own the night with main, downcast, flashing and main/downcast combo LED modes. With 558 lumens of bright LED light, you’ll have the perfect companion for your fishing adventure. Whether it’s an early launch, night fishing or walking along dark terrain to get to your favourite fishing spot, the 2780R Headlamp will lead you safely through the dark. A USB lithium ion rechargeable battery is just one of many great features. The 2780R is one of the most versatile headlamps on the market, with three brightness modes, 11-hour battery life, downcast LED technology, pivoting head for directional beam and three interchangeable covers. It is also water-resistant and comes with a lifetime guarantee. Price: RRP $149.95 www.afn.com.au

KUTTAFURRA JOE THE RAT

BASSDAY SUGAR SLIM 55

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One of the award-winning lures taking pride of place in the AFTA Show foyer was Joe the Rat from Kuttafurra. Designer Aaron Young was recently awarded the Best Commercial Lure at the Australian Lure and Fly Outdoors Expo for this lifelike rodent imitation. The paintwork and attention to detail on Aaron’s lures has always been second to none, and Joe the Rat is no different. Although simple in design, the addition of leather ears and a leather tail brings Joe the Rat to life. This 110mm surface lure effectively mimics a rat or a mouse swimming in the water, with a paddling motion that’s enhanced by the tail seductively wiggling along behind. This creates a larger profile for the lure and also makes it very realistic in the water. It’s a must have for any Murray cod surface lure enthusiast. For more information on this and other Kuttafurra lures, give Aaron a call on 0418 349 782, look up Kuttafurra Lures on Facebook or check them out on the web. Price: SRP $39.95 australianlureshop.com.au/kuttafurra/

Designed to imitate a dying minnow, the Bassday Sugar Slim 55 is equal parts precision, performance and refinement. A lure that casts like a bullet, courtesy of its internal weight transfer casting system, the Sugar Slim 55 has a distinct and enticing action, with a slow wobble and wide action, replicating perfectly a baitfish in distress. A perfect imitation of an estuary baitfish this is the go-to lure to reach for when fishing shallow sand flats. The Sugar Slim 55 isn’t just the domain of saltwater anglers though, and will prove equally as effective on the rivers and streams for trout. Trout in the south and the highlands, and jungle perch and sooties in the north will all line up to eat this slim-lined snack. This suspending style lure is 55mm and weighs 2.3g. It swims to a 1m depth with a wide slow wobble action. Price: RRP $26.95 www.frogleysoffshore.com.au

MAKO APEX SUNGLASSES

Designed for top end work, the new Apex sunglasses from Mako lead the way in eye protection. What separates these sunnies from the pack is their innovative new gradient colour lenses. Providing darker shading on top where you need it most, the lighter shades below give clarity for close-up work. Available in light polycarbonate or tough crown glass distortion-free lenses in grey or rose tint, Apex shows Mako’s top notch technology at its best. Made from tough warp-resistant nylon composite, the Mako’s sleek, matte black frames look fashionable and are designed for all outdoor situations. The Mako Apex will be available from November 2016. Price: RRP $299 (glass lenses) www.makoeyewear.com.au

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The new 240mm Jack Slammer is one of the latest additions to the Black Magic range. This slim lure has a long head, which means it runs very well in rough seas. It’s also light enough to swim well in calm conditions. In field testing, the Jack Slammer has already accounted for yellowfin and skipjack tuna, as well as small black marlin. It’s an excellent result for a lure that has been available for only a short time, and testers predict it will be dynamite on striped marlin as well. The skirts have a high element of UV for maximum attraction, and the five colour patterns are unique to Black Magic. No matter your skill level, you can put the Jack Slammer anywhere in the spread and it will run well. These lures are great value for money with no sacrifice in quality, and they are available both rigged (8/0 closed gape hook, 200lb ToughTrace) and unrigged. SRP from $49.95 unrigged, $59.95 rigged www.blackmagictackle.com

For a great quality spinning reel that comes at a more than reasonable price, you should look no further than the new 13 Fishing Creed GT range of spinning reels. With power to match the finish of these great pieces of machinery, there’s plenty of reasons to pair these with your most used spin rods. Boasting an incredible 11lb of drag for the 1000 and 2000 size models, and 13lb for the 3000 an 4000 sized models, they will stop most inshore predators with ease, and are exceptionally smooth under that much load as well. This is due to the carbon washers, which help the reel last longer and reduce the weight. Starting at 8.7oz in weight, they are very light and comfortable to use, and all come with EVA handle grips. With four models, from 1000 to 4000 sizes, they cover most inshore light tackle applications. Price: RRP $159 www.nomadtackle.com

PULSATOR FLAPPER TEASER

GRUNDY RUN SINKERS

The Pulsator Lures Flapper Teaser is a chain of five tuna cut from black rubber, creating a tuna silhouette that attracts billfish. The black rubber cut-outs are designed to be trolled at speeds upwards of 6 knots, and will draw fish right to the back of your boat. This impressive teaser was on display at the Pulsator Lures stand at the AFTA Trade Show, and Australian Pulsator agent Luke Tompsett was on hand to talk about how effective it is. “This is a fantastic teaser,” he said. “No billfish will resist looking up at the tuna silhouette and not be drawn to the back of your spread. It’s a fully crimped teaser that’s attached to a leader line with a breaking strength of 300lb, and it’s suitable for tuna, marlin and sailfish.” The Flapper Teaser (#PFT1) is 170” (432cm) long, weighs 47oz (1.33kg) and comes with its own bag for neat storage. Price: SRP $142 www.pulsatorlures.co.za

Grundy Run Sinkers have a patented one-way nylon insert that runs through the middle of the sinker. When a fish strikes, the sinker slides away from the bait, allowing the fish to run without being hindered by swivels, seaweed or braid-to-nylon knots. As well as giving fish more time to get hooked, the nylon insert won’t damage the leader or mainline, so you get fewer snap casts and bust-offs. These sinkers are particularly good for rock fishing, as they allow you to sit further away and retrieve closer to the rocks without snagging. You just remove the nylon insert, exposing the wide hole through the middle of the sinker. When you get baited, the sinker slides over the eye of the hook and comes to rest in the gape, flush with the hook point, thus reducing snagging. Each sinker is individually marked with its weight, and available weights are 45g, 55g, 75g, 115g, 145g and 165g. Price: SRP $6.50-$9 www.grundyrun.com

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REIDY’S RENEGADE

The Reidy’s Renegade is a bigger version of the popular Judge, and in field testing it has been deadly on big mackerel, tuna, and even big barra. “We wanted something to go a little bit deeper,” said Colin from Reidy’s. “This lure can also be trolled at high speed – around 7-8 knots comfortably. And like all Reidy’s lures it has had to pass strength tests to make sure it can stand up to XOS fish.” The Renegade has a rolling, very tight action with a loud sonic rattle, and in the right conditions will dive to around 4m. Its bib is spear shaped rather than rounded. “This bib really holds in, so you can troll at high speed,” Colin explained. “We’ve also made it part of the body to give it extra strength.” In the initial release there are five bluewater colours, plus one for barra. The barra pattern is kryptonite, a colour that has proven itself on barra in other lure models. Price: SRP $22.95 www.reidyslures.com

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RAPALA URBAN CLASSIC SLING BAG Rapala are known for holding more world record captures than any other lure brand,

but the company has also been producing exceptional quality accessories for some time. The new Urban Classic Sling Bag is one of the newest additions to their luggage line up. Honoured with the Best New Tackle Box/Luggage award at the 2016 EFFTEX show, the Urban Classic Sling Bag has a revolutionary design and has been designed for the mobile fisherman. Comfortable to carry out of the way on the back, the sling design allows freedom of movement through the cast and retrieve, yet the bag swings to the front when you need to access its contents. Both of the main compartments hold 3600-sized tackle boxes and open to form a work tray when changing lures. The bag also features a secondary compartment for large accessories and additional pockets for smaller items. A Quick Draw plier holster and retracting tool holder offer fast and easy access to the most used tools. The adjustable across the shoulder strap and 3D mesh back panel offer maximum comfort so you can comfortably wear the bag all day. www.rapala.com.au

KERSHAW 8700 SHUFFLE The Shuffle is a compact knife and multi-function tool for everyday adventurers.

When you first look at this little knife you might wonder just how useful it can be at that size. However, when you hold it you realise how incredibly secure your grip is, thanks to the finger contours and textured handle, and how useful that compact blade is. On top of that, this knife also has a flat head screwdriver at end of the handle that doubles as a lanyard attachment. There’s also a bottle opener built into the back. The Shuffle has a nested steel liner lock, securing the blade open when you’re using it, and then allowing you to close the knife easily. It also features a reversible, deep carry pocket clip. The Shuffle's blade is made of 8Cr13MoV stainless steel, chosen for its hardness and its ability to hold an edge. The blade is 6cm, and the knife measures 8.3cm closed and 4.3cm open. www.frogleysoffshore.com.au

NEW SEMI HARDZ VIB SIZES The popular Semi Hardz Vib is back bigger and better. Featuring the same attention

to detail and innovation in design and action as the Semi Hardz range that preceded it, the 70mm and 110mm models answer the calls from anglers for a large lure to catch large fish. From bottom bashing down deep, to casting long and far for pelagic species and even trolling out wide and in close for fasting moving target species, these lures will grab the attention of anglers and fish alike. Soft and subtle in feel yet powerful and robust in action, these are lures that every offshore and estuary will need to have in their tackle box. Available in a range of eye catching, fish loving colours, this multi-purpose lipless vibration lure comes in smaller sizes, starting from 40mm. www.frogleysoffshore.com.au

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ABU GARCIA PERFORMANCE JERSEY Now you can look like a pro out on the water with Abu Garcia’s Performance Jersey,

designed to be comfortable, quick-drying, and extremely sun protective. Made from 100% UVTect Microfibre, this smooth, soft fabric is made for total comfort, all day long. Smooth chafe-free seam construction allows for freedome of movement without discomfort. The breathable material keeps moisture away from your skin and the material used allows it to dry quickly, meaning you won’t be stuck out there sopping wet all day. Of course, sun protection is at the forefront of most anglers’ minds, which is why the Performance Jersey is UPF 30+. You don’t have to worry about burning though the shirt as you would with a shirt that doesn't have a UPF rating. Comfort and sun safety are two of the key factors when choosing fishing apparel, but if you can get these two things guaranteed, as well as have it look good on you, you’ve really found a winner! www.purefishing.com.au

ZEREK SPEED DONKEY The Zerek Speed Donkey is so named because it holds in extremely well at speed

and attracts large ‘donkey’ fish. At 140mm long, the Speed Donkey is the perfect baitfish profile for offshore waters, estuarine waters and big rivers where mullet and gar are found. This new lure has through-wire construction, 6x Mustad trebles and forged split rings so speedsters like mackerel, trevally and tuna can be tamed and brutes like mulloway and barra won’t tear the lure apart. The Zerek Speed Donkey has exceptional casting abilities, and sonics that include high and low pitch rattles. Its underwater sonic profile attracts predators of all types. This makes the lure perfect for trolling in the wide open blue water and also in dirty barra and mulloway waters. Trolling to 15 knots, the Speed Donkey is a true hybrid, taking on offshore and river fish with equal ease. It’s available in 15 colours developed by Wilson Fishing to represent all the major baitfish species, and allow the lures to be located in dirty water. www.wilsonfishing.com

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RAPALA HUSKY MAGNUM 25 There’s something about trolling out in the deep blue for speedsters like mackerel,

tuna and wahoo. There’s also few lure companies more versed in the technique than legendary Rapala. Their attention to detail and ability to make lures that swim straight at high speeds has made them relied upon for more trophy captures than any other hard bait. Now the company is extending its line of Husky Magnum trolling lures by introducing the Husky Magnum 25. A larger version of the Husky Magnum 15, the new 25 size dives to 7.5m and can be trolled at speeds exceeding 12 knots. The Husky Magnum from Rapala shares a lot of DNA with the company’s premium line of trolling baits, the X-Rap Magnum, and delivers the same fish catching action at a more affordable price tag for the average angler. Available in eight great trademark Rapala holographic finishes, and armed with needle sharp and extra strong VMC trebles, the new Husky Magnum 25 will sure to feel right at home straight out in the prop wash, or riding shotgun out back waiting for its time to shine. www.rapala.com.au

WFT STRONG BRAID Now WFT have a braid specifically made for heavy-duty fishing, with their new

Strong Braid. WFT Strong Braid is made from pre-stretched PE fibres for an incredible strength to diameter ratio, so it’s much stronger than it looks! Amazingly, 15 years went into the development of this braid to achieve the maximum pitch per inch without the unwanted diameter or stretch. The result is a braid that’s very thin for its poundage. To cope with abrasion, Strong Braid has a slick coating to give you that extra insurance when fighting trophy fish. Strong Braid comes in weights from 10kg all the way through to 67kg in a very easy to see chartreuse colour. What’s also great is that you can pick them up in either 300 or 600m spools, so you can fill up even the deepest of spools with this fantastic braid. www.jarviswalker.com.au

PENN OCEAN ASSASSIN For general-purpose offshore work, Penn’s got a rod that has you covered.

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Penn’s Ocean Assassin is a real winner with its high modulus SLS carbon blank, and its inner and outer layer graphite spiral wrap. It’s also fitted with high quality machined aluminium and graphite fittings, making it fairly light and easy to use all day. Like all of Penn’s products, it’s built super tough and will see you though many epic battles with big angry fish. These rods are quality, down to the finest detail, so a Fuji DPS graphite reel seat for increased blank contact and sensitivity, and the latest machined aluminium and carbon lock nut for improved reel fit comes standard. Angler comfort is not forgotten either, so contoured EVA grips for better ergonomics finish off a fantastic rod that will shine above the rest of the pack for versatility and toughness. www.purefishing.com.au

DAIWA BLACK GOLD After nearly half a century of reliability, the original Daiwa Black Gold (BG) reel series

has undergone a major overhaul. Daiwa’s newest heavy-duty super reel series is available in sizes 2000 all the way through to 8000. Its aluminium body and side plate are precision machined and highly corrosion resistant, making the BG perfect for the offshore environment. Rigid, strong and highly durable, the body supports seamless gear function and prevents twisting when the reel is under load, resulting in greater cranking force. The Digigear drive system achieves perfect gear meshing and ultra-smooth performance, and the ATD drag system reduces spool twist under load, promoting even wear of the drag washers and reducing ‘pulsing’ of the drag when fighting the fish. ATD also reduces initial drag startup inertia and results in a smoother drag from the initial hook up. BG also uses Daiwa’s latest version of Air Rotor, which dramatically decreases weight, stress and flexing while significantly increasing strength. www.daiwafishing.com.au

LURED 3D PRINTED PUSHERS When you’re making resin heads for skirted pushers, there’s not a whole lot you can

do to the internal design. With 3D printing, however, the sky is the limit! Lured 3D is taking full advantage of this creative freedom in their new range of skirted lures. The heads feature curved internal tubes – something that’s not possible in a resin head – which puts the air under pressure to create a bigger, explosive smoke trail. These lures float, which makes them excellent for switch baiting. Unlike a traditional skirted lure, they will swim when you’re feeding them back, making them look a lot more appealing to the fish. The lures’ design and buoyancy also means they can be trolled at a vast range of speeds, from around 3.5 knots to 15 knots. The heads are very durable, UV resistant and have been over-engineered to ensure maximum strength. The two models launched at the AFTA 2016 show were the Maximus and Razorback, in sizes ranging from 6.5” to 12.5”. The Maximus excels in rough conditions, and in close in the prop wash, and the Razorback creates a very high water wall like a popper. Both have a cup face and create a phenomenal smoke trail. Price: from SRP $23.95 www.facebook.com/lured3d/

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DANNY THE DUCK The new Danny the Duck from Westin is set to be a hit with anglers chasing Murray

cod and impoundment barramundi. A lot of research and development went into this new lure, which has been designed to look like a real duckling that’s swimming and diving. Danny the Duck is 14cm long and weighs 44g so it casts a mile. It features a sturdy through-wire design, soft webbed feet and a bib that extends naturally from the beak. With a slow retrieve, Danny the Duck has a wobbling, side to side action on the surface like a real duckling. If you crank it a bit more, the diving lip integrated into the beak makes it dive up to 1.5m. The duck’s floating body means that it slowly rises to the surface when you pause the retrieve. You couldn’t imagine a more lifelike duck imitation, or one more likely to get eaten by a big cod. Price: SRP $25 www.jml.net.au

PULSATOR TUBE The Pulsator Tube is one of Pulsator’s most popular lures, and it’s dynamite when

pulled in flat sea conditions from outriggers. The Pulsator tube has an enticing, erratic surface action, and is available in four sizes. The larger two sizes are ideal for targeting big blue marlin, and the two smaller sizes for smaller marlin. The are three models: PT1A (16”, 14oz, 12/0 suggested hook size, no. 22 skirt size), PT2A (15”, 10oz, 11/0 suggested hook size, no. 21V skirt size), and the PT3A (13”, 6oz, 10/0 suggested hook size, no. 17 skirt size), and there’s a multitude of colour combinations available. For more information check out Pulsator Lures Australia on Facebook, or visit the Pulsator Lures website. Price: SRP $72.50 www.pulsatorlures.co.za

SCOTTY 282 ROD HOLDER The Scotty no. 282 Baitcaster/Spinning Rod Holder is a versatile rod holder for any

angler. This rod holder accommodates a baitcaster reel sits in a cushioned cradle while a front slot allows for a spinning reel. The open bottom allows for the rod holder to accommodate trigger grips as well. Rods can be secured with a soft latching strap which snaps over the top for baitcaster or under the bottom for spinning reels. The 438 Gear-Head Track Adapter quickly slides into place and locks down Scotty Rod Holders and Accessories. This allows you to quickly change rod holder positions with a simple twist. The Scotty 440-4 Low Profile Track is made from high strength composite material, so you know it will last. The track can be quickly and easily installed on a kayak, canoe or any other watercraft. The kit includes the 282 Baitcaster/Spinning Rod Holder, 438 Gear-Head and 440-4 Low Profile Track. Price: SRP $85 www.jmgillies.com.au

HARDY DEMON SMUGGLER Hardy’s new Demon Smuggler is a six-section travel rod for those who like to search

the globe for a fly fishing challenge and keep the rod compact. SINTRAX 330 technology has been applied to the rod’s design to deliver unprecedented durability for the adventurous angler. The Hardy Demon Smuggler is available in a range of sizes, covering many applications in a convenient travel size package, from tiny mountain streams chasing stream trout, all the way to the bluewater chasing pelagics. Features include American Tackle titanium stripper guides, medium fast action with high recovery and a built-in reel seat hook keeper. In the current range, there are five single-handed rods and one double-handed models to choose from, meaning there’s a Demon Smuggler in the range for just about sort of fly angler in the world. If you’re a keen traveller, or just like keeping your rig compact, have a look into the range and see which one suits you. www.purefishing.com.au

WILSON TACKLE STORAGE UNIT Wilson Fishing has developed a complete tackle storage unit that is transportable

and allows you to keep all of your fishing gear organised, whether you’re at home or on the road. Built around a lightweight and super strong aluminium frame, the Wilson Tackle Storage Unit is packed with storage options and features. Able to store eight rods either rigged or unrigged, the unit also has three internal storage shelves and a top shelf/work bench. Two handy removable bags that can fit up to four standard tackle trays are also included with the Storage Unit. A zippered front flap allows the unit to be closed up, preventing annoying pests from getting inside. A mesh vent in the rear allows water vapour to escape, as we all know water leads to mould and rust. Coming in a flat pack that makes this unit ideal for transportation in a car or boat, the Wilson Tackle Storage Unit can be easily assembled in just a few minutes. It measures 105cm x 57cm x 47cm when set up, and folds down to 52cm x 42cm x 20cm. www.wilsonfishing.com

Fishing Fill-its

Raymarine weather app FLIR Systems has announced that the latest Raymarine LightHouse OS now includes a graphical weather forecast (GRIB) viewer app, which enables boaters to access global

weather data on-demand directly on a Raymarine multifunction navigation displays. The LightHouse GRIB Viewer app utilises Wi-Fi connectivity to download and

Kyal Hunt caught this impressive green jobfish on a trip with Norval charters north of the Swains.

display high-resolution Theyr weather forecast information on- screen. Raymarine users simply connect to a marina Wi-Fi, a mobile hotspot, or satellite internet to download the latest forecasts. Theyr is recognized as a leader in delivering precise weather and ocean forecasts for recreational and professional mariners, commercial shipping, and the offshore wind energy industry. The high-detail Theyr weather forecasts include important meteorological information, including wind speed, atmospheric pressure, precipitation, air temperature, sea surface temperature, and wave heights. Boaters in northern Europe can also access tidal stream data, and United States boaters have access to NEXRAD Doppler weather radar. “We are thrilled to offer boaters around the world access to current weather forecast data on-demand” said Grégoire Outters, Vice President and General Manager of FLIR Maritime. “Knowing what the weather will bring is vitally important to boaters everywhere, whether they are coastal cruising, or making an extended offshore passage.

Raymarine’s LightHouse OS now includes a graphical weather forecast app. The high resolution weather data from Theyr makes it possible for our customers to navigate safely and more efficiently.” To take advantage of Theyr weather, Raymarine MFD users can download the latest LightHouse OS update at Raymarine.com. Theyr’s Global Precision Weather forecast service

is available as a 30-day free trial and monthly for $14.95 USD or $99 USD for annual subscriptions through Raymarine.com/weather. In addition to receiving weather forecasts on Raymarine MFDs, subscribers can also access Theyr’s professional weather and ocean forecasts via Theyr’s GRIBview mobile and web applications. For

boaters that currently use a free GRIB weather service, the LightHouse GRIB viewer app is also compatible with internet sourced GRIB weather forecasts. Learn more about the GRIB Viewer, Theyr Global Precision Weather, and LightHouse II Release 17 at www.raymarine.com.au/ lighthouse.

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www.tacklejunkie.fish SEPTEMBER 2016

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Trout and tuna top the list TASMANIA

Kelly Hunt

September in Tasmania is a like a Wednesday in the working week. You’re over the hill, and it’s all cruising to the weekend. We maintained the passion for fishing through winter wild

weather. We’ve battled snow, wind and rain. We reached the top, and fishing is what’s left to enjoy as we head into summer months. The big excitement has been trout fishing. This is set to continue into September and beyond. Record rains have filled water storages and natural

dams. Fish reacted by feeding heartily. Rivers have been up and the banks have supplied heaps of food into the waterways. Fish are in great condition. The settling conditions in September will allow the squid to move in and become thicker. The incredible amount of fresh water headed to sea and the

sediment has slowed down the squid recently. Look for that to change dramatically as the water clears up. I get a little excited as September arrives – the daylight hours stretch out, and we’re only a month away from daylight savings. I love a few extra daylight hours to jam in extra fishing. Let’s look at what’s on offer around Tas.

a few off the bottom, they’ll come to you. If you catch one on a nice rod, work it up and leave it under the boat – other squid will come up looking to feed. Turning a few over nice and quick, and catching your bag limit becomes easy. Soft supple tipped rods really work for me with squid fishing. You can use just about any rod, but you’ll have more hook-ups and retain more squid with a soft tipped rod. Given the lack of barbs on a squid jig the hook set and constant load that is

easy to apply through a soft action rod is much preferred. Once you’ve got your fill of squid, around the rocky points of Bridport, use the squid tentacles as bait. You should be able to entice flathead to your rig with some fresh squid tenty. If you can get a nice little drift going, around the gutters towards Ninth Island, you’ll be in great form. When the weather is still and calm, drop the anchor and start a berley trail. Get the berley bucket to the sea floor with some weight in the bottom. Give it time to work, and you may come

across bigger flatties, and the odd gummy shark. Ansons Bay is an area people tend to forget, tucked away in the northeast corner of Tasmania. If you’re looking for a place to explore as the days grow long and the sun stays out, keep it in mind. The bay is fishable on the shore, but the real delights are found in a small boat. The fishing will slowly pick up in September. Explore the area while it’s quiet. A quiet prospect mission with few soft plastics may end up with you landing a trophy southern black bream.

NORTH EAST Low Head is the gateway to some sensational squid fishing in September. The big calamari will be keen to come in and lay their eggs along the rocky coastline of the North East. They amass great numbers and are great, tasty fun. Weymouth and Bridport as you head east are other areas with lots of big squid. Remember, a good quality jig will work the bottom third of the water column and help you locate squid. Once you’ve worked

Damian Turner got this big barrel on his birthday, what a riot!

NORTH WEST The Forth River was a wonder to me growing up. It was a powerful stretch of water with signs at the weir and river mouth, detailing how many had drowned. The river was to be taken seriously while we played and fished its length. In early years, we’d fish the spring days of September with light mono and an unweighted worm in a back eddy. The bigger, juicier wiggly worms were better. The bail arm would be left tripped and the rod placed in a crafted branch pressed into the bank. I watched rod tips for hours, waiting for the bounce. The Forth River has plenty of great spots to

drown a worm or flick a soft plastic. The stretch of river that fills on the incoming tide along Leith Road is one. Access this shore from the elevated road. It’s quite steep, so be careful. Once you’re in position, you’ll see an open rocky shore. It’s shallow towards the highway road bridge, and deepens as you head upriver. Take a look at the deep hole where the main river splits into a rivulet along the road edge. Further up the river, as the water flow starts slowing, check out Pump Station and Wilmot roads. The water will slow down later in September. The East Coast and

Spring’s quality fish have the author excited. southern rivers get all the attention as bream fisheries in Tasmania. I’ve always

There are some sweet fish out there ready to grab your lure. 60

SEPTEMBER 2016

thought the upper reaches of the Forth River estuary were very ‘breamy’. I managed to snare a good one that went 45cm to the fork on a hardbody lure. It was a three day effort, trying to get the tide right over a rocky section I liked. I caught plenty of tiny tailor and nice Australian salmon, but no bream. A few long, low casts for nothing – I started talking to myself. Fishing slower, long casts with rod twitches and winds to work the little bibbed minnow down, I hooked up. Keep in mind, as the weather gets better, try the Leven, Forth and Mersey rivers for some bream. It takes effort, but let’s see if we can develop a bream fishery on the North West Coast! The Mersey River has been decimated by the floodwaters of June. The

banks and river bottom has been gouged out, and trees lining the bank have been torn out and spread. This river will be new to all that fish it this season. To many who knew spots and river flows like the back of their hand, it’s a grave shame, but it’s also an opportunity to learn and explore. Rivers in severe flood never really fish that well, as the water moves too fast. The fish sense this event may leave them trapped when the water recedes just as swiftly. September will bring a settled river with the occasional water rise from spring rain. This slow water incursion up the banks will have the fish feeding and active. Great days are ahead, getting to know the Mersey River again as it reshapes into one of the state’s premier waterways. Flyfishers won’t lament

the trees that were swept down river out to sea. New areas have opened up and a whole heap of back cast snags are gone. The flyfishing in the Mersey River in September is traditionally very good. It will be interesting to see how changes in bank and river bottom affect fishing in the upper reaches. The Mersey and Forth have good runs of whitebait. The sea run trout fishery is well-regarded. Leave early and stand on the edges, where the river flow is reduced. If you look carefully, you may be able to make out the translucent and grey shapes of little whitebait in their annual migration. Trout love these and gorge on them. When the conditions are right, trout launch at them and send bait fleeing in all directions. The mouth of the Forth River and along banks to the train line are perfect to see this. Get a good natural representation of whitebait and keep them high near the surface. Flies fished under bubble floats, or with tiny split shots attached work. Fish your lures with light jigheads and main line so you can get a nice long cast. Sea trout can be found chasing whitebait along the rivers flowing into Bass Strait, such as the Leven at Ulverstone, Blyth at Heybridge, Emu at Wivenhoe and the Inglis at Wynyard. These are all worth a look from time to time throughout September.

Go Behind the Scenery HIGHLANDS The record rain we had over July and August have got everyone’s minds on how the lakes will fish. August was promising and many areas fished well. Taking opportunities when the weather allowed was the cornerstone. The weather will calm in September and the swollen edges of lakes and rising water levels are exciting. Lakes in the west had spilled hard in early August. This is amazing, given their levels at summer’s end. Insects and

grubs were taken by surprise and eaten by inhabiting trout. This will put good condition on fish, and make for some very nice catches. The Great Lake, Arthurs and Echo are hydro lakes and have been low. The wet winter has anglers excited. If the water continues to flow into the lake and outweigh water taken for power generation, we’ll have an awesome slow water rise event. The trout will recognise rising levels and follow it up, feeding on

Harry Murfet with a Mersey River fish. The flooding has changed the river extensively.

grubs and worms that are drowned out. Previous dry areas will be a treasure trove of bugs, beetles and insects, high on the trout menu. If you find a marshy section with the water level rising, you’ve found gold. In these wetter marsh areas, there can be all manner of marine life that has flourished without predatory fish. With water covering these areas again, bigger fish will be keen to feed. It’s a flyfisher’s paradise. Learners can sample the joys of fly casting. In high school, I liked to fish a wet fly in the weedy ground at Haddens Bay. It was only when a finger of water would head up the middle and mushroom around the weeds that I could entice fish to the fly. These are big hydro lakes, but there are smaller lakes that fish well too. Little Pine and Pine Tier Lagoons, and Augusta and Fergus lakes can see their levels rise quickly in the right conditions. These conditions are intrinsically linked with rain, so take a good coat and hat. Knowing these conditions and how they turn fish on and start a hot bite comes with experience. If you don’t nail it first time, don’t worry. It’s very

Tasmania

much a case of honing your craft. Keep a notebook and persevere. The way trout switch on in a weather event and feed on a food source that is also reacting is mystical. It can shut down as quick as it started. A few hours may be all you get. Be organised and have what you need on you. If you wonder why a flyfisher looks like an operative about to go commando, you must be self-sufficient while knee deep in a lake. Ain’t nobody got time for heading back to the car. Gear doesn’t need to break the bank. Like all sports and pastimes, spend what you can afford and concentrate on technique more than bling. You’ll have good success. This applies to all forms of casting. Don’t rush out and buy the rod and reel for flycasting that costs eleventy squillion dollars. The best thing you can ever do, when starting flyfishing, is to have instruction. If that is from a mate who seems to be quite good at it, fair enough, but the best instruction comes from a certified flyfishing teacher. Yep, there’s a system of certification in Tasmania, and we have excellent teachers. The time and money spent on instruction will be worth it and will save

Glen Saltmarsh and Jason Sims are hardcore. you money later. Rush out, buy a heap of gear and try to self-learn – that gear will be heaped in a pile of frustration and disappointment. The similarities to golf are amusing – you’ll never develop a good swing trying to belt the cover off the ball every time. Flyfishing is not about double hauling line out. Be quiet and stalk your game in the rising waters. You may have a decent fish swim between your legs. You will need a rod from 2-7wt. If you’re likely to fish in wind, which is often, use a rod with a higher weighted line. The water will be shallow on the flooded banks and shores, so a weight forward floating line is fine. Most of your fishing will be done in close, so the weight forward nature of the line will help

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load the rod with a short amount of line out. Over weighting the rod and using a line weight one or two up from the rod specification will allow you to load the rod up with little line out. There are so many leader options and flies for the area you wish to fish. Your local tackle store’s the best place to chat about these. Early season is often when wet flies come out to play, as most of the flooded out food sources are under the surface. I’ve noticed a real following develop for rabbit fur flies. A fly tied to look like the humble earthworm will slay them, so head out and give that a try. Even the green as grass beginner can manage to flop that out with a fly rod. Rug up and get some gloves. The weather’s still fresh.

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania EAST COAST It’s the start of spring. River systems of the East Coast have had water pour through them and out to sea. Some may see the long rains as a bad thing, but the flush is fantastic for systems like the Scamander River mouth and Georges Bay. These estuaries are the lifeblood of fishing in the area. To have them healthy and revitalised is great. Of course, with all the flow, food is dispersed into the water and channels. This brings Georges Bay alive, where big salmon schools flourish and trevally and garfish prosper. Silver trevally are fun to catch and not too bad on the chew either. They like a bit of structure and water flow. Broken bottom or a rocky out crops leading to deeper water are awesome for silver trevally. They feed hard on anything from small fish to crustaceans or prawns. Soft plastics are a favoured way to take trevally and Berkley has a few they find irresistible. Turtle Back Worms in pumpkinseed and watermelon are standouts. Fish these on jigheads to suit the current. Fish a little heavy – have the baits flutter down

and sit hard on the bottom. Trevally like to hit it on the drop or while it settles on the sea floor. Move your plastic slowly with little drags and hops. With a modern fast action rod and braid, it’s amazing how little rod tip action you need to bring plastic alive. On a jetty with clear water, if you can see the bottom at your feet, have a practice. Flick your plastic into the water and play puppeteer. Remember the action you put on the rod while maintaining a good connection. Copy that when you cast into deeper water. You should have a bite in no time. Bream are still dormant due to the colder water temperatures. The water has yet to start to warm up and the fish are in the deeper pools. Look for them in deep holes in the Scamander and Swan rivers and fish slow on the bottom. Sinking vibes are a good way to find fish and wake them up. Cast long to the back of a deep pool and let your vibe sink to the bottom. Give the rod a few high lifts and then leave it on the bottom. A few small rattles and a long pause should see action if the

Callum Lord with a nice bream in Browns River. SOUTH Looking to fire up in September – sea runners – these powerful silver footballs create their own hype in the Derwent River. Everyone loves to be king of sea runners. Anglers throw bait and lures at them with gusto. All success is posted on Facebook with great 62

SEPTEMBER 2016

pride. The favourite spots are guarded, spoken about in hushed tones. Backgrounds are smudged out in pics. Trout fishing is so easily accessible in Tasmania and we take it for granted. Our wonderful fishery and areas surrounding our capital city should be treated like treasure.

Shaun House with a very nice southern calamari. fish are about. You could also use a mid-weighted grub. Fish it very slow with plenty of little rattles and pauses. When traversing rivers like the upper reaches of the Swan, travel slowly. Learn the drop offs and rock bars. Slow down on a sunny day, and you’ll get a very good idea of where the deep pools are. Good quality polaroid glasses make it easier. Put this detail to memory, or make notes. Having an idea where these are will allow you to pull up a good cast before them. Sneak up on the fish-holding pools and lob a cast before the boat is near. This will raise your chance of catching nice big bream. Remember to work the bottom slowly. The Swan River has sensational bottom that will take plenty of exploring. Exploring can be as enjoyable as the fishing. This time of year, bream are great eating. The cooler water may make their flesh firmer or the winter temperatures could have

put on some condition. Who knew? A piece of crispy skin bream with a drizzle of lemon and some pepper is yum.

The fishing we experience around the CBD is world class. Half an hour out, it gets better and an hour after that is better again. The action started in August and looks to really firm this month. The sea going versions of Salmo trutta will be pouring into the Derwent, and rivers around the Huon for whitebait. Whitebait is the

collective term for several species of native baitfish. These tiny fish head up the brackish waters of our systems to spawn and die. It brings some of the coolest brown trout fishing you’ll experience. A sea-run trout is a brown that’s made a significant life decision to head out to sea. This is where they develop their significant silver look

Bicheno comes alive in spring, so don’t forget this sleepy seaside town. The squid fishing will improve, as clefts and underwater geography are good for squid egg laying. The cephalopods are big in these parts – fishing for them in deep water can surprise anglers. The go-to spot for a feed of squid is the sheltered waters of the local anchorage in Waubs Bay. The east end of the beach breaks away to rocky ground. That area’s a great spot to get squid and can be accessed and fished well by boat or land-based. Don’t despair if you have no boat. The Blowhole is the same, but always be careful when fishing from the rocks. Stout footwear is a must, with a healthy respect for the ocean’s power. If weather is kind, Bicheno’s good for a drift. Look for flathead, they’re in close and move about into deeper water. A couple of drifts and you should come onto them. Don’t be scared to move out 10m depth increments at a time. You’ll find them with well presented soft plastics. Soft plastics need some action in the tail. Last year a couple bass spinnerbaits from Geecrack on my son’s rod really appealed to the flatties. It out fished our other offerings ten to the dozen. My five-year-old son came away beaming and we named him Flathead King

for the weekend. A memory for life was created. Bicheno and coastal areas to the north and south are flathead hotspots. Tiger flathead feature well off the deeper areas around Schouten Island, all the way down to Maria Island. They move in at this time of year to spawn and can be found in closer than normal. I tend to look for them in 50m of water, and continue right out to the edge of the shelf. Tiger flathead have an elongated body with a large flattened head. They’re light brown with a heap of splotchy dots with a white belly. These spots can be light brown to orange on the upper body and sometimes grey. They have nasty spines waiting to nail the unwary and over bold. They’re found on the dorsal fins and tucked away. Take care when handling around the gill flaps, as the two spines on the side of their head will make you bleed. Given the depth these are found in, bait fishing is common for them. Bag limit for these tasty critters is 20. Note this is a combined limit with sand flathead. You’ll have some explaining to do if you come in with 20 of each. Finding a patch of tigers, you very rarely throw any back. The size limit is 32cm, and often they’re closer to 50-60cm.

Jared Flakemore with a beaut trout from the Huon area. and powerful physique. These fish are often in much better condition than brown trout. Rather than eating stick cadis and beetles, the life of a sea runner is spent chasing and eating coastal baitfish. There are many ways to catch these silver torpedos, so practice and find your favourite. Whitebait are often pushed up into shallows.

Flyfishers have some advantage in fishing light and this is wet fly domain. Fish an 8-9ft rod weighted from 6-8 wt line. I have fished for sea runners blind, casting to a likely spot in the hope there may be a sea runner lurking. The fun of flyfishing is when you find a fish or two charging bait up. You will

Go Behind the Scenery SOUTH need a weight forward taper or double taper fly line with a tippet from 4-10lb. Lean towards the heavier tippet, as sea runners are found shallow around some nasty bottom. Bait fishing for sea runners at night is popular around the state, but in the south it’s a specialist art. You can fish bait static, but the more common method is to slowly retrieve a dead minnow back through the darkness. Dark brings out the big fish and is always a great weapon. Trout are timid by nature, but darkness makes them bolder. It draws them out of deeper channels. Fishing a dead minnow on the Bridgewater Drag rig is a deadly way to bring a sea

Watch out for those slippery squid!

runner in. This rig consists of two small trebles. The bigger one, around size 10, is snelled to the line with a little tail. The second ties on with an improved cinch knot. The big treble has one hook leg in the head and the rear hook a single leg in the tail. Now cast your dead minnow out into the darkness and slowly retrieve. Browns River has been turning it on for bream fishers down south. It’s a popular spot for bait fishing and hardbody bream fishing. The go-to lures are suspending minnows. Lures like the Hurricane bent minnow and Cranka Crab are performing well. Steve Steer has developed the Cranka Crab, a Tasmanian business that everyone can support.

Tasmania

The author loves a good session on tiger flathead. Longer days mean more fishing.

INLAND FISHERIES SERVICE

IFS checks on a special group of golden galaxias IFS

Tim Farrell

The golden galaxias (Galaxias auratus) is a small rare native fish, found only in lakes Crescent and Sorell and is a listed threatened species. Even though there are quite a lot of them in lake’s Crescent and Sorell, in 1998 some were moved to a spring fed farm dam, off the Clyde River, just in case something should happen to the ones in the lakes. With the strong support of the McShane family, this group has grown in number and reduced the risk of this species dying out. Recently, we went to the dam and found the population in fantastic shape. Over one night, ten small fine mesh fyke nets were set, and the next morning we looked at what we’d caught. About 1900 fish were caught,

weighed, measured and let back into the dam to re-join their mates, unharmed. All fish, young and adult, were in great condition. IFS would like to thank the McShane family for their ongoing support of this project in giving a home to these just-in-case fish. FISH FOR BLACKMANS LAGOON We’ve stocked 235 wild brown trout into Blackmans Lagoon. Averaging 700g, these are ideal stock out fish. Blackmans Lagoon is in the northeast, not too far from Bridport. It’s known for producing trophy size brown trout. We hope to stock Blackmans Lagoon again with about 1000 yearlings (one year old fish) in spring. This is to support the fish population in this productive coastal lagoon. WHITEBAIT OFFENDER GUILTY On Monday 11 July, Matthew Barry Wall of Sheffield was convicted of

IFS hatchery and stocking manager Brett Mawbey stocking Blackmans Lagoon. whitebait offences. He was fined $2300, plus $81.09 in court costs. This is the second time Mr Wall has been found guilty on whitebait charges. The offences took place on the Mersey River in October 2015 when it was closed to whitebait fishing. Whitebait populations are easily hurt by over fishing. They are protected by strict

rules. Illegal fishing can put the future of whitebait at risk. The harsh penalties given to Mr Wall show that illegally fishing for whitebait is serious. Whitebait runs will start in our rivers in the next two months. Anyone who sees activity that looks wrong is asked to contact Stephen Hepworth, IFS Manager of Compliance on 0438 338 530.

Even if you’re not sure, let us know and we’ll check it out. We need your help to stop people like Mr Wall. ANGLER ACCESS CLOSED ALONG THE MERSEY RIVER Some Angler Access sites along the Mersey River are closed. The floods have caused bad damage and some sites are too dangerous to go near, until repairs are complete. This is mostly in and around Latrobe but keep your eye out for the signs in other areas too. IFS officers Neil and Paul are making sure things are safe. They’re putting up signs to let you know when there’s danger. If you see a sign telling you things aren’t safe, please stay away. We will keep working to repair, remake and then re-open Angler Access along these areas of the Mersey River. RESULTS OF THE 2016 STATE-WIDE RIVER SURVEY At IFS, we undertake

surveys on rivers across Tasmania. We started in 2013 and we’ve done one each year since. We’ve been watching the recovery of river trout since they were shown to be in a poor state during the 2012-13 angling season. A lot changes each year. We’ve put results of the surveys for the last two years on our website. Follow the links below. h t t p : / / w w w. i f s . t a s . g o v. a u / n e w s / a b o u t - u s / publications/resultsof-the-2016-statewideelectrofishing-survey h t t p : / / w w w. i f s . t a s . g o v. a u / n e w s / a b o u t - u s / publications/river-fisheriesperformance-assessment2013-to-2015 These results are technical. There are graphs to assist in understanding them. You can contact us if you have questions. Email infish@ifs.tas.gov.au, or phone 1300 463 474.

HYDRO TASMANIA WATER STORAGE INFORMATION Water Storage Information as at 10th August 2016 Lake/Lagoon

Metres from full

Comment

Lake Augusta ...................................0.34 .................................................................. Arthurs Lake ....................................1.7 .................................................................... Great Lake .......................................14.42 ................................................................ Trevallyn Pond .................................3.47 .................................................................. Shannon Lagoon ............................................................................................Spilling Penstock Lagoon ...........................................................................................Spilling Lake Echo ........................................8.21 .................................................................. Dee Lagoon .....................................0.22 .................................................................. Bradys/Binneys/Tungatinah .............0.02 .................................................................. Bronte Lagoon .................................0.1 .................................................................... Pine Tier Lagoon ..............................0.89 .................................................................. Little Pine Lagoon ............................0.1 .................................................................... Laughing Jack Lagoon ....................0.53 .................................................................. Lake St Clair ....................................1.32 .................................................................. Lake King William ............................0.08 .................................................................. Lake Liapootah ................................0.35 .................................................................. Wayatinah Lagoon ...........................0.43 .................................................................. Lake Catagunya ...............................1.42 ..................................................................

Lake Repulse ...................................0.89 .................................................................. Cluny Lagoon ...................................0.34 .................................................................. Meadowbank Lake ..........................0.53 .................................................................. Lake Pedder ....................................0.24 .................................................................. Lake Gordon ....................................35.15 ................................................................ Lake Burbury .................................................................................................Spilling Lake Plimsoll ...................................3.43 .................................................................. Lake Murchison ...............................5.65 .................................................................. Lake Mackintosh .............................0.5 .................................................................... Lake Rosebery ...............................................................................................Spilling Lake Pieman ....................................1.72 .................................................................. Lake Mackenzie ...............................0.59 .................................................................. Lake Rowallan .................................0.37 .................................................................. Lake Parangana .............................................................................................Spilling Lake Cethana ...................................2.93 .................................................................. Lake Barrington ...............................0.14 .................................................................. Lake Gairdner ..................................6.72 .................................................................. Lake Paloona .................................................................................................Spilling Woods Lake .....................................0.26 .................................................................. Whitespur Pond ...............................7.92 .................................................................. Lake Newton ...................................4.98 .................................................................. Lake Margaret .................................0.44 ..................................................................

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 SEPTEMBER 2016

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Spring is in the air and September sees the beginning of warmer temperatures and some great spearfishing opportunities. Male rock lobster begin their closed season from the 15 September, and females have been off limits since 1 June to protect them during their peak spawning period. The opening of the season is 15 November and the focus of most spearos turns to the plethora of other species on offer across our coastline during this period of closure. Port Phillip Bay is the premier location to hunt southern calamari during September, with a build up in numbers as they breed and lay their eggs. Shallow weed beds are the ideal place to begin searching by looking for the tell-tale clusters of white eggs attached to weed. Once these areas are located, introducing some berley will not only draw the outlying squid into the zone, but will also distract them while the diver approaches for a shot. The bag limit of 10 calamari is extremely generous, but with a fast

Southern calamari eggs attached to weed are a great indication that you are in the right area. growth rate and short lifecycle this limit seems sustainable, although it is always prudent to keep your catch to only what you require for your immediate needs. Other species that are

prevalent during the last of winter and into early spring include silver trevally, Australian salmon, sea sweep, snook and King George whiting, the latter three being top class eating. All these fish frequent

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Mick Maheny with a nice feed of sea sweep and lobster.

shallow inshore waters that border reef structure, particularly around weedy areas adjacent to sand holes. The edges of turbulent water where the ocean stirs up plenty of food predated on by the aforementioned species are also prime areas to berley and hunt in. In the far South West of the state, there is also the opportunity to chase the last of the southern bluefin tuna run. The last few years have seen school tuna push in close, as they seem to do at the start of the season as well. The North Shore at Portland as well as off Port Fairy have both produced some great late season bluewater hunting. As always, the tuna are best located by finding birds that are diving on the baitfish being pushed up by the fish beneath. Moving in quietly, then introducing a steady stream of berley like pilchards is the key to holding the tuna near the boat. Divers are then able to enter the water without spooking the fish too much. Often the tuna will go down but then come back up on the berley, allowing for a shot on the feeding and distracted fish. As always this form of offshore bluewater diving needs to be done with safety foremost. Flying an alpha flag (blue and white) off a float as well as the boat is a necessity to alert other boats and anglers to the fact that divers are in the water. A boat handler keeping close to the divers and watching out for other approaching boats or a diver in distress is also a good backup.

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FIND-A-WORD COMPETITION HARRY POTTER FISHING SPELLS

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STUPEFY CRAB LUMOS EEL AWAY ESKY FILLI WINGARDIUM RAMPIS EMPTI LURE COMEBAX DECK CLEANUS ROD UNSNAP PWC CRASHO

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FINS SCALES & TALES by A. Both

VFM SEPTEMBER 2016

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FIND-A-WORD

Congratulations to M Ludekens of Carrum, who was last month’s winner of the Find-a-Word Competition! Monthly winners receive a Pocket Balls prize pack. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – VFM

BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE BITE ME by Trisha Mason

The subscriber prize winner for July was S Blackney of Bannockburn who won a Mo or Jo Frames from Tonic. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – VTFM

FIND THE ZMAN LOGO

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

SEPTEMBER 2016

The answers to Find the ZMan Logo for July were: 8, 12, 16, 17, 22, 24, 28, 34, 38, 40, 60, 61, 69, 80, 86. - VFM The Find the ZMan logo prize winners for July were: B Meaney of Tungamah, K Hartley of Coburg North, P Finn of Numurkah, B Cunningham of Mildura, N Bryant of North Albury, J Hines of Leopold, G Simonis of Thurgoona, W Henley of Park Orchards, R Bragg of Birchip, A Bourchier of Toolamba, C Appledore of Brim, C Beaumont of Rosebud, M Eder of Randwick, J Sullivan of Georgetown, P Geale of Georgetown, A Campbell of Casterton, G Boucher of Seymour, S Theodore of Irrewillipe, G Donaldson of St Arnaud, S Coronado of Mt Waverley, M Tansey of Eaglehawk, J Wilson of Boronia, K Sutherland of Leopold, J Saunderson of Chelsea, D Robinson of Carisbrook, B Walpole of Warrnambool, T Barlow of Yarram, B Rafferty of Maryborough, A Woolnough of Narre Warren South, T Hodgkinson of Kyabram, R Meaney of Tungamah, S Simpkin of Mansfield, J Randall of Torquay, J Raymond of Rosebud, J Walsh of Clifton Springs, M Mobbs of Kilsyth South, F Healey of Traralgon, A Grant of Geelong West, D Dalton of Berwick, R Mitchell of Heathmont. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – VTFM

Fisheries Victoria

Goulburn Fishing Festival welcomes trout open Trout fishing season for Victorian rivers and streams opens midnight Friday, September 2. To welcome it in, Fisheries Victoria will again host

The Goulburn festival is based at Eildon, promoting the great fishing opportunities on Lake Eildon, the Eildon Pondage and the Goulburn River.

fireworks over the Eildon Pondage at 7pm. The Ballarat Fishing Festival will be held on the shore of the beautiful Lake Wendouree. Local celebrity

The festivals provide fun for the whole family. chef, Peter Ford will give cooking demonstrations throughout the day. The celebrity list also includes flyfishing expert Shane Stevens and, demonstrating their skills at fly tying, will be Mick Hall and Dale Flenley. There is plenty to interest the whole family with activities for Mum, Dad and the kids. The State Government’s Target One Million plan is to get more Victorians fishing, and through that encourage a healthy lifestyle and good economic outcomes for communities in fishing regions. – DEDJTR

Trout season opens this month. EILDON ACTIVITIES • Release of live trout throughout the day • Get fishing tips from experts • Fishing clinics in the Eildon Pondage, with bait and tackle provided • Tours of the Snobs Creek fish hatchery every hour from 10:30, leaving from the Community Centre • Jumping castle, colouring, balloon tying and face painting for the kids • Raffle prizes • Indigenous performance • Cooking demonstrations • Fireworks display on Eildon Pondage BALLARAT ACTIVITIES • • • • • •

Release of live trout from the Snobs Creek hatchery throughout the day Get tips on fishing from experts Tours of the Ballarat Fish Acclimatisation Society’s trout hatchery Jumping castle, colouring and face painting for the kids Raffle prizes Fishing clinics for kids with bait and tackle provided

There will be kids fishing clinics at the festival. the annual Goulburn Fishing Festival. As a part of the Target One Million plan to get more Victorians fishing more often, there will also be a second Fishing Festival held at Ballarat. Both will be on the Saturday September 3. Both festivals bring a range of free activities for the whole family throughout the day. There will be tips from fishing experts for kids and adults, cooking demonstrations, hatchery tours and loads of fun activities with a jumping castle, balloons and face painting.

Buses will transport groups for guided tours of Fisheries Victoria’s Snobs Creek hatchery, where salmonid and native fish are grown for the state wide fish stocking program. There will be plenty to see with displays of a wide range of fishing tackle and local produce. The traditional owners of the Eildon region, the Taungurung people, will perform a Welcome to Country along with a traditional dance ceremony. The festival at Eildon runs from 10am-4pm with some spectacular

Fisheries Victoria are hosting the festivals again this year to welcome in the trout fishing season.

Snobs Creek Hatchery will be open to the public for just one day, so make sure you don’t miss this fantastic opportunity. SEPTEMBER 2016

Brave cold for rewards HORSHAM

Trevor Holmes

Anglers prepared to get out in the wind and rain to brave the cold, uncomfortable conditions, have been rewarded in Wimmera. The past month has seen great trophy trout and redfin in particular. Lakes are still floundering dangerously low on water levels, so fishing has been tough. Cold, wet, windy and overcast is the recipe for a big trout. Toolondo has been terrific on these ugly days.

3.5kg, mainly browns with the odd rainbow. Redfin have shut down and will fire up again in spring. Rainbow trout follow some weeks after the browns on the post-spawn hunt, looking for high protein smelts and minnows to build themselves back up. Trolling has been tough, with floating weed, as has baitfishing in a maximum depth of 1.8m. Without valuable rains, this may be the last season for Toolondo. We fear a complete fish kill over summer. LAKE FYANS While Fyans has experienced brilliant inflows

and smelt population, have done well. Bladed lures such as Celtas and Ondex are good for trout and reddies. Trolled winged lures, such as Tassie Devils, and shallow running hardbodies will also put some runs on the board. Early and late in the day are the best producing times. LAKE WARTOOK Better results have appeared with awesome fish, in a fast rising lake. Mudeye fishers have reported improved catches, as the bigger trout start to be mobile, and go on the hunt for a pre-spring boost in condition.

Storm Rosier with a lovely Toolondo brown trout taken off the surface on an OSP Bent Minnow. but not enough to trigger desperately needed flows to other lakes like Toolondo. The water has cooled to around 10°C and resulted in the redfin becoming scarce. Trout are now moving, and the wall has been the prime location. Browns and rainbows have been landed by bank anglers. Cast plastics, hardbodies and diving lures, towards the wall and the ledges nearby. Some bass are still around, but finding the school fish

has been difficult. Trolling StumpJumpers and Halcos hardbodies that run around 2-3m has snagged trout, bass and larger redfin. WIMMERA RIVER Good rainfall has seen the river move a little and switch off most fish, except the pesky carp, catfish and plenty of small silver perch. Golden perch will be hard to tempt this time of year, but baitfishers have been able to connect around the snags, using small yabbies

or worms. Most offerings are raided by the annoying species, but persistence pays. With a healthy system at our fingertips, there should be exciting and productive times over the warmer months, when the natives fire up. • 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

Jeremy Gadea with a cracker Toolondo redfin around 2kg, also taken on an OSP Bent Minnow in less than a metre of water. Redfin have played well, but with water temperatures now below 10°C, we’ve seen a steady decline in numbers across most lakes. As they go deeper, they’re hard to tempt. Natives have all but shut down until spring. A big jump for temperatures in October will bring them back on the chew. TOOLONDO RESERVOIR Proven to be the best trout spot across the region, many anglers have spent days totally missing out on action. Untidy days are the best starting point for a big trout. Work the shallows with surface lures such as OSP bent minnows. This has produced many fish up to

and rising levels, the fishing has been sporadic. Local anglers who read the lake better than most, have tapped into big redfin, which the lake is renowned for. Working the shallows with plastics and shallow running hardbodies, until recently, has worked well. The big girls have gone deeper and into refuge in the weed beds. Lipless crankbaits rigged with single hooks, worked through and around the weed, has produced a few good fish. Trout are firing up on the inflows and collections of boats are fishing these areas, where bigger fish are grazing on washed-in offerings. Soft plastics, imitating the lakes minnow

SEASON

Great trout have been taken on winged lures, trolled flat-lined and deep divers running around the edges of trees. For those who remember the tree line prior to bushfires, it’s a great starting point. Worm and bait fishers working the depths have also reported occasional redfin, but no big bags of fish it was once famous for. As we come into September and October, locals are excited about Wartook. Tradition shows that these are prime months for big trout. ROCKLANDS RESRVOIR Recently at 19%, Rocklands has had significant rainfall and inflows. This raises the levels slightly,

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Shane Stevens recently landed this well conditioned brown at Wartook on a mudeye fished under a bubble float.

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A shift in angling dynamics ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

Good rainfall has transformed dry arid landscape to one of carpet green. It’s a great start to the cropping season, and one that has more promise to come. As the wet continues, many smaller creeks and rivers have swollen and the good flows have carried into the main body of the Murray River. The Murray will continue to rise over coming weeks and much of the water clarity will be lost to anglers using lures, but it doesn’t take much to change the dynamics of fishing. Anglers need to adjust in order to catch their quarry. Dirty water and good flows have many angling positives. If the flow gets high enough, yabbies will scurry free from their hidden chambers and begin to feed en masse. There’s nothing better than a good yabby session, other than the chance to dine on these delicious crustaceans. High flows also aid the future recruitment of native fish, especially if the waters run into spring, when both Murray cod and golden perch breed. Research shows the best years of native fish recruitment coincide with good flows and high water levels. The good flows will see the Darling River get a long overdue drink. Forced into holes, the numerous

In dirty water conditions, yabbies and grubs are great bait for Murray cod.

Several reports of cod have come in from around the inlet at Euston, since the dirty water arrived.

cod and perch will be free, swimming the course of the river for many years to come. Bait fishing is now the most effective way to tempt a fish. If you’re chasing Murray cod, a large grub or yabby will often draw them from cover. Fish your baits on the top side of the snag, as this allows the current to drag bait juices and aromas down along the structure. Once cod have picked up the scent, they’ll swim out of the snags to grab your bait, into open water. Large scrubworms and cheese are good baits for cod in dirty water. Murray cod are particularly fond of cheese, but it’s a

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If the dirty flows get high enough, perhaps the yabbies will run.

Large scrub worms fished on the edge of eddies and backwaters will tempt a bite. Perch tend to take bait slowly and mouth it for a minute or two before they eat it. Catfish seem to feed in dirty flows, and while they fight well on rod and reel, they are a protected species that must be returned to the river. In the pool water at Robinvale, fishing has been slow with only a few cod landed on bait. The perch have been cooperative and biting well, when the barometric pressure has been on the rise. Below the inlet at Euston, downstream to Wemen and beyond, it’s a similar story with all the fish taken on bait. High dirty flows provide new angling opportunities and favourable conditions for future native fish recruitment.

matter of getting it to stay pinned on a hook. Perch will often bite well when the flow is up and dirty. Some of our best captures have been taken under similar conditions.

Dean Norbiato landed this fantastic cod in the Darling River on a Bassman spinnerbait. Good rains should see long overdue flows in the Darling River over the coming months. 70

SEPTEMBER 2016

Give the reddies a go while the cod breed MILDURA

Darcy Scherger

With the close of cod season, now is the time to get your arms stretched by golden perch around the region. Cod season will open up again on December 1. Hopefully those months provide time for Murray cod to breed and the water to clear up around Mildura region. Recently, Mildura has been hard to lure fish, with the clarity so poor. The flow is quite high though. This time off should do the river good. Cod anglers are hoping to have steady river pools, or at least clear pools to fish. On the other hand, golden perch have been active around the Mildura region. Merbein to Coomella, and further downstream of Mildura, good size perch have been caught on bait. Many local fishing reports mentioned live yabbies or live shrimp are the go-to bait, during this time of the year with dirty water hanging around. A shrimp and worm cocktail has also been effective angling in the shallows, where the

golden perch have pushed up to chase food in the cooler months. If luring was your thing, and chasing yellas tickles your fancy, use small vibes and blades in silver or white. These have produced solid yellowbelly up to 50cm in the river. Golden perch and Murray cod are chasing small bait, which can be closely represented by a Bone Jackall TN60 or TN70 lure, as well as white Daiwa Woofers 65mm, Sebile Flat shads. Other cranking vibes will also work. Local anglers are trying different styles of fishing in areas such as billabongs, dams and impoundments, chasing redfin on soft plastics. Redfin are a beautiful table fish and great fun to catch with small soft plastics on a light spin rod. Soft plastics like 80mm Squidgy Wrigglers, Strike Tiger 3” Curl Tail Grub and or even a Squidgy Worm or Critters, will do the job in clear water. Soft plastics will work the best in clear water, but if it’s stirred up, small TN50 Jackalls, small blades and or even Small Celta spinners will turn

some redfins’ heads and entice a hit. Many anglers itch to get back on the cod, but now it’s time for them to do their thing without any disturbance. We need to respect them if we ever encounter them unexpectedly. Release them, without taking them out of the water and minimise harm. Less pressure put on the fish at this time of the year is better for our fishery and its future. Anglers need to respect the breeding season as much as possible, to make it better for us in years to come. Research has show that if roed-up female cod are handled excessively, they can reobsorb their eggs, meaning they won’t breed that season, and many small codlets are lost. A tip is to down size your lures you are throwing. Most yellowbelly don’t want over-sized spinnerbaits and hardbodies anyway. Remember, it is an offense to actively pursue Murray cod in their closed season. Do the right thing, and you won’t find yourself in trouble.

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Hard to predict fishing after weather woes SHEPPARTON

Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com

It has been very weird year weather wise, with little to no summer rains and huge winter downpours. Because of this, it’s been very hard to get a consistent read on the fishing. Most of July and August had the local rivers and creeks at flood levels, which made it impossible to fish. If we get a decent spring rain, I would expect these rivers to burst their banks yet again. The only positive with the spring rains is that it fires up the yellowbelly for a couple of days on the rise. Once the river has come up more than 1-2ft, it becomes a lot harder to land the fish. If we get any more good rains, a day or two after is the best bet to chase the yellowbelly in both the Goulburn or Broken rivers. If fishing the Goulburn this month, I would target either narrow areas or the rock walls near the Shepparton Cemetery. These areas have been known to produce good numbers of fish in the spring months, especially after rain or a river rise.

The Broken is probably the best river to target in spring, as it’s yellowbelly heaven out there if conditions are right. There are two weirs, Caseys or Gowangardie, and there’s plenty of yellowbelly on the downstream sides of both weirs. There has been lots of people heading closer towards Benalla to chase Broken River yellowbelly. Downstream of the lake will provided some very nice deep bends, as well as some shallower, faster flowing sections. The lures that have worked in the past are small spinnerbaits with willow blades retrieved faster than normal to generate attention in the flowing water. Any lipless crankbait around the 60-70mm size is also a great option. If you want to use hardbodies, anything that dives to around 10ft is perfect. For the bait anglers, your time starts now, with the shrimp and yabbies slowly tapering off. I would suggest using any fresh bait you can get your hands on. If the water is flowing this month, stick to fishing the backwaters, as there will be plenty of hungry fish in these areas. There was no real late

rush of cod fishing in our area before the closed season, and this is probably due to the high river levels and dirty waters. It was a shame, as the months leading into August produced fish over a metre regularly. The river heights also affected crayfishing, and there was only a handful of reports coming in, mostly just by-catch from anglers targeting fish. SHEPPARTON LAKE The lake has had plenty of water in it of late, and this has resulted in a hot bite for the trout. I am not sure if it’s all the bugs getting washed into the lake or something else, but the trout are very active after a rain event. These area all stocked fish and there is plenty still in there. If you know how to fly fish, I would be getting the long wand out and having a crack with a dry flies. Those wanting to use bait, fresh is best, and make sure you use a float, as the weed is too thick to bottom bounce. KIALLA LAKES The three lakes will soon turn into a four lakes, with a new section opening up north of the current residential area. I am not

sure if this new small waterway will be stocked with fish, but we can only hope it will be, as the lake system is a great place for families to fish. The main lake is again producing yellowbelly around the 30-35cm mark, which is nothing to challenge the record book,s but on light gear they put up a fight. Small small lipless crankbaits are the go to lure at the lake, closely followed by any sponnerbait. The trick is to slow roll the lures back to the bank with a slight raised tip, as it is still slimy and weedy down there. I have been hit by fish just 6-8ft from the bank as I raise my rod tip, so make sure you’re switched on the entire retrieve. CRAIGMUIR LAKE The spring is a great time to fish Craigmuir Lake, with both the redfin and yellowbelly usually coming on the bite for the next 3-4 months. There is starting to be a bit more weed at the lake, which makes land-based fishing harder, but those in kayaks or canoes will have no worries fishing the lake. Just like everywhere in spring, if we get a rain event, make sure you’re

A monstrous early season crayfish caught by Campbell O’Brien. fishing before or after it, as this usually send the fish into a frenzy. LOCAL CHANNELS The channel system is very dirty due to all the rain and run-off, and this

has made fishing tough lately. With the warmer temperatures, the yabbies will now starting to appear, and I would expect the fishing to heat up with or without good water clarity.

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Time to talk about trout WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

September is on us and the trout season is about to re-open, but before we talk trout, what’s been happening in the depths of winter? The Ovens and King rivers have been write-offs for the entire winter. Huge

his wooden boat. It’s been insanely wet. For 40 days and nights I fell asleep to the sound of rain on the roof, and then woke to the sound of rain on the roof! The Ovens River in Wangaratta has just passed moderate flood level, and is still rising. The creeks rage with dirty water, the region’s waterfalls are spectacular and the fish will be feeding like no

themselves to a high survival rate of newly hatched trout fry as well. Big things will come this trout season, but fishing should be pretty tough due to high water. Ovens River should fish well upstream of Porepunkah, but trout numbers will drop away the further downstream you get. Anywhere along the Buckland River should see steady trout fishing this

Waterfalls, such as Pine Gully Falls in the Warby-Ovens National Park, have barely flowed for five years. This winter, they have been quite a spectacle – an indication of the rainfall we received in this area.

Hugh Blythe worked a soft plastic in Stanley Dam on a bitterly cold afternoon. rainfall and snowfall in the Victorian Alps lead to widespread flooding. Lake William Hovell has ticked over slowly with a few trout caught, but nothing amazing. Lake Mulwala has seen a few Murray cod caught, a lot of crayfish, and further afield, Lake Dartmouth has been slow. The family friendly waterways have been the real standout this winter as many kids and families alike enjoyed catching rainbow trout in these annually stocked fisheries. What can we expect in September? If the last month is anything to go by, we can expect submarines to replace cars and oldmate to recruit two of every species for

tomorrow, particularly trout. In September, trout fishing in the streams will be good, but tough. I’m predicting the best trout season here in northeast Victoria since 2011, but the water will be high and wading will be almost impossible in all but the tiniest of trickles. Trout are a fast growing fish. With these flooding rains, there will be an abundance of worms in the system for them to feed on. As the rainfall arrived early this winter, there should have been an abundance of microorganisms in the streams for newly hatched trout in this year’s spawning run to feed on. These great conditions will lend

September. The brown trout should be in better condition than the rainbow trout, which will have just finished their spawning run. Downstream of Lake Buffalo isn’t worth fishing for trout, as it’s become more of a Murray cod fishery. Upstream of Lake Buffalo will be slow close to the lake, but should see very good trout fishing further up the valley, around Abbeyard. Catherine River is worth

river that seem to have very few fish, so perseverance should be rewarded. King River should be okay upstream of Lake William Hovell, but slow downstream. Downstream of Lake William Hovell isn’t recognised as a trout water anymore. The removal of willow trees has led to more sun exposure, which has resulted in warmer water temperatures. Murray cod have pushed well upstream into the once bustling trout fishery around Cheshunt. There are still trout there, but not enough to target. Upstream is a totally different story. There are fantastic numbers of

trout in the King River upstream of Lake William Hovell, particularly around Pineapple Flat and further up. 15 Mile Creek should fish well in the Toombullup State Forest upstream of the farms, but downstream in the lower reaches will be slow, as that section of creek dried up in a lot of places during summer and autumn. Cod season is closed and the rivers will be too high to fish anyway. September is going to be all about the stream trout this year and as we head into October we may see a few redfin sneak into a few lakes. We ‘ll save that chatter for next month.

Hugh Blythe caught a nice rainbow trout on a Strike Tiger Nymph soft plastic in Stanley Dam. He’s a fantastic fisherman and caught a heap of trout that afternoon, most were returned to the water for other kids to catch.

Lake Dartmouth has been fishing consistently all winter. It hasn’t been exceptional, but anglers have been picking up a couple of trout for their efforts. The author caught this one in the middle of July on a day that was far from warm.

a fish anywhere along its entire length. The more remote areas upstream should fish well for those keen enough to hike in. Dandongadale River should fish steadily up high in the Alpine National Park. Down closer to its junction with the Rose River it could go either way. It’s a hard section of river to predict, as some years the fishing in the lower reaches is red hot and in other years terrible. After all the rain, it will definitely be worth a shot. Due to low flows, warm water and sections of dry river last year, trout fishing in the Rose River will be patchy. Some sections will be light on numbers and other sections will have fantastic catches. The biggest trout will be found in sections of

Holly Alexander with a rainbow trout caught on a Strike Tiger Nymph in Stanley Dam during the winter school holidays. SEPTEMBER 2016

Jindabyne strategies based on high water levels JINDABYNE

Steve Williamson swtrout@airlan.com.au

Welcome to spring – big news this fishing season, Lake Jindabyne’s water level is extremely high already, and there is still more snow to melt. Recently, the rain and snow melt has put water in the lake and a great thing for anglers is that with water up into last year’s grass, the trout are in close. Anglers are having the time of their lives. Anglers coming down for the Snowy Mountains Trout Festival, to fish at Lake Jindabyne this year, will be happy to know there are no planned environmental releases into the lower Snowy River during the latter half of October. In the past, it hasn’t helped the fishing. The Snowy River environmental water release for 5 October will be the only planned big release until December. If you want to know more, check out the Snowy Hydro website. WHAT TO EXPECT THIS MONTH There is no doubt, shore based baitfishing has been the best it’s ever been in recent months. Cool water and plenty of cover have the trout cruising the shallows all day long, and even on the stillest and sunniest days, anglers are catching wonderful trout with a sprinkling of good size Atlantic salmon as well. With the high water

level, good spots are wide and varied. Structure or rocky points are better places for bottom fishing, while the float anglers can suspend bait over the weedy and grassy areas. Hold on when you get a strike, as there’s a lot of trout being lost to snags. Areas for float fishing are Wollondibby Inlet, Hatchery Bay, Taylors Bay and the Haven. The lake flyfishing has been great. Trout can be seen fossicking around the grass in the water, and are now more responsive to flies cast delicately in front of them. You can grab a polaroid of these fish in the shallows. Stay high on the bank and try to spot the trout first. After watching their movement for a while, you will get an idea of what ‘beat’ the fish are doing and the best position to cast

name a few. Lure spinning is working well at the moment, but stay aware of snags, with all the long weeds and grass in the water. Remember, trout are often seen cruising close around the edges in amongst these snaggy spots, so shallow lures or floating minnows that dive a metre deep when retrieved are better choices. It’s worthwhile spinning close around rocky outcrops. In deeper water, try Tasmanian Devils in number 48 Brown Bomber, and Willy’s Special number 111 is a springsummertime special. Boat trollers will find the trout close to the banks while the water is still rising. Keep in close to edges. Those with an electric motor to troll may have advantage, as stealth is a major key to success. Use minnow lures with a

Lake Jindabyne is a sight to see in the early spring mornings.

BEST METHODS FOR SEPTEMBER Trolling Bait fishing Fly Fishing Spinning

Troll surface lures close to the shoreline early in the morning. Float scrub worms and PowerBait about 2ft off the bottom. Polaroid fish to work out their cruising direction, drop a small olive nymph well in front to not spook the fish. Use small spinners and floating minnows that dive to 1m and work the shallows.

a fly. While some anglers prefer larger flies like Woolley Buggers and the like, I like smaller nymph patterns, and maybe a Jindy Bugger or a Tom Jones. When the trout are on the bite, it doesn’t matter all that much. A hungry trout won’t be selective, this time of the season. Choose bays like Creel Bay, Hayshed Bay and Wollondibby Inlet, to

good action and troll at low speeds below 3kph. Soft plastics, even the Gulp 1” Crickets, trolled behind attractors like Ford Fenders or Cowbells are well worth a try. I prefer to fish the township end of the lake in September, as water coming out of the rivers is very cold and the fish can be less active. Other areas that have been fishing well

are Sids Bay and Rainbow Beach. The sheltered bays are holding sweet brown trout amongst the weed. Hatchery Bay and Hayshed bay have a lot of rainbows in the shallows, early and late in the day especially.

Use darker coloured lures as the sun rises, then yellow wing Tasmanian Devil lures have been better. Again, 48 Brown Bomber and Willy’s Special number 111 are great. Best areas for bait fishing at the moment are the boat ramp, Wollondibby Inlet in deeper water, Curiosity Rocks Bay, the Haven and Rushes Bay over at East Jindabyne. • If you would like some personal guiding, I will be available over

the coming months for fly-fishing tuition and lake trolling trips. Lessons can be booked from 2 hours’ duration, and trolling trips from 3 hours to a full day. If you want to know more about the latest in fishing conditions, just give me a call on (0264) 561 551 or check out my website at www. swtroutfishing.com.au. You can also see our daily Facebook updates at https://www.facebook. com/LJTFA.

DAM LEVELS brought to you by w w w. b a r g a i n b o a t b i t s. c o m . a u

Dam............................... % Full

Jun Jul Aug Cairn Curran 11 12 31 Dartmouth 43 46 54 Eildon 30 35 50 Eppalock 21 22 35 Fyans 48 53 61 Greens 46 48 49 Hepburn 13 25 73 Hume 25 42 74 Lauriston 66 66 79 Malmsbury 14 15 36

Mulwala (Yarrawonga) 93 93 91 Newlyn 12 17 82 Nillahcootie 20 32 88 Rocklands 11 12 16 Taylors 31 32 45 Tullaroop 13 13 20 Upper Coliban 37 38 82 Waranga 19 39 82 Wartook 42 55 79 William Hovell 98 101 102

(All levels correct at time of going to press. Dam levels can change at any time, so please check with local authorities to ensure safe boating and fishing.) 74

SEPTEMBER 2016

Trout are out and about this season!

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SEPTEMBER 2016

Fishing with friends EILDON

Andy McCarthy

It’s fabulous to see the lake rise up and over the 50% mark. Three months ago it seemed unlikely, with the weather gurus

saying there’d be a wet winter and then changing their minds to dry. They seem to get the weather wrong a lot. As well as being extremely wet, it’s been a windy winter. This makes for uncomfortable fishing trips, but it hasn’t

slowed down many anglers. Solid numbers wake up to have a crack on a regular basis, which is great. Anglers who put in the hard yards seem to have more luck. James Dainton, from Ballista lures, was recently up giving his new coloured

Ally Macklan is hardcore, with a chunky 60cm cod.

Chris Farrugia is happy with his pretty Eildon cod.

Dyno 90 a run. He had great success – top work! Ally Macklan showed James how it’s done with a great result on a very tough day. I was out there with good mates Milt and, old string bean, Ringers. Without turning a reel, these guys can fish. It’s not all about catching fish, when you’re on a boat with two other loose ‘units’. The

banter and verbal spill is something special in itself. A great day was had by all. On a recent trip, Chris Farrugia and company had a typical Eildon day – a bit tough. One fish can make up for it quick smart, and it did, with a beauty of an Eildon cod. There have been plenty of anglers camping up around Big River, who

have had a lot of success flatline trolling Tassie Devils, Rapalas and Cranka minnows in the fire trout pattern. Surprisingly, there seems to be a yellowbelly caught every three weeks or so. It’s very odd this time of year, but who’s complaining. I would love to see more getting active in the colder months, but I won’t hold my breath.

Water under the bridge BONNIE DOON

Andy McCarthy

It’s amazing to see the water roaring up under the bridge again. All things still point to a great water level, so keep your fingers crossed that we get as much as we can. We want the top end of the lake to stay boat friendly, right through summer. On a recent trip, Paul Thomas showed once again, he has Eildon’s fickle nature covered. He picked up a few

fish, including a solid 81cm model, on a Stumpy that looks like it’s nailed dozens of fish. Knowing what a consistent performer he is, I wouldn’t be surprised. Nice work, mate. Many anglers have been trolling the edges with mixed results. The condition of some trout is very slabby, which suggests they may have already spawned. Now that we’re filling up at a great rate, there will be plenty more feed around to fatten up for spring. With the amount of water coming into the lake, from all the tributaries, the mouths of

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the river are filthy dirty. On a recent trip to the top of the Goulburn Arm, it was obvious they had loads of water coming down, with stacks of floating logs and debris. If you’re heading into the river mouths, be careful. Submerged logs are around and very hard to see. Concentrate on the areas where the dirty water meets the clean stuff. You’ll find fish. Tight lines and stay warm out there.

Paul Thomas picked up this 57cm brown.

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SEPTEMBER 2016

Blue Rock winter bass CTL GIPPSLAND

Will Thompson allwaysangling@bigpond.com

Just a week to go until trout opening in our rivers and streams, but

in the meantime, anglers have been trying their luck around the local lakes. Blue Rock Lake has been the main target for recreational anglers. You normally don’t equate bass with winter, but

our lakes in Gippsland have been inundated with bass stockings. There’s plenty to be caught, and even though it’s cold, the bass still need to feed. The strongest method has been old-fashioned worm fishing. Bass seem to

Young Jacob caught a nice 27cm bass in 11m of water using garden worms on a running sinker, in amongst the timber at Blue Rock.

Tim Sartori with a beautiful 50cm brown trout caught at Blue Rock Lake.

be in fairly close to edges still. Anglers fishing from the bank, or using their boats to get amongst snaggy and rocky outcrops, have been catching bass up to 35cm, using garden worms fished on a running sinker rig. The bass pros tell me that lures aren’t working, however,

random bass have been caught by anglers trolling for trout, especially at the Willow Grove end of the lake. Bass usually become more aggressive towards the end of September and into October, so it’ll be worth hitting the snags in the mornings and evenings.

• 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!

Dammed with great potential BENDIGO

Roger Miles codhuntertours@bigpond.com

As a keen fisher and fishing guide, I’m always optimistic. Weather conditions look positive, if the current trends continue there’s a good chance of great fishing in the Bendigo region. The amount of rainfall we receive over the next couple of months is critical to how productive the upcoming season will be. Right now, catchments are saturated. Any significant rainfall is producing good runoff. Our local impoundments are slowly rising. They’re still at low levels and a lot more rain is needed to reach high levels again. LAKE EPPALOCK I am happy to report, water levels are finally starting to increase in Lake Eppalock. Water levels are

at 25% of capacity. We need the three reservoirs above Lake Eppalock to fill, for the lake to reach high levels. The combined capacity of the Upper Coliban, Lauriston and Malmsbury reservoirs is 55%. Water levels in these reservoirs increased at an encouraging rate, over the last month. When these impoundments are getting to high levels, then increased flows are released. In turn, Lake Eppalock levels increase rapidly. The key ingredient is rainfall, for at least the next couple of months. Fishing in the lake has been slow, with small numbers of redfin caught. Most were caught by anglers jigging ice jigs and soft plastics. The occasional redfin has also been caught by anglers trolling deep diving hardbody lures. A few golden perch have been taken, fishing around the edges of standing timber. Cast lipless crankbaits,

or troll deep diving hardbody lures – these techniques have been good for golden perch. With continued rainfall, we should see very productive fishing here, by the start of October. CAMPASPE RIVER Water clarity is nice along many sections of the Campaspe River. Although we received good rainfall, it’s been in small to medium amounts, not heavy downpours. The runoff into the river systems has been relatively clean. Typically, our heaviest rainfall is over the spring months, when the water clarity can change quickly. Weed beds and cumbungi-lined banks are excellent areas to target redfin. Some redfin are coming up in the Campaspe River, and good lure options are soft plastics, small hardbodies, bladed spinners and lipless crankbaits. Golden perch are also around. The two most

productive lures have been hardbody and lipless crankbait lures. The secret to success is to fish these lures very slowly. The water temperatures are very cold and a slow retrieve is critical to provoke a strike. CAIRN CURRAN Water levels are on the rise in Cairn Curran, currently at 17% capacity. If the water levels keep up, in a couple of weeks, the water will cover reasonable amounts of vegetation. Water clarity is poor at the top end of the lake, due to inflows, but still good in the lower sections of the reservoir. With the water rise, we might see our resident trout population move into shallow water along the edges. Baitfishing the edges with mudeyes, worms and maggots are good for trout. At this stage, only a few reports of trout are coming in from this location, caught on trolling small hardbody lures, and winged styled lures. Redfin and golden perch

Water temperatures will rise shortly. Anglers will soon be catching quality golden perch in the Loddon River. are slow, hiding in deep water. Ice jigs and soft plastics are the most productive methods. We should see more golden perch in the next months, as temperatures increase and they actively start to feed again. LODDON RIVER Water clarity is good in most of the Loddon River. The catchments are saturated, so water clarity can change quickly with heavy rainfall. Again, redfin and golden perch are in small numbers. Fish weed beds for

redfin and use suspending hardbody lures, and lipless crankbaits. Fish these lures with slow retrieval speeds. • 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

Scratching the trout itch for springtime bags MELBOURNE METRO

Dylan Brennan

As many seasoned trout anglers will already know, the Victorian salmonid season opens up at midnight September 2, and it looks like we’re in for another great season. 78

SEPTEMBER 2016

Plenty of rain has fallen mid winter and we’ll most likely get a good amount in spring. This should keep freshwater species happy as we lead into our undoubtedly hot summer. On the topic of rain, while it keeps the freshwater and saltwater environments alive, it can make rivers

and lakes a bit trickier to fish. High water levels can limit land-based access and decreased water visibility puts many people off, but these two factors can often lead to successful fishing. Flooded banks are grounds for all fish to forage newly accessible food items, so don’t discount these areas!

Slightly dirtier than normal water conditions also give the fish some cover, so they’re less likely to be spooked by your presence. Remember, stomping around the bank like an elephant won’t help your cause, regardless. While the Yarra is moving along fairly hard

at the moment, there have been some nice trout caught from the slower reaches, just above and below Warburton. Some of the deep corner pools in this area have accumulated a lot of debris like timber over the last few months. They’re good areas to pluck a brown trout or two if your casting accuracy

is on point. Throwing a small flashy hardbody in this timber will normally result in an aggressive strike, from the resident trout. If you’d prefer to send a small bunch of scrub worms into the snags, the odd river blackfish can be caught as well, To page 79

Finding ‘chooks on the troll CRATER LAKES

Rod Shepherd

The cold, wet and windy weather has truly embraced us all here in the southwest. All warmth has well and truly dissipated, but will begin to return by September. Rainfall is slowly topping up our lakes and putting a flow back in our rivers. The rivers have been open to the sea, which is great news. In saying that, it’s hard to be motivated to get out there and wet a line. Now is the time for hardcore anglers. Some friends of mine travelled down to fish Lake Purrumbete in July, but unfortunately there wasn’t much in the way of trout for them. They could spot plenty of large browns smashing schools of minnow around

the weed beds, but getting them to take a minnow lure was nigh impossible. Many recent reports confirm this. One report stated that you have to drop a lure right in front of a prowling trout just to get it to strike out of aggression. On their trip to the lake, the boys also cast paddle-tail soft plastics, jigged across the bottom in depths of 6-10m. They caught plenty of small redfin, almost a fish per cast at times. It’s a pity that most fish were coming up small. A similar situation is happening in Lake Bullen Merri. Trout and Chinook salmon can be seen smashing bait schools around the lake’s edge, but are hard to tempt with bait or lure. Rainbows and Chinooks are being caught mostly, and the rainbows look like footballs due to the huge amount of food, currently on

offer in the lake. The low water temperatures in both lakes currently are ideal for the trout and salmon, as they are definitely showing signs of activity. With an influx of baitfish on offer, anglers may struggle to hook and land a fish. Slowly but surely, Lake Elingamite near Cobden is filling. I have been in contact with Fisheries Victoria, and they assure me that they’ve allocated trout to be released here, as long as the lake keeps filling. Fingers are crossed for that one. To say that this is my favourite body of local sweet water would be an understatement. The trout grow quickly here and the quality of redfin that come out is simply amazing. Sea-run brown trout are active in the Gellibrand River at Princetown. Fish are averaging around 300g,

This is one of many Chinook salmon taken on the troll on a Damiki Saemi lure, with orange the flavour of the month. but there are larger fish approaching 800g about. They can be caught throughout the lower reaches of the river and found almost right down to the mouth. The bank side reed

beds, especially below the campground road bridge, are popular areas to work. Many anglers already do this is in search of bream and estuary perch, but there’s every

chance one could connect up with a feisty trout. A variety of hardbodied minnow lures, soft plastics and metal vibe lures, are all attracting some interest.

Season opens and the streams are flowing WST/STH GIPPSLAND

Steve Haughton steve@habitatcreations.com.au

Trout season opens at midnight, Friday September 2. We’ll see the streams of West and South Gippsland bustling again with anglers chasing feisty stream trout. Blue Rock Lake is filling up – it dropped a fair way over summer. The long awaited winter rains and snowfall on Baw Baw have ensured streams will be flowing nicely, the lake is topped up for spring, and hopefully beyond. Streams are abuzz with aquatic life, thanks to the winter top up of the catchments. Good rain also brings on good insect hatchings, so the spring season should be fruitful for fly anglers. This time of the year when flows are still strong, bead head nymphs work really well. If you notice a bit of surface action – either fish From page 78

especially in late afternoon. Just remember that river blackfish found south of the Great Diving Range, in the Yarra River, are subject to a closed season, which runs from September 1 to December 31. If the bigger water of the Yarra is a bit daunting and you’d prefer some small-water combat, then there are options in the immediate area. The Little Yarra River branches off its bigger and more popular brother, accessible from its confluence in Yarra

Last season there were small rainbow trout swimming about the streams. Let’s hope they’re a bit bigger this season. feeding or insects skimming the surface – use a dry fly as a strike indicator to increase your chances. The Toorongo River is a must-fish destination. It’s an ideal flyfishing river with plenty of open river meandering through farmland. There’s a heap of good pools and slow runs to cast a fly in. This river Junction to its headwaters above Powelltown. The fish in this small water are generally of ‘yearling’ size, but there are always a few larger fish, or ‘spawners’, that pop up from time to time. The Little Yarra is a good stream to hone your bow and arrow style casting, popping small lures or unweighted baits into shady pockets, or under-vegetated banks. The added bonus of this small water is that most fish tend to be opportunistic, so persistent casting accuracy will definitely see you rewarded.

always holds brown and rainbow trout. They’re not big on average, but there are nice pan-sized fish about. Even the small fish put up a good fight for any fly angler using light gear. There are plenty of other small streams to explore in the region including Loch Creek. Tarago River, back towards Melbourne, is

downstream of the reservoir. Lure anglers will have a lot of fun chasing stream trout too. The most popular lures for targeting stream trout in the Latrobe, Tanjil, Tarago, Bunyip and Lang Lang rivers are small spinner-blade lures, small floating minnow hardbodies and small wriggler-tail soft plastics on a light jighead.

Small lures between 25-50mm work best – they’re not cumbersome in the water and will attract small and larger fish. To wade or not to wade, is the question. Wearing waders isn’t necessary to fish most streams in the West and South Gippsland regions, but it can be an advantage for particular fishing methods. If flyfishing, waders are an essential part of your kit. It gets you closer to water level, allows you to sneak upstream and cast at potential trout feeding zones. Most of the rivers can be waded, but will require you to get out and bypass deeper pools or obstacles in the way. If lure fishing, waders are not that essential, as the streams have varied access points. Many stretches allow for casting from the bank. Depending on how far you’re willing to venture, waders may end up bogging you down, and limit where you can go. In summer though, wading in a pair

of shorts and old shoes can be a fantastic way to cool off. September is good month for trolling at Blue Rock. The water is still cool and trout are actively feeding off the surface. Wind currents create bait trails for hungry fish to feed off. Flat-line troll winged lures, big spinnerblades and minnow style lures along the wind trails. Fly anglers can also have a bit of fun if they have access to a boat or sturdy kayak, or canoe. Apply a stealthy approach to the wind trails and cast a dry or wet fly on the margins for a hook-up. Don’t be surprised if you end up with a carp or two. You’ll often see their orange lips slurping bugs trapped in the surface tension of the water. The river luderick season also comes to a close on September 1, until December 31. If you have any reports, questions or photos from the opening of the stream trout season, don’t hesitate to email me.

Small pocket-water browns are back on the list for anglers in September. SEPTEMBER 2016

Just like the winters of old BALLARAT

Shane Stevens

Our cold weather continues not only around the Ballarat district, but all over the state, which is music to our ears. The sound of rain falling on roofs, being

and fisheries. We still need the rain to continue to really fill up our waters, as many are well down due to below average rainfalls for the last few years, so hopefully the end of winter continues in the same pattern and our spring is a really wet one as well. Years ago, the spring rains

fisheries, even some waters that I thought were too low for them to release fish into. With all the water flowing around through the creeks, gutters and rivers, we’ll hopefully see these waters full once again. Fisheries stock these fish from revenue raised through our fishing licences,

Ryan Carrol, Will Lawrence and Nathan Ward with a magnificent haul of 40cm+ redfin from Lake Daylesford. Photo courtesy of Linda Ward. able to drive around and having water lying everywhere in paddocks, the backyard and home is totally saturated and most important of all, the creeks and rivers are running into our much needed water storages

was the icing on the cake to totally fill up the water storages and fisheries. Victorian Fisheries have certainly been on the job over the last month, and will continue in the coming months, releasing over 750,000 into all our

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so when you whinge and moan about paying the fee, have a think about where all the fish stockings come from. Many of our target species cannot breed in the environment that they are in, and this is why it’s important to keep them stocked. Fishing in the district has certainly slowed down with the freezing cold, windy and wet weather. Angler numbers have also dropped. I distinctly remember last winter the amount of trophy trout that were caught during the winter months, even though the conditions last year were a lot milder, and the amount of guys who were out there reaping the rewards was unbelievable.

This year is a lot different. I have made a conscious effort to do the hard yards to try and land myself a true trophy to no avail as yet, but it’s not over until it’s over. What I have noticed is there is not many anglers out there this year. Those who have been out in the elements have certainly been catching some very nice trout and redfin in the district. TULLAROOP Tullaroop Reservoir has certainly turned up the heat for fishing action over the past month. I banged on about Tullaroop, and anglers are finally catching some very nice brown and rainbow trout. Patience seems to be the order of the day, with anglers being prepared to cast out a salted white/blue bait on a running sinker rig and just wait for a trout to swim past and pick up the scent of the salted bait scooping the pool. On recent trips, Kim Watts has bagged some lovely browns up to 5.5lb and Brian Rivett has managed some decent browns to 3.5lb, all in

The author and his Lake Wendouree rainbow trout caught casting a Nories hardbodied lure in the main rowing channel.

Moorabool Reservoir has been dishing up some quality like this 6lb brown trout caught by Tom Kulczynski casting a Pegron Tiger Minnow. Photo courtesy of Tom Kulczynski.

$119 RRP 1.2m O/W LED Strip

A cracking 8lb brown trout prior to release caught fly fishing by Geoff Cramer. Photo courtesy of Geoff Cramer.

SEPTEMBER 2016

magnificent conditions. Geoff Cramer and I fished Tullaroop recently with Geoff fly fishing the shallower bays and me casting lures in the deeper water like last year, trying to tempt a trophy trout. Geoff landed a personal best brown trout of approximately 8lb on an olive Woolley Bugger, which he released to fight another day. Over the coming months, Tullaroop will continue to fish very well, but it’s not easy by any means. Time and effort will prevail to those anglers willing to put in the yards, and overcast windy weather seems to produce the best results. MOORABOOL I have mentioned Moorabool Reservoir over the last couple of months, and it has has slowly started to see angler numbers increase, trying to snag one of the quality brown trout or redfin that call this place home. Moorabool’s water level is well down on previous years, but the good news is it is slowly starting to rise. Hopefully with the wet weather, we should see water levels rising over new ground, which see the trout move out of the deeper water and into the shallows foraging for food like grubs and worms. Tom Kulczynski, a gun

Brian Rivett caught this Tullaroop Reservoir brown trout on salted whitebait. angler from around the fishing circles, puts in the hard yards, both miles and hours, and is duly rewarded for his efforts. Tom likes to fish Moorabool during the winter months and has been rewarded for his efforts over the past month, catching some magnificent brown trout on both lures and bait. Tom, as I mentioned, covers plenty of miles, walking the shorelines

casting various types of lures from hardbodies to spoons and soft plastics. Tom tries all different patterns and styles until he finds the winning formula, and over recent months the Pegron Tiger minnow has been his favourite. Tom also like to fish bait over the winter months at Moorabool, with a big bunch of scrub worms fished on a running sinker rig a favourite. With the

worms, the bigger the better is Tom’s motto out at Moorabool, and it also helps to be patient, as you might only get one or two bites for the day. On Tom’s most recent trip, he bagged two magnificent brown trout around the 6lb mark. The weather conditions play a big part, and Tom mentioned to me that windy and overcast cold days produce the goods, just

make sure to rug up and keep warm. DAYLESFORD Lake Daylesford? Where’s that? It’s a small water located right in the middle of Daylesford, and while anglers might have heard of Lake Jubilee, they may not have heard of Lake Daylesford. The lake is only small in size, but big in quality fish. Access is restricted in fishable areas due the bushland growth around the shorelines, but a walking track is located right the way around this small lake and it’s water is slightly discoloured, but very deep. There are numerous jetties and landings plotted around this scenic little lake. The lake has previously been stocked with trout through the Small Waters Project from the Fisheries. The redfin have been on the chew in this little lake over the recent couple of months and are they are some big reddies, with quite a few over the 45cm mark. The best way to catch these quality redfin is with big soft plastic around 4”. Heavy jigheads have been favoured to get them down deep, and a slow roll retrieve has done the job. My nephew Nathan Ward and mates Will Lawrence and Ryan Carrol have been having a ball catching these thumping big redfin,

and the boys have been putting in plenty of hours to catch these fish. It’s not just a walk up start to bag these redfin, but well worth a look. WENDOUREE Lake Wendouree is the quietest I have seen it for a few months, with not many anglers fishing and reports have been a bit thin on the ground. Anglers rugging up have still managed to catch some lovely brown and rainbow trout, mainly casting lures or soft plastics or trolling the main rowing channel when in a boat or kayak. Lake Wendouree over the next month will start to fire up as the anglers come out of hibernation and start to hit the water again. I know the lake is full of fish and we will see reports start to come in. All forms of angling methods will start to work once again. ELSEWHERE Waters around the region I haven’t mentioned this month that are not on the radar at the moment, but are really worth a look as the water levels start to rise, are Hepburn Lagoon, Newlyn Reservoir, Dean Reservoir, Cosgrove Reservoir and Bostock. All these waters are wellstocked with trout and other fish species just waiting for anglers to cast a lure, fly or bait at them.

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2016 SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

Sep 13-14

Daiwa-Hobie Kayak BREAM Series ABT - (07) 3387 0888

St Georges Basin www.abt.org.au

Sep 14

Daiwa-Hobie Kayak BASS Series ABT - (07) 3387 0888

Toonumbar Dam www.abt.org.au

Oct 8-9

Rnd 5 Glenelg River Bream Classic Nelson

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

Oct 8-9

Rnd 14 Hobie Kayak BREAM series Bribie Island

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Oct 15

Rnd 7 Central Vic Lures casters Eppalock Holiday Park

David Nelson 0418 378 944 roundy@cvlcss.com

Oct 15-16

Eildon Big Fish Challenge Eildon

www.eildonbigfishchallenge.com.au

Oct 22-23

2016 Leigh Martin Marine Mercury Classic Lake Hume

Adrian Kent 0490 049 111

Oct 28-29

Tea Tree Snapper Fishing Competition Mornington Peninsula

teatreecontact@spac.net.au www.spac.net.au

Oct 28-30

Hobie Kayak BREAM Aus Championship Queensland

www.hobiefishing.com.au

Nov 19-20

Rnd 8 Central Vic Lures casters Eildon

David Nelson 0418 378 944 roundy@cvlcss.com

Nov 26-27

Vic Bream Classic Series Grand Final Nelson

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

Dec 2-4

BREAM Grand Final St Georges basin

www.abt.org.au

Add your tournament or competition to this list by emailing jthomas@fishingmonthly.com.au or calling 07 3387 0800 in office hours. Just supply a date, venue, tournament name and a telephone number and contact name. SEPTEMBER 2016

Eildon Big Fish Challenge 2016

That time has come again! On 15-16 October, the Eildon Big Fish Challenge will be on again, attracting hundreds to its shores. It’s hard to believe that it’s the event’s 4th year, but 2016 is going to be their biggest and best year yet for one

simple reason: for the first time, the Big Fish Challenge, due to popular demand, will also encompass the other ‘jewel’ of the beautiful area… Lake Eildon! You can fish from Bonnie Doon if you choose, which is further up the lake.

This will interest loads of anglers who want join this very popular and well-run event. The Pondage section of the challenge will be exactly

the same as the past three years, but it’s the excitement of opening up the lake, which has already created an amazing response on social media and for locals alike.

There’s some very impressive catches each year at the Eildon Big Fish Challenge.

Day one will go out with a bang before day two of the competition.

This October, hundreds will flock to what is a very beautiful part of the world.

Whether you’re an avid lure tosser, or just like to sit back and soak a bait, you’re sure to have a good time at this year’s challenge.

Let’s face it, how many fishing comps can you enter for $25 and be in the hunt for a boat, motor and trailer package? Now that the lake is open, they will have trophies plus

Live music is always a big attraction to the Big Fish Challenge, where they sample some of the finest local talent.

cash prizes for biggest cod, yellowbelly, trout, redfin and European carp, all of which will be measured on a supplied brag mat and sent via test message to a To page 83

The challenge will be a great way for family and groups of friends to experience some of Victoria’s best fishing locations.

EILDON LAKE & PONDAGE ~ EILDON Saturday & Sunday 15 & 16 October

Food and Wine Festival

NEW ~ Fishing Competition on Lake Eildon Catch the biggest trout, yellowbelly, carp, redfin or cod

Each fish caught gives you an entry into the Major Draw

This competition supports catch & release for sustainable fishing

Saturday & Sunday • Food all day both days • Children’s Amusements • Bar Facilities MAJOR SPONSORS • Auction • Major Raffle: Tinny full of tinnies + trailer • Eildon Outboard • Mercury Outboard • Fishing entry fee • Adults $25 • Junior / kids $10 • Family $60 check for • Alexandra Events • Redd Motors rop’s Foo te • Great Northern Lager dworks SATURDAY Fishing from 7am-4pm websi ajor DMK Financial Services any m tition SUNDAY Fishing from 7am-12noon Eildon Bait & Tackle e

comp cements n annou

SEPTEMBER 2016

• Competition Presentations & Raffle Drawn 2pm Sunday

Murrindindi Shire council

Tea Tree Snapper is on the way Every year the snapper begin entering the bays for the late spring and early summer run. That signals that it’s time to think about entering the Tea Tree Snapper Competition! The Snapper Point Angling Club’s 33rd Annual Tea Tree Snapper competition will be held on 28-29 October and the timing is perfectly set at the beginning of the snapper season. Every year this is a great event, with anglers jumping on the chance to get From page 82

phone number that will be supplied closer to the event. This is such an exciting addition to an already wellrespected event, and will only add to the vibe of the whole weekend. A whole lot of thanks and appreciation should be roundly passed on to our amazing friends at Fisheries who have made our region one of the best all round fisheries in Australia, let alone Victoria. So get all your native lures out and make sure they are in tip-top shape, or go out and buy a can of corn for the carp! The fun doesn’t stop there! This year they will be

out there amongst the fish and get in the pool of anglers competing for more than $140,000 in prizes including three fabulous boat/motor/ trailer packages. Fisheries research indicates that 2016 will again be a good year for snapper and a great opportunity for anglers to get one of those fabulous big reds. For a long time, the Snapper Point Angling Club has promoted responsible angling, and for this reason, having a twilight market on the shores of the Pondage, all kicking off at 4pm. They will have all types of market stalls and trade sites for you to look at, live music all throughout the night, food will be available, and there will be an auction and a fireworks display to finish the night off with a bang going into the second day of fishing. On top of that, there will also be a food and wine expo sampling some of our fantastic local food and local wine. For more info www. eildonbigfishchallenge. com.au or for live updates Eildon Big Fish Challenge Facebook page. – Eildon Big Fish Challenge

has again set the competition limit of two fish per angler, each of which must to be over 40cm in length. To be in the running to be drawn for one of the many great prizes, all you have to do is enter the competition before the closing date, catch one or two fish over 40cm and take them to one of the weigh stations – it’s that easy. Each fish, big or small, has the same chance at winning one of the fantastic random weight prizes. Upgrading fish size provides no advantage in the competition.

Fish to be weighed should be kept in good condition, be promptly despatched and placed on ice to make sure they remain in top eating condition. Returning unwanted fish to the water quickly or releasing them at the side of the boat greatly improves the chances of released fish surviving. Start early by servicing your trailer and boat, having your safety equipment checked, getting your crew together and preparing your gear. Most importantly, enter the competition early as entries close well before the

Some truly massive fish came to the weigh-in last year.

The Tea Tree Snapper Competition is a great way to introduce kids to fishing. competition dates. Fish can be weighed in on Friday night 28 October at several ramps and on Saturday at the Mornington Racecourse. The Entry Form and Rules need to be read carefully and the times strictly adhered to as no fish can be accepted under any circumstances after the published competition times. The Racecourse gets busy towards the end of weigh-in time and traffic can cause delays so be early to avoid disappointment. Plan to check out the Trade Display area at the Racecourse before the presentation commences. Many of the sponsors will be displaying, tackle, boats,

trailers and other equipment, and some will even be demonstrating their products. There will be entertainment for the kids and a juniors casting competition. The Tea Tree Competition is a fantastic family day, so why not plan to be there and be part of the excitement? All you have to do now is to enter the competition either by completing an entry form that can be obtained from most tackle shops in the South Eastern area of Melbourne or by getting on the web at www.teatreesnapper. org.au and either entering on line or sending in an entry form. – Snapper Point Angling Club Inc

Tea Tree Snapper Fishing Competition incorporating The Victorian Amateur Snapper Championship FRIDAY 28th OCTOBER & SATURDAY 29th OCTOBER 2016

Hosted by the Snapper Point Angling Club. Weigh in and presentation MORNINGTON RACECOURSE.

$140,000 IN PRIZES including...

3 BOATS!

sponsored by:

Snapper Point Angling Club wishes to acknowledge the generous support given by the sponsors of this competition and thank them for their involvement.

The 33rd Annual Mornington Peninsula Tea Tree Snapper Fishing Competition

- the competition for the serious Port Phillip and Westernport Snapper fisherman...

Entry details at www.teatreesnapper.org.au SEPTEMBER 2016

Rain didn’t dampen spirits at CVLCSS comp

The Torrumbarry Weir Holiday Park was our chosen destination to hold the JD EDDY LURES Round of the Super Series. The weir has an important history on the Murray River since the 1920s. It was running smoothly until

the 90s, but needed repairs and was rebuilt in 1996. Torrumbarry is a few hours out of Melbourne, with all the basics – a hotel, store, post office and town hall, with about 30 residents. Organisers arrived at lunchtime on Friday and

had to set up before the rain – a tough job in itself. Black clouds moved in and the temperature dropped, it started to drizzle just as we were finishing. The rain stayed fairly constant for the remainder of the afternoon, as keen competitors were

The rain was consistent over the weekend.

Anglers had to set up fast, before the rain was on.

arriving to register for the competition. With everyone standing under gazebos, fires going, about 40 keen anglers

The anglers were up bright an early, reading to find some iconic Murray cod.

discussed tactics for the next day. Then came the briefing, which outlined the fishing times and rules before calling it a night. As the crowd dwindled, there was a couple of late comers who wanted to warm up by the fire and stay for a while before heading back to camp. Everyone woke bright and early. The urn was on for that hot cup of coffee everyone needs first thing in the morning. More wood went on the fire to keep warm by. About 60mm of water on the ground made things interesting. All 49 seniors and 15 juniors collected their catch cards and tokens, before heading off to catch the target species, iconic Murray cod. Rain came down all day, and flooded out the

ROUND 6:

SEPT.

CAIRN CURRAN

Monsterfish 1 knocked out first place in the Teams Event.

LOCATION: LODDON HOUSE HOLIDAY PARK

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 84

SEPTEMBER 2016

Anglers made a great effort despite the rain.

registration area. The set up was packed up and moved to higher ground, literally, so competitors could register their fish catches without getting soaked – better than sitting or standing in the boat that day. With the competition coming to a close, all of the catch cards back, it was time to reward those who performed on the water, in trying circumstances. In the singles, first place was Brett Sheppard with 79 points. Second place was Joel O’Dea with 76 points, and third place was Justin Adair with 74 points. The Venom Largest Target Species was Brett Sheppard with a 59cm Murray cod. In the Teams Event, first place went to Team Monsterfish 1: Garry Tebb and Joel O’Dea with 76 points, and in second place, team Monsterfish: Chris Burbidge and Joel Crosbie with 58 points. Third place prize was added to the next round prize pool. Cash and Prizes were presented to the winners by Russell Sanford from JD EDDY LURES, who was the major sponsor for the round. Prizes that were donated for the round, that weren’t won, have been jackpotted for the next round. This included prizes for the children from Bendigo Marine, Murray River Spinnerbaits and Loddon Lures. CVLCSS would like to thank all of our sponsors for their support through the Super Series and during the year for all of our anglers. On Saturday night there was a small social gathering and some light entertainment while sitting around the fire. They discussed the events that took place during the day, and Sunday it was up bright and early to pack up for home. Thankyou to all who attended the round, hopefully they enjoyed the weekend even with weather against them. – Central Vic Lure Casters Super Series

Team Prostrike grab a Gippy win

The weekend of 18-19 June saw 49 teams of two anglers each brave the cold snap that hit the Gippsland Lakes to compete in the Club Marine East Gippsland Bream

After Peter threw a Smith Camion and Brad a shallow Pontoon 21 Greedy Guts for a while, it was time for the boys to change over to plastics, as the bites just weren’t coming.

not in numbers, they made up for it in quality.” Peter said. Day one saw the boys head to this same area. Pete armed with his Duff Rods matched to Shimano Reels and Brad with his Tica and Nitro Rods matched to Shimano Reels. Using 10lb Castaway braid and 4lb Sunline FC

hour saw us fill our limit and upgrade the one smaller black bream, finishing the day in second place with a 5/5 bream bag of 5.74 kg,” Pete said. The lead team after day one was Team Minn-Kota’s Cameron Whittam and Warren Carter, with a cracking bag of 5/5 bream for 6.13kg, which

RESULTS

Team Prostrike’s Peter Stephens and Bradley Baade display some of the quality yellowfin and black bream they caught on day two to secure them the victory. Classic. Along with wanting to win the tournament, many teams also had their eyes on gaining much needed points for the always popular Club Marine Team Of The Year Championship awarded to the team that fishing the most consistently for the entire five round series. As this was the 4th round of the series, it was time for teams to make their charge to stay in the hunt for the Team of the Year title. Local Team Prostrike’s Peter Stephens and Bradley Baade made the decision to fish in pretty much the total opposite direction to the majority of the field as they concentrated on fishing the Lakes Entrance area. “Friday’s prefish started off like every other prefish we’ve done on the Gippy Lakes and having launched at Lakes Entrance we headed up North Arm to look for any sign that the fish might be in the area. Having located one such area we decided it was time to see what was around,” Peter said.

Place Team 1 Prostrike 2 Minn-Kota 3 Berkley 4 Colac Tackle – Samurai Rods 5 Chemically Sharp 6 Hurricane 7 Shoreline 89 8 Club Marine Fishing 9 Loft 10 Bream By Stealth

Team Puppetry of the Crab’s Steve Wheeler and Darren Weda pose with their Hurricane Monster Movers prize packs. Brad tried numerous plastics while Pete stuck with the ZMan Slim Swim in the motor oil colour. A couple of hours passed fairly quickly, and with only a couple of low to mid 30cm fish landed, it was time for them to have a good look around. “Having fished the area for the last 35 years with bait and more recently lures, we didn’t need to waste time looking in areas that hadn’t produced in the past. One area in particular held the quality of fish we were looking for, and while

Rock leader, Brad tied on a ZMan GrubZ in bloodworm on a 1/12oz jighead and Peter a ZMan Slim Swim in motor oil on a 1/16oz jighead. “Within the hour we had our first fish in the well, a yellowfin of 1.4kg that went like a train in the 1m of water we were fishing. Two hours later our 2nd fish hit the deck, also on the Slim Swim, but a black of 3cm to the fork. It was time to check out a couple of other spots with no luck, so back to the area that saw us pull our first fish. The next

TF 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 8/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10

TW (kg) 10.85 10.24 8.99 8.87 8.66 8.56 8.50 8.32 8.31 7.81

would be the Maria Lures Best Bag for the weekend. On day two the boys went back to the same area and used the same lures as day one, but it was an unlucky start as Brad dropped a quality fish on his 3rd cast of the day, flowed by no bites for the next couple of hours. “With the day one spots not producing any fish, it was time to have a look elsewhere, but with limited results we headed back to a spot that had

Michael Pelle from Team The Old Boys displays the 1.56kg JML Anglers Alliance Big Bream. produced fish over the last few years and a stretch of bank 200m long had us with our bag in an hour. These were mostly quality fish with one smaller fish of around 33cm fork length,” Pete said. Then in a stroke of luck on the last cast of the day before racing back to weigh in, they managed to land a cracking bream measuring 41cm to the fork,weighing 1.54kg that took their day two bag to 5/5 bream and 5.11kg. With a total of 10/10 bream for 10.85kg, it all rested on whether Team Minn-Kota could produce a similar bag to day one, but when their day two bag could only push the scale to 4.11kg, it was confirmed that Team Pro-Strike’s Peter Stephens and Bradley Baade were the 2016 Club Marine East Gippsland Bream Classic

Champions. Weighing in a cracking bream weighing 1.56kg was Team The Old Boys Brien and Michael Pelle, which handed them the JML Anglers Alliance Big Bream and with a great day two bag weighing 4.79kg, moving them up 19 places on the board and handing them the Hurricance Monster Movers prizes was Team Puppetry of the Crab’s Steve Wheeler and Darren Weda. After the winter break, next stop will see the 2016 Atomic Vic Bream Classic Series head to Nelson for the fifth and Final qualifying round the Hobie Bream Classic. For more information please visit www.vicbreamclassics.com. au or like us on facebook at https://www.facebook. com/vicbreamclassics. - Vic Bream Classics

The top three pose for the paparazzi: In 3rd place was Team Berkley’s Brad and Mike Hodges, in 2nd place was Team Minn-Kota’s Cameron Whittam and Warren Carter and the winners, Team Prostrike’s Peter Stephens and Bradley Baade.

SEPTEMBER 2016

yak Hobie Ka ries e S BREAM by Daiwa d Presente

Round 10 of the National Hobie Kayak Series kicked off from the River Resort in Mandurah, with cold but near perfect conditions. Many options were available – the option to head upriver and fish the vast assortment of snags and odd flat, or to make the trek downstream to target pontoons, jetties and the various canals. For the keen yakker, there was the 6km+ pedal to access the Serpentine River if the Murray was not to their liking.

Hobie Series Round 10 in Mandurah He added another 1.555kg to take the win and earn a spot in the 2016 Hobie Australian Kayak Grand Final, to be held in Queensland. When asked about the weekend Joseph replied, “Day one was pretty good, as per normal I like to try and get away from the crowds a little, so I was planning on heading downstream and making my way to the Serpentine River. On the way, I was hitting as many of the boats, sheds and pontoons as I could. I picked up some good bites, which gave me pretty nice bag. I changed plans, and

Jesse Choy and Massimo Salomone fished together to keep on top of the bream. With three stitches and a sliced thumb, 2015 Kayak Angler of the Year, Joseph Gardner continued his outstanding form by weighing in two full bags of three bream for the total weight of 3.835kg. Joseph weighed in 2.280kg on day one and carried an overnight lead of 400g into day two.

decided to keep working the jetties and pontoons as much as I could. “Day two was thrown into of chaos, with my sliced thumb and stitches from the day one pack up, but apart from the inconvenience and a bit of pain, I was right to go. I was the only one to head down river and straight

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888. 86

SEPTEMBER 2016

back to the pontoons and jetties that served me so well on day one. I was throwing unweighted Ecogear bream prawns deep and as tight to cover as I could. I would let them sink a little, and if I didn’t get a bite in the first metre, I would crank it back and go again. “Yesterday I didn’t lose any fish, but today I lost three good ones, including one on the first cast that would’ve taken my big bream from yesterday, but the next three casts resulted in my bag and I slowly upgraded throughout the day. To still weigh in a full bag, I am pretty happy, especially considering the thumb.” A lot of ears pricked up when Joseph was asked what his technique and favourite colours were, and he replied, “The colours that I like to use are the salt and pepper, and also the mustard, with the inclusion of a lathering of the Ecogear UV liquid”. Joseph also took out the Big Bream with a nice 900g fish that played the game nice and clean. It took the bream prawn on the drop, charged straight out into the middle of the river and pretty much straight into the net. Joseph presented his bream prawns on his Daiwa Air Edge Rods, matched with Daiwa Luvias 2500 Reels. These were loaded with Yamatoyo PE 0.6 8X Jigging braid. At the business end was Yamatoyo Harris Fighter in 4lb. Joseph also thanked all of the tournament sponsors as well as his sponsor JML Anglers Alliance, for the support over the last two seasons. They provide him with some quality lures that obviously work a treat in our local waters. In second place, and also earning a berth in the 2016 Australian Hobie Kayak Grand final, was Jesse Choy, weighing in five bream for 3.145kg. When asked about his weekend, Jesse replied, “I fish a lot with Massimo. We decided to head upstream and try different lures to each other, and share what’s working or what pattern we can see forming. It was a good idea as we both picked a couple up early before venturing further up. When Massimo pinned his anchor fish, I pushed on and filled my bag with a nice bunch of mid 30s. “On day two we just ventured straight back to where we left off, fished the same ground. We pushed further upriver than on day one. I picked up two keepers early, but going 32 and 36. I was pretty happy with the start but after that it was a real grind and I found the bite very timid. I dropped a few nice fish and just couldn’t get the hooks to stick. We

also took a bit of time out to help retrieve some gear for one of the guys who went overboard while fighting a fish. It was freezing in the wind, so to see him get back ok was a relief. “A big congrats to Joseph as well, he’s been going from strength to strength for a couple of years now, and is a very deserved winner. I’m definitely looking forward to hooking up with Joseph, Greg Cooper, Barry Brownrigg and Robert Sgambelluri for the trek to the Grand Final. A big thanks to the WAFM guys for putting on the event, as well as all the sponsors of the series, and then last but certainly not least, Rob

Joseph took out the Big Bream as well as first place in the Hobie Kayak Bream Series Round 10. down deep. In the end, he looked pretty healthy and swam away nicely, after a

Massimo stayed at third place, and made sure his anchor fish was live and healthy. from Searing Tackle for all the support throughout the season. “All of my fish came on the 2.25” Pontoon 21 Pillo Grub or the 4.5” Flash J Grub by Fish Arrow, in the Yuriage chartreuse or silver colour. I was casting deep and tight, doing a slow retrieve with a few hops thrown in, using a 1/40th jig head.” Jesse used Shimano Zodias and NS Blackhole Avenger rods, both matched to Shimano Sustain 1000 reels. Each reel was loaded with Famell PE 0.6, with Nitlon 4lb and 5lb leaders”. In third place, Massimo Salomone weighed in six bream for 2.725kg. Jesse and Massimo’s plan obviously worked, picking up second and third for the weekend. When asked how the weekend had gone, Massimo replied, “It was good fun. Day one was a bit better than today though, and we caught some good fish with a few upgrades. I had the drama of my anchor fish looking a bit unhealthy, so I stopped and swam him for a while on the side of the river and seriously considered releasing him. All of my fish came on the same plastics as Jesse, except my anchor fish. He took a Duo Spearhead Ryuki 65 on the first of about four casts and swallowed it

few hours in the livewell. So I was glad I didn’t have to try and find a replacement for him or that could have spelt disaster”. “Day two was a fair bit harder like Jesse mentioned, I picked up my three keepers and that was it for the day, no upgrades or anything. So to move up one spot yesterday and take third was a pretty good result in the end”. Massimo fished Daiwa Black Label Gen 1 rods, matched to Shimano Stradic FK reels. One reel was loaded with Sunline Super PE, while the other was 4lb FC Sniper Hard Flourocarbon fished straight through. His leader of choice was Yamatoyo Harris Fighter in 4lb. Massimo also thanked the organisers for putting on a fantastic event, the chef for the bacon and egg sandwiches and all the sponsors that make the series what it is.

In fourth place was Tim Stylianou, weighing in five bream for 2.520kg. He said, “Day one was certainly better than day two, on the first day I would have caught ten legals, but day two I struggled. My first stop had two baitfishers who said they’d caught about eight bream over 30, so I pushed on and picked up one, first cast. I got another not long after, but that was it for the day – one half take and nothing else. I was using 2.5” Zman GrubZ in various colours, but found Bloodworm to work the best. Thanks to all the sponsors for supporting the series, and of course all the other anglers for making the effort. Also a shout out to Nordy from Hurricane lures, for all his support”. In fifth place and in his first ever tournament was Dayne Ferry, catching four bream for 2.400kg. Not only was Dayne fishing his first bream competition, but he also took possession of his yak at 5pm the night before. Being up until midnight, fitting the new yak out before he has to rise and face his first bream competition, with four hours sleep, is a pretty spectacular effort. Dayne said, “Day one was a lot of fun. I tried to find an early pattern and bagged out fishing pretty deep with Zman 2.5” GrubZ in motor oil colour, rigged on Razoredge 1/24 jig heads. Day two was a lot harder. I got dusted a couple of times, which was disappointing, but then I picked up one nice fish on a random bank in the last hour. His 850g certainly helped my cause.” – Hobie Fishing

RESULTS Place..... Angler.......................... TF............ TW.(kg) 1............ Joseph Gardener ........ 3/3 .......... 3.835 2............ Jesse Choy ................. 3/3 .......... 3.145 3............ Massimo Salomone .... 3/3 .......... 2.725 4............ Tim Stylinou ................ 3/3 .......... 2.520 5............ Dayne Ferry ................. 3/3 .......... 2.400 6............ Shane Owens .............. 3/3 .......... 2.055 7............ Andy Mitchell .............. 3/3 .......... 1.975 8............ Shaun Moran............... 1/3 .......... 1.740 9............ Alex Greisdorf ............. 2/3 .......... 1.640 10.......... Robert Sgambelleuri ... 3/3 .......... 1.615

Hoppies Ski Run schoolies MELBOURNE

Corey Gallagher

Warrnambool’s Hopkins River has always been a favoured angling destination of mine. Having previously lived and worked in the region, I began my days as a bream angler standing on the railings of the road bridge, awkwardly leaning out over the edge, flicking soft plastic minnows underneath, hoping to hook onto one of

freshwater into the system, resulting in the bream pushing down into the lower reaches. There is one particular stretch of river that sees massive schools of bream during this time of year, the Ski Run. Bream are not the only target on offer in the Ski Run at this time of year, with estuary perch often moving into the area as well as the occasional mulloway. ACCESS Mahoneys Road boat ramp is a great launch site with a two

I will often ignore single returns – what I’m really looking for are larger schools where hundreds of bream mark up in close proximity. Once I have located a school, I mark a waypoint on my sounder to allow me to easily return to the school later in the day, often the school will be spread out over a large area, so using multiple waypoints can help to triangulate the school. With the location of the fish established, the next challenge is tempting them to

A quality sounder is a must when targeting schooled up bream. the many blue nose brutes that call the bridge pylons home. Although I have now moved away from the region, I regularly make the trip back down the Princes Highway to the Hoppies every year to try my luck again, particularly during winter and spring. SEASONALITY AND TARGET SPECIES The estuary isn’t huge, however it is big enough to make kayaking its length in one session a tall order. When I fish the river, I prefer to fish it during times of the year when I know the fish will be concentrated in one area. Between June to September, higher than average rainfall increases the flow of

lane concrete ramp, floating pontoons, car and trailer parking and fish cleaning facilities. More importantly, the ramp provides excellent access to the Ski Run, which is only a very short paddle downstream. Another ramp with identical facilities also exists closer to the mouth near the angling club. FISHING TECHNIQUES A key ingredient to experiencing success when targeting schools of fish in the Ski Run is using a good quality sounder. I switch on my unit the minute I hit the water and scan it constantly looking for large congregations of fish sitting close to the bottom, typical bream behaviour during winter and spring.

take a lure or bait. Bait fishing is popular in the Hopkins and as always, the best baits are those sourced locally. Hopkins River Bridge is a short paddle downstream from the Ski Run, past the bridge there are some excellent sand and mud flats where bait pumping can produce sandworms and brown shell bivalves, both are excellent local baits and well worth the effort to collect. Beach your yak and use a bait pump and sieve in water half a metre deep to locate these tasty morsels. Brown shells are best used whole on the hook, keeping the shell intact. Sandworms can be kept whole or broken into pieces, rigged up on a running sinker rig and cast into the school should soon see you hooked up. Although bait fishing is popular, I have always found that casting and retrieving with grub style soft plastics or vibration style lures the most productive method to score a bream, perch or mulloway from the Ski Run. Motor oil coloured 2.5-3” grub pattern soft plastics, rigged on a 1/121/10oz jighead are very hard to go past. Simply cast them into the school and allow them to sink naturally to the bottom. Use a variety of hop and pause

Throwing 2” motor oil coloured grubs coated in scent can make the difference on those seemingly shut down days. the system, while in contrast the freshwater sitting on top will continue to flow towards the mouth, making it almost impossible to fish a light jighead effectively. Although only an issue when the river mouth is open, anglers can eradicate this problem by fishing the run-out tide where both the freshwater and saltwater wedge are moving in the same direction. Vibes and blades are another extremely effective option in the ski run and capable of tempting all three

The glory days of old have returned to the Hopkins River!

Between June and September, schools of bream are pushed downstream into the Ski Run by increased freshwater flows.

retrieves until you begin to get results. Schooled bream can be notoriously fussy eaters and remain relatively inactive,. Tempting them can be a challenge at times, so long pauses and subtle hoops are often required. On those days when the fish appear shut down, the use of scent can help to produce a bite or using smaller, 2” grubs on lighter jigheads in 1/20-1/32oz weights can greatly increase the hit rate. Keeping your plastic in contact with the bottom is critical to success and when using light jigheads, which can become a challenge in itself. This is particularly tricky in the Hopkins where a salt wedge often exists. During the incoming tide, the salt water can push up into

target species. I generally use black or dark coloured vibes with orange bellies exclusively and it’s no different when I fish the Hoppies Ski Run. Worked in a very similar way to the grubs mentioned above, cast into the school and use a variety of hop and pause retrieves until you find an effective presentation. Again the addition of scent can greatly assist and works just as well on vibes and hardbodied lures as it does on plastics. Deep diving hardbodies are also a productive lure to throw in the Ski Run, particularly after several days of above average temperature when the bream will move out of the deeper water and back up onto edges and drop offs to feed. Cast up onto the edges, twitch

and pause your lure back down into the deeper water keeping your lure in contact with the bottom for as long as possible. This technique is killer on perch but will also account for both bream and mulloway. The Ski Run schools can be very frustrating at times. Nothing is more demoralising than staring at massive numbers of fish on your sounder and being unable to tempt a single bite from them. It is critical on days like this to persist. Often changing one small aspect of your lure presentation will result in instant success. The tides and time of day can also affect the bite, the most productive times to fish the Hopkins, as with most systems, are the times of low light at the beginning and end of each day. SAFETY Make sure you wear your PFD at all times when fishing from your kayak and keep a bailer onboard as required by Victorian law. When launching your kayak on the Hopkins, it pays to exercise caution, particularly during this time of year. As the mouth often closes, water levels in the river can vary. When launching after the mouth has recently opened the concrete ramps can become very, very slippery. I usually launch my kayaks from the pontoons to prevent any unnecessary slips or falls, a lesson I learnt the hard way. HOP ON DOWN The Hopkins River has developed a reputation over the years as one of the best bream fisheries in the South West of Victoria and although we did have some lean years, the river is seemingly returning to the glory days of old. Now is the perfect time to grab your yak and head out west in search of some quality estuary fishing. With a very realistic chance of scoring that elusive estuary trifecta of a bream, perch and mulloway in the one session, the Hoppies Ski Run is well worth the effort. SEPTEMBER 2016

Teaming up with time and tides BRISBANE

Justin Wilmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

Over the years I have had the pleasure of introducing many a keen angler to the sport of kayak fishing, helping them to get their head around handling the kayak, working with the wind and tides, anchoring techniques, using lures and most importantly, having a plan for the session. Recently, my cousin Alex has been getting out in the kayak a bit and he

and in turn maximise our chances of catching fish as at least one area should fire. THE FLATS I speak to plenty of anglers who struggle to catch fish when the tides are high and the fish spread out through the system, so I made a point of talking to Alex about what I look for when I’m fishing the flats. Many rivers, creeks, estuaries and other systems are loaded with banks and flats that are completely dry at low tide, and flood during the incoming tide. The rising water allows fish to access the crabs, yabbies, pipis, cockles

feeding frenzy can be spectacular at times! The water was crystal clear thanks to the westerly winds, and this assisted with breaking down the flat. On the up current end of the flat, we had a small patch of rock and a sand bank, both of which created visible eddies and we could see bait flicking and the occasional fish feeding. Slightly down current, we located some depressions in the flat where the water dropped a few feet, and I even noticed a school of undersized bream holding in one depression. From here, the flat was a mix

anchor, positioning the kayak within casting distance of the eddies and on the edge of one of the depressions. Both of these techniques are effective. I was covering ground and looking for fish, structure and bait movement, while Alex was positioned near the prime structure on the flat waiting for schools of fish travelling through with the tide. My initial thoughts were that bream would be the target species, however after two hops of the plastic and a bite-off, I suspected that tailor were on the flat harassing schools of bait. If you are hopping plastics for bream and flathead and a bite off occurs, try speeding up your retrieve a little, with a continual wind and plenty of twitches. This will often see fish hooked in the jaw hinge and front of the mouth, rather than taking the plastic deeper and biting you off.

Don’t forget your fish measure and an understanding of local rules and regulations. Fish on! I was soon unhooking a tailor, followed by another, and

to paddle over to the large drain or blind gutter that I had made note of the

Sometimes it’s not even about the fishing. Alex at anchor enjoying the glassy conditions. has started to crack the flathead code, so we planned a session chasing flathead on the second half of the run-out tide. More importantly, we planned to explore the higher stages of the tide where fish can be harder to come by. The plan was to launch on the last hour of run-in and hitch a ride with the incoming tide to our first spot, where we would target a section of flats on the first couple of hours of run-out. From there we would travel across the tide and down current to work an awesome looking flathead drain that I had made note of the day before. We would then wrap things up by drifting with the last two hours of the run-out, positioning the kayak a cast distance from the bank and hopping plastics down the drop off. We had made our plan based around the tide and involving three different types of environments and structure, all of which would potentially hold fish 88

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and other food items that call these areas home, along with prawns and baitfish seeking safety in the shallower water. The

of sand, rubble and broken weed beds. I opted to drift the flat and investigate further, while Alex deployed his

Rigged and ready for a kayak luring session.

The 10X Tough ZMan 2.5” Slim SwimZ are the go-to for toothies like this tailor.

then three in three casts! Although they weren’t big fish, they were still great fun from the yak, especially on light spin gear. Over the next couple of hours we landed 23 tailor, two flathead and a bream. The lure of choice was a 2.5”paddle-tail rigged on a 1/4oz 1/0 finesse jighead. When the fishing slowed we simply moved to a different section of the flat in search of bait and actively feeding fish. As the water level changes on the flats, the bait and fish will move, so if it slows down, try a series of short moves until you find more active water. THE DRAIN As the water level dropped on the flat, we knew that bait would be funnelling off the flats via the drains that run into deeper water. It was time

previous day. This drain was perfect, with a sandy bottom and weed edges on each side. The weed edges ensure that there will be baitfish, prawns and other food around, while the sandy bottom makes it easy for flathead to move into the drain and bury themselves ready for ambush! If the bottom was weedier, I would have switched to a SnakelockZ weedless jighead and 3” paddl-tail, however I stuck with the rig I had used on the flats. A sounder makes finding the drains simple, however even without a sounder you can use quality polarised sunnies to separate the dark water covering weed with the lighter coloured water covering sand. Often there is minimal current running out of these

drains and you can start at the mouth, cast up the drain and hop your plastic back to the yak, slowly working up the entire length of the drain, with a few paddle or pedal strokes followed by a few casts. If there is more current, it’s worth anchoring and working a section thoroughly before moving further into the drain and anchoring again. Often these blind gutters are wide enough that you and your kayak fishing mate can fish side by side

down, or pause the lure on the bottom for a few seconds until you find what the fish want. It’s amazing how often a few quick winds, a long pause, an aggressive hop or series of subtle shakes of the rod tip will switch on the bite and it can often encourage the bite of a different species to the main target. I hopped my little paddle-tail a couple of times, paused, went to hop the plastic again and crunch! The headshakes

uncontrolled fist pump and called Alex over to grab a couple of photos. Part of me wished that Alex had hooked this one, but at the same time, flathead over mid-sixties aren’t commonly encountered in my local waters and I was over the moon to lift this one into the kayak. I keep a few flathead for a feed, however anything over 60cm is handled with care and released to make more flathead. This one

This was one of several flathead from a low tide channel edge, which the author made a plan to fish before the session. covering ground, throwing plenty of casts and keeping an eye out for key structure that might hold fish, such as points, drains, logs, rubble, crab pots, eddies and patches of sand amongst broken weed. Fish

the water. They’re not as large as the southern snook, but these oily fish are still excellent bait, and great tasting when cooked in a smoker, and we kept about twenty to hopefully turn into a mud crab or two.

particular species, as it’s amazing how often these same conditions will produce similar results – even years later! So overall, we had a pretty successful day, and weused the tides to carry

A falling tide, a blind gutter and a planned approach resulted in this quality flathead. and each work one side of the gutter. One point that Alex made is that he is understanding that the plastic doesn’t always need to be moving, and this is probably the main mistake that anglers make when fishing plastics, retrieving them too quickly. Don’t be afraid to mix up your retrieve and slow things

and initial run signalled to me that this was a quality flathead and I let the rod and drag do the work, taking it easy on the big girl, as I knew I was only connected with a 1/0 finesse jighead and 10lb leader. After a few good runs and one sighting that confirmed it was a nice flatty, I slid the net under the fish, fired off an

measured in at 71cm, and I soon had it back in the water attached to my lip grips while I readied the camera for a photo. A few photos and we decided to commence our drift along the main channel edge and back to our launch point. THE CHANNEL EDGE When fishing the channel edge, it’s all about

Yellowtail pike are great bait or cooked in the smoker. Ruby enjoyed learning to fillet fish.

Alex with one of a couple of dozen tailor for the session.

will often school, so if you land one, it can be worth retracing your steps. We cast to the edge of the weed beds, or into the shallows, across or slightly ahead of the drift if the current is stronger and hop the plastic down the drop off and into the channel. It didn’t take long before we came across a school of yellowtail pike, and it was visual fishing, watching them chase down and eat a plastic in the clear water, even coming out of the water on several occasions as we lifted the lure from

Alex gave me a touch up on the drift home, landing five flathead to my three and I was stoked to see him nailing a few. This bank often produces much higher numbers, but we went into this session knowing that the tides weren’t quite right, so we were still happy for the action we had encountered. It’s worth making note of the date, tide, moon phase, wind and temperature when you do have successful sessions in particular areas or on

us to our spots and home again. We fished some different structure, landed a few different species and solved the problems of the world on a glassy day, while drifting around with an awesome backdrop. Alex took a flathead and five tailor home to his family, and I had a flathead for dinner, yellowtail pike for the crab pots and the photos and memories of a cracker flathead. So it might be time for you to grab a mate, check the tides and conditions and plan your own adventure. SEPTEMBER 2016

New or used: the perks, problems and pitfalls BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

A conundrum that usually confronts someone buying a boat is whether to buy new or used. Let’s face it, new is lovely – clean and polished, everything spick and span, but cost is the major factor with the very slight chance of some component or feature of the new rig not quite working as it should. On the latter point, boats are not like motor cars, which are mass produced by the millions to a rigid schedule of robotic assembly, which ensures that things rarely differ thanks to rigid quality control. With boats there are few variables in the actual construction of a hull, but once into the fit out and finish, the fun commences. Engine

out and it’s a going concern. With those matters in mind, a second hand boat might make a lot of sense, especially if it’s with an original owner, or in a reputable dealer’s yard with full history and mechanical background on display. Even a rig that has had a couple of owners and still looks to be in really good condition is worth some consideration, even if all precautionary checks come through with flying colours. WITH THE DEALER A suitable craft from a well-known manufacturer is spotted in a well-known dealer’s yard and it’s within the proposed price range. It’s important that the boat is on a trailer that, while there might be some discoloration of the springs and axle or perhaps even some dulling of the galvanizing here and there, is otherwise in good nick. Remember that the trailer must have brakes if the total weight

New boats are great! Everything’s shiny and brand spankers like everything on this TABS I reviewed, but some serious dollars can be saved if you can find the right used craft. of hull, trailer, engine and full fuel load is over 750kg. Trailer considerations aside, the boat should be

Launching most small craft will see the springs in the water, hence the minor discolouration, but if the rest of the trailer looks OK, you shouldn’t write it off. ratings vary for a start, so a hull can be under-powered, adequately powered or over powered, the latter being a real cause for concern. Selected fittings, equipment and other items are all manually fitted by fellow humans, so it naturally follows that sometimes there’s a mistake or mismatch in components. I was once reviewing a brand new craft – a massive plate alloy rig – where the trim tab controls were reversed causing a very bad situation once we started to move quickly, and was only solved by a very slow return to the ramp in total silence. While that’s a very extreme example, there’s no denying that teething troubles can occur with brand new rigs. In contrast, the situation with a used craft is different, all bugs are generally ironed 90

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exactly the type you had in mind in that it will fulfil requirements in regard to anticipated use, crew capacity,

interior storage and comfort levels, and the engine’s within manufacturer’s limits, as set out on the builder’s

readings of all cylinders are within 10% of each other. If a factory warranty still covers the hull and/or engine, such warranty is transferable and the dealer can explain how to facilitate this procedure. Next will be a test run and the dealer will easily arrange this very important part of the procedure. If all goes well, the transaction is finalised, and with the registration transferred the rig’s on its way home. THE PRIVATE PURCHASE A dealer needs to cover staff wages, maintenance of financial transactions, insurance and a host of other things, all of which must unavoidably add cost to any craft in the yard. A private sale avoids this kind of overhead and, as we are all dollar driven, it follows that a lot of purchases are directly from a private owner rather than

When the trailer shows this sort of neglect, it’s likely the rest of the craft awon’t have been given too much TLC either.

Rod racks, rod holders and other useful equipment installed in a used rig will always add both interest and perhaps value to an intended sale.

plate which will outline year of manufacture along with passenger ratings. If a near maximum crew capacity is likely most of the time, it’s probably best if the engine is towards the upper limits of power rather than lower, or the rig might struggle to perform well. Taking interest further, the dealer will explain the craft’s history and draw your attention to the extra components or features that have upgraded the rig from standard. A mechanic’s inspection report of the engine will show the engine computer’s hours, list any components they replaced such as oil within a four stroke engine, a water pump impeller or spark plugs along with the fuel filter. An engine compression check can be provided and it’s important that the compression

a dealer. In truth, many boats are sold this way and if the buyer goes about things correctly, everyone wins. Remember though, it’s buyer beware! Due diligence does apply to boats – the same as other major purchases. Peace of mind comes from a standard REV check – via the craft’s Hull Identification Number – which can reveal if it’s free and unencumbered. Again, first impressions are very important. The boat for sale should look clean, tidy, and well-presented and if it does, it’s well worth considering. Understand though, that many of the things I mentioned previously in regard to purchase from a dealer still make perfect sense, although some of the more involved checks and investigations, that of

the engine specifically, will require arrangement by the buyer and should be sorted beforehand. ASSESSING FIBREGLASS HULLS When surveying the hull’s condition, a well maintained fibreglass hull should still look quite shiny with metal fittings, clean and corrosion free, thanks to being kept washed and polished. Likewise, any bimini or other frame work should be corrosion free while fabric, clears, and the like are free of mildew or marks, which are both a sure sign of some neglect. A walk around inside the hull should not reveal any saggy or soft areas on the floor. There’s something wrong there if it is! A good look under the hull might reveal some minor scuff marks or longitudinal scratches, which are very hard to avoid on glass rigs, and tell only of use rather than outright neglect or abuse. Deep indentations or dings are another matter and cause for second thoughts, especially if the gel coat is deeply scarred, which can lead to water absorption and deterioration of the fibreglass. Fibreglass, however, is highly repairable, so if there is any sign of repairs, full disclosure should set a buyer’s mind at rest. A glance inside storage compartments such as those under the floor or under bunks or seats will be reassuring if such areas are totally clean, dry, and without any odour.

should snick in and out of gear with only a small jar. ELECTRONICS All wiring, switches and links to important accessories or functions such as lights, bilge pumps, bait tank plumbing and marine radios where fitted

One area where a bit of grease should put in an appearance is the engine’s pivot point at the transom. sizes that alloy rigs are. ALLOY HULLS Alloy hulls are a different proposition again. Alloy craft have come ahead in leaps and bounds in the last decade and many are fast approaching the ride quality of their glass rivals. In truth, most smaller trailerable alloy craft have a ride that is more than satisfactory for general fishing and boating pursuits. They are offered in both painted and unpainted styles, so there are pros and cons. Unpainted alloy is designed to take on a dull appearance over time, and this minor oxidisation actually protects the hull. Painted hulls look great but can quickly

The builder’s plate reveals all. It’s well worth checking if the engine and hull match in age, and that the proposed capacity is correct. The main advantage with fibreglass hulls pertains to the ride, which is usually superior, due to the enhanced shape, particularly in regard to larger off shore style rigs, than that of alloy. At the same time, glass hulls always require more care around the ramp and fixed obstacles to avoid damage. And, of course, they are not available in the small

of consideration in any deal. LAST THOUGHTS A boat is a major purchase in many instances, so choosing correctly and wisely is very important from the outset to ensure money is not ill spent. Whether from a boat

show up areas of accidental contact. Remember that scratches, scuff marks and the like are all signs of use, rather than outright neglect. Neglect will involve large areas of salt build up, corrosion under things that can be lifted up, damp or smelly areas within the anchor well or within any storage hatches. Big dings or dents under the hull along with

gouges along the keel proper also are indicative of a very hard working life. Electrolysis is a factor with alloy hulls and shows up as powdery residue around add-on fittings, which, if made of disimilar material to the alloy hull, can cause electrolysis. Note there might be corrosion or severe bubbling of paint work in a painted craft, or some powdery residue near fittings in an unpainted craft. Consider this though. Alloy hulls, even if only a few years old, might well display tiny areas of random bubbling of paint here and there, the size of a five cent piece perhaps. When of a minor nature, these should be no real cause of concern. On the other hand, large areas of such corrosion are indicative of neglect and are a red flag to a buyer. Something to remember is if you do buy a used alloy craft and the floor is removable, lift it up once home and look for any loose or foreign metallic objects down there, as these will certainly cause electrolysis down the track. THE ENGINE Boat engines work very hard in an extremely hostile environment and demand some TLC to maintain top performance. So with the chosen hull looking good and the trailer up to scratch, it’s time to assess the engine. Few buyers have the nous to really assess an engine other than look under the cowl, check on how easy it starts, give the nod to a steady stream of water from the tell tale and to ensure the year of manufacture matches the hull’s. To provide more involved engine assessment and general condition, there are plenty of properly certified mobile marine mechanics able to do just that and provide a written report for consideration. It’s a wise move to arrange a mechanic’s inspection prior to finalizing a purchase, and if the mechanic specialises in the brand of motor involved, so much the better. An experienced mechanic can also run an eye over

the whole rig and make a generalized report on its overall condition. Also, if an hour meter is fitted, it’s always interesting to have the mechanic compare actual hours (via a dedicated computer) with those of the meter. However, if the seller seems uncooperative for a mobile mechanic to be involved, the upshot is obvious, and it’s time to look at another boat. There are a few small things about the engine worth considering as well. The overall cleanliness under the cowl is indicative of regular servicing and ample TLC from the owner. Tell tale indications of salt residue (powder showing) are pointing to a leaking gasket. One area where it certainly is good to see a bit of grease is around the engine’s pivot point, near where it’s bolted or clamped onto the transom. There are grease nipples there and if the owner has kept the engine in good nick, it’s nice to see a bit of grease showing. Unpainted areas on the bottom of the skeg and removal of paint from the prop reveal plenty of sand contact. Note that the engine should start within 6-10 revolutions when the key is turned, run smoothly, and

Big sounders are a bonus in any second-hand craft, but should not be regarded as standard equipment. The same goes with sound systems. are expected to be fully functional in any boat, new or used. It’s fair to say that items such as nav aids, sounders, in-built battery chargers or sound systems are only a possibility and really not to be expected as part of a sale. If provided, they can be fairly regarded as a bonus and whether sounders and nav aids are working perfectly or otherwise will be debatable, perhaps, until the craft is off its trailer. That aside, additional electronics are still worthy

yard or a private sale, a test run is mandatory to finally assess performance and the craft’s suitability for intended use. Ease of removal from, and entry back onto, the trailer is quite worth noting as well. Overall, it’s very important to make the right choice, as passengers in the boat are going to remember with great detail exactly what happened if things go pear-shaped later. If this happens, it may be hard to coerce them into another fun time on the water.

What an engine should look like: no leaks in sight and no excessive oil or grease. SEPTEMBER 2016

Crossing a bar safely BRISBANE OFFSHORE

Kaspar Lenigas

Coastal bars are extremely scary to a lot of boaties and they have every right to be worried about crossing them, particularly in big seas. But with a good understanding and knowledge of how a bar works, bar crossings can be very safe and easy. WHAT IS A COASTAL BAR? A coastal bar is where the sheltered waters of rivers or bays meet the swells of the ocean. Bars are inherently dangerous and at times, very unpredictable. Even on a good day, conditions on a bar can change quickly and without warning. There are many coastal bars located around the Australian coastline, and they are a fact of life for most offshore anglers who intend to fish for large ocean going pelagic and reef fish. HOW A COASTAL BAR WORKS There are many different bars located around the

Australian coastline and none are exactly alike. And anglers often have their own different ways of crossing them, but there are a few key things that bars have in common. Most bars will have some form of channel, where the water is at its deepest. Channels are the safest and only way to cross a bar, but can be hard to spot and it is always best observing at a distance before crossing a bar to see where the waves do and do not break to locate a channel. Some boaties watch where other more experienced boat drivers cross and follow them. There are also shallow banks on most bars. These areas are where the waves break, but sometimes these banks aren’t often clear depending on the stage of the tide and the amount of water on the bar. Usually, with a decent set of swell they will reveal themselves, and it is best to avoid these shallow banks, as this is where people can become stuck. It’s also worth remembering that coastal bars are ever-changing places;

they hardly ever stay the same for very long. There is a lot of sand movement under the surface of the water where you can’t see, and a channel that was there one week will be gone the next. Every time before you cross the bar, make sure you have a good look and assess what’s happening. Bars will usually have swell on them, and the height of the swell, direction, periods between swells as well as the tide will drastically affect how bad the bar will be. Both incoming and outgoing tides can cause pressure waves on a bar as there’s large volumes of water coming in and out of the bar. Usually, the safest time to cross a bar is around the top and bottom of the tide, where tidal flow is at its slowest. As most know, the moon drives the tides, so around the full and new moons the tides are bigger with a lot more current flow, which can make bars extremely dangerous. So be careful crossing a bar when there are bigger tides. PRESSURE WAVES Pressure waves can be

Looking out through a channel at a bar with shallow banks either side of the image. With larger swell, the banks would be easier to see. dangerous and make a bar very unpredictable. These mainly occurs on outgoing tides around full and new moons, or after heavy rain and flooding. Swell size and direction isn’t the only thing that governs the wave height on a bar, the swells can almost double in size and become very unpredictable when they meet the pressure created

from the large volumes of water pushed out by an outgoing tide. More often than not, it’s best to avoid crossing a bar on an outgoing tide and waiting until either the top or bottom of the tide to cross. Usually the top of the tide is the safest time to cross. The incoming tide on some bars can also create deadly pressure waves as

it can push swell up and over shallow banks, or the fast tidal flow can become undertoed going over a drop off, creating pressure waves which push back into a bar and into the oncoming swell. You can still cross a bar if there are pressure waves, but be extremely cautious when coming in or going out and always travel at a safe speed.

Safest route

Large River or Bay

Shallow unsafe channels River

Shallow unsafe channels

Shallow unsafe channels Safest routes

KEY

Waves breaking

Beach

Bank/sand bars

Land

Deeper safe channels

Rock wall

This diagram shows an example of the safest channels to cross a bar around the mouth of a large river or bay. You may see small channels where it may look safe to cross, but it is best to stick to the deeper more open channel, as there’s less chance they will seal up and have breaking waves go through them. 92

Waves breaking

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This diagram shows an example of the safest route to cross a bar around a river mouth. This example of a bar crossing is one of the most common and safest types of bars to cross, as the water is generally much deeper in them. Just be aware of where the sand bars or banks are, and try to avoid them, sticking to the deeper channel or channels.

WHAT TO DO BEFORE CROSSING A COASTAL BAR Before even crossing a bar, it’s crucial to have the right kind of boat that is sea worthy enough. Usually anything over 4m can do it safely on a good day. I personally use a 4.8m SmartWave centre console. Even though it’s a smaller boat, it can handle a bar extremely well as its very sea worthy, incredibly manoeuvrable and is virtually unsinkable. There has been many times where I have been able to cross a bar in my boat but much larger boats are unable to. This mainly comes down to knowledge, experience and knowing how to handle your boat. It is also crucial to make sure your boat has a good bilge pump, in case you cop a wave over the bow and need to remove the water fast. I highly recommend taking a good bucket as a last resort to bail out water. In my opinion, most boats should have a good bucket on board, as they are an extremely useful bit of kit to have. On the day or days prior to planning a trip offshore , check the conditions, as you can usually tell how bad a bar will be by checking tides, swell size and direction and winds. All the info you need to check the conditions is available on numerous

websites such as Bureau of Meteorology, Coast Watch, Seabreeze and Willy Weather. The general rule of thumb I find is when swell is under 1.5m and coming in on a slight angle to a bar with an incoming tide, and winds are under 15 knots, a bar is generally pretty safe to cross and go offshore. If the swell is coming straight in on a bar, it can make it very dangerous as there’s no shelter or refraction to minimize the swell, so the swell will come head on into a bar. If can time your trip with a high tide when you leave and come in, it makes crossing very safe. It is possible to cross a bar in worse conditions, but it will take more experience and knowledge over time before attempting. HOW TO CROSS A COASTAL BAR When crossing a bar you must keep a level-headed approach. Never freak-out or rush your approach. As per the law, always wear a life jacket when crossing a bar in any boat at any time. A boat can capsize quickly and it is almost impossible to put on a life jacket when the water is choppy. When I approach a bar, I will make sure any loose items in the boat are secure or stowed away. Then I will

assess the condition and look for a deep channel to cross. If I can’t really see what’s going on, I will approach with great care to take a better look. Remember, waves will generally break in one spot and lose most of their energy, so keep a safe distance between you and where waves are breaking when getting a closer look. Once I have found a safe channel, where waves aren’t breaking, I will radio the VMR and advise them of my intentions to cross. I will then approach the channel at a safe and reasonable speed. When going through a channel, you may come up against breaking and cresting waves, and if you’re not comfortable, you should abort. If you do, do so decisively and between sets, so you don’t get caught side on. If you can’t abort and turn away, its best to take a slow front on approach when hitting a breaking or cresting wave – getting airborne can get you into a lot of trouble. Most of the time when crossing a channel though, you’ll come up against unbroken swell. I find it best to angle your approach when going over unbroken swell, as you get a smoother ride and won’t become airborne or loose speed. Once through the bar,

On this typical river bar, you can see waves breaking over a sand bar in front. radio back to VMR letting them know you have crossed safely. With a GPS, it is wise to mark your track, so you have a safe route to follow when you head back in, and also make a land mark of where you came out of the bar. Coming back in through the bar is much safer than going out in my opinion. Once you’ve had your day’s fishing and decide to head in, make sure you radio into VMR again letting them know your intention to cross. Before committing to head in, it is best to wait for a decent set of swell so you can ride in on the back of the biggest wave, this is so that there’s as much

water as possible under the boat so you don’t run aground. When heading back in through the bar, make sure you follow your track and look for the clear channel. When sitting behind a wave, it’s a good idea to have your engine trimmed down a little more than usual, and never run over a breaking wave, as it can be disastrous. When the wave you have followed has broken never go over it too fast. The aerated water from the wave can cause the engine to cavitate and stall. If you can hear the motor slightly cavitate, trim the engine down and reduce the

speed a little. Once you are in the safety of sheltered waters, radio back into VMR letting them know you are safe. STAY SAFE I hope you find all this information very useful and it gives you that bit of confidence to cross a costal bar. Always remember to keep a level head, stay cautious and aware at all times and if you’re not sure or aren’t confident, don’t do it. Wait for another day or get an experience boatie to show you. It’s never worth risking your life and the lives of others. Stay safe and good luck out on the water.

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Boat basics: different hull types FMG

Nicole Penfold nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au

If you’re a land-based angler who’s never owned a boat, this article has some fundamentals to get you started. And if you have bought a boat but know nothing about it except that it eats money, you might learn an interesting fact or two here as well. “Wait a minute,” some of you are saying. “I’ve got a boat and I know all

immensely popular fishing boats. Because air resistance is so much lower than water resistance, pushing a boat through air rather than water allows it to go faster and use less fuel. The downside to a planing hull is that the ride isn’t as smooth and stable as a displacement hull, because the planing hull tends to bounce over the waves rather than move through them. Planing hulls are what we’re most interested in as trailer boat fishers, so here are the main types available.

styles have better handling, but you don’t really need that when you only fish smooth waters. Catamaran These boats, which fall under the category of multihull boats, have two hulls with an air pocket between them. One of the advantages of a multi-hull boat is their wide beam – they are wide almost all the way to the front of the boat, so you get more fishing room than you do with a single hull boat. This wide beam also lends itself to greater stability.

the boat, although most cashed-up people wouldn’t let that put them off buying such a roomy and stable fishing boat. Cats are the most common multi-hull fishing boats, although pontoon boats are increasing in popularity. A less common multi-hull trailerboat is the tri-hull. It’s similar to a cat but it has three hulls positioned close together, with smaller gaps between its hulls than a cat has. Fans of tri-hulls like these boats for their good handling abilities in choppy conditions. Vee hull (mono hull) As the name indicates, the front of these boats forms a ‘V’ shape when viewed from above. Vee hull boats are by far the most popular fishing boats, and there are models to suit all waterways. These boats can accelerate to planing speed quickly, reach good speeds and are comparatively fuel efficient. The boat’s vee continues all the way along the boat’s underside, and it’s called a deadrise. This flattened

Plate aluminium boats are a favourite with offshore anglers. vee-shape is very noticeable when you stand behind a boat on a trailer. The angle of a boat’s deadrise determines how well it handles rough conditions, and how stable it is. If your boat has a shallower vee it will have a bouncier ride but be more stable at rest. If your boat has a deep vee it won’t be quite as stable, but it

boat depends on both your budget and the kind of fishing you want to do. There are two types of aluminium boat: pressed and plate. Most tinnies are pressed, which means the manufacturer takes a sheet of aluminium and uses a mould to press the metal into the desired shape. The aluminium in a pressed boat is thin, which means

Pressed aluminium boats are the best when it comes to affordability. this stuff!” OK smartypants. You can skip ahead to the boat tests. The rest of us are going to settle in and learn about hulls. DISPLACEMENT HULLS These rounded hulls are found on the very largest and smallest fishing vessels: large cruisers and kayaks. A displacement hull is designed to cut through the water efficiently. Instead of skimming over the surface of the water, these hulls push through waves and swell, providing a smooth and stable ride. The downside is that they’re slow. PLANING HULLS Most trailer fishing boats have planing hulls – typically a flattened, v-shaped underside which tapers to a point at the front. At slow speeds, a planing hull acts just like a displacement hull, pushing its way through the water. At speed though, it’s very different. As the boat gains momentum its bow begins to rise. If you apply enough power (and the boat isn’t overloaded), the hull will lift higher and skim along the top of the water. Getting onto the plane, also called getting ‘out of the hole’ or ‘hole shot’, is faster or slower depending on the amount of power applied and the design of the boat. Planing hulls are 94

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Flat bottom (punt) This kind of hull isn’t very common these days, although you do find it on some small, open boats used to fish smooth waters (lakes and calm rivers). It has a shallow draft, i.e. the hull doesn’t extend very far under the water’s surface. That makes it a great choice for fishing skinny water. And because the hull’s flat base sits squarely on the water, it’s very stable. The main downside of this style of boat is that it has a rougher ride, bouncing over waves. Other hull

Cats can also ride smoother in choppy conditions, as the air pocket cushions the impact of the boat hitting the water. A downside is that cats are generally more expensive than a mono hull of the same length. This is partly because it takes more materials and labour to build two hulls, and also because these boats have two engines – which means more ongoing costs as well. And if you’re trying to get a good night’s sleep you may have to contend with noisier ‘hull slap’ as the water laps

Pontoon boats, like this Harris model, are becoming more popular.

Plate aluminium boats have a better ride than pressed boats, but they cost more.

will perform well in rough conditions. This is because the sharp angle lets the boat slice through the top of the water, rather than bouncing along it as a flatter boat would. The downside of boats with a deep vee hull is that they are generally not as stable at rest as cats, nor boats with a shallower vee. All vee hull boats lack the roominess of a cat, because the front of a vee hull boat isn’t as wide. On the upside, they’re more affordable when it comes to both the initial outlay and ongoing engine maintenance. You only have to buy and service one motor rather than two. ALUMINIUM VS FIBREGLASS Whether you buy an aluminium or fibreglass

the resulting boat is light. This lightness makes pressed boats fuel efficient and easy to launch and retrieve, but it also means they tend to bounce over the water at speed. Manufacturers do their best with pressed hull designs to improve the ride, but even the best pressed boat will never ride as smoothly as a fibreglass or plate aluminium boat. Still, pressed boats are very affordable, and if you’re not taking them into rough water it doesn’t matter if the ride isn’t as good as a glass or plate boat. Some examples of pressed boats include Quintrex, Stacer, Stessl, Sea Jay and Clark. Plate aluminium boats, by contrast, are made from taking sheets of aluminium and welding them together.

The aluminium in these boats is comparatively thick, which makes plate boats a lot heavier than pressed ones. This makes plate boats ride better in unfavourable conditions. Another benefit is that some manufacturers let you fully customise the layout, so you can choose the amount of deck space you want, the cabin size, helm location, fuel tank… the list is endless. Heavier plate boats also lack the noisy ‘hull slap’ that you get with pressed boats. As you’d expect, the weight of a plate boat means they chew up more fuel, require a more powerful tow vehicle, and they cost a fair bit more than a pressed boat. There’s not much point in buying plate if you only want a little boat, but if you want the option to fish the reefs or bluewater it

Catamaran hulls sit on a cushion of air.

Cats provide acres of fishing and cabin space because the boat doesn’t taper to a point in front. can be a good investment. Some examples of plate boats include Bar Crusher, AMM, Rip Tide and Sea Jay’s Plate Xtreme range. Fibreglass boats are as heavy or heavier than plate boats. Because a boat’s weight contributes to the quality of its ride, lots of anglers love glass boats. When it comes to ride and handling, the general feeling is that if you take an aluminium boat and a glass boat with the same hull

Few boats nowadays have a completely flat bottom.

Most trailerboats have a vee-hull like this one.

A traditional punt is the ultimate stable platform if your fishing is restricted to smooth water. These days vee-nose punts have largely replaced traditional punts.

When it comes to good looks and a soft ride, it’s hard to top a fibreglass boat.

The vee-shape of a hull, called the deadrise, gradually flattens as you move back from the bow. A shallow vee aids stability, and a deeper vee is better in rough conditions.

shape, the glass boat will ride better – although plate boat devotees may dispute this. There’s no arguing though that fibreglass craft look gorgeous, with attractive, flowing lines. The fluid design of glass hulls, unhampered by the restrictions of aluminium construction, also aids performance. Like plate boats, fibreglass craft are expensive and use more fuel than a pressed aluminium boat. Another downside of glass is that you can’t

knock it around like you can with aluminium boats. If you collide with something hard, the impact point can crack or splinter, and you really don’t want water seeping into the fibreglass. You just have to be a bit more careful with a glass boat. Still, overall they’re easy to maintain; you don’t have to worry about problems with rivets, welds or electrolysis. Additionally, you won’t get the noisy ‘hull slap’ with a glass boat. Some examples

of glass trailerboats include Haines Signature, Gale Force, Evolution and Tournament. There are lots of other differences between plate and glass, and you could really go down the rabbit hole with this topic. We haven’t even touched on heavy-duty poly boats, which have their own set of pros and cons! Still, I’ve given you the basics, so you have a few more things to consider when looking for your first boat. Good luck! SEPTEMBER 2016

Horizon 525 Scorpion cuddy BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

The Horizon 525 Scorpion has a family-oriented layout, so with this in mind we tested it with three aboard. Scott James of Horizon Boats showed how easily the craft could be launched, while Fishing Monthly’s Steve Morgan and myself enjoyed the ride. BAD DAY: GOOD BOAT The weather was bad during our review. Admittedly it wasn’t raining, but it was blowing hard enough, and with enough wind against tide chop on hand, to make me doubt the wisdom of heading out in a 5.25m craft. However, once we were out and on the Southport Broadwater, my concerns vanished due to the top quality ride the Scorpion was treating us to, along with the shelter from the stiff southerly the cuddy cab and bimini provided. For a 5.30m long cuddy craft, the Scorpion does offer quite a lot of comfort and features. And, thanks to the punchy F70A Yamaha 4-stroke on the transom, respectable performance as well. None of this was really surprising given the many years of boat building experience and practical know-how that’s behind each Horizon 525 Scorpion. Also of interest was the Scorpion’s 96

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hull rating of 70-90hp with the 70 Yamaha being ideal power in every way – but more on this later. Once aboard, I saw the rig as being ideally suited to family cruising, bay and estuary fishing, exploring estuaries, impoundments and the like as well as overnight camping with the ice box and lunch box stove aboard. Plus – wait for it – a run offshore in suitable sea conditions. Mum, Dad and up to three youngsters would suit the craft admirably, while a more dedicated fishing team would be ideal at three persons. FEATURES FOR ALL The Scorpion’s features included a decent bow rail, a cabin hatch amply large enough for a person to easily enter or exit from the craft as well as provide full access to the self draining anchor well, VIDEO

Scan this QR code to see Wayne Kampe talking about this boat on the water. comfortable cabin bunks for both seating and shelter from the weather along with deep

storage areas beneath them, sufficiently high cockpit sides with aft rails to make parents comfortable when youngsters were aboard, a fully carpeted floor and full height transom with locking door, ladder, and swim platform to starboard. Seating was yet another highlight. Up front very comfortable and sturdy highbacked swivel-style pedestals allowed both skipper and mate to either stand or be seated underway, with bolster sections to provide support when travelling. A folding seat aft offered seating for two persons – or a brace point courtesy of the backrest when folded down – with sufficient padding for plenty of comfort underway. A FISHING BOAT AS WELL As well as being a great family boat, the Scorpion would make a very handy fishing rig as well. Rod holders in gunwales complemented those on the cutting board, and side pockets were set up off the floor to provide a decent toe-hold under them. Metrehigh interior sides also offered brace points, and with a large area of boarding platform aft of the transom gate it would be easy to haul a decent fish in via that entry point. The 525 Scorpion’s dash layout saw paired gauges for the Yamaha F70A directly ahead of the skipper, and switches handy nearby. The

craft’s Lowrance sounder was set up atop the dash which is exactly where a larger unit could also find itself as there was plenty of room aft of the one piece windscreen. Small pockets up front, each side of skipper and mate, allowed for storage of personal items, such as keys, phone and the like. 70 YAMAHA THE WAY TO GO As mentioned earlier, engines rate as high as 90hp but I was more than satisfied with the performance of the Yamaha 70 4-stroke. An acclaimed engine from its release thanks to its light weight, punchy performance and economy, the 70 was whisper quiet at idle, hardly noisy when working hard, and made easy work of powering the 450kg Horizon hull with its 3mm bottom and side sheeting. Even with three aboard the rig was out of the hole and planing in around two or three boat lengths when pushed hard. Test runs saw the craft planing freely at 16.3km/h, cruising very sweetly at 4000rpm at 31.5km/h, and with a top speed of 53km/h. Of course, nobody wants to run around on 6300rpm WOT for long, and with a fuel consumption of a recorded 10.45L per hour at a sensible 4000rpm (31.5km/h) the 110L under-floor tank would provide a very handy cruising capability when travelling at around 30km/h.

Sleek lines and a well balanced mix of cuddy area and fishing work room are characteristics of this well turned out craft. SUMMING UP All in all, the Horizon 525 Scorpion is as highly desirable family or fishing rig. It packed in a lot of features for its modest 5.30m length and 2.20m beam, and offered high levels of comfort. The fit and finish of components and overall general finish was of a quite high level. Looking at the complete package, I saw it as an absolutely ideal rig for a family, beginners to boating, or for really keen and dedicated anglers to enjoy as well. The starting price for

a boat and trailer package is approximately $30,00035,000. Check the website for your nearest dealer. For more information on Horizon Boats visit www. horizonboats.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.

SPECIFICATIONS Length overall.................................................5.35m Beam................................................................2.20m Depth...............................................................1.16m Weight hull.......................................................400kg Fuel.................................................................. 110kg Horsepower............................... 70 Yamaha 4-stroke Max transom weight....................................... 155kg Persons...................................................................5

A couple of things are evident here: firstly the height of the back rests on the comfortable seats, secondly the great forward visibility.

The Horizon 525 Scorpionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rear seat, so handy for passengers underway, also offered drop-down capability with the back rest as a handy brace point when fishing.

The Horizon has a roomy interior with wide bunks, high cockpit sides and aft features.

A wide cabin hatch within easy reach of the anchor well make it easy to enter and exit the Scorpion.

The 525 Scorpionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cockpit pockets provided both storage plus a handy brace point for the feet when fishing in chop or swell.

Decent sized strakes and a reversed outer chine combine to provide a soft riding and predictable hull.

While the test rig featured a modest dash layout, there was still plenty of room behind the windscreen for a quite large sounder/GPS unit if required. SEPTEMBER 2016

Sea Jay’s 488 Avenger – a lot of boat for the money

FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

There’s no denying it – the Sea Jay Avenger 488 is one big tinny. Derived from the ever popular Avenger range from Sea Jay, this locally built aluminium boat is sure to turn heads at most boat ramps across the country. If not for its pretty wrap, then just for its sheer size. It’s deep and it’s wide. Especially compared to the nuggety Garry Fitzgerald, who met me at the Raby Bay boat ramp for the morning’s test run. Of course, being a week day, conditions were glassy – totally inappropriate for boat testing. However, we still managed to get out and have some fun over a couple of hours on the water, and highlight some of the things this boat does well. The first of these is economy. Ridiculous economy. Doing the performance runs in southern Moreton Bay, the Suzuki gauge touched 4km per PERFORMANCE RPM................... Km/L Idle.......................... 4.2 1000....................... 5.2 2000....................... 3.7 3000....................... 3.5 3700....................... 4.0 4000....................... 3.7 5000....................... 2.7 5500 (WOT)............. 2.4 *Fitted with a 17” pitch propeller

SEPTEMBER 2016

litre of fuel burned. Great figures for a boat touching 5m in length. The second was stability. The 2.3m beam is not only apparent in the Avenger’s cavernous cockpit, it’s evident while moving around on the water. Sure, reversed chines help a little, but it’s just the massive width that makes this such a stable platform on the water. At the waterline, the Sea Jay carries less beam to the bow, resulting in a narrower, wave-cutting entry. I thought that this might make the boat less stable, but I couldn’t notice the difference. Unfortunately, the billiardtable-like Moreton Bay didn’t provide conditions to see if the sharp bow rake did

what it looked like it would do. It looks like it would cut the water better than your run-of-the-mill tinny. LAYOUT Fitzy said one of the attractions of the Avenger is its practical simplicity. “Sea Jay likes to keep things simple,” he said, “and the rear livewell is as simple as they come.” With no powered pumps and water draining straight through to the outside through strategically placed holes in the hull and transom, it’s a classic design that’ll never let you down. And that design theme continues throughout this boat. The side console is simple and functional. Electronics

need to be bracket mounted on top of the console behind the windscreen, but there is a handy little covered box for your valuables (keys, wallets and mobiles). Otherwise, the design is minimalist. Fitzy is also a big fan of the Sea Jay system of seat mounts. “I’ve had Sea Jay boats for nearly 20 years and I’ve always loved this seat mounting system,” he said. “There’s nothing protruding up from the deck, so if you’re packing something on top of a seat mounting position, it sits flush.” Indeed, Sea Jay’s seat bases are built in house and look strong enough to ski from! Up front, there’s an ample casting deck for those

Adding to the existing Avenger range, the 488 boasts massive beam and depth. The factory-installed wrap adds a touch of class.

SPECIFICATIONS Hull thickness...................................................3mm Gunwale thickness...........................................3mm Beam..................................................................2.3m Depth...............................................................1.22m Floor ribs...............................................................12 Capacity....................................................5 persons Hull weight......................................................435kg Rec hp...............................................................70hp Max hp...............................................................90hp Max motor weight.......................................... 175kg who like throwing plastics at predators, but Sea Jay has also mounted the Minn Kota battery up front, too. Distributing the weight like this pushes the bow down and makes the bow rake do what it’s supposed to do, and that’s cut water. The test model was supplied on a special Sea Jay trailer that’s been custom made by Dunbier trailers. Featuring a C-section frame, it’s designed to not hold any saltwater, thereby eliminating any points where corrosion can gain a foothold. It’s something I’ve seen previously in imported trailers but I have rarely seen it locally in galvanised steel. There are plenty of

alloy I-beam trailers made in Australia. Priced in the high $20,000s for a basic package and in the low $30,000s for one kitted out like the test model, the Avenger is cheap for a boat of this size and most definitely cheap to run. You can get more information at your local Sea Jay dealer or by visiting www.seajayboats.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.

VIDEO

Scan this on your smartphone to watch Steve Morgan and Garry Fitzgerald test the Avenger 488.

Scan this QR code to watch Garry Fitzgerald do a walk through of the Avenger 488.

This self-filling and draining livewell has no plumbing apart from a bung and holes to fill and maintain a level. No pumps to burn out and no pipes to burst here.

Not many boats of this ilk leave a dealership without a bow-mounted electric motor nowadays. The test Sea Jay sported a Minn Kota model with a for’ard mounted battery to balance the ride.

It’s not rocket science to build a boat with traditional and virtual anchoring systems to work side-by side.

This is not trick photography – but Garry Fitzgerald is fairly height challenged and the 488 is an incredibly beamy boat with high gunwales. Now THERE’S a mountain of deck to work with. Huge casting decks and a beamy cockpit mean that this boat opens up plenty of options – no matter where in Australia you’re fishing.

As usual, here’s a calm weekday for boat testing. Yes, the weekend following it was windy. Typical.

Side pocket storage is simple – just like the build. Big, beamy and simple means trouble-free boating.

The side console is simple and effective. Bracket mounting the sounder is the best option.

Sometimes it’s the little things that make all the difference. Realising that a tie-down strap isn’t the best solution for most boats, these little tie-downs let you use a short strap to the trailer, minimising damage and straps humming down the highway.

Wow – a place specifically designed to hold keys and mobile phones. I doubt it’s completely waterproof but it is splashproof. SEPTEMBER 2016

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Adrenalin Flies www.adrenalinflies.com.au U-Make-Em Soft Plastics www.u-make-emsoftplastics.com.au Korr Lighting www.korrlighting.com.au She Left www.hdvcs.com.au

Chelsea Yamaha (03) 9772 1212 Kris Oakley Marine Services (03) 9794 5524 JV Marine World Braeside (03) 9798 8883 JV Marine World Laverton (03) 9368 7100

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Shallow Inlet Caravan Park (03) 5687 1385

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION EAST GIPPSLAND

MARLO

21 Marine Parade MARLO VIC

OCEAN VIEWS CARAVAN & CAMPING PARK

03 5154 8268

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100

BOAT TRAILER CENTRAL Vic Marine & Trailer Warehouse 0412 264 450

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This section in V&TFM Fishing Monthly consolidates the trades and services in your area that are relevant to your fishing and boating. Whether you’re a local looking for more options or a travelling angler fishing around the state, this guide will direct you to reputable businesses in the area you’re searching.

SEPTEMBER 2016

CHARTER BOATS

NSW SOUTH COAST

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EAST GIPPSLAND East Gippsland Charters 0400 564 032

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FOR UP TO 10 PEOPLE •Swains Reef •Port Clinton •Stanage Bay •Island Head Creek •Shoalwater Bay •Pearl Bay P: 0419 789 921 www.inyadreamscharters.com Inya Dreams Fishing Charters, 0419 789 921 Reel Affair, Merimbula freecall 1800 233 247 Espirit Charters, Bermagui (02) 6493 4104 or 0407 260 110 Freedom Charters, Eden (02) 6496 1209 or 0415 602 446 Headland Fishing Adventures, Merimbula (02) 6495 1134 Island Charters, Narooma (02) 4476 1047 or 0408 428 857 K9 Fishing Charters, Merimbula (02) 6495 1681 Merimbula Marina, Merimbula (02) 6495 1686 or 0427 951 080 Narooma Charters, Narooma 0407 909 111 O’Brien Charter Service, Bermagui 0407 214 124

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Senator Multi-Tool Valued at $54.90

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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

789

Series 3 through 9

Capella III Fishing Adventures, Port Welshpool (03) 5688 1585 Far Out Charters, McLoughlins Beach 0428 401 819 Prom Coastal Charters, Yanakie (03) 5687 1248 or 0429 935 583 Razorback Bluewater Charters, Port Albert (03) 5183 2691

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Angling Expeditions Victoria, Tawonga (03) 5754 1466 Highland Trout Lakes, Ballarat (03) 5368 9574 Millbrook Lakes Lodge, Ballarat (03) 5334 0404

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SEPTEMBER 2016

101

Victorian Tide Times

2016 2016 Local Time

POINT LONSDALE – VICTORIA POINT – 144° VICTORIA LATLONSDALE 38° 18’ LONG 37’

SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER Time Time m

Time 0451 1152 0451 1727 1152 2351 1727 2351 0552 1245 0552 1826 1245 1826

m 0.45 1.47 0.45 0.70 1.47 1.39 0.70 1.39 0.43 1.52 0.43 0.61 1.52 0.61

33 0049 0644 0049 1330 SA 0644

1.45 0.42 1.45 1.55 0.42 0.52 1.55 0.52 1.50 0.42 1.50 1.57 0.42 0.46 1.57 0.46 1.53 0.43 1.53 1.57 0.43 0.41 1.57 0.41 1.54 0.46 1.54 1.56 0.46 0.38 1.56 0.38 1.54 0.49 1.54 1.54 0.49 0.37 1.54 0.37 1.52 0.53 1.52 1.51 0.53 0.37 1.51 0.37 1.49 0.57 1.49 1.48 0.57 0.38 1.48 0.38 1.45 0.63 1.45 1.43 0.63 0.40 1.43 0.40 1.41 0.68 1.41 1.37 0.68 1.37

TH TH

22 FR FR

1914 SA 1330 1914 0141 0729 0141 1409 SU 0729 1956 SU 1409 1956 0225 0808 0225 1442 MO 0808 2034 MO 1442 2034 0303 0845 0303 1513 TU 0845 2109 TU 1513 2109 0339 0919 0339 1543 WE 0919 2144 WE 1543 2144 0413 0954 0413 1614 TH 0954 2217 TH 1614 2217 0447 1029 0447 1646 FR 1029 2251 FR 1646 2251 0526 1105 0526 1721 SA 1105 2326 SA 1721 2326 0609 1142 0609 1800 SU 1142 SU 1800

44 55 66

77 88

10 10 11 11

0000 12 0658 0000 12 1221 MO 0658 1845 MO 1221 1845 0041 0755 0041 1307 TU 0755 1940 TU 1307 1940 0130 0900 0130 1405 WE 0900 2045 WE 1405 2045 0231 1005 0231 1516 TH 1005 2201 TH 1516 2201

13 13 14 14

15 15

0.43 1.36 0.43 0.74 1.36 1.32 0.74 1.32 0.46 1.33 0.46 0.79 1.33 1.27 0.79 1.27 0.50 1.31 0.50 0.82 1.31 1.25 0.82 1.25 0.52 1.33 0.52 0.80 1.33 1.27 0.80 1.27

LAT 18’ of High LONG 144° Times and38° Heights and Low37’ Waters Times and Heights of High and Low Waters NOVEMBER OCTOBER m Time Time m TimeNOVEMBER m Time OCTOBER m

Time 0344 1108 0344 1630 1108 2315 1630 2315 0459 1203 0459 1736 1203 1736

m 0.52 1.38 0.52 0.71 1.38 1.34 0.71 1.34 0.49 1.45 0.49 0.59 1.45 0.59

0019 18 0601 0019 18 1253 SU 0601

1.45 0.44 1.45 1.53 0.44 0.45 1.53 0.45 1.57 0.41 1.57 1.58 0.41 0.33 1.58 0.33 1.65 0.40 1.65 1.62 0.40 0.23 1.62 0.23 1.70 0.40 1.70 1.63 0.40 0.17 1.63 0.17 1.71 0.43 1.71 1.61 0.43 0.15 1.61 0.15 1.67 0.47 1.67 1.57 0.47 0.18 1.57 0.18 1.61 0.52 1.61 1.51 0.52 0.23 1.51 0.23 1.53 0.58 1.53 1.44 0.58 1.44

16 16 FR FR

17 17 SA SA

1830 SU 1253 1830 0115 0656 0115 1338 MO 0656 1919 MO 1338 1919 0207 0745 0207 1421 TU 0745 2006 TU 1421 2006 0256 0830 0256 1503 WE 0830 2054 WE 1503 2054 0344 0916 0344 1544 TH 0916 2141 TH 1544 2141 0431 1002 0431 1626 FR 1002 2228 FR 1626 2228 0522 1047 0522 1711 SA 1047 2315 SA 1711 2315 0616 1133 0616 1800 SU 1133 SU 1800

19 19 20 20

21 21 22 22 23 23

24 24 25 25

0003 26 0716 0003 26 1223 MO 0716 1900 MO 1223 1900 0056 0820 0056 1321 TU 0820 2012 TU 1321 2012 0200 0923 0200 1435 WE 0923 2129 WE 1435 2129 0315 1024 0315 1558 TH 1024 2239 TH 1558 2239 0430 1121 0430 1707 FR 1121 2344 FR 1707 2344

27 27 28 28

29 29 30 30

0.31 1.45 0.31 0.64 1.45 1.36 0.64 1.36 0.40 1.39 0.40 0.69 1.39 1.30 0.69 1.30 0.49 1.36 0.49 0.71 1.36 1.28 0.71 1.28 0.54 1.36 0.54 0.68 1.36 1.31 0.68 1.31 0.55 1.38 0.55 0.60 1.38 1.37 0.60 1.37

Time 0524 1222 0524 1759 SU 1222 SU 1759

m 0.58 1.40 0.58 0.45 1.40 0.45

1.44 0.52 1.44 1.45 0.52 0.44 1.45 0.44 1.51 0.50 1.51 1.47 0.50 0.37 1.47 0.37 1.56 0.49 1.56 1.48 0.49 0.33 1.48 0.33 1.59 0.50 1.59 1.49 0.50 0.31 1.49 0.31 1.59 0.51 1.59 1.48 0.51 0.30 1.48 0.30 1.59 0.52 1.59 1.46 0.52 0.31 1.46 0.31 1.56 0.55 1.56 1.43 0.55 0.34 1.43 0.34 1.52 0.59 1.52 1.39 0.59 0.37 1.39 0.37 1.47 0.63 1.47 1.33 0.63 1.33

0102 17 0637 0102 17 1316 MO 0637

1.51 0.54 1.51 1.46 0.54 0.31 1.46 0.31 1.64 0.50 1.64 1.52 0.50 0.19 1.52 0.19 1.73 0.47 1.73 1.57 0.47 0.12 1.57 0.12 1.78 0.45 1.78 1.58 0.45 0.09 1.58 0.09 1.78 0.45 1.78 1.57 0.45 0.10 1.57 0.10 1.73 0.46 1.73 1.53 0.46 0.16 1.53 0.16 1.65 0.49 1.65 1.47 0.49 0.25 1.47 0.25 1.56 0.53 1.56 1.39 0.53 1.39

0.40 1.41 0.40 0.67 1.41 1.28 0.67 1.28 0.45 1.36 0.45 0.70 1.36 1.25 0.70 1.25 0.50 1.32 0.50 0.70 1.32 1.24 0.70 1.24 0.55 1.32 0.55 0.67 1.32 1.28 0.67 1.28 0.58 1.35 0.58 0.58 1.35 1.38 0.58 1.38

26 26

Time 0534 1213 0534 1802 SA 1213 SA 1802

m 0.54 1.41 0.54 0.52 1.41 0.52

22 0039 0726 0039 1356 SU 0726

1947 SU 1356 1947 0226 0809 0226 1433 MO 0809 2026 MO 1433 2026 0306 0846 0306 1505 TU 0846 2101 TU 1505 2101 0341 0921 0341 1537 WE 0921 2135 WE 1537 2135 0413 0956 0413 1608 TH 0956 2209 TH 1608 2209 0445 1030 0445 1642 FR 1030 2243 FR 1642 2243 0518 1104 0518 1715 SA 1104 2315 SA 1715 2315 0555 1139 0555 1752 SU 1139 2347 SU 1752 2347 0635 1215 0635 1831 MO 1215 MO 1831

33 44

55 66 77

10 10

0020 11 0720 0020 11 1251 TU 0720

1916 TU 1251 1916 0059 0813 0059 1334 WE 0813 2012 WE 1334 2012 0147 0912 0147 1429 TH 0912 2121 TH 1429 2121 0249 1017 0249 1536 FR 1017 2241 FR 1536 2241 0404 1122 0404 1650 SA 1122 2357 SA 1650 2357

12 12 13 13

14 14 15 15

16 16

1858 MO 1316 1858 0200 0735 0200 1406 TU 0735 1950 TU 1406 1950 0252 0826 0252 1453 WE 0826 2041 WE 1453 2041 0342 0914 0342 1538 TH 0914 2130 TH 1538 2130 0430 1000 0430 1622 FR 1000 2218 FR 1622 2218 0517 1045 0517 1707 SA 1045 2306 SA 1707 2306 0605 1131 0605 1755 SU 1131 2354 SU 1755 2354 0657 1219 0657 1847 MO 1219 MO 1847

18 18

19 19 20 20 21 21

22 22 23 23 24 24

0042 25 0752 0042 25 1309 TU 0752

1950 TU 1309 1950 0132 0850 0132 1407 WE 0850 2105 WE 1407 2105 0230 0948 0230 1516 TH 0948 2219 TH 1516 2219 0340 1045 0340 1631 FR 1045 2327 FR 1631 2327 0457 1141 0457 1737 SA 1141 SA 1737

27 27 28 28

29 29

0029 30 0606 0029 30 1231 SU 0606

1830 SU 1231 1830 0122 0701 0122 1315 MO 0701 1915 MO 1315 1915

31 31

0.35 1.47 0.35 0.57 1.47 1.32 0.57 1.32 0.46 1.39 0.46 0.61 1.39 1.27 0.61 1.27 0.56 1.34 0.56 0.62 1.34 1.26 0.62 1.26 0.64 1.32 0.64 0.59 1.32 1.30 0.59 1.30 0.68 1.31 0.68 0.53 1.31 0.53 1.37 0.67 1.37 1.33 0.67 0.46 1.33 0.46 1.45 0.64 1.45 1.35 0.64 0.39 1.35 0.39

Time 0206 0745 0206 1354 0745 1953 1354 1953 0244 0823 0244 1430 0823 2030 1430 2030 0316 0859 0316 1504 0859 2104 1504 2104 0348 0933 0348 1539 0933 2139 1539 2139 0421 1008 0421 1615 1008 2211 1615 2211 0455 1043 0455 1651 1043 2243 1651 2243 0531 1116 0531 1729 1116 2314 1729 2314 0610 1151 0610 1809 1151 2347 1809 2347 0651 1228 0651 1856 1228 1856

m 1.52 0.61 1.52 1.38 0.61 0.33 1.38 0.33 1.58 0.58 1.58 1.41 0.58 0.29 1.41 0.29 1.62 0.56 1.62 1.43 0.56 0.27 1.43 0.27 1.64 0.55 1.64 1.43 0.55 0.27 1.43 0.27 1.64 0.54 1.64 1.42 0.54 0.29 1.42 0.29 1.62 0.55 1.62 1.40 0.55 0.32 1.40 0.32 1.58 0.57 1.58 1.36 0.57 0.35 1.36 0.35 1.53 0.59 1.53 1.32 0.59 0.39 1.32 0.39 1.47 0.60 1.47 1.28 0.60 1.28

0028 10 0738 0028 10 1310 TH 0738

0.45 1.42 0.45 0.59 1.42 1.26 0.59 1.26 0.52 1.37 0.52 0.58 1.37 1.26 0.58 1.26 0.59 1.34 0.59 0.53 1.34 1.32 0.53 1.32 0.66 1.34 0.66 0.45 1.34 1.42 0.45 1.42 0.68 1.37 0.68 0.34 1.37 0.34

TU TU

WE WE

TH TH

FR FR

SA SA

SU SU

MO MO

88 TU TU

99 WE WE

1951 TH 1310 1951 0117 0830 0117 1400 FR 0830 2101 FR 1400 2101 0218 0930 0218 1503 SA 0930 2221 SA 1503 2221 0331 1034 0331 1614 SU 1034 2337 SU 1614 2337 0451 1139 0451 1725 MO 1139 MO 1725

11 11

12 12

13 13 14 14

0043 15 0609 0043 15 1239 TU 0609

1.55 0.66 1.55 1.42 0.66 0.22 1239 1.42 TU 1829 1829 0.22

16 16 WE WE

17 17 TH TH

18 18 FR FR

19 19 SA SA

20 20 SU SU

21 21 MO MO

22 22 TU TU

Time 0142 0713 0142 1335 0713 1926 1335 1926 0236 0806 0236 1427 0806 2018 1427 2018 0327 0856 0327 1515 0856 2109 1515 2109 0415 0944 0415 1603 0944 2159 1603 2159 0501 1031 0501 1651 1031 2246 1651 2246 0548 1118 0548 1741 1118 2333 1741 2333 0635 1206 0635 1834 1206 1834

0019 23 0723 0019 23 1256 WE 0723

1938 WE 1256 1938 0106 0813 0106 1348 TH 0813 2050 TH 1348 2050 0157 0904 0157 1446 FR 0904 2159 FR 1446 2159 0255 0956 0255 1551 SA 0956 2302 SA 1551 2302 0405 1048 0405 1655 SU 1048 SU 1655

24 24

25 25 26 26

27 27

0002 28 0520 0002 28 1140 MO 0520 1751 MO 1140 1751 0055 0625 0055 1229 TU 0625 1839 TU 1229 1839 0140 0715 0140 1313 WE 0715 1921 WE 1313 1921

29 29

30 30

m m 1.68 0.61 1.68 1.48 0.61 0.13 1.48 0.13 1.76 0.55 1.76 1.52 0.55 0.08 1.52 0.08 1.81 0.51 1.81 1.54 0.51 0.07 1.54 0.07 1.80 0.48 1.80 1.54 0.48 0.11 1.54 0.11 1.75 0.46 1.75 1.50 0.46 0.18 1.50 0.18 1.68 0.46 1.68 1.45 0.46 0.28 1.45 0.28 1.59 0.48 1.59 1.38 0.48 1.38 0.39 1.51 0.39 0.50 1.51 1.31 0.50 1.31 0.50 1.43 0.50 0.52 1.43 1.27 0.52 1.27 0.61 1.36 0.61 0.54 1.36 1.26 0.54 1.26 0.70 1.31 0.70 0.53 1.31 1.29 0.53 1.29 0.77 1.28 0.77 0.49 1.28 0.49 1.35 0.78 1.35 1.27 0.78 0.44 1.27 0.44 1.43 0.76 1.43 1.28 0.76 0.38 1.28 0.38 1.50 0.72 1.50 1.31 0.72 0.33 1.31 0.33

Local Time DECEMBER Time TimeDECEMBER m

Time 0217 0757 0217 1355 0757 2000 1355 2000 0252 0835 0252 1434 0835 2037 1434 2037 0327 0912 0327 1514 0912 2112 1514 2112 0400 0947 0400 1552 0947 2145 1552 2145 0436 1023 0436 1631 1023 2217 1631 2217 0513 1058 0513 1711 1058 2250 1711 2250 0549 1133 0549 1752 1133 2327 1752 2327 0628 1211 0628 1839 1211 1839

m 1.56 0.67 1.56 1.34 0.67 0.29 1.34 0.29 1.61 0.63 1.61 1.37 0.63 0.27 1.37 0.27 1.64 0.60 1.64 1.39 0.60 0.26 1.39 0.26 1.65 0.57 1.65 1.40 0.57 0.28 1.40 0.28 1.65 0.55 1.65 1.39 0.55 0.30 1.39 0.30 1.62 0.54 1.62 1.36 0.54 0.33 1.36 0.33 1.58 0.52 1.58 1.34 0.52 0.38 1.34 0.38 1.53 0.50 1.53 1.32 0.50 1.32

99 0010 0710 0010 1252 FR 0710

0.45 1.48 0.45 0.48 1.48 1.31 0.48 1.31 0.53 1.43 0.53 0.44 1.43 1.31 0.44 1.31 0.63 1.39 0.63 0.40 1.39 1.36 0.40 1.36 0.71 1.36 0.71 0.34 1.36 1.44 0.34 1.44 0.75 1.36 0.75 0.27 1.36 0.27

24 24

1.54 0.74 1.54 1.39 0.74 0.19 1.39 0.19 1.64 0.69 1.64 1.43 0.69 0.13 1.43 0.13

29 29

TH TH

FR FR

SA SA

SU SU

MO MO

TU TU

WE WE

88 TH TH

1935 FR 1252 1935 0100 0756 0100 1341 SA 0756 2043 SA 1341 2043 0157 0850 0157 1438 SU 0850 2200 SU 1438 2200 0303 0951 0303 1544 MO 0951 2315 MO 1544 2315 0419 1057 0419 1655 TU 1057 TU 1655

10 10

11 11 12 12

13 13

0023 14 0539 0023 14 1204 WE 0539

1804 WE 1204 1804 0124 0648 0124 1307 TH 0648 1906 TH 1307 1906

15 15

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

16 16 FR FR

17 17 SA SA

18 18 SU SU

19 19 MO MO

20 20 TU TU

21 21 WE WE

22 22 TH TH

Time 0219 0747 0219 1405 0747 2001 1405 2001 0312 0841 0312 1458 0841 2054 1458 2054 0400 0931 0400 1548 0931 2144 1548 2144 0446 1020 0446 1638 1020 2230 1638 2230 0530 1108 0530 1728 1108 2315 1728 2315 0611 1154 0611 1820 1154 2358 1820 2358 0651 1238 0651 1918 1238 1918

0040 23 0730 0040 23 1323 FR 0730

2020 FR 1323 2020 0123 0812 0123 1409 SA 0812 2121 SA 1409 2121 0211 0856 0211 1500 SU 0856 2221 SU 1500 2221 0307 0945 0307 1559 MO 0945 2320 MO 1559 2320 0416 1039 0416 1700 TU 1039 TU 1700

25 25 26 26

27 27

0015 28 0531 0015 28 1136 WE 0531 1759 WE 1136 1759 0105 0636 0105 1230 TH 0636 1848 TH 1230 1848 0148 0727 0148 1321 FR 0727 1933 FR 1321 1933 0228 0810 0228 1408 SA 0810 2013 SA 1408 2013

30 30

31 31

m m 1.72 0.62 1.72 1.48 0.62 0.10 1.48 0.10 1.76 0.55 1.76 1.51 0.55 0.10 1.51 0.10 1.77 0.49 1.77 1.51 0.49 0.15 1.51 0.15 1.74 0.45 1.74 1.49 0.45 0.22 1.49 0.22 1.68 0.42 1.68 1.44 0.42 0.31 1.44 0.31 1.61 0.41 1.61 1.38 0.41 0.41 1.38 0.41 1.54 0.42 1.54 1.32 0.42 1.32 0.51 1.46 0.51 0.44 1.46 1.28 0.44 1.28 0.61 1.38 0.61 0.45 1.38 1.26 0.45 1.26 0.71 1.32 0.71 0.46 1.32 1.27 0.46 1.27 0.79 1.27 0.79 0.46 1.27 1.30 0.46 1.30 0.84 1.24 0.84 0.44 1.24 0.44 1.36 0.84 1.36 1.23 0.84 0.40 1.23 0.40 1.42 0.80 1.42 1.25 0.80 0.35 1.25 0.35 1.49 0.75 1.49 1.29 0.75 0.31 1.29 0.31 1.55 0.68 1.55 1.33 0.68 0.28 1.33 0.28

Last Quarter Last Quarter

Tide predictions for Port Phillip Heads have been formatted by the National Tidal Centre, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Copyright reserved. All material is supplied in good faith and is believed to be correct. It is supplied on the condition that no warranty is given in relation thereto, that no responsibility or liability for errors or omissions is, or will be, accepted and that the recipient will hold MHL and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Australia free from all such responsibility or liability and from all loss or damage incurred as a consequence of any error or omission. Predictions should not be used for navigational purposes. Use of these tide predictions will be deemed to include acceptance of the above conditions. 102

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