Victoria and Tasmania Fishing Monthly August 2019

FATHERS’ DAY GIFT GUIDE INSIDE

NEW FIND THE

Features

LOGO COMPETITION SEE INSIDE

Land-based winter options in Western Port • Reviewing Vic’s Rec Fishing Licence • A heads up on sounders •

Boating & Kayaking Kayaking the shallows • Buying a boat • Stessco Amberjack 520 with Yamaha F90hp • Bassco Hurricane with Mercury Pro XS 115hp • Campion Explorer 492 Sports Utility with Mercury 80hp •

August, 2019 Fishing Monthly G R O U P

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August 2019, Vol. 14 No.10

Contents WEST COAST West Coast

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15

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19

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Warrnambool 16 Apollo Bay

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Cobden 17

CENTRAL Geelong 18 Port Phillip West

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Port Phillip North East

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Mornington Peninsula

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Victorian Game Fishing

25

Port Phillip Bay Offshore

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Western Port North

28

Western Port South

29

Phillip Island

30

EAST COAST Bemm River

33

Gippsland Lakes

34

Marlo 34 Lakes Entrance

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Corner Inlet

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NSW SOUTH COAST Merimbula 38 Narooma 39 Bermagui 40 Mallacoota/Eden 40

VICTORIAN FRESHWATER Wagga Wagga

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From the Editor’s Desk...

It’s always fun to spend a couple of days at the Melbourne Boat Show.

This wintertime boating extravaganza is the culmination of plenty of work by the BIAV and the numerous exhibitors.

We spent our time making content for our partner boat dealers – companies that spend big money to exhibit and who really need to sell boats at the show to justify their expenditure.

We do our best to channel them potential customers, with our massive Boat Show feature in the June magazine and our live broadcasting on-site to let customers know about the incredible deals they have on offer.

But lots of dealers still struggle. It’s been a tough year for lots of small, independent boat yards. Plenty of us thought that it was a pre-election thing, and we assumed that when the uncertainty of a government change was over, consumer confidence would increase.

Pic courtesy of Melbourne Boat Show

Now it’s the tax carrot.

Maybe people will be spending when they get their chunk of tax back from the government?

The fact is that it’s a harsh environment out there for all of us, and fishing and boating gear aren’t necessities. When times are good, the industry flies and when times are tough, we all suffer in an exaggerated fashion.

Last month I suggested that if you wanted your local tackle stores to survive, you needed to visit them and enjoy their friendly faces and local advice, which is

something you don’t get from a cheap, nasty tackle seller on eBay. The same is true with boating.

Support your local boat dealer and the brands they represent, and they will be there to help you out with servicing, warranty issues and boating advice, which is worth so much more than what you get from the faceless experts on Facebook.

To a person, these guys and girls are hard-working Aussies who jump boots and all into a business in an area that they love, and will do whatever it takes to

keep a customer happy.

For me, this means buying my boating chandlery from my local boat store and not a chain store. And yes – I make a point of buying nearly all my fishing and boating gear, rather than getting it for free. I prefer to maintain brand independence when it comes to delivering a magazine that takes an even and balanced approach to reporting what’s going on in the fishing and boating arenas.

So support your local, independent fishing and boating stores, the same way that you’re supporting the only Victorian magazine that lets you know exactly what’s coming up in your fishery.

LICENCE REVIEW In this issue there is an interesting article by Ross Winstanley on page 12 that outlines the independent review into fishing licencing in this state. If you don’t understand the current split of where the funds go, Ross puts it into perspective.

Albury/Wodonga 50 Robinvale 51 Snowy Mountains

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West/South Gippsland

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Wangaratta 53 Shepparton 52 Eildon 54 Bendigo 55

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Nagambie 56

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Phone: (07) 3387 0800 Fax: (07) 3387 0801

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

Chappy’s Hotspot

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Inland Fisheries Service

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Managing Editor: Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

Printing: APN – Print

Tasmanian Lake Levels

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Editorial Manager: Jacqui Thomas

Fly Fishing Scene

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Dam Levels

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Tournament News

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Sub-Editors: Nicole Penfold Bob Thornton Lucette Eggleton

Production: Karen Millward Keith Hawley

Track My Fish

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Trade and Services Guide

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Fun Page

72

Kayak fishing

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Victorian Tide Times

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What’s new Boating

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What’s new Fishing

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Office Manager: Marie Dykstra

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AUST

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Reviewing Vic’s Recreational Fishing Licence 12

Publishers: Steve Morgan Matthew Drinkall

Luther Juric found this solid snapper fishing in Port Phillip Bay. This one was caught in 21m off Mornington Peninsula using squid as bait.

A Luther Juric image.

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BOATING AND KAYAK

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TASMANIA WRAP

Western Port land-based winter options

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Ballarat 57

Back to Basics

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PRO

Crater Lakes

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MEMBER

FOR SALE Once in a lifetime opportunity to purchase four of the best businesses in Yamba FOR SALE

# 1 TOWN

Voted Best Town In Australia

Reeltime Charters: Yamba’s most successful & longest running fishing charter and the only charter based in the famous Yamba Marina. Rated as one of the best charters in NSW. With 12 years of running charters from the port of Yamba/Iluka.

Comprising three custom built fishing vessels able to cater for over 30 anglers at a time: Silver Star 38ft Westcoaster by star boats, charter licence in all 4 endorsements (Game fishing, Offshore Deep-sea, Nearshore & Estuary) for 16 Odin 36ft Multicat, charter licence in all 4 endorsements for 14.

Avalanche 34ft Steber. charter licence in all 4

endorsements for up to 12.

All vessels are in perfect running order and in full survey.

Turnkey operation with all gear and skippers if needed.

Sale includes all websites, web addresses, social media sites, phone numbers and huge amount of existing signage and advertising as well as all future and annual bookings.

FOR SALE

Yamba Whale Watch: The only dedicated whale watch business in the area dedicating at least one boat (Avalanche) to whale watching for the season June to October every year. But with the ability to place over 30 people over 3 boats at a time if needed.

Sale includes all websites, web addresses, social media sites, phone numbers and huge amount of existing signage and advertising as well as all future and annual bookings.

FOR SALE Rated as the best tackle shop chandlery in the town!

Marina Boat and Tackle: One of the most comprehensive fishing tackle shops and boat chandlery in the area based right in the centre of Yamba Marina. Rated as the best tackle shop chandlery in the town with the only pro Humminbird and pro Minn Kota dealer in the lower Clarence. Selling most of the big name brands this is a walk in business with all stock and fixtures ready to go. Large established clientele and turnover.

FOR SALE

Yamba BBQ Boat Hire: Comprising of 3 custom built pontoon BBQ boats. The only business of its type in the area. This is a hire drive rental business run out of Yamba Marina. All vessels are fitted with new Suzuki 4 stroke engines and fully renovated. In perfect running order and full survey.

Sale includes all websites, web addresses, social media sites, phone numbers and huge amount of existing signage and advertising as well as all future and annual bookings.

Business is for sale as is with all 4 businesses under the one banner or can be split up as completely separate units at owner’s discretion.

Contact: Daniel Kelly | Ray White Yamba

|

M 0408 669 646

T (02) 6645 8000

F (02) 6646 2593 W www.raywhiteyamba.com

Western Port lures land-based winter anglers the right areas.

Gummy sharks are opportunistic feeders, meaning they will take a variety of baits and often swim off the bottom into higher water columns to take bait. Fresh calamari rings and fillet baits from trevally, salmon

WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

Land-based fishing can be tough anywhere in Victoria, however Western Port has more positives in comparison to other waterways. It has the potential to yield big fish like those boating anglers catch.

In Western Port, a combination of location, when to fish and technique all play a part in being successful. If you can combine these factors on any given trip, you’re in with a good chance at success.

Flinders Pier is known by anglers as a calamari Mecca. It is important to fish on a high tide as it always delivers quality models. preferred throughout the entire year, with focus on the lead up to the new and full moons. Targeting calamari doesn’t change much from location to location, however versatile anglers will reap

will be better for attracting them to the lure. If you’re going to prop yourself in one spot, you can also cast out a baited jig. Baits such as silver whiting or pilchard can be threaded onto it and suspended

Balnarring is a well-known spot for gummy sharks, but other sharks can be a welcome by-catch.

Using artificial jigs is popular, but sometimes you just can’t pass up using a bait jig.

FLINDERS Flinders is the number one pier to fish for calamari from within the Port. Sure, there are whiting, pike, snook, trevally and gummy sharks available but given its location in the Port, it is a calamari-producing Mecca. Located near the southernmost entrance to Western Port, Flinders is always clean with oceanic water. The pier extends 320m from the shore,

with its end depth around 4m on high tide and 2m on low tide.

The pier is such a good calamari fishery due to the extensive seaweed bed, in which calamari from offshore enter the Port during September and October to spawn. It is a year-round fishery, but catching calamari relies on fishing the prime times.

Regardless of spawning calamari, a rising tide is

It’s a serious trek to make it out to Stockyard Point, but it is worth it to access this quality low tide fishery. the rewards.

While squid jigs are effective, keep in mind that calamari caught from this pier are often larger in size, so a size 3.0 and 3.5 jig

HALF MOON

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BLUE MIRROR: Best for bright, full-sun situations on the open water and offshore.

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8

AUGUST 2019

and yellowtail scad will get results.

When setting a gummy rig, running sinker rigs are often more effective than a paternoster. A running sinker rig consists of using a 50lb braided mainline to which a 2m length of 60lb leader is connected,

OPTIMAL USE: • Boating and fishing in deep water • Open reflective water • Harsh sun

approximately 1.5m under a float. Once cast, the bait will float with the current over the weed beds without snagging up, hopefully attracting calamari to it.

While the bait is floating with the current, it is good practice to continue to cast about a squid jig.

When calamari are actively feeding, it is common to catch them using both techniques.

BALNARRING When it comes to gummy sharks, Western Port has quite limited landbased access to reliable grounds. Despite this, prime land-based fishing areas do exist from Point Leo through to Balnarring.

Most of this area is quite shallow from shore, mostly 2-3m within casting range, and if you look closely at Google Maps you’ll be able to see the sand channels amongst the weed beds. It is these sand channels that gummies navigate along in search of food. Having prior knowledge of the area by doing a little research will enable you to cast into

and a metre length of 80lb leader containing a smaller hook set of 5/0 octopus style hooks, connected via a swivel.

Catching gummy sharks does require some knowledge of when they will be at their most active and, while they can be caught year-round, it is more favourable to fish three days before and after the full moons. During these times, the tides are larger, allowing the gummies to get closer to shore to search for food.

STONY POINT PIER Western Port has seven

Stony Point Pier is a great place to take children. Access is great and there are a variety of species that can be caught.

prime piers to fish from, but Stony Point is the best.

Within a gentle cast, the water depth is around 5m into Stony Point Channel.

While a variety of fish can be caught, including silver trevally, yellow-eye mullet, salmon, whiting, garfish and calamari, it is the prized snapper that sees plenty of anglers trying their luck. Prime snapper season begins in September and runs through until later December; however, they can still be caught right up until May by dedicated fishers.

Targeting snapper from the pier doesn’t require much of a technical approach. Rather, the simplest of methods are often the more effective.

Snapper tend to feed in the mid and bottom water columns, and this is where the paternoster rig is favoured. A paternoster rig containing two droppers can allow two baits suspended in both water columns, provided you rig it correctly. Rigs tied from 60lb are preferred and each dropper should contain either a single 6/0 circle hook or a snelled set of 5/0 suicide hooks. Snapper will take pretty much any bait offered, however fresh calamari is the superior choice. Other alternatives include pilchards and silver whiting fished whole.

While there aren’t specific areas to cast to from Stony Point Pier, the main aim is to cast from the pier’s end and out into the channel, before sitting back to wait for the bite.

Throughout the peak of the season, snapper will travel with the tides through the

Balnarring is a great location to target whiting and gummy sharks. Justin Blythe knows exactly how good this area can be and has caught many gummy sharks there. high tide. This makes it a low tide fishery only.

Once you park at the end of Bay Road, you have to walk along the beach for approximately 1.5km to gain access to the hard sand.

It is important to ensure it

season, this includes tailor, mullet, silver trevally, salmon, snapper, gummy, bronze whaler and sevengill sharks, and elephant fish.

While anglers fish from here mostly to target gummy shark, it is actually

Stockyard Point in all its glory on a high tide. During the low, you can easily walk on the sand and cast to the main channel. channel and back out into the north arm.

STOCKYARD POINT Many anglers know how productive Stockyard Point can be, but it is not the easiest of locations to fish. Located near Jam Jerrup, Stockyard Point is a huge sand spit that is covered with water during

is hard sand, as taking a shortcut across what looks like sand could lead you into knee-deep boggy mud, which can be very difficult to get out from.

Once at the spit, you have to make long casts to access the main channel, where you can catch a variety of species. In

the prime land-based location to catch elephant fish. Due to the soft muddy bottom, elephants can easily sift through the soft sand and mud to find food. Elephants are in their prime from February until early May and while they mostly feed on the bottom, To page 10

AUGUST 2019

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From page 9

you can use baits such as squid and pipi.

Running sinker rigs work best but because you need to cast as far as you can, I suggest you fish a single dropper paternoster rig. This way, the weight is at the bottom of the rig, which will enable that further cast. Elephants have quite a small mouth, so I recommend suicide hooks in a 2/0 or 3/0 size.

COWES PIER It’s not always the case that fishers have just one species on their minds.

In fact, many anglers like to head to a reliable location to catch anything they can get. Cowes Pier

the best all-rounder, and you can change the hook size depending on the species you’re targeting.

For instance, if you’re after whiting I recommend a Mustad bloodworm #6 hook, while a 5/0-6/0 suicide or circle hook will do the damage for snapper and gummy shark.

If you’re on the pier just to catch a fish, then you can’t go past using a pipi bait.

If you want to specifically target a species, use the top bait recommended for them. Snapper and gummy

AUGUST 2019

sevengill sharks, you’ll need to make long casts further out into the deeper water.

Land-based fishing can be challenging at times, but within the confines of Western Port there are so many productive locations to try your luck. Whether you’re a novice or an expert, Western Port can deliver some amazing fish, provided you put in the time and research your location of choice. Best of all, land-based fishing is cheap – it only costs a tank of fuel in the car, some bait and your time.

Stockyard Point is a popular location for elephant shark and a host of other species.

Snapper are a viable option year-round at Stony Point Pier, as a deep cast is easily accessible.

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sharks prefer fresh calamari, flathead takes bluebait, sevengill sharks like salmon fillet, and for mullet, silver trevally, whiting and salmon you should stick to pipis.

Most of the bread and butter species such as whiting, salmon, trevally and mullet can be caught around the pylons of the pier, but you will need to use some berley to attract them. This can be done with a bait bag of pellets and tuna oil handed onto the water surface. For anything larger such as snapper, gummy and

is that place and fishes well throughout the year.

Although it can be quite tidal, fishing is best two hours either side of a tide change, with the high tide proving more profitable.

Whiting, barracouta, mullet, flathead, silver trevally, salmon, snapper, gummy shark, sevengill shark and calamari are the more regular species caught but it’s not uncommon to hook something bigger if you rig up right.

Rigs used from the pier can differ greatly, but due to the strength of the tide a paternoster rig is

During the summer holidays, Cowes Pier is jam-packed with anglers all keen to catch a fish. However, during the quiet of winter, it is a top place to target flathead, gummy shark and the odd pinkie snapper.

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Science meets fishing

Reviewing Victoria’s Recreational Fishing Licence GEELONG

Ross Winstanley

Twenty years after its introduction, Victoria’s Recreational Fishing Licence (RFL) is being opened up to a comprehensive independent review.

In March this year, VRFish chairman, Rob Loats, wrote to the Minister, Jaala Pulford, requesting an independent review of Victoria’s RFL and Trust Account arrangements, to deliver improved benefits for fishing.

On 3 June, the Minister advised VRFish that she had asked the Victorian Fisheries Authority to work with anglers to review the RFL arrangements.

The Statewide Recreational Fishing Roundtable had been examining this issue for some time and draft terms of reference were tabled at the 28 June meeting.

REVIEW OUTLINE To lead this review, the Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) is engaging a suitably qualified independent consultant. Under the terms of reference, the review will examine: • the RFL Trust Account’s purpose, how well it meets anglers’ needs and how expenditure can be improved to advance recreational fishing; • the merits of extending the licence to include the various categories of anglers currently exempt from holding a licence; • the current planning and approval arrangements for investing Trust Account funds; • other matters, including accountability to licence holders and the public.

Submissions are being sought between July and September. The final report is to be submitted to the Minister in December.

BACKGROUND It is 20 years since Victoria introduced Australia’s first comprehensive recreational fishing licence. Along the way, licence fees and shortterm licences have been tweaked, most recently in 2016/17. However, there have been no changes to the suite of exemptions from requiring a licence. As a result, the proportion of adult anglers buying licences has fallen from 50% in 2000/01 to 30% in 2017/18. Allowing for anglers with current 3-year licences bought in previous years, according to Andrews Government figures, more than 60% of adult anglers were unlicensed ‘free-riders’, enjoying benefits paid for by the dwindling minority.

In addition, services that governments funded for decades have been cost12

AUGUST 2019

shifted to the 260,000 RFL-holders.

The VFA acknowledges that this situation can only get worse as licence numbers continue to fall and the numbers of unlicensed anglers increase. It appears that the Government realises that this is unsustainable and has decided to open the policy and operational aspects of the licensing system to a review.

WHERE THE MONEY GOES Originally, most of the annual licence revenue was intended to fund grants for new and expanded projects, developed by or with licenceholders. Spending categories and funding priorities were set under agreement between Fisheries Victoria and VRFish.

In 2001, ‘Your Licence Fees at Work’ brochures explained that from 2003/04, 75% of annual funds were to be allocated through the Grants Program. These brochures were widely distributed in keeping with the Government’s promise to keep anglers fully informed on how their licence fees were being invested. Fig. 1 shows how far those original funding shares have changed, along with the later addition of government policy initiatives and cost-shifting of previously governmentfunded programs.

Today, more than 50% of RFL funds are spent on compliance and the Government’s Target One Million policy program.

This review of the RFL arrangements gives all Victorian anglers the

Fig.1. RFL Trust Account budget breakdowns, proposed from 2003/04 and actual 2017/18. opportunity to have their say on licensing and expenditure arrangements. In the long term, it also offers anglers the chance to achieve more direct control over licence funding investment decisions.

THE RFL IS NOT A ‘SUPER’ SCHEME Many ‘exempt’ anglers have claimed, “After years of paying for fishing licences, I should be able to fish for free!” This is incorrect.

Paying for a licence is not like paying into a super scheme where you reap the benefits of free fishing later in life.

The licence you paid for in a given year contributed to the costs of maintaining the fisheries in that year. You either took advantage of the benefits or you didn’t, but they weren’t ‘banked’ for you to use later on. Over time, the costs of maintaining fish stocks and providing quality fishing opportunities have risen. Today, those costs fall on current RFL holders.

If the current unfairness and limited revenue situation

Fig.2. The VFA’s 2019 advertisements are a welcome advance in openness and transparency on RFL investments.

is to be resolved, every adult should be licensed in every year they fish. Long-standing government policy is opposed to ‘free-riders’ – those who enjoy, free of charge, goods or services that others pay for.

The various categories of currently exempt anglers should require concessional, that is reduced-fee licences.

That’s consistent with Victoria’s State Concessions Act 2004 under which some of us qualify for reduced fees for car registration and some other services. As part of the review, expect to see free or nominal-fee annual licences for kids to be considered.

VRFISH’S VIEWS ON THE RFL VRFish’s March letter to the Minister argued persuasively for the RFL system to be ‘modernised’, taking into account the inequity resulting from current exemptions. It emphasised the needs for recreational fishing data, a reliable revenue stream, and improved governance to ensure that RFL funds are invested strategically, recognising RFL-holders’ priorities, to improve recreational fishing.

The 2000-01 National Survey had shown that 52% of Victorian anglers older than 15 years held RFLs. By 2017/18, only 30% of adult anglers bought RFLs and licence numbers are now falling towards the level of 1999/2000. Imposing annual fee increases to a declining number of anglers in order to keep the fisheries programs going is neither fair nor sustainable. VRFish got this right when they wrote about what’s needed to ensure a stable and equitable revenue base. On current trends, if the Government achieves its goal of one million anglers by 2020, 75% of them will be unlicensed VRFish was also correct in pointing to what’s needed in our licensing system in order to provide true, accurate and ongoing data.

Properly designed, the RFL system could provide the basis for estimating angler participation and needs, broken down by demographic

groups and geographic regions. It could also be the basis for both general and targeted communications, research and well-informed decision-making.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY Very few RFL-holders are aware that the only detailed accounts of RFL income and expenditure are from the Minister’s annual reports to parliament. The various forms of media reports highlight fish releases, new facilities, events and habitat improvements.

However, since the early 2000s there has been no simple accounting of annual RFL budget breakdowns, showing RFL-holders how the money is spent and tracking how this is changing over time. That was until June this year when the VFA published full-page advertisements describing how the $8.5M of fishing licence fees are being allocated across eight program areas (Fig. 2), which is a good start!

VRFish’s letter to the Minister pointed to the need for improved governance of the RFL arrangements.

It identified the need for improved accountability to RFL holders. Reminiscent of the 2001 agreement, it also flagged the idea of a set share of RFL funds allocated to the Grants Program as a measure of accountability and certainty, improving the sector’s ability to seek grant funding.

VRFish pointed out the low percentage of the $8.5M investment allocated to competitive grants in 2017/18, with less than $200,000 granted to projects delivered by fishing organisations.

The terms of reference of this review make clear that improved ‘reporting to the public’ is up for consideration.

STRATEGIC INVESTMENT VRFish’s letter proposed that “…ensuring our funds are reinvested towards strategic and priority outcomes for our sector” is grounds for a review of the RFL arrangements.

In 1999 we had some basis for predicting annual licence revenue; the RFL replaced the Amateur Fishing Licence,

which had been in place for 70 years, bringing in almost $2M annually. Two surveys showed where anglers wanted to see revenue spent as a condition of their support for the new licence. Under an agreement between the Government and VRFish, the original RFL revenue allocation committee worked to allocate funds across four priority areas.

This represented a very basic RFL investment plan based on clear input from anglers.

Today, RFL investments have shifted away from the original aim of spreading most of the annual funds to Grants Program projects, generated by the recreational fishing sector. Instead, most Grants-funded projects are generated by the VFA, Catchment Management Authorities, other agencies and universities, with some input and involvement from anglers. In terms of what VRFish wants to achieve, a key point is that RFL-holders had no direct input into either the cost-shifting of government-funded programs or development of the Target One Million policy.

For the most part, anglers have become ‘project takers’ rather than ‘project makers’.

Sure, the RFL-funded projects are delivering benefits for fishing but, if this is part of a plan, it’s not strategic, it’s not driven by anglers, and it’s not clearly and fully accountable.

Underlying this, what’s missing is an angler-inspired vision for what we want recreational fishing to look like in the long-term future.

Without such a vision and a strategic investment plan to guide annual funding decisions, governments will continue to control Trust Account expenditure.

Addressing this is a matter for VRFish and the recreational fishing sector.

This review offers anglers the chance to re-set the directions and processes for Trust Account investment, at the broad strategic level and for the development of major projects.

Will the review go the extra step and mobilise the sector to set out a path to guide Trust Account investment?

industry news

Whittley releases Clearwater aluminium boats

Whittley Victoria Sales is releasing the Clearwater AL boat range in time for summer. The new aluminium boat range consists of eight models across the popular runabout, side console, open boat, bow rider and sports fishing boat platforms, with BMT packages starting from less than $10,000 drive-away.

Located in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, Whittley Victoria Sales stocks both the new Clearwater AL affordable range of aluminium boats and Whittley’s premium fibreglass boat packages.

Design of the Clearwater AL range was overseen in Whittley Marine Group’s recently completed 5500m2 Victorian boat building and retail facility. The range

draws inspiration from the original John Savage aluminum hull designs, whilst incorporating the Whittley family’s 60-plus years of boat design, development and boat building expertise.

The result is a range of aluminium boat packages with a modern flair, designed to meet the needs of Victorian anglers and their families, with larger models featuring flashy flat alloy sides.

“The range is packaged with Yamaha outboard engines and sits on highquality Dunbier trailers,” said Genevieve Whittley, Sales Assistant at Whittley Victoria Sales.

“All Clearwater AL packages feature a 3-year limited structural warranty on hulls.

We also offer same day

on-site finance and insurance with Yamaha Motor Finance and Insurance. If you’re looking for an aluminium boat package for under $35,000, I encourage you to come and explore a Clearwater AL package.”

All models include painted hulls, vinyl wraps and full-length floors.

Larger models come fitted with a plumbed-in live bait tank anchor and navigation lights, bilge pumps, electric motor brackets, flat alloy sides and more.

The new range is on display at the Whittley Victoria Sales retail facility at 12/14 Somerton Park Drive, Campbellfield, Victoria. They are also available online at www. clearwaterboats.com.au, and can be shipped Australiawide. - Whittley

Matt Pejkovic was very happy with an 83cm late season Murray cod from the Yarrawonga area.

AUGUST 2019

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A heads up on sounders NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.fishotopia.com

Modern, state-of-the-art depth sounders are fantastic tools, and a massive aid to any form of boat fishing, but it pays to remember that they are only one part of the bigger picture.

Years ago, when I was working on Rex Hunt’s

Perplexed, I turned to the back of the boat where the transducer was located and peered into the water, which was quite clear for a tropical billabong. I could just make out the muddy bottom below and the edge of the weeds. There were no fish to be seen, but there were a couple of long strands of weed waving about in mid-water. These were no doubt the ‘fish’ our skipper had excitedly

that important lesson. It’s one I’ve seen repeated many, many times in the years since.

Modern sonar units or depth sounders are wonderful pieces of kit, and they’ve completely revolutionised much of our fishing. Many anglers (myself included) would be lost without them in some scenarios.

That said, I fear that many of today’s anglers

This graphic StructureScan shot from the author’s Lowrance sounder shows a submerged tree in a southern estuary that’s loaded with fish.

However, the promising scenario failed to produce a single bite. Real world observation showed many of the targets to be schooling mullet.

Some of the deeper ones are possibly bream, estuary perch or blackfish, but seeing them and catching them can be very different things. that could directly impact their fishing success. This may well be a reflection of the ‘device dominated’ era we live in nowadays:

one that sees a lot of people (especially those from younger generations) glued to screens of various types for a huge chunk of

The two finest fish-finders ever created are the pair located on the front of your head… hopefully protected and enhanced by a pair of quality polarised sunglasses. Use them!

TV show, we were filming on a Top End billabong.

I was in the camera boat and at one stage we’d cut the motor and drifted so the cameraman could shoot some boat-to-boat footage of Rex casting from the other vessel. Our boat had slowly drifted sternfirst toward the bank, and eventually came to rest against a thick weed bed.

“Wow! This is where we should be fishing!” our boat driver suddenly announced. I looked at him with one eyebrow raised.

“Check out all the fish on the sounder!” he explained, gesturing excitedly at the screen in front of him.

I walked back to the console and looked over his shoulder. We were only in a metre or so of water, but sure enough there were a couple of very interesting targets on the screen.

identified. I was still pondering how to gently explain this to him when a shout from the other boat summoned us back to work and the moment was lost. But I never forgot

spend far too much time gazing intently at that magical electronic screen and miss a lot of the other things going on in the real world all around them, including vital information

Birds like this egret can often pinpoint the presence of bait. Study their behaviour carefully and take advantage of the clues offered.

Not so subtle signs! Golden trevally busting up on jelly prawns in a tropical estuary were clearly visible… but only if you look up from that mesmerising screen.

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their waking lives. I would respectfully suggest that they’re missing out on a great deal as a result.

The clues, cues and intel’ available to us as fishers runs the full gamut: from glaringly obvious signposts such as wheeling, diving seabirds over a school of feeding fish to far more subtle hints, like a barely perceptible change in the temperature of an aluminium boat hull detected through the soles of bare feet, or the flick of a single jelly prawn hard against a mangrove root caught briefly by our peripheral vision. Unless

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AUGUST 2019

you look up from that screen occasionally and open your senses to the bigger picture, you’ll miss a lot of these subtle inputs.

Hand-in-hand with this big picture awareness should go a certain degree of healthy scepticism about what you’re actually seeing on the sounder screen. Social media is full of amazing images revealing various species of fish and other aquatic life displayed in graphic detail on various sounders.

I love these spectacular screen shots as much as anyone else, but I also accept that the conditions needed to produce them are the exception rather than the rule. Far more often, we’re working with vague suggestions and tantalising clues rather than hard facts.

It pays to remember that a mullet or a blackfish can return a near-identical sonar signal to a bream or a snapper, that a carp looks very much like a golden perch on screen, or that strands of weed can pass as fish to the uninitiated.

Interrogate every assumption you’re tempted to jump to, and do your best to validate those assumptions with real-world experience and direct observation. In short, lift your head from time to time and have a look around… There’s a whole world out there beyond those dancing pixels.

West Coast

August bite is short but sweet WEST COAST

Brett Carson

The mighty Glenelg is starting to get some inflows, finally turning the water darker after it stayed clear late into the usual rainy season. The dry has

the river mouth, and they will start to be pushed lower as the salt is driven to the mouth with the winter inflows. When the water is a bit dirty, trolling hardbodied lures and vibes fished vertically on the cast retrieve are good options. I have seen 65mm metal vibes

fishing with no success is instantly on with multiple rods screaming off. While fish had been on the sounder the whole time, something sparks them after hours of frustration. However, once they switch off, it’s just done and nothing seems to reignite them. Patience is an absolute

A frosty morning brought ice to the beach at Nelson. kept fish up on the edges and mulloway high up in the system, but that is now starting to change.

I’ve been busy collecting bait on the coastline and I saw something there this year I’ve never seen before.

On one cold morning, I was out as the sun came up and there was ice on the beach and sand dunes right down to the high tide mark! I hope I don’t see it again too soon.

Mulloway are still going strong from the caves to

trolled with success but they go to the bottom pretty quick when you pull up. It is not something you would normally do, but sometimes fortune favours the brave.

When the tide goes slack on the top, it is a good time to give mulloway a crack around the poles in the estuary. The bite period is often short in the cold season, but it can still be hot. I’ve seen 20 minute bites that are just mayhem – every boat that has been

must if you’re after winter mulloway, but it’s the same for the barra up north when it’s cold, so don’t feel jaded.

Perch fishing around Dry Creek has been hot, with visiting fishos catching their bag each day over weekend visits. Vibes are the go, using dark colours to match the water. Those that fish live minnows or small mullet cast around the snags will be on the job.

The shack area in Nelson will also hold plenty of perch

in August. The sounder will black out in patches as they are spawning, and remember only take what you need, same for bream.

Bream are doing the opposite of perch, and have been making the journey up to the fresh to spawn. This time of year, you will hear of catches upriver around Casterton and Dartmoor by those that know bream habits.

Podworms are unbeatable as bait, and while crabs are usually the go for the big bluenose bream, the bream can have soft mouths when they spawn, so mix it up.

Fish away from the edge a bit as the bream will be in the deeper water schooled up.

The salmon run is on around the coast so the predators will be on the job too. If you can brave the cold for surf fishing, the gutters are deep and the beaches are steep. Chase a salmon first, and then bang a fillet back into the gutter and the odds will be with you. Winter is a great time to hunt the schoolies and gummies, so rug up and have a crack.

• Good luck and feel free to come and see us at Nelson Boat Hire for the latest info, we have the local ‘live bait licence’ meaning we stock live

Jacob Spence with a healthy fish from around the caves. mullet, crabs and podworms along with all the frozen bait, tackle and lures you need for the area. We’ll do our best to give you some local knowledge

and get you on the fish quicker.

Remember you can hire any of our boats without a boat licence, including our very popular houseboat.

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An overnight session resulted in this mulloway.

www.alvey.com.au AUGUST 2019

15

It’ll be an awesome August if weather allows WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

The southern bluefin tuna scene is unchanged from the past few months, with the majority of the action, barrels and school-sized fish, coming from the Portland region and little elsewhere.

The recent Garmin South

West Victorian Game Competition, in which competitors could only launch from Port Fairy or Warrnambool, was evidence of this. After a few delays due to poor weather, the competition got underway with slightly more favourable weather, but the fishing was still tough with only one tuna taken.

Gummy sharks are a good offshore option if the conditions allow it.

In August, we are less likely to encounter bluefin off the coast, but fish have been taken at this time in previous years. So, it always pays to keep your eyes open on the water and your ear to the ground.

This month you may struggle to get good days for offshore angling, however if you do, there is always some good bottom fishing to be had. A recent spell of good weather has seen some excellent gummy sharks taken, which are still an option if you can get access to them.

Bream angling in the local estuaries has been tough lately, as evidenced by the recent Vic Bream Classic tournament where only four full bags of 10 fish were taken by competing teams.

August is often a case of feast or famine, and some days you wonder why you are bothering battling the elements when things are quiet.

However, when everything aligns, you can find yourself in the middle of a hot bite on fish bigger than usual. Fishing the incoming tide towards the lower regions of the local estuaries gives you the best chance.

Some of the smaller systems can produce well at this time

Xavier Gercovich landed this prime Merri River brown trout. of year if some of the rivers with bigger catchments are flowing too hard.

Salmon fishing off the local beaches can be a productive option, but is also very weather dependent.

Relentless southerlies and pounding seas will give you no chance, but a string of northerlies can soon turn it all around and make for some

exciting fishing, provided the schools are at the beach you’re fishing.

Trout fishing is a great fallback when the weather is too cold and wet for other forms of angling. With the Hopkins and Merri rivers still open for fishing during the closed season, there is always some good fishing to be had. By August, the

rivers are often running high and dirty but don’t be put off by this, as some of the biggest trout each year come at this time, with anglers fishing large lures in areas just out of the main river flow. By casting around back eddies, bridge pylons, natural structure and rocky runs, quality browns up to over 2kg can be taken.

Mixed bags, mixed success APOLLO BAY

Craig Rippon

The weather has been as expected on this part of the coast, with those eager enough to brave the elements being rewarded with some great gummy and school sharks, and good bags of snapper.

Most of the fish have been caught on the change of the tide from Cape Otway all the way back to Apollo Bay, in 35-70m of water. Fresh salmon fillets are the best bait for gummies, and squid

has been very effective for snapper.

I was recently fishing for bluefin tuna, and had a cracking day landing our bag and tagging six fish.

There were fish spread out all over the Otways, which was surprising as there was a lot of bait in the water. The fish were around the 6-8kg range, but were still good fun on light gear and made for a great feed when we got home. They took small skirts in all colours and stickbaits did the job on top.

Previous trips have given us some fishless days so I don’t really know

The beaches are red-hot this August, with plenty of salmon.

Mark, Harry and Lilly Featherstone had fun at the beach in Apollo Bay, and scored some great salmon too.

Lilly put up a great fight to land her first beach salmon.

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AUGUST 2019

where they have moved to – but that’s fishing! They could be back tomorrow, and let’s hope so.

The beaches have fired up, with some quality

salmon at the local beaches as well as gummies at Johanna Beach. The Aire River mouth is open at the moment, with salmon up in the river as well as some

decent bream. The fish fire up as soon as it opens, so keep your eye on it if you are a keen bream fisher.

Bream love black crabs from under rocks, so if you have time there’s plenty of rocks around to find your bait. They also like a range of hardbodied lures and soft plastics.

There’s still a good

feed of flathead about.

Whiting is still not in great numbers, but is worth a try as we get closer to warmer weather. Be patient, sunny days aren’t far away.

• If you’re coming to Apollo Bay for a fish, be sure to pop in to get all your bait and tackle needs, as well as an up to date report, or call us on (03) 5237 6426.

Plenty of good catches COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

Offshore from Boat Bay at Peterborough, Warrnambool and Port Fairy boaters are latching onto some sizeable school and gummy sharks. In depths exceeding 50m, sharks are responding to large squid baits presented on a sliding snell rig. It’s possible to encounter schools of small bluefin tuna and

Slammers and Tuna Terrors in lumo favoured.

The Curdies River mouth at Peterborough must be close to opening and once it does, give it a week or two to settle down before chasing bream.

Hopefully this month will see the system once again in sync with the sea, and bream fishing will improve as August progresses.

Remember to fish away from the clean and clear saltwater, especially in the lower channel. Bream

No doubt a school or so has exited the river for the sea.

Perch have been responding well to surface or just sub-surface lures, with early morning and evening the best time. Open water casting or trolling is fine, as the perch are still out of their daytime cover and on the prowl for sustenance. Bream have also been taken using the same method.

The best baits for bream have been scrub and kelp worm by a country mile.

The author was lucky to land this Hopkins River bream on a Lucky Craft Shallow Cra-Pea. snapper up to 60cm, so don’t forget the lures.

The southern bluefin tuna scene has taken off, with some solid barrels up to 150kg being boated out wide. Closer inshore schools of smaller specimens from 6-30kg are about. A variety of lures are taking fish, including the ever popular X-Raps in the larger size with deep divers favoured. Trolled or cast, these lures are effective on any given day. Of course, no one goes out without skirted lures, with Black Magic Jetsetter Maxis, Jack

will not inhabit there due to the clarity, so work the dirtier water just outside of the incoming salt.

Bream use this murkier water for camouflage when ambushing prey.

The Hopkins River at Warrnambool remains the prime estuary to wet a line in, with solid bream and estuary perch on offer and some searun trout further up in the system. The odd golden perch along with Australian bass has also been caught in recent times.

The mulloway scene has quietened down recently.

Kelp worms are found under beached, rotting kelp but can be down deep and require some effort in extraction. Remember: it’s illegal to dig for kelp worms using a shovel or spade, so they have to be recovered by hand. I’ve heard an intrepid angler uses a somewhat sturdy kid’s seaside plastic spade to extract the worms, which to me seems like a rather dodgy loophole. He does go through a few of these spades. I wonder – what does he do with all the unwanted buckets?

This feisty Hopkins perch fell to a Black Magic BMax shallow diver.

AUGUST 2019

17

Get your winter fishing fix GEELONG

Neil Slater slaterfish@gmail.com

August can see bitterly cold mornings, but don’t trout love it! Wurdee Boluc is the place to be for big browns, while smaller reservoirs such as Stony Creek will still produce trout.

FRESHWATER Michael Evans of Victorian Inland Charters has been getting a few redfin out at Wurdee Boluc Reservoir using metal spoons and soft plastics.

Michael recommends casting your lures out as far as possible, preferably in the early morning or late afternoon. Michael has caught a lot of fish around the 30cm mark, with the odd one better than 40cm. Michael’s best was a whopping 48cm and

We flogged that part of the reservoir to foam after that, but didn’t see another fish. Interestingly, we both had lures over

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AUGUST 2019

snotty trevally should try Cunningham Pier around first and last light. Fishers have caught them using raw chicken or pipis for bait.

The Geelong waterfront is the place to be for salmon this month. Photo courtesy of P Mayer.

Michael has been relishing the excellent redfin fishing at Wurdee Boluc Reservoir lately. weighed 1.65kg.

Last month, I fished Stony Creek Reservoir near Ballan with Hugh Hanson.

I was mucking about trying to get a drone going when Hugh said, “Oh, I’m snagged.” The snag then proceeded to move about and Hugh realised it was a big fish he’d have to fight. The culprit ended up being a big redfin of 46cm, which sure got the heart racing when we first spotted it coming in.

I took a few pictures and resumed arguing with the drone when Hugh hooked up again. By this point, I thought he was joking but no, another huge redfin!

inner harbour. Paul Mayer has been getting stuck into salmon using soft plastic lures, and most fish have been either side of a

the same spot for at least half an hour, before Hugh swapped to a 5” soft plastic he purchased from Japan.

Hugh worked the big plastic slow and close to the bottom, which was the big redfin’s undoing.

CORIO BAY This time of year can see some large snapper either side of 7kg caught by anglers willing to brave the cold conditions inside Corio Bay. If you have the clothing and patience, try Point Wilson, Western Beach and around Corio Quay.

Australian salmon have schooled up along the Geelong waterfront and around the Corio Bay

kilogram and fantastic fun on light tackle.

Paul reported that very early in the morning has been best, and if you have a boat you should be able to access them most of the day.

He noted that they haven’t been busting up on the surface, and that they have been sitting closer to the bottom. So rather than cast a metal lure, Paul says to use a soft plastic and work it down deep.

Calamari are still available around the Bellarine Peninsula.

Numbers seem a little lower than last month but it is still worth a trip. King George whiting have also slowed, with a few anglers catching reasonable fish (up to 40cm) east of the Clifton Springs boat ramp.

Radio host John Didge fished inside Corio Bay with Blair Bryant last month where they caught a good variety of fish. They caught snotty trevally along the Geelong waterfront using an ultra slow retrieve with a Berkley Gulp jigging shrimp soft plastic on a Jigman 1/16oz size 1 jighead. John says they also landed a few Australian salmon while they were targeting the local snotty trevally.

They also fished out off Limeburners boat ramp, where they caught some quality flathead using a Berkley Gulp Turtleback worm in pumpkinseed and a Berkley Gulp minnow in new penny on a Jigman 3/16 oz size 2/0 jighead. John also caught a few quality pinkie snapper up to 50cm, as well as slimy mackerel, inside Portarlington Safe Harbour using the same soft plastics.

Land-based anglers keen on tussling with

BELLARINE PENINSULA Rod Ludlow from Beachlea Boat Hire reports clients are returning with some great bags of squid, with some approaching 1kg in weight. Inner Governor Reef all the way through to the Prince George Bank has been red-hot. Rod says that there has been plenty of quality-sized flathead caught by his clients drifting along the edge of the deeper water between St Leonards and Indented Head. St Leonards has also

Asher had a ball catching and releasing bream in the Anglesea River. seen some decent King George whiting coming in, with the evening being the best bite.

Michael Crawford flicked a few soft plastics from Swan Bay jetty last month. He spotted a few

Hugh with a cracking pair of redfin he caught on soft plastics at Stony Creek Reservoir.

quality flathead in very shallow water. He managed to entice a bite on three, and landed one that measured 54cm, but the two he hooked and lost were better fish. He notes that using small jigheads for shallow water makes it difficult to get a decent hook up, due to their bony mouth.

SURF COAST It’s been good to see a few fish caught out of the Anglesea River, since it has had a rough time with fish kills over past years. The Anglesea River used to be the go-to place for kids, with a huge population of eager bream.

Mick Allardyce fished there with his neighbour, Marty Woodyaat, and their kids recently. They had a great time catching and releasing the local bream.

Catch a few around Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula or Surf Coast to Lorne recently? Send in a report to slaterbunch@ optusnet.com.au with ‘VFM’ in the subject field or give me a call on 0408 997 348. Please include where (without giving away your secret spot!), when, what on and who caught the fish. Pictures are always great, but please make sure they are at least 1MB (file size).

Thanks to all those that have sent reports in – please note that I’ve updated my email address to slaterfish@ gmail.com.

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19

Hard work will pay dividends this season along the Yarra has accounted for many bream the biggest around 40cm in length.

Despite the discoloured and cloudy waters, the bream I have caught all seem very healthy, shiny and brightly silver. I have also been using small paddle-tails with great success. Bream of various sizes have been scoffing these soft plastic imitations quite happily. I had a few sessions catching 10+ fish within a few hours, which has been pleasing. Along the journey, I have been surprised to still be catching pinkies this time of year. The biggest pinkie I caught was 48cm and was located closer towards the West Gate Bridge.

One unforgettable moment this month occurred

PORT PHILLIP BAY WEST

Alan Bonnici alan@fishingmad.com.au

It’s been a cold and challenging season for local anglers around Melbourne, battling rain and icy winds.

With the flu in full force, the local boat ramps are reasonably quiet during these months. Many local anglers have chosen to temporarily retire their boats and fishing rods to the garage until the warmer weather arrives, opting to sleep in and enjoy the warm conditions instead.

I too have battled the flu this past month and my poor boat is feeling neglected, however that doesn’t mean that I have tucked the rods away for the season. Instead, I see this as a great opportunity to fish many of the local river systems scattered around Melbourne throughout the day, which is a great way to

back under control, bringing in small amounts of line at a time and letting the fish run when it wanted to. Knowing I had very light line, I went slow and controlled. Finally, I could see colour only a few metres away from me – big, bright and silver. That’s when the fish went for one last run and snapped the leader.

I was left in shock, surprised that I managed to get so close to catching a beast on such light gear, but bitterly disappointed I didn’t land it.

This was undoubtedly a big mulloway that looked over a metre in size. I lost this battle, but that’s the sort of thing that gets you back out time and time again.

Fishing often requires significant time and

The author braved the cold and caught this bream along the Yarra River.

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still get my share of fishing action without needing to get up too early during the cold mornings.

Rugged up with a beanie, windshield and thermals, I have found myself fishing the edges of the Yarra River.

Starting at the Docklands, and covering ground through to AAMI Park and beyond the Botanic Gardens, there are some great spots along the river that can be covered by foot while flicking deep diving crankbaits in dark colours along the edges and towards visible structure.

This includes jetties, stumps, moored boats and along the rock walls. This is one of my favourite forms of fishing – simply equipped with ultralight spin outfits, generally 1-3 or 2-4kg class, coupled with a 1000 or 2000 size spin reel and a handful of crankbaits.

Walking and casting

Hardbodied crankbaits are a good winter option. while I was fishing opposite AAMI Park, and something massive struck my paddletail soft plastic. Using an ultra-light 1-3kg spin outfit and 4lb braid, I held on for dear life as this beast of a fish had its way with me. After a few intense minutes of the fish trying to spool me with big runs and headshakes, I managed to slowly get things

persistence, which is made even more challenging when the weather is cold, wet or windy. The result can be many long and uneventful hours flicking lures or waiting for a bait to be taken, and you enter that zone of battling boredom, questioning your techniques, and second guessing your lure or bait presentation when you’re

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Yarra bream are healthy, despite poor water clarity.

not catching. Those who can work their way through these situations, and come out the other end with great fish, demand our respect.

One such local angler is Stephen Clements, who has been putting in countless

perch and golden perch.

His most memorable catches, however, have been two giant carp around 80cm, one of which almost pulled his rod into the lake. Carp of this size are quite underrated fighters,

Out in Port Phillip Bay, winter is one of the best times of year to be targeting flathead, whiting and squid.

Between Werribee and Geelong, whiting up to 50cm are still a common catch. Many local anglers

Port Phillip Bay, especially between Altona and Point Cook. There have been slow days on the water, and when this happens it’s a good idea to play around with different coloured squid jigs. UV white and oranges have been the standout colours this past month.

Port Melbourne through to Williamstown have seen flathead between 40-50cm regularly caught while drifting around, flicking soft plastics or small pieces

of pilchard on a paternoster or running sinker rig. Near the Williamstown football ground, schools of pinkies are still being found, so make sure if the bite gets quiet to spend a little bit of time cruising around at a slow pace watching your sounder.

Generally, schools of fish sitting on the bottom indicate that they’re in feeding mode, so be prepared to spend some time looking for them.

That’s all from me this month. Don’t forget to contact me directly if you

would like to share your recent fishing experiences around Melbourne and Port Phillip Bay from Werribee through to Port Melbourne, so they can be added to next month’s article. You can contact me via email at alan@fishingmad.com. au, check out my website at www.fishingmad.com.au, or look me up on Facebook (facebook.com/fishingmad. com.au), YouTube (youtube. com/c/fishingmad) and Instagram (instagram.com/ fishingmad.com.au).

A common size catch using a crankbait. hours to catch quality fish.

Stephen has been fishing with bait along Albert Park Lake, putting in many long and cold nights suspending earthworms from a float and basic running sinker rig.

With this method, he’s been catching his fair share of small rainbow trout, estuary

especially on light fishing gear, and there were some intense moments as the carp dashed for cover under the jetties. It drew a crowd of cyclists and joggers, and thankfully some of those onlookers decided to stop and lend a hand to help Stephen net the beast.

hit whiting bag limits around Kirks Point, Wedge Spit, Corio Bay and not far out from the Werribee boat ramp, with well-presented pipis or small pieces of squid continuing to be the best bait choices.

Squid are one of the most targeted species out in

Stephen with an urban giant. He landed this impressive carp in Albert Park Lake.

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AUGUST 2019

21

Bag out on the bay PORT PHILLIP NE

Wayne Friebe wfriebe@bigpond.net.au

The cold, wet and windy weather has continued for the past month on the bay. Unlike this time last year, we have had extended periods of substantial rainfall and strong winds.

Crisp morning frost on calmer days has made early starts challenging for anglers.

Many Victorian fishers think of all kinds of excuses not to go fishing on the bay over winter, and normally look for alternatives further afield.

It’s a bit of a head scratcher during clear calm days, but if you’re one of the dedicated anglers that stick around, there are plenty of fishing options available.

The beginning of the annual snapper spawning migration is only a month or

Gummy sharks have become a welcome winter snapper bycatch and a legitimate target species in recent seasons, particularly out wide from Mount Martha and Mornington.

Some jumbo calamari have been landed from the boat around Mornington.

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For anglers keen to try their luck, there are still plenty of resident reds in PPB if you’re willing to put in the hours. Bite windows are short-lived during the colder months, but the quality of snapper can more than make up the difference. Much like last year, we have enjoyed a prolonged run of winter

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Quality winter bream have been taken in the local estuaries on baits and lures, especially after recent rains.

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snapper out from the wider marks around Mornington and Mount Martha, normally a feature in late autumn around the change of season.

Anglers fishing the inshore areas and reefs have reported smaller pinkie snapper and school-sized fish while anchored up with baits and drifting with lures.

As always, be prepared to endure some undersized fish. They can be annoying at times, but it’s worth taking the time to return these juveniles back to the water unharmed.

Anglers concentrating their efforts around the deeper snapper marks have also been rewarded with some reliable fishing for gummy sharks, especially locally and further south.

This winter, more and more anglers have been specifically targeting this great fish in PPB, not just

next door in Western Port.

Fillet baits of salmon and slimy mackerel have been best, with fresh trevally a great alternative. Be prepared to put up with by-catch, as the rewards are worth it. The wider marks 18-21m out from Mornington to Safety Beach have been producing, as well as a variety of marks further south.

Land-based and boat squid fishing have been very consistent after a slower start than normal earlier in the year. Periods of rain and wind tend to concentrate calamari in areas of cleaner and calmer water, so keep an eye out for more protected areas during these times.

Bigger models have been turning up more often, especially further south in the bay. The Mornington area has also been producing plenty of large calamari.

Another feature of July has been consistent bread and butter fishing, especially from the local piers and jetties and within the rivers and estuaries. Salmon have been producing along the inshore

areas, and good numbers of mullet have been keeping anglers busy, especially in the Patterson River.

Numerous reports of some quality garfish have been coming in. This run of gars is certainly keeping anglers busy on the clear and calm winter days, with big bags of fish up to 40cm on offer. The use of berley is crucial to keep fish on the chew and it doesn’t hurt to have a larger bait or lure in the area at the same time, as some big salmon have been hanging around gars, especially near the larger piers.

Bait and lure fishing for bream in Patterson Lakes has been excellent of late. Lure anglers have been doing very well from kayaks and boats throughout the canal system, mostly on soft plastics fished slowly on the bottom. They have also been cashing in on some great estuary and canal perch action at night. Bait fishers have been busy in the main river system with baits of scrubworms and yabbies.

Tarran landed this ripper calamari off the bank near Portsea.

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AUGUST 2019

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Great August expectations MORNINGTON PENINSULA

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There’s no doubt about it – winter has been very good to us on the Peninsula, with plenty of great fishing action for land-based anglers and boaters. We are certainly hoping that it will continue and we will have a productive month ahead.

ROSEBUD The Pier has been a hot spot for salmon, with numbers of fish hanging underneath the jetty in the

firing up, with plenty of salmon around the boats and out the front of the wall if you’re trolling. Soft plastics and small metal lures are the go if you’re on the pier.

There are a few squid about but if it’s big breeders you’re looking for, out from the Sisters and towards Portsea has been the most active. Size 3.5 jigs in a variety of colours have been effective for most anglers.

The Sorrento Sisters have been fishing very well for good size winter whiting and squid. Cuttlefish are

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Steve caught this cuttlefish from Sorrento Pier. morning and later in the day. Big calamari have been reported rather than the smaller ones typical of Rosebud.

Just inside of the Rosebud Reef, whiting have been on the bite and some table-sized gummy sharks have been caught as by-catch by anglers targeting pinkies.

RYE TO SORRENTO From Rye, we have seen some very good catches of whiting. This time of year, around the Pinnace Channel or the White Lady are productive areas.

Gummy sharks have been popular the past few weeks. There have been quite a few fish caught out the front of Rye, and they should continue to bite well this month. There are plenty of fresh bait options available right now, so stock up and go chase a fish or two.

Blairgowrie Pier is

in good numbers around most of the piers and mooring grounds.

SURF BEACHES Gunnamatta is on fire at the moment. Lots of salmon reports are flooding in, with plenty of fish in the 2kg+ range taking baits and lures. Surf poppers have been favourable this season, along with surf snatcher rigs. The fish have taken a real liking to them.

Further up, St Andrews

Beach and Portsea back beach have also been productive, with fish averaging just shy of 3kg.

Hopefully, this run of bigger fish hangs around for a while.

If you can get out offshore when the weather’s good, gummy sharks have consistently been in good numbers. Plenty of fish up to 15kg have been reported, with a few bigger models about as well.

This is a good example of a quality offshore gummy fit for the table.

Plenty out there for the brave GAME FISHING

Lee Rayner info@fishingfever.com.au

Winter is still here, but for us lucky people down here in Victoria and its surrounds, August and September can in fact produce some great fishing for some seriously big

worth the effort.

WEST COAST This time of the year the Southern Ocean can be a very unforgiving place, with big swell and horrendous wind. On the upside, when you can go out and fish, the weather is very good, with only light winds as high pressure systems pass through Victoria.

in huge numbers feeding on whitebait and pilchards.

While they are generally not overly large fish (6-12kg) they are heaps of fun to catch on light tackle.

If you’re keen to get into them, then generally it’s the small skirts that get the best results, with the Black Magic Jetsetter range being hard to beat. By downsizing your diving lures to an X-Rap 10 or 15 you will also see the tuna climbing all over it.

If the weather is good and your after a bit of action on the bottom fish, then running to the inside edge of the shelf can see you with some awesome catches of big striped trumpeter, school and gummy sharks, snapper and morwong to name a few.

Further east, anglers can often find big tuna at Apollo

Bay, with places like Little Reef (also known as the 9 Mile) and out wider Big Reef producing well. These areas hold bait and have a fair bit of current, which in turn brings jumbo tuna.

If you’re looking for the big fish, then make sure you’re on these areas during tide changes as they will often come alive for short periods of time with big fish. Then as the tide change passes, the area can be a desert again.

LOCAL MELBOURNE This part of the world is a bit of a lucky dip over the coming weeks.

If the bait turns up off places like Lorne, Barwon Heads, The Rip and down to Phillip Island then there is a chance that there could be big tuna following. In

Mitch Wood with the sort of jumbo tuna that makes Apollo Bay such a great place.

Jules Coyne and Bob Hirs with a pair of big Lakes Entrance ling. They’re not a pretty fish, but are very tasty!

Locked up and doing battle with a swordfish.

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There should be big tuna around that will potentially be feeding in the areas between Bridgewater, west of Portland, and up towards Port Fairy in the 40-60m areas.

As an added bonus, the school tuna at this time of the year are often

swordfish baits down.

As always in this part of the world, there are mako sharks to be found, and in the cooler water they make spectacular eating, and while there are plenty of big ones on offer, there is also a great mix of 40-80kg models, which are perfect size for bringing home for a feed.

On the bottom fishing scene the blue eye and hapuka can be a bit hot and cold. However the very ugly but tasty ling don’t seem to mind, so either way even if you don’t get a sword for the trip, a mako or a few bottom fish really make the trip worth it.

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tuna on the West Coast and even a few big late season swordfish. For the most part however, this month will see anglers really rugging up to keep warm on the water. While there will probably be a lot less anglers out there, the results can often be well

this case, the best advice I can offer is that if you’re heading offshore for a snapper or gummy shark then pack a pair of game outfits, as you just might get out there and be faced with a pile of bait, birds, seals and some very big tuna.

GIPPSLAND The water is getting really cold now, but it’s still worth a shot on the swordfish, as they will still be hanging in the canyons fattening up to head off north to spawn.

Over recent weeks anglers have also been reporting some very big tuna busting up and even marking up on their sounders, so if you’re heading out there then it would be worth pulling a few lures around and even laying a cube trail while you have your

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Bring on the winter sharks and snapper! reef has been a huge standout over the past four weeks. As per usual, the best technique has been anchoring up. When anchoring offshore, make sure you let plenty of rope out, especially when it is a bit choppy or there is a large rolling swell. This will give you the best chance at holding anchor and therefore landing more fish.

The standout bait has been freshly caught parrotfish during the day or squid at night. The reason squid works better at night is because pickers, such as parrotfish, barbers perch or any other small reef fish, get in their caves to hide from hungry predators, mainly sharks.

A few other areas that have been fishing very well for big gummy sharks have been Cape Schanck in around 30m, Flinders in around the

PPB OFFSHORE

Gerry Morsman

This winter was cold as ever and I, like many others, am very happy to see the other end of it. Even though the fishing has been exceptionally good and many anglers landed fish of a lifetime, I can safely say that all of us will be happy to see the temperatures slowly but surely climbing.

Another thing rising will be the number of species we can target now that water temperatures are starting to increase. The main two species that come to mind are whiting and the everpopular snapper. These fish will start to hang around areas offshore, especially snapper who come here in massive numbers to spawn. Port Phillip Bay has the biggest spawning grounds in the world for snapper, which is a pretty awesome thing to have in your own backyard.

As for whiting, they are following warmer water in search for somewhere comfortable to feed. Whiting caught in our local waters with roe in them are a very

Lee Rayner showing just how good the gummy shark fishery is. They don’t get much bigger than this! rare occurrence, as they aren’t here to spawn. Most anglers are unsure where they actually do this and I have heard a few different things, but I’ll steer clear of that debate.

Gummy sharks are still running hot offshore as always, with plenty of anglers

Early season snapper were on the chew before entering the bays to spawn.

getting amongst the action all the way across the stretch of Bass Strait.

CALAMARI SQUID Not too many people specifically target squid in our offshore waters, even though they are so accessible and close to most boat ramps in the inshore bays. While you are out there targeting other species they are a must try, because there are so many of them and they are generally pretty big.

The hot spot has definitely been off Barwon Heads, either in close on the shoreline reefs casting squid jigs or on the reef in deeper water up to 45m. By all reports, the most effective way to get them in these depths is to drop a squid jig down on a paternoster style rig with a dropper sinker.

Most people do this while targeting other species such as gummy sharks. Flinders has also been producing squid.

GUMMY SHARK It’s hard to know where to start with gummies, as there are not many places offshore where you don’t have a chance of catching one. There are so

Jordan and Bailey Stamatis with a 58cm brown trout that was caught while trolling a Tassie Devil at Lake Eildon.

26

AUGUST 2019

Gawaine Blake bagged out on whiting that were schooled up around Barwon Heads. many techniques and areas but by all the reports I have received, the most effective are as follows. Barwon Heads in around 45m of water over

same depth and drifting along the sandy ground out the front of Woolamai.

FLATHEAD There are plenty of

flatties around, especially offshore, and it often leaves people wondering why they cost so much by the kilogram at the local supermarket. It makes me wonder why so many people don’t want to go out and actually target them. They are great fun, they taste great and you don’t need expensive gear to target them – apart from a boat, which will cost an arm, a leg and possibly your marriage over time… but hey, the tackle is cheap!

The standout area this month has been Woolamai.

Drifting just about any area of this sandy ground has been highly successful. Long squid strips on a size 1 long shank hook have been the go.

SNAPPER It’s good to be writing about snapper again, as it seems like it has been forever since they have been around.

Now is the time these iconic fish start to migrate in prolific numbers and hang around our entrances in order to spawn. There have been numerous reports of schooled up snapper over the reef around Barwon Heads and even near Seal Rocks on the Pyramid Rock side.

These fish don’t hang around the same reef every day, as there are so many predators out there moving them along from reef to reef in order to find somewhere to hide.

Using a paternoster style rig has been very effective, as this keeps your bait off the bottom and leaves it a little more visible to a hungry snapper swimming around.

Having an electric motor is ideal for situations where snapper are hanging out over reef, especially if you want to jig for them, as it eliminates the chances of scaring or spooking the school. If you don’t have one, just take the chance and anchor up, and hopefully you’ll be in for a cracker session.

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Whiting and calamari still about WESTERN PORT NTH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

Why on earth do we have winter? Sure, we need the rain but can’t someone please just push us a metre or so further north so we can have a wet and dry season?

It could cause a range of other species to infiltrate our waterways and give us something to catch at this time of year.

Without trying to sugar coat it, Western Port north has been a desolate place to fish over the past few weeks.

With the days getting colder and the water temperature dropping to what feels like freezing, the fishing has been extremely tough.

The run of winter snapper seems to have gone by the wayside this season.

Although winter snapper have been few and far between, they are about if you put in the time. Photo courtesy of Justin Blythe.

A few solid garfish have shown up and as the year progresses, they’ll become more abundant.

While I thought we would get a solid run like we have in previous years, they just didn’t show up like they have before. However, there have not been many complaints amongst anglers, as the winter whiting fishing has been better than ever.

It has been challenging to catch anything decent at the top end of the Port but if you are after a feed of whiting, then the Middle Spit and the Tyabb and Quail banks are where all the action has been. There have been a lot of calamari about as well, which has made up the bulk of fishing in these areas.

The best part of fishing

along these sections is that you can fish for both species at the same time. While targeting whiting, it is always a good idea to either flick about an artificial jig or cast out a baited jig under a float. That

Calamari of all size are in abundance, taking both baited and artificial jigs.

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There are a lot of whiting about if you care to put in the effort. Photo courtesy of Justin Blythe.

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is provided you’re fishing over the weed beds where calamari are lurking.

Another effective way to ensure you catch a good feed is to use berley. Of course, berley will attract a wide range of fish but when fishing whiting, calamari are also likely to swim up a berley trail looking for an easy meal. This is when a baited jig works its magic and calamari will quickly prey on a dead whiting floating in the trail.

Aside from whiting and calamari, garfish are usually abundant around the banks as well as at Sunken Island.

Although I haven’t heard any reports just yet, I do believe they will be there or should turn up soon. Garfish that do show up at this time of the year are usually in good size. In fact, they are some of the biggest garfish I have ever seen, with some as long as 45cm.

It’s always good to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and September is just around the corner. What does that mean? Well, that’s simple – rising water temperatures and the arrival of the annual snapper run.

Western Port: a lucky dip WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

There has been no shortage of good weather over the past few weeks, allowing anglers to explore the offshore waters of Bass Strait throughout winter. This is quite a rare opportunity, as the weather is normally inconsiderate of fishers. When the weather has been delightful, keen anglers have ventured out to explore what’s on offer and they haven’t been disappointed.

Local fishing guide Justin Blythe had a stellar offshore session catching some very impressive gummy sharks, calamari and huge cuttlefish.

When the weather is calm, fishing offshore is a lot of fun and very rewarding. While anglers usually try their luck offshore in the summer months, the winter gummy fishing is exceptional if you can get the right weather window. It is worth heading out for a drift if you get the perfect day to do it.

The surf beaches around Phillip Island have been productive, with Cape Woolamai seeing most of the

must to bring the fish into the gutters, with pipis and blue bait the best offerings.

Inside the Port, fishing has been brilliant despite cold mornings. Flinders

While most of the action has been from anglers drift fishing, a few calamari have been caught from Flinders Pier. At times, it has been standing room only on the

San Remo Bridge. Anglers drifting in around 5m of water along the Phillip Island side of the Entrance have been doing really well.

It is very weedy along this

Offshore fishing can produce some thumping gummy sharks. Photo courtesy of Justin Blythe.

Settlement Point is a very productive low tide fishery but doesn’t get the appreciation it deserves. You can see the drop-off to where you can catch fish on the flats. has seen an exceptional run of calamari and some have measured 50cm (hood length). If fishing from a boat, you should get into 10m

pier, but it is worth the effort to catch one of these monsters.

There has been an exceptional run of winter whiting, with fishers easily catching their bag limit of 20 fish. This is not that common for this time of year but it is great to see. The whiting fishery has gone from strength to strength every year since the removal of the netting.

It’s good that it seems to be paying off.

While whiting have been in numbers right throughout the Port, Tortoise Head Bank has been the standout location.

The fishing has been best two hours either side of the high tide change, with pipis the top bait. Other whiting haunts, such as Tankerton, Ventnor, Rhyll, Coronet Bay and Dickies Bay, are all producing quality whiting, calamari and garfish.

While Flinders has seen a run of solid calamari, another top location is the Eastern Entrance, below the

section, so it is worth working your jigs a little faster than normal to prevent them from snagging up and potentially becoming lost.

Settlement Point is continuing to fish well on

There are plenty of solid whiting around the shallow banks. Photo courtesy of Justin Blythe.

Cuttlefish are often underrated, but they taste better than calamari if you can be bothered cleaning them. Photo courtesy of Justin Blythe. action. Salmon have ranged from 200g to 1.5kg and have been in fair numbers during the high tides. Berley is a

of water and pick a good drift line. In the past, drifting around the mussel farm has been productive.

the flats with gummy sharks, salmon, silver trevally, whiting and yellow eye mullet. It is inaccessible during a high tide, but the fishing more than makes up for it during low tides.

The upgrade of the Corinella boat ramp is underway and should be completed by September.

While August is a productive month, it is comforting to know that the winter blues are passing and spring is just around the corner. That means it is almost time to search for spring snapper, and while some anglers will try towards the end of this month, there should be plenty more next month.

CORINELLA RAMP UPDATE The Corinella boat ramp construction has begun, and it was humbling to see the progress firsthand. If all goes well, it should be reopened in September. I’ll keep you informed of its status next month.

AUGUST 2019

29

Freeze or fish around Phillip Is PHILLIP ISLAND

Craig Edmonds

If winter gets any colder around the island, we will need to start stocking ice fishing gear and snow shovels! It has been one of the coldest winters in recent memory, but the below zero days usually come with a bonus – clear skies and calm winds.

The weather pattern has been very different to other years, producing some of the

best conditions on weekends and not during the week.

The fishing, while definitely patchy, has been good everywhere and so as long as you are satisfied with just getting a feed or two and don’t expect to be bagging out, it’s well worth going for a fish.

It’s time to start gearing up for early season snapper and before September there will be plenty around. The boat ramps on the island could be a lot busier than normal if the works at

Corinella boat ramp take longer than expected. The most up-to-date news is they are on track to be completed on time, which generally means anything from a week early to a month late.

Many have their doubts, but hopefully it will be up and running for the start of the season.

The reports have been consistent throughout winter and as usual, calamari and whiting are the two species targeted the most from the boats, and salmon from the open beaches. I have had a few customers in kayaks braving the freezing waters to head out for an afterwork fish. They have been mostly targeting calamari in Cleeland Bight to stock the

me that the numbers are down, but from the reports that I get it seems they are at least as good as last year.

I think because they are showing up in more places, it seems like there aren’t many around, especially if you only fish in one spot.

Whiting are one of the most frustrating species in this bay and if they didn’t taste so good, you wouldn’t bother chasing them.

There have been plenty of whiting around. The difference between those who have been successful and those who haven’t is perseverance. One day you would need all your tricks and a lot of work, and the next day you would go home with your full bag

Steve and his mates had an impressive haul for a hard day’s work.

Winter is no obstacle to catching quality fish – check out this big mulloway Steve caught!

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This mixed bag will provide a great feed. freezer with heads and legs for the upcoming season and the odd hood for the dinner table. Boats and kayaks have been the best for numbers and size, and we are starting to see more of those reports coming from all corners of the bay.

Mid-week on a fine day is the perfect time for chasing calamari, because the chances are you will be the only boat on the water and you can drift along without running into someone else. I have been getting most of the reports from anglers using this method with a bit of berley.

It’s been a mixture of baited and artificial jigs but make sure you have both, because if ‘couta turn up you will struggle to keep bait on the spikes.

Land-based reports of calamari have been okay but like the boats, the reports are spread out over a dozen different spots instead of the usual half a dozen or so.

Many customers are telling

before you poured your first cup of coffee. There is no sense to it – you just have to be prepared to work for your fish and try all you know.

Like the calamari, the reports of whiting are coming from more places than ever before. If your favourite spot isn’t working, you need to try somewhere you might not normally go.

The majority of whiting reported lately have been not that long, in that mid 30cm range, but in very good condition. During autumn, we saw plenty of very small whiting and almost every report said they caught far more undersized than average. These fish

There’s plenty of squid on offer if you go looking this winter.

will become our spring and summer stock, so we should expect to see a good season this year.

A by-catch of whiting this winter has been leatherjackets, but not the annoying ones, the ones worth taking home. If they show up, it’s worth the effort of re-rigging to catch a few to take home. They will scare off the whiting anyway, so you may as well get a feed of something.

If you haven’t tried them, give it a go! You can search online how to clean and skin them. It’s not that difficult, and once you do you won’t be throwing many back in the future.

The usual run of ,couta are in and I would test the waters before throwing your pricey squid jigs. They can be a nuisance unless you own a tackle shop, and in that case they are your best friends. Unfortunately, there is no effective way to avoid them when they show up, other than moving.

Several reports of salmon have been come in over the last couple of months, but it’s been one of the most difficult seasons to fish for them that I can remember. There have been more days of weed than clean beaches, making it very difficult to fish. There have been years before with big swells pushing weed into the beaches, but for some reason there has been a lot more this year, especially at Kilcunda, with the island beaches faring better. While this makes it difficult, it’s not impossible to fish. You just need to time your casts between the clumps of weed, or try walking the beach with a handful of lures.

AUGUST 2019

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Clear skies, full bags BEMM RIVER

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We have had an amazing fishing season this winter. Last month, the entrance was closed and the weather was calm and sunny following frosty mornings.

In the past 16 years, Bemm River has never experienced perch fishing like we have in the past few months. Most anglers have been practising catch and release, with reports of 50-70 fish caught and released per day by small groups of fishers.

Huge luderick have been a by-catch in the river, along with quality bream.

The channel never fails, with good catches of bream, trevally and tailor up to 65cm in length.

This season has had some of the best salmon

Luderick catches have been big for the season.

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Tailor is just one of the species available in the channel.

fishing on the surf, with sometimes a fish each cast!

They’re especially active on cold sunny mornings.

Salmon have been caught on pilchard, blue bait and any lure that you throw at them.

Over the past couple of months, we have seen the road to Pearl Point gravelled and graded. This has made access easier for two-wheel drive vehicles, in turn making a lot of anglers very happy.

• Now is the time to plan your winter fishing trip to Bemm River. Give me a call on 0427 584 233 – the phone is always in my pocket!

For on the spot and up-todate 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.

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The Bemm River produces decent bream throughout winter.

AUGUST 2019

33

Goodbye winter, hello bream GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

With the frosty mornings hopefully behind us, the Gippy Lakes will now become the focus of bream anglers from far and wide.

Big bream are schooling up and the mullet have turned out in good numbers as well.

It’s been chilly but there are plenty of busy anglers to report on and a lot to

look forward to over the next month.

YELLOW EYE MULLET There hasn’t been an exceptional run of mullet this winter, but good numbers have been caught around the Paynesville jetties and up into Newlands Arm. The biggest problem has been sourcing either fresh or cured sandworm because availability has been hit-and-miss for a while.

Wherever you usually source your worm, it will pay to ring ahead if you are planning a trip.

Sounding up bream can keep you busy when lure fishing. This month will see schools of bream ready to take small blades.

However, there are a few alternatives you can explore.

Mullet are notoriously fussy and will swim past most baits even when landed right on their nose. I’ve seen a few anglers using soft plastic worm lures, squeezing a bit of scent on them and fishing them like using bait on a paternoster rig.

They also use scent on small pieces of prawn with success.

I can recommend using small 2” ZMan GrubZ in motor oil on a very light jighead. They will attack the lure on an extra slow retrieve or just jigged right in front of them. During August I’ve also noticed that mullet become much more aggressive and will even take blade lures meant for bream.

The trick to getting a good feed of big mullet is persistence, because often some schools of mullet will feed actively while others motor past, ignoring even sandworm.

BLADE LURES FOR BREAM With sandworm at a premium, lure anglers have come to the fore. It’s been a challenging time with blade lures, but this month will see this method really heat up.

All fishers are reporting in with reasonable tallies, but the average size of bream has been much bigger this year. As usual, the large schools have showed up in the deep sections of the Straits, from Hollands Landing to Seacombe, and the

typical river haunts.

The impressive number of big bream captures has been the real highlight over the last month. I’ve seen a lot of bream between 40-45cm this winter. I watched one angler land 11 cracker bream, with the best three all on or over 44cm, which I weighed for him before release. They were such fat well-conditioned fish, coming in at 1.53, 1.41 and 1.44kg, and all of them took a small blade lure.

Interestingly, most bream we are catching this winter have had quite a few parasitic lice on their fins. I put this down to the salty water pushing way up into the rivers.

LURE TECHNIQUE Sometimes bream will refuse all sorts of lures, and to trick these cranky customers with blades you need to employ some finesse. Find the deepest water in the area you are fishing and a sounder will help you locate the schools, typically 3-5m of depth. Then, lower your blade down the side of the boat and just drop it straight over the edge. A long cast is simply a waste of time. Sink your lure directly down into the school of bream and use tiny hops to get their interest. Sometimes the longer you pause the blade without any movement, the better your results will be.

Now the problem is, how long do you leave it

Beanies and bream go together over winter, and even early spring can produce very cold weather. motionless? Some fishers are telling me 10 seconds is not too long. For me, leaving a lure at a standstill for just five seconds is like leaving it abandoned for a week! I’m not good at long pauses, but my advice is to experiment and let the bream tell you how long to leave the blade sitting still. I tend to be very busy hopping the lure with tiny hops and if I feel a bump or a pull, I’ll slow down and usually they will attack it once or twice more.

Experiment until you get a few fish hooked up. Be ready for no bites at all and when this happens, leave those fish and make a move to find another school, maybe in deeper water. Sometimes a school of bigger or smaller size fish will bite, and the time of day can even be a trigger. Right now is prime time to search the lower sections of the Tambo and Nicho rivers. With the Mitchell River flowing with coloured water on occasion, it will fire the bream right up.

Saving the fish for a rainy day MARLO

Jim McClymont mcclymont@net-tech.com.au

We’re still waiting on winter rain. Hopefully it happens soon, as the whole estuary is in need of a good flush out to get rid of the stagnant pools and backwaters, and scour out the sandbars that have emerged as the water level drops in the rivers and throughout the system.

Without any good flows coming down the rivers the entrance is battling to remain open, and without the tides pumping in and out the fishing is not as good

Day three of the competition saw another beast added to the team’s tally!

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as usual. But there is still some very good fishing, as bream can be found up both rivers, luderick are schooling around the islands, mullet are throughout the system, and estuary perch are holding on snags and structures in the rivers. Salmon and tailor are entering the system on the incoming tide and are in good numbers from the entrance up to the Marlo jetty.

The surf beaches are still fishing well. Anglers have reported catching plenty of salmon, tailor, and an occasional kingfish, using many different types of bait or fishing light tackle and spinning with metal lures. Offshore from Cape Conran is promising, with anglers reporting good mixed bags of flathead, gurnard, barracouta, squid, pinkie snapper, salmon and gummy sharks.

In June, I made my annual fishing trip to the Bay of Islands, New Zealand, where some mates of mine teamed up to fish the 50th International Yellowtail Tournament. Fishing out of Russell, the competition is a 6kg light game event fished over six days, with the best four days fished for points.

Teams usually consist of

Jenkin Steed caught this pair of yellowtail kingfish during the 50th International Yellowtail Tournament. four anglers who fish for individual and combined team points. This year we finished about mid-field, thanks to team member Jenkin Steed who landed four good size yellowtail kingfish, taking his tally into the top twenty. About forty teams

fished the tournament, with one junior team from Australia, another from Russell School and two others from fishing clubs in NZ. Some of the junior anglers caught fish up to 25kg using 6kg line – it was truly excellent angling.

Product News

Lowrance’s first freshwater trolling motor Lowrance, a world-leader in fishing electronics since 1957, announced the next step in Lowrance’s delivery of the ultimate fishing system to the serious angler – the new Lowrance Ghost freshwater trolling motor.

Reliable, rugged and built to last, the new ultra-quiet Lowrance Ghost freshwater trolling motor helps anglers fish longer, run faster and get in closer without making a sound. Ghost has a newly designed brushless motor with the most thrust and the longest run time of any trolling motor on the market, plus other benefits including integrated Lowrance sonar options, waypoint anchoring and an industry-leading three-year warranty. The combination of reliability, power, efficiency and quiet performance give the Ghost trolling motor a

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“Because Ghost is Lowrance’s first trolling motor, we started completely from scratch, which gave us a unique opportunity to ask anglers what was most important to them in a trolling motor,” said Lucas Steward, Navico’s Trolling Motor Product Group Owner. “To get the quality we needed, we had to design and build it in-house. That resulted in the production of a trolling motor that delivers exactly what our consumers want: the most power, greatest efficiency and quietest performance – the ultimate trolling motor versatile enough to fit any bass boat.”

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ZERO SONAR INTERFERENCE Ghost’s brushless motor helps eliminate noisy operation and unlike common brush motors, has no brushes to wear out, ensuring greater reliability and longer life.

The brushless motor emits no electromagnetic interference – giving anglers the clearest sonar views possible with zero onscreen interference.

INTEGRATION Users can steer, adjust speed, set up route navigation or anchor at a current location with touchscreen control from a Lowrance display using the SmartSteer interface. Ghost pairs easily with HDS LIVE, HDS Carbon and Elite-Ti2 displays via a simple NMEA 2000 connection.

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INSTALLATION VERSATILITY The motor weighs six pounds less than brushedmotor equivalents, making it easier to install, deploy and stow. Ghost is designed to work in either 24 or 36v systems with up to 97 and 120lb of thrust, respectively, and allows for future battery and charger upgrades.

The Lowrance Ghost trolling motor is expected to ship in late 2019. – Navico Aisa Pacific

AUGUST 2019

35

Wet a line before winter’s done LAKES ENTRANCE

Steven Pryke

Winter has taken hold with a vengeance, with freezing mornings and car windscreens blanketed with ice. Only the keenest anglers have ventured out before light, as the temperature is consistently dropping below zero each morning.

LAKES ENTRANCE With winter here, the surf beaches have begun to fire up and Eastern Beach and Lake Bunga have started to produce quality salmon. Small metal lures, matching the white and blue bait that these predatory fish love to eat, have been very effective. Anglers are casting offerings around likely gutters and winding the lure back with a

moderate to fast pace.

The main lake has settled in to its winter patterns, and small schools of salmon have been seen feeding aggressively on the surface early and late in the day. Small surface lures and minnow-style soft plastics have been producing salmon on the shallower weed flats around Nungernur and Rigby Island. These areas

Winter flathead are a welcome by-catch, with a couple seen most trips.

have been also fishing well for King George whiting.

The schools of whiting have scattered, so work is required to locate them.

LAKE TYERS With varied numbers in different areas of the lake, everything from deeper water blading in the main lake basin to fishing tight cover in the higher reaches of the Nowa Nowa arm is producing quality fish.

In August, the lower lake is primarily a deep water fishery, with bream and silver trevally commonly seen.

Anglers have good success fishing areas such as the power lines and the deep water next to the channel markers right at the bottom of the system. One thing these areas have in common is deep weed beds, which provide perfect hunting grounds for bream, trevally and the odd flathead. Small metal blades have been highly effective, especially when worked with small sharp hops along the bottom, and as close to the weed edge as you can manage.

Bait anglers have done reasonably well fishing peeled prawn or worm in these same weedy areas. The simple running sinker rig, with the lightest weight required, has produced best for lure fishers.

Further upstream, anglers

Small hardbodied lures are producing the goods in the higher parts of the system. have had success fishing non-weighted prawn around the thick timber, especially in the highest part of the system.

The further reaches of the Nowa Nowa still have good fishing at this time of year, with the deeper edges with scattered timber holding good numbers of bream and the occasional flathead. Small grub-style soft plastics cast up tight to the edge then worked back with a series of small hops have produced the goods.

Once a school has been located, the bites come thick and fast. The use of a quality sounder is handy

to locate these fish, as there are kilometres of bank that have potential. These fish have been reasonably easy to catch. A major key for success is to be persistent and really work the areas, presenting casts at multiple different angles before moving on downstream.

HAVE YOU BEEN FISHING? If you have been out for a fish lately and have a great pic, please send to stevenprykefishing@gmail. com with a short description and you could be featured in the next edition of Fishing Monthly.

Winter is prime time for calamari and gummies CORNER INLET

Will Thompson allwaysangling@bigpond.com

The year seems to fly by so fast! We’re already barrelling towards the end of winter. The water temperature inside is now hovering around 10°C with offshore around 12-13°C, but this doesn’t worry the humble southern calamari or the gummy sharks, so now is the perfect time to head out and chase either.

INSIDE Calamari has been the target species for Corner Inlet fishers over the past month. They are an all-round species and in winter we usually get gin clear water and calm

glassy days, making it a perfect time to target this popular eating species.

During this time of year they are all sizes, but most of them have been small to medium with 20cm-30cm hood sizes. In the next few weeks, we will start seeing large calamari inside the Inlet, so it won’t be long until we are talking about them.

The main locations to catch calamari are the Lewis and Toora channels, over the weedy patches and into the channel drop-offs.

Due to the strong current, you will need to use larger jigs such as 3.0 and 3.5 size, so you don’t have to wait long for them to hit the bottom. Don’t worry if you don’t have a boat, as there are plenty of calamari

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hanging around the long jetty, the boat ramp jetty and the trawler jetty. Anglers fishing at night have been the most successful. You can also take a float rig and catch plenty of garfish and trevally at the same time.

I was getting good whiting reports in from Port Albert before a recent cold spell of weather, but I don’t think they would have gone anywhere.

With enough searching and a bit of berley, you should get a few whiting without any problem.

OFFSHORE Now is the time for gummy sharks offshore.

The gummies don’t really leave the area, they perhaps go a bit deeper and every year we have great numbers of gummy sharks caught out wide from 24m+. The good thing about winter is we generally get more calm days to actually get out offshore and chase them. This year has been no exception, with the last couple of weekends producing good amounts of gummy sharks on the 30m line and a lot of sevengill sharks mixed in as well.

Unsurprisingly, flathead have been a welcome by-catch. The flathead never leave and it’s pretty easy to drift with flasher

rigs and bag out on quality flathead. You don’t need to go as wide for the flathead either, as you will start getting good hauls from the 20m line and out. A flathead drift can also pay off if you chuck a few big baits out at the same time,

as you will inevitably hook a gummy shark or a giller.

It’s not long now before we will be talking about snapper again. Gee, how time flies! In the meantime, go catch some squid and gummies, and then start putting in some effort

next month for an early season snapper!

• 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.

Kev Toseland caught this huge gummy shark offshore from Port Welshpool. This is the impressive size of fish that you can encounter during winter when fishing out wide.

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Go light to get that chilly bite MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson

Anglers fishing offshore from Merimbula have been rewarded with some quality yellowfin and bluefin tuna over the past few weeks.

The fish are certainly not thick and you have to work for them, but yellowfin up to 64kg have been captured, with bigger fish lost and plenty of others seen busting the surface chasing

bait. The fish are wide of the shelf, with the majority falling to trolled skirts in the 8-10” range.

A lot depends on the day you’re out as to how far east you need to travel, with changing currents and water temperature around 18°C. It’s an interesting time for the game fishers, as you could do 150km and not see a fish, but the next day it’s totally different with quite a few fish about.

With the bluefin the longliners have done well,

Using black coloured blades in deeper clear water works well in southern estuaries for bream.

but these speedsters are out very wide, with a 50km drive out on the cards.

Again, trolling is the go, with the majority of fish caught around that 40-60kg mark. I have heard of a few barrels hooked and lost, but that’s fishing and proves they are there.

If the tuna are a little slow then there’s plenty of mako sharks about, there’s been several 80-120kg fish hooked recently and a few smaller models in closer on the snapper grounds.

Talking about snapper, they are excellent at the minute, with most close in reefs all firing from time to time. Anglers fishing the southern areas like Haycock, Lennards and Horseshoe reefs are doing best, and drifting is the better method at present. Some crews are getting 12-15 fish a session, which is solid fishing in my books. The reds are okay in size, with a few nudging 4kg, but the majority are around that 1.5-2kg mark, which is still a good fish for the plate.

A few crews are doing well micro jigging, but the leatherjackets are making things hard with lost jigs. If you persist though, you will be rewarded and get some

quality snapper.

There’s also been plenty of sightings of bigger kingfish this past few weeks, with Long Point and Tura Head seeing the action. The kings are hard to entice and cruising just under the surface, but if you’re lucky enough and have a live slimy mackerel out you might be in luck.

In the estuaries the water is cold, very cold, with 12-14°C the temperature on most days. The water is crystal clear and the fish are very gun shy, especially in the shallows. If fishing below the main bridge in town you should do okay, with trevally, blackfish and a few tailor getting caught, mainly by anglers fishing soft plastics, however the bait crews are doing well in the deeper sections of the channel. You will have to fish light though. I wouldn’t be fishing anything more than 6lb, as the fish are very spooky.

A little further upstream the top lake has been pretty good too, but your lure presentations need to be slow for consistent results.

Try fishing the deeper water in 6-7m, as there’s a stack of whitebait about around

The ever-reliable 80mm Squidgy Wriggler is still one of the best bream lures going around, and this 43cm bream couldn’t resist it. that depth. You can expect trevally, tailor, a few snapper and the odd flathead as well.

The beaches and rocks have been excellent this past week, with quite a bit of swell around. This has really helped with all the white water, especially off the rocks, with salmon in big numbers and some quality fish to 7lb among them.

A lot of these sambos are falling to whole pilchards fished on 4/0 ganged hooks and slowly wound in. The beauty with this technique is you can fish the whole water column and find where the fish are holding and feeding.

Sometimes it’s on the surface but quite often 3-4m under the surface is the go. You can

expect a few tailor too and don’t be surprised to see a few snapper using the same method. The better ledges are Haycock Point, Long and Short Point.

If the beaches are for you, then Tura and North Tura have been the standouts.

Both beaches have plenty of deep gutters, with the morning flooding tide being the best time to have a crack.

A few mates have been kicking butt off Tura, with 20+ sessions on salmon the norm when the conditions are right. A pilchard/popper combination on a paternoster rig is all that’s required and if you’re after a shark or two, both spots have seen a few smaller whalers caught.

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AUGUST 2019

NSW South Coast

Winter curse lifting NAROOMA

Stuart Hindson

Winter is almost over and spring is just around the corner, but those mornings are still very cold, so rugging up and getting out there will see some quality fish caught.

Offshore, with the weather improving the snapper fishing should be excellent. It always fishes well after a blow, with most reefs producing fish. The northern areas around Potato Point would be the pick, with the close in reef off Brou Lake also worth a shot. This area is only 10m deep, but it produces some very big snapper. Anchoring up using lightly-weighted baits like squid strips or pilchards while using berley will get you solid results. Don’t be surprised to see a few big kings on this same bit of reef. Winter quite often sees these big fish cruise the shallower reefs inshore, so having a live bait out the back is certainly worth the effort.

A little further offshore the sportfishing community will be champing at the bit, as it’s been a while since they have ventured east. I’d expect the SBT to be there, it’s the right time of year, and the temperature charts look good.

Before the blow there had been the odd SBT caught, although no real size to them, but there were some big yellowfin caught to 68kg, which is a good solid fish in my book.

There may be more yellowfin around, but a lot will depend

on water temperatures, current and bait. Last season produced some good yellowfin mixed in with the SBT, so let’s hope this later part of the season will be the same. Trolling and cubing will both work, although the latter is a favourite amongst locals. The fish will be wide of the shelf, so a decent boat ride will be required to get results.

At Montague Island, with the water cold the kings have been quiet, but that’s to be expected. There has still been plenty of bonito to 4kg with the outside chance at smaller SBT. We’ve caught them there before on jigs when targeting kings, so it may be worth a look trolling if the shelf and beyond is too far out or the weather uncooperative.

Off the rocks the pelagics like salmon and tailor have kept most fishers happy.

Casting lightly-weighted

pilchards on ganged hooks just past the wash zone has been popular and getting the desired results. Even with the coolish 15°C water, some solid bonito continue to chew. There seems to be a few around, which is awesome to see and they’re not bad on the plate if looked after accordingly. Better spots to try include Mystery Bay to the south at High Rock or the golf course rocks in town.

Those targeting the more preferred bread and butter species like drummer, blackfish and bream are faring okay, but it has been a little slower this season. Those who are doing well are using the freshest of baits in conjunction with berley and fishing the right tides. I’ve found the falling tide best when rockhopping, as it makes bait gathering a lot easier. Ledges like Dalmeny Headland and the northern end

Big trevally are a welcome visitor in our southern estuaries, with fish up to 55cm on the cards.

Using blades for yellowfin bream in deeper water is a good winter method. of the golf course rocks should see you get a decent feed.

In the estuaries the fishing has remained consistent without being red-hot, with the lower sections fishing better at present. The channels from the main drop-off in the basin to the charter boat wharf has been the pick for bait anglers with bream, trevally, blackfish and the odd flathead succumbing to fresh baits. Live Bass yabbies have worked, especially for trevally, but the pickers do get amongst them. I’d prefer something more robust like slimy mackerel fillets or striped tuna cubes fished with a little berley from an anchored boat. Soft plastics and smaller blades (especially black) will also work. Try fishing the blades around the slack water in the deeper areas along the

rockwalls and you should get a few bream doing that.

Further upstream the main basin is alive with tailor, with bag limits can be reached quite easily on most occasions. Casting metal slugs or trolling deeper diving lures will do the trick, with fish averaging 40cm and bigger.

A few visiting anglers have caught some monsters recently when targeting mulloway, and a few are pushing 65cm in length, with some bigger ones lost mainly due to these bigger greenbacks swallowing the lures and biting anglers off.

These speedsters will remain in the estuaries for the winter term and will be viable options if other methods are quiet.

If after flathead, they have been sporadic, but when you do find a few they are

a good size. Visiting angler Geoffro from Melbourne caught a cracker during the week that went 94cm, which is a cracking. The fish was released in great condition.

I’ve heard of a few others around the 75-85cm mark also caught, which is great to see considering the water is a coolish 14°C. Those after bream are doing it tough, particularly upstream where the water is becoming quite clear. Long accurate casts are needed close to structure, with hardbodies fished slow scoring a few fish.

Fishing grub style plastics on very light jigheads should also work, but remember to fish them slow with the smallest hops and even dead sticking them for periods of time might also do the trick.

HOT SPOT

Go and chase the ‘Coota catch CRANBOURNE

Mitch Chapman

If you’re a lure angler keen on bream or flathead, you have no doubt been to or heard about Mallacoota.

Located in Far East Gippsland, ‘Coota (as it is better known) is the original prime lure fishing destination and pretty much kicked the bream lure fishing craze off in Victoria.

PRIME TIME The best thing about

‘Coota is that no matter what time of year it is, there is always a species willing to take a bait or lure. I prefer the warmer months when the big flatties come out to play and the bream are active on flats, willing to eat surface lures during the day.

THE GEAR Like most estuary fishing, a light 2-4kg graphite spin rod with a 2500 size reel is best when chasing bream and flathead.

With the bigger flathead and mulloway, a 4-8kg stick with a 3000 size reel is ideal

and still light enough to cast lures with all day.

THE RIG A reel spooled up with 6lb braid and a long 4-6lb fluorocarbon leader is effective for bream. If fishing the snags, you might want to bump it up somewhat, as light leader doesn’t last long around barnacle-encrusted snags. With flathead, I like to use anywhere from 12-20lb. A big fish can make short work of light leaders if hooked deep.

BAIT AND LURES A couple of go-to

Bream gurus Daniel and Gez caught this nice pair of bream in one of the rivers up past Gypsy Point.

softies for bream are the bloodworm wrigglers in 80 and 100mm. Two deadly lure choices are Lucky Craft Chinu Shad 55s for deeper water and Flash Minnows for the flats. They’re great on bream in both lakes, and on bream and perch further up the rivers.

BEST METHOD When targeting bream in winter, a quality sounder is required. One of the best methods is to locate schooled up bream in open water or along rock walls and cast small blades. It is an excellent way to spend time on the water.

In summer, cruising around in the shallows, looking for feeding bream and sight casting them is deadly, and is by far the most enjoyable way to catch bream in the system.

MOTHER NATURE Remember that the size limit for dusky flathead is 30-55cm, with a total possession limit of five fish per angler. Releasing the bigger fish will ensure stock levels are maintained and the breeders are left to do their

Jake with his first fish caught on a lure from the edges of Mallacoota. He couldn’t wipe the smile off his face! thing. It’s important to fish with the future in mind.

HOT TIP It’s important to adjust the drag on your reel to suit your surroundings. When fishing for bream in snags, you want to have it locked up, making it easier to pull

fish from the timber and not get busted off. It’s best to back the drag off if fishing in open water for bream and flathead. You will not pull as many hooks from mouths of fish as you won’t have to carefully pull them from timber.

AUGUST 2019

39

Plenty to scratch the itch BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

August is not a month for serious angling in our part of the world, but as anglers we must do something to shake off the cobwebs, so let’s look at what options we have.

One of them is to go out and do some reef or bottom fishing. This is a solid form of angling in this area, and will more often than not put a feed on the table, although it may not be as full on as it can be in the warmer months.

There are some excellent reefs within a couple of miles of port that produce very well. Around these you can expect the usuals like snapper, morwong, ocean perch, pigfish and the ever-present leatherjackets, which are all very tasty.

Anchoring on these inshore reefs using berley will often attract larger or different species like trevallas (there are a few different types), salmon, and sharks like makos and gummies. Whether anchored or drifting, add a squid jig to your rig, as there are some exceptional calamari and cuttlefish present.

Westerly winds are common at this time of year, resulting in little

shore break. This can allow anglers to work the coastline from a boat casting lures back towards the land. Soft plastics worked along the bottom may result in mixed bags like snapper, red rock cod, wrasses, trevally and flathead, while working the surface either trolling or casting is likely to find you connected to some large salmon, tailor, pike or even those cool water visitors from down south like snook.

Flathead, both tigers or sandies, are present, with good catches coming from down south off the Murrah

or Cuttaggee while north up off Tilba out on The Step is also good. Mixing in with these are some quality gummy sharks, more than usual, with red gurnard and an occasional large flounder mixed in.

Out wide bluefin tuna are still a possibility, with a few lingering on after yet another good season.

Berleying for them is one possibility, where cool water sharks like makos and blues also present an option. While doing this try, if you have those electronic reels, it’s now a good time for some deep

water fishing, as those tasty deep water species like ling, cod, hapuka and blue eye trevalla are active.

Back on shore with those westerlies prevailing it’s a good time to wonder the beaches, and you can do the standard beach rig, place your rod in a holder and wait for one of those many salmon to happen by, or you can grab a handful of lures, your favourite spin stick and go looking for them.

With the aid of calm seas, you will be able to polaroid the passing schools as they present an opportunity

You can still get a nice mixed bag in the winter months.

Luderick are almost a certainty in winter. for a well-placed lure to result in an almost instant hook-up. Once the school is located several fish may be extracted before they pass, then you can start your search again, as there is likely to be another school nearby.

These fish may also provide the same options from the rocks, and tagging along with them may be a few tailor, snook, pike and trevally. The most sought after fish from the stones at present are those hardpulling pigs (drummer), and as the shadows of the cliffs pass over the ocean of an afternoon these fish come on the chew, providing some great sport. There are a few bream with them, some nice leatherjackets and the occasional blue groper.

As an estuary guide this is one month of the

year I try to avoid fishing them, but occasionally there are surprises. Gaining height in the estuaries is an advantage, and to be able to see what your targeting will give you the upper hand, and one such place you can do this is off the Bermagui Bridge. Here at the bottom of the tide you are likely to observe schools of bream, luderick, whiting and trevally congregating before pressing up the river with the incoming tide. Once located either from shore or a boat, a few dozen nippers and a well-placed cast as the tide starts to move should result in a lovely mixed bag.

Remember, this behaviour will be occurring in most of the estuaries in the area that are open to the ocean, however make the most of it as the action lasts only for a couple of hours.

Fishing sleeps for no angler MALLACOOTA/EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

With winter here, the whole of the South Coast and East Gippsland has gone quiet, with very few visitors to the area. Mallacoota is no exception, but once the weather warms the visitors will return.

Little rain has fallen over the past month, with

Mallacoota receiving around 60mm, more than some areas.

This time of year sees the offshore fishing slow down in the Mallacoota area. July had plenty of windy days and rough seas, with not much opportunity for boats to get out there and wet a line.

When the conditions are good flathead, sandies and tigers can be caught, but this time of year it is fair to say whatever fish you catch, you are going to have to work for.

Broadbill swordfish should

be around, but getting the right conditions to go that far out to sea can be a challenge.

A bit of protection from the wind and big seas can be found in the Eden area. There have been reports of snapper and morwong caught, with the odd sand flathead, but again the weather hasn’t been favourable.

Fishing the beaches over the coming months is all about salmon. Whether using lures or bait, moving around to find the gutters where fish

Lachy caught this black bream while blading in deeper water.

40

AUGUST 2019

are feeding should see you amongst the action. This means lure fishing has an advantage, as it’s a lot easier to be mobile.

Winter sees little variety for beach fishing.

Tailor is the most likely catch, but a greater variety of species should turn up once the water warms. The water temperature along the beaches around Eden is always a few degrees higher than around Mallacoota, so as well as salmon and tailor you can expect to catch some yellowfin bream and sand whiting.

Fishing the Bottom Lake at Mallacoota has seen trevally, luderick and blackfish caught around the town jetties. Decent blackfish have been caught using weed for bait fished under a float. Out around Goodwin Sands, flathead and yellowfin bream have been caught on lures, and fresh prawn has also done the job on yellowfin.

The Top Lake has been fishing well for black bream, along with a few flathead. Bream have been feeding up before they spawn, which means the

Flathead are still about but you need to put in the time to catch a feed. fishing should be good for a few months. The same can be said about the estuaries around Eden, with black bream feeding

as they head upriver.

The entrance area of the rivers is fishing well for silver trevally and big blackfish.

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AUGUST 2019

41

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Trout time in Tassie TASMANIA

Kelly Hunt

You are just not Tasmanian if the mere mention of August does not get you excited. I mean if Wednesday is hump day, August is hump month for us Tasmanian anglers.

The winter is not over as such, but we are certainly coming out from its icy grip.

The shortest day was on 21 June and while most of us resisted the urge to sacrifice a goat, we were thrilled to see it pass by. Why, I hear you ask? Well, because now we are closer to daylight savings and the days are getting longer. The

dampen the spirits of the keen trutta anglers, and they head out in droves looking for that first fish or two of the season.

Tradition is strong and some crews have been making the opening weekend pilgrimage for decades. Shacks are a luxury, with the Tassie favourite of a 4x4 ute slide-on camper a godsend. Families camp out in tents, braving the elements.

If this is not for you in any way, shape or form, then the low lying and somewhat warmer areas will appeal. We are still talking Tasmania, so don’t expect to break out the sunscreen and whip down to the shorts and T-shirt just

August sees trout season begin again in earnest, and many keen anglers are braving the cold to get the bites. available daylight hours are stretching out and that means one thing – more time to fish!

Now the clever anglers out there will have been using this winter slack period to their advantage. You will have worked through the neverending list of household tasks.

The kids’ rooms will have been painted, the dog yard built and the kitchen cupboard door fixed properly this time. This inevitably means you should have some credits saved up to allow for an opening weekend trout fish to be on the cards!

Tasmania is abuzz for the August trout opening and for good reason. We have one of the best wild trout fisheries in the entire world and there are a myriad ways in which you can catch them. We are truly spoiled with the amazing locations where we can hunt trout.

Lake fish of trophy quality are available in highland areas and solid numbers of chunky river fish are also plentiful around the state. The western rivers are becoming known, not only for their massive sea run trout but also big trophy resident fish.

However, it is best not to get too carried away with the prospect of good weather. It is improving, but our island state can turn on a ferocious cold snap as we traverse August and September. The weather will still be fairly Antarctic for some, with heavy snowfalls and a lot of ice.

This does not in any way 42

AUGUST 2019

yet. Early in the season, the three most popular lower level fishing areas for softies like me are Huntsman Lake, Four Springs Lake and Brushy Lagoon.

The two lakes are shallow and ideal for small boats.

Care must be taken around submerged objects. The boat speed limit is 5 knots at all times on both lakes. The Huntsman has heaps of smaller fish and is a great place to take kids to catch a first fish or keep their attention. The Four Springs is more a trophy water, with some really good fish taken each year. Always use the launch facilities provided and be courteous at all times, as it can get busy in and around the ramps.

In and around the river system, the humble drowning of a few worms is a great way to enjoy an afternoon, with the added potential of taking something home for

tea. The rain in August will mean the rivers are up and flowing heavily, so look for a backwater eddy or flooded section. The rains also drag a lot of food into the river, so if you can find a section that has some paddock run-off or a small creek flowing into it, this can be a great spot to target. I often like throwing unweighted worms into these areas or if you need greater distance with your casts, a small float.

Watching a float flow down the river and then start to be pulled under erratically is good fun for all ages.

Brushy Lagoon is a great family day out. Take some chairs, a gas BBQ, a few snags and bread and you are off. Get the kids’ lines in the water, and then maybe one of your own if you are lucky. You won’t have to wait long for the barrage of tangles, disobedient winding in of bait and chorus of ‘can we go yet’. If you’re not looking for any trouble, here are a few tips to extend your day and not fully flip when fishing with kids.

If they have their own rod, let them do what they want with it. Involve them in the discussion of techniques they can do and explain them simply. Bait fishing, where you slide a couple of worms on

Anglers are keen for the chance to catch impressive models this trout season. spend some time teaching them the basics of casting and the key of timing. Cover when and how to load the rod up and when to drop your finger off the line, that if you do it too early it goes skyward, and if you do it too soon it lands at your feet. Be understanding of muck ups and celebrate a good effort with hoots and hollers of “Good cast! That’s a beauty!”

Soft plastics are king when it comes to fishing with kids.

If you have your kid cast one out and tell them, “Under no circumstances you should wind that in”, the speed at which they will disobey you and wind it in is perfect. They will be unsure, look around and turn the handle, and then

species that gets a run on in August. It is the last month for a while that you can target striped trumpeter, due to a closed season in September and October. Those who have low supply or none in the freezer will be looking for a weather window to go and find some. If you have never tried to catch some of these outrageously good eating fish,

to try your luck. However, if you are doing no good and you are certain you have presented good fresh baits of a few different varieties, don’t move – try a manoeuvre.

You don’t need to travel far to use the ‘triangle’. This is about staying on the mark but trying different subtle positions in and around it. Use your sounder to position a new

Be quick if you want to catch striped trumpeters – you have until the end of the month before the closed season.

The ‘triangle’ technique can allow you to narrow down your fishing spot more precisely using your sounder. a hook with a running sinker and wait, can be a mixed bag.

Some kids will freak out about the wriggling worms and others will just love playing with the creatures.

Otherwise, there is spinning with wobblers or bladed spinners. Some kids love to cast and retrieve, so

Winter is by no means over just yet.

if they catch you looking, they will stop. That’s the pause you need. When you look away, they will start to wind again slowly. If you are clever, you will play this up and look away and slowly look back again in fits and bursts. Keep that up and they will catch a trout!

When you go to a tackle store, let the kids pick something and don’t worry about it being totally outrageous for what you are doing. I love being that guy who everyone talks about on Monday at smoko: “Yeah, I was up at Four Springs, and this bloke and his kids were throwing spinnerbaits!”

There is a great deal of information on the Inland Fisheries Service website and in their many pamphlets on access to these lakes and more.

Check this information out before planning any trip.

Trout are not the only

you must have a go. There are thousands of words written online about how to target these fish and what to use, so I won’t go into too much detail.

The two most important factors are tide and sea surface condition. These fish do like a bit of tide kick and can be very stubborn to bite at times.

On other occasions, they will load up two and three at a time. In my experience, it is tide and water movement that brings these fish on.

It may seem strange to be talking tide when you can be 5nm or so out in 70-100m+ of open ocean. Most of the time, you need structure in close or an estuary situation to see the visual effect of tide.

You would think that in the open ocean it doesn’t make any difference, but it does.

Constant ocean currents are slowed or accelerated on tide change and the water moves.

This water movement affects where the bait sits, and in turn fires up the target fish. So, to get around a spot that has not fired up as it should have, try the triangle technique.

If you have been given a mark on the sounder that has produced fish multiple times, by all means pull up right over it and send your baits down

spot with a purpose instead of at random. When scouring a spot, it pays to have some process to what you are trying to do. This allows you to start to understand what you are seeing on the sounder as well, and over time you can begin to get a real feel for the area.

This also allows you to work different sides of a mark on different tide movements, as it is not necessarily the top of the rising tide that moves the bait and fires up trumpeter.

It could be the slack at the end of the outgoing tide. It might be the big push as the tide starts to move off the bottom.

It is a little different with each type of spot that holds striped trumpeters.

So, there are a lot of reasons to brave the cooler conditions and head to your favourite lake for some trout fishing, or try your hand in the ocean. The cooler months have been fishing very well with squid, flathead and bluefin all playing the game. Anglers who plan and pack to suit the conditions will reap the rewards. My recommendation for this month: Neoprene waders!

Bring a pair of these, small kindling and some dry wood, and you’ll be set.

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Bring on the opening weekend!

BURNIE

Damien Turner

This trout season in Tasmania has had plenty of hype. It’s amazing how the season is only closed for three months but by the end of that, we are all champing at the bit to go to our favourite waterways!

Come opening weekend, we’ll get to land some fantastic trout.

Here in Tasmania, we are so blessed with the amount of outstanding lakes, lagoons and rivers we can fish all year round. Most of them are right on our doorstep.

The author caught this buck brown trout from Talbots Lagoon. It still has its spawning colours.

This little River Leven brown trout was ready for release.

SOUTH RIANA DAM The South Riana Dam is a fairly new brown trout fishery to the North West Coast of Tassie. It has grown massively in popularity lately, as it produces all

season. Soft plastics, such as the Shimano Bio Tough Fish 70mm in watermelon and the Berkley Gulp Fry in green, have been effective. Both are best used with a 1/6oz jighead. Techniques such

as dead sticking and a slow wind with a pause work well.

This is an all method dam, and some fishos prefer the humble worm. The preferred rig for most bait fishers is a running sinker to a swivel, with about a foot and a half of line from your swivel to a size 2 baitholder hook.

October through March is a great time for fly fishos, with mudeye hatches happening in great numbers.

Trout in this waterway get extremely switched onto mudeye pattern flies. Late afternoon into evening, the fish can be seen and heard sipping mudeyes. Even if you’re not a fly fisho, this is awesome to witness.

Fish in the South Riana Dam are usually around the 1.5-3lb mark, except for some bigger resident brown trout that have pulled scales down to around 8lb. All in all, this is a great local fishery for the North West Coast that will only grow in popularity.

TALBOTS LAGOON Talbots is known as a premier fly-fishing waterway. This fishery has some fantastic early season fishing available. Whether it’s shore-based fishing or from a kayak, this place never disappoints. If the fish are not biting, the scenery, animal life and clear water make for a fantastic place to spend your time. Talbots is highly vegetated with trees, fallen trees, stumps and weed beds all through the lagoon.

If you’re walking the edge of the lagoon, waders are a must. You will need to wade out sometimes, as it can be quite shallow in places.

Early season, the Tillins Ashley no. 16 has worked very well, along with soft plastics. One of my favourites for Talbots is a 1/4oz jighead and the old faithful Berkley Powerbait T-Tail Minnow in black and gold. If you’re a fly fisho, flies worth using are black fur flies, Woolly Buggers and Woolly Worms. Fish love cruising the shallows here, so if you have wandered

Nixon Turner with a brown trout from South Riana Dam. out, make sure you do a sneaky cast behind you. You never know!

LOCAL RIVERS Most of our river systems generally fish well, but a couple of standouts are the Mersey, Leven, Inglis and Flowerdale rivers. The Mersey River is a massive system with rainbow and brown trout. The rainbow trout have come from farm dams and catchments.

Unfortunately, redfin perch inhabit this system too, and if caught should be disposed of ethically.

Smaller hardbodied lures work great in this system, and I like to use

Not only does it fish well, Talbots Lagoon also makes for a beautifully scenic fishing trip.

natural colours and trout patterns. Some standouts are the 55mm Jackson Trout Tune HW and the Ecogear MW62F minnows. Soft plastics work well in the lower reaches of the system when the sea run trout fire up, around October onwards.

The Leven, Inglis and Flowerdale rivers are very similar to the Mersey when it comes to lure options.

Minnow style lures in 50-60mm will usually get results. Bait is another option early in the morning and evenings.

Fish in these systems average from 1-3lb, with much bigger fish inhabiting the rivers. There is great access to the rivers, and you can walk for miles. It’s a fantastic way to spend a morning, afternoon or a whole day!

• For all the latest info on what’s biting and where, drop into Tackle World and Outdoors at 37 Wilson St, Burnie, or call them on (03) 6431 6500. You can also check out their Facebook page at www.facebook. com/tassietackle, which is regularly updated with product news, catch photos, videos and fishing tips.

INLAND FISHERIES SERVICE

Discovery Channel and Animal Planet in Tassie IFS

Tim Farrell

In November 2018 the British television presenter and biologist Jeremy Wade travelled to Tasmania to do some filming for his latest TV show, ‘Dark Waters’.

This particular episode is focused on the Tasmanian giant freshwater crayfish (Astacopsis gouldi), but it also covers the carp management, the threatened golden galaxias, the river blackfish, and some historical aspects of fish species in Tasmania.

This episode (s01e07) titled ‘Jurassic river beast’ is now available on the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, and features some spectacular landscapes and unique creatures found around Tasmania.

TOOMS LAKE BOAT RAMP UPGRADE Marine and Safety Tasmania and Inland Fisheries have jointly funded an upgrade to the Tooms Lake boat ramp. Taking advantage of the current low lake level of 2.6m below the spillway, contractors removed stumps and snags from the vicinity of the ramp, extended the gravel ramp to the current water level and repaired the rock armour on the sides of the ramp.

The Inland Fisheries Service managed the project.

The stocking of both brown and rainbow trout occurred during the winter, so Tooms Lake is primed to fire early in the 2019/20 season – just add water!

The lake will need to rise by around 300mm (-2.3m) to make boat launching possible.

The level for Tooms Lake can be found at www.bom.gov. au – latest River Heights for

the Northern Rivers.

NEW TOILETS AT POPULAR FISHING LOCATIONS The minister responsible for Inland Fisheries, the Hon. Guy Barnett, officially opened one of two new toilets at

Penstock Lagoon in June this year. Construction has started at the other locations with all on track to be completed prior to the trout season opening on Saturday 3 August. The Inland Fisheries Service is improving amenities at boat ramps and

Jeremy Wade of River Monsters fame holding a Lake Crescent brown trout during filming for his new Animal Planet documentary.

campgrounds across the State including building toilets at Bradys Lake main boat ramp, Bronte Lagoon boat ramp, Four Springs Lake southern end of the car park, Lake Augusta boat ramp, Lake Sorell Dago Point campground, Little Pine Lagoon main boat ramp, Penstock Lagoon boat ramp and the Ladies Walk area, Tungatinah Lagoon boat ramp and Woods Lake boat ramp.

LEADING ANGLING WRITER REFLECTS ON VISIT Kirk Deeter is a leading angling journalist from Steamboat Springs, Colorado, USA. In December 2018 we reported that Kirk had just been to Tasmania and had enjoyed the fishing and hospitality.

He recently published a glowing article sharing his experiences with the world in Angling Trade’s Spring 2019 issue, ‘Tasmania... in the Trout-fishing World, What’s

Old Is New.’ Kirk Deeter is the editor of Angling Trade. He is also an editor-at-large for Field & Stream magazine, and the editor-in-chief of TROUT magazine, the national publication of Trout Unlimited. He has written and fished throughout the world, and his work also has appeared in other media including WIRED, Garden & Gun, USA Today, London’s Daily Telegraph newspaper, and the full range of fly-fishing magazines and websites. He is also the co-author of The Little Red Book of Fly Fishing.

Angling Trade is an independent, quarterly publication that covers the business of fly fishing in North America. The magazine includes features by some of the most respected fishing and business writers from throughout the country.

AUGUST 2019

43

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Swordfish hopes are better late than never HOBART

Andrew Large

Did anybody say swordfish? With what has historically been a patchy season in general for this species, after high hopes and the right conditions building, all major ports saw some action when the weather was right.

St Helens was probably faring a little better in the swordfish stakes until last month, and then Eaglehawk Neck saw its own glimpses of action. A theory floating

around was that the fish were running late, and with a recent capture of a 240kg specimen reported, perhaps this theory has some merit.

Mako sharks were meant to have disappeared for the season, but two have been captured recently. One was a deliberate effort to target makos in early winter, with the angler sitting wide off Pirates Bay in the southeast. He used berley for two hours before his 130kg specimen turned up and swam the berley trail.

Southern bluefin tuna are reportedly thick from

Big or small, a catch is a catch! Patrick was thrilled to land this jack mackerel at Southport jetty.

the Maatsuyker Islands to off Devonport in Bass Strait. The fish in the Strait may in fact be some North West stock moving across from South West Victoria. Either way, there are SBT available within fairly close proximity to all major launch points along the east and southeast coasts. Remember, the possession limit is two per person and four per boat, with no more than two measuring over 1.5m. The fish are currently feeding on the seemingly endless supply of small redbait and sauries that have remained inshore. Landing 100kg+ tuna has been patchy, but they are being hooked by those keen enough to run big 8”+ pushers.

Last month saw albacore encountered along the edge of the shelf wide of Fortescue Bay on the Tasman Peninsula, which may be testament to the theory of a late run for some species. They were around 20kg further up the coast at St Helens. Smaller Chinook salmon up to 8kg have been caught, and make a great mid-winter feast.

Sand flathead continue to bite well in the Mercury Passage and have been successfully taken by drifting the many sandy drop-offs in this area.

Jackass morwong are hanging over broken bottom along southern and eastern coastlines. They are normally targeted on a paternoster rig, but try a premade Black Magic Snapper Snatcher rig, with the bottom two hooks baited with a squid tentacle. These fish can be sounded and show as a vertical mass above structure.

In the highlands, the Great Lake has been icing over after most frosty nights. I was lucky to fish the lake over the winter solstice weekend, and my fishing mate and I were treated to fish rising to ceanids on Sunday morning, with nearly perfect windless winter conditions. We trolled, as we were fishing a competition held up that way. If we weren’t restricted, the best technique would have been fly fishing, with a generic large dry pattern plunked out there and left to sit, and a small size 10 or 12 nymph suspended underneath from the rear shank of the dry.

Great sea trout have been taken from the Montrose area in what would be considered the lower to mid reaches of the River Derwent. Although it is tidal, an inland fishing license is required if you plan to catch trout here.

Saltwater species may be fished for freely and the same goes for trout, if you plan to catch and release.

The Tassie Devil no. 63 and the Jaz MinoFish 70mm in natural trout colours have been getting results.

A friend of mine, Patrick, had a rather short encounter with a large calamari over Easter while I was teaching him how to catch squid from Pirates Bay jetty – which was, in all reality, this 8yo also learning to fish in general.

Recently I received an update from Patrick, who had been fishing with his dad and brother, Dan, on the Southport jetty. Fishing by himself for a few moments, he realized after casting that the weight on his rod was not in fact weed, but a jack

mackerel that had decided to hit his spun metal slice lure. Patrick told me, “the fish kicked all the way in but I got him”, and later shared that he gave it to his little sister to eat. It’s

Flounder can be found in shin-deep water and many have been taken only metres from shore. One more tip: use an LED light and charge your battery. I still prefer the Neptune 12V Alligator

Flounder are in excellent condition this winter. a timely reminder that it’s not all about the glory of a big tuna or shark. Small steps and accomplishments are a big deal for new fishers and make wonderful memories for all on their fishing journey.

Flounder have been taken statewide by boaters and anglers prepared to wade the dark, still nights of winter. The fish I have seen recently have spawned up and have been in good condition. A rising tide and moonless night are prerequisites for a successful flounder mission, as fish are generally up and feeding as the tide covers new ground.

clip style light but if you want to go lightweight, grab yourself one of the many LED types available.

Winter offers tremendous opportunities these days. In the past, winter meant nearly the entire state of Tasmania went into fishing hibernation – not because anglers wanted to but because many migratory fish moved away, and species that did remain went dormant from June to November.

These days we have bream, trout, tuna, flathead, Aussie salmon, squid and ‘couta to make a trip worthwhile. The only limiting factor should be the weather, so pick the right day and get out there!

HYDRO TASMANIA WATER STORAGE INFORMATION Water Storage Information as at 11th July 2019 Lake/Lagoon

Metres from full

Comment

Trevallyn Pond..................................3.64........................................................Steady Lake Mackenzie................................1.78........................................................Steady Lake Rowallan..................................5.68........................................................Steady Lake Parangana................................2.14........................................................Steady Lake Cethana....................................1.92........................................................Steady Lake Barrington................................0.00.......................................................Spilling Lake Gairdner...................................2.34........................................................Steady Lake Paloona....................................0.00.......................................................Spilling Lake Augusta....................................0.11........................................................Steady Arthurs Lake.....................................1.95........................................................Steady Great Lake........................................14.17......................................................Steady Little Pine Lagoon.............................0.06........................................................Steady Shannon Lagoon...............................0.29........................................................Steady Penstock Lagoon..............................0.10........................................................Steady Woods Lake......................................1.39........................................................Steady Lake St Clair.....................................1.37........................................................Steady Lake King William.............................6.45........................................................Steady Lake Echo.........................................7.79........................................................Steady

Dee Lagoon.......................................0.00.......................................................Spilling Pine Tier Lagoon...............................1.03........................................................Steady Bronte Lagoon..................................0.75........................................................Steady Bradys/Binneys/Tungatinah..............0.99........................................................Steady Laughing Jack Lagoon.....................5.36........................................................Steady Lake Liapootah.................................0.11........................................................Steady Wayatinah Lagoon............................0.00.......................................................Spilling Lake Catagunya................................1.08........................................................Steady Lake Repulse....................................0.00.......................................................Spilling Cluny Lagoon....................................0.97........................................................Steady Meadowbank Lake...........................0.34........................................................Steady Lake Burbury....................................4.58........................................................Steady Lake Margaret..................................0.54........................................................Steady Whitespur Pond................................3.97........................................................Steady Lake Newton.....................................2.63........................................................Steady Lake Plimsoll....................................4.89........................................................Steady Lake Murchison................................7.14........................................................Steady Lake Mackintosh..............................4.88........................................................Steady Lake Rosebery..................................0.58........................................................Steady Lake Pieman.....................................4.09........................................................Steady Lake Pedder......................................0.92........................................................Steady Lake Gordon.....................................26.72......................................................Steady

These levels are provided for an indication of lake level only and can vary from day to day. For more up-to-date lake level information please visit www.hydro.com.au/home/Tourism+and+Recreation/Lake+Levels.htm

44

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Tackling new water CANBERRA

Richard Barnsley

Wyoming, September 2018: 50m below the road cutting the Green River swept through yellow aspens in a wide arc. The water flowed strongly against the near bank and away in the distance, the towering rocky rampart of the Wind River Mountains punched into a blue sky. I’d travelled to Wyoming to hunt pronghorn

1: GUIDE OR NO GUIDE? Hiring a guide can make or break a fly fishing adventure.

If the budget will stretch, book them for a reasonable length of time. Ask for references and any reputable guide will provide you with contacts. If the budget is tight then consider a day trip. You’ll learn local tips and tactics, which will ramp up your own efforts over ensuing days. During my first trip to the Northern Territory I jagged an afternoon guided trip on Yellow Waters for

It’s always great when a plan comes together, especially when you’ve travelled across the world for it. antelope with friends and managed to fit in a couple days flyfishing.

The Green River was a dream destination. I’d read about it for years as one of Wyoming’s ‘must visit’ fly fisheries. From beside the hire car I planned my attack for the stretch of water below. Several hours later I’d enjoyed some of the best trout angling I’d ever experienced.

How it all came to work out so easily was the result of several key factors. All fishers have dream destinations and some we are lucky enough to visit. But what we do when we get there and how we should fish them is the result of several key decisions.

barra. The guide had fly gear and I wrestled my first barra at 80cm out of the lilypads.

Good guides work hard to give you a good time – their business is built on reputation. Help them by being attentive to their advice and by fishing hard. If you’re in the company of a guide ask questions. I worked as a trout and cod guide for a few years and there’s nothing harder for a guide than someone who wants to be hand fed fish.

2: REALISTIC DREAMS Whether it is barramundi, sailfish, trout or bass, before deciding on a trip, have realistic expectations. It is highly unlikely you’ll catch heaps of big fish. Decide on

a target, such as a nice barra, and everything else is a bonus.

If you want to go flyfishing in New Zealand but haven’t done a hell of a lot of casting in wind and spotting fish, you’ll probably do it tough. Practice your skills and get ready for whatever may arise.

Don’t be afraid to get skunked. Even the hot shots come away fishless sometimes, so it is highly likely that you’ll have a few dud days. If the fishing is slow, try to work out why. Don’t let frustrations build.

3: PLANNING Read everything you can about your chosen destination and species. In the good old days we read guidebooks but today you have a wealth of options. Local Internet forums, Facebook and guide’s web pages can shortcut your decision making. I can also highly recommend joining a local fishing club and spending some money with the local tackle shops.

Timing is often critical, but be flexible. Magazines such as Fishing Monthly, offer regular monthly updates, so go through back issues if planning a local trip. If you’ve never fished Eucumbene in the spawn run, read columns and

The small but plentiful brook trout in Wyoming saved the day when the stream fish proved difficult. talk to contacts who have.

4: D DAY Take it as it comes.

Weather, flights and so on may contrive to make life difficult. Be prepared with foul weather gear, spare tackle and comprehensive travel insurance. Spares are critical if you’re heading off the beaten track. A spare travel rod and reel is not overkill and plenty of tippet definitely doesn’t hurt. Peace of mind makes it a hell of a lot easier to concentrate on getting your fly in a fish’s mouth.

Don’t sweat the little stuff.

If you’ve done your research the moment will come and when it does seize the opportunity. Fish hard and fish often, but enjoy the scenery and camaraderie of your fellow anglers.

During my first Wyoming trip the weather was terrible and most rivers were out of condition. Plan B was to head to some small still water ponds up in the mountains. The eager, plentiful, yet small brook trout quickly lifted my spirits.

5: FLEXIBILITY IS THE KEY Don’t get locked into

Turning up to a new location can be daunting, but by following a few simple principles you should be able to get the most out of the trip.

tactics that work under similar conditions at home.

On the lower Greys River in Wyoming I couldn’t catch a trout. I tried all the patterns and tactics that had brought me success on big, fast water streams elsewhere, but to no avail. In desperation I paused to light a cigar. My stonefly dry pattern swung downstream and then hard into the gravel where the foam was only a foot deep. Bam! Fish on.

Over the next couple hours I caught and released another ten reasonable cut throat form water I’d traditionally never explore.

Have confidence in your experience, but always be prepared to experiment. Mix up retrieve rates, switch flies and fish traditional patterns differently. I remember trialling some big salmon flies on spawn run trout in southern NSW with great success.

Over the years I’ve been fortunate to fish a lot of Australian and New Zealand destinations. Most of the time I’ve had a real hoot and hooked some nice fish to boot.

Stick to the principles I’ve outlined and you’ll only want more. There’s a lot of water out there to explore!

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Still want to crack a trophy cod in the cold?

220mm in the rainbow and silver trout colours.

MURRUMBIDGEE RIVER August is always tough on the local river during August, as the conditions are different every year. With the cold temperatures the fishing will always be slow, but the fish will begin to feed again late this month if we start to see some warmer weather.

If they haven’t let any

WAGGA WAGGA

Rhys Creed

It has been another incredible winter so far, but there is still one month left to chase that trophy cod. On the flip side, for those who aren’t a fan of fishing in the cold, there isn’t long now until we see the warmth of spring.

BLOWERING DAM First of all let’s kick off with our favourite place at this time of year, Blowering Dam. This place can really push you to your limits in winter, with the hundreds of casts for little result, the bone shattering temperatures and the mental battle as you question if you’re doing the

The author with a solid winter cod that took the Ignite Cod Fury 220mm in rainbow trout colour. consists of rocky and clay banks while the opposite side has more flat grassy banks covered in timber.

Your best option if fishing the evening and into the night is to fish deeper on those steep banks from 3-8m. Once you get a hit in a certain depth, stick to that depth for the night. Once

morning comes, this is when you want to fish shallower, and when those grassy banks come into play. Using surface lures, swimbaits and lightlyweighted plastics in 1-5m is perfect.

Lure choice for this month needs to be realistic and lifelike. With so many lures being thrown around

Fishing on a -3°C morning, casting away and searching for that next hit!

The Ignite Cod Fury is becoming the goto lure for chasing giant cod in dams. right thing. But… as we all know, it’s so worth it when one of these giants grab hold.

The reason I’m talking about this is because I want you to remember that during this time of year, you need to keep at it! Don’t give up and push through. This is how some people continue to catch big fish at this time of year.

During this month the temperature will begin to rise

and the fish usually feed more than during July. One thing you may need to do is fish banks or areas in the dam that receive the least pressure, as the more popular spots will have been pressured over the past two months.

I recommend fishing the middle section of the dam between the Pines and Yatching Point on both sides of the dam. The eastern side

Jack Flanagan with a solid winter cod caught from the Murrumbidgee River.

DAM LEVELS Dam............................... % Full

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

Mulwala

May June July

Cairn Curran

32

32 38

(Yarrawonga) 98 94 90

Dartmouth 63 64 63

Newlyn

Eildon

34 35 36

Nillahcootie 25 24 26

Eppalock

37 36 37

Rocklands 23 23 24

Eucumbene 25 24 24

Tantangara 23 19 18

Fyans

65 66 69

Taylors

32 25 21

Hepburn

25 30 68

Tullaroop

33 33 38

Hume

14 18 25

Waranga

12 14 21

Jindabyne 78 71 69

Wartook

27 29 36

Lauriston

William Hovell 36

80 80 81

28 38 87

AUGUST 2019

the fish need to be tricked into thinking they are eating something real. Swimbaits are perfect for fishing shallow, as they can be twitched and paused above the grassy banks to look like an injured fish. There are hundreds of great swimbait brands out there that work so well, but I like the AC Swimbait for the shallows and the Bunji swimbait for deeper water.

My go-to plastic for this time of year is the Ignite Cod Fury

to rise it will be very tough fishing, so probably worth giving it a miss.

The same goes for Old Man Creek, as it should definitely be on your list.

Make sure you retrieve your lure slowly, and fish the big heavy timber.

Another thing to remember in both the creek and the river is to fish the afternoons. You’ll get more hits, as the water will be warmer. It’s also worth trying to fish the nice warm days, as the fish will switch on better in these conditions compared to cold overcast days.

The reward is worth the effort, as Baily shows with this early hours 90cm cod from Blowering.

59 99

(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.)

48

water out of the dams for irrigation then it will be worth a trip. Lures are probably still the best option at this time of year, with spinnerbaits and hardbodies cast tight to structure the key. The smaller fish will still be shut down but the bigger fish will still be around. Remember to retrieve the lures extremely slowly to give the fish plenty of time to see what’s coming.

If the water is starting

The river and creek will fish better on the sunny days as opposed to the overcast ones.

The trout rivers and streams are still closed, so make sure you steer clear of these and stick to the natives.

Now is that time to have one last crack at the trophy winter cod that Blowering has to offer before the weather warms up. But luckily, Blowering is now open to targeting cod year round, so we will still be able to chase them as the temperature warms up! The fishing style will just change slightly, but that’s for the next report!

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Last chance to smack a big winter goodoo ALBURY/WODONGA

Connor Heir

August is here, leaving us with a few weeks to score that last prized Murray cod, unless you fish an all year round cod fishery.

However my focus will primarily be on the rivers and creeks, so there’s not long until we have to put a pause on the big gear.

of us were expecting the small cod to come back and take the lure. We weren’t expecting what happened next. I made a short cast out in the same direction as where the small cod came from, and all of a sudden my rod loaded up to a much bigger fish. A 95cm river cod decided that my lure would be its next feed.

This was definitely one the coolest moments I’ve

A point I can give from this success story is that sometimes trying new areas and going with gut feelings can also be a good idea.

It’s such a great feeling working for something and getting the ultimate reward for it. Even though it was shy of the metre mark, it’s a personal goal I’ve been trying to accomplish for quite some time. Fish size isn’t always everything, and as long as you enjoy chasing these fish and enjoy being where you are, you will always have a good time.

The preparation to catching these fish is always important too, and as I said I was lucky to have Rhys by my side on this trip, or else I could have really struggled landing this fish. This leads me into another point that I think is basic, but super important.

It’s important to keep calm and focused after hooking a fish, especially if it’s a big one. I’ve learnt my lesson so many times, particularly when I’ve been solo and I’ve gotten so excited after seeing a fish come up for the first time, is that the

The author was stoked to land this 95cm cod, and managed to catch the whole thing on film! adrenaline can cause to you to make mistakes that can be avoided. Many times I’ve made these mistakes

while learning to more you do it, you get use to all of that said,

fish. The the more it. With accidents

StumpJumpers still catch plenty of cod.

Once again, the fishing in August is typically slow.

As cod anglers we already expect this, so we should be braced for donuts and poor results. However, we always keep in the back of our minds that it only takes that one fish to make it all worth it, and recently I was blessed with this feeling.

A gut feeling of a new area of water payed off, and I walked the miles and gained the smiles. The cherry on top was my mate capturing the whole lot on film! A smaller cod was attacking my lure, so I kept casting. Rhys pulled his phone out of his bag and began filming, and both

had in fishing, and I’m probably very lucky I had a mate with me to land the fish properly, as the bank was quite hard to land a fish on, keeping in mind that we were on foot.

The footage is epic, and I can’t believe our luck with capturing it on film!

It was such an awesome experience to have with a good mate. If you’d like to view the footage, search on YouTube ‘Connor’s 95cm Murray Cod’, or find it on my Instagram @nativefishing. This is definitely a reward from effort and just continuing to fish to gain the potential results.

Bites will be few and far between again this month, but the rewards for the hours of casting are often worth the effort.

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do happen and there will always be the one that got away, especially with cod fishing, because often they can find every snag to pull you into.

We never stop learning while cod fishing, and every time we hook up that adrenaline rush is like no other and it’s a clear reminder as to why we do it as often as we can.

Braving it for a few more weeks may give you the reward of whatever it may be you want to achieve, so get out and keep doing it, as it can come at any time! Most importantly, like usual, just enjoy yourself.

Weeks on after catching that fish I’m still pumped, and I hope anyone reading this can hopefully get this feeling before the end of the season, and if not don’t let it get you down, it is hard work at this time of year, and there is always next season to pursue your goals!

Good luck!

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Cold water fishing opportunities ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

The aspirations of many keen anglers seem all but dashed, as winter rolls out an icy blanket of ‘couldn’tbe-bothered’. I must admit the thought of wetting a line, compared to that of a warm wood fire and a large pot of hearty beef stew, is a long way away.

But, it’s hard not to reflect on past winters and realize some of the best fishing for the year is under these cooler conditions. In some cases, it’s what’s needed to trigger the bite.

Along many sections of the Murray River, some good-sized cod have been landed on surface lures at dawn and dusk. Sure, these are the coldest parts of the day, but each does not last long and when presented with the opportunity to catch a large Murray cod, it’s worth the effort.

Large paddling lures have produced great results, with patience the key to landing a fish. Sharp spikes and falls in barometric pressure have provided the best bites. Other lures and baits have also taken some nice cod for those who have braved the cold.

In the Murray River at Swan Hill, several sizable cod up to 85cm have been caught in the Murray Downs area on a variety of lures. The river is low and clear, and also quite shallow in the Swan Hill area.

The best lures are those with medium to shallow diving range and colour has made little difference, with captures across the whole range from dark to bright. Shrimp are very hard to catch in the river, so alternative baits like worms, yabbies and cheese

Rhylee Hann looks pretty chuffed with the solid golden perch she caught on a Tubby Native minnow lure. will do the job.

Further down the Murray, from Boundary Bend through to Wemen, anglers are also catching a few cod on lures and some good-sized perch on bait. I have popped up the river a few times of late on the chance of catching a perch for the pan.

The river was low and clear for a bankside session on the Murray near Wemen.

Numerous snags jutted out of the water, each a potential home to a waiting perch. With a small chemically sharpened hook loaded with worms, I cast close to the timber where

the current rolled in a circle.

The bait sat anchored to the bottom in just a few metres of water. In less than a minute, a sharp hard bite bounced the rod, but the show of interest was over as quickly as it began. The fish failed to return, and half an hour on a new snag played out the same thing. In both cases, the fish left the bait of worms fully intact.

As a seasoned fisho, I can be fairly sure it was not a carp, as they would not leave a ball of worms until they had become hooked on the line or eaten the lot. Such behaviour is more indicative of a large perch, and I have seen it many times over the years. As soon as the bait enters its domain, it comes to investigate. With the water temperature down and the fish’s metabolism slowed, food is not really a priority, so native fish like perch can afford to be fussy.

Half an hour passed with no more bites, so I chose a new snag and cast on the eddy line close to the timber.

The bait had only been in the water a few minutes before a solid tap had the rod tip rattling. This time, the fish

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Decent Murray cod have been landed on surface lures of late.

This one was taken on a Bassman Aussie Crawler.

continued the bite and the hook was soon set solid. A large golden perch, no less than 52cm, was drawn to the bank, fighting well in the cold water. It was more than enough for a feed, so the rods were packed and the fish was put on ice.

The Murray River at Mildura is also producing decent perch on bait and lures. While the bite is a little slow, the size of the fish encountered has been quite good. It’s a similar story around Lock 9, with good catches of perch on bait. Large Murray cod have been landed in this area on trolled lures.

So, if you are looking to put a bend in your rod, you could do far worse than fish a few baits or troll a few lures. While it’s not for everyone, winter’s chilly bite can be a pleasant surprise for those anglers keen enough to wet a line.

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River relocation has affected the catch rates SHEPPARTON

Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com

The region’s rivers and lakes have been given a stock boost in recent months, with the fish relocation program from the Main Eastern Channel rolled out for another year.

Fish over a metre were released into the Goulburn River and some smaller natives into Shepparton Lake, Broken Creek near Nathalia, and Benalla Lake. The program resulted in 182 Murray cod and 115 yellowbelly being relocated. These fish were electro-fished in areas where the channel has been lowered for bridge works and weed reduction.

Shepparton Lake has now had natives released in it for two years and these fish will grow rapidly with the amount of feed on offer.

As well as the relocated fish program, the Victorian Fisheries Authority has also released 750 trout into the lake, which will boost catch rates for local anglers.

All this stocking news is welcomed at this time of year, as it’s normally a

quiet period for the local area. This positive update will keep locals keen to get on the water.

Those who have braved the cold conditions have managed to catch fish, but it’s been hard work getting bites. Some anglers have been successful in persistently targeting small sections of the Goulburn River and fishing a few main areas hard, then moving onto another.

There have not been many reports of massive fish being caught but I have heard of a 70cm cod caught upstream of the Goulburn and Broken junction with a Bassman Codman DT in orange and brown.

There have been reports of crayfish being caught around Murchison, but there is limited information about any other catch locations, with locals either not catching crays or keeping their cards close to their chest.

The Broken River is in its quietest period of the year, with many of us now waiting for the spring rains to hopefully fire up yellowbelly in September.

Just remember, August is the last month of Murray cod season. Good luck

chasing a cod for the last time and remember to put the cod gear away from 1 September to 1 December.

MAIN EASTERN CHANNEL There is a lot of doom and gloom around the Main Eastern Channel after the fish relocation program, but fear not – the fish relocation happened in 2018 and it didn’t affect the catch rates along the channel. Yes, it’s going to be tough to find the 1m+ fish but these fish were always very elusive, with maybe one report a year of metre long fish being caught.

I have been able to catch cod, yellowbelly and some big redfin after the program finished, which has given me plenty of confidence leading into spring. With some of the bigger fish relocated, we may see redfin catch rates go up as there is less pressure on them from predator fish.

Just remember, when the channels fill back up the redfin seem to come on the chew, so target the bridges, drop bars or any structure in the system.

SHEPPARTON LAKE As stated earlier, Shepparton Lake has had a huge boost to its fish

numbers with 750 trout plus some relocated cod and yellowbelly released.

This will give locals a great little fishery for the remaining colder months with trout being active in these times.

Worms or PowerBait work best for trout, with the grass hills and boat ramp the go-to spots. Lure anglers are catching them by trolling Tassie Devils, or casting small spinners and burning them across the top.

Spring should see yellowbelly catch rates go up, but they can be a bit harder to catch due to the weed. Target any area that has less weed.

KIALLA LAKES The wait for spring is almost over and that’s starting to get those who fish Kialla excited, because we all know once spring comes yellowbelly will come on the bite. If we get some warmer August weather, the bite might start early. If so, I would be focusing on sand bars or weedy banks with spinnerbaits or lipless crankbaits.

If it stays cold I would probably stick to Shepparton Lake, as you will have more chance to catch fish. Winter fishing is very tough going at Kialla.

CHANGE OF RULES There has been an ongoing online debate in regards to the Opera house net recently and it’s important to clear up any confusion. The rules and regulations have changed, and these nets are no longer

The author with a 37cm redfin caught on a Hot Bite Jets Tail Spinner after the fish relocation. permitted for use in any Victorian waterway. Rules previously stated they could be used in private waters, but they have long been banned from public waterways due to their associated risks.

These nets are permitted for use in other states and regulations should be researched prior to use

of the nets. Local fishing community leader Steve ‘Trelly’ Threlfall has plenty of information in regards to these changes on his Facebook page or in store.

If you need more education in regards to the ban, please don’t hesitate to contact me via email, or jump on the Victorian Fisheries Authorities website.

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n Trout Hatchery e d a G Fisheries officers have finished conducting the fish relocation in the Main Eastern Channel.

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The weather is cold, but don’t let that stop you from getting into a bit of fishing around the lakes. Although the mornings have been very frosty, the days have been sunny and have provided us with some good early polaroiding opportunities.

It’s a great time to look around the weed beds for feeding fish during the day. Smaller nymphs and micro Woolly Buggers are some of my favourite flies for day fishing. For those using spinning gear, smaller Celtas and vibes delicately cast into the path of a feeding fish can be deadly.

Evenings on sunnier days have also seen some fish actively feeding on midge. These fish can be quite tricky to catch, but I have found that a small buzzer hung under a

Griffith gnat can often be their undoing.

Boat-based anglers have had the most success with flies, but lures cast towards the shore have seen a few good fish being caught.

Fishing during these cold nights can also be a fantastic way of getting into some big predators looking for a feed close to shore. You may have to put in a lot of casts to find them but when you do, the rewards can be great.

Lake Eucumbene is very low at the moment with lots of mud around the edges, so please take care when walking, as it can get very sticky. Jindabyne is definitely the pick of the lakes this month. Hatchery Bay and Waste Point on the western side of the lake, and Kalkite and Mill Creek on the eastern side are all worth a look.

Hopefully the weather will start to warm up over the next month, and we should see the sight fishing

get into full swing. Until then, stay warm and try your hand at lake fishing!

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Fingers-crossed for clear skies WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

August is the last month of what I consider the ‘off season’. Footballers, cricketers, snow skiers etc. all have an off season, and so do freshwater fishing journalists living in North East Victoria – winter.

But, all is not lost.

There are good fishing options around in August, and for some anglers, it is the best time of the year to go fishing.

MURRAY COD The Murray cod fishing is very slow in August. Many local anglers actually travel away from Wangaratta to go cod fishing in places such as Lake Eildon, Copeton Dam and the Murray River.

These are places that are renowned for producing

This year the streams open on Saturday September 7. The Victorian trout opening is always on the

Lake Nillahcootie later in the month. On the whole, they will be very quiet in most places.

Wangaratta.

Just like late August Murray cod fishing, crayfishing is also largely

Lake William Hovell is only a small lake, however it offers some great trout fishing right throughout winter. It is well worth a visit during August. governed by the amount of rain we get and the amount of water flowing down the rivers. The crayfish will still bite in high fast water,

Jaden Lloyd with an oversized Murray crayfish caught in the lower Ovens River recently.

Kids love crayfishing, and August is the last month of the open season to take the kids crayfishing. large winter Murray cod.

In saying that, I have actually caught more Murray cod in August in the Wangaratta area than I have in June or July. The Murray cod fishing in the Ovens River catchment during August is largely determined by the amount of winter rainfall we receive. At the moment, the river is quite high and dirty after recent rainfall. It looks terrible, and I dare say it is fishing equally as terrible.

When I have done well in August, it has been during dry years when the Ovens River is low and clear late in the month.

Just as the days are getting longer, there’s a slight hint of warmth in the sun and the wattle starts sending me into a sneezing frenzy.

So this month, keep a close eye on river levels as a lower than average river could well lead to some good late August Murray cod fishing.

TROUT The trout streams will remain closed all winter.

first Saturday in September.

Do NOT go trout fishing in the streams on Sunday September 1 or you will get fined if you get caught.

Every year I see people making this same mistake.

This month, try Lake William Hovell if you want to go trout fishing. The lake offers great trolling for trout during August, although the average size of the trout tends to be less than 30cm. However, I have seen trout up to 5lb caught there, and last year I was sent photos of an absolute monster brown trout from the lake.

Further afield, Lake Dartmouth is a very good option for anybody wanting to troll trout. For some anglers, the trolling available here during winter is the highlight of their fishing calendar.

REDFIN AND YELLOWBELLY Both species of perch will be very slow during August. Occasionally, a few yellowbelly might turn up at Lake Hume, or even

MURRAY CRAYFISH This is where all the fun is! I love crayfishing and have been having a blast so far. I have caught some of my biggest crayfish this winter right here in

The author’s last and biggest trout of last season caught in a small stream on a Pontoon 21 Pacer late in May.

Although not a part of the Ovens River catchment, Lake Hume is less than an hour’s drive away and is known to produce some enormous trout in August each year.

however, keeping your cray nets on the bottom may be a struggle. Fast currents will wash your cray nets into the snags very quickly.

The lower Ovens River is a great place to go crayfishing, although if we get too much rain, a lot of access points will be locked up to protect the tracks. If the river is flowing fast enough to warrant closing the tracks, then it will most likely be flowing too fast for your cray nets anyway. In that case, head to Bundalong and Lake Mulwala, where the Murray River slows right down and even when the rivers are very high, crayfishing is still possible. You will need a boat down there and you will also need to familiarize yourselves with crayfishing and boating regulations.

AUGUST 2019

53

Jetty upgrade for Blue Rock WST/STH GIPPSLAND

Steve Haughton steve@habitatcreations.com.au

With more and more people discovering Blue Rock Lake tucked in behind the township of Willow Grove in West Gippsland, Southern Rural Water have been busy planning, sourcing funding and upgrading some tired infrastructure at the Old Tanjil Road boat ramp.

Blue Rock is a truly beautiful lake positioned at the foothills of Mt Baw Baw, with its main flow coming in from the Tanjil River. The lake has been a secret destination for keen anglers chasing trout and in more recent years, it stocked Australian bass. A few years back, a new walking path was constructed starting at the Old Tanjil Road boat ramp, which opened up over a kilometre of shoreline access. Not long after that, boat and engine size restrictions were lifted and it has seen the lake become quite the hotspot in recent years.

In late June, two new floating jetties were installed at the Old Tanjil Road boat ramp, which

will allow easier launching and retrieving for all recreational users and their vessels. The newly installed jetties run on both sides of the two-lane boat ramp and are a welcome upgrade from the shortterm plastic moulded jetty, which did its job but was ready for retirement. Those who have fished the lake recently would have also noticed new solar-powered lighting standing pretty at the entrance to both jetties.

There’s also some new signage around the carpark, and there’s plans to install a big all-abilities playground very soon up near the family barbecue area.

It’s been another dry winter on Blue Rock Lake but the water levels are slowly rising thanks to a consistent flowing Tanjil River, which receives snowmelt from Mt Baw Baw. The streams throughout the rest of the region are flowing well but not high. With every rainfall event, the water simply runs off the dry soils and creates dirty water.

One would like to think that the stream trout, river blackfish and eel have plenty to feed on, with the surface run-off adding food to the system. The trout season opens at the end of

this month, coinciding with the close of the blackfish season. Let’s hope we get some more rain to top up the catchments.

Despite the chill factor, Blue Rock Lake has seen plenty of anglers braving the elements to troll for trout or target bass and redfin with bait and jigs.

The cold winter air hasn’t deterred kayakers, landbased anglers or boaties, with plenty of action on the water all week round.

Trolling winged lures, spinner blades, hardbodies and plastics at slow speed has been effective on trout.

If you’re struggling to pick up anything off the surface, troll with lead line or use trolling weights to get lures down a bit deeper. This time of year the fish aren’t necessarily feeding along the banks, so don’t be surprised if you hook up in deep water out in the open.

Many anglers opt for a fish in the sticks after a few hours trolling, where there are some nice bass and redfin on offer. If you have an electric motor with an anchor function, sound around the banks in the lake for schools of

redfin and bass. Position the boat over the schools and jig using baits, ice jigs or soft plastics. For the anglers using baits, live baits like garden worms, yabbies or crickets work wonders on bass. Use baits unweighted or with very small running sinkers, and simply drop them down amongst the snags or in to a school of fish.

Please remember the stream trout season reopens on Saturday September 7 at 12am. The closure of the season brings some relief to the stream trout population, which relies solely on natural spawning high up in the tributaries of this catchment. There are no stream trout stocking programs in West and South Gippsland, so anglers rely heavily on anglers catching and releasing trout. If you are heading out to target river blackfish or eel or just happen to be passing through and you spot illegal activities on our streams, please report to 13 FISH. Feel free to send me a report or photo, particularly if you have any success stories over the winter season.

Kian Line, 13yo, with a nice Blue Rock brown trout trolled up on a pink Tassie Devil.

An Eildon winter wonderland EILDON

Peter Burtchell

Early winter brought some good rain, and the added lake inflows saw some great fishing for Murray cod along the Big and Goulburn River arms.

The cooler weather gave us some great trout action in the main arm of the lake and will continue for some time to come.

Murray crays have been landed in many parts of the lake and make for some great fun and fitness while checking the pots.

The climate outlook from July to September suggested it should be drier than average, with more cloudless days and nights.

The sunny days have greatly improved comfort when fishing on the lake. Murray cod remain

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AUGUST 2019

Darren Bowman fishes in comfort from the rear deck of his houseboat. This 85cm model was the second Murray cod he landed within an hour during the middle of the day.

active throughout sunny days, which increases the chance of catching them. Fish are also more concentrated with the lower water levels, adding to those chances.

Lake Eildon has received great support from the Victorian Fisheries Authority and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. Through their Boosting Recreational Water Use Initiative, a grant has funded the upgrade of amenities at the Jerusalem Creek public boat ramp.

The new amenities block includes disability access, added cubicles and solar powered lighting to add to security.

In other good news, the Boating Industry Association of Victoria has announced that their To page 55

OUTDOOR & FISHING SHOW

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Slow frosty days begone BENDIGO

Roger Miles codhuntertours@bigpond.com

The Bendigo region has experienced some very cold conditions and received an average amount of rainfall over last month.

At this stage, inflows into the river systems and impoundments have been minimal. The encouraging sign is that in some of the catchments the ground is now holding good volumes of moisture, so any significant rainfall events in the near future should produce good run-off.

LAKE EPPALOCK Fishing has slowed down, with very few anglers fishing the lake. Most have reported only small numbers of fish caught. On the occasional good day, there have been a handful of fishers who have managed to find a concentration of quality redfin feeding. They were lucky enough to land redfin measuring over 40cm.

The most productive techniques have been jigging soft plastics and ice jigs.

Casting soft plastics and retrieving along the bottom

has also enticed some redfin.

The majority of redfin are being caught in deep water, with depths greater than 10m the most effective.

At this stage I have not received any reports of trout catches, mainly because very few anglers heading to Lake Eppalock are targeting them. If you do have some success, please get in touch.

The native fishing for golden perch and Murray cod has been very tough.

Next month, we should start to see water temperatures increasing again. If we get good rainfall and water levels rise over the fresh ground, we can look forward to a great native season at the lake.

CAMPASPE RIVER August should continue to see a small amount of fish available in the Campaspe River. Water clarity is still good in most parts of the river, but at this time of year water clarity can deteriorate after significant rainfall events, so always keep an eye on the latest weather conditions. Murray cod and the occasional golden perch are making up the majority of captures in the Campaspe River.

The most productive lures for Murray cod have been surface lures and swimbaits during periods of reduced light. During the day, fishing large lipless crankbaits retrieved very slowly has been producing small numbers of Murray cod. The best lures for golden perch have been small lipless crankbaits and suspended hardbodied lures, which are fished around the edges of weed beds and cumbungi-lined banks.

CAIRN CURRAN Water levels have started to increase at Cairn Curran.

The inflows have only been small at this stage, but if we receive more rainfall shortly we should see water levels steadily increase.

The fishing remains slow, with redfin making up the majority of captures. The most productive options for redfin have been bait fishing with worms and small yabbies. Lure anglers have been jigging ice jigs or casting soft plastics.

On a more positive note, boats have recently been allowed at Tullaroop Reservoir. There is no use of petrol motors on the waterway, only electric

Large Murray cod like this make the freezing mornings worth the effort! motors. The fishing has been very productive since it was opened to boat access. There have been some quality trout measuring above 60cm landed. The redfin fishing has taken off, with the occasional redfin longer than 50cm landed.

It is only a small waterway though, and the demand is growing. On recent weekends there have been over 50 boats fishing the reservoir. While fishing is good for now, it will not last long with that amount of pressure.

LODDON RIVER Water clarity is patchy

in the Loddon River.

There have not been many captures, but the occasional quality native fish is still being landed. The most productive fishing continues to be in the deepest sections of the river.

A few Murray cod are being taken on surface lures and swimbaits during periods of low light. Anglers are also trolling hardbodied lures and heavy spinnerbaits to moderate success.

The numbers of golden perch caught in the system have been low, but if you put the time in there are still some quality fish available.

The majority of golden perch are being caught on lipless crankbaits, which are being fished along weed bed edges and around the edges of timber with lots of small sticks packed close together.

These areas provide shade for golden perch to hide in and ambush their prey.

From page 54

inaugural Lake Eildon Boating and Fishing Show will run from 11-13 October, 2019.

The event is the first of its kind in Victoria and will be a major attraction for regional Victoria and the boating industry.

This will be a great family event, so for more information please visit www.lakeeildonboating andfishingshow.com.au. • Jerusalem Creek Marina & Holiday Park is a friendly, family-orientated caravan park, and makes the perfect home away from home. While there you can opt to hire one of their Boatel floating apartments, hire a boat or book a fishing guide at competitive prices.

For more information on all of these services and other attractions in the area, visit jerusalemcreek. com.au, or give them a call on (03) 5774 2585 or email i n f o @ j e r u s a l e m c re e k . com.au.

Rod Peterson caught good size Murray cray at a depth of 10m in the Main Arm.

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Harry Mahoney landed this impressive 85cm Murray cod from Lake Eildon on a yabby.

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Crayfish, cod and carp to catch!

NAGAMBIE

Paul Thomas

Things have certainly slowed right down in the Nagambie Lakes region of late, with cold winter weather and some severe frosty mornings. The native fish in the area have proven to be challenging to catch.

MAJORS CREEK The water is still quite low and murky in Majors Creek while works are being carried out at the weir downstream.

Campers in the area have still managed to land a few fish from the bank, with baits such as worms, grubs and cheese.

A few small yellowbelly up to 40cm, as well carp and the odd redfin and Murray cod found

Murray cod are still available in August if you play your cards right, as Bailey Thomas did to score a 78cm cod on a Jackall swimbait.

But, the heavy frosts we have experienced have definitely stirred up those tasty little critters that are the spiny freshwater crayfish, and those anglers who have been keen enough to brave the near-freezing temperatures are reaping the rewards, with a nice feed of these delicious crustaceans. Those willing to put the time and effort in have also captured a few native fish.

their way into landing nets.

One kayaker told me of a fish he hooked on a purple spinnerbait that towed him from one side of the creek to the other, busting him off before he could land it. It was a good reminder that there are quality fish in the system and you just never know where or when they may show up.

MITCHELLSTOWN Water clarity in the river around Mitchellstown has

been very good but few anglers are braving the cold conditions in an attempt to land a native fish. Those who have been on the water have generally been chasing crayfish with reasonable success. Anglers trolling big hardbodied lures in the deeper sections of the river have landed a few Murray cod, but they have only been of small to average size.

With the very cold temperatures, surface fishing has yielded few results in the river, as the local cod population seem reluctant to rise into the cold surface water to take a big paddler or wakebait. Hopefully this changes before the end of the season and we get another chance at hooking Murray cod, with what I believe to be the most exciting method to target them.

NAGAMBIE LAKE As with other areas, reports are few and far between for the Nagambie Lake area.

Carp have been landed off the bank at the caravan park using worms, with the odd Murray cod trolled up in the river section. I did see one angler catch two Murray cod in quick succession fishing from the bank with yabbies.

The cod were only small, in the 45-55cm range, but it was encouraging to see that they are still active enough to take a bait if it’s put in the right spot.

As the water is still low, fishing from places like the boardwalk means you will be casting into very shallow water. So, if you’re going to fish here, try looking for an area where you are able to cast

into the deeper section of the river. Yabbies, if you can get them, are the bait of choice, but bardi grubs, cheese and chicken are also effective.

KIRWANS BRIDGE Kirwans Bridge has been the pick of the area over the last month. This may have something to do with the difficulty in launching boats in other areas due to the low water. The picnic point boat ramp down to the weir has seen decent catches of freshwater crayfish. Baits such as saltwater fish heads, liver, carp frames, chicken and even pumpkin have all been successful. I like to place my nets in the deeper water a few metres out from the drop off and about 50m apart, checking them every hour or so in between casting for cod.

Victorian regulations state the minimum size limit is 10cm with a maximum size of 12cm.

A daily bag limit of two exists

The author with a 66cm Murray cod caught on a Jackall swimbait. with a statewide possession limit of four, and all female crays carrying eggs or young should be returned to the water as soon as possible to ensure future populations.

This area has been productive if you are prepared to brave the cold. My son and I have had three day trips in the last month and have managed to land some quality Murray

Gavin Fallon landed this hefty 85cm Murray cod on a spinnerbait.

cod on each occasion, as well as some good-sized redfin.

Using Jackall swimbaits and Solo hardbodied lures, we have landed six Murray cod between 40-78cm and also dropped several other quality fish that failed to stay connected. Darker coloured lures have been the most effective on Murray cod, with a super slow retrieve required to entice them into striking.

WRAP UP Freshwater crayfish and Murray cod will remain on the radar until the close of season at the end of August. While the water remains clear with minimal flow, the Nagambie Lakes system is still a viable option for chasing Murray cod and golden perch. Once again, the weather will play a big part in the productivity of the region. While it’s still good, you should hit the water with a bucket full of bait and a handful of big lures and take your chances, as you never know what you might catch.

As always, please ‘limit your catch, not catch your limit’.

Now is the time for reddies CRATER LAKES

Rod Shepherd

The rain bucketed down, the wind blew hard and the cold has been uncomfortable. This has restricted anglers getting out there and wetting a line, and from my end, reports are once again, thin on the ground.

I do have a couple of

subjects to report on and the first is regarding the fish kill that occurred back in April at Lake Bullen Merri.

The results have come back in from scientists who tested the various samples taken from around the lake’s verges. The highest PH reading, which measures acidity, reached 9.3 and that’s is very high for this lake. This acidity plays havoc with fish’s gills, also

Redfin are hungry at the moment, so just be sure to find the schools before you start fishing.

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eroding the slime that coats all fish’s skins that provides a protective layer against disease and subsequent infections. Add to that the sudden burst of cold weather that arrived in May. This has put an end to any algal blooms that were present in the lake, however dying algae gives off ammonia that again plays havoc with fish.

The good news is that according to the scientists, this event has well and truly ended and we can now get back to fishing for big trout and salmon.

The rain is topping up our lakes, which is more than welcome, especially our shallower crater lakes such as Elingamite, Tooliorook, Deep and Bolac.

As of the end of June, Lake Elingamite’s level at the ramp was on 20cm, which is fine for kayakers, but still too shallow for most boats. Hopefully this month the level would have at least doubled, allowing shallow draft bass boats to launch.

The cold weather is also

making it more comfortable for our salmonoids to exist, so the coming months are looking good for our freshwater lakes and rivers.

For those not in the know, Lake Purrumbete is open for business as long as you are fishing, not planning to camp. There’s still a fair bit of clean up going on, so try not to get in the road of those going about their business. Only park in designated areas so others can access work sites.

Some solid browns to 10lb are being caught either flatline trolling close to the shoreline, casting towards the weed beds or soaking a live minnow or mudeye under a float. The fish have certainly moved into the shallows in an attempt to spawn and can be quite finicky to entice to bite. No doubt many are attacking lures simply out of aggression rather than hunger.

Decent redfin are about at depth, but cricket score catches such as those that happened two years ago

This seems to be about the average size of the reddies in Purrumbete at the moment. are few and far between.

However, on most days a feed or three can be caught in a single session by either fishing live minnow just off the bottom or jigging soft plastics such as the MagBite Minnow range and Pontoon 21 J Huddles in two, three and four inch.

Darker colours seem to attract more hits over lighter coloured plastics, 1/4oz jighead are ideal to get your plastic down 15m or

so in quick fashion. Large schools can be easily seen (once located) on a depth sounder. The schools appear as a large cloud sitting on an otherwise flat or gently sloping bottom devoid of weed. Metal jigs such as Paco spoons in either 10.5 or 14g work well on a given day. Gold and silver spot yamame colours seem to attract more bites, at least for me anyway.

Boating will broaden the fishing horizons Steve said the key to their success was to cruise around with the electric and sound the schools of redfin up using his fish finder, then pop the electric on spot lock, fish over the school until they move on, then chase them again.

Steve said on their last trip they had caught enough redfin for a feed, and then released big redfin

BALLARAT

Shane Stevens

Tullaroop’s the talk of the town and it certainly doesn’t surprise me.

It’s only now that other anglers from all over the state are finding out what Tullaroop Reservoir has to offer.

For anglers who don’t know, Tullaroop has been opened up to boating for the first time since its construction back in 1959. Tullaroop Reservoir has a storage capacity of 72,950ML, covering a surface area of 742ha. The primary use of the water supply is for domestic use in Maryborough and irrigation.

Thomas and Justin McNeight landed this magnificent 7.5lb brown trout from Tullaroop Reservoir while fishing for redfin with dad Rod. Photo courtesy of Rod McNeight.

Ben Young landed a well-conditioned Lake Wendouree brown trout on an Ecogear Power Shad. Photo courtesy of Ben Young.

The Victorian Fishing Authority, in conjunction with Goulburn-Murray Water, recently made the announcement, with anglers now able to use boats on the reservoir. It is restricted to electric motors only.

All boating regulations should be followed and

redfin appear to be right on the bottom, and you will drift over a school of fish then drift off them. We have been turning the boat around to drift back over the same area to pick up the school again.

Lake Wendouree is producing quality brown trout, with angler numbers being down due to the cold weather. The fish are

adhered to when using the reservoir. A boat ramp has been constructed at the dam wall, and boat launching is also accessible on the western side of the reservoir from Gulloways Lane, recommended for smaller craft only.

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One Million campaign, the Victorian Fishing Authority has invested heavily in Tullaroop over the past few years, releasing over 100,000 brown and rainbow trout in various sizes. VFA have reclassified Tullaroop as a mixed fishery and are going to continue releasing yellowbelly and Murray cod into the reservoir.

This adds to the resident population of redfin that are currently the talk of the angling world in Victoria, particularly in the Central Highlands region.

This will give anglers a year-round fishery. We will be able to target trout during spring, autumn and winter, and during the warmer weather we can target yellowbelly, Murray cod and redfin. It will take a few years before we see the results of the Murray cod and yellowbelly release, as they were only fingerlings, but it will be worth the wait.

Just think: we will be able to drive only 40 minutes from Ballarat CBD to have the opportunity to catch quality yellas and cod. I’m excited by the prospect!

Fishing has been excellent over the past month, with many anglers catching excellent bags of redfin and quality brown and rainbow trout. Rodney McNeight and his two young boys, Thomas and Justin, fished Tullaroop recently trying to catch a feed of reddies. They were not disappointed, landing big redfin up to 45cm on local minnows and gudgeon fished on a running sinker rig on the bottom. The

Nathan Angee caught these two football-sized redfin while fishing at Tullaroop Reservoir using garden worms for bait. Photo courtesy of Steve Angee.

There were plenty of redfin about for the McNeights to take home for tea! Photo courtesy of Rod McNeight.

The author has been catching quality redfin on ice jigs.

boys were casting soft plastics when something big latched onto Justin’s rod. After a long tussle, they landed a magnificent brown trout that tipped the scales at 7.5lb. After a couple of photos, the brown trout was released to fight another day.

Steve Angee with his son, Nathan, and mate, Nathan Ward, have been getting big bags of redfin as well, catching them on Baltic Bobbers and worms.

around 40-45cm.

I have fished Tullaroop a couple of times myself with Brian Rivett. We have been fishing out of a drifting boat using Baltic Bobbers and ice jigs with excellent results. It’s important when drifting along using this method to make sure your bobber or jig keeps hitting the bottom. You need to keep adjusting your depth as the bottom of the reservoir goes up and down, as the

still biting for those who venture out. Ben Young has been catching lovely brown trout, walking the shorelines casting soft plastics. Ben uses this method a lot during winter when trout are cruising around the lake edges. In general though, the lake has been fairly quiet.

The Newlyn Reservoir water level is very low at the moment, with the water tower nearly out of the water. Reports vary from anglers who have been fishing Newlyn, with the odd trout being caught on lures and worms fished on the bottom. The fishing will improve over winter when the reservoir starts to rise over new ground, as the fish will come in and forage in the shallows.

Moorabool Reservoir has seen plenty of anglers walking around its shorelines casting lures, flies and soft plastics.

Trout have been feeding on smelt extensively over the past month. They can be very frustrating to try and catch because of the speed at which they chase the schools of smelt. They can be right at your feet one minute, and 20-30m up the shoreline the next.

The fishing in Moorabool will improve over the next few months as the trout finish their winter spawning season and start to feed up again.

AUGUST 2019

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING ZEREK ABSOLUTE SHRIMP

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Pre-rigged on a weighted hook and designed to be retrieved like a fleeing shrimp, the Zerek Absolute Shrimp features a tough TPE body that has a one-piece tail that is tear and puncture resistant, yet still supple enough to provide an enticing action.

Able to be swum with a fish-attracting pulse of the rod tip, or sunk through the water column into the fish’s face, the Absolute Shrimp responds equally well to subtle rod work or stronger rips and shakes.

This lure even performs on a straight retrieve, with its legs and tail swaying and pulsing throughout the retrieve.

There are three sizes in the range, a 3”, 3.5” and a 4.5” model, covering a very broad list of target species. The 3” version weighs in at 9g and features a 1/0 hook, while the 3.5” weighs 11g and has a 2/0 hook. The 4.5” Absolute Shrimp weighs an easy casting 20g and features a 3/0 hook.

There are 10 colour patterns in the range, including bright UV-enhanced colours along with some ultra-realistic patterns, and they are ready to be fished straight from the box! www.wilsonfishing.com

DAIWA AIRD LT

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Proving that gold medal performance doesn’t have to cost the world, the Aird LT will have you on the path to angling glory.

Combining many of Daiwa best designs, including LT Concept and Tough Digigear, the Aird LT performs as well as it looks, and looks as good as it’s designed.

Ultimate line control is delivered by two of Daiwa’s best technologies, with Twistbuster and Long Cast ABS combining for unequalled casting performance and line control on the retrieve, while Daiwa’s innovative Air Rotor adds high level design and performance with its precision engineered construction enhancing rotor balance, strength and sensitivity.

A Carbon Light Body, EVA Knob, and ATD drag complete the long list of features and prove that you can indeed get superior performance without the premium price tag.

The Daiwa Aird LT is available in six sizes from 2000 to 6000. www.daiwafishing.com.au

NEW STRIKE PRO VIBE COLOURS

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Strike Pro has released three new colours in its popular range of Cyber Vibe 35 and 40 lures, and two new colours in the Micro Vibe range.

The new Cyber Vibe has three tow points and two rear hook points, giving the lure up to six different actions! This gives the Cyber Vibe more diversity than its competitors. The Cyber Vibe comes in 35mm (4.6g) and 40mm (6.6g) sizes, and these lures have become highly popular with competition and recreational anglers alike.

They are very easy to use and create a great vibration on a small lift and hop retrieve. They are deadly on bream, mulloway, flathead, estuary perch, bass and redfin.

The Micro Vibe is a miniature vibe lure that has become a favourite amongst bream anglers, in particular when fishing around structure such as piers, jetties, boat moorings and boat hulls. It is perfectly weight balanced and has a shimmy action on drop and lift and sits head down, tail up on the bottom. It is particularly effective when the fish have shut down or become fickle. www.jurofishing.com 58

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PRODUCT GUIDE

NEW SAMURAI REACTION RODS

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The Samurai Reaction is where it all started – a premium rod range combined all the best components with new, cutting-edge build techniques. Multiple successful rod ranges later, and Samurai have circled back to their eponymous rod range.

The Reaction stable has been expanded with two new models that fill those little gaps within the range. The first is the RE-151 (7’4”, 2-6lb Extra Fast), and the other is the RE-212 (6’5”, 3-8lb Fast Action), which is perfectly suited to working light surface lures.

Both models feature a triple layer, machinerolled carbon blank, hot press baked to deliver a precise rod with no imperfections along its length. It is combined with totally new Carbon/ Duralon grip assembly called CD6 Grip Control that stiffens the butt end of the rod, providing enhanced sensitivity and exceptional balance.

The carbon quad Axial integrated blank wrap reduces torsion twist and results in a greater strength to weight ratio. It provides a crisp feel where the slightest flick of the line is transferred down the rod to the angler.

The rods employ class-leading Fuji Titanium Silicon Carbide guides, and the matt black finish provides an understated premium appearance. www.samurairods.com.au

JIG STAR BAGS AND GLOVES

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

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The Jig Star brand evolved after its founder and acclaimed jigging expert Chris Wong in NZ had spent many years jigging with some of the most renowned big fish anglers from all over the world. Hundreds of hours were spent testing products to the absolute limit.

Two of the latest releases from Jig Star are the Jig Bag and Jigging Gloves. The Jig Bag is the ideal way to transport deepwater jigs.

This easy to carry briefcase-style bag is marine proof, and easy to clean and rinse. It has 17 long pockets for jigs up to 38cm, 10 short pockets for jigs up to 21cm, and two front accessories pockets.

Jig Star Fishing Gloves have been designed by jigging and topwater experts. These gloves feature fast-drying synthetic microfibre materials which deliver outstanding wear, comfort and protection. Special attention is paid to reinforcement to thumb, forefinger and palm areas. Available sizes are M, L, XL, XXL in blue/ black or red/black. www.jurofishing.com

STORM TRICK TAIL MINNOW

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A great choice for classic, soft jerkbaitstyle fishing, the Storm 360GT° Coastal Trick Tail Minnow rigged on a worm hook will glide and change direction like a fleeing baitfish. On the pause, the Trick Tail’s whole body rocks and its tail wiggles as it descends. You can remove the tail webbing to increase the amount of tail wiggle on the fall.

Rigged on a jighead, the Trick Tail Minnow works particularly well for probing the bottom and fishing with a lift-and-drop technique.

The Storm 360GT° Trick Tail Minnow is 5” long and comes in a pack of seven. It is currently available in eight colour patterns: chartreuse pearl pepper, cayenne gold, electric chicken, gold glow, kickin’ chicken, pilchard, pearl and silver mullet. It has back and belly slots for easy rigging and maximising the hook gap. www.stormfishing.com.au

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PRODUCT GUIDE

WHAT’S NEW FISHING

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

ZEREK AWAKE

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Wilson Fishing has announced the release of the Zerek Awake, a double-jointed swimbait measuring 160mm and is an easy casting 42g.

This floating swimbait can be worked in the surface, or retrieved a little faster to get it to dive to approximately 0.5m. This ability to be worked at two levels gives the angler a versatility that is difficult to find in other wakebaits, allowing real coverage of the water in multiple ways.

Equipped with 4x strong trebles and with a body constructed from tough ABS plastic, the Awake forms part of the new Zerek Evolution series of lures – the next step for Zerek.

Check out Zerek Australia on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ZerekAustralia) to see all the latest releases, catch photos and videos.

You can also find more information on the Wilson Fishing website. www.wilsonfishing.com

The Storm 360GT° Coastal Manta Tail has a baitfish profile with a lively tapered tail, and it has a slow rocking action on the fall.

You can rig the 360GT Coastal Manta Tail with a weighted worm hook and give it some twitches to make it change direction like a panicked baitfish. Stop the retrieve and let the Manta Tail glide to the bottom as the body rocks and the tail wiggles as it falls.

When targeting deep weed pockets you can rig a Manta Tail on a jighead and let it rest on the bottom, where the quivering tail action will entice even the most cautious of fish.

360GT Manta Tails are available in two sizes (4” and 5”) in packs of seven. There are eight colour patterns currently available: chartreuse pearl pepper, cayenne gold, electric chicken, gold glow, kickin’ chicken, pilchard, pearl and silver mullet. The body features belly and back slots for easy rigging, and to maximise the hook gap. www.stormfishing.com.au

SAMAKI RED EMPEROR SHIRT

DAIWA 5000 CERTATE LT

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Samaki’s Red Emperor shirt stands out from the crowd. The rich colours throughout the reef are saturated in natural light, which enhances the detail of the fish.

You can clearly see the red emperor’s detailed fins, wide mouth and watchful eye as it waits atop the coral, ready to inhale the Ecooda Live Shrimp as it travels by.

The lightweight fabric is perfect for all outdoor elements, protecting you from the harsh sun with Samaki’s UPF50+ resistant technology. The soft touch 100% polyester material is comfortable on the body, and has the added feature of being breathable, keeping you cool and dry.

Samaki designs are brought to you

by Australian anglers who love to design Australian species. Red Emperor shirts are available in adult, youth and kids sizes, from a size 2 through to a 5XL, allowing the whole family to get in on the action and out onto the water.

Price: SRP $59.95 (adults), $49.95 (kids) www.samaki.com.au

PLANO BRIGHT SERIES 11

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STORM COASTAL MANTA TAIL

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Plano’s new trio of brightly coloured tackle boxes can help any angler to organise their gear in a big way. These classic tray tackle boxes feature your choice of one, two or three shelves with a cantilever tray design that extends when opened to showcase the contents. A sturdy fold-down handle simplifies transport and storage while the brass-bailed latch tightly secures the lid, keeping items protected and organised.

The smallest model is the 6211, which has one tray with 7-13 compartments. It’s idea for the novice angler storing an assortment of floats, hooks, sinkers and a few artificial lures.

The bulk storage in the bottom can handle items such as soft plastics, sunscreen and pliers.

The next size up is the 6221, which has two cantilever trays that feature 14-25 adjustable compartments, plus bulk storage at the bottom. The largest model, the 6231, has three trays with 22-34 adjustable compartments. www.jmgillies.com.au

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The Certate LT line-up welcomes a new top dog to the family with the release of a 5000-sized model. Combining Daiwa’s most advanced technologies and designs to deliver anglers a reel with few peers, the foundation of the new Certate is its rock solid Monocoque body housing the Certate LT’s new super sized, ultra tough, machine-cut gears.

Big on power and performance, the new 5000 Certate features 10 CRBBs, 12kg of drag, a large EVA knob for optimum cranking comfort and control, while its 295g weight keeps things light and nimble for a reel of its size to minimise angler fatigue and maximise rod and reel balance and performance.

Daiwa’s new Long Cast ABS spool, Mag Seal, ATD drag, one-piece Air Bail, new Drag Knob, Perfect Line Stopper, Machined Aluminium Air Handle, and Air Rotor further enhances the reel’s list of features and combine to make the new 5000 Certate LT the ultimate lightweight, strong and precise workhorse. www.daiwafishing.com.au

BASSDAY BUN

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The Bassday Bun is the latest addition to the expanding range of Bassday lures in Australia. Bassday’s surface lure collection features some of the finest fish catchers available, and now the team have added this sub-surface wakebait to the range.

The Bun is a realistic beetle imitation. It is a floating, shallow running wakebait, designed to imitate a beetle in distress on top or just under the water’s surface. It has a wide wobble action and creates a large wake. This new lure will be dynamite on fish like bass, bream, estuary perch, jungle perch, sooty grunter, trout and anything else that eats a beetle.

The Bassday Bun comes in eight colours, measures 30mm in length and weighs 4.5g. It casts well and accurately due to the tungsten weight, and will prove irresistible when beetles and abundant.

To see more information on this and other new lures from Bassday, as well as catch photos, head to www.facebook.com/ BassdayAus. www.bassday.com.au

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au AUGUST 2019

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FATHERS DAY GUIDE NEW ATOMIC METALZ SIZES

HALCO 1 MAX 220

Atomic Metalz were launched years ago in a 35 and 40mm size. They became a hit with bream and bass anglers, and were used effectively by some teams to win events where the fish were holding deep.

The lure’s effectiveness is down to the careful design and the speed at which the blade works, sending out a vibration that attracts nearby fish. The designers have also worked hard to ensure action at slow speeds. Across the entire range, all sizes swim confidently and perform with that fish-attracting vibration.

With feedback from ambassadors, Atomic have added new larger sizes – 55mm, 80mm and 110mm – to cover the full breadth of inshore and offshore fishing as well as impoundments.

Team ambassadors have caught bass, bream and threadfin salmon on the 55mm versions during testing, and coral trout and sweetlip when fished deep off the reefs.

The models are 35mm (1/8oz), 40mm (1/4oz), 55mm (1/2oz), 80mm (1oz), 110mm (1.5oz), and they’re available in a slew of natural and striking colours.

Price: from SRP $15.95 www.atomiclures.com.au

HOBIE LIFEJACKETS

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If you love the sound of a reel screaming in agony as line pours off the spool, then Halco Tackle has developed the perfect lure for you in the Max 220.

Halco has developed an ultra tough, sinking, bibless minnow that will get the attention of any XOS Wahoo and Mackerel, huge Tuna and other massive predators that lurk out in the deep blue.

Capable of being trolled at very high speed (up to 20kt) like its smaller brothers, the lure features heavily reinforced side walls to resist punctures by the toothy brigade and able to withstand the incredible crushing pressure inflicted by the jaws of its intended victims. Halco rounded out the package by included their legendary ultra tough 7xx fish rings and Mustad 9/0 inline singles for great hook sets and the ultimate in holding potential.

The lure is 220mm long, weighs 175g, and is designed for heavy trolling and jigging applications.

If you are into fishing for the brutes of the ocean, look for the all new Max 220 at all good tackle outlets.

Price: approx. $15 www.halcotackle.com

SHIMANO TRAVEL STORAGE

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EGILICIOUS SQUID JIGS

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TACKLE CLUB

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Shimano’s latest tackle storage range includes two new releases for anglers on the go – the Travel Wrap and Soft Back Pack.

The Travel Wrap comes with a hard tackle tray and additional sleeves for soft plastic storage. This lightweight, minimal travel wrap can be filled in a variety of useful ways depending on the situation.

The travel wrap also doubles as a minimal soft plastic wallet – the tray is removable and the mesh pocket can be used to store braid cutters, catch scent, leader, or any other tools essential for fishing.

The Soft Tackle Back Pack has a versatile range of applications and features, which make it ideal for both diehard fishos and weekend warriors. With added benefits such as four included tackle trays, a heavy-duty mesh front compartment, hard sunglasses case, an elastic tool holder and drink pocket, this bag is sure to impress even the fussiest of anglers.

Price: approx. $27-$99 www.shimanofish.com.au

Tackle Club is Australia’s favourite fishing subscription box, sending subscribers the best lures from the best brands from around the world. It’s a fun way to discover new lures while saving money.

Each month you will get a variety of quality fishing products, with prices starting from $49.99 a month for over $80 worth of gear. There is also the option to purchase a gift subscription, with prices starting from $149.97 for a 3-month subscription.

Tackle Club currently offers four boxes: an Estuary Box, Freshwater Bass & Yellowbelly Box, Cod Box, and a Freshwater Trout & Redfin box. Each box comes with 5-7 fishing products curated by experts, and contains 40%-60% more value than you pay, so you know you are getting a great deal.

For all subscriptions there is free shipping, no lock-in contract and you can cancel at any time. You can also save 10% if you enter FISH10 at the checkout! To see our unboxing videos, search for ‘Fishing Monthly Tackle Club’ on YouTube.

Price: from SRP $49.99 www.tackleclub.com.au

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Why should Dad have to leave his best mate at home while he enjoys a day on the water? With the Hobie Pet PFD he can take his dog with him safely.

Features include added flotation, grab handles, adjustable fit, leash attachment, side pockets, grab handles and soft foam undercarriage support. It’s available in a range of sizes, from XS (12lb, 8”-12” collar, 13”-17” body girth) right through to XL (90lb-120lb, 22”30” collar, 30”-42” body girth).

And for Dad himself, there’s the Hobie Manual Inflatable 150 Vest (Yoke), which is rated for offshore use while wearing foul weather clothing. It’s very lightweight and cool, and the collar folds down the back of your neck and shoulders, eliminating pressure on the neck and lower head.

The yoke is manually inflated by pulling a cord that activates a replaceable CO2 cylinder.

The vest fits up to 5XL, has an easy access storage pocket (great for keys, phone etc.); whistle; headphone port hole; D-ring for switch killer tether; UML Pro Sensor; self service; and more.

Price: approx. $60-$120 www.hobie.com

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The Fish Inc. Egilicious features a unique take on popular colour patterns, a tail design that is 3° higher than standard jigs to minimize snagging and fouling, and its fine Japanese Owner hooks.

These super sharp and ultra-thin stainless steel hooks not only mean a better catch rate but also fewer jigs lost.

They open with less force, so if you get snagged you just apply slow and steady pressure until the hook opens and the jig pops off the structure. Then you can straighten the hook and you’re good to go.

These squid jigs are designed with the perfect weight for long casts, while maintaining a slow sink and realistic swimming action. Other features include 3D eyes, side feathers, tightly-wrapped cloth covers and a buoyant tail-up action.

Many jigs sink flat to the bottom, reducing strikes and hook sets while increasing snagging, but Egilicious instead comes alive in the water. It’s available in 3.0 and 3.5 sizes and 12 colours.

Price: SRP $11.95 www.tackletactics.com.au

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Guide

FATHERS DAY GUIDE

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RAPALA SPLIT RING PLIERS

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Maria have an extensive range of floating and sinking stickbaits, but the new Rerise adds another dimension to the line-up.

This new concept lure measures 130mm long, weighs 70g and can search deep areas normal minnows can’t reach. It sinks at one second per metre, allowing the angler to fish any level of the water column with the appeal of a tuned Japanese stickbait. The heavy weight enables lets you drop the lure to the bottom, and the swimming action imitates a wound baitfish, resulting in explosive strikes.

Fitted with Owner ST-66 trebles and a strong wire through construction, the Rerise is ready to battle any pelagic you can target. It is available now in eight colours.

Price: approx. $35 www.ejtodd.com.au

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MARIA RERISE

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The new Rapala RCD 4” Mag Spring Split Ring Pliers offer easy to use, single-handed operation.

Unlike conventional split ring pliers, the new Rapala RCD series are built with two internally opposing magnets to hold the pliers open. The patent pending Mag Spring mechanism cannot fail, even in the harshest of conditions.

The split ring nose opens rings up to size 0, while the built-in cutter cuts all lines or tag ends with ease. Other features include stainless steel jaws with a gun metal finish, and ergonomic co-moulded Soft Grip handles for a comfortable hold.

In a nutshell, the RCD Split Ring Pliers are one of the easiest, quickest and toughest built split rings pliers on the market. Keep an eye out for them at your local tackle store.

Price: approx. $35 www.rapala.com.au

SAMAKI BIG GRIP DIGITAL SCALE

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The Samaki Big Grip Digital Scale has so many features that it’s hard to name them all.

For starters, the ergonomic big grip handle is ideal for weighing big fish, with the scale catering up to 50kg or 100lb. It’s very comfortable to hold in the hand while you ready your catch for the weighing process.

The casing is completely waterproof and holds a 100cm measuring tape for you to document your catch with ease. The Samaki Big Grip Digital Scale also has a backlit LED screen to give you readings in low light environments, plus a built-in thermometer in both Celsius and Fahrenheit.

For more information and stockists just visit the Samaki website, or you can follow them on Instagram (@samakifishing) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/samakifishing).

Price: approx. $50 www.samaki.com.au

12.

EUREKA GLIDE BLADE KNIVES

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Eureka Glide Blade knives offer an exceptional range of knives with outstanding features at affordable pricing.

The Eureka Glide Blades currently are available in a Straight Fillet 6” and 8” model. Each knife features a 3CR13 stainless steel Satin blade that is strong, flexible and holds great edge retention. The textured soft grip handles are comprised of nylon and rubber, enabling the handle to fit comfortably in your hand while also reducing the chance of slippage and injury.

Each handle also features a finger guard for added safety.

The Eureka Glide Blades come complete with a leather sheath with a belt clip to protect the knife and keep it within reach if required.

For more information on this and other products in the Eureka range, visit the Juro OzPro Tackle website. You can also check out the latest catch photos, tips and videos on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ JuroOzProTackle), and YouTube (www. youtube.com/user/JuroOzPro).

Price: from approx. $30 www.jurofishing.com

WILSON PLATINUM FISHING CHAIR

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The new Wilson Platinum Fishing Chair is rated to 150kg and built with a wider base to ensure anyone can comfortably sit in it. This folding chair also has some clever additions for anglers.

For starters there is a rod holder that can be easily attached to the left hand side of the chair on the legs, setting your rod at an easy angle. If you plan on getting up from your chair, the designers have included a peg for the leg to ensure the chair is secured to the ground, and a massive strike won’t tip the chair over.

There is also a drink holder and a lined cooler bag in the arms, and a small bottle opener attached to the arm on a lanyard. On the right arm there is also a mobile phone holder pouch, to ensure your phone doesn’t get damaged when the action heats up.

The comfy and strong Platinum Fishing Chair is available now in your choice of blue or purple.

Price: SRP $62 www.wilsonfishing.com

DUO ROUGH TRAIL HYDRA

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Long and lean and designed as the ultimate sinking stickbait for large predators, the new Duo Rough Trail Hydra 220 is the lure to pack for your next offshore adventure.

Slim-profiled and with a fixed weight in the tail to maximise casting performance and enhance its action, the Hydra 220 features a dynamic skipping action when worked across the surface, while a twitch and jerk retrieve will see it move from side to side to enhance strikes.

A hyper realistic garfish imitation when worked across the surface, the Hydra is ultra long (220mm) in length to reduce fishing swallowing and biting off the lure, while its tail-heavy, 58.2g body weight allows for long, tangle free casting on the water.

If you’re looking to call up the predators to the surface the new Duo Rough Trail Hydra 220 is the lure to reach for.

Price: approx. $40 www.duo-international.com.au

Taylor chutes to victory in the Bribie Round Brisbane-based dentist Tristan Taylor managed to take out the Nu Look Floors Bribie Island qualifier in the 2019 Costa ABT BREAM Series with a total bag weight of 5.14kg, an impressive score for this arena.

Taylor has his fair share of finishes up the pointy end of the scoreboard, and after a short hiatus from tournaments, he’s come back with a bang!

Taylor said he’d found spawning fish in the Caloundra area on the pre-fish day, where three weeks before he couldn’t find any bream at all! This would prove to be the key for his win.

Taylor started his efforts at the Bribie Island Bridge on day one for just one fish, and after a bit of consideration, he decided to make the run through Pumicestone Passage to Caloundra in his Phoenix at low tide. Taylor took care to make sure he didn’t get stuck on a sand bank, as some other boaters had unfortunately done.

Upon arrival, Taylor and his non-boater found the same school of spawning fish he found on the pre-fish day near the Caloundra Bar

TRISTAN TAYLOR’S WINNING TCKLE Rod: Reel: Line:

Samurai Infinite 4-10lb Megabass Idaten Racing Condition 2506 10lb Unitika Aorika PE and 6lb Unitika Aiger fluorocarbon leader Lures: 2.5” ZMan GrubZ in motor oil rigged on Atomic Seekerz jigheads (1/11, 1/8 and 1/6oz) and 35mm Cranka Crab in olive

Champion boater and non-boater, Tristan Taylor and Stephen Maas, celebrate their respective victories. in around 15ft of water. He went to work fishing a ZMan GrubZ in motor oil.

“They came on for a one-hour window,” Taylor said. “The key was to keep tight with the lure and feel every little touch of the lure to set hooks.”

“This was difficult in the strong wind and current,

so I varied the jighead size accordingly. “ Taylor said he landed around 20 fish for the day, and ended up with a day one bag of 2.23kg.

Day two saw Taylor come up with a different plan, and he decided to make the run to the Brisbane River mouth in horrendous conditions.

“I got in behind Shane Wolhuter’s boat [the biggest boat in the field] and it made for a great shield!”

Taylor said. “I thanked him for his camaraderie and sportsmanship.”

Taylor managed to catch fish tight to structure initially, but then found spawning fish spread across a nearby flat

in 10-20ft out the front of the Luggage Point Sewage Treatment Plant, known locally as the ‘poo chute’.

Obviously, there’s no actual human excrement flowing into the bay here…

Taylor caught all his day two fish on ZMan GrubZ, bar one, which ate a Cranka Crab, and weighed in a bag of 2.91kg for day two.

“I didn’t think I had enough to take the win – I thought I would have needed one more kicker fish,” Taylor said. “So I was pleasantly surprised to take the win.”

“My non-boater Michael Maas slayed them too, and we would have caught at least 60

Scan the QR code to see the Bribie day one highlights.

fish between us on day two.”

Taylor thanked ABT and the other competitors and took home $2500 for his efforts.

BOATER RESULTS Place Name 1 Tristan Taylor 2 John Siggs 3 Peter Cashman 4 Denis Metzdorf 5 Kristoffer Hickson 6 William Lee 7 Scott Wilson 8 Jamie McKeown 9 Mark Crompton 10 Charlie Saykao

Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize 10/10 5.14 $2500 10/10 4.97 $1500 + $500 Mercury Bonus 10/10 4.95 $1000 10/10 4.83 $750 + $300 Mercury Bonus 10/10 4.69 $500 + $200 Mercury Bonus 8/10 4.17 8/10 3.92 8/10 3.72 $500 Daiwa J Braid Big Bream 8/10 3.47 8/10 3.37

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888 62

AUGUST 2019

It was Shane Wolhuter’s big boat that provided the weather shield Taylor needed to make the run south.

Clearly there was big bream to be caught there!

Siggs lights up Caloundra canal fish Gold Coast local John Siggs had never fished Bribie before, so his pre-fish was based around what he knows best, fishing artificial structure in canals!

He started his pre-fish by making a quick run to the Caloundra canals and caught six decent fish in fairly quick succession.

He left them, knowing

that was his spot for day one.

Day one saw Siggs heading to the Bribie canals for a quick prospect, where he managed one keeper fish, waiting for the tide to come

in so he could make his way through the Passage to the Caloundra canals.

By 9am there was enough water to make his run north.

Once at Caloundra, he stayed there all day throwing a Gulp Crabby on a 1/50oz hidden weight jighead, skipping it under boats, jetties, ropes and any artificial structure he thought would hold fish.

He caught his limit and even upgraded a few times.

That gave him a day one total of 2.31kg, and had him sitting in 5th place.

On day two Siggs had a plan to go back to the Caloundra canals, but on

BREAM SERIES

Scan the QR code to see the Bribie day two highlights. his way he noticed that only Kris Hickson had gone into the Bribie canals. With the bay being opened, most of the anglers had made their

JOHN SIGGS’S TACKLE Rod: Reel: Line: Lure: Siggs did what he does best for the Bribie Island round, fish hard around artificial structure for big angry bream!

Samurai Reaction 101 Daiwa SOL 2000 Major Craft 6lb and 3lb FC Rock leader 2.5” Gulb Crabby in camo rigged on a 1/50oz TT Lures Hidden Weight System jighead

Stephen finds critical ‘Maas’ Stephen Maas and his cousin Michael Maas took out 1st and 2nd in the non-boater division respectively, proving that bream fishing must run in the family.

Stephen Maas knew he was in for a great Bribie Qualifier when he got paired with two reasonably local guys to the Bribie area, with Steve Morgan on day one and and Denis Metzdorf on day two.

Day one saw Maas fishing with Steve Morgan.

Unfortunately, the bay was closed due to strong winds.

With the arena being reduced by virtually half, they went straight to the canals, fishing boat hulls and jetties.

Before Maas would cast he was mindful of the areas Morgan would fish, trying to put his lure in places that Morgan had not hit, usually hitting the back jetty poles with a Gulp Crabby. By doing this he managed to box two legal fish. He also tried a Cranka Crab and a popper with no result.

Once they fished the canals, Morgan took them to the Ningi Flats, where Maas

picked up one more legal bream on a Cranka Crank Shallow in ghost bluegill, which saw him finish day one with a bag of three fish for a weight of 1.24kg.

Day two had Maas fishing with his good mate Denis Metzdorf, and the pair were happy to find out that the bay was open. This meant they could make the run straight to Redcliffe’s North Reef, which

took about 40 minutes.

It was still a little rough making the journey south, but they realised the effort was worth it when Metzdorf caught three keepers straight away. Maas didn’t catch a legal fish until about 10:30am, when they made a move further south.

Maas had noticed there were no baitfish on the shallow reefs, so he switched

way there, leaving the canals nearly free of angling pressure.

He stayed there all day, mirroring his day one pattern using his Gulp Crabbies and casting at pontoons, poles and boat hulls. Once again, he got his limit of bream with a few upgrades and ended up weighing a day two bag of 2.66kg.

For his 2nd place finish, Siggs took home $1500, plus a $500 Mercury Bonus. He also congratulated Tristan Taylor for his win, and thanked ABT and the other competitors.

STEPHEN MASS’S WINNING TACKLE Rod: Reel: Line: Lures:

G Loomis DL/SR 7ft Okuma Helios SX 30 Platypus P8 6lb and FC Rock 3lb leader Gulb Crabby in camo, 2.5” ZMan GrubZ in motor oil, Cranka Crank Shallow in ghost bluegill

Sandstone Point, where he got a few needed upgrades on his Cranka Crank Shallow. This had him bringing a limit of bream to the scales with a weight of 3kg, and combined with his day one bag gave him enough to win!

Maas went away from the event with a Daiwa Prize pack and a $200 Hobie Bonus. Maas was grateful to both his boaters, Steve Morgan and Denis Metzdorf, and thanked ABT and the other competitors.

DAIWA J BRAID BIG BREAM Jamie McKeown managed to weigh a 1.3kg stonker, which he caught on a Cranka Crab.

He took home $500 for his efforts.

Stephen Maas had a great weekend on the water at the back of the boat.

NON-BOATER RESULTS

Place Name

Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

8/10 8/10 10/10 9/10 7/10 5/10 7/10 7/10 5/10 5/10

Stephen Maas Michael Maas Aaron Sarna Justin Reeves Jordan Armstrong Darren Murphy Sam Peck Grant Oliver Neil Kelly Glen Sturrock

to a ZMan GrubZ in motor oil rigged on a 1/12oz jighead, and begun casting at the reef drop-offs and letting his grub slowly sink down the reef face. Doing this saw the bream shoot out from cover to eat his lure.

Filling his limit on the first drift, he sat so his boater could do the same.

He did not fish again until they got to Cooks Rocks at

BREAM Series presented by

4.24 3.81 3.67 3.43 3.21 2.90 2.57 2.51 2.22 1.87

Daiwa Prize Pack + $200 Hobie Bonus Fishtec Solutions Prize Pack Cranka Prize Pack + $100 Hobie Bonus Tackle Tactics Prize Pack $75 Hobie Bonus Sufix Prize Pack Ecogear Prize Pack Shimano Prize Pack Lucky Craft Prize Pack Keitech Prize Pack Sunline Prize Pack

Jamie McKeown managed this stonker 1.3kg bream to take out the Daiwa J Braid Big Bream prize.

AUGUST 2019

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2019 Grabine Annual Freshwater Tournament The 19th annual Grabine Freshwater Fishing Tournament will be held at Reflections Holiday Park - Grabine Lakeside from 23-25 August. This not-forprofit competition is run by a team of volunteers, and it puts money from sponsors and entry fees back into the next year’s tournament prizes and restocking of Wyangala Dam. A family-friendly event, the Grabine Freshwater Tournament brings people

from all walks of life together to enjoy a weekend of fishing and camping in the natural beauty of Grabine Lakeside State Park.

There will be over $30,000 worth of prizes up for grabs this year, and there’s a chance for any competitor to win the major prize – you don’t even need to record a fish. The major raffle at this year’s comp is a Quintrex 420 Renegade Side Console Boat powered

by a 50hp Evinrude E-Tec outboard. All you need to do to be in the running is to enter the competition and be there for the prize draws, and you could take home a brand new boat!

This year’s comp will also include a Mystery Daily Length Prize for the native categories to encourage more fish to be registered, which in turn will give us a better idea of the amount of fish being caught over the weekend. The tournament

AUGUST 2019

page (www.facebook.com/ GrabineFishingTournament), which also has regular news updates and photos. You can also direct any questions you may have to grabinefishing@

This year’s sponsors include Quintrex, Release Outfitters fishing apparel, Canobolas Marine Centre & Jayco Orange, and more. The committee members of the

Reflections Holiday Park – Grabine is located at 2453 Grabine Road, Bigga. For more information, including accommodation options, rates and availability,

enjoyable weekend of fishing for everyone, from the keenest tournament anglers to casual fishos and even whole families camping out together for the weekend. For all the details, visit the Facebook

gmail.com, or send the team a message on Facebook. Bring your family or some mates and have a great weekend of fishing at the 19th annual Grabine Freshwater Fishing Tournament.

Grabine Freshwater Fishing Tournament are Phil Cramp, Diane Hewitt, Paul Reynolds, Chris Clements, Sean Proudman, Allison Pither, Geoff Nicholson, Ben Hewitt, Chris Wray and Jane Wray.

visit the Reflections Holiday Parks website at reflectionsholidayparks.com. au or give them a call on 02 4835 2345. – Grabine Freshwater Fishing Tournament

is catch and release with photographic entries, and a video of the release will need to be provided when showing photo of fish on brag mats.

The Catch and Release sections are Murray cod, golden perch, silver perch, catfish and trout. Both senior and junior prizes will be awarded. Prizes will also be on offer for the longest carp and the most carp caught during the tournament.

The registration fee is

James was happy to catch this lovely bass at St Clair.

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$25, and registrations will commence at the Grabine Function Centre on Friday 23 August from 7am onwards.

The goal of this popular tournament is to create an

AN OPPORTUNITY LIKE NEVER BEFORE AN OPPORTUNITY LIKE NEVER BEFORE

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

GOLD COAST CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE GOLD COAST CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE

BE THE FIRST TO SEE THE LATEST AND GREATEST FISHING BE THE FIRST TO SEE THE LATEST AND GREATEST FISHING PRODUCTS TO HIT AUSTRALIA BEFORE THEY GO ON SALE** PRODUCTS TO HIT AUSTRALIA BEFORE**this THEY GO ON SALE** is a display only event - no retail.

Guest appearances from Guest appearances from CREEK TO COAST | HOOK, LINE AND SINKER | ESCAPE FISHING WITH ET | FISHING AUSTRALIA | AND MANY MORE ...

CREEK TO COAST | HOOK, LINE AND SINKER | ESCAPE FISHING WITH ET | FISHING AUSTRALIA | AND MANY MORE ...

G IN

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FOR EVENT INFORMATION FOR EVENT INFORMATION

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**this is a display only event - no retail.

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AUGUST 2019

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TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2019

AUGUST SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER DECEMBER

10-11 Aug

ABT BASS Round 5

abt.org.au

Somerset Dam

7-8 Sep

ABT BREAM Round 7 Gladstone

abt.org.au

14-15 Sep

ABT BASS Round 6 Richmond River

abt.org.au

20-22 Sep

ABT BREAM Queensland Open Moreton Bay

abt.org.au

12-13 Oct

Victoria Bream Classic Round 5 Marlo

billhartshorne@hotmail.com

19-20 Oct

ABT BREAM Round 8 Port Stephens

abt.org.au

23-24 Oct

ABT BASS Grand Final Lake St Clair

abt.org.au

26-27 Oct

ABT BASS Australian Open Glenbawn Dam

abt.org.au

23-24 Nov

Victoria Bream Classic Grand Final Nelson

billhartshorne@hotmail.com

29 Nov-1 Dec

ABT BREAM Grand Final Gold Coast

abt.org.au

7-8 Dec

Hobie Kayak Bream Series Round 11 Marlo

hobiefishing.com.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.

Carl Jocumsen Fishing Shirts Now Available • Identical logos to Carl’s 2019 Bassmaster Elite series jersey.

• Quality dye-sublimated fishing shirt.

• Profits help Carl’s Elite Series campaign.

• Shipped locally in Australia via Australia Post.

$

69

95 Each

FREE POSTAGE

www.wp.fishingmonthly.com.au 66

AUGUST 2019

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878 Springvale Rd, Braeside 03 9798 8883 www.jvmarine.com.au • info@jvmarine.com.au

Alberton Marine

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

AUGUST 2019

67

Constructing a plan to be competitive SUNTAG

Stefan Sawynok

On my last visit to Rockhampton I had an engrossing conversation on planning for a competition.

I love those sorts of conversations, I learn a lot about the way fishers solve problems, but also I get insights on what the problems are. Now it’s true, I have insights from my own time on the water but from my years spent in sports science and human performance a sample size of one is not a great sample size. The problem with using your own experiences as a baseline is that you don’t know what you don’t know.

The fortunate part about travelling around to competitions all over the country is you get a much bigger sample size than one.

What I am always trying to do is separate of the process of fishing, from the magic of the angler – what are the important habits that other fishers should have?

I think planning for competitions is one of the most important parts of a competition. That said, there is a huge gap between the preparation that happens with fishing and other more

professionalised sports.

Fishing like all sports has a genetic component, and some people are naturally gifted, but the core attribute that defines professional sport is the system of athlete development. In the US basketball for example they have whole teams of people dedicated to analysing every micro element of a basketballers performance to provide the athlete with the insights they need to maximise their performance.

It’s not just a case of maximising physical fitness, decision making is every bit as critical to getting the most out of a fisher.

What they have learned in professional sports is that the better the system, the less effect natural talent has on final results. Genetics still have a big say, but modern professional sports get the most out an athlete regardless. In fishing, talent does tend to stand out because there are no athlete development programs.

Motivated people with skill have a natural advantage that can be hard to catch.

While this article does not provide the system for development of a fishing athlete, it does provide the key elements for one.

FIRST THINGS FIRST If you want to compete in an event and win, there is no excuses for not investing the time on the water. You

Russell Conway is a well-travelled man with a lifetime of fishing knowledge.

68

AUGUST 2019

get out what you put in, and there is no excuse for not putting in the time on the water, not work, family – nothing. Now it may sound like I am being harsh, but really I am helping you make a decision. If you can’t get around those things, if there is absolutely 100% no way you can get the time on the water you need, then you need to change your goals. There is no shame in competing, learning, enjoying, being midfield with the odd shot at glory where the stars line up.

However, if you want to be successful or more importantly, successful over a long time you need to be on the water, no ifs buts of maybes.

Having said that, how you spend your time on the water is critical.

TIMELINES It’s important to set timelines in your planning and that isn’t just for the events coming up, but also the longer term cycle.

Wherever you are in your own fishing progress, it takes time to become the fisher you need to be for success, so it’s important to set meaningful goalposts on progress and that shouldn’t be wins.

MENTAL PREPARATION I am going to ask a question that is probably best not answered in front of partners. Do you sleep with a fishing rod beside your bed?

I am being deadly serious.

The brain is a crazy thing that doesn’t really operate on logic, and that’s coming from a person driven by logic. Your brain is a bit like a puppy, it likes to give you what you want, and that can be a conscious thing, but more often what we want is driven subconsciously.

There is a process in the brain that is often cited by motivational speakers called the Reticular Activation System. Now, I don’t think the terminology is being used correctly but the concept is sound. What the RAS does is it acts as a filter, deleting unimportant information and if you think about it in an evolutionary sense, that is a really important function. The world is one giant explosion of data, if you really took in everything that was going on all the time then you wouldn’t be able to function, because one, your brain is not that big, and two, if everything is important nothing is important.

One of the challenges of the modern world is it’s good at giving us ‘important’ things to think about. Pretty much every social media system is designed to give you a small dopamine hit every time you visit, because that makes it addictive, keeping you focused on checking in. What they are

Steve Morgan is a busy guy, but he is also a fishing tragic, which helps keep him sharp when he’s on the water. trying to do is to drug you into bypassing your brain’s prioritisation processing. The brain has a way of prioritising what is ‘important’ and high performing sports people are really good at focusing this prioritisation. Partly that is a feeling, things we like we tend to be prioritised, but we also need reinforcement.

That is where the RAS filter comes into play, once you have identified something that is important, information on that subject bypasses the filter. By focusing on something, your brain will take in everything it can on that subject. Remember when you took No-Doz at school to study? This is the drug free version – so how do you do kick in this natural process?

You think about fishing all the time.

Got a five-minute break?

Read a fishing article. Stop off at the tackle store on the way home from work. Get home, forget the dog, get a fishing rod in your hand or open the tacklebox. What’s the last thing you should think of before you go to sleep? You guessed it…

Immersing yourself in fishing culture when you aren’t fishing helps to point your brain in the right direction – to let it know that fishing is the most important thing to focus on. Before you know it you will be picking up things about fishing you never dreamed of because that filter will be working in your favour, filtering out the non-fishing facts and letting the fishing facts through.

One small note, if immersing yourself in fishing becomes a chore that’s not a good thing. At that point, backing off and taking time for something else is important to refresh yourself.

PLAN FOR THE THINGS THAT DON’T HAPPEN It pays to set the scene for planning. Part of that is clearly defining the outcome you are looking for – is that to improve your placing, win, get a PB? Problem is, that goal won’t fulfil itself, the real world has a way of throwing all sorts of road blocks in the way.

Here are the things you can’t assume will go your way.

• You will have less time than you think you will.

• That conditions will be just as good as they were in practice.

• The first lure in your tacklebox will do the job.

• That magic spot will be available.

• The best fishers will have a crap day.

Think of these things as obstacles to be overcome to achieve your goal and it’s important to think about them if you want to focus your energy. Your brain is a problem-solving machine, if you focus on the right problems, success will be closer than you imagine.

PROBLEM SOLVING Defining the problem is the first step to progress. The first hurdle all fishers will need to overcome is to catch a certain number of fish and potentially a certain number of fish at a certain size.

Catching fish is the first and biggest hurdle to overcome and to illustrate I will reference one of my favourite fishers to see in action – Craig Griffiths.

Craig led teams to wins at the Barra Nationals two years in a row and has a stack of barra comps to his name. He is one of the most consistent performers, and has a brilliant process that has been refined over years.

Craig fishes a very mobile style, using his Humminbird sounder to detect fish and the finely tuned skills of his team to pick them up fast. I have chatted to fishers who have fished with Craig and it’s not unusual for him to spend long periods of time just sounding up fish. Now it’s easy to think what’s going on is Craig collecting GPS marks, but that is only a small part. What he’s mostly doing is studying the fish behaviour.

As Sun Tzu observed – know your enemy.

This is the most fundamental part of fishing, but as I go around I see a lot of fishers focusing on techniques to catch fish while not really knowing all that much about fish behaviour.

They know how to catch them when conditions line up, without knowing how to read the conditions, or understanding how fish respond to them.

Personally, I think this is the defining difference between the best and the rest.

The rest may know how to catch fish but the best know what the fish wants.

Having said that there are a bunch of other problems that need to be solved, but without this knowledge, the tools to solve them will inevitably be very limited.

KNOW THE CONDITIONS Weather is a variable that is beyond your control, but knowledge of the longer term cycles is not. Australia has long-term cycles of wet and dry that affects things like fish populations and bait loads, and make impoundments go up and down. Longer-term fishers will have fished in many of these conditions, but relatively new fishers will only have recent conditions to work with. There is nothing wrong with that, especially if you have spent plenty of time on the water, but if the fishing season includes a lot of away trips it pays to get some local intelligence on the longer term patterns in the fishery and where current conditions sit in that pattern. The harder the conditions, generally the bigger advantage to local tactics – which just means an obstacle to be planned for and thought put into how to overcome it.

Note, there will be days where conditions don’t suit you and that is just how it is. It’s important not to just abandon the plan just because things aren’t happening – instead focus on how to refine your game, and make it up when conditions do work.

TIME IS EVERYTHING No matter if the competition is a month away or year away, time is the most important resource you have at your disposal. Time is your also your most limited resource – you will never have enough so maximising use of time is critical.

There are two phases of time that will make all the difference: time in prep, working out how to find the fish/what turns them on, and time in the comp, maximising the bite period.

The relationship between these is important. In my experience of competitions, which includes a lot of post data review, the winners are most often the ones that maximised the bite period.

By maximising the bite period, I am not necessarily thinking the period where the biggest fish are present, more that the best fishers have more time in the fishing day where catching fish is possible.

Some achieve this with knowledge and GPS marks, more and more achieve this through mobility, targeting a wider range of areas that produce fish either following the tide or targeting a range of areas that are productive across the tide.

In the end, it’s not the number of casts you make but the number of casts that are likely to catch fish that

make all the difference.

If you can increase time in front of fish in a day, you will make progress in competitions.

STRATEGY I once had a fascinating conversation with Russell Conway, a Victorian legend and long-time advocate for fishing on the topic of competitions and strategy.

Russell is a guy who in his time dominated

the water whether intended or not. There is a mountain of long-term evidence to suggest that the focus of your practice, not the amount, is what determines success.

AWAY FROM HOME When it comes to practice, there is a world of difference on the approach to fishing away vs fishing home. By that I mean multiple venues verses a single. If the target event is

is not too hard, and the more elements you record the easier it is to then filter the data based on time of tide, weather or technique.

It also pays to plot simple charts – bar or pie that show the differences graphically so it’s clear how the results differ and to see how things have changed.

One of the elements we don’t track that most professional sports do is

Craig Griffiths is one of the best at using technology to work out fish behaviour. competitions, and how he went about it is instructional on how strategy is more than what you do on the day.

Russell fished with a wide array of other fishers in his formative years, targeting different species and in the process picked up a lot of skills that came from a variety of sources. Learning a wide array of skills, he became a much more adaptable fisher, able to find success in a wide range of species and conditions. In his prime, Russell was very successful, taking on a tour that would have him on the road regularly with lots of results required away from home. Russell is a great guy to talk to when it comes to the strategy of how you build yourself into the fisher you need to be.

The lesson – how you go about building your skillset is every bit as important as how you fish on the day.

There are lots of fishing resources out there, make use of them.

PRACTICE There are three purposes for practice and none of them are strictly about catching fish.

They are tightening techniques and refining skills, learning fish patterns and behaviour, and adapting to pressure.

Never underestimate the importance of practice, and practice is what you are doing every time you put in on

a single location, most likely close by, the focus of practice will be to know where the fish will be at different times and what turns them on. If there are a lot of venues, then the focus of practice needs to be on adaptability – how do you assess a fishery fast and work out where the fish will be.

Most fisheries will have common elements, but every now and again there will be a fishery that doesn’t hit your zone. Steve Morgan for example doesn’t generally do well down in some of the Victorian venues, where his shallow water techniques don’t deliver the same results. That’s okay if you can make up the numbers, but in general if there are a larger number of arenas, it’s the most adaptable, that is those that can modify their approach to the conditions, who take home the glory.

USE DATA WISELY Data plays an important role in fishing and we don’t record enough. It’s important to always record as much as possible about practice, the simple things – the fish caught, times and length, but also fishing conditions and technique. The purpose of collecting the data is not to get marks, so much as better understand where you are weaker and stronger and to see long-term patterns in your performance that may not be obvious on the day.

Generating a spreadsheet

our own performance. I did some ground work on this a couple of years ago, tracking Steve Morgan through the video of his livestreams and there was a definite measurable difference on things like cast counts throughout the day and that pattern was relatively consistent. In Steve’s case

his cast rate was typically highest at beginning and end of day. Steve likes to get fish in the box early, so that is not a surprise but my suggestion is that if your personal performance is in a drop off phase coming into the peak periods, you might need to tweak things up.

DIRECTED PRACTICE I have always advocated for directed practice – that is practice with a measurable goal. Dedicated practice means you are focused on continuous improvement, changing focus when you hit a plateau.

Include casting sessions where you practice casting into difficult situations like low hanging trees.

Allow a maximum four hours on the water to get your bag. Don’t do all day sessions, focus instead on perfecting the different parts of the fishing day.

Mix up practice for the first half of the day and second half of the day sessions, different tides, all the conditions you will see in competition.

Practice a single technique/lure each time on the water with only the odd session where you swap between all methods.

Compare results of each of your techniques and focus on the weakest ones until you get improved results.

Then rotate back to improving your favoured method.

Practice across the tidal range and record success.

Where possible, focus on improving outcomes during the worst part of the tide and cashing in on the best part.

Practice first and last hour only sessions to be clear on how you want to start and finish.

INDIVIDUAL VS TEAM EVENTS Team events are a special category that has taken me time to get enough data to make a judgement on. I have come to the conclusion that team selection is vital, as are the roles. If everyone on the team is good at the same thing, then when the stars line up you will be hard to beat, but the downside will be erratic results otherwise. In general the results bear out that teams that have a combination of skills that complement each other – particularly specialisation in different parts of the water column, are most successful overall.

Why? Simply put, they provide the most chances to catch fish by maximising coverage.

In general, if you are forming a team, dividing the tasks and maximising coverage of the water column is critical. If the fish are on, you can always tag team on the same technique, but when the fish have to be worked for, that’s when having more than one option brings the biggest benefit.

YOU WON’T ALWAYS WIN My last observation is that the best fishers always want to win, but more than that they want to execute their plans well. Sometimes you can execute flawlessly and still loose, and sometimes you can balls it up and win.

The important part is not to make winning the goal, but the execution. If you execute well, there will be satisfaction no matter what the placing.

Do that long enough and the results will take care of themselves.

Now – get out on the water, the fish won’t catch themselves!

Doug Badrock with a couple of nice bream from the Bemm River that he landed on a ZMan Slim SwimZ in motor oil colour during an ABT tournament.

AUGUST 2019

69

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71

FUN PAGE AND COMPETITIONS THINGS TO PACK FOR FISHING

CAMERA BRAGMAT FISHING ROD LURES BAIT SCISSORS SNACKS WATER TOWEL NET TACKLE BAG

DTD - REAL FISH OITA

BUCKET PLIERS A SMILE FACE BUFF INSECT REPELLENT THE BUNG LIP GRIPS EXTRA TACKLE SAFETY GEAR ICEBOX

Name: Address:

P/Code:

The first correct entry at the end of each month will win the prize pack.

SEND ENTRIES TO: VIC Find-a-word Competition, PO box 3172, Loganholme Qld 4129

VIC AUGUST 2019

Phone (day):

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

The ‘Real Fish Oita’ is an incredible, award winning squid jig manufactured in Europe by leading Croatian company - DTD. Taking out the coveted ‘best new product’ in its class at the EFTTEX 2015 Expo in Warsaw, this wonderful range is now available in Australia through Dogtooth Distribution.

The product imitates real fish species. This coupled with DTD’s use of only the highest grade materials available, ensures great balance and results in superior catching ability. With the unique ‘fish parasite’ feature, aimed at luring predators in for an ‘easy kill’, these truly unique jigs are set to explode into the Australian market.

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SPOT THE

10 DIFFERENCES

BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

ORIGINAL

FIND-A-WORD

Congratulations to, Robert Barns who was last month’s winner of the Find-aWord Competition!

Monthly winners receive a Fishing Monthly prize pack. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – V&TFM

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE

The subscriber prize winner for May is L Smith of Bicheno, who won an TT Lures Prize Pack valued over $400.

All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – V&TFM

S Waters of Pahran, J Brumby of Nirranda South, S Rhind of Rochester, B Delphine of Emerald, M Adams of Grahamvale, J Aquilina of Keilor Downs, J Smith of Carranballac, J McNamara of Goornong, J Titter of Werribee, G Ball of Tatura, M Fryer of Balwyn North, G Miller of Euroa, T Edwards of Castlemaine, R Coombes of Vermont, D Mackley of Daylesford,

J Jenner of Drummond, D Hennig of Mooroolbark, M Stacey of Portland , R Dreldel of Mt Helen, T Kubeil of Euroa, S Brightwell of Mordialloc, D Martin of Nowra, A Melis of Reservior, P Wickham of Corinella, J Darch of Altona, G Thomson of North Geelong, C Hehir of Belmont, J Barns of Euroa.

Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks.

– V&TFM

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS

FIND THE DAIWA LOGO

72

AUGUST 2019

GUESS THE FISH?

This month’s Guess the Fish Answer: Brown Trout

The answers to Find the Daiwa Logo for May were: 10, 14, 18, 23, 32, 38, 41, 45, 54, 59, 61, 64, 81, 86, 89. – V&TFM The Find the Daiwa Logo prize winners for May were: J Thomas of Broadford, A Foster of Drouin, E Dix of Hamilton, M Forys of Indented Head, T Tippett of Nurrabiel, P Berner of Box Hill, W Johnson of Morwell, K Dowell of Highton, J Ellis of Reservior, F Hutchins of Sunbury, C Peeters of Colac, W Witton of Yinnar,

© A Cordelia Adams original artwork. Instagram: clausdoesart

Answer:

boats & kayaks

In the skipper’s seat 74 Super skinny stuff Inside story...

Stessco is an Australian owned and operated family business. With a love of fishing and boating, Stessco has built a wide-ranging network of dealerships, with the goal of providing customers with dependable, value-for-money aluminium boats. Stessco prides itself on the wide variety of options available which can be added to the already wide range of different vessels.

Justin Willmer looks at the joys of using the kayak to get up where the boats just can’t go!

76 New boat time?

Wayne Kampe provides a list of things to go through when you’re looking for that new boat.

82 Bassco Hurricane with 115hp Mercury Pro XS

Made for...

Steve Morgan jumps aboard this impressive new bass boat, capable of holding a tackle shop’s worth of gear!

This month...

84 Campion Explorer 492 Sports Utility

Anglers who are after a reliable tinny that can be customised to suit their individual requirements and fishing style.

Fishing Monthly’s Bob Thornton tests out Stessco’s Amberjack 520 with a Yamaha F90hp. Check it out on page 80!

Steve Morgan tests out another one of these fantastic Canadian rigs, this time powered by a Mercury 80hp.

FEBRUARY 2019

73

How to kayak fish the super shallow stuff products, and I was excited to give this little creature bait a swim. Two casts into the drain, hop, hop, and the plastic was nailed by a nice bream that bolted

BRISBANE

Justin Willmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

With the cooler weather we’ve had, I hope you’ve all been making good use of your wet weather gear and layering your clothing to effectively manage your body temperature while out fishing from the kayaks. I also hope you’ve been making the most of some of the glamorous, glassy winter days that we’ve had to get out and chase a few fish.

Before we get into it this month and hit the super shallow stuff that is often reserved for those in paddle craft, I just wanted

Celebrating the life of a wonderful and adventurous woman. build this country and the practical skills they taught us, as we built tree houses, made billy carts, built and repaired bicycles, and rigged and repaired crab pots, fishing gear and boats in our quest to explore the world and catch a fish. It’s our turn now to ensure that we are instilling in the next generation that same spirit, sense of adventure, ability to overcome hurdles and the love of the sport of fishing and all the challenges, rewards and joys that it brings us all. In

short… take a kid fishing!

After a big cook up with family there was no better way to clear the head and remember the good times than to get out and join Mardi on the water, experience a truly magical winter day and chase a few fish. I had planned to work a weed edge on the last of the run-out tide, however being such a magnificent day on the water, the edge was crowded with boats and the last thing I needed was to battle the crowds. I opted to do my own thing

Flathead from clear water often have very pretty markings.

Fishing the super shallow stuff requires stealth, which the kayak is made for. to tip my hat to a lady that we recently farewelled, my grandma Lillian May Jeppesen who passed away aged 97. We made the most of one of these beautiful winter days to hit the water in our kayaks to pay tribute to her and scatter her ashes and rose petals across the waters where she enjoyed many a family gathering and feed of freshlycaught seafood.

Mardi, as she was known to us, instilled in us a sense of adventure from when we were young, taking us on bus and train trips, to the movies, museum, the city, shopping, and loading us in her little car to visit relatives who lived hours from home. She taught me to get out there and experience things, make the most out of life and overcome the hurdles along the way. Her generation were pioneers that were continually problem solving and creating solutions to everyday issues. Although Mardi didn’t teach me to fish, I did embrace her spirit and her sense of adventure and I’m sure that this led me to attach a primitive sounder, anchor running rig and rod holders to a kayak in the 74

AUGUST 2019

fact, there is often an influx of bait into the system and the shallows encouraging larger predators to move into the shallows for an easy feed, as the bait has

early ‘90s and set off on my kayak fishing adventures… shrugging off the strange looks and comments at the ramp, before returning with a feed of fish.

We had a gathering of family and friends at our house to celebrate Mardi’s life. The following morning, we dragged a mixed bag of half a dozen kayaks out of the shed and were joined by two boats on the water, where a tribute was read and her ashes and rose petals were scattered on the water. I would like to thank Mardi and all of her generation for the work they did to

A beautiful day and a beautifully marked fish.

A flathead safely in the net. and head to an area of extremely shallow flats, including a shallow drain that drained a large expanse of weed beds. By extremely shallow, I am talking a kayak blade-deep at one point when I landed a nice flathead, so I’m guessing water between 30-60cm.

As it was so shallow, I selected a light 1/10oz NedlockZ jighead and rigged it with a soon-tobe-released ZMan plastic, the 2.75” TRD BugZ. One of the opportunities when working in the industry is to test drive and R&D new

across the flats. Man, I love shallow water fishing!

The kayak is perfect for working the shallow stuff and there was no way the boats were going to be interested in getting in here and crowding me out. After a short tussle, I had the fish in the net and was stoked that the little plastic had been inhaled to the jighead, showing the bream was keen to eat it.

During winter the water often becomes superclear, however this doesn’t stop the fish feeding in extremely shallow water. In

such a small column of water to move in, making it more difficult to escape.

Species encountered in my region often include bream, whiting, tailor, trevally and some quality flathead.

When the water is clear and shallow though, fish can also be easily spooked, especially from a boat, so make the most of the low profile and small shadow of the kayak, along with the lack of noise. Try not to bang around in the kayak, as this noise transfers through the water. If you are quiet and use the wind or tide to carry you along, you will often see fish shoot off when you are almost on top of them. Make note of the tide and wind direction so that you can utilise this to fish the areas and structure that you wish to target.

I often fish natural colours, make long casts, fish light leaders and jigheads, and fish with smaller movements of the lure, especially in very shallow water, as aggressive movements will seem unnatural in such a narrow column of water.

As so often is the case, bait, structure, or even better, both, is the key to success.

Find plenty of bait in the area and there likely are predators lurking. You may not think there is much structure in a foot or two of

water, however a patch of weed or rubble, clear patch in the weed or a pocket of water that is 10cm deeper are all worth a few casts.

As I drifted into the drain, a perfect piece of structure lay ahead of me.

It was a sandy patch in the weed that looked slightly deeper, and there was no doubt in my mind that there would be a flathead in this pocket. Always try to position yourself a cast away from the structure so that you have plenty of time to make a few casts, rather than drifting onto the structure and spooking the fish. This also allows you multiple drifts of the area if you believe the water looks and feels productive.

As I approached the pocket, I made a long cast right to the edge of the weed at the back of the

leaping from the water, so another cast and another almost instantaneous hook up. This was a more serious opponent and after a few

beautiful winter glass out and I was really enjoying the serenity, so I slowed the kayak up near a moored boat and made a cast about

and released.

Further on I fished a spot that holds yellowtail pike, landing a few quality models before calling

A bream pinned on a ZMan TRD BugZ rigged on a TT NedlockZ jighead. depth was still around the 30-60cm range and I was running a 1/4oz jighead, which many would feel is too heavy. However, my

predator before it had too much time to process what my lure actually was.

The first couple of casts came and went before a cast

The kayak crew who helped scatter Mardi’s ashes. solid runs I had another quality flathead yak side in a foot of water. I admired this beautifully marked fish that had snuck up onto the weed to hunt in the super

hallway along the hull, right on the waterline.

Almost as if scripted, as the lure passed the rear corner of the vessel the line went tight and drag peeled

The last flathead came out of just a paddle blade of water. sand pocket, giving my plastic maximum time in the strike zone. Hop, hop, pause, hop, hop, pause, now approaching the deeper section at the front of the pocket and fish on! I love it when a plan comes together and after a couple of solid runs and plenty of aggressive head shakes in the shallows, I had a decent flathead in the net.

The shallow drain produced a couple more flathead and another bream, with the lure test deemed a success, before I switched to my go-to 2.5” paddle-tail just to mix things up. Moving out of the drain, I pushed up onto a large weed flat and made note of pilchard size bait being chased out of the water from time to time. With very little water movement and an extremely slow drift, my plan was to move the kayak into the area where the bait was flicking and make casts directly to the disturbances. The water

plan was a quick reaction, long, fast cast to the disturbances and then rod tip up and a rapid shake and retrieve to keep the plastic out of the weed to imitate a fleeing baitfish, hopefully triggering a reaction strike from the

landed on point. A second after the disturbance the plastic was crunched within a couple of shakes of the rod tip and a turn of the handle.

A short tussle and another bream was in the net. This was followed moments later by another baitfish

This fish definitely wanted that little soft plastic creature bait.

it a day and heading for home. Yellowtail pike are readily available around weed beds, jetties and boat ramps in many areas during the winter months, and by the end of the season fish around 50cm can be common. They are great fun, especially for kids, and are an oily fish that smoke extremely well.

Back at the ramp, I reflected on the day as I watched the sun melt behind the mountains. I farewelled Mardi, grateful that I had her in my life for so many wonderful years.

I was also grateful for the life that we have thanks to her generation, and the opportunities that are available to us to kayak and fish this magnificent country. I had a feed of fresh fish in the icebox, and after loading the kayak on the trolley, it was a short wheel home.

shallow water.

It was time to turn the kayak and head for home, however it was such a

It doesn’t take much water to hold a flathead.

Contemplating a wonderful life on a beautiful glassy day.

off as the hook found its mark. It had the signature head shakes and runs of a bream and sure enough another bream was landed

Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that really are the most special. Hug your family and take a kid fishing.

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In the market for a new boat?

BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Whenever you go to a boat show you’re presented with a whole lot of beautiful shiny new boats on display to tempt potential buyers.

Which is the best one?

Which one will give best value for money and be able to perform in complete safety and with as much comfort as possible?

Life is full of big decisions that you really don’t want to get wrong.

understand all the things a buyer should look for when choosing the right craft for their needs. However, I will take things step by step in this article to fast track your knowledge. In this article we can look at some of the most important things to consider when buying that new boat.

First of all, you need to consider whether the boat you’re looking at will be too big for the family car to tow with ease. You are buying a boat, not a boat and a car to tow it! In any case, it’s easier to start off with a smaller craft in which to learn what

idea is to decide on a size range rather than an exact size as this will give a lot more flexibility to the project.

Don’t forget there will be compromises.

Boating always involves some!

If you’re planning to fish in more sheltered waters, a smaller rig will be fine.

However, if you’re heading offshore there are different considerations. There needs to be freeboard (plenty of side height), plus sea keeping ability (riding well in unfavourable conditions) while keeping occupants dry.

You’ll also have to make

Next, let’s consider the style of boat to choose. Most people have a certain style of fishing in mind, such as fishing impoundments, rivers, estuaries or dedicated offshore work. Open punt style boats, with their total fishing work area and immense stability, are great for sheltered water work. Fishing from transom to bow is what punt ownership is about. However, they’re not suitable for bluewater due to their lack of freeboard and their design as totally open boats.

On the other hand, a half cabin craft is good offshore due to the protection of the cabin and their overall larger size. However, they don’t have as much fishing room in proportion to their size, as the cabin takes up a significant amount of space.

The configuration and size of a half cabin boat also makes it a somewhat clumsy when it comes to ghosting into less than a metre of water in search of a flathead or bream along a sand bank, or an impoundment barra warming itself on a shallow flat.

Conventional style open boats, whether tiller steered or helmed from a wheel up front, are more versatile.

They can be equipped with

An electric motor plate is essential for most small boat fishing, yet not all small craft are set up with them. at finer points that can make or break your decision to buy a particular boat.

The choice of motor could not be easier – it’s either 4-stroke or fuelinjected 2-stroke (following the banning of conventional carby style 2-stroke engines

the stand at the boat show, or maybe later on the water.

You want to see if things will be comfortable, perhaps for long stints on the water.

If you’re considering a tiller steer rig, you want to determine whether the throttle grip is in an

Glass hulls provide a quality ride plus enough freeboard to make offshore work a possibility.

Buying a brand new boat is one of the major ones to fall into that category.

There’s just so much to consider, and for many prospective boat owners it can be difficult to understand just what will make their choice the correct one.

After the purchase, time on the water will soon show whether your judgment was sound or not. Nobody wants buyer’s remorse.

ASSESS WITH CARE: ENJOY AT LEISURE It takes years of experience to really

boating is all about. Your goal is to tow it and launch/ retrieve it with as little stress as possible, and that’s easier when there’s less boat to handle. And you’ll want to store the rig out of the weather to keep it in as good a condition as possible, and this is less of a hassle with a smaller boat.

So get out that pen and paper and jot down a few notes on what you’ll mainly be using the boat for, and then buy the smallest boat that will suit your needs, rather than the largest. The

a choice between alloy or glass. Each material offers certain advantages and disadvantages. Smaller boats (say, under 4.5m) are usually alloy while larger rigs tend to be fibreglass. Glass hulls can have intricate shapes moulded into their final form, and that extra weight can improve ride quality, which is why many boats over 4.5m are fibreglass. Ultimately though, it’s the buyer’s choice. Just remember that neither style of boat will be entirely maintenance-free in the long term.

A common complaint about glass hulls is that you need to take extra care around the ramp. The inbuilt rubbing strip, shown here, provides peace of mind and is something a lot of manufacturers can provide.

Put yourself in the picture: a new boat coming off its trailer.

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an electric motor for stealthy shallow water work, and larger rigs might well manage an offshore run in suitable conditions. There are some very capable 4.2-4.5m craft on the market today that will fish up to four in comfort yet can cover a huge range of fishing requirements.

Naturally, if you want to do shallow stealth style work with fly or plastics, the boat must have an electric motor pad up front. Not all small boats have one.

THE FINER POINTS With the overall design and size range of the new acquisition firmly in mind, it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty and start looking

as of July this year). Note though, that every boat has a minimum and maximum engine rating as a guide to the safest performance. It’s usually fine to go with a smaller capacity engine (but not necessarily the minimum) unless you’ll regularly have a full compliment of passengers on board. A smaller capacity engine will save you money and put less weight on the transom.

Whether your chosen boat will be tiller steer or helmed from upfront, there is one essential criteria: the driving position must suit the prospective owner. The only way of making sure is to get aboard the boat, either on

ergonomically suitable position, or if it’s necessary to sit off to one side to steer the boat. Consider how things might be after 30 minutes in a driving situation, especially if you’re on a fixed seat! Will it be necessary to actually lean back a little to keep your hand on the throttle, or have the end of the tiller arm slightly ahead of your position? These factors can influence long-term comfort.

If you’re driving from up front, have a look at where the ignition switch and forward controls are in relation to any fixed seat. I’ve sat in skipper’s seats which, while comfortable, placed my

g. een.

Lift sides price e.

right knee virtually on the forward controls on the side of the craft. On some other boats, the ignition key was up against my knee. Either situation is not good.

You also need to consider all round visibility when you’re at the helm. Anything

regular passengers should be considered as well. It’s good when the weight aboard the rig can be adjusted via flexible seating from in-floor spigots.

Fully flexible seating is also a great asset when you expect fishing to be full on;

that the seat can actually swivel without bumping into another.

LASTLY, THE LIST Finally, remember that although a boat is a serious purchase, if you choose wisely it will provide a vast amount of entertainment and

An alloy hull around the 4.2-4.5m range is a great fishing boat for a lot of different situations.

When considering a smaller alloy rig, consider the general size range rather than actual size, as a lot of excellent smaller rigs are available today. The 435 Bay Cruiser transports four people with ease. at eye level that cannot be moved may well be an issue.

Then we might consider the crew. The first mate might need somewhere to store personal items, plus have a hand-hold for rough going. The needs of other

you can opt to leave a seat at home to free up more fishing space. Pedestal bucket-style seats are popular today, especially as these seats can be swivelled to face in a chosen direction for ease of fishing. Just make sure

recreation. Boating is very enjoyable, and choosing the right rig for the job will add to the fun factor considerably. Make The List, tick off the must-haves, and live with the decision to scrap the might-haves.

An example of a versatile boat. This hull offers plenty of freeboard on all sides (plus the transom) for offshore work, and it’s fitted with an electric motor plate so you can go stealth fishing in the shallows.

Drop in to see your local Dealer!

MELTON, VIC

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Fish like a king Since 1898 Savage boats have been taking Aussies fishing.

There aren’t a lot of rivers, creeks, lakes or bays we haven’t seen.

And there’s not a lot of fish we haven’t hooked. With our Ultra Lift Hull designed to get you there fast and dry and the tough plate sides on the 385 and up, we can handle just about anything. At a price that makes our competitors blush. Be Prepared. Get Savage.

Find out more at savageboats.com.au

AUGUST 2019

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WHAT’S NEW BOATING PURSUIT OFFSHORE 1 BOATS American premium fishing and family boat brand Pursuit will be launched in Australia this coming summer (2019), with Cobalt’s Boats of Australia partnering with the US brand.

General Manager of Cobalt Boats of Australia Andy Clayton says his team are excited to be bringing these boats to Australia.

“The Pursuit boat is a premium offshore fishing boat that has crossed over into a versatile family boat while also offering pure sportfishing models in its range,” Andy says.

The brand evolved from its start 42 years ago into a high-end brand in the vein of Boston Whaler and Grady White. The range is an award-winning product line of Centre Console, Offshore, Sport and Dual Console models, and extends from 23ft to over 40ft, with dual console family runabouts, enclosed cockpit models and hard top sportfish offerings.

The first Pursuit models to arrive in Australia in November will be the 235 DC, S288 and OS 325. www.pursuitboats.com

RAYMARINE ELEMENT 2 HV SONAR/GPS The Raymarine Element HV sonar/GPS delivers seven distinct sonar channels including three ultra-high frequency 1.2MHz HyperVision channels (SideVision, DownVision and RealVision 3D).

RealVision 3D combines with precision GPS to construct the most accurate 3D model of the underwater world, and updates it in realtime. All three models (7”, 9” and 12”) feature quad-core processors for instantaneous chart redraws, seamless menu/page transitions and smooth sonar rendering.

Element HV supports charts from Navionics and C-Map, and users can create maps while underway with Navionics SonarChart Live and Raymarine RealBathyTM personal sonar map recording.

The ultra-bright screens are easily viewed in all lighting conditions, even when wearing polarised glasses.

All models are powered by Raymarine’s LightHouse Sport operating system, and all seven sonar channels are delivered via a single, all-in-one transducer. Element HV features NMEA2000 connectivity, and comes with a 3-year warranty.

Price: from SRP $1149 (incl. transducer) www.raymarine.com.au

GARMIN FORCE ELECTRIC MOTOR

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Thanks to its unique brushless motor, the Garmin Force electric motor operates with almost undetectable levels of sonar and steering noise both below and above the water. It’s also the first trolling motor to include built-in Garmin CHIRP traditional and Ultra High-Definition ClearVu and SideVu scanning sonars.

The Force is 30% more powerful than other freshwater trolling motors. It can move you from one structure to the next more quickly, throttle back with ease when you need to fish slow, and stand up better to winds and currents. It’s also the most efficient trolling motor available, so you can count on it to fish all day. It operates at either 36V or 24V, and when running at 24V, delivers comparable thrust to competitors’ 36V motors.

Other features include wireless integration with a Garmin chartplotter and built-in autopilot functionality, and a wireless foot pedal that provides instant responsiveness yet feels and steers like a cable-steered pedal. The pedal’s resistance is adjustable, and it has buttons to control speed, heading and anchor lock. It can also be wired. Alternatively, you can use the

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PRODUCT GUIDE

included wireless remote, which also floats.

Force is available with a 50” or 57” adjustable shaft.

Price: from SRP $4999 www.garmin.com/force

QUINTREX FISHABOUT PRO

The new Quintrex Fishabout Pro is offered in three sizes, the 430, 450 and 470. Each has a max capacity of five people and ratings of 60hp, 60hp and 75hp respectively.

The new Fishabout Pro features the current Blade Hull with a new and improved Flared Bow. The stretch-formed aluminium side sheets have more curve that runs further down the length of the boat to deflect spray. It has a wider beam and more space between the dash and the transom.

Instead of a motor well that intrudes into the rear lounge area, there’s a pod transom that allows the outboard to be mounted further back with duckboards on either side. The Lean Through Dash and Step separates the captain and navigator panels, allowing for easy access to the bow anchor or optional drum winch.

Every Fishabout Pro now has a bimini, fullywelded side decks, two transducer brackets and Premium Hookless carpet as standard in addition to current features like rod holders, folding rear lounge, and side pockets. www.quintrex.com.au

SIMRAD RS40-B

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Simrad has announced the release of the new RS40-B, the first VHF marine radio with AIS transmit and receive capability.

Featuring a sleek design with wireless handset capability, removable fist microphone, Class D DSC functionality, built-in GPS and a Class B AISTransceiver, the Simrad RS40-B takes VHF marine performance to another level.

The integrated Class B AIS transceiver in the RS40-B can receive position data from other vessels like the original RS40, but is the first VHF marine radio capable of sharing its position with nearby AIS-equipped vessels, improving collision avoidance in crowded waterways. Position data of other vessels is clearly viewable on the Simrad RS40-B screen or can be overlaid on top of a chart or radar through a compatible multifunction display over NMEA 0183 and NMEA 2000.

Price: SRP $1335 www.simrad-yachting.com

STACER 589 SEA MASTER

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With the addition of the 589 Sea Master, Stacer’s runabout range now has six models: 429, 449, 469, 499, 519 and 589.

The 589 boasts a massive 2.35m beam and 5.96m length, and was created in response to consumer demand for a good open fishing boat that could handle offshore conditions. The cockpit space measures 2.3m from the back of the helm chairs to the transom, and 1.8m of internal beam from the inside of the port and starboard rolled side decks.

To make it the ultimate offshore runabout, the 589 Sea Master has 0.67m of freeboard, and has a transom that is fit for an XL outboard engine shaft. The comfortable helm and dash area make it easy to control the vessel, and there’s a drop-down floor in front of the seat positions for maximum comfort.

The 589 is equipped with the soft riding Revolution hull as well as a comfortable rear lounge and Maritime Seats as standard.

Popular options include a transom door and electric drum winch. www.stacer.com.au

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Stessco Amberjack 520 with Yamaha F90hp - SC

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RPM......Speed.(km/h)...........Economy.(km/L) 1000 .........................7 ................................3.9 1500 .........................9 ................................3.1 2000....................... 12 ................................2.8 2500 ....................... 13 ................................2.1 3000....................... 26 ................................3.2 3500 ....................... 33 ................................3.4 4000....................... 39 ................................3.3 4500 ....................... 47 ................................3.1 5000....................... 53 ................................2.8 5500 ....................... 60 ................................2.2 5900 ....................... 65 ................................1.7 80

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PERFORMANCE

us up to 65km/h, and a fuel economy of 1.7L/km, and this is a fair clip for a family boat.

To conserve fuel but also get where you need to on time, the best cruising speed was around that 3500rpm, which delivered

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I was recently told that South East Queensland is the largest boating market in Australia, and Brisbanebased boat manufacturer Stessco definitely take advantage of that. This may not sound very important or interesting to you, but to me it means that by buying a Stessco you’re buying a boat that’s made for people who love boating! That’s exactly how I would describe the Amberjack 520.

The 520 represents a line of high-quality boats, and is the middle size of three models, the others being the 490 and 550. The Amberjack is one of Stessco’s ‘premium’ runabouts, and is perfect for a more experienced boater who likes mixing fishing, water sports and time with friends and family.

TRAILER A premium boat needs a premium trailer, and if the buyer chooses to sit the boat on one of the propose-built Stessco trailers (built by Dunbier) there’s a structural warranty of five years. The 520 sits on a single-axle braked trailer, meaning despite it’s large size it could still be fairly easily manoeuvred in a garage

for storage. It also makes sense to sit a boat on a trailer that is built specifically for that boat, as this will contribute to the boat’s longevity.

ALL-ROUND SPECIALIST All-round specialist is the only way I can describe the boat’s intended purpose, with everything to accommodate the skier, fisher, camper, crabber, or someone who just like to lounge around on other peoples’ boats.

The bow is kept clean and simple, with a tidy anchor well and grab rails either side to guide the boat in shallow water.

The windscreen door means quick and safe access to the anchor well, and also allows people to enter from the bow.

Behind the windscreen, the cockpit is laid out logically, and also provides relative comfort for the skipper and mate. Stessco’s Bolster seats are incredibly comfortable, and will be hugely appreciated on slightly longer trips. Flushmounted gadgets are always going to be much easier to look after, and it means you don’t have to worry about brackets and other annoying protrusions. The 520 will flush-mount a sounder up to nine inches, which is perfect if you want to download maps of your chosen hunting ground.

There’s also a dry lockable glove box on the passenger

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you certainly don’t want your prized craft spending more time in the shop than out on the water.

Although perfectly capable of heading offshore, weather permitting, these boats

SPECIFICATIONS

Main: A little bit of chop didn’t worry the Amberjack out on Pumicestone Passage.

Above: The Softride hull ensured that anyone aboard would be comfortable when underway and at rest. side for phones, wallets, maps, watches and so on, and storage for larger items, such as camping gear, under the bow.

The bimini is an excellent addition, especially in sunny states where sun protection is a priority. The bimini covers the skipper and mate comfortably, while leaving the work area open.

The work area behind the cockpit is left open deliberately to allow room for extra passengers, gear and somewhere to enjoy being out on the water. If you want to keep smaller items out of the way, the side pockets are a handy addition, and the only under floor storage – the kill box – means there’s no need to bring extra ice boxes or eskies on board.

There is a padded block for two to sit comfortably, which opens up for extra dry storage, and the added back rest makes the ride comfortable for passengers. The block can be tilted forward to expose two hatches built into the stern.

The high sides, transom and splash well means that passengers in the rear will stay very dry, even in choppy conditions, and the positioning of the seating at the very back

of the work area ensures that the already very soft ride is even softer.

The transom offers access to the craft via a small ladder and door, and the shallow draft of this boat allows a user to spin it around easily and climb in without difficulty.

YAMAHA F90HP Powering this craft was a Yamaha F90hp. These engines are known for their quietness, reliability and fuel economy, and on the day, in around 10-15 knots of breeze on SEQ’s Pumicestone Passage, the engine lived up to that reputation.

Full tilt into the breeze got

Length.(mm) ..............................................5420 Beam.(mm) ................................................2290 Depth.(mm)................................................ 1210 Bottom.sides.(mm) .........................................4 Top.sides.(mm) ................................................3 Max.hp ......................................................... 115 Max.Transom.weight.(kg) ...........................270 Transom.height.(“) ........................................20 Max.people......................................................5 Base.boat.hull.weight.(kg) .........................485 3.4L/km /h at 33km.

Of course, the ride was comfortable for skipper, mate and rear passengers in the les than ideal conditions, and everyone stayed dry… until it rained while I was in the rear.

FINAL THOUGHTS This tough contender offers everything you need for a general-purpose boat. The ease of use and logical layout makes it perfect for those who just love being on the water, without going all out on a more expensive fibreglass boat.

With the simple layout comes the ease of maintenance, and

are designed for bays, lakes and rivers, and Stessco have other boats in the range that better suit offshore work.

Coming in at around the $40,000 mark (as tested) this is very reasonable considering the top quality gadgets and design, and will no doubt last you many years of enjoyable boating, with added peace of mind when you have a 5-year structural warranty.

For more info about any boats in the Stessco range, visit www.stessco.com.au, or find them on Facebook or Instagram at ‘Stessco’.

The Yamaha F90hp delivered excellent speed and economy, and the quietness at idle will be appreciated on those fun ‘non-fishing’ trips.

Flush-mounted electronics means that there’s no annoying protruding brackets that often just get in the way.

Left: Stessco trailers (built by Dunbier) come in both aluminium and galvanised steel models. Right: Although capable of taking up to 115hp, the F90hp seems adequate for the craft’s intended use.

Driving this craft on and off was a breeze, and could easily be done solo if need be.

The cockpit was simple yet comfortable, and the uncomplicated finish means there’s far less to go wrong.

Sitting a boat on a trailer designed specially for it makes sense, and extends the structural warranty to 5 years, or 60 months.

Boats of this size will tend to need a braked trailer, but that’s not to say the Amberjack 520 is difficult to trail.

The underfloor kill box is a great alternative to an external esky or icebox, which usually only gets in the way.

A drained anchor well up front, accessible by the door in the windscreen, makes parking up and enjoying the sunshine much easier.

Rear seating is not only comfortable, it also doubles as extra storage for anything you may want to keep dry.

The cranking battery sits out of the way but not out of sight, meaning any field work can be done quickly and easily.

Padded rear seating will be appreciated by those relegated to the back of the craft on longer journeys.

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Bassco Hurricane with Mercury 115HP Pro XS - SC

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advantage in a saltwater boat.

Want to see the Hurricane in action? Scan the QR code at the top of the page on your smartphone or search for the video test on the

PERFORMANCE

Main: Although Peter Nord has a $100K imported bass boat, you’ll most likely see him fishing Gippsland waters in his Bassco Hurricane. It’s smaller, cheaper to run and does nearly everything his bigger boat does – except in shallower water.

Above: Wide open, the Hurricane hit 76km/h powered by the Mercury 115hp Pro-XS 2.1L 4-stroke bolted on the back. designs. They just couldn’t fit the volume of tackle that a standard tournament angler takes. Or, if they did manage to provide enough storage, it was often not waterproof, resulting in lure boxes with thousands of dollars worth of baits being left in a soaking,

SPECIFICATIONS Length........................................................5.0m Beam........................................................2.07m Capacity ............................................ 4 persons Transom deadrise ....................................... 20° Fuel ............................................................ 140L With my history as co-founder of ABT Tournaments in Australia, I’ve seen plenty of local manufacturers have a crack at making a tournament boat that rivalled the American imports.

Few have done a good job.

Primarily, tackle storage was the Achilles heel of the their

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Bassco is an Australian-built fibreglass fishing boat created

by Gippsland veteran boat builder, Michael Boag. With a lifetime of building big boats under his belt, Michael decided that he wanted to diversify into smaller fishing craft, and we tested the Tornado (a hybrid centre console and lurecasting boat) earlier in the year.

The Hurricane is the Tornado’s sister craft, and was developed in a partnership between Boag and avid tournament angler Peter Nord from Lakes Entrance.

Peter wanted a boat that was smaller, more nimble and more economical than his big American bass boat, and the Hurricane was born.

Incidentally, Hurricane is also Peter’s lure brand, and the boat is finished in Hurricane’s corporate colours. Well played, gents.

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we couldn’t find any rough water to test the bad-weather ability of this craft.

“I just love this little rig,” Peter said, “which is why I use it more than my big rig.”

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rusting mess after a rough or rainy day.

I’m pleased to report that the Hurricane has nailed this part of the design, with a centrepiece tackle locker that will take the kit of the greediest tackle rat and keep it in good nick. Held up with sturdy gas struts, the lid makes up a

proportion of the front deck.

The top deck layout is standard bass boat design with a front deck several times larger than the back deck.

Interestingly, in the cockpit, the sliding seat bases can clear some room for a lower fishing position in the cockpit. This is handy when you’re fishing more open and rougher waters.

Supplied on a single axle trailer, this boat will fit in plenty of suburban garages. It’s powered by a 115hp Mercury ProXS 2.1L 4-stroke outboard, so performance was never going to be an issue.

Hammers down, the Hurricane reached 76km/h at wide open throttle (6,200rpm) achieving 1.62km/L. At the most economical cruising speed (4,000rpm and 46km/h) it delivered much better range at 2.4km/L. With a 140L underfloor fuel tank, that equates to over 350km of

theoretical range, which is much more than you’d use on nearly all tournaments or trips.

This Bassco is pretty fun to drive. It takes trim well and handles nicely. Unfortunately the test day was breathless and

RPM .....Speed (km/h) ...........Economy (km/L) 650 ...........................4 .................................... 1000 .........................8 .................................... 2000....................... 12 .................................... 3000....................... 29 ................................. 1.8 4000....................... 46 ................................. 2.4 5000....................... 61 ................................. 1.7 6000....................... 74 ................................. 1.6 6200 ....................... 76 ................................. 1.6 * fuel metering not accurate at low RPM with gauge available It might have something to do with the ability to simply hose out the boat and not have to contend with wet carpets for days on end. The Hurricane ditched carpeted decks in favour of synthetic decking material. It dries and cleans up with ease, and is a real

Fishing Monthly Magazine’s YouTube channel.

For more information on Bassco boats, you’ll have to visit their Facebook Page (Bassco Boats) or just call Michael Boag directly on 0417 545 593, as they don’t yet have a website.

There’s plenty of fishing room in this 5m rig, with anglers up front and down the back having their own casting decks to fish from.

20° of transom deadrise gives you a soft landing when it gets a little rough.

Cradled on a single-axle trailer and with nothing higher than a PowerPole, the Hurricane will be able to fit in most garages.

The centrally-located rod and tackle locker chews up a pile of rods and lure boxes, and keeps them safe and dry. Plenty of boat manufacturers don’t understand that anglers don’t want their expensive gear soaking in saltwater.

Twin consoles keep you and your passenger comfortable while underway, and the glovebox keeps your wallet and phone dry.

The livewell lives under the rear deck and is secured with twin folding decks.

The helm is minimalist with the sounder mounted on a Ram Mount.

The helm seat is adjustable. Move it forwards and you open up some cockpit space for fishing rougher waters. Move it back and you can sit in it to travel and drive.

Batteries and isolators are inside a rear hatch and protected from the elements.

The internal wiring is neat and hidden.

There’s no doubt that the Hurricane will turn heads at the ramp and on the water. It’s a good looking, Aussie-built fishing boat.

An automatic bow eye catch mechanism locks the boat in place while retrieving.

AUGUST 2019

83

Campion’s Explorer 492 Sports Utility with 80hp - SC

TENT -

RE ONLINE MO

T

RPM......Speed.(km/h)............ Economy.(km/L) 650 ...........................3 ................................. 1.7 1000 .........................6 ................................. 2.2 2000....................... 10 ................................. 1.8 3000....................... 25 ................................. 2.3 4000....................... 42 ................................. 2.5 5000....................... 55 ................................. 2.0 5300 ....................... 61 ................................. 2.2

Main: It’s a far cry from its country of origin, but the Campion 492 Sports Explorer centre console seemed to run pretty well in Gippsland Lakes.

Above: The hull wasn’t really trim sensitive, which will make it easy to drive for even the most inexperienced boater.

Length........................................................4.92m Beam..........................................................2.21m Fuel ................................................................83L Max.HP ........................................................90hp Capacity .............................................. 5 persons Deadrise .........................................................17°

84

AUGUST 2019

room better without shade?

Yep. Is it easy to maintain?

Yep. Is it as comfortable as a cabin boat if you’re mainly cruising? Not really. There are other Campions that would do that job better.

PERFORMANCE

SPECIFICATIONS

Mercury 4-stroke, this is a good looking rig, whether it’s on the trailer or on the water.

Launching out of Lakes Entrance, the day was immaculate, with nowhere near enough rough water to test the lumpy-water credentials of this hull, yet nice enough to shoot a pretty test video. You can watch it be scanning the QR Code above or by searching for a Campion test on our YouTube channel

DE FOR EX

There’s been a fair bit that’s happened since I first rode in a Canadian Campion boat that Terry Raymond from Crawford Marine imported.

The Morwell dealer has had these boats in the yard a while now, and they’ve debuted at the Melbourne Boat Show, where they turned plenty of heads, with their unique looks and great build quality.

This test, though, happened when Terry had just pulled out his first shipment from the shipping containers.

The centre-console 492 Campion Sports Utility mixes the Canadian hull, American motor and Australian trailer to truly create a multinational rig!

Powered by an 80hp 2.1L

CO

s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

R

Steve Morgan

Q

RA

CON

AN THE

that we’re used to seeing in Australia feature a bench seat that can be shared by a driver and a passenger. Campion’s layout is different, with an offset steering wheel and binnacle mounted throttle.

FMG

(Fishing Monthly Magazines).

In the test video, you’ll hear Terry’s excitement about this boat brand. He’s done his research, and he knows that Campion is no new kid on the block. The company is over 45 years old A quality build, Campion is Canada’s largest independent boat builder and makes a range of boats from wake boats through to family and fishing boats. To

Fishing Monthly readers, the Explorer range will be of most interest. Trailerable fishing boats between just-under 5m to over 8m that are a nice balance between comfort and practicality.

Cradled on a single-axle Dunbier trailer, this is a rig that you’ll be able to tow with the family car and launching was an easy drive-off. Retrieval was just as easy in reverse.

Nudging the Campion onto the plane it became apparent that the rig was pretty easy to drive, and not too trim sensitive.

It delivered great economy at cruising speeds (2.5km/L at 42km/h and 4,000rpm) and nudged the GPS to 61km/h at 5,300rpm where economy dropped slightly to 2.2 km/L. Most centre consoles

This allows the driver and passenger to both remain seated behind the console while driving. You can also easily drive standing up.

In summary, is there plenty of fishing room? Yep. Shade? Yep. Is the fishing

Packages with the 492 Campion Explorer Sport Utility start from mid $40,000s. Visit www.crawfordmarine.com.au for more details or drop into their yard at Morwell to say g’day to Terry and the team and see one in the flesh.

The best economy was at 4,000rpm, where the rig delivered 42km/h at 2.5km/L.

Cradled on a single-axle Dunbier trailer, this is a rig that you’ll be able to tow with the family car and launching was an easy drive-off. Retrieval was just as easy in reverse.

A 17° deadrise smoothes out wind chop and the weight of the glass hull does the rest.

A cooler neatly fits under the for’ard console seat for day use.

An offset steering wheel and binnacle mounted throttle allows the driver and passenger to remain seated behind the console while driving.

You can also easily drive standing up.

Mercury’s 2.1L 4-stroke platform is solid. We don’t test many boats with the 80hp iteration, but this model suits the boat perfectly, even if it’s 10hp under the maximum allowable.

This is an Australian made trailer under a Canadian boat with an American outboard.

The optional bimini cover offers shade for the members of the family who don’t want to spend all day in the sun.

The console features plenty of grab rail to help you hold on while underway.

Internal rigging and fitting is neat and logical.

There’s more than enough room to walk around the console in a boat of this size.

Anglers will also appreciate the maintenancewith-a-hose aspect of this rig.

AUGUST 2019

85

Victorian Tide Times

2019 2019 Local Time

POINT LONSDALE – VICTORIA POINT – 144° VICTORIA LAT 38°LONSDALE 18’ S LONG 37’ E

JANUARY MAY Time Time m 0113 0801 TU 1359 2109 WE

1 1 2 0205 0853 2

WE 1455 TH 2215

3 0304 0948 3

TH 1557 FR 2318

4 0414 1046 4

FR 1700 SA

5 0018 0529 5

Time 0.54 0139 1.48 0822 0.35 1350 1.37 2107 0.65 0248 1.41 0939 0.36 1459 1.38 2203 0.75 0410 1.35 1050 0.36 1626 1.41 2258 0.81 0512 1.30 1150 0.35 1737 2346 1.45 0556 0.82 1241 1.28 1827 0.33

m

18’ S of High LONG 144° 37’ E TimesLAT and38° Heights and Low Waters Times and Heights of High and Low Waters MARCH FEBRUARY JUNE m Time Time m Time JULY m Time m

Time m Time m 0032 0.58 0230 0.73 0154 0.65 0300 0.68 0712 1.43 0907 1.32 10100.36 1.36 13050859 0.411.39 FR 1515 15151.35 0.93 1956 1.310.70 2245 TH 1412 SA 2121 1.46 2153 1.37 0116 0.67 0330 0.80 04021.26 0.61 07520310 1.380.58 1004 11130.39 1.45 13461017 0.391.46 SA 1617 16341.35 0.94 FR 1530 SU 2058 1.310.76 2345 2222 1.47 2249 1.39 0207 0.75 0444 0.84 04581.22 0.52 08400422 1.330.49 1106 12070.40 1.56 14351126 0.361.57 SU 1724 SA 1651 MO 1740 0.92 2205 1.340.78 2344 1.42 2320 1.49 0307 0.83 0045 1.38 05460.82 0.44 09360523 1.290.40 0559 12571.21 1.67 15331228 0.331.68 MO 1208 18300.38 0.88 TU SU 1758 2317 1.390.77 1825

Time 0140 0357 0802 1110 SA 1400 1621 SU2128 2245 0233 0457 0859 1209 SU 1457 1729 MO2241 2341 0341 0550 1008 1302 MO 1608 1826 TU2356

16 16

17 17

22

17 17

18 18

33

18 18

19 19

44

0501 0.81 0032 1.29 1.48 19 191132 0638 0.30 0.35 TU 1730

0.78 1.23 TH 0.78 1.32

0.72 1.29 FR 0.81 1.34 0.64 1.39 SA 0.80 1.38

22

33

TH 1320 1844 0003 0057 0520 0648 TU 1138 FR 1409 1753 1933 0100 0150 0636 0740 1243 WE 1456 SA 1855 2022

01280147 1.551.54 0300 02101.51 1.5222 0250 0243 1.62 1.48 22 22 06480748 0.760.28 7 7 0841 08000.62 0.30 220828 0845 0.45 0.40 1307 1.36 1441 1.32 1458 1.55 TH FR

0146 7 0241 0733 7 0830 TH 1339

1.50 0031 21 6 0115 0635 0.79 21 6 0635 SU 1240 1.29

66

21 21

8 8

11

1.75 0.81 1.48 1.49 0.72 0.35 1.36 1.76 0.26 0.78 1.56 1.49 0.59 0.37 1.45 1.74 0.24 0.75

0420 0.86 0138 1.43 00350.76 1.46 0.54 10420015 1.281.51 0704 06301.24 0.37 1.51 16440616 0.290.33 TU 1305 SU 13440.36 1.75 0.77 MO 1322 1.76 WE 1918 1852 0.75 1915 0.83 0026 1.47 0222 1.47 0124 1.49 1.43 0103 1.53 0538 0.84 0757 0.69 0715 0.32 0.45 0703 0.29 1156 1.30 1356 1.28 MO WE 1429 1.79 1.62 TU 1411 1.81 TH 1757 0.24 2005 19590.34 0.79 0.75 1939 0.72

WE 1350 1914 0101 0119 0621 0723 WE 1251 1433 TH1848 1958 0159 0202 0730 0805 1358 TH 1511 FR1953 2040

20 20

7 7

0359 0000 4 4 1030 1639 MO 0556

11

55

MO 1325 1852 0.30 1908 0203 0114 1.55 0730 0712 0.73 1.30 MO 1330 1407 TU 0.28 1939 1947 0246 0155 1.58 0816 0749 0.68 TU 1415 1447 WE 1.33 2022 2026 0.27

Time 0113 0259 0741 1345 FR 1030 2105 MO 1534 2155 0158 0400 0829 1431 SA 1130 TU 1647 2201 2257 0250 0500 0924 1528 SU 1228 WE 1750 2301

16 16

0.78 1.21 WE 0.72 1.33

20 20

SA 1145 SU 1800

m 0.72 0.45 1.34 1.59 0.30 0.90 1.36 1.47 0.79 0.40 1.30 1.66 0.30 0.88 1.36 1.47 0.83 0.37 1.27 1.72 0.31 0.85 1.41

1.47 0.38 TU 1.70 0.72

1513 1.81 SA 1545 1.81 FR WE 1455 1903 0.180.71 2046 2048 2021 20430.33 0.75 2119 02230229 1.631.53 0331 1.54 0337 0255 1.53 0323 07480830 0.660.30 0920 0921 08450.55 0.30 0924 1409 1.431.78 FR SA 1522 15561.37 1.79 SA 1618 SU1553 TH 1535 20032101 0.150.70 2123 2139 21270.34 0.71 2159

23 23

1.50 0.33 WE 1.75 0.70

88

23 23

1.71 0.24 0.73 1.66 1.46 0.33 0.45 1.61 1.68 0.26 0.71

1.60 1.51 03140309 1.691.51 0401 0420 0402 1.67 1.43 03411.56 1.53 0235 9 0323 24 24 0859 0.63 0.30 08440911 0.540.35 9 9 0956 1010 24 9 1000 0.23 0.51 09320.49 0.3424 0827 WE 1458 1.35 TH 1505 1.50 SA 1601 1.40 SU 1646 1.64 TH 1528 1.77 FR 1612 1.73 2102 2105 0.28 0.69 20582141 0.150.70

SU 1639 1.75 2157 22120.37 0.67

MO 1650 1.64 2225 2236 0.31 0.70

55 66

SU 1541 1945 2112

Local Time APRIL AUGUST Time Time m

m Time m m Time m 0036 0.65 0215 0.77 0.63 0430 0.43 04230846 0.38 1.22 0.54 0652 1.39 1.38 1146 11591439 1.57 0.54 1.47 12481.58 0.28 0.32 SA MO 0.91 1.29 0.99 19580.92 1.44 TH 17132210 1.37 TU 1658 FR 2311 1.40 2332 1.41 1.39 0118 0.71 0316 0.81 0.71 05300955 0.33 1.18 0526 0.48 07380.41 1.35 1.29 1256 1.64 0.61 1241 1.56 13331.61 0.30 0.39 SU TU 1543 0.81 1.28 0.98 SA 20590.88 1.39 FR 18152310 1.32 WE 1800 1.40 0209 0.76 0438 0.80 0.78 0005 00381110 1.47 1.18 0.41 08371.40 1.30 1.22 0616 06301705 0.29 0.64 1.64 14300.40 0.35 0.46 MO WE 0.93 22101.65 1.37 SA 1346 1.70 SU 1.29 TH 1330 1852 0.83 1912 0.70 0315 0.78 0008 1.30 0.82 0056 01360601 1.54 0.74 1.44 09531.42 1.28 1.18 0702 0726 0.28 1.23 0.34 15430.39 0.40 0.50 TU TH 1220 1.74 0.64 1.72 FR 1411 MO 23251.66 1.38 SU 14341822 1939 0.77 2004 0.59 0.87 0437 0.74 1.30 0058 1.34 02310659 1.60 0.65 0141 1.48 11231.43 1.31 0.82 08191318 0.30 1.32 0745 0.30 17100.40 0.42 1.17 WE FR 1.75 0.62 1.77 MO 15191919 TU 0.50 SA 1446 1.67 2057 0.48 2021 0.73 0.79 1.33 0031 1.44 0140 1.39 0223 1.44 0325 1.62 1.53 0.76 0600 0.64 0742 0.56 0825 0.42 0910 0.35 0.28 1.21 1243 1.40 1407 1.42 SA 1519 1.66 1600 1.74 WE 1.79 SUTH 0.48 18330.68 0.41 TU 21472002 2100 0.40 0.60 0.71 01301.44 1.51 1.38 04190217 1.62 1.44 1.56 0302 07110.46 0.50 0.67 09590718 0.42 0.47 0.30 0901 13501.65 1.52 1349 1.27 FR SU 1642 1.70 1.52 1.79 1549 TH MO 1940 0.40 WE 1940 0.45 2236 0.35 0.58 0.64 2138 0.65

Time

m 0055 0557 0730 0.44 1303 1.52 TU 1313 1832 2043 0.78

16 16

11

16 16

17 17

22

0200 17 0037 0852 17 0645 1.36 0.42

18 18

33

18 18

19 19

44

19 19

20 20

55

20 20

21 21

66

21 21

22 22

77

0400 1.48 22 22 0949 0731 0.54 MO 1430

m 0.73 1.33 0.46 1.41

0.72 1.32 WE 1425 0.55 1344 2153 1.55 1.41 1920 0.70 0322 0.67 0125 1021 1.39 1.38 0729 0.42 0.60 TH 1552 1417 2258 1.58 1.44 2000 0.64 0443 0.56 0207 1136 1.43 1.49 0807 0.44 0.60 FR 1715 1447 2356 1.59 1.49 2038 0.58 0548 0.43 0246 1241 1.46 1.61 0842 1822 0.46 0.59 SA 1516 1.59 2112 0.53 0048 1.54 0324 1.48 0643 0.32 0915 0.50 1.72 SU 1339 1545 1.58 2145 1915 0.49 0.58

1616 2216

02211.44 1.57 0225 1.57 1.43 05160153 1.59 1.48 0440 8 0331 230342 8 0752 08080.51 0.36 8 1045 0817 0.35 0.5823 23 23 8 1024 0921 0936 0.51 0.39 TU MO 1429 1.60 FR 1426 1.35 SA 1450 1.63

MO 1624 1.76 TU 1618 1.62 TH 1723 1.65 FR 1648 20340.61 0.39 2028 0.57 0.44 2201 2213 23232015 0.33 0.58 2248

0136 1.57 0.24 1.56 1.79 2002 0.46 0.58 0219 1.48 1.58 0816 0.59 0.21 1516 1.53 1.80 2045 0.43 0.58

0259 1.56 1.48 03081.43 1.61 06170229 1.55 1.51 0521 0300 1.47 24 240421 9 0826 9 0424 0855 0.42 0.5024 08590.56 0.25 9 1130 9 24 1010 1011 0.61 0.34 1100 0900 0.65 SA 1508 1.42 SU 1545 1.71 TU 1507 1.65 WE 1559

1.57 0.22 1.77 1649 1.60 1706 1.72 1805 1.58 1722 1.49 WE TU FR SA 2104 0.51 0.44 21230.58 0.41 2051 0.58 2320 2125 2247 2252 0.42 0.60

1.61 1.51 04000347 1.711.47 0431 0501 0330 1.53 1.51 03511.41 1.63 0315 00100304 0.34 1.51 0608 0338 04291.56 1.51 0443 1.65 1.40 1.44 10 0356 25 25 250502 25 10 0521 0937 0.58 0.29 09360949 0.430.4010 1029 1057 0929 0.51 0.4325 09450.63 0.181010 10 25 10 25 0907 07180900 1.51 0.30 10190.44 0.4025 1034 0.18 0.57 10 1100 1045 1138 0941 0.72 1639 1537 1.36 1600 1.54 1639 1.42 1738 1.63 1546 1.48 1634 1.73 1545 1.67 TH

FR SA 1647 1.68 SUMO 1723 1.70 MO FR 1609 1.75 TU 1723 1.59 2139 2145 0.30 0.69 21492219 0.180.71 2230 2309 23000.40 0.64 2313 0.38 0.69

1.54 0.26 1217 0.71 SU 1759 1722 1.56 TH 1.44 1.71 SU 1749 1.67 TH MO SA WE WE 2139 0.47 0.45 22070.56 0.44 18512127 1.51 0.59 2356 2204 2342 2320 0.41 0.62

1.60 1.50 04450427 1.711.43 04311.40 1.61 0401 1.51 1.53 00590339 0.37 1.50 0701 0416 1.42 05211.55 1.48 0526 1.61 1.37 11 0427 26 26 11 0627 260547 11 0355 26 26 110502 260540 1015 0.54 0.31 10271027 0.340.4711 1100 10300.70 0.161111 1000 0.62 0.3726 1140 0947 1148 08180934 1.47 0.28 1220 1019 0.79 11080.39 0.4826 1111 0.17 0.64 11 1123 1717 1616 1.37 1652 1.55 1717 1.43 1721 1.71 1623 1.67 1624 1.53 1829 1.58 FR

SA SU 1722 1.61 MO TU 1808 1.64 TU SA 1650 1.71 WE 1758 1.55 2214 2225 0.33 0.69 22382258 0.240.72 2303 2350 23500.45 0.61 2351 0.46 0.67

1.49 0.32 0.79 MO 1841 1757 1.52 FR 1.39 1.64 TH MO TH 1833 1.61 FRTU SU 1306 2243 0.65 22480.54 0.48 2212 0.47 19432203 1.43 0.61 2356

06241.53 1.45 0615 1.54 1.34 0032 0639 01520415 0.42 1.48 0039 0455 0.40 1.59 1.47 05270507 1.681.38 05101.39 1.57 0433 0.45 1.53 120533 270619 27 27 12 0437 27 12 0458 27 12 27 11590.36 0.5927 1149 0.19 0.72 12 0737 1203 09181010 1.44 0.28 0802 1058 1.40 1030 1050 0.51 0.35 11151103 0.280.5412 1131 11120.77 0.181212 1032 1.49 0.3327 1222 1858 1.59 1835 1.50 1238 0.73 1835 1.47 1403 0.87 1309 0.86 1735 1.65 1758 1.55

1.54 1757 1.43 SU 1.36 SU 1747 MO SA 1654 TUWE 2246 2307 0.38 0.69 23252337 0.330.73 2338 0.50

TH1920 1.51 WE

1.43 0.39 FR TU SA 1756 1.56 WE 1806 1.66 MO FR 1704 1.63 TU 1701 1.55 SA 1922 20402241 1.37 0.64 1933 2321 1.35 0.69 2328 0.53 2246 1.55 0.50

00451.49 0.58 0030 0.54 0.65 0126 0033 02530452 0.46 1.45 0131 0535 0.40 1.56 1.44 06070552 0506 0.45 1.51 1.631.33 05470.51 1.51 130606 280031 28 28 13 0525 28 13 0529 13 28 28 07410.33 1.4428 0714 1.47 1.34 13 0843 0737 10191047 1.44 0.29 0911 1134 1.39 1115 1124 0.48 0.41 1103 1.49 0.3028 0659 12021140 0.240.6113 1203 11511.39 0.231313 1254 0.70 1233 0.81 1332 0.82 1249 0.85 1512 0.90 1410 0.90 1823 1.58 1836 1.50

1.50 MO 1.35 MO 1845 TU SU 1733 2319 2354 0.44 0.69

1840 1.42 TH FR1303 0.25 WE TH 1951 1.54 1916 1.44 1.46 2012 0.63 1.35 0.89 2004 1.42

04000534 0.47 1.41 0237 0001 0225 0116 0.40 0539 0.45 1.48 00070.49 0.58 14 29 29 11191129 1.45 0.33 0945 0840 1023 0620 1.42 14 29 1136 1.51 0.2829 06271.41 1.441414 WE 1628 0.90 TH 1525 0.89 SU 1435 0.90 MO 1343 0.92

0202 0.59 1.40 0.96 2057 1.39

0328 0210 05010003 0.46 0.71 0354 0045 0.39 0614 0.44 1.44 00460.46 0.64 15 30 30 1047 0947 12150625 1.48 1.36 1130 0715 1.48 15 30 1210 1.54 0.2730 07071.44 1.361515 MO 1547 0.93 TU 1447 0.97 TH 1736 0.85 FR 1644 0.81

01450.57 0.55 0114 1.53 1.40 00100018 0.430.74 140015 14 0621 29 08571.44 1.46 29 0817 1205 14 0600 29 1157 0.46 0.50 06480645 1.561.2914 0641 FR 1355 0.80 SA 1324 TU 1917 1.52 WE 1220 0.70

MO 1815 1.33 2354 0.50

TU 1248 0.24 TH 1236 0.31 20481.40 1.50 19451919 1.451.44 1929

0048 0.68

0104 0.74

0251 0.50

1.48 0054 0.53 0.64 150055 15 0732 30 10061.39 1.52 30 0924 15 0635 30 1230 0.43 1.37 07300748 1.481.2715 0718 SA 1505 0.87 SU 1424 WE 1303 0.60 TH 1308 0.79 TU 1902 1.32 WE 1333 0.27 FR 1315 0.30 21461.37 1.47 2017 1.48 20452007 1.401.41 2024 01400158 0.640.72 08160900 1.401.29 1405 FR 1421 0.310.87 TH 2059 2144 1.371.38

31 31

1.37 0.46 SA 1739 1.55 SUTH 1850 1.58 TU SA 1748 1.58 WE SU 1837 1.48 WE 2015 1918 1.42 21432320 1.33 0.68 2038 1.32 2322 1.49 0.54

TH 1820 1.53 2113 2359 1.44 0.59

FR 1905 1.49 2212 1.41

FR 1230 0.30 2010 19341.38 1.49

SA 1309 0.38 2109 20211.36 1.41 0313 01280.43 0.71 1056 07521.50 1.29 1601 0.97 WE 1350 0.46 SU 2219 21131.37 1.34

31 31

0.73 1.30 SU 1837 1.51 MO 1214 0.55 2245 1.31 2156 1922 1.33 1.41

0.76 1.24 TU 1257 0.63 MO 1215 0.39 23451935 1.32 1.45 2316 2012 1.39 1.36 0511 0.35 1229 1.56 SA 1752 0.68

31

 Copyright Commonwealth of Australia2018, 2018,Bureau Bureau of of Meteorology Meteorology  Copyright Commonwealth of Australia Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide are in local standard time (UTC +10:00)orordaylight daylight savings savings time when in effect TimesTimes are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) time(UTC (UTC+11:00) +11:00) when in effect Moon Phase Symbols New Moon First Quarter Full Moon LastLast Quarter New Moon First Quarter Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon Tide predictions for Port Phillip Heads have been formatted by the National Tidal Centre, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Copyright reserved. All material is supplied in good faith and is believed to be correct. It is supplied on the condition that no warranty is given in relation thereto, that no responsibility or liability for errors or omissions is, or will be, accepted and that the recipient will hold MHL and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Australia free from all such responsibility or liability and from all loss or damage incurred as a consequence of any error or omission. Predictions should not be used for navigational purposes. Use of these tide predictions will be deemed to include acceptance of the above conditions.

86

AUGUST 2019

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