Victoria and Tasmania Fishing Monthly February 2019 by Fishing Monthly

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Features

Year round PPB squid guide • Are you the solution to carp? • Bream tips and tricks •

Tried & Tested Stacer Proline comparison • Black Magic Snapper Snack & KLT Hooks • McLaughlin’s Advanced Formula Berley •

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September September 14 14 - 15 15

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September September 21 21 - 22 22

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February 2019, Vol. 14 No. 4

Contents WEST COAST West Coast

Warrnambool 18 Cobden 18 Apollo Bay

CENTRAL Geelong 20 Port Phillip West

Port Phillip North East

Port Phillip East

Mornington Peninsula

Port Phillip Bay Offshore

Western Port North

Western Port South

Phillip Island

EAST COAST Lakes Entrance

Marlo 40 Gippsland Lakes

Corner Inlet

Bemm River

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

VICTORIAN FRESHWATER Robinvale 88 Snowy Mountains

Albury/Wodonga 91 Yarrawonga 90

From the Editor’s Desk... Hats off to the VFA for growing their Codference in Shepparton once again. Over 500 keen participants attended on the day and thousands more tuned in via the social media broadcasts and archived videos of the presentations. Special mention to FM/ABT alumni, Carl Jocumsen and Stephen Booth for playing their part. If you want to see what all the hype was about follow the links on the Video section of the Victorian Fisheries Authorities’ Facebook page, or open up to page 98 to read the wrap from our Shepparton writer Nick Brown. MEGA CHRISTMAS SUBSCRIPTIONS A big shout out to all of our new subscribers that came on board over the Christmas break, either as gift recipients or via redemption of a Gift Card. We know that you’ll love

Victoria/Tasmania’s state based magazine delivered to your door every month! Remember that you’re in the draw for monthly subscriber prizes each month, too. We’ve been giving cool gear to our subscribers for decades and love doing it each month. Give us a call on 1800 228 244 or click the links on www. fishingmonthly.com.au if you want to become involved.

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE Whether you’re a tournament angler or not, the ABT Tournament Angler Guide stitched into the centre of this issue is a quality read if you like lure fishing. Back in the day when it was a stand-alone magazine (and over 160 pages), it had the nickname of ‘the instruction book for your lure box’. Nothing much has changed! Whether you’re scoping out a new area for social fishing or for a tournament, Joey and Jamie’s preparation article will help and after livestreaming my entire season from the boat, there’s a no-holds-barred article on every lure I used to weigh bream across Australia. It’s ABT’s motto ‘Who Shares Wins’ to the extreme. We’re really proud of the improvements in coverage

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in these catch-and-release events. When there’s more people who know that we are all out there doing the right thing by the fishery and the fish, that’s more people who can focus their well meaning but ill-informed attentions elsewhere. And that’ll help all anglers in the longer term. GREAT DIGITAL VALUE Every month, we are picking up more and more subscribers on our digital platform. Search for ‘Fishing Monthly’ on www.issuu.com. For the standard subscription price on your own state magazine, you get access to all state magazines, every month, for a year. And you get them a weekand-a-half before the first print issues hits the subscribers’ mailboxes! So if you’re fully into consuming your fishing magazines on a computer or tablet, then get clicking, the value is sensational!

Mildura 97 Horsham 92 Wangaratta 95 Shepparton 94 Nagambie 94 Bendigo 96 Ballarat 89

80 111 47

Back to Basics

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Chappy’s Hotspot

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

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Dam Levels

Sub-Editors: Bob Thornton Nicole Penfold, Annie March

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Inland Fisheries Service

Tasmanian Lake Levels

Tournament News

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Track My Fish

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Trade and Services Guide

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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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SPECIAL FEATURES Twelve months of Port Phillip Bay calamari

Printing: APN – Print Production: Karen Millward Keith Hawley Website: www.fishingmonthly.com.au Distribution: Gordon & Gotch Pty Ltd Subscriptions: Kym Rowbotham Office Manager: Marie Dykstra

A Jarrod Day image.

TO SUBSCRIBE SEE PAGE 121 FIND THE GAMAKATSU LOGO COMPETITION PAGE 113 Victorian and Tasmanian Fishing Monthly magazine goes on sale the last week of each preceding month (latest sale date 31st of the month).

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An amazing close up of a southern calamari shot by Jarrod Day.

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Codference wrap up

Publishers: Steve Morgan Matthew Drinkall

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Are you a better solution to the carp problem? 84

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Squid

Twelve months of Port Phillip Bay calamari WESTERN PORT STH

tend to catch quite a few rather than just the odd one here or there. Then, after working that area, you can motor back up to the beginning of your original drift line and repeat the drift over the same area. Throughout the months, I tend to favour locations in Port Phillip Bay such as Rosebud, Mt Martha, St Leonards, the weed beds from the Hovell Pile to the Pinnace Channel and Mornington. Because the size of the calamari are bigger, I tend to increase my jig size to size 3.0 to encourage the larger models to hit the jig. If you

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

Calamari, what’s not to love about them? They taste totally amazing, are great fun to catch and are a viable catch year-round. Looking back over a decade, calamari were barely spoken about as a targetable species. Sure, the odd report might have appeared here and there but certainly nothing like today. I guess with the introduction of more specialised rods, reels and tackle along with a Japanese influence pushing fishing for calamari as a household technique, there has been a drive for anglers to target them week in and week out. Over the years, much research has gone into calamari and their life cycle. I recently spoke with Victorian Fisheries Authority research scientist, Corey Green, who has put in a lot of time studying southern calamari in Port Phillip Bay. The main purpose was to find out a little more about southern calamari as well as see the differences between his factual results against my knowledge having targeted them over the past few decades. Calamari live for less than a year and along with the

are fishing in depths of 8m or deeper, you might want to opt for using a 3.5 sized jig to be able to reach the bottom given your drifting speed. SPRING – SEPTEMBER TO NOVEMBER There is no doubting that spring is the best time to target calamari, especially if you want to tackle with the really big models. This is the time of year that the larger females spawn and their size is much bigger than those caught at any other time of the year. In fact, if you want a genuine 3kg calamari, this is the time to be

During autumn, calamari can be quite shy and catching them can be challenging. If you notice you’re hooking them in just one tentacle, you might need to speed up your retrieve to excite them into a more aggressive attack. fact they are relatively easy to catch, it is no wonder why anglers are drawn to targeting them on a regular basis. If you target calamari enough throughout the year, you’ll work out a trend. After a few years, you’ll notice that the same trends tend to be consistent. WINTER – JUNE TO AUGUST Despite the onset of the almost arctic conditions throughout the winter period,

When targeting calamari in autumn, it pays to drop the jig size down to either a 2.0 or 2.5.

many anglers choose the warmth of the land to that out on the water. This is an unfortunate fact and if only they knew that calamari at this time of year tend to be in huge numbers and of quite respectable size; they would all be out on the water. Although just the word ‘winter’ leads to thoughts of blistering cold conditions, torrential rain and cyclonic type winds, it’s really not the case. In fact, I personally spend more time fishing for calamari throughout winter than what I do the rest of the year. Why? Because of the sheer numbers of calamari that are about and their size on average is still worthy of targeting compared with those in late summer and august. Obviously throughout winter you’ll pick the days you want to fish, and these tend to be those that are calm or when the winds are low. This is for good reason, because fishing for calamari is best when you’re drifting. Drifting

allows you to cover ground and with calamari, and they do tend to inhabit specific weed beds. A drift speed too fast, and it’s hard to get the jigs to the bottom, while if there is no wind, you don’t get to cover the amount of ground required to locate a patch of calamari. However, when you do drift at a moderate speed, you’ll quickly run over a patch and

In summer the larger spawning calamari taper right off with the warmer water temperatures.

When you find a few calamari, don’t leave them to find others. Where there’s one, there’s more.

fishing for them. Spawning female calamari tend to inhabit specific weed beds in which they lay and protect their eggs. Studies have found that the areas where the larger calamari congregate are Lonsdale Bight, Point Nepean, Queenscliff and St Leonards, however, there is still a fair population that spawn around Portsea and Sorrento. It’s fair to say that looking back over 20 years of targeting calamari in the bay, my photo library also stacks up to this research. At this time of year calamari are very aggressive, and when it comes to jig selection, it really doesn’t matter what you throw at them. In saying that, while it might seem good measure to use the biggest jig you can buy, this can do more harm than good, despite their aggressive nature. The jig size should depend on

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When the calamari are on, everyone wants to get in on the action.

Squid where you’re fishing and not the size of the calamari you’re targeting. While the bottom end of the bay is a myriad of channels and shallow weedy banks, you should base your jig selection on the depth you’re fishing.

You’ll want to check the sink rate of the jig so you can accurately cover the water columns with a slow sink rate. Even the largest calamari can be hiding in 2m of water and a jig that is too heavy will get snagged more often than it

the chance of snagging the jig. SUMMER – DECEMBER TO FEBRUARY By the time summer comes around, the larger spawning calamari taper right off with the increasing water temperatures. Despite the amount that are caught, the larger females either die in the bay and are devoured by the many other fish species

or they head offshore where they would die in a short time anyway given their life span. Throughout the summer, numbers of calamari tend to thin out, however, they can still be caught throughout the bay but more time needs to be put into finding them. Increased boat traffic from holidaymakers cause To page 10

Early summer there are a few big calamari about, and if you know where they are a possibility. catches calamari. Still, at this time of the year, I’d opt for a 3.0 over a 3.5 for the channel edges and shallow weed beds. If you are fishing the deeper parts of Lonsdale Bight and Queenscliff or even Portsea for that matter, you may want to up the jig size to a 3.5 but thread it onto a paternoster rig. Paternoster rigs can work wonders on

As a good all-rounder, jigs with a red belly are dynamite all day long.

calamari and save your jigs from becoming snagged. A single dropper paternoster rig is recommended when you’re fishing in current or when it’s over 10 knots and your drift speed is accelerated. This enables the jig to get to the bottom quickly and while the sinker bounces over the reef and weed, the jig stays higher in the water reducing

Calamari are great fun to catch and kids absolutely love catching them.

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Squid From page 9

calamari to become more shy than normal, especially in the shallows. In finding consistent numbers of calamari, it’s worth exploring new areas and deeper water. Locations such as along the edge of the South Channel, the back edges of the bank behind the mussel farm and the Great Sand, Mornington and in the deep out from Altona, are all worth flicking around. In all locations being fished, depths tend to be quite productive on either tide. However, given that the size of the calamari throughout the summer months is significantly smaller than

Although it’s not just weed beds that hold calamari. Broken reef is also worthy of casting around.

When calamari are plentiful in winter and spring, up size your jigs to a 3.0.

FEBRUARY 2019

during spring or winter, it is advisable to drop the jig size down to a 2.5. A jig of this size will be much more inviting to the calamari that are about. If you are in a kayak or a land-based fisho, fishing the shallow reefs around Williamstown, Altona, Sandringham, Black Rock, Beaumaris, Frankston, Mornington, Mt Martha, and Rosebud can be very productive. In saying that, because of the warmer water temperatures and increased boat traffic in the bay, it is advisable that fishing for calamari over the inshore weed beds or from any of the accessible land-based locations be done from first light until about 9am. This is because there is very little boat traffic

on the water this early and the calamari will be out and about searching for food. However, if you are going to have a flick early, to increase your success concentrate during the last few hours of the flood tide and first few hours thereafter. AUTUMN – MARCH TO MAY I’ve always had a habit of calling autumn the ‘confused’ month because, like the weather, it is a bit of a cross over for the summer and winter species. In that I mean, snapper have finished spawning and have begun heading back to their offshore waters while seldom feeding along the way. Meanwhile, whiting too have started to slow down along with kingfish. As for calamari, they have quietened down and although they are harder to find, they are still about if you put in the effort. Throughout autumn, it does pay to focus on the inshore weed beds around Mornington, Mt Martha, St Leonards, Portsea, Black Rock and Williamstown. Fishing these areas, you can expect to encounter calamari in good numbers, but they will be smaller in size compared to that of the rest of the year. Using smaller sized jigs will benefit. Many anglers know too well that autumn is a great time of year to be targeting calamari from the Mornington Pier and

therefore, use size 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 sized jigs predominantly. If you’re fishing from a boat, you can access deeper water in the 2-5m range and using 2.5 sized jigs will be better. Keep in mind, like other fish species, calamari will feed with the tides. During a low tide, work the edge of the drop-offs in 3-5m of water, while on the top of the high you can fish over the shallower broken ground and weed beds. Even at this time of year, if you’re fishing when the wind is blowing, use the paternoster rig technique as it is extremely successful and saves you from losing jigs if they become snagged. Targeting calamari is a

lot of fun and being a viable year-round fishery, the trick is knowing where to find them and what jig to throw at them. The more time you can spend on the water, the more you’ll learn about them and before long work out their trends. Although there is a lot more to the cycle of southern calamari such as their breeding habits, specific seaweeds they prefer to spawn in and a myriad of other facts, I just wanted to outline the twelve months of fishing for them, their sizes during the seasons and how. A big thank you to Cory Green for the facts about southern calamari. It was great to compare against my personal knowledge.

In spring when the calamari are spawning, it is common to sight cast to them over the shallow weed beds. These big breeders were in a metre of water.

Catching flatties on fly NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.fishotopia.com

With the growing interest these days in flyfishing – especially in saltwater – more and more anglers are looking for readily

distance off conventional spinning or baitcaster tackle. Simple as that. Flies are artificial baits, like any other lure. However, they’re virtually weightless. This presents an obvious casting challenge that’s been overcome by incorporating mass into the

and forth through the air to form a travelling loop that can be extended and unfurled onto the water, presenting the fly on the end of a thinner, less obvious leader that’s attached to the thick, highly visible fly line. So, while this simplified description might offend some purists, flyfishing is no more or less than lure fishing with ultralight lures. But it’s also heaps of fun! It’s no accident that a flathead is often the first species encountered by anyone trying flyfishing in saltwater. The only

Flathead like this dusky are one of the easiest saltwater species to target on fly gear.

Jo Starling with a typical shallow water flatty taken on fly. available estuarine and inshore species that can be effectively targeted this way. One of the easiest options for many of us is the humble flathead. Flyfishing has a reputation for being a mysterious and difficult art practiced by crusty, pipe-smoking old gents in tweed jackets with leather elbow patches. However, times have changed! These days, flyfishing has been de-mystified, and it’s also no longer solely about catching trout… or even fishing only in freshwater. The biggest trick to breaking down any remaining misconceptions is to accept that flyfishing is no more than a form of lure fishing where the ‘lure’ is too light or wind resistant to be cast a serious

line instead of the lure. So, a fly line is really no more than a long, skinny weight that’s used to deliver a very light lure. The best way to throw such a long, skinny casting weight is to swish it back

Weighted flies such as Clousers and Gotchas are perfect for targeting flathead. Simply imitate a small fish or crustacean swimming erratically near the bottom.

This articulated Game Changer from Ammo Flies is deadly on flathead. Note the lead wire on the hook shank.

THE BASICS OF FLATHEAD ON FLY ROD #7-#9WT fly rod, ideally around 9’ (2.75 m) long REEL Simple fly reel with drag or clicker, ideally corrosion resistant BACKING At least 50m of 10-15kg braid (GSP) LINE WF (weight-forward) intermediate (slow sinking) fly line to match rod LEADER 2-4m, consisting of a 15kg butt, 4-8kg main section and short (25cm) ‘bite tippet’ of 15kg nylon or fluorocarbon FLIES Clousers, Bendbacks, Deceivers, Crazy Charlies and other baitfish or crustacean patterns METHOD Identify likely areas for flathead to be lying in ambush in water shallower than 3m. Cast, allow fly to sink and begin stripping. Pause regularly to allow fly to sink again. Vary the length and speed of your strips and the duration of your pauses

real trick to success with flathead on fly is ensuring that your ‘lure’ stays within a metre of the bottom at all times. Closer to the bottom is even better, and making occasional contact with the sand or mud is best of all. All we really need to do with our fly gear is emulate the accepted soft plastic lure fishing strategies that are so deadly on flathead, by placing a fly of a similar size, shape and colour to those soft plastics in that same strike zone and move it in a similar way. How best to do this varies depending on water depth and current strength. In water shallower than about 1.5m (where a lot of flathead spend most of their time) you don’t even need sinking lines or heavily-weighted flies to achieve the desired result. A floating or intermediate line, a leader around 3m or so in length and a fly that sinks at rest (even fairly slowly) will get the job

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done. Make the cast, wait a few seconds for the fly to sink, strip line 5-6 times, pause to let the fly sink again, and repeat! As the water gets deeper, or the current strength increases, we need to consider moving to sinking lines, shorter leaders and weighted flies. In my opinion, the efficiency of fly gear in this role diminishes rapidly as we move beyond depths of 3-4m and current speeds above a slow walking pace. In deep, fast water, I’d rather revert to a jighead and soft plastic. But up in the skinny stuff, fly gear

You don’t need flash fly gear to catch the humble flatty.

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is right in its element and can be at least as effective as conventional lure fishing tackle. There’s really not a lot else I can tell you in a basic, how-to piece about targeting flathead on fly. Certainly, there are nuances that can be explored (and you’ll find some of these on my website at www. fishotopia.com), but for now I simply want you to consider the possibilities of having a crack at catching a flathead on a fly. It’s really not that hard, but it is enormously satisfying, and now is the perfect time of year to have a crack. Are you up for it?

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Nagambie – the land of cod’s country For many anglers Nagambie is relatively uncharted territory, but it’s well known among the locals as a hotspot, with impressive natural waterways and healthy fish population. The tournament zone covers all the key bite-zones and provides some cracking opportunities to land big fish. Let’s have a closer look. THE GOFISH TOURNAMENT ZONE IN SPOTLIGHT The GoFish Nagambie Tournament is situated on the Nagambie Lakes and Goulburn River system. The tournament area starts at the Goulburn Weir and includes everything upstream to the junction with Hughes Creek, a massive 30km upstream. All backwaters, billabongs, lagoons and creeks within this area are included in the competition area. These areas include the Majors Creek system and Sandy Creek. This waterway is an angler’s paradise, with plenty of heavy timber, standing trees, overhanging structure, willow trees, thick weed beds and a river channel that provides the lake system with depths varying from 0.5m down to 11m deep in some locations. Minimal water flow makes for great fishing opportunities, and you can get great results on bait, lure and fly. Below the weir The Goulburn River below the weir is a classic native cod fishery, featuring high clay banks and sandy beaches, and is shaded by the river gums. In this section of the tournament zone, there is an abundance of instream structure and there are many different options for fishing. Bait fishing amongst the fallen timber is a very productive option in this spot. The backwaters Exploring the backwaters on the Goulburn River downstream (north) of Nagambie Lake and throughout the Goulburn Weir, Western and Eastern backwaters and the backwaters to the west of the lake, there are plenty of great opportunities by boat and by kayak. Apart from the flooded river sections the water is mostly shallow and between 1-3m for the most part, with CROSS OVERS

dead timber and stumps in abundance. This makes for a strong case to troll from your boat or kayak. Focussing around the drop-offs tends to pay off. Lake Nagambie Lake Nagambie is effectively a shallow billabong on the Goulburn River that is formed and holds water due to the downstream backing up of water at the Goulburn Weir. In many ways, it is like Lake Mulwala (another iconic Murray cod water to the north), in that it is fed by a premier fishing river and backs up many kilometres of shallow flats that are littered with enormous amounts of dead timber, weed beds and other fish and bait holding structure. MURRAY COD IN THE GOFISH TOURNAMENT ZONE – 3 BEST SPOTS TO CAST YOUR LURE! As you can see, Nagambie is jam-packed with structure and timber that guarantee good fishing spots. Here are our tips for analysing specific structure to help you figure out exactly where the fish will be located. Once you know where the fish are hiding and how to approach each piece of structure, it’s up to you to be accurate with your casting. If you can hit the spot, you’ll find plenty of success on the water. It’s a known fact that Murray cod love structure. They’ll hide tight up against the tangled timber and wait for food. These locations not only create the perfect home, but they are vital for the cod’s feeding pattern. The structure aids as a prop in their ambush which keeps them hidden from their target. There are three key features to look for in a snag. Root balls Root balls are the number one location to target Murray Cod on the Goulburn River. Many large to medium sized snags will consist of the main tree branch, limbs and a root ball. The reason we target the root ball is because when a snag falls on its side the tree roots hold the bottom end of the tree up off the bottom. This creates an arc underneath the snag, right up against the root ball, which makes for the perfect native home. It provides the fish with room between the river bed and the structure above VS OR FORKS

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them. If the snag was lying flat on the river bed it wouldn’t hold as many fish. When targeting this feature of the snag, the majority of the time you want to be casting tight in against the top of the root ball. One other tip is to repeat your cast to this location several times, as it is the most likely location for a feeding cod to hide. Cross overs This is a term used for when two or more snags lay over the top of each other. The more cross overs you have in the one location, the better. A cross over basically does the same thing as the root ball by providing cover and an ambush location for the fish. Many times, you will find crossovers from a number of snags in one pile. Make sure you cast to every cross over in the snag pile as they are all great ambush locations for Murray cod. Vs or forks These are the last of the three key features. A ‘V’ or fork is where the branches of a fallen tree split into two and run out at different directions. The best and biggest form of this is where the main branch on a log breaks off from the main truck of the tree. Why is it a location you want to concentrate on? Because this break in the log creates cover on either side for the fish. This not only makes the fish feel more protected, but also provides cover for it to ambush its prey. These spots are even better when you have floating scum pushed up in the fork, creating a little veranda for the fish. It creates more cover, and more importantly it means the food flows down with the current and funnels into the fork. All the predator has to do is wait for the food to come to it. These are the spots that you are most likely to find a hungry fish. GoFish Nagambie is putting the spotlight on these waterways across the Anzac Day weekend from 25-28 April, 2019. With more than $500,000 in prizes up for grabs, come and put these new skills to the test and bag yourself a cracking Nagambie cod. Entries are on sale now and are strictly limited, to secure your place visit gofishnagambie.com.au! ROOT BALLS

UP FOR GRABS AT AUSTRALIA’S WEALTHIEST FRESHWATER FISHING TOURNAMENT FEBRUARY 2019

River fishing is still red hot WEST COAST

Brett Carson

As always, the Glenelg River fired right through the holiday season and even when the masses were about during the

Christmas to New Year period, there were fish coming from right through the river. It never ceases to surprises me how well this river can produce in the summer season, when everyone and their kids just want to catch a fish.

There are not too many that come here and don’t get a feed at some stage. I’d suggest if you were here this holiday period and did no good, buy knitting needles. This time of year the saltwater has pushed way up to the Moleside Landing

Noel Evans with one of a few mulloway taken on live mullet. Moleside Landing has plenty this month.

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area and the mulloway are up there with it. There are fish coming in good numbers right through to the mouth area. Local young guns Koby and Bodhi were sight casting to clouds of mulloway in a recent hot session and they caught and released more fish than they could count. Taylors Strait and up to the caves has also run hot on the mulloway front and the fish have mostly been in great condition. Live mullet have been selling like hot cakes, and when lightly hooked a feeding mulloway can’t resist. Surface fishing for perch has been going ballistic. Monster perch have been coming from way upriver in the heavy snags and tales of unstoppable fish have been commonplace. Dave Yuill caught one on lure working the heavy country and while he’s caught plenty of perch he still appreciates a thumper. One of the best perch fishos on the river just beat his personal best with a 57cm monster. Trust me, when Beetle Bailey beats his best ever, you want to see it. True to form, he released it to fight another day. Bream are playing the game right through the system – bait fishos are smashing them on podworms and crabs. The estuary flats are fishing well, as are coral areas like rock walls and cliff faces. Bream are full of coral like they often are after the spawn. It’s like when cattle are chewing on the trees because they are lacking a mineral. Spawning must take a bit out of them. Danny has been doing well on gummy sharks in recent times. He puts the time in but, as with most successful shark fishing, midnight has been the most

Jack with a feed of local crays. Catches will be common, especially around reefy ground. productive time. The surf fishing here is exceptional, but most people come here for the river, so it often gets forgotten. As it is South Australian cray season, the dive gear is always worth throwing in on an extended stay, there is plenty of reefy ground just over the border, so a feed of crays is a great change up option. My young fella Jack dropped in and grabbed a feed for us while I stayed in the boat the other day, maybe

it’s finally payback time? • 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 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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Dave Yuill with a cracking perch he caught in heavy country.

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This season weather delivers WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

Summer here in the South West can be a bit of a letdown. The Christmas and New Years period in particular was hindered by not just the crowds, but more influentially by some terrible weather. This year, however,

the weather has been great and the fish have responded accordingly, with some great captures of the summer species that hopefully will be still turning it on as you read this in February. Last year’s kingfish season locally, after a good start, was a bit disappointing, particularly when compared to other areas of the state. This

season, however, has started off well, with good fish landed and sighted at many of the known haunts. Most fish have been in the smaller 60-75cm range, but there have been some good fish taken like Nick Murrell’s 102cm fish pictured. Live baits, squid strips and stickbaits have all accounted for fish depending on how the temperamental kings feel

Nick Murrell caught this 102cm royal monster. Live baits have been working best for kings this month.

on the day. Once again, the summer run of bluefin tuna has shown up with some quality fish to almost 30kg being encountered. Most fish have been in 25-30m of water along the coast between Point Fairy and Narrawong; it’s just a matter of keeping a keen eye out as you cruise along. Big winter style bust ups with heaps of birds are the exception and it’s often just a single bird or two or just sighting the school itself that puts you onto the fish. Cast stickbaits or tiny skirts are the way to go on these spooky summer fish. Some good mako sharks have also been turning up for those willing to set a berley trail, most have been well offshore, but one was taken in as close as 40m last week. If those larger more specialised species aren’t your game then there have been plenty of squid and pinkie snapper on the inshore reef areas. On the estuary scene, mulloway have quietened off in the past month in the Hopkins River, but the bream have really fired up, particularly for those who like lure fishing. Surface lures in particular have

Luke Gercovich scored this 50cm beast bream on a pink grub lure. been providing plenty of entertainment for those who like that style of angling. Luke Gercovich managed most bream anglers’ Holy Grail when a 50cm beast hoovered down

his pink grub lure recently. Bait anglers also have been taking good numbers of fish, with unweighted cut mullet and glassies two of the best baits at this time of year.

Nothing but crays for days COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

The traditional method of lowering a net or two along our rocky coastline has taken a backseat, as diving for these wondrous red beasts has increased in popularity in recent years. By simply donning goggles, snorkel and flippers and searching the shallows many are coming up with trumps in the crayfish department. Tiny gutters in between the many reefs that dot out coast often hold good crays that crawl and wedge themselves into gaps and await the change of tide. Crayfish crawl in search of food in slack tides, as they don’t have to fight any

currents. This is when they are likely to investigate any baited net sitting on the bottom. Divers are more successful when these crustaceans are holding up in a crevice, but extracting one has to be almost an exact science as they can wedge themselves in solid by locking their tails against the rock. Even I have been out chasing crayfish recently. Two Mile Bay near Port Campbell is a hot spot but a minus tide is needed to expose the flat reef. Dropping a net or two into the many gutters that cut into the reef often proves successful. A solid stick about 6ft long with a ‘Y’ at the end is required so as to keep the rope away from the reefs edge when raising the net. If the net’s edge catches the side of the reef and tilts, you can kiss your crayfish

goodbye. While soaking the nets, Two Mile Reef is a great spot to search for abalone hiding under the exposed seaweed. Of course, there are only certain days when amateurs can legally collect abalone, so keep that in mind. Current laws allow two crayfish per person per day with a maximum of four in possession. This is beneficial for those who often head down to the coast on dusk and fish throughout the night; this means two fish prior to midnight and then a further two can be caught after the clock strikes twelve. This season we amateur cray anglers now require special tags and these have to be attached within five minutes of landing a legal cray. These can be requested from Fisheries and sent to

you but I’d allow a week or so for them to turn up in the mail. The middle tail fin still has to be removed. This identifies that the fish was caught by an amateur angler and therefore cannot be sold on the commercial market. Also, don’t forget your measuring device, as it’s a hefty fine to be caught with an undersized cray. There are plenty of these crustaceans to be had, especially in the rocky shallows where the professional fishers cannot access with their boats. I’ve seen plenty of photos posted by locals on social media of some huge red beasts with some exceeding 2.6kg. That would almost feed a family by itself. Some excellent King George whiting are beginning

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These crays were pulled from the one net just in time for the weekend. Chunks dipped in malt vinegar along with sliced baguette are to die for! to show along our coastline. Most anglers are not reaching the daily bag limit of 20 fish. They are usually landing no more than half a dozen. However, it’s quality over quantity with many fish exceeding 40cm in length.

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Late afternoon and right through into late evening has been the prime time – especially on a building tide. Distributing berley will help. Squid strips topped off with pipi meat has been the popular bait to employ.

Heating up for the summer APOLLO BAY

Craig Rippon

February is normally great, with high water temps and low winds, which is a great recipe for our gamefish. There have been some kingfish seen around the local areas, but they have been a bit fussy with what they’re eating, so you just have to keep at them and try all different baits, jigs and stickbaits and hope they will bite. When they do bite you should get some solid action, as these fish are awesome fighters and great table fish. A good place to start is behind the harbour break wall, Henty Reef is also a very popular spot. Always be aware of breaking swell. The small school tuna will be turning up, so keep your eye on the surface for them. There has been some great gummy fishing in 40-60m of water. Fresh salmon and squid are the best baits for these fish. King George whiting have been good, as the water has been good with a few flat days. Fresh pipis and squid are the best baits

Some cracking snapper, nannygai, and gummy shark caught off Cape Otway.

for whiting. I have tried a couple of different ways to fish for whiting, as they’re one of my favourite to catch and eat. I always fish the changing tide and berley. The key is to be slow and patient, as when they find the berley they will feed. I pull the berley out when they start to stop other fish joining in on the feed. Keep moving around and try different spots, as there are many local areas close to Apollo Bay to try. Flathead have been in good numbers, as have snapper down off Cape Otway and also off Skenes Creek. Salmon at Wild Dog and Marengo beaches have been feeding, with the best results coming from the breakwater wall casting small metal lures. The local harbour at Apollo Bay has been productive, with some nice whiting and trevally. There is also some nice squid on offer. The local creeks and rivers have been fishing well with some nice bream being taken out of the Baraham River. Make sure you always

Mick Aladice caught this beautiful coloured snapper on a micro jig. check your bag limits and always remember to be safe and check the weather before leaving our harbour. There is plenty of information on the weather

apps and also our local surf and fish in Apollo Bay. Don’t forget to send your photos through to me on 0419 549 545 so we can show off your catch!

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FEBRUARY 2019

First light and you’re on the bite GEELONG

Neil Slater slaterbunch@optusnet.com.au

Once a bit of heat gets into the Barwon River in Geelong, blue green algae can show up. The council will post signs warning of the danger so keep an eye out for these and avoid contact with the water if advised to do so. Redfin will be biting in close around the weed beds,

so cast your lures parallel to the bank and retrieve slowly along and amongst the weeds. VFA have stocked a bunch of estuary perch into the Barwon over the last few months, so exciting times ahead. CORIO BAY Corio Bay has been pumping with consistent captures of pinkie snapper from legal length to 4-5kg. Any tide change or first and last light has seen them kick into gear. Silver whiting, pilchards

and squid have been the go to baits, while lure enthusiasts have done well using soft plastics worked slowly along the bottom. Ross Winstanley has been fishing the spoil grounds of Corio Bay and catching some quality pinkie snapper amongst flathead and the odd whiting. Ross says that they have been hot at first light and go quiet once the sun hits the water, so set the alarm and get stuck into them. Anglers fishing the

Kelsi turned a slow day into a feast with this Clifton Springs gummy.

FEBRUARY 2019

shallow weed banks near Clifton Springs, Curlewis, Point Henry and Avalon have had catches of King George whiting up around the 40cm mark. Kelsi Gull fished Clifton Springs from her kayak last month hoping for a few flathead. She says flathead were quiet and there were plenty of toadfish about. Kelsi made up for the quiet start and landed a 4.5kg gummy shark, which was a bit of a thrill to say the least. Kelsi says it did not fight a great deal but it made a tough day out a lot better. Kingfish have been known to show up inside Corio Bay over the warmer months. Concentrate your efforts around the bay’s structures, such as piers and channel markers, as they can turn up anywhere. BELLARINE PENINSULA Wayne Gibson and his family fished the Port Phillip Bay ANSA convention last month and they cleaned up! Wayne’s daughter Ellie snagged Champion Junior Female Angler, Wayne managed Champion LandBased Angler and his wife Libby won Champion Senior Female Angler. Their captures

Expect Barwon Heads to produce a few snapper like this one Dave found in 55m. included a mixture of snapper, snook, trevally, flathead, bream and salmon. There was a potential Australian record capture of a 10kg snapper on 2kg line that was weighed in, so keep an eye out for that! St Leonards has seen a heck of a lot of boat traffic and there has been some quality

captures of King George whiting to make it worthwhile. Best baits have been mussels, pipis and fresh squid. QUEENSCLIFF Danny Skene fished near Mud Island with his brother Shane recently. Using silver whiting and squid for bait, the Skene brothers caught

six snapper to 7.5kg, two gummy sharks up to 13kg, plus a few ripping flathead to 60cm. Anglers drifting the weed beds near Swan Bay and the Lonsdale Bight have caught some calamari, while soft plastic enthusiasts have caught pinkie snapper and silver trevally to 45cm casting around the Queenscliff Boat Harbor. Anglers fishing the southern end of Port Phillip Bay have caught XXL Australian salmon either side of 3kg. Keep an eye out for birds working the surface and avoid driving through schools as you’ll just frighten them off. The Rip can hold some very large kingfish this time of year and there have already been reports of fish in excess of 10kg caught by anglers in the know. Live squid and artificial jigs will see you lock onto a few and try to concentrate your efforts on the slack water between tide changes. BASS STRAIT AND SURF COAST Dave Reynolds fished out off Barwon Heads with his brother in law last month. Drifting in 55m of water, they managed a few pinkie snapper to 65cm using a mixture of

CREATE YOUR ADVENTURES Gummy sharks are always welcomed aboard. Shane Skene caught this decent one near Mud Island. Road with fly gear and catching a few small, but beautifully marked brown trout. Daniel says many fish can be seen rising on warm evenings and he has been casting a size 12

Danny found plenty of decent snapper around Mud Island. squid and pilchards for bait. A small blue shark around 1m in length paid the lads a visit by cruising around their bot while they were drifting. Expect to see mako and blue shark captures increase over February. Those keen on tussling with game sharks should set a berley trail in around 70m of water and be prepared to play the waiting game. Dave says there were plenty of arrow squid about, so bait is pretty much on tap if you have a few jigs on board. Daniel Kent from Apollo Bay has been fishing a few of the streams of the Great Ocean

or 14 Parachute Adam dry fly at the fish at the rise, which has been very effective. Daniel says gummy sharks have been biting in 35-45m out off Blanket Bay and some bigger school sharks have been hooked as well. This area has also been producing good numbers of pinkie snapper in the 30-50cm range. Daniel notes that he has seen plenty of birds diving into the water indicating a school of hungry predatory fish pushing a school of baitfish up to the surface. So far, he has seen mostly dolphins and seals feeding on them, but it won’t be long before we start hearing of some yellowtail kingfish captures. It was this time last year they showed up and we could be in for another bumper kingfish season. FISH HARD – DIE HAPPY! Catch a few around Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula or Surf Coast to Lorne recently? Send in a report to slaterbunch@optusnet.com.au with “VFM” in the subject field or give me a call on 0408 997 348. Please include where (without giving away your secret spot!), when, what on and who caught the fish. Pictures are always great, but please make sure they are at least 1MB (file size).

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The streams along the Great Ocean Road should fish best at first light when the water is cool. FEBRUARY 2019

Snapper getting out PORT PHILLIP BAY WEST

Alan Bonnici alan@fishingmad.com.au

February is always a strange time of year. Most of us have returned to work after some relaxing time off, and it’s difficult to get back in the swing of daily routines. One thing is for sure, many local anglers took advantage of the holiday break, fishing at every possible opportunity. During that time, the fishing around Melbourne was on fire. I know what you’re thinking; here comes another article about snapper. Quite frankly, it’s difficult not to write about snapper during this time of year. Why? Because big reds are here and still firing around Melbourne. My mailbox has been flooded with images and stories from local anglers hitting Port Phillip Bay by boat or kayak and landing a

few nice reds. I suspect this trend will go on for a little while longer. Our seasons almost appear as if they have fallen behind by a month or two, with weather in December and January more resembling spring. Therefore, I’d expect the snapper fishing to stay strong for another month or two, which should be welcome news for all readers. It’s great to see young anglers having success on the water and some of the best snapper catches this month have come from some of our local young guns. Kurtis Campbell has been fishing Port Phillip Bay in stretches between Port Melbourne and Frankston. Fishing in depths around 16m and using pre-made snapper rigs, in this case, Reedy’s Rigz Super Lumo Snapper Snatchers and baiting them with chunks of pilchard has seen several bag out sessions on the water, including several prize catches of large

snapper over the 6kg mark. James Matarazzo is another local young gun who has been doing very well in Port Phillip Bay while fishing the outer reaches of Altona, selecting to venture out during calmer weather conditions and calm seas. James has caught many reds including a few reel screamers around 8kg in size and he reported that his success was from using pre-made snapper flasher rigs and unweighted whole silver whiting. Speaking of young anglers, the question of when to introduce your kids to fishing and boating is always an interesting topic that is sure to get a mixed response from readers. James Muscat has slowly been introducing his three sons Callan, Elijah, and Ezra to boating over the last 12 months, building them up towards peak snapper season. The three boys have loved their time on the water and James has done

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James excited with his big red that weighed in at around 8kg. great to keep the sessions short and not overwhelming for young boys with short attention spans. James has also picked calm days to ensure they associate fishing with fun. The boys have had a great month on the water catching several big reds. The eldest Callan was delighted to reel in a big red all by himself after a nicely presented unweighted whole pilchard was engulfed by a hungry snapper. It is certainly not just the youngsters who are enjoying our peak snapper time. Brett Reed has ventured down to Melbourne over the last month hitting the bay almost daily to test some newly developed snapper rigs. He has also posted many videos on his YouTube channel throughout his travels highlighting many great catches. Brett has ventured all over Port Phillip Bay,

Kurtis Campbell is a happy camper, he has been targeting stretches between Port Melbourne and Frankston in depths around 16m.

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FEBRUARY 2019

Brett Reed has been mastering Port Phillip Bay this month.

hitting all the usual hotspots and even spent a few days out on Western Port. Despite some very choppy days on the water, Brett has had an outstanding month catching countless big reds and done a great deed by taking many keen anglers on adventures with him. I too have hit the open seas a few times over the past month to target snapper. My first session was cut short due to weather conditions, increasing winds and swells made the conditions lumpy, which isn’t great for me, as I get seasick quite easily. Thankfully, I followed up with sessions on calm days landing a few decent snapper up to 5kg. The most successful baits for me have been full pilchards and silver whiting on a double snelled rig with the smallest of sinkers to keep the bait down. There’s nothing quite like a screaming reel to liven up your day. Kayak fishing continues growing in immense popularity. It’s almost daily that I’m receiving messages from local anglers expressing their excitement about buying a new kayak. It’s a terrific sport that doesn’t break the bank to get into. Surprisingly, beginners that I meet up with are still overlooking basic safety fundamentals. If you’re new to kayak fishing, before you go rushing out take some time to think about some basic safety. One common mistake I continually see is inexperienced kayakers venturing out on their own. I must remind you that you’re not alone, there are lots of other people in your area who are also just starting their kayak fishing journey as well. Use social media as a mechanism to connect with other kayak anglers in

The whole family is in on the snapper action. your area. I have hit the water regularly on my kayak over the last month and have been catching many good size pinkies and flathead on soft plastics. The most success I have had is with the Savage Gear 6cm Fat Curl-Tails in UV bloodworm and UV motor oil on a 1/8oz jighead. The best method has been casting and slow rolling while adding occasional pauses and erratic lifts. This has counted for many pinkies between 35-45cm. I also managed to land a snook over a metre in size, and a couple of snapper just short of 60cm. I haven’t spent too much time looking at the sounder, but am more focused on covering

distances. When the bite has gone quiet, I have turned to scents such as S-Factor and Procure to help encourage bites. It’s a great time of year to be on your yak as the sun rises. That’s all from me this month, but please share your recent fishing experiences around Melbourne and Port Phillip Bay so they can be added to next month’s article. Contact me by email – alan@ fishingmad.com.au. Also check out my website www. fishingmad.com.au, and social media pages Facebook – facebook.com/fishingmad. com.au, YouTube channel – youtube.com/c/fishingmad and Instagram – instagram. com/fishingmad.com.au.

The author finding his fair share of snapper. When conditions are right catches like this are common. FEBRUARY 2019

Bay fishing is great before the fish migrate PORT PHILLIP NE

Wayne Friebe wfriebe@bigpond.net.au

Bays anglers have welcomed a more settled period of warmer and calmer weather over the

past month, and after an unusually quiet period before Christmas, it has been great to see plenty of anglers getting amongst the action over the holiday period. Local and holiday anglers alike have been

enjoying the spoils of PPB and experiencing some great fishing variety and fishing conditions as well. And with the predictions of a couple of warm months ahead, things are looking very nice indeed for the rest of the summer and beyond.

Jake Molner has been at it again out from Mornington with his old man, and proudly displays another lovely snapper.

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Snapper reports have generally thinned out over the past couple of months further afield, but in our local vicinity, solid reports and captures of some quality snapper have continued. Traditionally, smaller school sized snapper tend to congregate in the wider areas out from Mornington and Mount Eliza at this time of year, and this has certainly been the case this year. There bigger 3-5kg fish have been sticking around as well. Many anglers traditionally turn their attention to other species at the end of summer, but this trend of good local snapper fishing has kept many of them busy for longer. The greater Mornington area out wide has probably been the most consistent producer of snapper for the majority of anglers over the past month. Although the average size of the fish is

a little smaller than some of those being caught in other areas of the bay, those putting in the extra effort have also taken some better quality fish. At this time of year, Mornington wide is typically a great area to cash in as the snapper tend to group up in this area to feed before they head south. Expect the extensive mud bank areas out from Mount Martha and Safety Beach to be good in the coming months as this migratory pattern takes hold. Not surprisingly, some of the charter boats have also been operating from this area of late as well. The inshore reef areas have also had a recent injection of school sized snapper and pinkies, so the lure fishers and kayak anglers have been cashing in. Much like earlier in the season, afternoon, evening and dusk sessions have been the most productive. This month there have been some massive schools of salmon around the Mornington area, and plenty of anglers have been cashing in collecting baits, and having some fun in the process. Most fish have been in the 1-2kg size range, but some bigger models have also been reported. Anglers

Junior Kramer with a couple of nice handfuls of whiting from further south. There are plenty around our local inshore reefs and land-based spots too, if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re prepared to put in the time. fishing lighter line and with the stealth of a drifting boat, or even an electric motor have been doing best, especially fishing unweighted plastics, and small surface poppers. Local whiting reports have been a little scarce so far, but this is also due to many of the anglers in the know keeping the cards pretty close to their chest. I would expect this trend to change

Torpy with a great Mornington red taken in near perfect conditions.

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over the coming months, as they move further north in the bay, and along the eastern reefs. Rosebud and south has been the best so far, and fairly close to shore at times, so they are also well within reach for land-based anglers. Squid numbers are also starting to really thicken up along our local inshore reefs, but they have still been a bit hit and miss at times. Much like a lot of the normal seasonal action, things seem to be a bit later this year, so expect the squid fishing to improve a lot over the next few months as the water really warms up. Personally I have found afternoons to be the best of late, as well as natural and dark coloured jigs. Devil Bend Reservoir has also been turning on some great EP action on surface lures during the late afternoons and evenings, and has also produced a few nice trout and redfin, especially for the kayak anglers. A few sightings and reports of kingfish locally last month havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t yet eventuated into any captures or reports over the past month, but I would expect to see more on this front next month, during the hottest part summer. Stay tuned for more reports next month.

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Fishing is finally firing in PPB this February PORT PHILLIP EAST

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After a horrible winter and a spring that produced everything from amazing to awful weather, it seems that the past months have blessed us with a decent summer, with lots of warm weather and fishable conditions that have seen a lot of anglers getting on the water and best of all, getting themselves some great results. MORDIALLOC TO BLACK ROCK Over the past weeks the pier has been fishing well with calm weather producing squid and garfish. During some of the bigger winds in January the pier had a few anglers report that they got into some good pinkie fishing of an evening. However, the big news over the past weeks has been anglers getting into good numbers of whiting by fishing the rough ground on the north side of the pier late

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in the evening and into the night. And while most of the whiting are solid school fish in the 32-36cm size, there are enough bigger ones around the 40cm mark to keep it interesting. Best baits have been pipis and mussels fished on a paternoster rig and a light rod. In the boats whiting have been around and the quality of fish has been amazing with a lot of fish over 40cm on offer. As this month rolls along we will hopefully see the numbers get even better as more fish move their way around the bay to our local waters. If it’s whiting you’re after then I would recommend pitting your efforts into the favourite whiting areas, such as the Parkdale Pinnacles and the small reef system known as Brickies. Try not to berley too hard as you will attract a pile of small pinkies, which will make it very difficult to get to any whiting in the area. As another option, it’s well worth putting out a very fine surface berley as there have still been reports of some decent garfish around and this will in turn attract any kingfish to the area you’re fishing. If a kingfish is something you’re keen to get hold of then try having a lure ready, such as a big plastic, or while chasing whiting and pinkies put a livebait out under a float. Now is also the time to be keeping your eyes peeled for schools of salmon that have been turning up over the past weeks. Just watch the birds and they will let you know where the feeding salmon are. From there it’s a matter of sitting off the school and casting plastics and small lures into them. For the land-based anglers, there have also been pinkies and the odd whiting taken off the front of the Half Moon Bay car park at night. Meanwhile, the pier itself has seen some good catches of whiting for anglers who fish late at night and cast baits out towards the Cerberus. SANDRINGHAM TO ST KILDA It’s a great time of the year to be fishing this area and if the past weeks are anything to go by then this month should be great. Now is the time to head to one of my favourite spots, the Anonyma Shoal, as February seems to produce some stonker whiting in this part of the world. In this spot I always find that fresh mussels are the best bait. It’s also a hotspot to find a kingfish, so while chasing the whiting berley up the garfish and put one of them

out alive under a small torpedo float. Back in closer to shore, Yorkies Reef system has been holding whiting and squid in good numbers and while they haven’t been there every day, I have also heard of some good catches of garfish being taken in the same area. Further along towards Sandringham there are good land-based fishing opportunities this month, with anglers in for a really good chance of good numbers of whiting and pinkies while fishing the end of the break wall and the rock groynes late in the afternoon and into the night.

while fishing the reef edges and into the sand holes, either on foot or in a boat. ST KILDA TO PORT MELBOURNE With the warm weather comes the people swimming and playing water sports, so in this part of the bay a lot of the really good fishing will take place in low light, at night or when it’s a bit rougher and cooler, as it keeps a lot of people away. In saying that, the fishing has still been good up in this area over the past weeks with a boat and land-based anglers getting a few solid catches of garfish. For the kayak fishers and those who like to wade

There are still reasonable numbers of squid to be caught inside Port Phillip Bay. Out a little wider, anglers fishing in their boats in the 6-8m areas up towards Green Point and Brighton will be finding a mixed bag with the past weeks producing whiting and pinkies. This month, however, by fishing out a little wider in the 10-12m areas there will be some solid pinkies on offer, with the best results coming to those anglers who fish at dawn and dusk with larger sized baits of pilchards and squid strips. Up off North Road it’s also a top time to be chasing big garfish around the shallow reefs as they tend to hold between here and St Kilda Marina during the hot weather. It’s prime time to find some big flathead by casting around soft plastics

the shallows, there has been some great flathead being taken on soft plastics, with the ZMan 3” MinnowZ in motor oil doing very well. For something different, now is the time to get in behind the break wall in a kayak or small boat to cast plastics at the moored boat hulls for some big bream and trevally. Or you could head out the front in search of pinkies and whiting on the abundant cunjevoi beds that run all the way along towards Station Pier in the 5-8m areas. Use a bit of berley and baits of mussel and pipi for the whiting and squid strips and pilchard tails for the pinkies and as always, a bit of berley will help to get the bite going.

Temps and action increasing The kings have started to show up, which has a lot of guys getting excited, and we’re seeing good catches

MORNINGTON PENINSULA

Harry Bould

Brendon Cunningham hit the rocks in a 1-hour evening session at Mount Martha. He landed six nice squid, with red foil jigs being the standout.

down towards the Rip. The action should further improve as the water continues to warm. There are a lot of rat kings around but there are still some good ones amongst them; the biggest caught recently weighed in at around 15kg. We can expect more bigger specimens to show up as we go further into the season. You can catch the kings either by tolling, drifting squid strips down on a paternoster rig, or using jigs such as the Hayabusa Jack Eye St Rush or Entice Ringer. If you’re using jigs, remember that the faster the retrieve, the better. Let the jig sink down towards the bottom section of the water column and burn it back as fast as you can. These fish go hard and you need to pull them out of the reef, so your gear needs to be up to the task. A 50lb, 5’7”-6’ rod and 10,000 size reel is ideal for jigging up these speedsters. The snapper have slowed down with that water temp going up, so most guys have switched to whiting and gummies. Plenty of gummies are being caught offshore and in the bay. All the standard locations are

producing at the moment, with offshore being a standout for the larger specimens. The whiting season is shaping up to be a lot better than last year’s season, which is pretty exciting. We’re seeing good catches from Dromana all the way down to Portsea, and that southern end of the bay is where most of the fish are being caught. Rye in particular has been fishing well. If there’s a bit of tidal movement and you find those sand holes amongst the reef, you should find the whiting. The best baits are pipis and fresh squid. In the same places that you can catch whiting, you can also get squid. There are still a lot of anglers squid fishing, keeping them either for a feed or as bait for the kings. FISHING IN FEBRUARY This month we should definitely see those larger kings starting to show up, as well as more consistent king fishing overall. The whiting and gummies will also keep going from strength to strength. With luck we may even see some bluefin tuna start to

David Albarenque along with mates Paul, Keith and Kane have had some ripper sessions on big gummies. Fresh yakkas and trevally have been the best baits. show up offshore. Over the past few years they’ve shown up in the Rip amongst the kings later in the season. We’ll have to wait and see. To browse the huge range of gear at Tackle World Mornington, drop into the premises at 2/177 Mornington-

Tyabb Rd, Mornington and chat to the friendly staff. You can also contact them on (03) 5975 7500, email them at enquiries@ifish.com.au, or see all the latest news, specials and catch photos at www.facebook.com/ TackleworldMornington.

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Resident species are turning on the action PPB OFFSHORE

Gerry Morsman

It’s all systems go for anglers down here in Melbourne. There’s an incredible range of hardfighting species such as kingfish, tuna, mako and thresher sharks that not only give your fishing gear a serious workout, they also give the old body a

shake-up. All that effort is rewarded with some of the best eating fish that enter our local waters, not to mention the photos of your capture that will stay on the shed wall forever. We truly are lucky to have these fish in our own backyard. In saying that, species such as mako sharks and tuna are most definitely in larger numbers in certain areas around the state. In fact, you

are pretty much guaranteed a mako if you go to places like Port Fairy at this time of year. Still, there is nothing quite like the reward of catching them in your own local waters. There are still a few other cracker species that shouldn’t be forgotten in the hype of all the big guns around, and that’s our good old residents such as big gummy sharks, big school

Red and good mate Cam White getting it done on a day so nice that Cam decided to wear a sarong.

Slow trolling a 10” live slimy mackerel did the damage on this chunky local kingfish.

sharks, whiting, flathead and squid (calamari). How good is that! Every one of these species is great on the dinner plate, and what’s even better is that they are all in big numbers. We really are spoilt for choice, and with all the info we receive now from sites like Salt Guide, and

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blokes who know how to get it done, and one of those people is Frogleys Offshore Pro angler Gawaine Blake. Kings are definitely his favourite species. He is constantly on the ball when out on the hunt, his advice is to remember that kingfish eating behaviours can change

daily! What they eat, the time of day, what moon phase and what tide they feed on is a big question mark on most trips, so make sure you have a few different options up your sleeve to maximise your chances. These fish are pretty well spread now with the Rip, Cape Schanck and Pyramid Rock being the go-to locations as usual. They are producing fish up to 20kg, which is impressive no matter where you’re from. MAKO SHARKS Anglers are getting good numbers for this part of

the state, with most of the makos being a perfect eating size in that 20-50kg range. Drifts starting anywhere from around 70m of water working back in towards Cape Schanck have produced a lot of sharks, with that 45m mark seeming to be that most consistent depth for captures. There have been some thumping makos up to 200kg hooked in the deeper water. Using a balloon to get your baits out generally gives you a higher chance of hooking a large mako, as they seem to be a bit more

shy of the boat compared to the juveniles. I’m not saying they won’t come to the boat, I’m just suggesting to do the one percenters, because at the end of the day it’s generally the one percenters that make all the difference. Also, I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t be keen hooking a 200kg mako at the boat, with the unhappy shark doing multiple flips through the air. Oh, and they are kind of toothy as well… GUMMY SHARKS As usual, the gummy shark fishing is unbelievable!

Beast mode engaged for Reece Millard with this epic 30kg school shark caught while bottom bouncing in 60m of water off Cape Schanck.

Getting on the drift is a nice easy way to fish. Finding nice drop-offs that look like the current would be pushing food along. This current often creates busy highways for hungry gummy sharks. When it comes to bait, fresh is best! Sharks have incredible sense of smell, and often won’t go near an old smelly bait. You can catch most of your bait offshore, with my favourite being parrotfish or Barbers perch. The pickers such as flathead, any reef fish and parrotfish or barbers perch themselves will not constantly attack your parrot/perch baits, leaving you with a much higher chance of success. Another method is to anchor up over reefy structure in around 35-45m of water. There are plenty of areas like that near Seal Sock and also Gunnamatta. FLATHEAD You can’t forget about the little guy that is arguably the best tasting out of them all: the humble ol’ flathead. Easy to target, you don’t need flash gear or rigs – just grab a bag of frozen squid and cut it into strips. Because you’re likely to get a few, it’s great fun for whoever is on the boat. One way I do it is to drive straight out until I hit around 90-100m of water, stop the boat and start fishing. You will reach deeper water

It was all smiles for Gawaine Blake and good mate Craig Cox after the kings decided that squid was the food of choice. The kings couldn’t resist the realistic method of a slow troll. much quicker on the Seal Rock side as opposed to the Cape Schanck side. When fishing offshore, there are a couple of safety features you will need on the boat. First up, you need an EPIRB. You can get it with or without GPS, but for the $100 difference you are much better off with GPS as

it will pinpoint exactly where you are in the event of a crisis. The no-GPS device locates you within a couple of kilometres, which is a lot of water, especially on a rough day. One other thing you will need is a parachute flare, which you can get from most tackle shops. Cheers and happy fishing!

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Top of the Port is the place to be WESTERN PORT NTH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

The whiting have already kicked off with a bang this year and there has been no shortage of them throughout the port. In typical fashion, countless anglers made the switch from snapper

bite firing up on the last few hours of the run-out tide. Berley is essential in the dirty water to attract the fish to the area, with pipi, mussel and tenderised squid baits the best offerings. Of course, if you get a bite going ensure you’re using circle hooks so as not to lose a fish. Lost whiting during battle can spook the school and shut down the

The right tackle gets the end result. to whiting during the summer holidays with excellent results. The top end of the port has been on fire if you know where to look. Productive grounds have been in the Tooradin Channel, with the

bite instantly. If this happens, the fish might not return and you’ll have to move around until you find the fish again. Providing you keep your line tight to the fish, you should land every fish you hook. Gentle Annie, Charing

Cross, Lyalls and Irish Jack channels have also been producing some exceptional whiting. These channels are small and shallow, so take your time navigating your way through, otherwise you may end up stuck on the mud. The same goes when you’re setting your anchor. It is always a good option to anchor just on the edge of the drop-offs and fish back into the deeper water. If you’re keen on putting in the time to target larger whiting, then you could have a poke around in the deep water. Fishing the deep water does come with its challenges, but the whiting usually have more girth than those in the shallower waters. When targeting deep water whiting, it is best to fish two hours either side of a tide change where you’ll be required to use 6-9oz of weight to hold on the bottom. Of course, you can still berley in the deep, but you will need a stainless steel berley cage and only put some smashed up pilchards in it. While you can try fishing the deep water anywhere, productive areas are south of Joes Island, around Crawfish Rock and Long Reef. Mind you, I have also had some

good success off Lysaghts in 17m of water. The Quail and Tyabb banks are also whiting hotspots, but they do get fished pretty hard. These areas are quite weedy and shallow, so you will have to move around until you find an area with good sand holes. This area also produces plenty of calamari, so while fishing for whiting flick out a squid jig or a baited jig. Other than those locations, it is hard to go past the Middle Spit. This huge sand bar running between the North Arm and the Eastern Channel is very well known for producing whiting and it does become crowded at this time of year. In saying that, despite the amount of boats that fish along its edges, there is never a shortage of whiting. Getting your timing right as to when they will come on the bite is always a challenge, but provided you’re fishing two hours either side of a

Circle hooks are dynamite when targeting whiting. The Cut for quick access to the Eastern Channel, otherwise you’ll have to drive right around, either north or south, of the Spit. Although it does seem as though the port is just about

Matt Cini had no trouble finding quality whiting along the Middle Spit. tide change and using berley, they’ll show up at some point. Although you can move around until you find a patch of fish, along this section of the port it pays just to sit and berley and get the fish to come to you. Both sides of the Middle Spit are productive, so if you are moving about trying to find fish, you can go through

whiting, there is still the odd snapper to be caught. If you still have the drive to target a late season red, the North Arm is producing a few fish. These are mainly on the small reefs at Long Reef and between the submarine and the Esso jetty near Hastings. These reefy areas continually produce snapper if you put in the time. In saying that, you

most likely won’t catch an extremely big red, most will be in the 1-2kg bracket, but still fun nonetheless. Soaking a big bait can also lead to some unexpected catches and whether you’re targeting them or not, gummy sharks are plentiful. Better yet, this is the time to be fishing for big gummy sharks. Although it is now the mind set that you have to fish the Western Entrance for big gummies, this is false. In fact, fishing the top of long reef and around Crawfish Rock, Joes Island and the Boultin and Bouchier channels is where you’ll find them. Gummy shark techniques are the same throughout the Port, but remember that if you are going to target them, it is imperative that you use fresh baits and stay in the one location the entire time. It is also the time of year for the elephants to show up and despite some people seeing them as pests. Some anglers love to tangle with them. While they might not put up much of a fight on heavy tackle, on light gear they are a lot of fun. Elephants don’t require big baits either. In fact, they only have a small mouth, so half pilchards, strips of squid and even a pipi will do the job.

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Start calling it Whiting Port not Western Port San Remo Bridge along the Phillip Island side. This area is a hotspot for big whiting and calamari and is also worth fishing on the high tide from the beach itself. Landbased anglers can park at the end of ‘The Cranny’ and fish directly off the beach. If you’re in a boat, you can always head offshore through the entrance if the weather is calm and the swell is low. There are plenty of sharks to be caught out

WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

And just like that, the holidays are over. Of course, all good things must come to an end at some point and while we all head back to the office, the fishing is firing up in a big way. Whiting have been the talk of the town and it feels like there are millions of them in the port this season. I have spoken to several anglers and each one has said how easily they have bagged. In saying that, the groundwork must still be done to find the fish, but when you have them on the bite, they have been going gangbusters. Launching from Stony

Matt Boultin and Matt Elliot had a stellar day out on the Port targeting whiting. It didn’t take them long to get a good feed.

Just what the doctor ordered – what a feed.

Point boat ramp provides quick access to some of the most prolific whiting grounds in the port. From here, you can head over to Tankerton and try your luck in the shallows or zip around onto the Tortoise Head Bank. Both locations have been fishing well of late, especially during the beginning of the run-out tides. Although mostly found in 1-2m of depth, you have to have a bit of ninja about you as the fish can be easily spooked. A little ground berley works a treat and due to the weediness of the areas, it pays to use a paternoster rig and suspend your bottom hook about a 50-60cm from the sinker. This way you’ll keep it out of the weed so as not to become tangled. Rhyll, Coronet Bay and Dickies Bay have also been producing some sensational whiting fishing. David Jarman from T-Cat Charters reports non-stop action in these areas the minute he has dropped anchor. His clients have been

kept extremely busy and going home with a plentiful bounty of tasty whiting. That said, land-based whiting fishing from the beach at Coronet Bay is equally as productive, but it is shallow, so it is advisable you fish on the top of the high tide and make long casts into the deeper water. If you are on foot, there is a lot of good spots to work from the Coronet Bay boat ramp up towards Settlement Point. It can be a bit of a hike, but if you want to explore the area it is worth fishing along here. Coronet Bay is also one of the best access points for kayakers allowing them to fish Reef Island and the surrounding whiting grounds. Rock flathead are a common catch for those drifting through the area along with whiting and calamari. Reports of whiting have also come in from below the

Paul Borg and his kids got into the action with plenty of whiting being caught. wide, but if you just want to sample some of the amazing fish in Bass Strait, then randomly bottom bashing in 20m of water will see some pleasing pinkie snapper and an abundance of sand and tiger flathead. The Balnarring, Somers

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and Flinders have picked up in recent weeks and though it can be a mammoth effort driving around to them from Stony Point, it certainly is worth it. Whiting fishing has been exceptional, and this is where you’ll often catch the biggest whiting in the port. If you are keen on a drive, Flinders and Cat bay on the Phillip Island side are also fishing well. Better known for calamari, whiting are as thick. In fact, whiting

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David Jarman’s clients have been having a ball catching whiting around Rhyll.

can be caught here yearround if you’re willing to put in the effort. Although it is whiting season, February is also a top time to be targeting gummy sharks in the Western Entrance. This is the time of year the larger models make their way into the port and targeting them is relatively easy. Once you have your spot, it’s just a matter of sitting through the tide using fresh baits. Of course, the tide is extremely strong here, which could see you use up to 20oz of sinker weight just to hold bottom. This is not a style of fishing for everyone, but when you do hook a gummy the fight is intense in the current. While some anglers may use wire leaders, it is recommended you don’t, because you could deter a gummy from taking the bait. Then again, there are sevengill sharks, school sharks and the occasional thresher, which can be caught here too, and these tend to be lost when fishing with mono leaders. It most certainly is a great time of year to be fishing and while the sun is shining, and the weather is warm you’d be mad not to head out and enjoy what the port has to offer.

February should bring mixed bags to the bay PHILLIP ISLAND

Craig Edmonds

With the major part of the summer holiday season over the waterways will quieten down a bit now and the focus will change for many boat fishers. Autumn is just around the corner and in my opinion some of the best fishing times around Phillip Island, especially as the wind pattern starts to head to the offshore northnortheasterly. Fishing in the bay will change and mixed bags will become the norm. It’s the time of year when you should be prepared for almost everything. It would take me half a page to list everything that you should expect, or that we have seen caught in late summer.

early autumn whiting, those undersized ones that were being caught in the early summer, which will be big enough to keep now. This time of year we can also expect some quality snapper, gummy or mulloway. If the early offshore reports are anything to go by, we are in for a great season, with the right weather conditions of course. The winds through summer have been all over the place, but constant in the pattern with the afternoon sea breezes. The opportunities that were available saw some very early makos and kingfish, with the flathead starting slow and small, but getting better as it went along through January. Kingfish reports through January were mostly of smaller rats and the only ones seeing any bigger ones were those under the water.

They’re not all big flathead offshore, but it’s always good when you can take your dad fishing. As a general rule, most who are heading offshore will be looking for a feed of flathead with the more serious looking for a mako shark. Those offshore will also be looking for schools of fish busting the surface, which could be salmon, kings or tuna. The bay will see a run of

The best of the kings came from those set up and out looking for salmon schools offshore then with lead lines trawling fresh squid or live baits under them. This takes a bit of practice with your lead lines and the weights, but very effective for getting past the salmon to the kingfish.

Flathead got better in size as the month went on and we started seeing some of the prized tiger flathead turn up, but like last year we seem to be chasing them all over the different depths, anywhere from 20-55m. Makos were typically small to start and got bigger and started in close then moved out into deeper water. I would be putting the time into working out your drift and set up so you drift along a contour line or a temperature current. The contour lines can be easy to find, obviously because your chart tells you, but the temperature lines take a bit more time and effort, but they do exist out here, they’re just not as dramatic as you would find further north. This is also the time of year that we start to have elephant fish reported from those fishing in the bay. The numbers have been down considerably over the last few years and they are not everybody’s favourite fish, but there are plenty that will chase them. They are not difficult to chase, and you will find them anywhere you would typically fish for pinkies. We are still getting reports of pinkies, but like the whiting reports lately, they have been from very early or very late and while there is sun on the water the fish are hiding. You will still find the odd one or two, but if you want the better quality or numbers you need to set the alarm early or head out after dinner. We are seeing big salmon again and weighing fish around 3kg often, mostly from those in boats but the odd one will come in from those fishing in the surf. Overall, salmon reports from land have been a little quiet, which I think has more to do with the amount of weed we have seen this year, making

You don’t have to bag out to make a fishing trip worth it – the whole family fishing all together is enough. fishing difficult. Those who do persevere not only learn how to tie rigs up, because you will go through a few, but generally are rewarded with a fish or two. We have also seen several people changing up what they are doing and finding the odd trevally and flathead in the surf. Those fishing the correct tides around light

changes and fishing lighter gear have been catching the other fish. We have been told that there is a complete review of the fishing regulations going on and the new book should be ready in March. What the changes will be is anybody’s guess, but because of when the book will come out, we will have

plenty of time to get used to the changes. As I said at the start, this time of year generally has the most consistent weather and conditions for the year, but many don’t take advantage of it. There are still plenty of quality table fish around and you have a great chance of catching a variety for dinner.

1 Bowen Street, Cranbourne, Vic 3977

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A typical late summer, early autumn mixed bag of fish. FEBRUARY 2019

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Limits during pipi season

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Victoria boasts some wonderful pipi fisheries down the west coast and east coast, including Venus Bay. These pipi fisheries are highly valued by local communities and visitors who collect the shellfish for bait and food. Victorian Fisheries Authority Director of Education and Enforcement Ian Parks said most people who collect pipis at Venus Bay do the right thing, obey the catch limits and possess a

fishing licence. “Our Fisheries Officers work alongside coastal communities and visitors every summer to ensure these fisheries remain sustainable,” Mr Parks said. “Regular patrols in uniform and undercover suggest a very high compliance rate amongst Venus Bay pipi collectors, which is terrific to see.” Key pipi fishing rules in the Cape Liptrap Coastal Park, including Venus

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Bay, are: • Daily pipi catch limit of 2 litres per person, or if removed from the shell (shucked) 0.5L per person; • Collect pipis with hands and feet only. Digging tools aren’t permitted. • Your catch is your own. Don’t collect pipis for other people’s daily limit. • Check you have a valid fishing licence, unless exempt. You can buy one online from www.vfa.vic.gov. au/fishinglicence Mr Parks said different cultures value pipis for different reasons. “We understand that Venus Bay is very popular for collecting pipis, which is why we more than halved the daily catch limit in 2009 to better share the pipis stocks amongst different stakeholders. Anyone who sees or suspects illegal fishing can call Fisheries’ 24-hour reporting line 13FISH (133474) anytime. – Fisheries Victoria

Snobs Creek annual report The Snobs Creek Advisory Board has published the hatchery’s annual report that documents where funds have been spent in the 2017-18 financial year and the big wins including record stockings of trout and native fish The Snobs Creek hatchery is a governmentowned facility, managed by the Victorian Fisheries Authority, that has been producing trout, salmon and native fish for stocking into Victorian waters for over 70 years. VFA CEO Mr Dowling said the Advisory Board was established to oversee the investment of funds to ensure transparency and that the hatchery delivers on its strategic priorities. “The Snobs Creek 2017-18 annual report gives me every confidence

the hatchery is delivering freshwater anglers real value for their licence fees and will continue to do so for years to come,” Mr Dowling said. “With Snobs Creek now at capacity, we are excited about the government’s commitment to build a new native fish hatchery near Shepparton that will allow us to increase stocking to 10 million fish by 2022.” Chairman of the Snobs Creek Advisory Board David Kramer said that during the 2017-18 season Snobs Creek delivered record numbers of fish that were stocked across the state. “The Snobs Creek team stocked 1,203,019 trout and salmon in 2017-18 season, which is 210,619 more than the proposed stocking target,” Mr Kramer said. Mr Kramer said 214 waterways were stocked during

the 2017-18 season and a further 140 potential new stocking locations are in the process of being reviewed. Funds were also used for new hatchery infrastructure. “We invested in two new plankton ponds for native fish and a new cover structure in the trout and salmon production area to help bolster production and keep up with demand. “We also upgraded electrical switchboards and replaced old water diversion gates with new ones to ensure the hatchery site remains productive, safe and efficient now and into the future. “Full credit goes to the team of dedicated staff, and to the volunteers, who’ve helped grow and stock the fish that provide enjoyment for thousands of Victorians and visitors to our great state.” – Fisheries Victoria

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Boosting estuary perch stocks Recreational anglers in East Gippsland are celebrating the release of 67,500 estuary perch fingerlings that will improve their fishing chances in the years ahead. Victorian Fisheries Authority CEO Travis Dowling said the fish releases are part of a marine stocking program that aims to rebuild estuary perch populations in several coastal systems. “The 67,500 estuary perch fingerlings were shared between Lake Tyers (40,000), the Bemm River (15,000) and the Snowy

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River at Marlo (12,500),” Mr Dowling said. “Estuary perch are a popular sportfish and highly regarded by local anglers who’ve played a pivotal role in the stocking program over many years. “In August, more than 20 volunteers from the Marlo and Bemm River fishing clubs joined Fisheries staff to collect broodfish, from which today’s fingerlings were bred at a private hatchery in Narooma. “It was critical that the broodfish were caught, handled and transported in the very best ways to minimise

and maximise the chances of healthy spawning upon arrival.” Mr Dowling said the primary aim of stocking estuary perch into Lake Tyers is to re-establish a self-sustaining population, which has all but disappeared in recent times. “Since 2015, Lake Tyers has been stocked with 50,000 estuary perch fingerlings, excluding today’s releases, and the Bemm River 15,000. “The marine stocking program is funded with help from recreational fishing licence fees.” – Fisheries Victoria

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Great mixed bags from Gippy Lakes system LAKES ENTRANCE

Steven Pryke

The small coastal town of Lakes Entrance has made it through the biggest time of year with summer holidays coming to an end, and the town is slowly going back to its sleepy self. LAKES ENTRANCE The Gippsland Lakes have a variety of fish species on offer, with a

mixture of species being caught. Anglers have mostly targeted King George whiting out on the scattered weed flats of Flannigan Island and Rigby, where broken weed beds are ideal for hunting whiting to ambush their prey. Traditional bait fishing methods have been the most productive, with anglers fishing a combination of peeled prawn or fresh mussel on paternoster rigs cast close

A quality dusky flathead taken in a back creek in the higher reaches of the Nowa Nowa Arm.

to the edges of the weed beds. These offerings are usually taken quickly if there are feeding whiting in the area. It’s that time of year again when the annual prawn run is underway. The scattered sand flats throughout the Gippsland Lakes have all seen good numbers of school and king prawn runs. Walking the shallow flats in North Arm and Cunningham Arm has produced good numbers of prawns, with people regularly turning up a couple of kilograms of prawns per night. LAKES TYERS Over recent years Lake Tyers has gotten a name as the place to fish if you want to target trophy size dusky flathead in Victoria. Growing numbers of anglers have begun targeting these trophy size flathead with swimbaits, with lures ranging from 15-20cm, matching the mullet that are commonly seen throughout the Lake Tyers system. The sharp drop-offs of the main lake, in areas such as Glasses House Flat or upwards around the powerlines, have been good

areas. Anglers have used swimbaits to great success with numbers of 70cm+ flathead being landed. After speaking to many anglers who have invested the time in learning how to fish swimbaits for flathead in Lake Tyers, it is clear that selecting a swimbait that will keep consistent contact with the bottom is important, so a range of different weighted swimbaits is critical for consistent success. The top of Nowa Nowa Arm has been a sight fisher’s paradise, with the timber covered edges holding good numbers of bream. These fish have been very picky lately, especially due to the hot weather making the higher end of the lake water rise to 26-27°C, which is extremely hot for the local fishery and makes these fish somewhat lazy and unwilling to eat a lure or bait. Small shad style hardbodies have produced the best results. These offerings have been cast up to the fallen trees and rolled back extremely slowly to the boat, allowing the fish time to track the lure and figure out if it is worth eating.

A quality bream that was caught in super skinny water, taken on the surface. If you have been out for fish lately and have a great pic, please send it to stevenprykefishing@gmail.

com with a short description and you could be in the next edition of Vic & Tas Fishing Monthly.

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Big lures are resulting in big catches at Gippy exciting for the months ahead, because the action will only increase as the water warms further. I just searched a small area and I can only imagine what is lurking out in the vast waters of Lake Victoria. The area is pretty much unfished. Especially around Loch Sport or Wattle Point, because I often see huge flatties spooking there when I go floundering at night. I also landed five bream to 40cm and two of them attacked my 90mm paddletail plastic. A 33cm bream actually had the whole lure shoved down his gob. Now that’s one hungry bream! BREAM TIME AGAIN Speaking of bream, the fishing is improving

GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

It’s time for all bream and flathead anglers to get excited, because the next month or so will be the start of some terrific fishing opportunities. Bream have well and truly got breeding off their minds and they want to eat again. Flathead have been on the go for weeks now and it’s turning into a ripper year for landing big duskies. It’s a busy time of year now and there’s plenty to talk about. KINGFISH ARE BACK The biggest surprise to come out of this area over the last month is the amazing kingfish reports. It has been common knowledge for the last few years that kingies can be found at Metung, but as far back as six weeks ago they have pushed up much further into the estuary. I’ve now received dozens of reports from a score of anglers telling me about their exciting kingfish encounters at Painesville, Duck Arm and the Newlands area. A few have been hooked

It can be very addictive watching bream this big eat surface lures, especially ones like this 43cm model. by those chasing bream, but as yet I’ve not heard of any landed. Stay tuned and I’m quite sure I’ll soon have photos and reports about these great sportfish. It does seem that kingfish have really moved into the Gippy Lakes in a big way and let’s

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we have seen the number of huge flathead caught go through the roof. Look at the record breaking number of big duskies over in Lake Tyers and the Gippy Lakes system is not far behind. Recently I packed my big soft plastic lures and pulled out my 30lb leader material to gear up for a challenge. I headed off to Painesville and I was actually more so looking for those enigmatic kingfish. Once again the kings eluded me and unlike a few lucky anglers lately, I didn’t see any sign of them smashing up baitfish. I thought why not throw my 90-100mm placcies around anyway, and I ended up with some cracker flathead. In about four hours I landed seven big flatties with the best ranging between 50-70cm. This is great sport and

A 33cm bream engulfed the author’s 90mm paddle-tail lure. The author extracted the lure and returned the bream in good order.

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by the week and bait and lure anglers are giving me the thumbs up. Some days require a lot of searching, but that’s nothing new and at least I’m now getting plenty of pics and reports of good sized fish. A few anglers are now also working topwater methods. Here are just some of the noises that black bream make while trying to eat surface lures: sip, kiss, slurp, suck, smack and gulp. Bent minnow styles are a deadly topwater lure for bream, and it’s the most addictive fishing Gippy Lakes can provide. Every year at this time I encourage those who have yet to experience this incredible sport to give it a try. Yes, it’s a challenge and not for every angler, but

This summer is shaping up to be one of the best for good sized dusky flathead. This 70cm fish was caught in shallow water during the middle of the day.

the sight of watching a rising bream slowly eat your lure will count as one of your best fishing rewards ever. So yes, the bream are starting to rise and attack topwater lures, but soft plastics are still accounting for most fish at the moment. The Tambo continues to be where most bream anglers are concentrating and for good reason. Big fish seem to always hang out in the lower part of the river, especially around the snags near the entrance. The Mitchell Flats are now a must visit area and the big snags around The Cut will also hold a lot of big bream from now on. Up in the Nicholson River those thumper nasty bream are tricky to fool but when you get one in the net it’s usually 40cm or much better. Search the upper reaches quietly and you can sometimes sight fish big bream feeding in the timber but lock your drag and go to 10lb leaders minimum.

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MELBOURNE SW

JV Marine World

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

FEBRUARY 2019

Bigger is always better for offshore anglers MARLO

Jim McClymont mcclymont@net-tech.com.au

Summer is nearing an end, and with the warm weather the ocean water has warmed up and the warm current will begin to move down the East Coast and turn into Bass Strait. As the water in the strait begins to warm the baitfish start to arrive, and with the baitfish the pelagic fish that feed on them will also arrive. With that knowledge, all the offshore anglers are excitingly watching the current temperature and are preparing their fishing tackle for the coming season. So far, a few kings have been sighted, but most are only rats measuring about 60cm. This month they will be here in big numbers and with a lot bigger fish, giving anglers plenty of action. With the arrival of kingfish and the warm current alerting the big gamefishing anglers, it’s time for the marlin to arrive. Currently the fishing

Gummy sharks will be a common capture this month. offshore from Cape Conran is terrific, with plenty of flathead, gurnard, pinkie snapper, morwong, squid, barracouta and gummy shark on the chew. The surf beaches are

also firing, with anglers reporting getting plenty of salmon, tailor, flathead and gummy shark. Best results have come from using blue bait, pilchards, pipis, squid and fresh fish

fillets. Anglers are also still getting plenty of bronze whaler sharks, with most too big to keep, so they turn them around in the breakers and head them back to sea. With prawns running the estuary is fishing great, with most anglers getting their bag of bream. On most outings everyone is happy as they compare their captures. As well as plenty of bream in the estuary anglers are reporting good captures of estuary perch, with most caught on live prawn. Luderick are schooling in good numbers around the rock groins that surround the islands and along the river banks, with best results from using sandworm fished under a float. Plenty of dusky flathead can be found on the sand flats where they gather to prey on the prawns as they come down towards the entrance on their run to the ocean. Heaps of salmon and tailor can be found down towards the entrance as they come in on the tide. You’ll see best results using lures. All and all, the fishing is great and will only get better.

Most of the bronze whalers caught are too big to keep, like this specimen.

Superb weather and good fishing for Feb BEMM RIVER

Robyn Sturgess

The lake level is still high with extremely good fishing. The weather has been superb, allowing plenty of anglers to get

out and wet a line. There is lots of fun to be had in the channel, with lures chasing large tailor, and an abundance of bream throughout the estuary. The lucky angler that has been able to source sandworm has been rewarded with

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quality luderick. Flathead came on the bite in late December and have stuck around. Their favourite bait, at this stage, appears to be soft plastics of various styles. The late evening fishing has been amazing with bream up to 42cm in the area near the entrance to Mud Lake and further west towards Swan Lake entrance. The fishing platform at Luderick Point has become a popular late evening fishing hotspot. Sit and relax with a cold drink as the sun goes down and hook a nice fish. The river has not fished overly well due to the high water level. This time of year you must remain vigilant because of snakes in these areas.

MARLO

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angler who wants to go and chase a gummy as they tend to come in close to grab a crab. • For on the spot and up to date fishing reports check out Robyn’s website: www. bemmaccommodation.

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FEBRUARY 2019

The surf fishing has been lots of fun on the incoming tide with good catches of salmon and trevally. Crabs have been spotted in the shallows at Pearl Point, which is a good sign for the

Bernard Abrams and his daughter took these squid just out the front of Safety Beach.

Kings and snap galore CORNER INLET

580

Will Thompson allwaysangling@bigpond.com

Summer is in full swing and you couldn’t ask for more as an angler, with snapper and kingfish being caught in big numbers. Firstly, a shout out to those involved in the restoration of the Port Welshpool long jetty and the grand opening that has just happened. It’s given Victorian anglers another great land-based destination to come and try their luck on our favourite species like flathead, calamari, whiting and even kingfish. So if you get a chance, come down and check it out! In fishing news, the best news for us anglers is that one of our favourite and hardest fighting fish the yellowtail kingfish has arrived in big numbers. There’s are plenty of small to child-sized models being caught inside the inlet in the Lewis and Franklin channels and also in the entrance at times. Offshore is where most are getting caught, and there have been some crackers over 1m caught and stacks of smaller models between 60-75cm. The best methods have been trolling skirted lures or jigging with knife and micro jigs. If they are on top, cast stickbaits and poppers. On the snapper front, there were massive numbers of snapper in the entrance last month, with some fish up around the 20lb mark. Jigging with micro jigs has been sensational over the bumpy ground, otherwise, try and sound up fish and anchor up with squid, pilchards or fresh salmon for bait. Further up the inlet in the Franklin and Toora channels, there have been

SEAHAWK

Alec Frost with a 110cm kingfish caught on a Slow Blatt jig at Port Welshpool. stacks of pinkies up to 60cm caught on squid and pilchards fished on paternoster rigs. Drifting has been a good method to find the schools of pinkies. For the soft plastic anglers, there are stacks of big blue spot flatties inside the entire inlet from Welshpool to McLoughlins Beach. There have been some cracking big models over 70cm caught and they’re taking 75-100mm plastics on 1/4oz jigheads. The run-out tide has been the best, and be sure to fish no deeper than 3m. For the anglers who

want bigger quarry, there are stacks of toothy sharks from bronze whalers to hammerheads around in all areas around Wilsons Prom and Snake Island. You don’t need to fish deep either, just use circle hooks and heavy mono leader or wire rigs and large baits and you should nail a few sharks. There’s plenty around up to the 6ft mark. • For more information, contact Will at Allways Angling in Traralgon on (03) 5174 8544. You will get expert advice and great deals on fishing bait and tackle.

CALL YOUR LOCAL DEALER TODAY Boating Scene

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A good snapper measuring just over 80cm caught on a micro jig at Port Welshpool.

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For more information visit www.stessl.com.au FEBRUARY 2019

Merimbula has produced some monsters MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson

The holiday season is almost at a close, but with the fantastic weather we have had of late it seems the crowds are staying a bit longer. More people means more fishing pressure, but don’t let that deter you as it’s fishing great guns and has been for weeks now. In the estuaries it’s been excellent, with all species having a chew, it really just depends on how you want to target them. Those anglers fishing fresh bait like prawns or striped tuna are having great fun on bream, trevally and flathead in the main channel between the main bridge in town and the entrance towards Mitchies Jetty. A few of the trevs are corkers at 50cm or bigger, with plenty of bream around the 36-38cm mark too. Some solid flatties to 70cm have found it hard to resist a fresh prawn, with fishos using an array of mid-sized soft plastics also getting into the action. Softies to 80mm have been best, with natural colours working a treat. Fishing the draining tide seems

You’re never too young to catch an EP on surface, as Harry Collins found out with this absolute cracker.

best when the water on the various sand flats has almost gone completely out. Try and concentrate on these deeper edges in the channel where the outpouring water enters. It’s not uncommon to get a handful of fish in a very short time in these areas. Further upstream in the main basin, the flatties have gone nuts on the weedfringed edges in 4-6m of water. I’ve heard of some anglers getting a dozen or so solid flathead up to 92cm in a session, which is good fishing in my books. Again, soft plastics have worked best. Don’t be afraid to throw some larger lures around if a big girl is your target species. Pambula Lake continues to produce with plenty of whiting over the flats. A mixture of surface presentations and lightlyweighted worm baits has been the key to success. The rock walls up near the junction of the Yowaka River have seen EP, bream and a few smaller mulloway this past week, mostly on softies hopped down the deeper parts of the rock walls. Further upstream bream and whiting have been very good on those windy To page 43

Matt Collins with a quality flatty from the shallows. These guys are around in numbers at present.

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NSW South Coast

Anglers are welcoming the warmer water NAROOMA

Stuart Hindson

The gamefish season has started with a bang, with marlin numbers excellent along the coast. Some crews are getting 5-6 shots a day, which is pretty darn good in anyone’s books. The majority of beakies getting caught are stripes in the 70-100kg bracket, although a few better-sized blacks have been sighted just east of Montague

Island, but none have been landed as yet. It won’t be long before someone does and for those crews who are venturing even wider towards the 2nd drop, a big blue is certainly an option if geared up for it. Most marlin are falling to skirted pushers, but I suspect more fish over coming weeks to be caught off bait balls. The bait is patchy from the 70-fathom line, but if you’re lucky enough to find a bait ball on the surface then the real fun will start.

Big flathead are getting about, with Narooma and Tuross estuaries firing up nicely, as Stuie Beath found out. From page 42

afternoons on the making tide around the vast oyster covered rocks that litter this part of the system. Smaller prawn imitations are working a treat on the surface, with shallow running hardbodies also doing the trick. Offshore the bottom fishing continues to fire with snapper, morwong, flathead, leatherjackets and a few smaller kingfish coming from Long Point. The local charter boat fleet have had some great trips of late with plenty of fish caught. With the coming moon, this action will continue and only get better, but let’s hope the kingfish start to play the game a little more as they have been pretty sporadic of late. The fish have been there with plenty seen on the surface, but they are hard to entice with only a few getting caught. It can

be very frustrating when you can see them and they won’t chew. Further offshore, the beakie action has started, with one boat going 5-3-3 on skirts, which is a good way to start the season. It was only a matter of time before it lit up and with the good water still pushing hard south, and it will only get better. The water out wide is 21°C, which is ideal, with quite a lot of bait from the 70-fathom line east. There have still been a few smaller yellowfin tuna and albacore about, but you will need to travel quite a few miles to get amongst them. On the beaches the tides are dynamite. The salmon action is okay, but not red hot with North Tura certainly the pick of the beaches at present. If you’re after a few bream, then Middle Beach and Merimbula Main towards the entrance have both produced fish with a

With the water a nice 22°C there have been some bigger mahimahi caught, especially around the FAD. These guys can be hard to entice at times, but when they do decide to play they will hit almost anything. The bite is happening north of Tuross all the way down south to Merimbula, so having the radio so you know where it’s happening is the go, as each day will change. If the big stuff isn’t for you then there are plenty of kings at the island taking jigs, live bait and fresh squid on flasher rigs most days. As we know, these kings can be finicky at times, so it pays to have all options covered with all techniques working on various days. Grabbing a few live baits from the golf course rocks before heading out can sometimes be the difference between an okay day and a great day! On the reefs Potato Point to the north has been steady for snapper, with early mornings the go. If you can coincide this with a tide change all the better, as they seem to be biting better around these times. Try fishing in 50m with fresh squid or tuna strips, a little berley won’t hurt either. For those after a feed of flatties, the 35m line off Dalmeny Headland has been good, but again each day has been different, so varying your fishing depths from day to day until you find them will pay handsomely. Off the beaches it’s been a little tougher with the calm seas and little swell, though anglers fishing lighter lines after few whiting as well. Better baits include beachworms, pipi and fresh prawns. Adding a little berley to it does seem to be making a difference. Off the rocks it’s been the same for the last few weeks now. Merimbula Wharf is the pick if targeting a kingfish, and there have been several 10kg+ fish caught these past couple weeks, with many more lost. It’s awesome to see these green back brutes in close and a few getting caught as well. If kings are not for you then Short Point has seen blackfish and smaller drummer on cabbage weed and fresh prawns. Berley has been useful for the bread and butter species, with a few bream thrown in also. Up at Tura Head salmon have been okay with some decent tailor and the odd smaller rat king too. Casting smaller metals and pilchards on ganged hooks is the go-to method at present.

There are still plenty of mulloway to be caught in the Tuross Lake system, with this little 70cm model winning its freedom. bream and whiting seem to be doing okay. The key to success has been fresh bait like beachworms or pipi on a running sinker rig, with Narooma Main and Brou Beach just north of Dalmeny also producing. If you’re after pelagic species like salmon and tailor, then Carters Beach near Kianga has been good, as has Bar Beach just north of the rock wall entrance. They’re not thick but the fish that are being caught are quality models. You can expect a few tailor mixed in, especially at night with the chance at a gummy shark too. In the estuaries it’s running hot with all systems within the region fishing well. It just depends on which one you want to fish and what you want to target and how. Up at Tuross it’s whiting heaven with surface lure enthusiasts getting amongst them big time. This place is littered with shallow back bays, weed fringed sand flats and shallow drop-offs that scream whiting and they’re not disappointing. I know of many anglers getting their 20-30 fish per session when the conditions are at their peak and if it’s not, you’re still getting a few fish with plenty of follows also. With the water a warm 25-26°C in some areas, it’s no wonder the whiting are chewing at the bit, so to speak. It’s not just whiting either, there are plenty of solid yellowfin bream to be found plus plenty of good sized EPs in the snags in the river section. Further downstream the mulloway population

in the deeper water near the boatshed has been okay, but you do need to fish early before the boat traffic becomes heavy. A mixture of soft vibes and plastics have worked, but the bait anglers using fresh squid at night have had better success. At Wagonga Inlet, the upper reaches above the 4 knot sign has been consistent for bream and whiting on the flooding tide. Those anglers using a mixture of surface presentations and shallow running hardbodies have fared best. There are plenty of flathead to be caught in the deeper sections here, with some cracking models coming from the entrance to Punkella Creek. It’s an excellent area to fish on the draining tide when the mullet are leaving the creek. Further downstream, the main basin has plenty of tailor in it with the odd mulloway coming from under the tailor schools.

I’ve also heard of a few kingfish getting caught with some legal fish amongst them around Ringlands Point. It’s good to see a few kings back in there and a welcome catch when targeting other species. Off the rocks Mystery Bay down south has seen a few smaller kings succumb to metal shiners and poppers with reports of a few hoodlums being hooked but lost. These bigger kings were hooked on live frigate mackerel. It is good to see a few frigates getting around, as they have been hard to get over recent seasons. You can still expect a few salmon and the odd bonito too with the golf course rocks in town worth a look. For those after a feed of blackfish the open rocks have been tough, with little or no wash. Your best chance at a feed is trying the inner sections of the south break wall at the entrance. Try using green weed or weed flies as they have worked a treat of late.

FEBRUARY 2019

Head out early to beat the blustery winds MALLACOOTA/EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

The recent much needed rain has got all the local rivers running, which in turn will be great for the fishing over the coming months. Mallacoota Lake is still closed with the recent rain lifting the water level. Unfortunately it was only coastal rain, so it didn’t get the big rivers flowing,

which would have opened the entrance to the ocean. Instead, the water level over the coming months will drop with evaporation and seepage and without inland rain the lake is no closer to opening than it was months ago. With all the visitors in the area there were plenty of boats heading offshore chasing a feed and there are plenty of fish being caught. Good size tiger flathead are being caught out wide off Eden and Mallacoota. Once

the fish are found take a mark and continue drifting over the fish and you should be assured of a feed. Closer to shore sand flathead are on the bite, with the sandy areas adjacent the reefy, gravelly areas a great area to fish. Snapper, morwong and leatherjackets along with some good size gummy sharks are also being caught on the local reefs. Great launching facilities at Eden allow boats to launch and retrieve

The water level in the lake has really risen after recent rainfall.

at any time. Depending on the size of your boat, avoid the low tide period when launching at Bastion Point, Mallacoota. An early start at this time of year is needed to beat the northeast wind, which is up and blowing before midday. A few kingfish are being caught down around Mowarry Point out of Eden, with no kingfish action reported out of Mallacoota the coming months should see the fishing for kingies fire up. For anglers heading out wide on the Far South Coast, the coming weeks should see some good catches. With enough anglers out wide it shouldn’t take long to find the fish. In the estuaries flathead are taking a variety of lures, with hardbodies working well in the shallows and the soft plastics catching plenty of fish in the deeper water. Sand whiting, yellowfin bream and black bream are also being caught. With the warmer water you’ll see these fish out and about looking for a feed. Keep on the move until you find the area where the fish are feeding. If using bait, fresh

Flounder are still about and you can expect to catch them when chasing a feed of flathead. or live local baits, worm or prawn should see you amongst the action, with a variety of lures working for the lure fishers. With the rivers flowing the fishing for bass has come alive.

The river rises allow the fish to move from pool to pool and find their usual summer haunts. Fishing of an early morning or into the dark with surface lures is the way to find fish.

Find the bait, find the fish BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Whether you are offshore chasing billfish, along the coastline, in an estuary or maybe even up at Brogo Dam, there are food sources fish feed on that we often refer to as bait, so usually where this occurs you will find fish. So, it is quite simple: find the bait, find the fish! Marlin are now firing, feeding on the vast bait schools of mackerel

on the Twelve Mile and surrounding reefs. Various methods of trolling lures, live bait, or my preferred way of switch baiting, have been very productive. Early in the season lures or switch baiting are an effective way of encountering marlin. Switch baiting is a manner of trolling lures, preferably softheaded lures, that imitate a more natural feel. When a fish is raised it is enticed to the boat by retrieving the lure, if it is not interested in where the lure is then replace with a pre-rigged live or dead bait.

This time of year still sees frequent catches of school yellowfin, mahimahi and the occasional short-billed spearfish. Kingfish schools are in good numbers around Montague Island and surrounding reefs. These surrounding reefs are also producing good numbers of more common reef fish like morwong, snapper and the occasional pigfish. Just off the edges you can find plenty of good tiger flathead. Deeper reefs, like the Twelve Mile, have got some exceptional fish on them at

Bermagui Game Skipper, Captain Col O’Brien, with a solid Bermagui bream. 44

FEBRUARY 2019

present due to the large bait schools frequenting there. Other methods, like using the new deep water heavy jigs in conjunction with braided line over the Continental Shelf, are producing some surprising results. Estuary fishing is in its prime at this time of year with just about all species fishing extremely well. You can fish all the way through the systems from the entrances to the upper reaches, provided you work the tides. Fishing the flats over the shallow weed beds on high tide using nippers (yabbies) or squirt worms is an exciting and very visual way of producing fish. On the run-out tides, once the water has fallen from the flats, fishing the channels and drop-offs again with similar baits, lures or live mullet is very effective. Most species in the estuaries can be encountered with bait or lure at this time of year, although the preferred method is left up to the individual on how they like their style of fishing. Berleying with striped tuna around the drop-offs and rocky outcrops will produce good numbers of bream at this time of year, but when you use a cube of tuna as bait be sure to keep the point of the hook exposed. Beach fishing is

Luderick is one species still abundant in the Bermagui River. exceptionally good, with large schools of whiting and bream frequenting Cuttaggee and Camel Rock beaches. Fresh beachworms are the preferred bait, but don’t be frightened to pump a few nippers out of the estuary to use on the beach. Good schools of salmon are still around in numbers on most beaches around Bermagui. The usual baits, like whole pilchards or strips of striped tuna, have been the most productive, although those who wish to cast metal lures into the surf with fast retrieves will encounter quite a few fish. Lots of pelagic fish have been encountered off the rocky headlands with salmon dominating most of the captures. Fast-retrieved lures is the most effective method, however, pilchards drifted under a bobby float has also been effective.

Several small kingfish have also been caught using these methods, especially around the entrance of Bermagui Harbour. Late summer is prime time to fish Brogo Dam, as there is a lot of insect life active around the dam that brings the bass to actively feed near the surface. This is a great time to use surface lures or flies, especially late evenings and early mornings. Don’t be surprised by how a large lure or fly can be used to produce results. Weed beds and overhangs are the most productive areas. Allow your lure or fly to sit for a moment after landing on the surface, as this is the time that most fish will strike. There has also been a lot of estuary perch over the last twelve months, so don’t be surprised to catch something a little different to bass.

Hot Spot

Tamboon’s bountiful bream bite CRANBOURNE

Mitch Chapman

Tamboon Inlet is a short 25-minute drive off the turnoff from Cann River. The further you travel down the road the more remote it feels and you

start to get excited about the possibility of what you might hook. Monster bream and flathead are the two most popular species, but big schools of tailor are also common. With two boat ramps and plenty of camping area, you can

Gerard Hawthorne from Gotcha Bait caught this big yellowfin bream on an unweighted prawn fished in the shallows out of his Hobie kayak. Fish like this are very common if you know where to look.

see why this little gem is a favourite amongst estuary anglers. PRIME TIME Tamboon can be fished with great success all year round. Targeting flathead in the warmer months is best when the shallow water heats up and the fish become more active – they bask in the sun waiting for an easy meal to swim by. Bream fishing is exceptional in the winter months when the fish start to school up pre-spawn. January is also a prime time for bream on the flats in the lake, with big fish to 45cm+ willing to take surfaces lures all day long. 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. When targeting the abundant tailor, don’t forget to use a wire trace otherwise it can become very expensive in the pocket with the amount of lost lures. Another option is to bump up the leader. THE RIG A reel spooled up with 6lb braid and a long 4-6lb fluorocarbon leader is ideal

for casting lures at bream, especially in the lake on the flats as they can be fairly tricky to tempt at the best of times. You might want to bump it up a little if fishing the snags up the river, as a light leader doesn’t last long around barnacle encrusted snags. If specifically targeting flathead then 10-20lb leaders are a good starting point with a 1/8oz jighead and a 4” plastic tied on the end. This is a solid setup option for monster duskies. BAIT AND LURES The go-to lures for targeting flathead in the estuary are Squidgy Fish, with grasshopper and silver fox being very good replicas of mullet and a proven flathead catcher. Softies also work well for bream, with 80-100mm Squidgy Wrigglers in bloodworm as the first plastic you should tie on and cast out. The surface lure craze over the past couple of years has really taken off. Lucky Craft Sammy and bent minnows are two of my must have lures when fishing for bream and flatties. BEST METHOD In the lake over the

Quality bream can be sight-casted in the shallows around the lake’s margins, as Gez found out with this cracker. warmer months, drifting over the flats in under 2m of water and casting surface lures over the sand and weed beds is one of the most productive ways to catch big bream. It can be a fish a cast when the fish are on. MOTHER NATURE Dusky flathead rules and regulations have recently changed, so just remember that the size limit for dusky flathead is now 30-55cm with a total possession limit of five fish per angler. Letting the bigger fish go will ensure stock levels of fish are maintained and the breeders are left to do their

424 PRO

thing. Remember, fish for the future. HOT TIP Look for bait, whether it be on the sounder or flickering around on the surface. Generally if you find the bait, you’ll find fish. Bream feed on schools of bait under the surface and follow it around in the lake system. Massive tailor can be seen busting up schools on the surface, so keep your eyes and ears open, as sometimes all you can hear is the sound of fish smashing the surface from across the other side of the lake.

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BLACK MAGIC

MASTER CLASS

W I T H PA U L L E N N O N

Banking some boss bream Bream fishing has come a long way in the past 20 years. We now live in the age of $30 a pop bream

tournaments dedicated to the humble bream offering tens of thousands of dollars in prize money.

way to catch bream, but it’s simple, effective and something anyone can do regardless of age or

The great thing about bait fishing for bream is it’s so easy, anyone can do it. lures; $1000 outfits; flashy boats jacked up with expensive sounders, electric motors and power poles; and fishing

With that said, targeting bream on good old fashion bait has changed bugger all. For some it may not be considered the coolest

Black Magic KS hooks are by far the best bream hook the author has used. 46

FEBRUARY 2019

fishing ability. As someone who makes a living teaching people how to fish with lures I still get a kick out of going back to roots and soaking a bait for a bream. It’s a very relaxing way to catch a fish, but for all its simplicity it’s only simple when you’re doing it right, so knowing before you start is very important. The first thing you need to nut out is where are you going to start and that means knowing what typical bream habitat is. The answer to this is structure. Bream love structure with anything from sunken timber to break walls, rocky shorelines oyster racks, rock bars, jetties and wrecks to name a few. Once you know what you’re looking for it comes down to fishing it with the right methods. The biggest mistake anglers make is fishing too heavy a weight, as structure and sinkers are a recipe for constant snags and no fish. Bream like the bait to look as natural as possible and will often take the bait as it sinks and that is why an unweighted presentation is best. When I explain this to people often their first

response is that they can’t cast it out far without a sinker. If that is the case, you will probably find your line and rod are too heavy. With a good 6lb braided line like Black Magic Fibre Glide and a 1-3kg graphite rod you can cast an unweighted bait a long way. A critical part of success for this type of fishing is your leader size. Bream can be very cautious and shy away from heavier leaders, so the lightest you can get away with the better. For more forgiving terrain you can drop down to as low as 4lb, but for areas like racks and oyster infested rock bars you may need to go up to 10lb to give you a chance to pull them out. While this will probably mean less bites, at the end of the day you will come out in front as the rate of fish landed compared to fish hooked and busted off will be far higher. I generally run about 1-2m length of the Black Magic fluorocarbon leader for this kind of work as it’s super tough and can handle being scuffed around poles and being dragged over rocks better then anything else on the market. While at times bream can be ravenous and eat just about anything you throw at them they can also be extremely picky, so it’s best to make the effort and source the best bait possible. In my opinion, you can’t beat live nippers on bream and they can be the difference between getting a bucket full and catching

Live nippers are the number one bait for bream and worth the effort. nothing. Large peeled prawns, mullet strips, and live worms are also effective baits, but live nippers still reign supreme For hook choice I use Blackmagic KS series in size 1 for nippers or 1/0-2/0 for large peeled prawns or mullets strips. Another key component for a successful bait bream fisher is berley. A bucket with a packet of chook pellets, half a loaf of bread and a couple of caps full of

tuna oil mixed together will not only attract bream, but also turn shut down fish on the bite. A handful every 5-10 minutes is all that’s required as berleying too much can have a negative effect, as you risk fish becoming full and therefore no longer interested. Well that about covers bait fishing for bream, hopefully you can get out and get stuck into a few of them this month.

Casting unweighted live nippers around structure such as this is a deadly method for catching bream.

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Guide to getting started in tournament fishing ABT

James Reid

So, you love to fish? You’re competitive against your mates, and you’re looking for a new way to explore your skills? If that’s you, you’ll love tournament fishing. It’s a fast growing sport in Australia, and is popular with anglers

of all stripes. There’s more to it than just fishing – it’s also a great way to make friends all over the country. ABT has been running tournaments for over 20 years, and when you fish with ABT you can go to some of Australia’s most renowned fishing locations, all while learning new fishing techniques. You might think that fishing your first tournament would be

daunting, but it’s really not that hard. The first thing to do is log onto abt.org.au and become a member for only $70 a year. Once you are a member you have the option to fish tournaments for bream, bass and barramundi from places as far as south Tasmania, all the way over to Western Australia, up to North Queensland and

At the end of the day, it’s all about having fun. A day with Anthony Wishey is always a barrel of laughs.

Top: Often the non-boater will take responsibility for returning the key tag to the board. Don’t forget to do it, or both you and the boater will cop a weight penalty. Above: Just because you’re fishing at the back of the boat doesn’t mean you don’t catch quality fish, as Mark Saric found out at Lake Macquarie. 4

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everywhere in between. Once you have signed up as a member, and have nominated which tournament you want to fish, you’ll need to decide whether you want enter the comp as a boater or as a non-boater. If you enter as a boater, that means you’ll need to bring your boat with you, and each day you’ll be paired with a non-boater. If you enter as a non-boater, you just turn up with your rods and reels, and a couple of tackleboxes with lures for your chosen species. Each day you’ll be paired with a boater.

All competitors must bring a PFD, and have a fishing permit for that state, if required. Other items to bring are sunscreen, water, a packed lunch and a rain jacket, as you’ll be on the water all day, rain, hail or shine. If you’re fishing as a boater, there are some specifications your boat needs to meet. It must be longer than 3.7m; have a minimum of a 20hp engine; working safety lights; port, starboard, and anchor light (all around white light); a working engine safety switch,

and a minimum 60L plumbed live well. An updated copy of the insurance information for your boat will also be required. FORMAT AND GUIDELINES The night before each tournament day, ABT holds a briefing which runs through the rules and regulations. This is also when we pair up the boaters and non-boaters. These briefings will give you the opportunity to meet the people you’ll be fishing with over the next couple of days. All anglers, both boaters and non-boaters, must

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abt.org.au abide by all ABT rules and regulations, as well as state guidelines and regulations. Now to the formats of tournament fishing. First of all, let’s look at bream. Bream events have boaters and non-boaters, who each fish for their five biggest bream over each session (up to 10 fish per boat). Both boaters and non-boaters weigh in their fish separately, with each competitor scored individually on the weight of their own fish. Bass tournaments are

different. Although they also have a boater and non-boater format, they have a shared weight system. This means that the boater and non-boater combine their catches and weigh them in together, up to a combined bag of four or five fish per session depending on the venue. Barramundi is a teams event made up of two people per team. Competitors can catch and release as many fish as they like, with all fish recorded in the ABT Tournament Series App.

So there you go – a brief run-down into getting started in Australian tournament fishing. ABT’s website has all the rules and regulations for state fishing licencing, state to state size limits of fish, and a calendar for the dates and venues we will be at throughout the year. You can also access membership forms, entry forms and contact details. We are always happy to welcome new anglers, and our competitors are always happy to help out new blood

There’s nothing like the anticipation at the start of the day. That’s what tournament fishing is all about.

At all BREAM events, non boaters get a free Hobie jersey that earns them money if they’re wearing it when they win.

too. ABT’s motto is ‘who shares wins’, and that sums it up perfectly. NON-BOATERS As a non-boater the are a few unwritten rules you should know, if a friend hasn’t told you already. Briefing questions At the briefing, ask your assigned boater if they need a hand launching and retrieving the boat, even if you’re not sure how to do it. These are valuable lessons to learn from boaters who have done this a thousand

times, and will help you in the future. You should also find out where your boater wants you to meet them in the morning. Ask how much room they have in the boat and how many rods and other tackle you are able to bring. Ask what patterns they pre-fished (i.e. techniques and lures). This is more useful than just asking where they were fishing. You should only offer to reverse the boater’s car or drive the boat off the trailer

if you are confident and have done this before. If not, maybe ask if there’s time for some pointers to benefit you and your boaters in comps to come. If your boater tells you that they have it covered and someone else is helping them, find out where they would like you to meet them and what time. Boaters are not babysitters; if they give you a time and place, don’t be late. If you’re unsure on the area ask to be shown, it’s better asking more questions To page 6

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From page 5

and being in the right place and time than not. On the boat Once you’re on the boat, treat it as your own and better. Remember that boats are worth a lot of money and are many people’s pride and joy. Once on the boat, ask where to put your rods and gear – don’t just leave it lying around. When it comes time to fish, you should wait for your boater to be ready and let them get first cast. They have a little more

going on than just fishing (e.g. changing sounder from GPS to sonar, getting up and choosing a rod, and dropping the trolling motor). Stay on the back deck unless you’re told you can fish up the front with the boater. If you are asked up the front, never cast over their shoulders, and always let them have the first cast. It’s a privilege to be up there, and if one boater invites you up there don’t expect the next one will. Always wait for the invite. Although most boaters

won’t accept fuel money, the offer is well appreciated and goes a long way with most boaters. If they refuse to take your money and you see them out for dinner, offering them a beer will be a good way to say thank you. Even just taking an extra drink or snacks on the boat is a good idea. Weigh-in First things first – a good habit to get into is taking care of the key tag. Do whatever you can to get that tag on the board before the session ends, even if that

Non-boating opens up opportunities to fish with some of the best anglers in Australia.

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Waiting for a weigh-in bag is where lots of anglers catch up and discuss the day’s catches and disasters. means doing a 100m sprint faster than Usain Bolt! And no standing around telling fishing tales until the tag is on either. Plenty of non-boaters have been caught out like this over the years, and incurred a late penalty for both themselves and their boater. This does not get forgotten easily. Once you have sorted the key tag out, the next thing to do is offer to collect a weigh bag for your boater. If they want to collect it themselves you should wait at the boat to make sure it doesn’t float away and bang into other boats. As you collect all your fishing gear make sure you

grab all your rubbish and food scraps and any leftover line or leaders you have cut off through the day. Fair play When you’re paired up with a new boater on day 2 of the tournament, don’t tell them where you or your boater caught fish on day one. The key to being a successful non-boater is adapting and fishing the water that’s in front of you. And don’t sulk! If the fishing is tough, don’t take it out on your boater or bag him out to other competitors. Word gets around fast; it will soon get back to your boater, and it won’t make you look

good either. Remember it costs a lot of money to be a boater, with expenses such as boat maintenance, fuel, insurance and higher entry fees. Most boaters will not accept money, they just want a bit of banter, some assistance in netting fish and just having a good day. As a non-boater you should take any tips and info you may receive. Always ask questions if you’re not sure what’s going on or how to fish the areas and conditions you are facing. You will be surprised at how much information a boater may be willing to share with you.

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2018 BREAM AOY: Being a versatile breamer ABT

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

2018 was a good year for me, culminating in my first national Angler of the Year (AOY) title for bream. With your best five of a maximum nine events counting towards the title, you have to be able to catch yellowfin AND black bream to be competitive, and that’s what makes it special. You need to be versatile, and it all comes down to how good your worst of those top-five events is. Like every year, there are always a couple of breamers in contention come the last qualifying event. This year, it was Victorian Cam Whittam and I who were in a position to take the trophy. Cam needed a 3rd or higher to overtake me on points, and if Cam came in the top three I couldn’t be more than

two places behind him to keep the lead. Cam finished 3rd and I made 2nd. If Cam has caught a couple of my kickers instead of me, the result would have been reversed. That’s how close it was – and how close it usually is. That South West Rocks event was the first time for the season I’d weighed fish on topwater in a qualifier. In fact, most of my bag came on a couple of topwater baits that I hadn’t even thrown at an event in 2018. This comes back to one element that all breamers need if they want to be successful at the top level, and that’s versatility. And to me, being versatile doesn’t mean that you need to be great at every single technique in the book. It means that you need to have a few tricks in your bag to make up a Plan B or Plan C when your favourite method isn’t working, or if it’s not appropriate for the arena you’re fishing.

Imakatsu Dilemma Popper (baitfish) 8

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Tiemco Red Pepper Micro (brown)

2018 TECHNIQUES When I tallied them up, there were 13 key baits that I used throughout 2018 across the seven arenas I fished (I missed the two Victorian qualifiers while working in the USA in February). There was only one event where I boxed fish on only one bait (Mandurah, WA) – every other event featured two or more baits, and the Australian Open saw fish weighed on four baits, which makes sense across the two arenas of the Harbour and the Hawkesbury. Not surprisingly, the

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Cranka Crab was the most prolific bait, with 40% of fish weighed falling to it. Still, that means that 60% of my fish for the year were fooled on lures other than crabs. In fact there were two arenas where I didn’t even fish a crab, and both of those scores counted in the AOY tally. You might think you can do well in every arena on one type of bait, but the stats disagree. That’s why you need to be versatile. Do you need to be good at everything? No way. I didn’t even tie on a Gulp

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Crabby or box a bream on a blade this year. Other anglers are masters of these techniques and others. What you need to do is pick a few that you’re good at, and get better at them. Importantly, get proficient at catching five legal fish on the toughest of days. Stefan Sawynok has statistically shown that the easiest way to perform better in bream events is to bring in a limit every time, no matter what the size. Invariably, tournament days fish tough. The pressure, weekends and multiple days on the same arena make the fishing tougher than a Wednesday Warrior would encounter. Catch ‘em when it’s tough and you will do well. Let me run through the 13 baits and when I used them. It’s also well worth watching the video that accompanies this article on my YouTube Channel

(search Steve Morgan or scan the QR code hereby). We’re going to go from top to bottom. TOPWATER Imakatsu Dilemma Popper (baitfish) • Macleay River upstream sand/weed flats in <3ft of water. If I could, I would fish topwater all day in every session. However, the fact is that it’s not always the best bait to fish. Topwaters for me work best in shallow, clear water over 20°. I had a handful of Imakatsu Dilemma Poppers for the South West Rocks event and they produced a mixed bag of bass and bream. I fish these lures on 6-10lb braided line and a similar strength leader. I fish them fast enough so that it doesn’t really matter whether that leader is nylon or fluorocarbon. You can walk the dog or gently pop the Dilemma

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abt.org.au Popper, but remember to have plenty of pauses, because that’s when the bream like eating them. The key to fishing topwaters effectively, either in a tournament or socially, is knowing when to strike. Too early and you’ll spook the fish (or pack of fish) trying to clobber it. It’s better to wait a little longer and know – or see – that they’ve got it properly. I fish this bait faster for yellowfin and slower for blacks. Tiemco Red Pepper Micro (brown) • Macleay River, upstream sand/weed flats in <3ft of water. When the Macleay got calm and the drizzle stopped, a more delicate surface presentation was required. My go-to topwater for finesse is a Tiemco Red Pepper Micro. These baits have a very narrow body and no real cup face to move

much water. You fish them with a gentle walk-the-dog retrieve and plenty of pauses. If the bream are really finicky, I retro-fit some Ecogear or Atomic Trick Bitz assist hooks where the front treble sits, and leave the rear treble in place. If you’ve never fished assist hooks, you’ll find that they are stronger than they look. You can easily trust them as much as any treble on a bream lure. O.S.P. Bent Minnow 76 (pearl) • Clear, oystery rocky edges in Middle Harbour. The Bent Minnow has well established credentials in the bream community for excellent reason – it has an uncanny ability to attract and entice a bite from the bigger bream in a pack. Although Bent Minnows look like a baitfish, I firmly believe that they mimic the action of a skipping prawn, and that this is what triggers the response. There aren’t

O.S.P. Bent Minnow 76 (pearl)

Duo Minnow 80SP (chrome) WATCH THE VIDEO

too many fish in a river that don’t want a live prawn, and the bream usually wants to be the first to get it. Of all the topwaters, the Bent can be fished on the heaviest line and leader. And at mid-$30s a pop, that’s what I usually fish it on. The other thing with Bents is that I love the original hooks. If you wreck them, make sure that you replace them with ones just as light. Keeping this lure buoyant is what works for me, if not others. SHALLOW HARD Duo Minnow 80SP (chrome)

• Derwent River, shallow, rocky edges early morning in <3ft of water. There’s nothing better in bream fishing than a cracking Tasmanian black bream choking a shallow jerkbait in a couple of feet of water and peeling light, straightthrough fluorocarbon from your reel. This year on the Derwent, I found that the Duo 80SP matched the baitfish size perfectly. It also combined a long casting ability with a bib that kept the lure shallow enough to fish over the mussel beds that bream

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love so much. Although I didn’t connect with enough big bream to make the top 10 (the Derwent was my worst event of the season at 13th), I’m waiting to fish this bait in that river on a big, high tide. It’ll be epic. You should fish the Duo with plenty of pauses. It suspends, which is exactly how black bream like it. Jackall Chubby Shallow (black) • Lake Macquarie, clear windblown flats with sand/ weed in <3ft of water. Adam from www. fishin.com.au put me on to this bait before the Lake Macquarie BREAM Grand Final in 2017. “Use it on the flats, mate, it’ll work, trust me,” he said. So I did, and it worked a treat. It has become my go-to crankbait for shallow, weedy water and there’s something about that black colour that just makes the

fish bite. Companies like Pro Lure also have variations of this theme, and all seem to work well. Like all shallow, clear water techniques, the bite seems to get better as the wind picks up. Don’t be scared of the wind on the flats – it’s your friend. This bait really produced for me at the Lake Macquarie Qualifier in 2018, including a 37cm fish on the final cast of the session on the Swansea Flats. I fish it on 2lb straight through fluorocarbon and a slow actioned 7” rod. DEEP HARD Duel 50mm Shad • Derwent River, shallow oyster reefs in <4ft water. There’s an oyster reef in Morilla Bay on the Derwent where I once caught 13 kiloplus bream in a row on the final day of one of the old Super Series events. Those events cut the field down to To page 10

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From page 9

the top 10 boaters (only) and let you loose on the third day of competition. At one of the first events I had a Power Pole on the boat and it seemed every time I moved the boat a couple of metres, there’d be another cracking fish to slam the bait. Back then it was a Daiwa Double Clutch, but this year, I used a smaller but still deeper diving Duel Shad 50 in the same spot. I didn’t catch 13 in a row, but I did catch my two biggest bream in an ordinary Derwent bag on this bait. You just wind it down to depth and rip-pause it. The big blacks will clobber it as it sits there. On those oyster reefs, I use this bait on a braid/ leader combo. It’s one of the few places that I do this, as

sometimes the fish need to be bullied out of evil country. It’s fun fishing. Jackall Chubby Deep (brown suji) • Macleay River, deeper edges along weed in 4-8ft of water. I never really clicked with Jackall Chubbies until this year. It seemed that everyone caught plenty of bream on them all over Australia – except me. I was much more confident with the Atomic Hardz 38 Deep. However, after success with the shallow, black Chubby and a string of non-boaters doing well with Deep Chubbies in the back of the boat, I was tempted to give them another try. This bait came good at the right time. I tied it on in the upper Macleay River after a slowish morning on the

Duel 50mm Shad

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Jackall Chubby Deep (brown suji)

Fredrickton flats with way too many bass between the bream. And in three casts

Jackall Chubby Shallow (black) WATCH THE VIDEO

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on the deeper bank, I boxed my last two fish, including a low 30s kicker that sealed the AOY deal. Now that’s a way to come good! I used the bait on 2lb straight through Yamatoyo fluorocarbon on Duffrods’ versatile Broken Bones 852MP rod with a slow, steady wind. With all bream crankbaits I slow roll the lure until the fish hooks itself. It may take many nips and bites before it

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loads up solid. Atomic Hardz Crank 38 Deep (ghost gill brown) • Paralleling Sydney Harbour bridge pylons in 8-30ft of water. This is the bait that won me the BREAM Grand Final in 2009 on Sydney Harbour, and it’s still my go-to boat for crankbaiting river edges and bridges. There’s something about the colour of the GGB (have a look at it under a UV torch) and the sound (yes, I To page 12

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swim in pools with them to listen) that ticks all of the boxes for bream. I’m not shy to up the line size a little when cranking bridges. The fish seem so fixated with pinning the bait against the structure that 6lb fluorocarbon is no problems at all. Make sure that you cast as close as possible along the pylons and bring back the bait with the current. If you’re really clever, you can rig two baits and tune them to swim left and right to really bang the structure. I, however, like one, straight-swimming bait and clever casting. Final tip for bridge crankbaiting? I use a specialised trout rod – as strong as I can find. The parabolic bend helps hook-ups and also helps to keep the hooks in place when you’re trying to wind

Tournament Angler Guide them out of the nasty stuff. STICKBAITS Tiemco Stick Minnow (007) • Ripping over flats and sinking around structure in 2-12ft of water. This is one of the baits that has stood the test of time for me. There’s a Tiemco and an Austackle version of this bait, and they both work equally well. Sometimes the Tiemco version suffers a ‘drought’ of supply. There are two places that I fish the Stick Minnow. The first is on shallow, weedy flats. Casting it with the wind as far as you can on 2lb fluorocarbon and a rip-pause retrieve has caught me plenty of big bream over the years in a couple of feet of clear, weedy water. The other scenario is around boats and pontoons in the same areas. There’s no better finesse presentation when bream are keyed onto

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Tiemco Stick Minnow (007)

shrimp and baitfish. And yes, there are times when bream will 100% eat the Stick Minnow in preference to a Cranka Crab. You just need to let the fish tell you what they’re up to on the day. The key to fishing a Stick Minnow vertically is line management. You must lay down the line as straight as you can immediately after

Atomic Hardz Crank 38 Deep (ghost gill brown)

the cast, and then feed it a little slack. The hooks are so sharp on these baits that the bream will hook itself, and all you need to do is start winding when you see the line moving irregularly. PLASTICS Ecogear Grass Minnow M (okiami) ‘pink grub’ • Georges Bay, St Helens, burn and kill over shallow flats in <2ft of water.

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Another bait that’s stood the test of time is the okiami coloured Ecogear Grass Minnow M on a #1 worm hook. This is a killer search bait for practice days, and also a gun bait for when bream are feeding on prawns. Most people don’t believe how fast I’ll fish the bait until they see it (there are some great examples on the accompanying video). I burn the bait fast, making it skip and jump on the surface before killing it dead and letting it sink a little. If there’s a bream (or a pack of bream) following, they’ll normally charge it when it stops. I fish a pink grub on 6lb fluorocarbon and 6lb braided line, because you need the lack of stretch to set the hooks solid, and the floating braid doesn’t hurt in the presentation. Having a big bream bow-wave a pink grub is one

of the best things in bream fishing. I recommend you try it at least once a season! Ecogearaqua 50mm (salt and pepper) • Slow sinking and sight fishing around pontoons and boats from Sydney to the Gold Coast. If sight fishing is my favourite breaming technique, then the Ecogearaqua is one of my favourite tools to do it with. It’s a versatile, castable, snag-resistant bait that both black and yellowfin bream find hard to resist. My favourite combination is the 50mm version of the bait (rather than the 40mm) fished on a VanFook Magic Beak no. 1 hook on 6lb Yamatoyo Chinu Harris leader, and whatever 6lb braid came in the most recent ABT tournament giveaway. Rig the bait from either end (you swap ends when the bait tears after catching a

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fish) and skip cast it to where you need it to be. It skip casts really well. The white bait sinks slowly enough so that you can usually watch the bream swim out, inspect it, and eat it on the drop if you’re fishing structure. Make sure you set the hooks hard when you see the bait go down the piehole. You’ll lose more fish not setting hooks hard enough rather then setting too hard. Another variation is to fish the bait like a pink grub for the first half of the retrieve. Skip it across the shallows to attract attention and then kill the bait and watch it get eaten on the drop. Either way, you get to watch the bream eat it, and breaming doesn’t get better than that. ZMan GrubZ 2.5” (gudgeon) • St Helens, Tasmania, casting to irregularities on flats in <3ft of water.

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abt.org.au I’ll admit it – I’m never the instigator of a solid ZMan session. It’s usually my non-boater who switches me onto the pattern by giving me a flogging with these baits. In 2018, legendary non-boater Stuart Walker did that for me. We were in the racks at St Helens and had worked out a pattern where we fished outside the racks on the flats beside. As we all know, Stu is a gun with the ZMan, and he was using custom-coloured 2.5” GrubZ that he’d concocted over the previous weeks. It involves putting some gudgeon colour GrubZ in with some motor-oil ones, and letting the colours leach together. Fished on a 1/16oz jighead, the bream were quite receptive to the presentation, which we made on light braid and 4-6lb leaders. Aim for the irregularities on the flats, and hang on. My preferred retrieve

Ecogear Grass Minnow M (okiami) ‘pink grub’ was pretty slow, with small twitches and hops. ZMan Slim SwimZ (motor oil) • Mandurah, WA, casting to docks and pontoons in the Murray River and canals, 2-8ft. Crossing the country, the ZMan GrubZ is often the favourite because it’s immune to the toadfish, or ‘blowies’ as the locals call them. I’ve seen blowies strip a Gulp from a jighead, bite for bite, in a couple of seconds. Ironically, Mandurah was

Ecogearaqua 50mm (salt and pepper)

the only qualifying arena where I didn’t catch my limit for the year on either day, but I ended up winning the event. The choice bait for here was a ZMan Slim SwimZ in Motor Oil rigged on a very small no. 4 hook and 1/24oz jighead made by Albany’s Jim Allen. The black bream in this system loved the slow drop of this bait beside pylons and under pontoons, with nearly every fish I hooked eating the bait on the drop.

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I fished the Slim SwimZ on a 7’8” rod and 4lb straight through fluorocarbon. If I wanted to impart action to the lure I’d use a shorter rod, but the pitch-and-drop technique really suited this longer rig. It also cushioned the fish, with that small hook being the only connection. CRABS Cranka Crab 5.9g (olive) • Boats in shallow, clear water, or any bridge, anywhere! I weighed 40% of my year’s fish on Cranka Crabs. Nearly all of these fish took the heavy, olive model, or a different colour that I’d sprayed olive (thanks to Jamie McKeown’s painting tips). If you watched my livestreams or highlights, you’d notice that a crabon-a-bridge was a pretty common way for me to start a tournament. There’s a good reason for this: bridges

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often hold some of the biggest bream in the system, and the opening morning of an event is often the easiest time to catch them. I nearly always fish them on straight-through fluorocarbon – anywhere between 2lb and 8lb depending on the structure (always erring towards the heavier line), and a 8’6” Daiwa ‘crab rod’. One of my discoveries this year was some 8lb Sufix fluorocarbon that’s no problem fishing a small crab on. It’s strong and has little memory, and it often gives me the advantage in bridge structure. As always, crabs are best fished slow. I mean really slow. Boringly slow. And let the fish load up before winding the hooks in. The final tip I’ll give for crabs is to take plenty of spare hooks. Big bream To page 14

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From page 13

have a habit of crunching the floating trebles flat, and a quick replacement will keep your catch rates high. I avoided using crabs in the first few years after Steve Steer invented them, and it hurt my results. Make sure that you have a few in your box. ON THE SIDELINES If I was to pick a reserve bench, there’s be a few baits

in there that have killed it for me over the years, if not in 2018. In this selection, I’d include: • Ecogear SX40 (brown/orange) • Daiwa Presso Minnow (chrome) • Ecogear VX35 blade (in black) • Daiwa Double Clutch 75 (ayu). All of these lures have won me events in the past,

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ZMan Slim SwimZ (motor oil) and all deserve a place in a breamer’s box. I hope that gives you an insight into what you need to do to be a versatile breamer. If you get your favourite selection

and get good at fishing them, it will get you better tournament results this season.

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ZMan GrubZ 2.5” (gudgeon)

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Cranka Crab 5.9g (olive)

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THE STATS Fish Max Bag Place Crab Aqua Deep Shallow Pink Deep Shallow Topwater ZMan ZManSlim Stick Swim minnow Grub Fish Weight jerk jerk grub crank crank jighead jighead St Helens 10 10 8.59 4 1 9 Derwent River 10 10 7.65 13 4 3 3 Gold Coast 10 10 4.89 4 2 8 Mandurah 5 10 3.05 1 5 Lake Macquarie 10 10 7.45 2 8 2 SWR 10 10 5.13 2 2 2 6 Hawkesbury 10 10 5.97 6 5 3 2 Aus Open 15 15 9.65 7 11 1 2 1 Percentage 40 15 3.75 3.75 1.25 2.5 2.5 10 11.25 6.25 3.75

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Digging into jigging HUNTER VALLEY

Peter Phelps

The skirted jig has certainly exploded in recent years, and any serious freshwater lure fisher should not be caught without one. Skirted jigs can be seriously addictive to use, and can catch fish when other techniques fail. This article is a follow-up to my beginner article on wp.fishingmonthly.com. au, so I will assume you

have the fundamentals of fishing a jig already, such as the correct rod, reel and line set-up. You may even be catching fish on jigs already. In this piece I will take you through some of the finer details of fishing jigs, and how to get the most out of them. THE ADDICTION Originating in the United States, the skirted jig is gaining popularity very quickly here in Australia. The jig has changed Australian bass fishing in a similar way to

what the Cranka Crab did for bream fishing. It’s a technique that when used in the right hands in the right circumstances, catches bass better that anything else. If you enjoy watching American bass tournament fishing, I can tell you there’s nothing more satisfying than feeling a fish pick up that jig and waiting a moment before swinging hard, dreaming of being KVD or Gerald Swindle! The notion of catching bass on jigs certainly isn’t new in Australia.

The author with a bass. A well placed cast was all that was needed to undo this fat bass. It took a skirted jig on the drop cast tight amongst some timber.

Top: Two jigs showing the differences with rigging the trailer. The top option is great for skip casting and slowing the fall. While the bottom is chunk rigged. Great for deep water, forcing a reaction strike and making your trailer last a long time. Above: There are thousands of plastic trailers out there. They all work at given times. Keep them simple and break them down into action or plastic movement. 16

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There are bits and pieces of information that can be found dating back years and years. However, there was a particular day when it all just clicked and made sense for me. It was October 2013 and I was fishing Lake Glenbawn. I had caught fish previously on jigs, but it was random and seemed inconsistent. That day it was the typical NSW impoundment bite that you get in spring – bass and yellowbelly aggressively hitting moving baits, like a spinnerbait or lipless crankbait early. The fishing was hot but, as per usual, around mid-morning

it died right off. At this time you’d typically try to scrape together some more fish by targeting deeper water, but usually the bite wouldn’t pick up again until late afternoon. On this day I opened my tackle storage and started scrounging through boxes, looking for that magical lure that might catch a fish, as we all do from time to time. I came across some round ball finesse jigs I had purchased from the United States a long time before. Throwing a plastic craw on the back, it was instant action! I missed a fish on the first cast, and

then worked on refining it over the next few hours. Bass started to come at a steady rate, including some absolute tanks in the middle of the day. This was my light bulb moment. There was a sensation of adrenaline rushing over me, and everything just made sense. I now knew that there was a lot more to fishing a jig than just some random fish every now and then. I remember thinking to myself, “I’m not putting this jig down ever again” and I barely have since! There is always one rigged ready to go on my boat, if I feel the

opportunity arises. Since that day I have caught bass on a jig on almost every waterway I have fished, from deep water flats in Queensland impoundments to the skinniest water you can find in a tiny creek. While the skirted jig was initially used to imitate a yabby, there are tons of variations on how you can use them – from swimming jigs higher in the water column to mimic a fish, to skipping them into the heaviest cover you wouldn’t be able to place any other lure. We Australians have only just begun to scratch the surface on how to use them. WHEN TO USE JIGS When it comes to picking what lure to use, I first look at whether I want a moving bait or a stationary bait. Whether I choose a moving bait depends on the cover where I’m fishing and the main food source (e.g. with boney bream and heavy cover like timber, I’ll pick a spinnerbait). Shallow water Australian bass are typically willing to move around and away from cover in low light scenarios, whether it’s a river or lake. In low light or windy conditions, you will find a moving bait will get eaten.

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abt.org.au As the moving bait bite dies off, the fish generally pull tighter to cover, or move deeper. It might seem as though they’re feeding less actively, but they have probably just changed what they are willing to eat. This is when the skirted jig comes into play. It’s great for its weedless and snagless capability, allowing you to fish it super slow in the heaviest of cover, right in front of a bass’s nose. DIFFERENT JIG TYPES There are several styles of skirted jig, and each is suited to a different type of cover. The football jig is shaped exactly as it sounds – two rounded cones meeting in the middle of the hook eye. This keeps the jig upright easily, with typically a vertical hook eye. These jigs are usually heavier, and are better suited for deeper water. The football head shape frequently gets wedged in branches of trees, so rock, sand and muddy bottom are better suited for this jig. Surprisingly, bass don’t mind picking up a heavy jig and swimming away with it. I’ve caught fish in 50ft of water on the bottom and had them picking up an 1oz

A fairly large meal in a 5/8oz jig with a 4” craw plastic trailer does not deter even the smaller bass from getting it down the hatch. jig with no worries at all. Casting, flipping, swimming, Arkie, finesse or round style jigs come in a million varieties, with different hook bend degrees, hook size, skirt strand counts, skirt materials, lead, tungsten, weights, colours – you name it. You can really get lost, over-complicate and confuse yourself. The best thing to do is keep everything simple when it

comes to selecting the right type. Choose your weight based on the depth you are fishing. As a guide, I’d go 1/4oz for 0-6ft, 3/8oz for 0-12ft and 1/2oz for 10-20ft of water. These style heads are better for coming through thick cover. The cone shape head and typical vertical hook eye allows the jig to slide between weed and over timber with ease. When in comes to

colours, I keep everything simple as well. In clear water I like natural colours like black, brown and green. In stained or dirty water, I choose a colour that contrasts nicely like white, black or chartreuse. I don’t get fussed over matching the trailer exactly with the skirt I am using. The fish don’t seem to care. If they were that smart, we would never catch them.

CHOOSING A TRAILER Plastic trailers are very important, as these are where all the action comes from. They give the jig a profile, they affect the fall, and give it a texture that the fish can feel and bite down onto and hold. When choosing a trailer, there are a few factors to consider. Generally, my craw trailers fall into two styles – a straight craw and a flapping craw. Flapping craw A flapper style can give a lot of action and slow the fall as it swims on the way down. I prefer these styles if the fish are active and willing to eat the jig with no fuss at all. I’m a fan of the flapper style on football jigs for deep water and covering water quickly. When I’m using a heavy football jig like a 5/8oz or heavier, I drag it with a sweeping motion to the left or right. I focus on pulling the jig along the bottom, bouncing off cover and causing the craw to flap along the bottom. Commonly in the warmer months when the fish are actively targeting jigs I will go for a flapper. They are also great for To page 18

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From page 17

swimming the jig up off the bottom. There may be thick weed beds around and the jig might not be getting any attention on the bottom because the fish can not find the jig. Swimming it just up and through the gaps in weed can get some bites. Straight craw I like to use a straight

style craw during a more timid bite, such as during the cooler months, or if the fish are under pressure or a weather change has come through. Straight craws have no action at all, and require the rod tip to be twitched to get them dancing around. I like to fish them slowly. Typically with this retrieve I am targeting

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specific cover (e.g. a laydown, standing tree or a hole in the weed), and in this scenario I let the jig land nice and softly next to the targeted structure. A lighter jig like a 1/4oz or 3/8oz is ideal. After waiting a moment to see whether a fish has picked up the jig, I pull the jig forward ever so slightly. Usually

Jigs showing the fibre weed guard differences: Bottom jig with a splayed apart guard gives the jig a softer guard. The centre jig is a standard brush guard straight out of the packet. The top jig with a pushed forward brush guard gives the jig a more rigid guard for fishing heavy timber and weed.

Jack Maunder was new to catching bass on a jig not that long ago. A quick lesson on the boat about rod setup and retrieves had him landing bass in no time flat.

the rod tip bending and the jig being dragged forward an inch is enough to make the skirt flare and move the craw legs. This movement alone is enough for a timid bite; there’s no need to aggressive work the jig.

If I haven’t got bit after two or three little movements with a 3-5 second pause in between, I burn the jig back in again and cast to the next specific target. These two trailer

styles and retrieves are my main stayers. I throw in variations like pausing longer or dragging quicker to mix things up if I’m not getting bites. Remember that is just a guide rather than a hard

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abt.org.au and fast rule. I’m sure if you have the patience and soaked a jig next to a laydown long enough, a fish would come along eventually. RIGGING Next is the rigging of the trailer. If you’re fishing in a river with heavy cover and overhanging branches where you need to skip cast, make sure you choose a bulky body style plastic. This body adds to the surface area and allows the jig to skip on the water’s surface a lot easier. The bulkier plastic also slows the fall for landing next to those prime laydowns and not spook the fish. When I want to fish the jig deeper and give it less resistance through the water, I go to a chunkstyle rigging. Instead of threading the craw all the way down the shank of the hook onto the plastic

keeper, I cut the craw head off and thread it straight onto the hook. This allows the jig to sink quickly back towards the bottom. I use this for fishing deeper water or forcing a reaction bite on the fall. Rigging the plastic chunk style also stops the trailer from tearing on fish. It simply slides down the shank after hooking the fish, and lasts multiple fish. Trimming the skirt is another thing I like to do, especially with a flapperstyle craw. I make sure the skirt is not too long to affect the craws legs from swimming. I trim back just behind where the legs attach to the bottom of the trailer. Typically I’ll make a jagged cut and maybe leave a couple of stands long to imitate antennae. There are no straight lines in nature, so I cut my skirt accordingly.

WEED GUARD The fibre weed guard or brush guard is a funny topic. I have spoken to a lot of anglers about this topic, and some feel the need to remove the weed guard totally or trim it right down. They say they do this for timid bites, or to prevent the fish from feeling the weed guard and spitting it out. I feel this is unnecessary. Cutting down or shortening the fibre guard makes it stiffer and harder to bend over, thus requiring a harder hook set. The ideal brush guard length is to the barb of the hook when it’s bent over. If I really want to make the guard softer to push down, I pull apart or splay the guard to create a V shape. This leaves the guard intact, and it still has its snagless capabilities while being softer to push

down. If you want to make the guard softer again, take one strand, bend it out and trim it off directly at the head of the jig. You must be careful when making the guard softer, as if it’s too soft it will remove the feature that makes the jig so different from other lures. There would be nothing worse than making an accurate cast only to have the jig lodge into some structure because the weed guard is too soft, causing you to miss an opportunity for a bass. Conversely, if I want to make my weed guard stiffer I will push it forward towards the hook eye. Fishing around thick weed or using a heavy jig in deep water around timber requires stiffer brush guards. Bend the guard to a near 90° angle to the hook shank. This will give more room for the guard to bend or flex before the jig becomes hung up in weed or timber. TRYING IT FOR YOURSELF In every scenario, you want to be able to make every cast count with your jig. You want to fish it as slow or as fast as you require without wasting casts. Remember that the fish believes it is eating a crawfish or yabby, and it’s expecting to pick up something heavy and sharp with nippers. Once you have fished a jig for a while you will come across fish that pick up your jig and spit it out multiple times. This is the fish trying to kill the craw before it eats it. There are tons of examples of this in videos from bass in the United States. Of course, just when you think you have the fish worked out, they up and change on what they were

Blue bird skies and clear water pulled the bass closer to cover. This is when the skirted jig really shines.

As more anglers start using jigs, we will learn more ways of catching fish on them. doing before. Each year has been different, and as more anglers come to use jigs we will learn more ways of catching fish on them. I’ve had many conversations with anglers about how they have caught fish on jigs, and thought to myself “I probably wouldn’t have thought to try that”. It’s great to see people thinking outside the box and pushing the theories behind it all. Hopefully this article has given you an insight

into the how and why of fishing a jig. For me, fishing a jig for bass isn’t about colours, specific trailers or brands, as the fish don’t discriminate. What matters is what you are doing with your jig, in what depth and next to what kind of structure. It’s about the jig being completely different from a moving bait. I hope this gets you thinking along the correct train of thought for your future bass fishing trips.

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Tackling a new venue ABT

Joey Urquhart & Jamie McKeown

It’s one thing to explore a new waterway when you’re fishing socially, and quite another when you’re in a tournament situation and the pressure is on. However, plenty of tournament anglers succeed on waterways that they’ve never fished before, and you can too. Read on to discover the strategies used by two successful tournament pros: Joey Urquhart and Jamie McKeown.

JOEY URQUHART It’s been 10 years since I competed in my first ever ABT BASS event, and over this time the tournament scene has evolved, with new venues each and every year. These venues present competitors with challenges that they might not have faced before. Through this article, I will delve into how I approach a bass tournament on a venue I haven’t visited before the pre-fish. Hopefully these tips will help you the next time you visit a new area.

Mapping Earlier this year I won the BASS Electric event at Wyaralong Dam, which is a relatively new dam and has no real information available on how it fishes yet. I knew I had to do my homework before I showed up on pre-fish day if I wanted a chance of winning. The first step that’s crucial to your preparation for a new venue is researching maps, whether it’s Google Earth or social maps. This gives you a good look at the venue without actually being there, and it’s the best way

There’s no doubt about it, when you meet Archer, you’ll have a momentous experience.

Top: This beast unveiled Wyaralong’s secrets, and set up Joey Urquhart’s win at the dam. Sometimes it only takes one fish! Above: Regardless of the weather or number of boats on the water, if you have confidence you’re far more likely to succeed. 20

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to get a look at the different structure that’s in the lake. A great way of seeing what’s under the water is to look back on previous years of Google Earth where the water level may have been lower when the images were taken. It sometimes will unveil rock piles or trees you otherwise wouldn’t have known were there. Once I have a lay of the

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Tournament Angler Guide

abt.org.au lake I dissect it into different areas I would like to look at in pre-fish. These areas I pick are usually based on what I think look good, and which look like similar areas I would fish on similar venues. I then mark these areas into my GPS and use different map icons to separate the areas, allowing me to clearly separate different structure types. I put these locations in

Some venues have hundreds of kilometres of edges to fish, and the thought of having to survey so much water can be overwhelming.

order from my favourite to least favourite, to eliminate time wasted on pre-fish. Because I fish out of one of the smallest boats in the field, I often look for small feeder creeks and harder-toget-to areas that the larger boats can’t reach. Having previously found these via mapping, it allows for more fishing time come practice, and less time roaming around aimlessly. Rigging up Now that you have a firm grasp on the areas you would like to fish, it’s time to work out a technique and what lures you’re going to throw. I look at the time of year the tournament is being held, and rely on my knowledge of what techniques work on other venues at this time of year. I then prepare my tackle, covering the most obvious techniques. At Wyaralong Dam, I chose to rig my rods with a reaction bite approach, which consisted of lipless crankbaits, spinnerbaits and some larger topwater lures. I always rig 2-3 rods with the same lure I think will be the best choice, as the last thing you want to be doing on pre-fish is searching for lures in your tackle trays and wasting valuable time. I always allow a few spare rods to tie on what I

call the ‘out of the square’ lures. These are lures that you know work, but not necessarily at that lake and at that time of year. Still, they could be the thing that could make the difference. I had one of these lures tied on at Wyaralong Dam; it was a medium diving Japanese crankbait that proved crucial in my win. Arriving at the venue It’s now time to head off to the tournament, and I always pop into the nearest tackle store on the way. Don’t expect to have everything handed to you on a golden platter, but with most purchases will come some tips or tricks that may help you on the day. Because these snippets of information are very up to the minute, I find they are more useful than looking at previous results from the same venue. However, while getting advice can be useful, I advise against spending a lot of time listening to other people’s stories, as this can cloud your judgement and become very confusing. In any case, it’s more rewarding finding your own honey hole. I sometimes watch videos of the venue, but I watch them to see what the lake looks like more then to look at the techniques used To page 22

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Tournament Angler Guide

From page 21

by the angler. Once you have reached your accommodation, it’s good to drive to the ramp to make yourself aware of how everyone will launch the following morning for practice – plus it’s nice to finally get a visual of the lake. A valuable piece of advice is to stick to your plan with your previously rigged rods. After talking to friends at your accommodation you will have other ideas running through your mind, as those guys may have been there themselves before. Stick to your plan for the practice day, because you will regret changing it if it all goes pear-shaped! Pre-fish It’s now pre-fish morning and it’s time to put all your research to work. I usually head for my furthest location so I can fish it at prime time, then bounce from spot to spot, rotating through my chosen lures. As a rule, if 10am comes and I am yet to find any decent signs of fish, I generally pick up one of my out-of-thesquare lures and run and gun random spots, trying to make something happen. This year at Wyaralong Dam it was 9:30am and I hadn’t seen any signs of fish, and I did exactly that – and pulled a

2kg+ fish straight away. I moved down the lake and found an area that looked nothing like where I had caught my previous fish, but I liked the look of it anyway. Before long I pulled another big fish. That area turned out to be where I would win the tournament, and I only achieved it by adapting throughout the day and not getting stuck in a rut. If your pre-fish didn’t go to plan and you have absolutely nothing to go on for the first day of the comp, my advice is stay confident. At no stage should you think you can’t work them out, and definitely never give up. Tomorrow is a new day. The tournament begins Tournament morning is now about to start and the rest is now up to you. If you found some sort of pattern the previous day, stick to it, although if things aren’t going to plan by mid-morning, I would definitely abandon that plan for the moment. Try to scrape something together somewhere else to settle your nerves and keep yourself in contention. You can never win a tournament on the first day, but you can definitely lose one. Don’t try doing what the rest of the field is doing if you’re not confident in it. At the end of the day

abt.org.au

Jamie McKeown knows that prior research is important. It’s not enough to just rock up and hope for the best! confidence is the key, and you’re far better sticking to something you know you can catch fish on. I hope some off these tips will help you out the next

Aberdeen Fishing & Outdoors

time you’re in an unfamiliar area, and see you putting some fish in your livewell. JAMIE MCKEOWN Tournament fishing a new venue can be daunting

to say the least. There are a lot of important factors to consider. However, with a computer and some spare time you can cover off on most of them.

WHO CARES ABOUT LIVE SCANNING SONAR?

I started fishing the ABT BREAM tournaments in 2012, and back then all venues were new to me. I soon learned that just showing up and trying to find good areas during a 1-day pre-fish wasn’t good enough. After having a few expensive lessons, I have learned to start my preparation for new venues months before the actual tournament is scheduled to run. The first part of my preparation, and most important, relates to safety. I don’t want to run my boat into submerged rock walls or trees, or injure my non-boater or myself, so I start by going onto www.abt. org.au and finding out where the launch and weigh-in sites will be. Then I go to one of the many tide and weather websites and see what the moon phase will be, and check the tides for the date of the tournament. This is not only for planning safe navigation areas, but also for planning areas to fish. The last thing I want is to get stuck on a flat with a good limit in the livewell, and not be able to return in time for the weigh-in. Once I have done all of this, I the research and download a map (if available) from C-Map Genesis Social

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Maps. It usually provides a very detailed map of the arena, but the downside is that it’s only for Lowrance users. An alternative is to use the Navionics app on your phone. On this map you can view depth contours, channel markers and any unsafe ground. The app is not free, but $26 is a lot cheaper than having to repair a destroyed prop or hull. After I have worked out safe navigation areas, I start

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Tournament Angler Guide

abt.org.au researching where I want to fish. I want to catch fish in areas that best suit my skills. For me it is pointless trying to reinvent the wheel for myself, and attempt to catch fish on a technique I have never used or have no confidence in, so I look for areas that suit my style of fishing. My first port of call is Google Maps. It usually has pretty good up-to-date maps and resolution so I can see

Having a good pre-fish day allowed Joey Urquhart to put together a winning bag of 3.37kg at Wyaralong Dam.

bridges, weed flats or rocky points that I can look at on the pre-fish day. Once I have picked out some areas, I look to see whether there has ever been a tournament held on the arena before. There usually has been, and if you do a bit of digging you can usually find the results. I like to research these results, and try to find an event that was held around the same time of year as the tournament I’m planning on fishing. This way I can work out average bag weights, and see if I’m headed in the right direction with areas I have already identified on Google Maps. This search can be expanded depending on how much spare time you have, but this is why I start my research months before the tournament. I then turn to social media, I use Facebook to find fishing groups or pages that have been started in the area to get an idea of how the arena is currently fishing. After all, searching old tournament results may only tell you how the system used to fish; so much could have changed since then. I then search YouTube to see if there are any videos that locals may have posted, and also go back through old AFC DVDs. This can

sometimes give me an idea of lure patterns and colours. The information and lures may be old, but the bream haven’t changed too much as to what they like to eat. This brings me to pre-fish. Depending on time, money and distance, I try to plan a pre-fish about a month out from the tournament. I try my hardest to plan the trip on the exact same tide and moon phases the tournament will be on. This way I can take my time sounding around, marking safe or unsafe areas on my GPS, and of course fish the specific areas I have already identified. I don’t have to be concerned with stinging fish that I may want to be catching the following day in the tournament, I can work out if spots will replenish, spend two days fishing instead of one, and determine whether I have to go completely back to the drawing board and work out new areas. I use a lot of technology in my research and preparation prior to ever seeing a venue, but after arriving and getting on the water, a lot comes down to instinct. Some areas may look a lot fishier than Google Maps can ever give justice to, and I’d be stupid not to have a cast, even if it’s just for 10 minutes. It’s important to be able to

Mapping unveils hidden gems like creeks and drains that would normally be hard to find. adapt to any conditions or situations that may be thrown your way. Combine the knowledge you have gathered through technology with your past experiences and instincts, and you have a

recipe for success. Preparation can be time-consuming, but let’s face it – with the cost of fuel and accommodation, it’s always nice to try and drive home with a cheque in your pocket!

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Tournament Angler Guide

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The early days of ABT FMG

Bob Thornton

This year Australian Bass Tournaments celebrates 20 years. Two decades has seen the company go from strength to strength, helping to shape the fishing, boating and tackle industries in Australia. These days each event sees a flotilla of sleek looking fibre-glass bass boats, each armed to the teeth with the latest and greatest tackle and gadgets, and some

of the anglers have even appeared on television. In the beginning though, things were very different, and the road hasn’t always been a smooth one. It’s hard to believe that the first proper ABT event was held on Lake Moogerah in Queensland’s South East 20 years ago in 1999. There were 31 boats bobbing around the ramp before a very chaotic and smoky shotgun start. There were few fibreglass bass boats, no Jackalls, no Squigies and no UPF 50+ fishing shirts –

just a fleet of tiller-steered tinnies with an assortment of Aussie-made lures, and lots and lots of sandals and short shorts. Peter Keidge won that event. He was throwing spinnerbaits. So much has changed in 20 years, with many waves of innovation and development flooding the fishing world. Lots of these big changes came about as a result of that first event, and the many that followed in the years after. ABT truly changed the face of Australian fishing. And Set ups in the late ‘90s were simple, but still attracted plenty of competitors, as can be seen by all the cars in the carpark in the background.

Top: Early on almost all the boats at BASS events were aluminium punts with an average of 30hp. Bow-mounted electric motors were still seen as a novelty. Above: Tim Morgan dominated the early BREAM series, and was at home fishing the Gold Coast waters in the early 2000s. 24

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although plenty of others have tried to emulate ABT and failed, ABT remains the leader in the field. THE VERY BEGINNING In 1998, two members of the Moreton Bay Game Fishing Club (MBGFC), with help from the club, decided to run a two-day freshwater tournament at Maroon Dam in South East Queensland. This was to be ABT’s trial event. Steve Morgan and Steve Bain had both travelled and fished in tournaments overseas, and had an idea to start a tournament series like the ones they were exposed to in the USA, Japan and South Africa. Gordon Macdonald from

Brisbane won that event, and said the competition really opened his eyes. “I’d fished a few tournaments with the club [MBGFC], but this was a totally different format,” he said. “There were three sessions over two days of fishing, it was cast and retrieve only, and we were required to bring our fish in live, which was very different to the tournaments I’d fished before that.” This event also employed a system that paired those who had boats with those who didn’t, otherwise known as a boater/non-boater format, which comes from the American system. On the day, Gordon decided to try a slightly

different approach to the rest of the field, choosing to throw spinnerbaits. “No one else was really throwing them,” he said. “Many people were just casting the bibbed lures they would have usually trolled with” “I knew people in the US were using them to catch their bass, and I’d been experimenting with a few myself.” “Back then, Kokoda spinnerbaits were about the only ones you could get here, so that’s what I used.” Spinnerbaits was the first of many crazes that started with ABT tournaments, and countless events since then have been won by casting and retrieving these curious

contraptions. Queensland’s Harry Watson of Jackall fame was the first BASS Pro Grand Final winner in 1999, winning himself a trip to fish a BASS Event at Lake Orroville, California. Brett

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Tournament Angler Guide

abt.org.au Thomson from Queensland, a man well ahead of his time as far as fishing techniques were concerned, won the first Angler of The Year title that same year. These names will always be remembered by those who

Brett Thomson, pictured here in 1999, won the first two BASS Pro AOY titles (1999 and 2000).

fished the early tournaments, but there was so much more to come. LEARNING TO CRAWL It wasn’t long after the BASS Pro series kicked off that ABT introduced a BASS Electric series, for those who fished in the many electric only impoundments scattered throughout Queensland and NSW. As the first few seasons of the BASS Pro and BASS Electric series travelled up and down the east coast of SEQ and NSW, certain switched-on individuals began to emerge at the pointy end of the leader board regularly. John Schofield from Brisbane was one of those anglers, and he, like many others had participated in the 1998 trial event and got a taste for it. John has scored many event wins in both the BASS Pro and BASS Electric series, and his signature technique was fly fishing with a fly that he created. The fly is well-known not just in tournament fishing circles, but to the wider fishing community, and even overseas. The Bass Vampire fly, so named because of John’s then job of driving trucks for the blood bank, has over time

been reproduced into many different sizes and variations, much to John’s delight. “The Bass Vampire came about because I really liked my fly fishing, and I actually dreamt it!” he said. “I woke up, and the dream had been so clear that I was able to draw it on a note pad, and then I eventually sat down and tied it up.” In John’s time fishing tournaments, he got to witness the changes in the fishing, tackle and boating industry, and the trickle down effect the tournaments were having on the general public. “I can remember before the tournaments took off, you’d pull you’re boat up to the ramp at Boondoooma Dam, and there would be people holidaying, or famers just out for a fish, and they’d have a sinker and live shrimp hanging from their rods,” he said. “As time went on, these same boats would have ice jigs, Sliders, and then eventually Jackalls replacing the sinkers and shrimps.” “I can also remember in the early days a few 70-boat fields of mostly mostly tiller steer engines, which were a cross section of outboard brands, but after a few anglers got Mercury sponsorships, all of a sudden 60-70% of boaters were using Mercury outboards.”

Ex-tournament director Simon Goldsmith fished the BARRA trial event at Teemburra in 2004. Most of the fish were only small compared to the 1m+ beasts that come out of this waterway now. BREAMIN’ With the success of the BASS Pro tournament series, introducing a new series seemed like the next logical step. BASS tournaments in America were centred around a species that exists

in every state in the USA (except Alaska), and this is why the species is so popular and marketable. The two Steves put their heads together to find a species that was as accessible as bass in America, and after To page 26

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Tournament Angler Guide

From page 25

much consideration, it was to be the humble bream that would make ABT a truly national tournament series. Although only a small fish, they exist in every state and territory (except ACT) and appeal to a wide range

responsive bream are to lure angling, and was able to dominate the scene in the early years. Tim won the first ever BREAM event in 2000, which was held on the Gold Coast. “I don’t think there was a huge amount of people

abt.org.au

Tim was also in the interesting position of being both an angler and a sponsor, as at the time he was working for BLA, who import Humminbird products. “To be competitive, we wanted every advantage we could get,” he said. “For

Stessl tournament boats were considered state-of the art in the early days.

Jason Wilhelm had a huge influence on techniques for impoundment barramundi, and won several events on his home lakes and further afield. of tactics and techniques – although most Australian anglers did not know this – yet! Tim Morgan was one man who knew just how

using lures for bream,” he said. “I think ABT really helped bream to become not only a bait species, but also a lure species in people’s minds,” he said.

example in the early days we used floats to mark our spots, but with the advent of GPS technology [which Humminbird provided] our fishing became much easier.”

“Tournaments have definitely raised the bar of tackle used in Australia, and helped many of these products to enter the market.” Anglers like Tim, as well as others such as Mike Delisser, Mick Lee, Andrew Howard and the Metcalf brothers Chris and Michael were all continually pushing the envelope, and paving the way forward with their breaming techniques and sharing them with others. If you’ve ever wanted to know what those first few series were like, you can find out by watching Breamin’ I & II, a DVD that covers the 2001 ABT BREAM series! This really helped get tournament fishing out to a wider audience, and featured

some then revolutionary techniques, and guitar music from none other than Tommy Emmanuel. If you ever get the chance, it’s still worth the watch today. The ABT Bream series has to date travelled to six states in Australia, and given away many amazing boat/ trailer prize packages to those lucky enough to win a Grand Final. GOING NORTH With the BREAM and BASS Pro series roaring along, it was decided that in 2005, following a trial event at Teemburra Dam in 2004, that ABT would include a impoundment barramundi series to their calendar. This created a lot of excitement within the fishing community,

but it wasn’t without its hurdles in the early stages. Jason Wilhelm, who was living in Gladstone at the time, was an angler who had been bitten by the impoundment barra bug a few years earlier. Excited by the prospect of a BARRA series, he jumped at the opportunity to throw his hat in the ring when ABT finally came to Lake Awoonga, his favourite barra dam at the time. However, the first draw event didn’t really go to plan, because while the boater/ non-boater format had been popular with bream and bass anglers, it just wasn’t going to work with the barra community. Where the teams format was successful, the To page 28

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From page 26

first event had three boater entries, and after that the format was canned and reverted to the teams style. “I suppose because impoundment barra fishing was in its infancy, lots of people tended to want to fish with their mates, and they were very guarded on their methods,” Jason said. “The logical choice was a teams event, but I really hope ABT can revisit the boater/ non-boater format further down the road – it’s probably a matter of waiting until the less experienced have caught up.” The early BARRA

tournaments were run in a format that permitted two anglers to fish together, but they were competing individually. Some early problems with this format saw the BARRA Tour eventually became a series of team events. Just like with The BASS and BREAM series, the BARRA events encouraged considerable growth in the impoundment barramundi scene, and Jason witnessed this growth first hand. “Everyone had to up their game, and there’s no doubt ABT influenced a lot of now readily accepted techniques,” he said. “Fast

frogging is a good example.” And even though BARRA events didn’t use the same boater/non-boater format that encouraged the sharing of knowledge, many barra anglers were still happy to share some of their techniques and develop the fishery. The process was slower than with BASS and BREAM, but it was ticking along. “In my experience, the top barra guys did pass on their techniques and embraced the ABT’s ‘who shares wins’ mantra,” Jason said. “A lot of anglers just weren’t fishing as competitively as they would

The late Dave Irvine (front) and Gordon Macdonald (rear) work some of Moogerah’s standing timber with spinnerbaits in an early ABT event.

have in the BASS and BREAM events.” While Jason was a force to be reckoned with early on, there were others that had him constantly looking over his shoulder, such as Jason Medcalf and the Taylor brothers Kerrin and Cy. While it’s evident the BARRA series is still lagging in some ways behind the other series, its continual growth is promising for the future, with each year’s series teaching the angling world more about these incredible fish. AFC It would be remiss of not to mention the Australian Fishing Championships (AFC) series that kicked off in 2004. Co-developed by ABT (which also acted as a feeder series), AFC got the best bream, bass and barra tournament anglers in Australia, put them head to head, and aired it on Channel 10 – back when there were few options on the box. The classy production would thrust tournament fishing in Australia to an even wider audience than the magazines and newsletters ever could. The series saw anglers like Harry Watson, Jason Wilhelm, Matthew Mott, Darren Borg and more become household names in the wider fishing community.

abt.org.au

Harry Watson won the first BASS Pro Grand Final in 1999, and was known for consistently catching fish of this calibre. That’s one young Hank! AFC is still running, and although running independent of ABT, it still brings the exciting antics of tournament fishing to Australian and Asian living rooms. THAT’S ALL HISTORY These little bits of history formed the foundation for the

ABT we see today, and all this happened in the first 5-6 years. Thinking about what lies down the track is exciting, and while many things are uncertain, one thing that isn’t is that ABT will continue to help develop the fishing, tackle and boating industry in Australia.

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Tournament Angler Guide

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ABT’s 2018 Champions!

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Cooking

How to make a watermelon kingfish ceviche SYDNEY

Andrew Humphries

To make the dressing for the ceviche blend red chilli and coriander in a blender until fine. Add in olive oil and blend until smooth.

Next, season with salt, stir through lime juice and set aside. The dressing can be made up to one day ahead of using and kept in the fridge. Peel and slice watermelon into 1cm thick slices and then cut into rectangular pieces approximately 2cm

INGREDIENTS

to use also. Skin the fillet and trim out the blood line, and then thinly slice the fillet from head to tail and set aside. Mix the finely sliced red onion into the ceviche dressing, add in kingfish slices and sit in dressing for

200g kingfish fillet trimmed skin off 1 red chilli deseeded 1/4 bunch coriander 1.5 limes juiced

Coriander, chilli and lime for the dressing for the ceviche.

Kingfish fillet skinned and trimmed up ready to be sliced.

Watermelon sliced up ready to go with the kingfish.

thick and finally slice into 0.5cm pieces. To prepare the kingfish, slice down the centre as close as possible to the centre bones. For the ceviche I prefer the topside of the fillet but the belly side of the fillet, is perfectly fine

Blending the chilli and coriander.

Slicing the kingfish sashimi style.

Kingfish and red onion mixed in with the ceviche dressing.

1-2 minutes. The longer the kingfish is left in the dressing the more the lime juice will cook the fish and change the texture. At most I would leave it in for 5 minutes, then serve right away. On a Chinese spoon

lay down watermelon, then place one slice of kingfish and some red onion. If you do not have Chinese spoons to serve on, alternatively lay watermelon on a plate, then top with kingfish and red onion and use a toothpick to hold together.

2 tablespoons olive oil 100g watermelon 1/4 red onion finely sliced

Skinning the kingfish fillet by holding onto the tail of the skin and running a sharp knife between the flesh and skin while gently pulling the skin.

Kingfish slices ready to be mixed with the ceviche dressing.

The delicious kingfish ceviche. FEBRUARY 2019

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

February fishing is firing TASMANIA

Kelly Hunt

January was an amazing start to the new fishing year and 2019 is shaping up to be a memorable one. The tuna were the first to surprise with a few southern bluefin turning up along with heaps of albacore. This looks to continue as we find

ourselves in the fantastic month of February. The water quality around the state has been improving over many years and the fish are enjoying the change immensely. This has come about through tighter environmental controls on businesses that discharge into our waterways and a number of heavy industries closing down on our coastlines. The resulting

EAST COAST The month of February is when gamefishers get excited about the possibility of a marlin. We don’t often speak of the big beaked piscatorial speedsters, as they are an infrequent visitor to our shores. This month is a different story as the East Australian Current may favour us and bring some striped marlin with it. Striped marlin are found in tropical and warm temperate waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans, hence the need for a very favourable EAC. Striped marlin are pelagic and as such seasonally migrate moving toward the equator during the cold season and away again during the warm season. Tasmania is a fair way from the equator, so we need everything to align to see these fish in good numbers. In years when the warm current coming from the north is strong we get a good wide finger of warm ocean – these are the conditions that bring the striped marlin and this year is shaping up as a good one. The good news for anglers is that striped marlin are a highly predatory fish. They feed extensively on pilchards, yakka, mackerel, sauries and squid. In Tasmania they also spend a fair bit of time following the

striped tuna schools. Striped marlin will feed aggressively and when worked up they will strike lures and baits with gusto. The trick is getting a solid hook up. They are well known for their fighting ability and this is why they are a trophy catch in Tasmanian waters. These fish spend more time in the air than in the water when hooked and go on super quick runs with spectacular leaps. They will tail walk and do a manoeuvre where they ‘greyhound’ across the surface. This is a term used where the fish jump over and over across the water surface looking to dislodge the hook. To find marlin in Tasmania you have to hit the East Australia Current as early as you can. This would mean hitting a launching spot as far north as you can achieve. The launching facilities off St Helens at Burns Bay and out of the Gulch at Bicheno are perfect choices. If you are looking to get further north you can try the launching at Ansons Bay or Great Mussel Roe Bay. St Helens and Bicheno would be my destinations of choice. Both these areas see a fair bit of the EAC and have ample bait in the water to attract the heavy feeding marlin. There are two distinct courses of action when looking to catch a marlin in Tasmania, you can use skirted lures or

improvement in water quality has allowed fish to really prosper and we are seeing a vast improvement. Over the holiday period we saw many people take advantage of the great weather and fishing on offer. The great news is that in February this looks to continue as the good weather and fishing looks to build up around the state. live bait. Personally I would set yourself up and practice to do both. In Tasmania it is about getting out on the shelf and covering as much ground as you can. Then once you have found a marlin or some bait that looks like it is being harassed by some feeding

FEBRUARY 2019

marlin. They will of course take smaller, but it is all about the commotion and ruckus you are trying to make as you troll along. You must make sure you have your skirted lures rigged with a strong thin gauge hook that is ultra-sharp. These fish are notoriously difficult

can come down and the crew can send out some skip baits. The skirts were trolled at around 8 knots, but with a couple of skip baits out you will come down to about three knots, no quicker. This reduction in speed while trolling some skip baits on the riggers will allow the skipper to tune the sounder in sweetly and hopefully spot the tell tale arch or screen worm that gives away a marlin’s position. If one is located then skip baits will be brought in short and some deep live baits can go out. The sounder screen will let the skipper know what depth to deploy the live baits and he will call out the depth to the crew. The crew will strip line from the rod tips and a medium-sized snapper

now we are in February. The mako shark fishing was fantastic and is looking to continue through this month. The gamefishing clubs of North West Tasmania and St Helens run a joint organized event in January and the fishing was exceptional. There were a number of monstrous mako mixed in with an early run of tuna combining to keep anglers on their toes. I caught up with Torin Philpott who fished the event. Torin was out fishing with his two sons, wife Tash, and good friend Martin, when they landed a fish of a lifetime! The Tamar Marine Shark Fishing Competition was held at St Helens by the Game Fishing Club of

South East Australia surface temps are rising as warm water comes down with the EAC, hopefully bringing some marlin. striped marlin swap technique. Get four big skirts out the back of your boat making a heap of surface noise. You will want pusher style skirts of a size you might not normally run. The 8-10” lures are perfect for striped

This is a good example of what comes down in the EAC, a coconut on a beach on Flinders island. 80

Bryan Van Wyk with one of the mako sharks he got to play with off Eaglehawk Neck.

to hook on lures and if you get a 50% hook up rate you are doing well. So make sure you give yourself every opportunity to set that hook into the marlin. If you get a marlin in your spread and you are quick enough you can wind the lure in as quickly as you can and drop back a live bait rigged with a big circle hook. This will increase your hook up rate dramatically. Some very focused crews will troll about with skirted lures in their spread with no hooks in what so ever. They will have out four teaser lures and be watching the spread with eagle eyes. The second something appears the lures will be brought in and a live bait fed back out into the wash. In the quiet moments when there is no action at the rear of the boat the skipper should also be concentrating on the sounder. They will be looking for some bait balls that are shaped on the screen, giving away they are being fed on. When these have been identified the trolling speed

Proud angler Lincoln with his mako that pulled the scales down to 231.8kg. sinker rubber banded to the leader will get your live bait down there. St Helens January saw the waters off St Helens fishing very well. Tuna have arrived and they will continue to thicken up

Northern Tasmania and St Helens Game Fishing Club. Torin’s party had a plan to hit the water early and go south off the plateau with the southerly to push them north. They spent an hour bashing through the

Go Behind the Scenery confused sea and pulled up to find two fairly green and unwell kids. To add to their woes they also found the predicted southerly not present and an easterly was already pushing through. They made a start regardless and had berley in the water but were not happy with the drift. The crew decided to change their plan, so they moved north allowing their drift to take

They were around the 2 hour mark when Lincoln started having a stare off with his beloved golden reel. He was putting all his best efforts into staying in this fight with all on board egging him on. Ten minutes later and they could see the double. It was getting close with the leader now in reach and the sheer size of what they had was now getting real. They managed to trace and

Skipper Jonah Yick found some fish on the bottom, with impressive catches of gemfish and blue grenadier. them over the plateau. They were lucky enough to find some water with no boats in sight and began their berley trail again. Over two hours passed before Torin decided to float a bait back out under a balloon and the day got a lot more exciting. It didn’t take long, between 5-10 minutes, before the had drag started to pull from the reel. While the deck was getting cleared the mako continued to dance 30-40m around the boat. Torin’s son Lincoln was settled into his fighting position and adjusted the drag up to strike, which had 5kg of drag pressure on him. The fight started in earnest and he adjusted the drag up or down to 3-4 kg depending on his energy levels and where the fish was at the time. An hour or so had ticked past and there were signs on the angler and the fish they were starting to break. It was a long 30 minutes more and Lincoln was nearly done. He had sore muscles that he didn’t even know existed and was tiring rapidly. He dug deep and continued on with pulses of rapid winding and putting the reel in and out of 2 speed.

gaff the shark and quickly get a tail rope on it. In a blur the mako was subdued and tied off. The crew were exhausted so they began making tracks back to the ramp. They had 3-4 attempts at trying to get the shark into the boat but could only manage most of it. Slowly they started making their way to the weigh in. Back in at the official weigh in the shark pulled the scales down to an impressive 231.8kg. Lincoln fought the fish on 15kg line and this

meant they had taken out the highest point scoring fish. I find that a sensational tale of one young lad’s battle with adversity. Bicheno Bicheno is a quiet seaside resort town on Tasmania’s East Coast and is known for its family safe beaches, interesting coastal activities and is home to a few decent bush walks. The coastal rocks have that distinctive red lichen on granite and in the right conditions an impressive blowhole. Bicheno is well known for its fishing and tourism and these are the economic forces that drive the town. There is a small but skilful local fishing fleet that brings in good hauls of rock lobster, abalone, salmon, mackerel, cod and trevally. Getting to Bicheno is easy from each end of the state and located 178km northeast of Hobart and 159km southeast of Launceston. I have written about Bicheno before and at this time of year it is a wonderful destination and fishes very well. I doubt there is a Tasmanian species that cannot be caught in and around Bicheno at this time of year. You do not have to go out in a boat very far to catch flathead and squid, but to be fair you can catch plenty of both from the shore. I like to use a longer rod and light braid to make sure I can get a long cast in when fishing from the shore. Bait and soft plastics work well for flathead from the beach and many rock headlands. Squid fishing with jigs is very good just to the right of the penguin viewing area and you can keep working your way around to the right finding squid all the way around. Be very careful on the rocks, as they are rounded and slippery. If you have a boat and the weather allows, get out the front as Bicheno has some awesome flathead fishing. It is a great area to come across sand flathead and the bigger fatter tiger flathead. Be mindful that the tigers have some nasty teeth looking to do your thumb some damage, so

Tasmania

Southern bluefin are turning up early. Raihan Mahmud scored an early season albacore tuna. get yourself some good long handled pliers. If you venture a little further out and get into the 80-100m mark there are some really big tiger flathead to be had. At this time of year they seem to group up and can be found in large groups. Finding some on the sounder and getting a waypoint down can see you getting a heap for a good feed in a few drifts back over the mark. This area is also a good spot to watch your sounder very closely. Should you see some activity on the sounder get a striped trumpeter rig down quick smart. Bicheno has heaps of striped trumpeter ground spread all the way up to Seymour Point and out to the shelf. Squid is awesome bait when looking for a good feed of trumpeter, and what a feed it is. I would nearly say it’s a favourite of mine for flesh yielded off frames and its eating quality. It freezes okay as well and is able to be cooked and enjoyed a great many ways. If the fish are not on the chew, a bit of tuna belly flap will often bring them undone. It does pay to keep a few striped tuna or bluefin belly strips in the freezer for use as bait. Once you are out on the 100m line you should also have a crack for a good feed of albacore. These tasty tuna will

A good hook set on a nice mako.

be off Bicheno in big schools in February and are great fun as well as good on the chew. You can troll a little slower for albacore and the feather Zuker lures work very well in enticing a strike from these speedsters. They also like a lure that sits down in the water a bit so the metal jet headed skirts are a good option. These fish are great eating and so quickly dispatching and bleeding immediately will ensure the best return for your efforts. Try and keep the blood as a free-swimming mako shark is a huge possibility off Bicheno at this time of year. If you do see one just get as close as you can without spooking the fish and kill the engine. Get the blood into the water with a few fish bits and wait and see what happens. More often than not, within a very short time you will have a mako shark at the rear of the boat wanting to say hello. One member of the crew can move swiftly and calmly to locate your shark trace and attach it to your best outfit on board to tackle the shark. Another crew member can be cutting a nice strip of albacore belly to put on the shark hook as all this is unfolding. Everything going well you should have a nice fresh bait presented in behind the boat with a mako fired up on a bit of blood. Strip the line off the reel slowly in free spool allowing the bait to drift back and down naturally. Don’t have the reel in too loose a free spool as you may get a tangle in your excitement. If you are using an overhead reel, apply some thumb pressure to the reel spool to minimize a nasty big birds nest, for a big spinning reel just use your fingers and palm of your hand. Once the mako takes the bait let it run some line out. Here it is well advised to start up your motor and trundle away from the fish before you set the hook. The last thing you need when you strike is for the mako to feel the hook and cartwheel about and land between a bewildered crew in the middle of the boat. Play the fish out and don’t expect to gaff the fish the

first time the fish comes to the boat. If the fish is over 150kg and has only been played for 30 minutes it has more than likely come to the boat because it wants to. If you have a really good hook set drive off the fish and play the fish right out. You can do this a number of times if it is the first mako shark you have ever caught. Once you have caught a few and have got your technique down you can do whatever you like, but for your first one I would tire the fish right out. The term for a shark or fish that has not been played out is ‘green’. If you get a mako to the side of the boat green and hit it with a gaff, it is going to play up like your kids when you turn the Wi-Fi off. Once the shark is gaffed and at the side of the boat you then have to subdue it further. That is best done with a bat of some description or a stout knife. A lot of the time a tail rope is a good idea. This is not going to do much in calming the shark down, but it does mean you have less chance of losing all that tasty flesh once you have looped one over its tail and pulled it down tight. A good idea is to tie off the gaff rope and the end of the tail rope. I have been catching mako sharks for 20 years and am always constantly amazed at the power and torsional strength of these animals. The fishing is superb at Bicheno, but its other shining light is just how family friendly the place is. The beaches are great spots for the family to spend the whole day while you are out fishing. Should the weather turn a little foul for fishing there is the penguin tour at night and the animal park down the road. Should you feel energetic, there is also a heap of very nice bush walks around the country side. An enjoyable one is right in the middle of town up to the lookout. So get organised and plan a trip real soon. FEBRUARY 2019

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania NORTH COAST Wynyard is a rural service centre at the mouth of the Inglis River and it comes alive in February. Wynyard is located 164km northwest of Launceston via the Bass Highway and 343km northwest of Hobart via the Midland and Bass highways. The fishing off this small seaside town is very good and well worth a visit. It lies between Devonport and Stanley on a very picturesque

stretch of Tasmania’s northwestern coastline. Local fishing guru Graham Purton and his son Damien have fished these waters all their lives and do very well on the ample flathead and gummy sharks that the area produces. They recommend water depths between 20-30m to find both species. They like to drift for them using paternoster rigs, but have recently done well on the anchor with a little

Whiting are a good option around St Helens if you can’t get out wide. SOUTH COAST Not to be left out of the action this month, the waters in and around Eaglehawk Neck have been firing and will continue to do so. Jonah Yick, who is a regular contributor to my fishing news network, again

in shotgun did the damage. Jonah doubled back and ran back over the same spot and managed a triple hook up of 15-20kg bluefin, with the brown and green prowler and lumo lollipops accounting for these fish.

berley out. We all know why they have started fishing on the anchor and that is because of the Tassie snapper craze that has been going for some years now. These fish are showing in good numbers each year, with the odd fish to 6kg and above starting to be caught. Wynyard is a great area to have a crack at getting hold of a few snapper. There are some good grounds off Table Cape in close and some very good ground out wider to the west. Using your sounder effectively will have you finding some excellent reef structure and the odd rock bommie. The rocky points and headlands will also have the super keen looking for some land to throw baits and lures from the stones. There are some really good land-based spots to try in and around Wynyard, but you will want a stout pair of shoes and to keep a keen eye on the tides. Good-sized Australian salmon are available at the moment and February, when the tide is high and there is plenty of green water about, sees you with a real chance for a yellowtail kingfish. To target kingfish you’ll want a 8-9ft rod and a good quality you can’t win every battle as the circle hook didn’t find the mark and it pulled early in the battle. Not to be outdone, the trail was reset and 10 minutes later a solid 100kg mako came screaming up the trail. Helen O’Neill was on this fish and she battled the shark for 45 minutes. The fish spoilt all aboard with some spectacular jumps, some too close for comfort. The angry fish even had the nerve to ram their boat in the initial stages of the fight. Helen kept the pressure up and the fish was soon beaten and was tagged and released, swimming off strongly. Very handy were the 200lb JEM Windon leaders which held up to the abuse and matched well with the short

Lincoln Philpott showing the strain of a long battle with a big mako. 5000 size spinning real. I like the Abu Garcia Veritas range of rods paired up with a PENN Spin fisher or the new PENN Pursuit III. This sort of combination will allow you to cast as far as you need and hold as much 30lb braid as you require. Fire a cast as long and as far as you can off the rocky points and work the lure back very quickly. The speed you will be bringing the lure back will feel a little unnatural. Bring it back to your feet at twice the pace you would normally and then fire it back out at 15°

FEBRUARY 2019

The crew had a few fish in the well and decided to venture out over the shelf and set a trail for a mako shark. Their good fortune continued when in the first hour they had an estimated 180-200kg mako at the back with a big school of bluefin tuna surrounding it. They were really keen to throw some lures at the tuna, but before they could cast a plastic at the swarming fish, the shark grabbed a bait and it was on. Unfortunately, it proved

deal of ‘couta and mackerel. Mako love chasing these fish to feed on and also give the Australian salmon a touch up as well. You don’t have to go too far out to find them either. The old school thinking was to go out to the deeper 60-70m depth, which is a long way out in Bass Strait. You drive over a lot of fish to get out there and a number of crews have found fish in shallower. There was a crew in late January off Burnie that was flathead fishing in 25m and saw a mako shark and caught a really nice thresher shark.

You never know what you’ll catch when you fish Bicheno.

A baby blue shark. You can find these babies at Eaglehawk Neck. headed out onto the salty brine and had a sensational day. He towed his pride and joy Mustang Sally down the Arthur Highway and skippered his vessel out of Pirates Bay. He reported the conditions to be sloppy at best, but him and his crew did not let that dampen the enthusiasm they had. The crew kicked the day off with a nice albacore tuna for Raihan Mahmud as they hit the shelf edge. The ever-reliable Brown Prowler

to the right or left of where you previously cast. Continue this until you have covered the area in a fan pattern or until exhausted. Have a little rest and go again. Working kingfish up is tiring work! The lure you will need will be a 150-200mm pencil lure suited to casting. Ask your local tackle store for advice here. Wynyard is also quite well known for its mako shark grounds. I think this comes about from the amount of bait that comes in at this time of year. The rocky formations, reefs and bommies hold a great

Damien Purton not only knows the Wynyard area but also the grounds off St Helens, where he found this good trumpeter and blue eye trevalla.

shark traces they were using. This had the shark to hand and tagged quickly without having to muck about too much or have heaps of leader in hand. The 200lb windons were also used on the bluefin and were very helpful during multiple strikes and rough inshore weather. Jonah and the crew had such a terrific time of it on this trip that they planned another very soon after. This coincided with the 2018 Tassie Rec Fishing Guide cover boy Bryan Van Wyk being back in town. The local Tasmanian lad has been on the big island since completing his studies at the Tasmanian Maritime College. Recently he was back in the Apple Isle and was ready to get re-acquainted with his favourite game species, the mako shark. Jonah was pretty confident from his last outing

and Eaglehawk Neck did not disappoint. Just like the previous trip it was non-stop action aboard Mustang Sally, from go to whoa. The deep-sea fishing they experienced was very good and plentiful while they were laying a berley trail. What a berley trail they must have had going as the sharks really turned it on for them. The crew managed to raise eight sharks throughout the day. Five mako ranging from 50-80kg and three blue sharks. All were released, some with tags while some just came to destroy the boat and gear and eat their bottom fish. The day went well into the afternoon, which is common this time of year. The lads had two mako come racing up the trail at 6pm and, as it is daylight savings here in Tasmania, they had

Go Behind the Scenery plenty of time to boat the fish and get back to the ramp. The bigger of the two fish took the bait and Bryan locked himself into a battle for an hour or so on sunset. Sunset is a nickname for when the drag pre-set on an overhead lever drag rod is pushed as far forward as it can go. There is a small cam in the reel attached to the lever that, when set correctly,

will be 1/3 the breaking strain of the line on the first indent. Then on the fully forward position the shape of the drag cam should have the drag pressure at no more than 2/3 the breaking strain of the line class of the reel. So, on a 30 size reel on strike drag running 15kg breaking strain mono line the drag pressure should be set up as 5kg. You do this with the use of scales and pull

line off the reel and check the scales reading before finally getting it boat side. Once you have done this the mechanical design of the reel and drag cam will have the full drag or ‘sunset’ drag at 2/3 or 10kg or drag pressure. Theoretically, still under the breaking strain of the line of 15kg. If you are using 24kg line the drag pressure on a reel set-up for that line should be

around 8kg and sunset would be on the cam at 16kg. You can see that the pressure that’s on the angler once you are using stand up rods and a harness with gear set-up with 37kg line. Some of the anglers fighting big mako sharks and broadbill swordfish have upwards of 24kg of drag pressure on them at certain stages of the fight! So, there you have it,

Tasmania another brief roundup of what you might expect from Tasmania at this time of the year. I say brief as I have just scratched the surface of the species available and the areas to head to. I hope to get out and about a bit this month and come back to you over the coming months with some fresh areas of Tasmania to give a try, as this season really ramps up into one to

remember. So look out for that and also don’t forget to support those independent retail fishing stores that we have in Tasmania. They are the best place to go for the best information when it comes to fishing in the state. They have their ears to the ground on what is catching, so get in and let them give you a great head start.

Inland Fisheries Service

Leading journalist remarks on his recent visit IFS

Tim Farrell

Tasmania recently hosted, Kirk Deeter, a leading US angling journalist and widely travelled author. Here is what he had to say in a recent social media post about his experience: Thank you, Tasmania. Just back from one of the most extraordinary “fishing” trips I’ve ever experienced. Never thought I’d watch a wallaby jump over the creek as I made a cast. Never thought I’d see 7lb brown trout tailing like redfish in skinny water, crushing frogs in the grasses. Never imagined a hatch of snowflake caddis that made the river look like an impending blizzard. Underappreciated the significance of Tasmania in a cultural and historic context... as this is where the empire of the brown trout first expanded beyond European shores. Didn’t fully respect just how dialled Tassie anglers are in terms of their cuttingedge techniques. Had almost forgotten what a truly wild trout behaves like, and how

awesome it is to watch them eat a fly. Did NOT underappreciate the amazing hospitality and stunning environs while I was there. Much, much more forthcoming, but worth saying that Tasmania is beyond special. Love NZ, and Chile, and Argentina, and of course, the wild, wild West of America. But for context, know that Tassie sold a grand total of 250 fishing licences to foreign anglers last year... by contrast, NZ sold about 100 times that many. In other words, it’s wide open. More soon... just landed... totally spent... feel like Dorothy waking up after her trip to Oz. TROUT FISHING HEATS UP! The Christmas and New Year period saw anglers flocking to the central highlands to enjoy some fantastic fishing. Overall, the weather was good providing lots of fishing opportunities. Our Officers were on patrol throughout the period, and they saw some fantastic catches. Overall 317 anglers were checked, along with

Visiting journalist Kirk Deeter hooked into a Western Lakes brown trout. 109 vessels. STANDOUT WATERS Arthurs Lake After some tough times we were really pleased with how well this water fished. Lure and fly anglers were catching fish. Green and gold Cobra wobblers worked well for trolling and drift spinning anglers, particularly around Jonah Bay. In the cow-paddock, fly anglers reported seeing plenty rising trout taking duns and damselflies. All fish were in fantastic condition. Woods Lake Trolling anglers did well on Cobra and bibbed lures, particularly on the eastern

shore of the lake. Fly anglers did particularly well on dry flies in the marshes located in the southwestern corner of the lake. This included one very impressive fish that weighed in excess of 2kg. Great Lake Cobra lures trolled on lead lines caught plenty of fish. The green yellow and red pattern appeared to the best, while green and gold, and brown and red also did well. Swan, Haddens and Cramps bays were the hotspots. One bait angler fishing with worms in Swan Bay caught four impressive fish ranging between 420-480mm in an afternoon

session. Fly anglers also did quite well, with good wind lane fishing conditions available. There were some very large gum beetle falls. Four Springs Lake There were less anglers, but some impressive bags were caught from the northern end of the lake by bait anglers fishing with mudeyes under floats. Fly anglers also did well from the shore. 19 Lagoons Excellent polaroiding conditions occurred throughout this period. Anglers reported seeing plenty of cruising fish from Lake Botsford, Lake

Augusta and Lake Ada. Tailing fish were also reported from Howes Bay Lagoon and Double Lagoon. Drift spinning with small hardbody lures worked well. Throughout the period our Officers detected and dealt with 29 offences under Inland Fisheries and Marine and Safety Legislation. Seven anglers were found to be fishing without a licence, while one was found to be using more rods than allowed. Boating safety continues to be a concern, with eight vessels found to be not carrying their required safety equipment. A further ten anglers were found to be not wearing their PFD. Boating safety will continue to be a focus for our compliance team over the coming months. Before you head out on your next trip, please check that all of your equipment is in good order. With so many waters currently fishing well and the warmer months of the year upon us, why not start planning your next trip to the highlands. We strongly encourage anglers to head back to Arthurs Lake, as it is currently fishing well.

HYDRO TASMANIA WATER STORAGE INFORMATION Water Storage Information as at 10th January 2019 Lake/Lagoon

Metres from full

Comment

Trevallyn Pond..................................0.92........................................................Steady Lake Mackenzie................................7.10........................................................Steady Lake Rowallan..................................6.52........................................................Steady Lake Parangana................................0.68........................................................Steady Lake Cethana....................................1.23........................................................Steady Lake Barrington................................0.00.......................................................Spilling Lake Gairdner...................................2.65........................................................Steady Lake Paloona....................................1.24........................................................Steady Lake Augusta....................................2.89........................................................Steady Arthurs Lake.....................................1.60........................................................Steady Great Lake........................................13.85......................................................Steady Little Pine Lagoon.............................0.68........................................................Steady Shannon Lagoon...............................0.11........................................................Steady Penstock Lagoon..............................0.20........................................................Steady Woods Lake......................................0.88........................................................Steady Lake St Clair.....................................1.92........................................................Steady Lake King William.............................3.38........................................................Steady Lake Echo.........................................5.71........................................................Steady

Dee Lagoon.......................................0.00.......................................................Spilling Pine Tier Lagoon...............................2.54........................................................Steady Bronte Lagoon..................................0.66........................................................Steady Bradys/Binneys/Tungatinah..............2.87........................................................Steady Laughing Jack Lagoon.....................2.16........................................................Steady Lake Liapootah.................................2.39........................................................Steady Wayatinah Lagoon............................0.04........................................................Steady Lake Catagunya................................0.93........................................................Steady Lake Repulse....................................0.00.......................................................Spilling Cluny Lagoon....................................0.08........................................................Steady Meadowbank Lake...........................0.32........................................................Steady Lake Burbury....................................6.86........................................................Steady Lake Margaret..................................7.50........................................................Steady Whitespur Pond................................8.03........................................................Steady Lake Newton.....................................3.91........................................................Steady Lake Plimsoll....................................6.25........................................................Steady Lake Murchison................................13.71......................................................Steady Lake Mackintosh..............................2.14........................................................Steady Lake Rosebery..................................0.48........................................................Steady Lake Pieman.....................................0.63........................................................Steady Lake Pedder......................................1.49........................................................Steady Lake Gordon.....................................25.79 .....................................................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 FEBRUARY 2019

CARP

Are you a better solution to the carp problem? FMG

Rupe Instagram: @rupeisfishing

A few of the early settlers of this great land have a lot to answer for. Beyond the mistreatment of traditional owners and land degradation, they’re

also responsible for the introduction of some incredibly damaging flora and fauna species, not least of which is the carp. Carp are not a problem that’s limited to Australian waterways. They’re now plentiful on every continent except Antarctica and while they’re a valuable

commodity in Europe and Asia (depending on the genetic strain), they are an absolute scourge to the Australian aquatic landscape. The habitat destruction in the Murray-Darling basin alone is enough that their introduction should be remembered as a national

The business end of the beast. Watch for the brightly coloured lips and mouth to open and close before you strip strike to set the fly hook.

Top: It’s hard to fathom that you can catch such destructive pests in surroundings as beautiful as these. Above: A selection of flies that will have you covered on most days. 84

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disaster with its own public holiday where every man, woman and child is required to catch and kill at least one carp.

Vote 1 – Rupe Is Fishing Party! SO WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP? We can catch them,

dispose of them, and limit their breeding capabilities without leaving literally millions of tons of rotting fish in the water that could

CARP lead to a dreaded black water type event. You know what, they’re bloody fun to catch! I’ve phoned around and had a chat to a few state fisheries offices when penning this article and the general consensus is to catch and dispose of as many as you can, particularly the larger breeding stock. They produce a huge amount of offspring in no time at all, so each breeder you can

Pound for pound, they’re one of the hardest fighting freshwater fish you’re likely to encounter and employ just about every dirty tactic you’d expect from a filthy, noxious pest whose ancestors cut their teeth dodging monster muskies and the like. SO YOU WANT TO BE A CARP SUPERSTAR? I hope by now I have you so pumped up that you’re furiously looking up the

the right manner. WHAT SHOULD YOU THROW? As mentioned above, a carp’s typical diet can be quite varied and they’re pickier with food than my 8-year-old daughter some days; changing their minds on what they’ll eat and what they’ll flat out refuse. Plenty of times different schools of fish in different pools of the same river will have totally

One fish feeding can lead to the others in the pool working themselves into a frenzy, like the one that amounted to this triple hook-up on three different types of fly.

The colours available in these pests can be so striking that it’s almost a shame to have to dispose of them, but it must be done to protect native fish stocks. remove can make a big difference. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CARP As a species, they’re extremely adaptable to all types of waterways and water conditions (which is why they’re so widespread) and they breed like rabbits. They’re also very mobile and not too territorial so will move up and down a river with ease, even in times when water levels are low and they might have to get their backs out of the water to move up a rapid. No matter the particular species of carp, of which there are many, a few things remain constant: they are clever, they have excellent eyesight and they seem to spend most of their time on the lookout doing their best to avoid any trouble. Even the plain brown models are still relatively brightly coloured compared to naturally occurring species and would make easy targets for large birds of prey, so you can understand why their existence would be a nervous one, and that’s before you take into account the natives swimming in their vicinity – ie Murray cod – who are big enough to eat them. Carp are omnivorous, meaning they’ll quite happily eat aquatic plants, but they do prefer a diet of insects, crayfish, shrimp and worms. For whatever reason, they’ve also taken quite a liking to corn kernels.

nearest infected waterway so your carp muster can begin. But there are a couple of things you need to decide before you head out in search of the villainous creatures. While carp can be very fussy and an eternal source of frustration – especially when sight-casting to them – if they’re in the right mood though, they can also be caught one after the other if you present your offering in

opposite requirements from you, the angler. This means that any fisher wanting to actively target carp needs to have a reasonable amount of arrows in their quiver, so to speak. Because of their fickle nature, you’re going to want to be armed with as many different lures, flies, baits or a combination of all three if you don’t want to go home with the dreaded doughnut. One thing I must stress

The tools of the trade and the result of a stealthy approach to some fast running water.

is to not be discouraged by the first, second or even seventh and eighth refusals. They will eat something, eventually. You just need to stay in the game, stay hidden as best you can and keep casting. There will be times they will charge your offering with an open mouth and just as the nerve endings in your striking hand start to fire messages to your brain they will turn away. This is standard carp behaviour. BAITS Soaking baits like worms, small crustaceans such as shrimp and crayfish offer you your best chance of success. If you can catch them in the same waterway that you’re fishing then you’ll do even better because you can guarantee they’ve eaten that variety before and they’ll be willing to do so again. If you’re wanting to sit in a camp chair and sink a few tinnies while fishing, try fishing under a float. They’re good strike indicators and it keeps your bait off the bottom, usually giving you better hook up potential before they realise there’s a hook in there. This is your best bet when fishing with kids too. The float is something for them to concentrate on, but by the time it bobs under the water the hooking part is already taken care of and they can just enjoy the bend in the rod. I talk to my kids on the trip to the water and also after we’ve disposed of a carp so they have an understanding of what we’re doing and why it’s important. If you give them the knowledge now they’re sure to carry that with them on future adventures. If walking the bank and casting at fish you can see is more appealing to you (I know it is for me) then forget the float and cast lightly weighted or even unweighted baits 1-1.5m in front of the fish. Leave some

slack line so the bait sinks in a more natural fashion. LURES Many carp have been

quality scent like SAX or Pro Cure that will last a while. Give them time to sniff it out and come over

The ‘Top Dog’ Brett Habener with a typically brown coloured European carp from skinny water. tricked into eating a lure intended for cod, bass and yellowbelly, and plenty of anglers with carp on the end of the line have been fooled into thinking they had the world record catch on before those big blubbery lips made their way to the surface. They’ll eat any number of hardbodies, blades and vibes if you put it in the right place at the right time, but they are absolute suckers for a nice supple soft plastic in a worm, grub or craw pattern. If you plan to throw lures at them, fish them fairly slow with plenty of pause after you hop it. Scent is also your friend; use a

for a nibble. FLIES Flyfishing can be very effective because you can present a small, natural looking fly and land it without too much disruption to the water. For a fish that has evolved heightened senses this extra advantage should not be sneezed at. It’s also the most difficult because you need to either have enough space to feed a cast out or be able to competently roll cast in tight cover. If you are planning on waving the wand around, take a mix of flies with To page 86

FEBRUARY 2019

CARP From page 85

you that closely resemble the natural baits I’ve listed above as best you can. Patterns like shrimp, nymphs, worms and

is a 4WT, 9ft G.Loomis Eastfork rod and Shimano Biocraft reel with an intermediate Rio line while a few of my mates use a 7’11” model Sage BASS

a shadow on the bottom. Naturally, while this can get you the eat you desire, it presents a new set of problems if they decide to shoot upstream and bury you in rocks, logs and reeds – and they will! CONVENTIONAL TACKLE If you plan to chase them on conventional tackle, most light-medium estuary type combos will do the trick for you, but aim for something with a fairly sensitive tip as the bites are more often than not, very subtle. A 6’6”-7’6” rod and a 2500-3000 size reel would be ideal. Braid is fine to use but make sure you have a nice long fluorocarbon leader. Mainly, so it’s as close to invisible as you can get underwater, but

Big koi carp are as clever as they are scarce. They seem to be much more switched on and picky than their brown brethren.

This fatty ate an orange glo-bug fly during the time of year when plenty of berries were falling from above the river. leeches all catch fish and flies like glo-bugs will serve you well if they’re eating berries and seeds are falling from overhanging trees. THE SETUPS My favourite way to target them is undoubtedly on fly gear. My friends and I have had some epic days on the water fishing rivers and dams for a variety of

II series, which is much easier to get around with in some of the jungle country you can find yourself in. If you’re buying a new setup, look for a reel with plenty of drag. You’re going to need it. Something like the Redington Behemoth series packs a solid punch without breaking the bank, so check them out. As with most types

Walking the banks of dams is often easier on the angler but generally leaves you more exposed to the ever aware carp who feed around the shallows. and will pull out every trick they’ve got to win freedom. TAKING OUT THE TRASH So you’ve found some carp, grabbed a rod and headed out on a carp crusade. Before you know it you’ve managed to crack that particular day’s code or pattern and you’ve now got yourself a carp on the bank or in the boat. What

do you do next? Every state and territory in Australia that has a carp population has a fairly simple policy. Humanely dispose of the animal and under no circumstances return it to the water – dead or alive. Even though they’re a pest, it is still unethical to treat them inhumanely. I’ve seen a few people

(definitely the minority) saying it’s okay to return them to non-flowing waterways, but this is wrong. I carry a knife and a fish spike in my backpack at all times when chasing carp so that as soon as they hit the bank I can grab the obligatory picture for my social networks and then walk them 20ft away from the water and kill them quickly. Before you know it I’m looking for the next Charlie who’s silly enough to eat my fly. They’re almost the only fish I kill these days and in a weird way I still feel some remorse for doing it, but I do think that each and every carp removed is a small step in the right direction for the care of our native species that I love so very much. In most cases you are allowed to keep them for food (not my taste, but whatever floats your boat) or fertiliser if you wish. There are recipes on the NSW DPI website if you’re that way inclined – just don’t invite me around for the cook-up. I promise I’ll be busy that day.

Chris Shaw didn’t mind heading into the deep to retrieve this beautifully coloured koi carp. carp species. But there’s more than one way to skin a cat and plenty of ways to catch a mud marlin. FLYFISHING We all use a range of fly rods and lines from 4WT to 8WT and in varying lengths. My current setup 86

FEBRUARY 2019

of fishing, sometimes you have to go light to get the bite, so my typical tapered leader finishes with 8lb line, sometimes the carp’s eyes are so well trained that you’ll need to go down to a 4lb fluorocarbon leader to avoid casting too much of

also because it buys you a bit of time if they run you into timber or other underwater structure and gives you a little bit more shock absorption on a typical surging carp run. As I’ve already told you, they’re a dirty fighting lot

With so many dams having large populations of carp it’s no wonder anglers like Bob Thornton catch them on soft plastics aimed at bass and yellowbelly.

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The highs and lows since cod season opened ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

With the open of the cod season well under way it was great to see some very nice cod landed from the Murray River in Swan Hill. Upstream of town near Pental Island has proved quite popular, with numerous cod caught on bait and lures. Murray cod to 94cm have been angled from boat and bank and it seems fresh chicken has been on the menu for several of the better-sized cod. A few perch have also been landed in this

haunt with several goodsized Murray cod to 85cm landed on bait. Higher than normal flows have dropped the water clarity a little and until the Murray drops back to its normal summer levels bait fishing will be the best option for tempting cod. Downstream and anglers fishing the Murray River through Robinvale, Wemen and Hattah have really struggled to find cod of any size with just the odd small fish biting on bait. Golden perch, however, are about in good numbers, with most anglers catching a feed on bait. A cocktail of fresh river shrimp and worms has been working best.

really just a question of time that I fear could be quickly running out. IS THE DARLING RIVER DOOMED? It seems the days of wild Murray cod stocks in the Murray-Darling Basin could be numbered. In less than a decade we have witnessed the two biggest blackwater events in history. These toxic flows decimated cod stocks for more than 750km of the Murray River. Other rivers have not been spared the brunt; the Wakool, Edward and Murrumbidgee have also seen cod populations dwindle in these toxic flows. While the water colour has swung from black to green

In the lower Darling some good Murray cod still cling to what water is left. This monster was caught on a Bassman DT by Clinton Hann.

Just a sprinkling of thousands of dead fish in the Darling River at Menindee. area on bait with local river shrimp and scrubworms working best. The Murray River downstream of the Swan Hill Road Bridge has also proved a popular

The lower Darling River has been the pick of spots since the open with some nice cod landed on bait and lures. How long this river will continue to fish well is

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it would be fair to say it has lost none of its toxicity in the latest devastating fish kill. This time the Darling River at Menindee is the killing field where thousands of dead Murray cod, golden perch and smaller native fish lined its course all floating belly up. Tortoises and birds were also dying, braised in a thick sludge soup of what appears to be blue green algae. Good friend and fishing mate, Clinton Hann, says he has never seen anything like it before. Hann travelled 12km of the river and said that everything in the water was dead. Even the pelicans refused to fly away when he approached them in his boat. What’s to be done with this stretch of toxic water and the decaying river life that accompany the stench?

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Imagine the ramifications of leaving it, where it and the potential threat of disease and illness could spread to local Menindee residents. Then imagine the ramifications of moving it on downstream with a push of water from Lake Wetherell. Such a vast body of contaminated water would surely overwhelm the much smaller, shallower section of Darling River and its numerous native fish living below Weir 32. The NSW DPI has admitted we will probably see more fish deaths as the

temperature climbs and would not comment on what’s to be done with the effected water. If it is moved on it could potentially wipe clean native fish stocks for 710km before it reaches the Murray River at Wentworth. In the grand scheme of environmental disasters, this would be world scale. Above the Menindee Lakes, the Darling in most places has drawn back to holes where all fish life are left clinging to ever shrinking pools. Between these small pockets of water,

Above the Menindee Lakes the Darling is but a few holes with a tapestry of dead river life scattered along the dry riverbed.

long tracks of dry riverbed are tapestries of death sewn with all manner of water born creatures robbed of life giving water. Yes, we are in a drought, but far from the biggest ever experienced in our time. If not handled correctly the Darling and its aquatic life are all but doomed. Not two years ago the Menindee Lakes held enough water to keep the Darling healthy for six years. This was all sent down the Darling and into the Murray River, some as e-flows, to aid the lower end of the system in South Australia. A little like draining one environment to help patch another. A distinct lack of media response from the MDBA on this massive fish kill and the problems at hand is a little like the elephant in the room when it comes to the plight of what’s left of the Darling River. Since the introduction of the basin plan and the $11 billion in funds that goes with it, we have managed to all but rid the majority of the Murray Darling Basin of its iconic Murray cod and other native fishes. Stay tuned, as I am sure it’s far from over yet.

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It is all about timing to catch Ballarat’s trout BALLARAT

Shane Stevens

Anglers in and around the Central Highlands region of Victoria have been getting amongst some magnificent trout and redfin over the past month. If you are hoping to score a big catch this month, you have to get your timing right. Now that we are in the middle of summer the time of day anglers head

tend to move into shallower water to feed. This gives all anglers the opportunity to catch a fish. I mentioned last month about mudeye hatches and how trout and redfin love to feed on them, in our local waters over the next month we will be at the height of mudeye hatches and the fish are certainly feeding on them with gusto. Anglers make the most of these mudeye hatches and hit our local waters on evening or early

from fishing the reservoir, you just need to be a bit smarter and walk around and find the areas that are not weeded up, cast your baits over the weed beds and you will catch fish. Lake Wendouree I would suggest is one of Victoria’s premier trout waters at the moment; I am a bit biased when it comes to Wendouree, but I believe that with good reason. The quality and quantity of fish that are caught, the accessibility

have taken a work colleague Tim Hunter and his wife Ainsley out on Wendouree fishing mudeyes recently. Neither Tim or Ainsley had ever caught a trout before and Lake Wendouree didn’t let them down, with both catching a couple of magnificently conditioned brown and rainbow trout. Flyfishing on Wendouree has still been very productive during the day and if you pick an overcast day the trout still seem to be eating nymphs and stick caddis. I have been catching some awesome browns using a slow figure eight retrieve during the day, using brown nymph and a stick caddis fly patterns. Other flyfishers have been concentrating on the evening mudeye hatches, with excellent results either using wet flies or surface flies like Muddler Minnows or Cubits Mudeye patterns. Jakey Young is still nailing them on Wendouree with tour guide dad Ben watching on. Jakey has

Flyfishing on overcast days on Lake Wendouree is still very productive throughout the warmer months. The author landed some lovely brown trout on stick caddis and brown nymph fly patterns. Wendouree on evening out of a drifting boat. Lake Wendouree will continue to fish well for all methods. As I mentioned earlier, timing is paramount

Mark Wynd landed his personal best Lake Wendouree brown trout of 5lb on a mudeye. Photo courtesy of Steve Angee. out to go fishing becomes very important. It’s no use heading out in the middle of a 30°C bright sunny day and hope to catch a fish. Besides, it’s not very comfortable for

morning and capitalise while the fish are in that feeding zone where mudeyes are number one on the menu. Newlyn Reservoir has been fishing well in

to all anglers whether you are land-based or fish from water crafts, and the different angling methods that are used to catch Lake Wendouree’s trout or redfin right in the middle of Ballarat all support this high claim. Mark Wynd and Steve Angee have been hitting Wendouree fishing mudeyes suspended under floats with excellent results. Mark landed his personal best brown trout from Wendouree around the 5lb mark. After a few happy snaps Mark released the fish to fight another day. I

Mudeyes (spider or bug) can be found in most waterways. Mudeyes – or trout candy – are the larvae stage of dragonflies.

caught on mudeyes fished under floats and worms or PowerBait fished on a running sinker rig. The flyfishers have been catching some quality fish on dark and after dark on mudeye patterns with the Craig’s Nighttime and the Muddler Minnow being the standout patterns. Hepburn Lagoon, like most of our district waters, has been fishing well, with some lovely rainbow and brown trout being caught using bait, lures and fly. Hepburn, like Newlyn Reservoir, will be difficult to fish with the water levels dropping for irrigation requirements. My suggestions for fishing Hepburn are the same as Newlyn, you need to find the clear pockets of water and fish them with whatever is your method of choice.

been getting amongst some lovely redfin around the 40cm mark on Eccogear Grass Minnow soft plastics. The guys have been fishing

Shane Jeffrey has been catching some lovely brown trout on mudeyes from Newlyn Reservoir. Photo courtesy of Shane Jeffrey.

us anglers sitting out in a boat or sitting on the shore getting toasted by the heat. The waters in our region are all generally very shallow and during the warmer weather the fish tend to seek refuge in the weeds and cooler water. The fish then tend to start to feed towards evening and throughout the night and early morning. At these times is when most insects, mudeyes and crickets start to hatch and move around. The fish then

the evening with anglers catching some lovely brown trout on mudeyes suspended under bubble floats. Shane Jeffrey is one angler who has scooped the pool on the trout feeding on mudeyes. Shane has been fishing Newlyn Res in the evening, catching quite a few brown trout around the 3lb mark. Newlyn will become a little more difficult over the next few months, as the water level will drop due to irrigation requirements. Don’t let this turn you off

Ainsley with a delightful trout from Lake Wendouree. Photo courtesy of Tim Hunter.

Tim Hunter caught his first ever trout from Lake Wendouree. Photo courtesy of Tim Hunter.

to gain the best results – early morning and evenings are the best times. At Moorabool Reservoir trout are still biting, with anglers targeting the right times of the day catching quality rainbow and brown trout. Trout are mainly being

Hepburn certainly holds some very big fish, so you could tackle a true trophy fish out there. Hepburn is also classed as one of Victoria’s trophy waters, so special size limits do apply. Please read and understand the angling regulations when fishing this water. FEBRUARY 2019

Escaping heat to find the fish SNOWY MOUNTAINS

Anthony Bentley

The fishing has picked up immensely in recent weeks. The rivers have been fishing well, and all fish are starting to look up so there’s good dry fly action. You can get good results on low sitting dry flies like a Parachute Adams, Muz’s Messy Wulff or Crippled Emerger. These flies sit

right in the surface film, looking like a trapped insect, and can hold a lightly-weighted nymph underneath. They’re very effective on wary fish. The Mowamba River has been inconsistent, with some days producing great catches and other days leaving anglers empty-handed. Island Bend is a good place to try, and we’re also hearing good reports from Swampy Plains and the upper Murray.

The Monaro streams aren’t the best option during summer, as the water can get quite warm and the fish can take a bit of time to recover. If you do fish there, get the fish back in the water quickly and make sure it has recovered before you let it go. This will minimise fatalities from heat stress. Locations at higher elevations are fishing better than the lower because the weather has been quite as

If we get more rain we can expect more good fishing. Photo courtesy of Adam Cathor.

hot. The average size of the fish is smaller, but there are more of them. The fishing at Jindabyne and Eucumbene lakes during the day isn’t that good, but you can get good results late in the evening and at night. At these times the bigger fish like to come into the shallows over new ground to feed. FISHING IN FEBRUARY If the weather continues staying as warm as it has been, the action will probably drop a little bit. Fishing late in the evening and in deeper water should give you an advantage, especially if we don’t get any rain. By February the terrestrials should be out in force, with large numbers of hoppers. A good lure in the lakes is the Tassie Devil in rolly’s riot, and the most productive flies are Mrs Simpson, unweighted black nymphs and Woolly Buggers in green and black. In the rivers, lure fishers should have success on red spinners. Fly fishers should

The increasing heat has meant that daytime fishing isn’t as productive as it has been. Photo courtesy of Adam Cathor. get good results using mayflies, caddis flies and Dobson fly patterns. In the meantime, we’re all hoping for rain – otherwise we’re looking at a tough month of fishing! • High Country Outfitters has the largest range of flyfishing gear in the Snowy Mountains, with something for every skill level and budget. Brands include Sage, Rio, Redington, Scott, Simms, Patagonia, Loop, TFO, Vision, Hardy, Riverworks,

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When it rains, it pours YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

Lake condition should be returning to almost ‘normal’ as the floodwater that hit mid-December has all but cleared up. With plenty of boat traffic about,

anglers will be best served heading out into the timber on the northern side of the lake to seek a bit of solace and calmer water. There’s no method that outshines others when it comes to lure fishing in the shallower margins, but surface fishing during the lower light periods is the most fun and

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tends to return some bigger cod. The next four months are Mulwala’s most productive for lure fishos, so keep an eye on the weather map and hit it as much as possible. More time on water = more fish. Looking back, December got off to a flyer with masses flocking to Lake Mulwala to celebrate the opening to cod season with the iconic Cod Classic fishing competition. Competitors were greeted with a perfect opening day followed up with a stormy, windy Sunday morning that saw most pull the pin for the day. In total, 2731 fishos took part landing close to 700 legal sized Murray cod. Throw in 80 yellas that measured in excess of 45cm and 400+ carp, and there was plenty of action for the weekend. Rhonda Mace had amazing success landing

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Shaun Karlik with his 132cm Lake Mulwala monster. a 102cm, closely followed up with a 117cm that took out largest Murray cod for the event. The excitement of cod opening was short-lived thanks to the massive localised rain events that cantered around the Wangaratta area. The Ovens River received massive inflows that in turn flowed into Lake Mulwala. The lake turned into what resembled a chocolate swamp and fishing slowed considerably. There were still a few fish reported, with one being an absolute monster. Regular visitor Shaun Karlik landed a genuine 100 pounder and fish of a lifetime when his cast Gigantarel swimbait was gobbled up by a 132cm monster. A great fish and a wonderful reward for a nice young fella who puts in plenty of time chasing these

green legends. In my 25-year involvement with all things fishing around Lake Mulwala, I have only seen two bigger fish, with the current lake record standing at 135cm. Young local legend, 14yo Tanner Irvine, was rewarded when he landed a beautiful 103cm cod in the river below the weir. Tanner spends every possible minute fishing and now has something to brag about. I look forward to hearing about his next river monster that is sure to be sooner rather than later. Below the weir things don’t change much with plenty of cod being reported, generally on the smaller side. Along with these there are also steady reports of yellas being caught by those prepared to work their baits in and around the snags. The competition season is upon us with a few events

coming up over the next couple of months. The first is the ever popular Lowrance Da$h 4 Cash, 16 and 17 Febraury. Following this is the His & Hers Partners Classic, 2 March. To round out the comp season is the Cod Nationals, four days of serious tournament fishing for the dedicated green fish angler held 14-17 March. • If you are visiting town I urge you to call into Lake Mulwala Fish Camp & Ski, the shop with the big green cod out the front in Mulwala or check out our new store located between Rivers and One Zac in the Main Street, Yarrawonga and say G’day. We’re Yarrawonga/ Mulwala’s fishing specialists and specialise in all things ‘green’! For any information on the upcoming events or fishing reports give us a hoy on (03) 5744 3133.

Consistency will catch cod ALBURY/WODONGA

Connor Heir

A U S T R A L I A

Two months of Murray cod action have passed, and us cod fishos are well and truly back into our highly addictive passion. February is approaching, and this time of year cod fishing, and most native species in general, are reasonably consistent and catching fish can be a lot easier compared to the cooler months. If you like to catch numbers in particular, February is definitely a great time to be out on the water casting. River fishing in general around this area depends on flows and water temperatures. The fishing locally is enjoyable and the water systems hold

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This beautifully marked Murray cod fell to a diving hardbody. numbers of redfin in the Weir. Finding the schools of fish is the key, try deep water, shallow water and

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At the moment you can expect most of your Murray cod catches to be around 40-60cm. good numbers of fish. Late afternoons on the river is my personal recommendation if conditions are good. Casting lures between 75-120mm should catch you some cod numbers. I’ve found this time of year to be the time to get plenty of cod around 40-60cm. They seem to constantly feed throughout the month, depending on conditions.

If you’re not a full on cod lover but just enjoy catching a few fish of any species, the Hume Weir can be your go-to. Redfin numbers in the warmer months seem to be fairly good when you find the schools, however, the recent months have proved to be a bit of work for the redfin in the weir. However, the warmer months do see good

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Murray cod fishing should be consistent this month, with catches like this quite common.

Casting lures between 75-120mm will see you hooking up with some quality Murray cod.

sometimes they can be sitting in 30ft of water with no structure in sight. The warmer weather is my personal preference for catching the natives, especially if you’re after good numbers. Try different techniques and different areas and you should crack the code to getting onto some fish. Be confident in what you’re using too, confidence plays a huge part in lure fishing I believe. Most importantly, however, I believe you should just persist and keep casting. It only takes that one fish to turn your day into an awesome memory and maybe even some cod thumb. Enjoy the warmer weather, and fish hard.

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Wimmera is winning with quality catches HORSHAM

Liam Lannen

Second month into 2019 and the golden perch have not stopped biting, and the redfin are there to catch for anglers wanting to

the lake; Brodys, Bald Hill, Glendinning and near the wall has been producing good numbers. The best technique has been drifting and casting soft plastics, such as 4” jerk shads and 2-3” grubs, from depths ranging from 6-10ft and when you find fish,

bright colours from 8-30ft, and holding on fish if they find a decent school. Bait fishers have been successful going from tree to tree dropping down minnows or gudgeon. Time and effort is essential due to the size of the reservoir, there is a lot of water in between fish. Fisheries Victoria also stocked a further 88,750 cod into the lake, which is very exciting for future fishing. The Wimmera River has been fishing well, as expected for this time of year, with some lovely fish being caught on multiple methods. Bait fishers have been successful fishing small yabbies and scrubworm, with some nice golden perch and silver perch being caught

Trev Holmes got this great feed of yabbies. They are a very popular bait this month. If you’re after some family fun, and not too fussed about what species of fish you catch, Green Lake is full of carp, and they are reasonably easy to catch, with reports of good numbers of fish coming from all around the lake. Best methods are fishing worms on a running sinker rig, or under a bubble float casting 5-10m out. Carp are known for pulling rods in, so it’s a good idea to secure your rod or to be near you rod at all times. If you plan to leave the carp on the bank, make sure you destroy them in a humane way.

Gage with another golden perch that was caught on a Spinwright spinnerbait. put in a bit more effort. Lure and bait fishers have had success on these species. This is good news, as the trout lakes have remained quiet. Rocklands Reservoir south of Horsham has been producing some lovely redfin, with anglers doing well in multiple areas of

anchor or tie to a tree nearby and keep casting in the area. If you have a sounder this becomes easier, as sounders are vital for finding fish in big waterways. Others have been doing well trolling the deeper water with hardbody lures, like StumpJumpers, Rapala Shad Raps and Atomic Hardz in

Gage Wright with a swell golden perch caught on a small hardbody. as a result. Fishing shady banks near snags, weed beds and good drop-offs in the afternoon and into the night has been the best, if you’re willing to stay after dark, you have a great chance of getting a nice catfish. Lure fishers have had some great success targeting structure and weed beds with hardbody lures, such size 3 StumpJumpers and 80mm AC Invaders. I like bright colours best, but it’s definitely worth having an array of colours in your lure box. Spinnerbaits have been great of late too, with the pick of the bunch being the Spinwright spinnerbaits, locally made to catch these fish, with a great colour range and they can be custom made to your liking.

What a typical school of redfin looks like on the depth sounder.

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A typical Wimmera River silver perch caught on worms by Gage Wright.

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If you’re after a feed of yabbies, there have been good numbers coming from the swamps and lakes between Goroke and the SA border. Just remember your bag limits and if you have any doubt check the Victorian Fisheries website for all bag limit info. If you are after trout, all the usual lakes have been quiet, as expected for the time of year, but be patient as it is always worth the wait, as the Fisheries have been doing some great work with stockings over the last few years.

The lake is on fire this February EILDON/BONNIE DOON

Daniel Brady

This time of year brings out the exciting times at Eildon. Beautiful, sunny blue skies, warm nights and the chance of catching a cracking bag of fish. The water has warmed

on the steep rock walls of the lake. Cod in Eildon use these rocky boulders as shelter, but they also make the perfect spot for cod to sit and ambush their prey. Slowly throwing hardbodies and spinnerbaits along these rock walls will produce some nice fish. This time

late. He has been putting in the hard yards but his results have been nothing short of exceptional. Fishing the early hours of the morning, John landed a beautiful fish of 99cm on a Megabass Big M4.0. John has also been having some great results throwing around the Megabass V9 spinnerbait

Ebb Tide Tackle guru John Cahill with 99cm of Eildon gold. right up and so has the fishing. The northern end of the lake is now sitting around the 18°C mark and is expected to stay steady as the days will stay warm. The talk on the water is all about the cod bite. So let’s get into it! If you want a chance to catch a cracking cod, get to the lake now. As most of you are aware, Eildon is quickly becoming known as one of the best cod fisheries in Victoria. If you haven’t started already, now is the perfect time to start to focus your attention on these pre-historic fish. As we are now in the peak of summer, the water is at its warmest and the cod will be moving and actively feeding. For best results start looking and focusing your attention

of year can produces lots of numbers of smaller fish, but with persistence you will manage to crack a big one. The more you put in the more you will get back. THE MAIN LAKE Reports are coming in from all over the lake, with a massive amount of anglers hitting the water over the summer period. Good mate and ripper fisher Charlie Cox has been hitting the main wall and harbour area of the lake for some great cod captures. His biggest fish came in at 90cm and was caught off the back of a houseboat. Bait in the form of cheese has worked best, but throwing the odd spinnerbait has also yielded results. Ebb Tide Tackle guru John Cahill has been smashing cod in the lake of

his efforts with three nice cod over a weekend, with fish of 73, 67 and 65cm all making it to the net. Casting and trolling a mixture of hardbodies and spinnerbaits produced. Getting close to the bank was crucial. DELITITE ARM Word on the water around Bonnie Doon is all about the Delitite Arm, with trout and Murray cod the primary focus for many. Word has spread that a few very nice yellowbelly have been caught around the traps. The steep rock walls around the entrance of the arm have been producing some cracking results. Reports are coming through from many anglers that the best method for yellowbelly had been trolling smaller hardbodies lures around the entrance of the arm. Lures such as the Megabass X-Dad and Lucky Craft Chinu yielded the best results for me. FORD INLET Reddies, reddies and more reddies. Ford Inlet has been the go to for most anglers in search of

Shane Melrose with a beautiful Eildon cod. alongside vertical structure. Slow retrieves and lots of casts have been the keys. Gun fisho Shane Melrose was rewarded for

This fish took a liking to a Megabass Spinnerbait.

the humble redfin. Best results have been on the humble worm, fished lightly-weighted and being left to slowly drift down. Redfin have loved this presentation. Find them on the sounder and you will reap the rewards. GOUGHS BAY The bay has been fishing as well as any other area of the lake. The traffic here is a little quieter than many parts, so it can be a great spot to come and hide. Reports have filtered through of some massive cod up this way. Gun angler Jon Carter has been getting amongst the action with four fish over 80cm in the last month. Jon has been throwing Squidgy Whipbaits rigged with a trailer hook around large rocky crops to the southern end of the bay. Fishing as slow as he possible can and drifting the bait down to about 20ft has

Charlie Cox releases a healthy Murray cod to fight another day. been the most successful. COD TIME Now is a cracking time to get to Eildon and give yourself the best chance of catching a monster. If lures are your preference, I would be looking at a 30lb baitcasting outfit, a rod of around 7ft to assist with the longer casts, and a leader of around 60lb. This may sound heavy, but trust me, if you’re just starting out and you manage to hook a big cod over a metre in length, you’re going to need every bit of help you can get. If bait is your preference, a 3000-4000 sized reel matched with a 10-20lb rod will be ample. Try a 30lb mainline with a leader of around 40lb. I run a slightly

smaller leader with my bait rods and I feel it give me more chance to hook a nice by-catch species like a yellowbelly or big redfin. Also, if I manage to snag up I want to be able to bust the leader, and not have to cut the mainline. With the lake in its prime time for fishing, now is the perfect time to take the family up and try your luck at catching a fish or two. With plenty of spots around the lake to pull up for a lunch or have a camp for the night, it’s paradise. The boat traffic on the lake can get crazy at peak times, so it’s best to be on the water early to avoid the rush. Don’t be afraid to drive a little further around the lake to get away from the traffic.

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February fishing is fizzling SHEPPARTON

Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com

The summer has been brutally hot and dry and this has really limited fishing time in our local region over the holiday period. Those who have been on the water early and late have managed to catch some goodsized fish on bait and lures in the Goulburn and Broken rivers. The best bait being bardi grubs and cheese and those using lures have found the Codger and Balista surface lures are working well on sunrise and sunset. There have been a lot more reports of fish being caught out towards Toolamba and Murchison, with those with small boats able to launch out there. Those walking the banks of the Broken have had huge success casting the Jackall Pompadours and the smaller Bassman Mumbles, mostly on dark. The Broken always seems to produce fish on the surface for 4-5 months of the year and I would expect February to be another month where you can

land plenty off the top. The best locations to target are downstream of Gowangardie Weir and also down towards the Broken/Goulburn junction, but the banks can be a tad difficult towards the junction. The heat has and will continue to be a huge factor in February for those looking to fish locally and the long range forecast doesn’t look great for our region, with more hot and dry conditions to continue. Another factor that has also limited fishing in the area is the poor access to the river in Shepparton for the everyday angler. KIALLA LAKES Lake one has fished well for yellowbelly recently, with many more families getting kayaks for Christmas and now starting to use them fishing in the evenings. Those having the most luck are trolling around the island with small 10ft diving Codgers and also trolling TN60 Jackalls. Those fishing from the banks have had luck around the willow trees either floating baits around 4ft from the bank under the trees or casting spinnerbaits across the face of the trees.

The submerged kayak launch platform behind the Shepparton Lake.

Redfin have been caught in lake two on shrimp and plenty of carp are still being caught in the smaller third lake on worms. WARANGA BASIN The traffic on the water has been full on at the basin this summer, but this has not really affected the fishing once you locate the fish.

add scent and a red colour to the tail of white plastics. Ross also sat on top of the schools and bait fished with 3-4 worms on a size 2 hook and had just as much success doing this. The basin will fish well into 2019 but the key is finding the fish, so if you find a certain depth isn’t working, switch it Shepparton Boat ramp well underwater.

4WD tyre ruts in the main track at Raftery Road bush track. I have spent a few days on the water starting in waters around 12-15ft but struggled, so I moved deeper feeling the fish may have moved deeper to around the 16-18ft mark. That day I managed a few fish but caught up with Harrimans Point locals Mitch and Troy Harvey, who smashed the fish in 6-8ft. So the next outing I hit the same depth and instantly had success casting Gulp plastics on a Bassman jighead. I also had some luck trolling these areas with a Jets tail spinner, trolling the lure a lot closer to the boat as it’s a heavy lure. Ross Threlful had a great day out recently on the basin with redfin landed over 40cm. He started the day trolling a RMG Poltergeist with a white trailer grub while searching for the schools, once fish were found they used 45mm Shimano Crawler soft plastics and used a garlic marker to

up and once you find the ideal depth just stick to it. SHEPPARTON LAKE School holiday visitors found Shepparton Lake frustrating with the weed, but once they walked around finding the clear areas they caught small silver perch and trout, mostly around the grass hill areas. Floating worms early morning or late evening has worked best. February is not the best month for targeting fish in Shepparton Lake, with many tending to hold deep in the weed on the hot days. There will be the odd fish caught in the morning and evenings, but it can be hard work. LOCAL CHANNELS There has not been as many reports from the channels over the holiday period, with more locals leaning towards the rivers or away on out of town trips.

Those who have fished the channel have found the best bite time is early morning casting TN60 Jackalls in peacock colour rigged with a Bassman Beetlespin around the drop bars and bridges. Bait fishing has been patchy with those using grubs having some luck, landing mostly small cod in the morning hours. Over the holiday period I received a few emails from visiting families asking where the best areas were to fish for cod with kids in the Shepparton area. So before I gave out the info I took a quick trip to what I believe are the three best areas: Raftery Road sand bars, the kayak launching platform behind the Shepparton Lake and also at the main Shepparton boat ramp platform. All three of these are areas I used to consider safe, family friendly areas to fish locally, but when I visited these areas I was left shocked with the lack of access. I only travelled 200m into the bush track at Raftery and it is absolutely stuffed with ruts at least 30cm deep, so for those without a 4WD it’s impossible to access the sand bars especially if it gets wet. The pot holes through the track are huge and the amounts of rubbish dumped on the sides of the tracks are

disgusting and frustrating. So the next stop was the kayak launching platform. This area is usually a great spot for the kids to have a bait fish, but the wooden structure is starting to fall apart and the steel steps are also very loose. With the river height consistently high the platform is now a foot under water. The banks around the platform are also washed away due to the high river flows that are constantly flushed down the Goulburn system, so cross that off the list. The last stop was the boat ramp and that is now overgrown with weed and trees in the parking areas and the water is well over the boat ramp platform. The timber structure used to be a great place to access the river, but with the water flowing hard it’s too dangerous to even tie the boat there as the platform is that slimy and slippery. It’s very frustrating because the fishing has been good in the Goulburn, but the lack of access for families is frustrating. I think for too long it’s just been overlooked and I am probably guilty of overlooking it, but now with two kids all I want to do is access the river safely and help grow their love for the sport. Stay tuned, there are already wheels in motion to bring this issue to the fore.

Nagambie summer specials NAGAMBIE

Daniel Brady

The 2019 cod season has been exceptional. The season so far has been spectacular, with great captures of cod coming from all over the river and lake. The fishing should only get better as the water keeps warming up! MITCHELLSTOWN The Mitchellstown area has been producing the goods as far as cod go. I teamed up with local Tim Ward for a late fish one arvo. We planned to fish the sunset and into the night using mainly surface and sub-surface lures. Fishing Jackall Pompadours and Mudeye 94

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Snakes we had lots of action, but failed to hook up on many occasions. We managed to set the hooks on three nice cod, with the biggest going just over 60cm. The key to hooking up was to let the lure sit for as long as we could, at times for up to two minutes. All fish came from less than 3ft of water. Word on the water has been that mornings and afternoons have been giving most anglers the best success. Lots of anglers are fishing around the Mitchellstown Bridge this time of year to get away from the traffic, so most of the success has been from this part of the river. Best bait has been cheese and yabbies fished in the deeper parts of the river. Yellowbelly have been a bit hit and miss, but when

the barometer is right they have been starting to bite. I find at this stage the trees on the edges are holding more fish than the deeper snags. Once you manage to find a yellowbelly, don’t move. I have been finding the fish have been schooling up and usually one fish will result on at least four or five from the same snag. It really can change overnight for these fish, but if I know I have caught yellas off a tree previously, I will always stop to fish it. KIRWANS BRIDGE The bridge area has been fishing well of late. Reports came through again from good mate and gun bait fisherman Benny Lee, who spent two days on the water for a trifecta of fish: yellowbelly, Murray cod

and redfin. Ben reported the best redfin had been caught on shrimp and the yellowbelly and cod all came on small yabbies. Depth varied between 12-18ft and the morning bite was most productive. He also reported the yellas were all caught in the afternoon. All the fish took him straight to the snags before eventually tiring and coming straight back to the boat. All anglers fishing this area have said the best times are morning and evenings. Boat and jet-ski traffic can be an issue this time of the year, so fishing these times yield the best results. A couple of bait anglers noted quite a few redfin on the reedy shallows around the bridge. Worms and small soft plastics are working best.

Mitch King with a Nagambie cod caught from the middle of the lake. LAKE NAGAMBIE The lake is still a prime shot for fishing in the area. Its accessibility for anglers

is second to none. With the water temp at this time of year at its prime, so is the To page 95

Dirty water dampens North East Victorian fishing WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

Murray cod season kicked off to an amazing start here in the Wangaratta region. From opening day, with most people catching fish up until about a week before Christmas, the fishing was insanely good, then came the deluge of all deluges! Close to 200mm of

BUT WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE FISHING? As the storm was localized to an area ranging from Boorhaman, across to Everton and everywhere in between, the flooding was restricted to that area. In that area all of the dams, swamps and rainwater tanks are currently full and overflowing. These swamps will be food generators for the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fisheries, with

again willing to strike a lure or take a bait. Bait fishing has become quite popular in the murky water, as lure anglers have been doing it a little bit tough. MURRAY COD Looking towards February, it is extremely hard to predict exactly what the water will be like. Provided we do not get too much rain it should be low and clear; however with so many streams in the region having no vegetation lining the banks, thanks to the flash floods, small amounts of rain could dirty the water up more quickly than usual. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re planning on heading to the Ovens River during February, it might pay to pack some bait as a back up, just in case the water is dirty. I expect the fishing to be pretty good regardless of whether the water is clear or dirty. As long as the water levels remain stable, the fishing should be

A December downpour has seen many swamps across the region fill overnight, which should have positive flow on effects to nearby fisheries. pretty good. The fishing will start to slow down a little towards the end of February as the nights just start to get a little longer. If you want to target Murray cod in water that is guaranteed to be clear, then

Lauretta Alexander with a nice Murray cod caught near Wangaratta just before Christmas. rain fell overnight in some areas of the Ovens River catchment, turning small streams and seasonal gullies into raging torrents of filthy water. Bridges and livestock were swept away and a large number of cars and houses were inundated with water. There was even 50+ vehicles stranded on the Hume Freeway just north of Wangaratta and people had to be air lifted out by helicopter. From page 94

fishing. Walking along the boardwalk from Buckley Park right around to the hotel, I have noticed lots of anglers catching fish. Redfin, yellowbelly and cod are all on the list. Most anglers are fishing worms and yabbies, and the

all types of life ranging from frogs, to dragonflies and other bugs breeding in these swamps and then making their way to nearby waterways. Widespread rainfall saw all of the streams rise, but most cleared up quite quickly, with the Ovens River from Everton downstream the only one that remains dirty. Once the river levels settled down, the great fishing returned despite the dirty water. Murray cod were once logs only 10-15m out from the boardwalk. These features will be where the fish are hanging. For best results I would try casting to a different spot. By doing this you will give yourself the best chance of finding these features and in turn catching a fish. Lastly, I cannot stress

The author with a solid Murray cod caught mid December in the middle of the day. Please remember size and bag limits when fishing this area. Murray cod can only be kept between 55-75cm, yellowbelly/golden perch have a minimum size of 30cm. Unfortunately, I have seen quite a lot of bad fishing practices over the summer period. If you see

you may wish to hit the Ovens River upstream of Whorouly, or the King River upstream of Moyhu. REDFIN February is usually the start of the best redfin fishing of the year in North East Victoria with Lake William Hovell and Lake Buffalo usually starting to fire as water levels drop in both lakes to meet irrigation demands downstream. In both lakes, look for a flat grassy bottom with a few submerged obstacles, such as logs and rocks. Try working a small soft plastic close to the bottom in these areas. You may

need to drift, or move around a lot, covering new water in search of schools of redfin. Once you locate a school, drop anchor and fish that area. It is no secret that large redfin like to hang out close to standing dead timber, so try tying on to different trees, moving frequently in search of a school of redfin. Another alternative is to troll a deep diving small minnow lure. I like the Halco Crazy deep, it dives to around 20ft. Using a fish finder you can troll in water that is only slightly deeper than what your lure dives to. This can be a great way to cover plenty of fishable water, and also to pick up the larger, more elusive redfin. If bait fishing, small yabbies and live shrimp are the way to go. TROUT February can be a very tough month to catch trout in North East Victoria. Low

water flows and warmer water temperatures can make trout fishing really tough. Try the Ovens River upstream of Bright, closer to Harrietville, which may be a little bit cooler. The far upper reaches of the King River around Pineapple Flat and King River Hut site can also be worth trying. Do not overlook the alpine lakes during February. Rocky Valley Dam and Pretty Valley Dam, both at Falls Creek, can be worth trying, so too can the smaller Lake Catani at Mt Buffalo. All three of these lakes can fish very well during the summer months, as the temperatures at those altitudes are much cooler and the trout thrive. Remember, if you wish to take a photo and release your trout, during the summer heat it is critical to get the trout back into the water within a matter of seconds or it will die.

Redfin are definitely on the menu during February. Try Lake William Hovell and Lake Buffalo as the water starts to drop in both lakes.

Sunny with a beautiful Nagambie yellowbelly. They will be a bit hit and miss this month. occasional lure fisher has been getting some nice fish using smaller hardbodies. On my sounder I have picked up quite a few rocky boulders, tyres and

how lucky we are to have this great fishery. It has been boosted by our Victorian stocking system, which has put thousands of fish into this system for our enjoyment.

someone keeping undersize fish or worse, a cod that is overize, call fisheries on 13 3474 (13FISH). Get out there and fish. Good luck!

The Murray cod season started off great for many anglers in the Wangaratta region. FEBRUARY 2019

Trout escape the heat down deep CRATER LAKES

Rod Shepherd

According to the very recent weather experience, summer is definitely still with us, and with a bit of a vengeance to boot! It’s definitely still slip, slop, slap time and don’t put the wide brimmed straw hat away just yet. Lake Elingamite has been giving up a few trout (mostly rainbows) around 700-800g, with most falling victim to medium diving

lures cast or trolled in and around the weed growth. Along with trout, redfin to 1.1kg are really beginning to respond to the same methods. Larger salmonoids are on and off, as Shane and Will Stephens recently found out when they ventured south from Ballarat for a couple of nights camping at the lake. The boys mainly cast lures and flies and managed approximately 40 fish for their trip, of which nearly all were released. Bullen Merri’s water quality is still doubtful, but

that’s not stopping many from chasing Chinook salmon. This fish is being caught in various sizes and weights and sunup and sunset often sees them move into the shallows looking for a feed. Trolling medium divers in 4-5m depth has

Bank anglers are also having success, mainly from the north shore. Fishing baits such as mudeye, scrubworm, local minnow or PowerBait either under a float or on the bottom with minimal weight has been working. The majority of what

Shane with a big Elingamite rainbow that provided an excellent fight.

Another big rainbow is boated.

A chunky Elingamite reddy. One of many for the boys.

seen a few good fish boated. During the middle of the day the salmon are moving a fraction further out into depths around 8m. The odd rainbow is also being taken.

few reports I have from Lake Purrumbete mainly concentrate on redfin. Fish are moving around in schools, with many fish being taken from jigging lures or using

live bait such as minnow. Anglers casting a variety of lures adjacent to the weed beds surrounding the lake in search of the resident trout are coming across some reddies. In saying that, I’ve recently heard of a group of visiting fishos that picked up a few trout casting around the lake’s fringes, but most fish were described as pan-sized. Fishing from a South West holiday hotspot, Aringa Reservoir just north of Port Fairy has plenty of redfin in all sizes on the chew. If you are using lures, either trolling or casting, deep

divers is definitely the go. Anything that gets down to 3m+ will attract interest from the local redfin population. Jigging metal vibes while on the drift will also work. When a school is located, gently lowering an anchor or using an electric motor to hold station will keep you in the zone. Trout here have gone somewhat quiet, probably due to the warming water. This little gem of a lake is only around 4m in depth and as a general rule of thumb, the salmonoids do not like the heat.

On the search for some chunky summer perch BENDIGO

Roger Miles codhuntertours@bigpond.com

The Bendigo region has again been a very popular destination with many people over the holiday period. During these holiday times we will often see a significant increase in the amount of boat traffic on the water. The increased boat traffic does not help anglers in their pursuit of catching a few fish. As always, the secret to success is start early and be prepared to fish late in the day when boat traffic is minimal – you will experience your most productive fishing during these times. LAKE EPPALOCK The fishing in Lake Eppalock continues to be productive. While the fishing has not been easy if you are prepared to work hard the rewards are there. The redfin fishing has been good, but not easy. The majority of redfin have been caught in deep water, with depth ranges from 10-15m being the most productive. I am currently finding the best concentrations of redfin around submerged bushes or around a rocky bottom. A good quality depth sounder is an important tool 96

FEBRUARY 2019

in helping anglers locate a good school of redfin. If you don’t have a good sounder, then I recommend trolling deep diving hardbody lures such as the Custom Crafted Basshunter, which can be very effective when trolling the deep water. When a good school is located, trolling a range of deep lures works well. Anglers should be prepared to change colours if the fish wise up to a certain colour then present them with another option. Alternatively, change tactics and start casting to the school with soft plastics. I have been producing my best results on clear and white colours, which I have been adding a little extra colour with using a Spike It pen. The productivity in the golden perch fishing remains good. Trolling the edges of the lake with hardbody lures that dive to depths around 8-10m has been working well. For those anglers casting the shorelines for golden perch the productivity has been low. In the last couple of weeks I have started to notice an increased number of small redfin fry around the edges. The increased presence of bait will help draw more golden perch around these areas. The best times to fish the edges will continue to be during periods of reduced light. The most productive golden perch fishing continues to be around

the edges of standing timber. There has also been some quality Murray cod that have been caught recently. The majority of these have been caught trolling hardbody lures or casting lipless crankbaits. On another positive, there has been the occasional trout being caught. CAMPASPE RIVER The productivity of the fishing in the Campaspe River continues to be good. Small numbers of Murray cod are being caught in the Campaspe at the present time. The anglers who are fishing during periods of low light are producing the best results on the Murray cod. A wide range of lures have been working. Surface lures and swimbaits have been the most productive during the night. Spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits have also been good options for Murray cod during the day. Golden perch are making up the majority of anglers captures. Good lure options for golden perch have been lipless crankbaits, suspending hardbody lures and small profile spinnerbaits. Anglers bait fishing with worms, shrimp and small yabbies are also catching golden perch. The productivity in the fishing in the Campaspe River is often the best when the flows are steady or reducing. I often find that during periods of higher flows down the Campaspe River the

This golden perch was caught on a Custom Crafted Mega Minnow. The trebles had been upgraded so the lure would suspend. This suspending lure produced several fish along the edge of a weed bed. productivity in the fishing is adversely affected. CAIRN CURRAN The productivity in the fishing at Cairn Curran has been good. Water clarity continues to be poor, which can have a negative effect on some anglers’ confidence. If you are prepared to put the work in good fishing can be experienced. Good numbers of golden perch are being caught, with most coming to those anglers bait fishing around the edges of the standing timber. The most productive baits have been small yabbies, shrimp and worms. Anglers willing to work hard and put in the time are catching the fish. Anglers should only stay at a tree for around five minutes, if you don’t get a bite then

move to the next tree until a good concentration of fish is located. Some anglers fishing with lures have also had some luck on golden perch. Trolling the edges of the lake with medium-sized hardbody lures has been working. Casting the standing timber and around the rocky shorelines has also been producing some decent fish. The most productive lures colours have been bright colour such as pink, orange and chartreuses, and dark colours like black and purple. LODDON RIVER The Loddon River has been producing mixed results lately. Water clarity continues to be a large factor when fishing the Loddon River. During periods of higher flows, after rain or increased volumes of water are released from Cairn Curran and Laanecoorie, the

water clarity deteriorates and the productivity in fishing declines. When the flows are reduced and water clarity improved the productivity in the fishing has been good. Golden perch continue to make up the majority of anglers captures. A mixture of lures have been working on golden perch lately, suspending hardbodies, spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits are all good options. Small numbers of Murray cod are being caught in the Loddon River. During the night or low periods of light swimbaits and surface lures are good options. Spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits have also been producing small numbers of Murray cod.

This is the month for hoppers and poppers WST/STH GIPPSLAND

Steve Haughton steve@habitatcreations.com.au

February is all about surface freshwater fishing in West Gippsland. On Blue Rock Lake, bass will be actively feeding off the surface during dusk and dawn, retreating to deeper waters during the heat of the day. Stream trout will be doing much the same. Surface fishing is an exciting sport requiring vigilance and stealth. Whether you’re on foot or out in the kayak or boat, keep an eye out for surface feeding bass and move in so you can cast in to the feeding zone. The common phrase for fly anglers ‘match the hatch’ is also very applicable to surface lure fishing. And don’t forget about the humble carp; targeting carp

on surface lures is a horribly addictive sport. Blue Rock Lake has many coves around the lake’s shoreline and up the Tanjil River Arm, which present sheltered areas where bass can be spotted feeding off the surface in the early morning or late afternoon. They are more active on the surface in shaded areas. The sound of a surface feeding bass could be best described as an aggressive popping-gulping sound. Trout, carp and redfin also feed off the surface when conditions are right, but the noise and action of a bass is quite distinct and something regular bass anglers will pick up over time. Having an electric motor on your boat becomes very advantageous when stealth fishing. An alternative to not having an electric motor is to simply use an oar to propel the boat

Sean Durston-Ryan enjoyed his first Blue Rock Lake outing, catching and releasing this hard-hitting 36cm bass on a SMAK Spinnerbait in the evening.

Steady flow of quality fish MILDURA

Rob Oswin

Reports of anglers catching quality fish have been flooding in, with catches of monster perch and some great-sized cod as well. The Mildura area has seen some fantastic fishing recently, no doubt in relation to the great weather and also due to the many people out on the river. Judging by recent reports, bait has been the preferred method of fishing for many anglers. Small to medium sized yabbies and shrimp have been the most effective bait.

Lures such as vibes and some smaller hardbodies have also been catching numbers of fish, but they haven’t been quite as effective as bait. This may be due to the warmer weather we are currently having. The steady flow of fish being caught can be expected to continue as the month progresses, and more people go out on the river to enjoy what it has to offer. Larger cod have gone off the bite, with the smaller and more active cod actively hunting more frequently. The numbers of perch being caught are steady. As the great weather continues, the bait such as shrimp and yabbies will continue

to grow in numbers, and in turn we’ll see catch rates continue to rise. Vibe lures such as Jackall TN70s continue to be an extremely popular option amongst anglers, with colours such as black market, purple ghost and peacock being the preferred colours. Smaller hardbody lures such as StumpJumpers and Aus Crafted Lures are also catching their share. When trolled along the deeper sections of the river, these lures catch good numbers of fish. Soft plastic lures have been quite effective too, with anglers having success on 3.5” grub tails at loch 11. Many anglers have reported that the area

Yellowbelly catches have been rising steadily.

around loch 10 and loch 9 are currently hotspots for perch, with many caught on lures cast towards the bank and trolled along deeper parts of the river. Areas around Robinvale and Hattah have also been doing very well lately. Many of the fish being caught on bait have been holding tight to structure, so the most effective way to catch them on bait is to get as close as possible to snags and rocks. As always, the key to getting consistent results is putting in the time on the water – so get out there and enjoy the great weather.

within casting distance of the feed zone. Kayakers won’t have any issues getting in to a feed zone, nor will landbased anglers. Blue Rock bass are starting to reach trophy sizes of over 40cm and there are many fish being caught and released on a weekly basis around the mid-30s. The biggest bass recorded with photo evidence was Luke Vandeligt, catching and releasing a 48cm bass in early December of 2018. Even bass around 20cm hit hard and put up a ripper fight on light gear! A good setup for surface fishing is a 6’6”-7’ rod with a weight rating of 2-4kg fitted with a 1000-2500 class reel, and 8lb line or braid is the norm with 8-10lb leader. Many Blue Rock bass regulars will even start to increase their leader to 12lb this time of year as the bass pull harder into the snags when hitting surface lures. When the cicadas are buzzing, you can’t go past imitation cicada surface lures. Cast out towards a surface feeding bass, leave momentarily and then begin retrieving slowly, pausing in between winds. Poppers and bent minnow styles are great fun to use too and mimic struggling baitfish or frogs on the surface. It’s important to retrieve surface lures slowly, especially within potential strike zones. Carp feed off the surface too and when presented with a tasty cicada lure in front of them they are quick to engulf it. At that point, hold on to the rod ensuring the drag is well set and if the boat is fitted with an electric motor guide the boat out of the sticks into deeper

water, then enjoy the battle. Blue Rock carp are healthy clean specimens, easily reaching 60cm+ and are strong fighters on light gear. A session on these will test your gear, knots and skill. Grasshoppers will start emerging this month and provide stream trout with their staple diet. If you carry around a small landing net, try scooping up a few hoppers to use on a hook and cast out unweighted. Fly anglers will be tying on dry flies to mimic the local grasshoppers, which vary from small brown Wingless Grasshoppers to the much larger Yellowwinged Locust. Like bass, stream trout are best targeted in the early morning or late afternoon. Sneak up to potential trout feeding zones and assess the best spot to cast. Often you’ll only get one cast in before you either get a strike or spook the fish. If you are well hidden then your chances are much higher. Wearing waders is recommended this time of year, as stealthy bank strolling and sunbaking snakes do not mix. They always say to make as much noise as you can when walking in potential snake habitat, but unfortunately this doesn’t work well with stream trout fishing. A good tough pair of waders will allow you to wade the stream or walk comfortably on the bank if certain sections can’t be traversed in the water. Feel free to send me a report or photo, particularly if you have any success stories over the summer holidays with the family and please email me any questions.

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

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

Nov Dec Jan

Mulwala

Cairn Curran

(Yarrawonga) 95 95 93

45 42

Dartmouth 79 74 70

Newlyn

Eildon

59 57 54

Nillahcootie 58 55 50

Eppalock

53 51 48

Rocklands 34 33 31

Eucumbene 25 20 28

Tantangara 38 40 50

Fyans

79 77 72

Taylors

59 57 53

Hepburn

74 68 61

Tullaroop

48 46 43

Hume

46 41 37

Waranga

29 34 23

Jindabyne 75 66 83

Wartook

59 59 56

Lauriston

William Hovell 100 100 99

97 87 85

86 83 75

(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.) FEBRUARY 2019

The 2018 Murray Codference a huge success SHEPPARTON

Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com

The simple way I judge the success of anything in the fishing world is by word of mouth and excitement created long after the event, or release of a certain lure, rod or reel. The 2018 Murray Codference is still creating a buzz amongst those who attended the 2018 event. Throughout the Christmas break I ran into many local

the Murray cod heartland of Shepparton, which is almost central to some of the best cod fishing locations in Victoria and NSW. Due to the central location of Shepparton, many attendees fished Friday and Saturday leading into the event and there were plenty of stories in between sessions about cod fishing at locations such as Lake Eildon, Lake Mulwala and the local Goulburn River. The iconic Murray cod is such a valuable commodity for the regions they call

Murray Codference, traveling well over two hours to attend the event I spoke with Sam Cunsolo from Melbourne about why he travelled down to the Codference. “Traveling to the Codference is great as most of us that travel make a weekend out of it,” he said. “Fish the Friday and Saturday and then attend the Codference on the way home.” “I encourage all to attend for the information you can gain on the day. “It’s a great chance to chat to

The author with Carl Jocumsen. Jocumsen was a big drawcard for those that attended the Codference.

The crowd at the Codference. Nearly 600 turned up to learn more about the Australian icon, Murray cod. anglers who also attended the event and everyone couldn’t get over how well the event was run. For me the 2018 Murray Codference was the first time I had attended a Codference and from the moment I walked into the building it just screamed professionalism. There was a nice relaxed feeling to the pre-show with those attending receiving a show bag of goodies and this was not just a basic plastic show bag, it was a high quality VFA backpack filled full of items such as the Kattafurra surface lure, ‘Care for Cod’ boat decal and removable tattoo, plus all the information you need to know about the event and the professionals speaking on the day. The all-day event was held at Riverlink Eastbank Shepparton and lured in almost 600 people, all keen to learn from some of the most knowledgeable speakers throughout the country. Guests were treated to three sessions, covering all aspects of the Murray cod including tackle, techniques, locations, stocking and scientific programs in place. The event was held in 98

FEBRUARY 2019

home. There is a huge tourism aspect to the Murray cod with many anglers making weekly, monthly and yearly trips to the rivers and lakes to chase the mighty cod. The love for Murray cod from our city cousins was very much apparent in those that attended the

those in charge and for me the drawcard was definitely between Carl Jocumsen and the Kattafurra lure.” Sam also mentioned that he enjoyed all the other incredible speakers and felt the VFA had really outdone themselves at the 2018 Codference.

The star of the show was Murray cod, but closely behind it for me as well was guest speaker and fulltime professional fisherman, Carl Jocumsen. Carl was, for many, the biggest drawcard the event has ever had and I urge everyone to listen to his fishing story. Yes, he has represented our country fishing for bass in the USA, but Carl always finds himself chasing Murray cod when he is home from the States. The presentation Carl gave showed his love for the Murray cod as it has and will always be special to Carl. Carl spoke about his Murray cod stories as a kid and also recent trips he had done since he has returned from the States. One thing that rings in my ears from his presentation was when he mentioned how unique the

Carl Jocumsen presenting at the Codference. He was the first speaker on the day, and started the event off strong.

Murray cod is, and how they are truly an Australian icon. He also shared his current swimbait techniques, as well as his vision for the future, with Murray cod lures to get bigger and bigger as time goes by. It wasn’t a sales pitch, but one thing was made clear, when throwing these monster lures you need to have the right rod and reel set up. The swimbait craze is now upon us, and having the likes of Ian Miller of Miller Rods designing rods is such a great step forward for us all. Seeing the size of the lures Carl throws, it’s obvious he is not targeting small cod, so using smaller lighter rods will be like taking a sword to a gun fight. Carl kick started the first session and from there all those who did speak owned the stage and the audience, despite the pressure of following such a legend of the sport. The event wasn’t just about catching huge Murray cod, there was a very special segment that got everyone laughing and smiling and for me, that’s why we fish. North East Victorian Robbie Alexander delivered this presentations and it would have had to be one of the best I have seen in regards to ‘Fishing With Kids’. Speaking to Robbie afterwards, he had the following to say, and if you have seen his social media post you can imagine the passion that was flowing through the phone. “It was a fantastic day, everybody that I have spoken to enjoyed the day,” he said. “From the free food, to the free lure and backpack, to the guest speakers and

the opportunity for people to talk and interact with leaders in the industry – it was a wonderful day.” I asked Robbie how he felt about being asked to present at the 2018 Murray Codference. “I was delighted to be a part of the event for the second year running, even more so delighted when they asked me if I could make a presentation all about kids,” he said. “I love kids.” Another great addition to the day was the catering supplied to those who attended. Tables full of food for morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea was all provided with your free entry and the spread that was put on was not cheap, it was lovely fresh food options for all to enjoy and mingle over during the breaks. The last session had a slight change to it and that was Steve Booth presenting Yellowbelly Tactics. It was a good addition to the day away from just Murray cod, only because majority of us who chase cod also chase yellowbelly. Boothy, a muchrespected member of the fishing industry, presented a talk that had everyone thinking about changing their approach to yellowbelly fishing in impoundments. After the event I spoke with Steve about his thoughts on the day. “The VFA Codference was outstanding to be a part of, personally and professionally,” he said. “Bringing together a range of sensational speakers, the Codference gave attendees a real insight to many facets of native fish throughout Victoria.”

“From stocking to catching, from the history and through safe handling techniques, I learnt a lot from the speakers. “With over 500 people attending, this was a fantastic day that allowed me to immerse myself in cod culture from the start of the day, right through to the end.” I found throughout the day all keynote speakers were engaging and informative,

from Lubin Pfeiffer talking Big Murray Cod Tactics to Will Trueman presenting his love for the trout cod and Macquarie perch. From someone who only enjoyed the Bunsen burners in science class at school, I, and many others, enjoyed the researcher’s information on fish populations and ways they have tackled the improvement in fish populations over the

last 20 years. Karen Rees spoke about female’s involvement in the sport of fishing and the growth of women in what is a male dominated industry. Her take on fishing and the barriers that she is knocking down was great for all inspiring females, showing there is a pathway for women in fishing. I feel if there was one negative on the day

Ayden Brown looking at the pictures in the free Codference magazine.

All presenters taking questions at the end of the day. All attendees learnt a lot about Murray cod, from targeting them to stocking and breeding.

it was those who turned up grabbed their free bag and left. These people will be the same people who always question where fishing licence fees go, I urge anyone who hasn’t been to a Codference to get

to one in the future. If the 2019 edition is in Shepparton or out of town for me it won’t make any difference, I will be putting it in the calendar as I feel it will become the second most important day on cod fishos calendar, just behind

cod opening. For those who didn’t attend, you can find videos of all the talks throughout the day via the VFA Facebook, or if you search through the guest speaker’s Facebook pages you will be able to find the links.

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING SAMAKI AUSSIE BASS SHIRT

For all the bass lovers out there, Samaki has created something special, something you’ve been asking for, that one-of-a-kind shirt that is right up your estuary! With natural tones of sweeping reeds, heavy structure and crystal clear sky, the Aussie Bass shirt is designed to stand out of the crowd but blend into the surrounds. As the bass strikes the lure, it sends water splashing across the surface in a flurry of action. The prominent deep green of the bass is accentuated with contrasting gold highlights. 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, plus 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. Aussie Bass 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. Price: SRP $59.95 (adults), $49.95 (kids) www.samaki.com.au

DAIWA INFEET

Contemporary looks meets innovative design with the return of the Daiwa Infeet series. Designed for the light tackle finesse angler, the new Infeet range features four models, built on hyper-sensitive slow bend graphite blanks. The Infeet’s classic blank is partnered by a contrasting white carbon fibre skeleton reel seat. The exposed design of the reel seat puts the blank right in the angler’s hand to transmit even the lightest of bites. An ultra-thin, tapered EVA rear grip eliminates weight for optimum rod balance and provides that unique modern styling we’ve grown to love and expect from the Infeet range. Angler connectivity is further enhanced courtesy of Fuji S/S SiC guides in the base section of the rod, and ultra light Fuji Titanium SiC guides on the top section. The Ti SiC guides lighten the tip of the rod to enhance feel and performance and is indicated by white bindings. A blend of Daiwa’s advanced finesse designs the new Infeet series is state of the art technology blended with precision, performance, and that exclusive Infeet style and swagger. www.daiwafishing.com.au

ASTRO VIBE AND HUMMER COLOURS 3 Strike Pro is releasing a couple of new colours in its highly popular ranges of Astro Vibe and Hummer 40 lures. The new colours in the Astro Vibe range will offer all the features that you find in the current Astro Vibes, including the UV reactive polycarbonate belly with internal rattles. Astro Vibes combine the best features of a metal blade and a rattling vibe, creating an extremely effective lure. The new colour in the Hummer 40 is certainly going to catch plenty of fish, and it offers all the features of the Hummer 40. This record breaking lure helped Strike Pro sponsored angler Rick Massie break both the Biggest Bream and Biggest Bag records in the Hobie Bream series. This lure will be deadly on bream, bass, estuary perch, flathead and mulloway. To find out more visit

100

FEBRUARY 2019

PRODUCT GUIDE

the Juro website or like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JuroOzProTackle. www.jurofishing.com

ZEREK JET POPPER 130

1 4

The Zerek Jet Popper 130 is 130mm long, which is an ideal length for both small and large predatory fish – everything from tailor, salmon and small tuna through to larger trevally, queenfish and bigger tuna. It’s fitted out with heavy-duty hardware to handle the pressure from punishing encounters. The colour range, which includes 10 colours, imitates and attracts with equal measure, while the easy casting 45g overall weight allows just about everyone to cast this lure without needing some serious gym sessions. This rear-weighted lure flies from the rod tip with reduced tumbling and extra distance, giving the lure more time in the water on every cast. On the water, the Jet Popper 130 makes a loud bloop that is enhanced by the chin hole that allows a massive bubble trail to add appeal both visually and acoustically. The rear tail fins help stabilise the lure in the water, reducing the likelihood of the lure flipping and rolling on the bloop. www.wilsonfishing.com

EGILICIOUS SQUID JIGS

2 3

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

BLACK MAGIC RATTLE SNACK

5 6

Black Magic’s continual growth and development in freshwater lures sees yet another original addition to their already strong line-up of freshwater lure options. This new arrival is called the Rattle Snack and, as its name suggests, it has a built-in tungsten rattle which is harmonically tuned. There are two weights available, 7g and 14g, and the quality hardware ensures your target species will be landed, not lost. The Rattle Snack’s aggressive shape creates a very enticing swimming action, and whether you’re trolling from a boat or casting to your favourite lie in a river, estuary canal or lake, this superior action and harmonics will deliver results. With six great colours designed to suit Autralian fishing conditions, this new arrival is sure to become a favourite. It’s available now from leading tackle stores throughout Australia. www.blackmagictackle.com

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING SAMAKI SLIT FOAM 7 STORAGE

DAIWA TATULA 100 10 AND 150

The all-new Samaki Slit Foam Tackle Boxes are in high demand and haven’t even landed in the country yet. Coming in four sizes, each tackle box is designed for a variety of lure storage options, holding the smallest of flies up to your favourite vibes and hardbodies. The soft slit foam insert has incremental slits and holes for you to get the maximum usage out of your tackle box, avoiding annoying hook tangles. The UV-resistant lids will reduce lure fade, and the waterproof O-ring and stainless steel hinges will safeguard your artificials. The range starts with a small single-sided option, and moves into three double-sided options of medium, large and extra-large. From $15.95 up to $59.95 there is an option to suit all anglers. For more information and stockists visit the Samaki website, and like them on Instagram and Facebook to keep up to date. Price: from $15.95 www.samaki.com.au

Making a great thing greater, Daiwa steps it up with the new Tatula 100 and 150. The Tatula 100 delivers anglers their smallest and lightest Tatula ever, while the 150 is made with power fishing in mind and sits in between the 100 size and the Tatula HD (200 size) in the Tatula line-up. Baitcaster brilliance starts with Daiwa’s Real Four design concept, with Real Engine, Real Control, Real Endurance, and Real Custom combining to make the Tatula technically advanced and performance driven. A precision designed solid aluminium frame and gear side plate delivers maximum power and unrivalled durability, while its ergonomically designed profile fits effortlessly in the palm of the hand. Digigear, TWS, Magforce Z, deliver unmatched strength, smoothness and precision both on the cast and on the crank, while Daiwa’s UTD gives you the muscle to stop just about anything that swims. www.daiwafishing.com.au

NEW TASSIE DEVIL COLOURS 10

Tasmanian Devil lures are a unique Australian product designed for trolling, casting or jigging in fresh and saltwater. They are now available in four new colours – watermelon pearl (132), lime frog (133), liquorice allsort (134) and black betty (135). The first three colours are available in 7g, 13.5g and 20g sizes, and the black betty colour is available in 7g, 13.5g, 20g and 26g. The lure action is due to the winged technology that causes the lure to swim in an irregular manner, darting and diving, simulating the movement of wounded fish. This pulsating action is transmitted to the rod tip that will show as a ‘nodding action’ that is proof that the lure is swimming correctly. If this rod tip action is not present, you’ll know you’ve picked up either a piece of weed or a fish. All four sizes of the Tasmanian Devil swim in this erratic manner, and this is the reason these lures are so effective. www.jmgillies.com.au

ZEREK MANIAC VIBE

The Zerek Maniac Vibe’s unique frontweighted design enables excellent casting distance, fast sinking and the ability for the lure to ‘stand up’ on the bottom. These features allow anglers to cover more ground every cast and be confident that the tail of the lure will always be in a position to snare a curious fish. Internally, the Maniac Vibe has many small ball bearings in its internal chamber creating one of the noisiest rattles that will attract fish from afar. Work the Maniac Vibe with a lift and drop technique to keep the lure near the bottom, or hop and shake it along the bottom if the fish are shut down. You can also cast and straight retrieve the lure at various speeds to cover depth profiles and present the lure to the right spot at the right time. The Maniac Vibe is 70mm long, weighs an easy-to-cast 14g, and comes in 10 colours. www.wilsonfishing.com

SHIMANO TRAVEL STORAGE

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 die-hard 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. www.shimanofish.com.au

STORM 360GT COASTAL SHRIMP

The new Storm 360GT Coastal Shrimp offers anglers a deadly lifelike prawn presentation. Its realistic legs swim and kick on the fall sending out natural vibrations, while the flat bottom design keeps the bait upright when resting on bottom. Combining a segmented body, slotted belly and back slots not only allows for seamless rigging, it also delivers a very natural looking action on the drop and at rest. Suitable for conventional Jig heads or weedless rigs make these prawns a must for any angler, be it in the fresh or saltwater environment. What fish doesn’t eat a prawn? A very easy bait to use, simple lift and drop of the rod tip with a slow wind will see you hooking up in no time. The Storm 360GT Coastal Shrimp is available in eight lifelike colours and two sizes, 3” and 4”. For more information on these and other Storm lures, check out the Storm Fishing website. www.stormfishing.com.au

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au FEBRUARY 2019

101

WHAT’S NEW FISHING TESTED

PRODUCT GUIDE

McLaughlin’s Advanced Formula Berley makes a difference

McLaughlin’s Bait and Berley have been producing quality bait and berley products since the late 1940s. During this time they have constantly worked to further improve the range and quality of the items they produce. In 2018 they introduced their latest innovation – the Advanced Formula range of berleys, which builds upon the success of their popular Premium Berley range. WHAT’S DIFFERENT? McLaughlin’s Premium Berley has always had secret ingredients and smells to attract fish to it. However, as the name suggests, the Advanced Formula range has upped the ante. McLaughlin’s have managed to further enhance the range with more natural flavours, and have added colours to make it easier to see the berley trail behind the boat. The range was developed by Juro Oz Pro Tackle, and I talked to Rick Massie from Juro to find out more. He said that it has taken a number of years to get the process of drying and colouring correct to the point where they were happy to release it. “It’s not a single step process,” Rick explained. “The berleys are dried multiple times to ensure that the scent, smell and colour are maximised, meaning better results for the anglers using them.” TESTING THE TESTER Using berley is not something that I regularly do, so I thought I would speak

McLaughlin’s Advanced Formula Berley range spent years in development before being released in 2018. berley, and Jamie has had quite a bit of success on these species. His advice was to keep it simple: the berley alone will do the job and bring the fish to you. He recommended using a small

opportunity to get on the water. Fishing for garfish and tommy ruff (Australian herring) is very popular along much of the south coast of Australia, and on my Christmas holiday it was obvious that I wasn’t the only person waiting for a weather window. When we arrived, the boat ramp was bedlam, and plenty of boats were anchored and berleying in all the likely areas. It was a matter of finding a free space and joining in. I started with the Mixed Bits pack and no oil – keeping it simple, as Jamie had suggested. I wasn’t sure how well we would do considering the number of boats around us. I needn’t have worried though, as within minutes there were plenty of tommies making their way up the berley trail. Generally the garfish are not too far behind, but on this day we could see them, but couldn’t get them to bite. We ended up getting a good bag of tommies and only one garfish. We had, however, done better than most. Chatting to other anglers, many had struggled to attract anything at all. King George whiting were the next target on the list (the weather windows

When it comes to berleying, keep it simple and remember that a little goes a long way.

McLaughlin’s Premium Berleys and Baits have been around since the 1940s, and have developed a reputation for quality. to Jamie Smith, the fishing specialist at Melbourne Marine Centre, for a few tips on targeting King George whiting and garfish. The store stocks the Advanced Formula

Fishing smiles. Anne Morgan enjoys chasing a few garfish.

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berley dispenser just below the surface if you want to target garfish, or one closer to the bottom if you’re whiting fishing. McLaughlin’s also does a product called Slicks Oil, which can be added sparingly in with the berley to give it even more punch. Keeping it simple sounded good to me. PUTTING IT TO GOOD USE The Christmas holiday period was my opportunity get out and give the products a try. I had a bit of a mix of the old and the new – Saltwater Nibbles, Whiting Nibbles, a Pier/Jetty mix, a small Tuna Log and Slicks Oil from the trusty Premium range, and Green Lip Bites, Mixed Bits, Pink Bits and Big Red Nuts from the new Advanced Formula range. Juro Oz Pro had also sent me a small bucket. As far as I was concerned, the fish didn’t stand a chance. Mother nature didn’t read the script, however. During most of my holiday it was blowing 25-30 knots, so it was matter of taking advantage of any small windows of

Not a bad outcome after using the berley for the first time.

PRODUCT GUIDE were few and far between). As we were fishing much deeper water, I used a two berley pot system. One pot was close to the bottom with Green Lip Bites and a little Slicks Oil in it, and the other pot was on the surface with the Mixed Bits and no oil. ‘Activity breeds activity’ was my theory, and after only getting one fish from our first location, we made a move and found some hungry fish. One thing with king George whiting is when they are biting you need to have a bait in the water, because they may not bite for long. After an initial flurry, things went quiet and I was wondering whether we should move. At that point I noticed that the berley trail from the top bucket no longer had fish in it, mainly because there was no berley left in the pot. A quick refill and redeploy had the tommies excited again, and a few more whiting hit the deck. Unfortunately for me I only had one more outing, and it followed a very similar scenario – we got a berley trail going mid and top water, created some activity and bagged a few fish. I used either the Green Lip Bites or the Big Red Nuts in the bottom pot, and it didn’t seem to matter with the top bucket. After that session I had to head back to work, but the family stayed behind and managed some more successful outings. The timid garfish eventually fell for the trap, and the ever-present tommy ruff just couldn’t resist a good berley trail. WHAT DID I LEARN? You can’t deny that the McLaughlin’s Berleys work. You can see the fish working up your berley trail, almost eating it from the berley bucket. At times I wondered if they preferred eating the berley rather than the gents or pipis I was using for bait. But that is what berley is all about – creating the activity for the angler to take advantage of. One thing to remember is to not overfill your berley bucket. The berley expands as it breaks down, so a little can go a long way. As well as that, just let the wave action do its job. Shaking the bucket may bring on a flurry of activity, but you want the fish to work up the trail you have created and then

WHAT’S NEW FISHING TESTED Senshi Custom Rigs avoid the hassle of creating your own rigs, and the 12 rigs in the range cover most of the popular target species. They are well made and the hooks are super sharp. And then there are the quill floats, float stops, split shot, berley feeders and, most importantly, their range of Daiichi hooks. Using good quality terminal tackle that is correct for the species you are targeting can make a huge difference to your results. FINAL OBSERVATIONS The boat ramp after a day’s fishing can be a great place to glean information. Stories about the fish that got away or how good the fishing was are commonplace. Or, as was the case during my holiday, “wow the fishing is tough”. That’s not how I felt though. Yes, conditions were difficult, but we were able to take advantage of the small windows of opportunity and catch some fish. So was it the berley making the difference? Well, it certainly wasn’t my knowledge of fishing with berley, because I had hardly ever done it before. I believe that the quality of the Premium and Advanced Formula berleys, and the terminal tackle we were using, gave us the edge.

The windows of opportunity were only brief for the author, but he was pleased with the result of a few hours on the water. take your baits. Shaking the bucket and releasing big volumes of berley can also excite undesirable species. As the saying goes, ‘a little bit often’ is the way to go. A bit of preparation goes a long way. The McLaughlin’s berleys come in resealable bags and tubs, and it pays to store them out of the sun and make sure you seal them properly. This will ensure they’ll stay fresh

and won’t attract pests. Fill your berley buckets before you get on the water. That way, once you have reached your spot you can deploy the berley and get the system working while you get your rods ready. A COMPLETE SYSTEM As much as I have focused on the berleys themselves, Juro Oz Pro covers the complete system, from the berleys and their dispensers (small, large and a weighted heavy-duty pot) to the terminal tackle needed to catch the fish you are targeting.

Does the McLaughlin’s berley work? Yes it does. If you want to see the full range of products you can check them out at www. jurofishing.com or ask for them at your local tackle store. - Peter Jung

MCLAUGHLIN’S BERLEY PRODUCTS • Advanced Formula range – includes Big Red Nuts, Blood Bits, Green Lip Bites, Mixed Bits and Pink Bits, available in a 1.5kg resealable bag. Big Red Nuts and Mixed Nuts are also available in a 5L bucket. • Premium Berley range – includes Bream Nibbles, Freshwater Nibbles, Pier/Jetty Mix, Saltwater Nibbles, Trout Food, and Whiting Nibbles, which come in a 1kg resealable bag. Premium Berley Snapper Nuts are available in a 4L tub. • Tuna Berley Logs – compressed tuna/tuna oil logs, available in three sizes. • Tuna Tossers – compressed tuna/tuna oil nuts, available in 1kg re-sealable bag.

Juro does more than just make quality berleys. Their range of hooks, rigs, floats and accessories are well worth looking for in your local tackle store.

Susie Wallman with a nice haul of garfish.

FEBRUARY 2019

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING TESTED

PRODUCT GUIDE

Black Magic Snapper Snacks and KLT Hooks

Recently I was lucky enough to have a few of the new Black Magic Snapper Snacks and KLT hooks come my way, and I wasted no time in putting them to the test. Into the tackle box they went, along with my usual go-to plastics on my next trip out for reds. The Black Magic Snapper Snacks are based on the same principle as the popular sabiki bait jigs, and all we know how deadly those little flashy attractants are. The main difference is that the Snapper Snacks are much larger and stronger for bigger fish, and have luminous flashes built into the skirts.

The first time I dropped down the Snapper Snacks, things didn’t go as I had hoped; the Snacks were molested by leatherjackets and stripped. On the plus side, at least they liked them! Still, nothing survives a jacket attack, so I grabbed a few more and headed to another spot, hoping the jackets would be less enthusiastic there. In the next location I had better luck. I dropped the Snapper Snacks down in 40m of water where a bait ball was holding 10m off the bottom – perfect snapper conditions. The

While the author was preoccupied with a kingy, two flathead hooked themselves on the Snapper Snacks. I had not bothered winding in the Snacks and after I wound in the slack from the busted kingie I noticed that both rods were bent over but not doing much. I pulled them up and found that I’d caught a double header of flathead. There must be a bit of sand down there too. So on that trip I didn’t catch any big reds but I’m sure they will come. There haven’t been many about lately, but I certainly caught just about everything else. The next week I was at Burrinjuck Dam and tried the 3/0 KLTs bobbing yabbies. The goldens were thick and I only had six yabbies and scored six fish in six drops, and didn’t miss a hook-up. I’ll definitely be taking the Snapper Snacks and KLT hooks on my future trips, and I’m looking forward to seeing what else I can catch on them. The marlin are about this month and I can’t wait to give the 10/0s a run on the billies! - Greg Clarke

Snapper Snacks appeal to a range of species, including sweep.

This hungry couta couldn’t resist a Snapper Snack.

Using 3/0 KLT hooks bobbing yabbies, the author landed a golden on every drop.

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hook-ups were instant, but I seemed to catch everything but snapper! On my first drop, I caught the bait, mackerel. The next drop and more slimy mackerel, then some sweep, a couple of trevally and then some barracouta. The Snacks were working a treat. I then grabbed one of the slimies and put it on a 7/0 Black Magic KLT on one of the 6kg snapper outfits. These light gauge hooks are very strong, and have a slippery, nonstick coating like a Teflon frypan so they can easily penetrate the fish’s mouth – and they nearly always hook the fish in the corner of the mouth, too. I lobbed the slimy as far as I could, put it in the rod holder and went back to the fishing the Snacks. I went on to score a trevally and a small snapper, and then the dead slimy I had forgotten about screamed off. The hook had done its job, and fairly quickly a king about a metre long came into view. Then, as usually happens, it saw the boat and bolted into the reef, as they do. I now had one less 7/0.

Black Magic KLT hooks are super sharp, slick and slippery, so they effortlessly penetrate the fish’s mouth.

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR

Brought to you by

2018

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

2-3 Feb

Tasmanian Bream Classic Series Round 1

Georges Bay, St Helens

2-3 Feb

Victoria Bream Classic Round 1

Glenelg River

20-21 Feb

ABT BREAM Round 1

Marlo/Bemm River

23-24 Feb

ABT BREAM Round 2

Gippsland Lakes

2-3 March

ABT BASS Round 1

Clarence River

2-3 March

Hobie Kayak Bream Series Round 2

Mallacoota

9 March

ABT BASS Electric Round 1

Richmond River

9-10 March

Tasmanian Bream Classic Series Round 2

Swan River, Swansea

16-17 March

Victoria Bream Classic Round 2

Mallacoota

19-21 March

ABT BREAM Australian Open

Sydney

23-24 March

ABT BREAM Round 3

Botany Bay

30-31 March

Hobie Kayak Bream Series Round 3

Sydney

6-7 April

Hobie Kayak Bream Series Round 4

Blackwood River

6-7 April

Tasmanian Bream Classic Series Round 3

Derwent River, Hobart

13-14 April

ABT BASS Electric Round 2

Toonumbar Dam

27-28 April

Hobie Kayak Bream Series Round 5

Nelson

30 April-1 May

ABT BREAM Round 4

Albany

4-5 May

ABT BREAM Round 5

Blackwood

4-5 May

Victoria Bream Classic Round 3

Metung

18-19 May

Hobie Kayak Bream Series Round 6

Woy Woy

25-26 May

ABT BASS Round 2

Glenbawn Dam

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billhartshorne@hotmail.com

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abt.org.au

Add your tournament or competition to this list by emailing jthomas@fishingmonthly.com.au or calling 07 3387 0800 in office hours. Just supply a date, venue, tournament name and a telephone number and contact name. FEBRUARY 2019

105

The measure of a man SUNTAG

Stefan Sawynok

I had plans for a different article this month, but sometimes the universe has other ideas. Working late as I often do, Steve Morgan turned up to record a video to attach to an article, and he mentioned he had some data on his use of lures and that was just too much of a temptation. I immediately asked him if I could look over it. I would recommend checking out Steve’s article in this year’s Tournament Angler Guide, as it provides some great insights on

dairy surveys to world records in more than one country. Fishing conforms to the power law distribution, and interestingly, this is despite attempts to enforce the opposite. One area where human performance does not conform to a power law occurs when productivity caps are enforced. In theory bag limits or quotas in the commercial industry represent productivity caps. While bag limits do restrict productivity in some instances, in most the option to catch more than one species or go catch and release means highly productive recreational fishers don’t face limits in practical terms. While it has been a challenge to define the

on to fishers, and I have reviewed mountains of data and literature. Every fisher is different, and I think making population-wide predictions is fraught with danger, not least because most of the studies on fishers don’t collect much data on the key things that influence productivity. It’s hard enough to get fishing data; everything else is a bonus. None the less I have been able to reliably predict performance from some key pieces of information about the fisher. • Motivation – why are you in fishing? For most people fishing is just a recreational activity but two key motivations will reliably predict your fishing ability, being motivated to catch fish

Figure 2 – Performance impact of crab type lures. technique and which lures find the fish. Checking over the data, I had another question in mind, which lures had a measurable impact on his performance, that is his finishing position as opposed to success catching fish. Which of course led to an important question of how do you measure performance? Where are you on the fishing performance curve? Before we get to that question, let’s look at some background information. Human performance is a field that has been explored in large-scale studies with hundreds of thousands of people across many disciplines. The long and short is that activities with a high level of autonomy and variable time investment end up with the productivity of individuals represented by a power law distribution, more commonly known as a Pareto distribution, the 80/20 rule. I have looked at the cumulative performance of groups of fishers in a wide variety of contexts, from state-level 106

FEBRUARY 2019

productivity of fishers over three years of looking at data from here and overseas, I have developed a definition that does have metrics. Note this applies to broad scale populations. You can grade yourself on where you sit on the productivity curve: • Most fishers (80-90%) – can do the basics, may catch fish less than one per trip on average, can use baits and simple techniques but don’t fish regularly enough to master. • Skilled fishers (9-19%) – fish more regularly, can be up to weekly, have mastered a one or more techniques and can catch 1-2 fish every time they go fishing on average. • High performers (1%) – are either expert in a technique or mastered many and can catch more than 2+ fish on average each time they go out. WHAT DIFFERENTIATES PERFORMERS? How to define the difference between fishers is a question I have passed

(ie large numbers of fish) or being motivated to develop the fishing skills. • Genetics – most sports have a genetic advantage, size, speed and so on. In the case of fishing, this is lessened some by the static nature of fishing but there is no doubt in my mind biological drivers do provide an advantage. There is a hunting instinct and we don’t have it equally. This trait hasn’t been anywhere near enough study completed on but there has been enough work done to confirm that hunting has a genetic basis. • Time – how much time do you have for fishing? Paradoxically this isn’t how much time you have to fish in the literal sense, but rather time invested in developing fishing skills. I have met plenty of anglers who fish regularly without developing any in terms of fishing ability and often are happy with that as they are fishing for other reasons than focusing on catching fish. Equally, I have met anglers who can only fish once every couple of months

but make the most of every chance they get to improve. • Technology – how good is your gear? Everything from rods, reels, tackle, boats and electronics makes a difference. That is not to say the human element isn’t necessary or that you have to invest heavily technology to be successful, but this is the complementary component to the genetic component. Bring the two together and you end up with fishing weapons. Equally, as much as it’s hard to measure without setting up some controlled experiments, I have looked at a lot of fishers in detail, and I do believe there is a spectrum between fishers whose performance is driven by technology as opposed to fishers driven by genetics. • Data – Good fishers have long kept diaries and while the data collection means have changed over time, with apps and echo sounders doing a lot more of the work – how you use data does influence where you end up on the performance curve. As a rule, the higher up the performance ladder the more likely the fisher is to be counting fish and recording conditions – even if it’s only in their head. HOW DO YOU MOVE UP THE PERFORMANCE CURVE? Most people don’t move much up the performance curve, and that is in no small part due to the brain being a pattern machine, once you establish a pattern, it’s hard to break. As an example studies on the failure rate on New Year’s resolutions come up somewhere between 80-95%. Fortunately, there are methods available to improve performance, and I have used them consistently to develop new skills rapidly for the past five years even on things I hate

Figure 1 – Steve’s Performance relative to all 1st places 2014-2018. (nobody likes maths!) There is another powerful engine in your brain that needs to be activated – the problem solver. Your brain loves solving problems even more than patterns, which is just as well because otherwise, we would never have progressed past cavemen. For those at the beginning of their fishing skill development, there is a great book by Josh Kaufman, The First 20 Hours, that helps you get through the process of developing any skill with just 20 hours investment. That way you can be into the fun stuff faster. Note, the following are key to moving up the performance curve, not a statement of end skill. Most fishers achieve a skill level they are happy with and are happy then to cruise and enjoy fishing. • Motivation – Why do you want to change? This is not about being Rocky, the eye of the tiger stuff, but just being clear on what is the positive benefit of the change for you. • Practice – Skip it. Well not quite, but you do need very specific goals on the things you want to achieve. “I want to get better at catching fish” is too general a goal to focus your brain on problem-solving, but “I want to catch whiting” is a

good start, or even better “I want to catch whiting landbased” or even better still “I want to catch whiting, land based on lures”. The more specific the target of practice, the better chance you will develop skills. • Preparation – Do you have what you need to get to the next level? No, that doesn’t mean go out and buy a Stella, but it does mean having the basic tools and information on techniques to tackle the specific problem you have selected. Making good connections in the fishing community is a good preparation tool. • Metrics Matter – Get the metrics right both for measuring improvement. This can be a challenge because the metrics you need to advance to the next stage of your development need to change. • Beginners/In development – metrics need to be based on the inputs rather than the outputs. Success is to be celebrated but it isn’t a good measure of where you are at. A much better measure is to break down the components of the skill and set goals, for example, casting might be to land within a certain zone. Another good metric is to review what new things you learned or improved each fishing session.

Figure 3 – Performance impact of hardbody type lures.

• Intermediates/Skilled – Once skills have developed to the point where success is consistent, it’s time to flip the script and set measurable output goals. This might be the number of fish in a year, the number of areas visited to build experience in different conditions or success with different techniques. As skills

eight or longer. Fish don’t feed randomly across time; there are specific times when they are most active (the bite period), so even if the fishing day is eight hours long, there won’t be an equal chance each hour of catching a fish. Second, there is often a limited number of fishing spots, particularly in smaller

what you are after. Energy Most of tournament fishing is a grind with a window where the fish turn on, in other words, the bite period. Hopefully, the bite period is early in the event when the tank is full, but if not it’s important to regulate the cast rate in the

Figure 4 – Performance impact of soft plastic type lures. for the task increase, your brain demands more specific goals to stay in problemsolving mode otherwise, it defaults back to pattern mode. How obsessive you are about this process of setting metrics and achieving them dictates how far up the performance ladder you will go. • High Performers – metrics need to focus on relative performance. At this point, skill acquisition is not a key problem but measuring yourself is. Many high performers stick to the ‘setting targets’ model, but now the targets have combine fixed (how many) and relative (ranking compared to other fishers). Many high performers I have met are good at keeping records and knowing how they are tracking. Peter Jung at Fishing Monthly is an excellent example of a high performer; he has a goal of reaching 1000 flathead tagged, then to make it into the top three all time of taggers of flathead. By combining fixed (1000 fish) and relative (top 3) he is maximizing the chances of him identifying and solving every problem he needs to achieve them. COMPETITIONS ADD NEW DIMENSIONS There is a world of difference between fishing and competition fishing. Things that work in regular fishing won’t necessarily work in competitions, and there are two key reasons – time and resources. Time is a significant restriction regardless of whether the fishing day is four hours,

fishing areas. Again, fish are not spread uniformly across the fishing area, and competitors go to great lengths to capture those spots where fish aggregate. Watch the start of any high-end fishing tournament; you will see that some boats have the edge. Fishing is different to all other sports, which generally put limitations on equipment and tactics to ‘even out the contest’. Fishing is inherently unfair right from the start, favouring those with the ability to find fish and despite the rise of technology that has remained true. None the less it would be interesting to see a fishing competition where everyone had to use the same specifications of gear and boats and what that would do to results. TIME MANAGEMENT Time is the most critical commodity in tournament fishing. Here are some key elements to good fishing time management I have divined from hundreds of conversations with competition fishers. Preparation Prep for a fishing tournament is entirely different to regular fishing. Here you aren’t focused on catching fish but working out where the fish are which will respond to your skills. That isn’t the same as fishing where the best fishers fish. I am a big fan of the low fishing pre-fish using electronics to work out the fish and removing the hooks if you do wet a line. Intelligence is

off periods and keep up the fuel. Coffee is good, but sugar and carbs aren’t as that will spike insulin and provide distractions. Decision making You need a plan for success but also a plan for failure so that if things aren’t working you know what you are going to do and if it’s not going to happen, what you can do to improve for the next time around. Winging it in competitions is fine, but will limit progress in the long term unless you were born with a fish in your mouth. Luck Luck is an underrated commodity. Luck is intangible; random things happen, what isn’t intangible is how much preparation you do to make the random things work your way. Not losing the fish at the net, being in the right place at the right time can be the difference between winning and losing. All fishers need luck, but the lesser fishers blame fate for their lack of success. In all sports it’s true that you make your own luck, double and triple checking knots getting good intelligence, having a plan based on that Intel are things that improve your luck when the odds can swing either way. Making your own luck is one of the keys to success, relying on luck isn’t. MINI CASE STUDY: STEVE MORGAN I have written several articles looking at Steve Morgan from a performance perspective. As he livestreams when he fishes and uses the ABT Competition app, there

is a wealth of additional data available that we don’t have for most fishers. In this case however, Steve presented me with some new data that I hadn’t previously considered – the lures that he used throughout the year and which ones caught fish. While individual lure is not a very useful comparison it turns out when grouped by class of lure we get some interesting things to pop out. I have looked at a lot of influences on performance, but so far lures have eluded me as I haven’t had a dataset I had any confidence in. As soon as I caught sight of Steve’s spreadsheet, I knew I had to have a play with the data. The tricky part of looking at performance, in this case, is context. The number of fish and bag weight is measured not against Steve’s personal history, but other fishers performance. What I needed was a metric that shows the difference between Steve and the best. Placings are pretty reasonable measures of performance outcomes, but don’t provide a measure of ‘how large a success’. To get around this, I thought about fishing tournaments and the objectives – that is to get 1st place always (in theory). Using first place as a yardstick, any bag weights less than the first place weight

in 2014-2016. It’s good to see that the data shows his rebound as things improved. The same pattern could be seen in average placings. That gave me confidence that the metric was useful. So, how would we assess whether a given lure had an impact on his performance? I had a late night pondering the approach, but in the end I came up with a quadrant map that demonstrates nicely the effect different lures had. This is something that anyone can do with a pencil and a piece of graph paper, and a little maths and the results can be informative if you are a competition fisher in selecting lures. On the x-axis I plotted the performance difference metric. On the y-axis, I plotted the % of fish kept on that lure (including all upgrades). Then I cut the graph up into four quarters, and the result looks something like figures 2-5. In this case, the upper righthand quadrant is where a class of lures had the most impact on performance; the bottom left-hand quadrant the worst. Steve is an excellent benchmark in these sort of problems, as he will fish the way he wants to, regardless of conditions. Sometimes this impacts his performance but makes him a better test subject. I want

conditions, the fact that the lures types didn’t contribute equally in part supports that. Most of the top fishers in competitions I have talked to have a range of lures and tactics to deal with the conditions of the day. A more useful question would be which lures are less useful. Replacing lower performing lures with something that performed better could lead to real, measurable performance improvement, so long as that improvement doesn’t come at the expense of existing successful lures. WHAT SHOULD STEVE DO? Steve doesn’t need any advice from me, I am not in his league in my wildest dreams. That said, what the data shows is that hardbodies were the weak link this year. If he replaced hardbodies with a third lure class that had similar success to the crabs and soft plastics, then his win rate would have gone from one event to three for the year and his overall place up from an average of 4.85 to 2.5. A PURPOSE TO THE USE CASE I chose to add this case to the article, as it demonstrates the value of measuring performance. In this case, we have simple data that can measure performance both overall and by technique. An underperforming technique can be uncovered, and

Figure 5 – Performance impact of topwater type lures. is an underperformance, while getting first means you are ahead. With this in mind, I had a look at the bag weight Steve managed compared to the first place bag weight, or if he got first compared to second place. The result is a reliable metric when converted to a percentage of the winning bag. Here are the last five years of Steves performances averaged using this metric. Note he only fished the one event in 2014 and had things going on that hampered his performance

a little more data, but even with the data we have we can see that the crab type lures contributed most to his NSW performances, while soft plastics contributed in Tasmania, WA and his home territory. Which lure is better? I have pondered on that question, and first, the dataset is small, but second I think that the four charts show something even more critical. Most anglers know intuitively that different lures work in different

alternatives explored. Measuring against first may not be appropriate to everyone if you are further back in the field pick the nearest place rounded to 10 – eg, if you are currently 55th, measure against 50th. Becoming a better angler isn’t hard. Set goals, prepare well, pay attention to technique and measure performance, and you will see rapid improvement. The bigger challenge is in making moves up the performance ladder. FEBRUARY 2019

107

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MARINE MECHANICS

CENTRAL Stick with convex design and leave the mud behind

All you need to worry about are the fish

CUSTOMISED MAINTENANCE & SERVICE to meet your individual boating needs

Vic Marine & Trailer Warehouse 0412 264 450

www.anchorright.com.au | 03 5968 5014

Salt-away 1800 091 172 or www.salt-away.com.au SERVICE CENTRE

KRIS OAKLEY MARINE SERVICES

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

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Designed and manufactured in Australia Check out the holding power figures on www.anchorright.com.au

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Lake Eildon Houseboats (03) 9397 6977 Boab Boat Hire Shepparton (03) 5822 2108 Boab Boat Hire Echuca (03) 5482 1992

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

This section in V&TFM Fishing Monthly consolidates the trades and services in your area that are relevant to your fishing and boating. Whether you’re a local looking for more options or a travelling angler fishing around the state, this guide will direct you to reputable businesses in the area you’re searching. 108

FEBRUARY 2019

EAST COAST

CHARTER BOATS

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Able Fishing & Charters, Williamstown (03) 9502 3777

FRESH BAIT | HIRE BOATS | ICE

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Shallow Inlet Caravan Park (03) 5687 1385

Big Red Fishing Charters, Queenscliff 1800 805 587 Blue Magic Fishing Charters, Rowville (03) 9759 5301 Geelong Charters & Fishing Trips, Geelong (03) 5275 7107

ALL YOUR FISHING MONTHLY GEAR From

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From

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O’Brien Charter Service, Bermagui 0407 214 124

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

CHARTER BOATS WEST COAST Portland Fishing Charters, Portland (03) 5523 3020

NSW SOUTH COAST Wilderness Fishing Tours, Mallacoota 0424 625 160 Aussie Fish Estuary Adventures (02) 6495 9902 or 0400 062 504

CHANDLERY & ACCESSORIES

CENTRAL

Anchor Right (03) 5968 5014

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Salt-away 1800 091 172 or www.salt-away.com.au

Throw Pillows

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fishingmonthly.redbubble.com

Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call (07) 3387 0800 or email pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au FEBRUARY 2019

109

FUN PAGE AND COMPETITIONS SHARK SPECIES

GREAT WHITE TIGER MAKO BULL WHALE GUMMY LEMON BASKING GREENLAND BLACK TIP HAMMERHEAD

DTD - REAL FISH OITA

WHITE TIP DUSKY SANDBAR NURSE CARIBBEAN BLACK TIP BLUE SILKY GREY COPPER SCHOOL

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 FEBRUARY 2019

Phone (day):

FINS SCALES & TALES by A. Both

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. FEATURES - Double weight system with inner weight designed to produce sound while squid jig is in action. COLOURS - 7 different designs representing popular fish species. ADDITIONAL - Luminous body, fish parasite, great balance, sound effect, quality stainless steel hooks SIZES - 5 Sizes available www.dogtoothdistribution.com.au

SPOT THE

10 DIFFERENCES

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

ORIGINAL

FIND-A-WORD

Congratulations to, Phil Merrick who was last month’s winner of the Find-a-Word Competition! Monthly winners receive a Fishing Monthly prize pack. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – V&TFM

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE

The subscriber prize winner for December is T Marshall of Gisborne, who won a Okuma Prize Pack valued at $300. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – V&TFM

Creek, L Wolfel of Wangaratta , A De Bresser of Croydon, I Lovel of Bealiba, N Sanders of Irymple, R Meaney of St James, A Strange of Cardigan, C Hehir of Belmont, P Geale of Georgetown, R Sanders of Koo Wee Rup, R Coombes of Vermont, J Brumby of Nirranda South, R Newton of Wangaratta, J Peeters of Colac, A Pollard of Darley, D Gillett of Portarlington, B Royal of Simpson, B

Shelton of Romsey, J Aquilina of Keilor Downs, N Bryant of North Albury, D Parry of Stawell, F Wilson of Hoppers Crossing, A Bonner of Coragulac, S Ward of Curlewis, S Powls of Margate, W Henley of Park Orchards, F Weber of Corack East, R Coombes of Vermont, A Bourchier of Toolamba. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – V&TFM

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS

FIND THE GAMAKATSU LOGO

The answers to Find the Gamakatsu Logo for December were: 8, 12, 18, 21, 24, 30, 38, 43, 44, 49, 68, 71, 73, 76, 92. – V&TFM

110

FEBRUARY 2019

This month’s Guess the Fish Answer: Carp

The Find the Gamakatsu Logo prize winners for December were: K Voros of Korumburra, P Wickham of Corinella, B Whyte of Myers Flat, R Waters of Temora, D Symons of White Hills, J Hines of Leopold, F Hutchins of Sunbury, D Dunn of Warrnambool, J Titter of Werribee, G Thomson of North Geelong, M De Voigt of Moe, J Collier of Smythes

GUESS THE FISH?

Answer:

boats & kayaks

In the skipper’s seat

Inside story...

Stacer have been making boats for over 40 years, and in that time have gained a reputation for building tough boats to suit Australian conditions. With over 70 models in the range, whether you are after a serious fishing rig, a family fun machine or a budget friendly tinny, Stacer has you covered.

Made for...

Stacer boats are designed to dominate all sorts of waterways. There are boats to suit offshore, in the bay and in freshwater fishing locations.

This month...

112 What’s new in boating

Check out the latest and greatest products and news in the world of boating!

114 Ned rigs in the kayak Justin Willmer explains the art of using American Ned rigs out of the kayak!

116 More towing tips

Building on last month’s feature, Wayne Kampe offers some more tips for towing the boat!

Peter Jung compares the new Stacer 399 Proline and 429 Proline Angler in the beautiful Venus Bay. Check it out on page 118!

FEBRUARY 2019

111

WHAT’S NEW BOATING STACER 529 ASSAULT PRO

The Stacer 529 Assault Pro Tournament is a true fishing machine. The front and rear carpet casting areas have enough space for multiple mates to fish off at all angles. Standard with useful accessories, the 529 Tournament comes fitted with a thruster plate bow mount for an electric motor, and anglers with a large quiver can easily store and organize their rods in the centre underfloor storage compartment. This boat is equipped with Stacer’s Revolution Hull. The pressed hull increases strength by 50% and the stretch formed shape creates an extremely smooth ride. This, in combination with a raised chine, keeps occupants safe in rough conditions and following seas. Stacer’s Ready 2 Go turnkey packages mean you can hit the water right away, and the five-year Stacer warranty provides peace of mind. www.stacer.com.au

RAYMARINE ELEMENT

Raymarine Element is a new generation of advanced, combination sonar and GPS displays. Building on the success of Axiom navigation displays, the Raymarine Element incorporates RealVision 3D sonar technology, improving your underwater view with 3D bottom imagery and more precise location of fish targets. Element also introduces new HyperVision 1.2MHz sonar technology, featuring ultra-high CHIRP sonar frequencies. HyperVision enhances the DownVision, SideVision, and RealVision 3D sonar, allowing anglers to see structure, vegetation, and fish with lifelike detail. The new LightHouse Sport operating system and intuitive keypad controls let anglers quickly mark spots and create high-definition bathymetric maps using the new Raymarine RealBathy real-time sonar map generator capability. The quad-core processor delivers instantaneous chart redraw, smooth RealVision 3D imaging, and fast response. The Element series consists of 7”, 9”, and 12” display models, and it will begin shipping in the first quarter of 2019. www.raymarine.com/element

JOHN DEERE 4.5L MARINE ENGINE

The new John Deere PowerTech 4045SFM85 marine engine is now ready to ship to customers worldwide. The new 4045SFM85 offers high powerto-weight ratio for repowering and new boat construction, and is ideal for planing and semi-displacement hulls. The engine uses a waste-gated turbocharger that provides more torque capability at the low and middle rpm range, and features replaceable cylinder liners, making it possible to rebuild the engine for extended service life. Additional features include: standard front fuel service, optional left- or right-hand oil filter options for twin engine applications; upgraded valve train (delivers a 40% increase in power and a 9% reduction in total engine weight for a 53% increase in power density compared to its predecessor); low-profile heat exchanger (reduces height by 4.3cm); and water-cooled exhaust manifold creates a cooler and quieter environment. For a complete list of specifications visit the Power Equipment website. www.powerequipment.com.au 112

FEBRUARY 2019

HYDRODRIVE STEERING

PRODUCT GUIDE

Small boat owners with craft up to 150hp are typically limited to mechanical cable style steering systems.This push/pull cable setup often requires higher maintenance than hydraulic steering, and can result in diminished performance over time. Hydrodrive is a hydraulic steering system for small boats up to 150hp. This affordable, quality product is available in four complete kits ready for installation or refit. It’s an economical and flexible alternative to mechanical steering, providing the capability of a hydraulic system typically only seen on 8m+ boats. Users will benefit from smoother operation, lower maintenance, and straightforward installation. Complete all-in-one kits with universal fittings compatible with most outboards up to 150hp. Hydrodrive provides smooth positive steering, fitted to the outboard with tube mounting. Each kit contains a pump with fitting, cylinder with fitting, twin hose set with required connections, and 1L of oil. Components are over-engineered to prevent leaks, even under extremely high pressure, and anodised for superior corrosion resistance. Hydrodrive Systems are backed by a 3-year manufacturer’s warranty. www.amisales.com.au/hydrodrive

MERCURY NVH CENTRE

Mercury Marine has opened a new stateof-the-art Noise, Vibration, Harshness (NVH) Technical Centre at its global headquarters in Wisconsin, USA. The A$14 million NVH testing and research centre, which covers some 1900m2, is the largest and most expansive facility of its kind in the marine industry. NVH is the engineering practice of studying noise, vibration and harshness characteristics. The new centre houses structural dynamic testing bays, listening rooms, and two marinespecific, hemi-anechoic chambers (high-tech spaces with sound-absorbent materials on the walls and ceiling along with a sound insulated floor). “The NVH building and its capabilities will set a new benchmark in the marine industry,” said Tim Reid, Mercury Marine vice president of product development and engineering. “We are looking forward to giving our engineers a worldclass facility where they can study every noise, movement and performance indicator on every engine we manufacture.” www.mercurymarine.com.au

ACTIVE TRIM VIA VESSELVIEW

Mercury Marine’s Active Trim system can now be controlled through VesselView information screens. Active Trim automatically trims an engine(s). It makes boating easier, mproves engine performance and cuts fuel costs. Originally, Active Trim was controlled through a separate dash-mounted key pad. Now drivers have the option to buy an Active Trim computer module to provide control via VesselView’s multi-function touch screen. The GPS-based control system takes into account both speed and rpm when deciding on the ideal trim position. It also solves the issue of the engine trimming up too early or too late while the boat is getting up on the plane. There are five trim profiles, and you just select the best profile for any application. You can personalise Active Trim to your driving style and/or compensate for changes in boat load, and conditions. You can easily disengage and re-engage the system with the manual trim buttons. www.mercurymarine.com.au

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

SCAN THE QR CODE!

MAJOR PRIZES

FIND THE

LOGO COMPETITION

1st PLACE

1000

There are 15 logos hidden throughout the pages of Fishing Monthly.

Find the logo and page number, fill in the entry form and go in the draw to win!

RRP worth of Frogley’s Offshore products

2nd PLACE

The first 40 correct entries drawn at the end of each month will win a packet of the world’s finest hooks from

500

All entries will go into the major prize draw (APRIL 30 , 2019).

RRP worth of Frogley’s Offshore products

www.frogleysoffshore.com.au

3rd PLACE

200

RRP worth of Frogley’s Offshore products

PAGE NO: 1

NAME ............................................................................................................

MAIL ENTRIES TO: VFM Find the Gamakatsu Logo Competition, PO BOX 3172, Loganholme QLD 4129 Entries must be received by 28TH FEBRUARY 2019 Original entries only. No photocopies.

SUBURB .................................................................P/CODE ........................... PHONE .......................................................................................................... EMAIL ............................................................................................................ FEBRUARY 2019

VFM FEBRUARY 2019

ADDRESS .......................................................................................................

113

Kayak fishing with Ned BRISBANE

Justin Willmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

Over the years there have been many US lure developments and techniques that have been adapted and refined to suit our species. Some

rigging, Texas rigging, spinnerbaits, ChatterBaits, skirted jigs and more. In recent years it has been the Ned Rig that has exploded in parts of the US and I have been putting this technique to work in our local waters over the last year, landing a mixed bag of species, including plenty of flathead.

A happy angler and 80cm of Ned Rig eating flathead. have become popular, others have found a niche application and some have failed to leave their mark in this country. Many of us have tinkered with Drop Shotting, Carolina

BACKGROUND There have been modifications of techniques pioneered in the US by angling icons like Chuck Woods, Guido Hibdon and Charlie Brewer. The Ned Rig

was conceived and brought to mainstream attention by Ned Kehde, an avid angler and veteran fishing industry writer from Kansas, USA, hence the ‘Ned’ Rig. The rig centres around small finesse plastics, with anglers cutting down larger Senko (worm) style plastics to create a finesse presentation that is rigged on a light mushroom jighead. When combining this mushroom jighead with a buoyant plastic, you have a presentation that has a slow fall, can be dragged, hopped, darted and shaken, before hinging back upright on the pause to create a realistic defensive or feeding pose. This technique is renowned for producing cricket score catches of bass in the States and the plastic is always working and attracting strikes. GEARING UP As the Ned Rig has grown in popularity, fishing tackle companies have developed more plastics and jigheads suited specifically to this technique. An example is the ZMan 2.75” Finesse TRD, a small buoyant plastic that has no appendages, resembling a short plastic worm. The lack of appendages allows it to hinge back up with minimal resistance on the pause, giving it a rapid flee and defend action. For those looking for more action, other models include the 2.5” TRD CrawZ, a realistic craw or crab profile, the 3” TRD HogZ creature bait and the 4” Hula StickZ. Team these plastics up with a TT Lures NedlockZ, mushroom style Ned Rig jighead and you’re ready to fish. Currently most Ned Rig plastics and jigheads are

A leader of at least 10lb is a good idea as flathead inhale the Ned Rig. small, with jigheads around the 1/15-1/5oz, so light spin gear is the go for casting these light lures. Rods around 7’ in length and rated 1-3kg or 2-4kg are a great starting point, teamed up with a 20-30 size spinning reel, 6-10lb braid and 10lb leader.

sand and mud edges, dropoffs, weed edges, around low tide structure such as rock bars and timber, and in the mouths of drains. On the higher stages of the tide I target mangrove edges, weed edges, sand flats and my absolute favourite, fishing

The light jighead and quick hinging of the Ned Rig, thanks to the mushroom head and buoyant plastic, also assists in minimising snagging and fouling in the weed, making this presentation even more effective for

The mushroom jighead and buoyant soft plastic is the key to the Ned Rig success.

One of the author’s favourites, the NedlockZ and TRD CrawZ combo. 114

FEBRUARY 2019

Although I have landed bream, grunter, trevally and a few other species, it’s flathead that have really loved the Ned Rig, and being a finesse presentation it is perfect for kayak anglers. The kayak allows me to access skinny water, shallow water, weed flats and other areas where a finesse presentation excels. When targeting flathead on the lower stages of the tide, I fish the Ned Rig along

the sandy patches on the broken weed flats. These sandy patches are often not much larger than the kayak, however, it’s amazing how often these patches produce flathead. I call this picking the pockets and these sandy patches offer the perfect ambush point for flathead to bury themselves and burst out to eat prawns and baitfish that wander into their strike zone.

picking pockets across the weed flats. ON THE WATER On a recent adventure I decided to launch the kayak halfway through the run-in tide, use the tide to carry me out to some broken weed flats and prospect the sand patches with the Ned Rig for the last two hours of the run-in tide. While I was gearing up the kayak I noticed that the breeze had started to pick

up, so I decided to throw an anchor in. I didn’t have an anchor running rig (anchor trolley) on the little kayak,

and then tied the other end of the rope to the grab line on the kayak, near where I was seated. I could simply deploy

One in the net on a TRD CrawZ cast into a sandy pocket. so I just had to put something together on the fly. I decided to keep the anchor setup simple as I wanted to get on the water. I simply attached a small Cooper poly anchor to a few metres of rope and tied it to the front handle of the

the anchor when required, then grab the second rope and pull it in, allowing the anchor rope to slide through the loop and come back from the front handle to myself. I could then grab the anchor rope and pull the anchor in. I approached the flat

over the flat once, before paddling back to anchor and work some sandy pockets. The water depth was only a couple of feet, so I was fishing a 1/10oz NedlockZ jighead, rigged with a little TRD CrawZ, casting ahead or across the drift and focussing on the sandy patches. With the sun out and a decent pair of polarised sunnies it was easy to spot the lighter coloured sand amongst the dark weed patches and I fired a cast to the far edge of a pocket, hop, pause, hop and fish on! The take was solid and nice flathead screamed across the shallows, pulling drag and putting a smile on my face. The fish ran a few more times and then I slid the net into the water and guided the fish home. During the fight I saw that it was securely pinned, so that allowed me to rest a little easier and enjoy the fight. With the wind now howling in the same direction as the tide, I had no option but to anchor and target selected areas. My anchor rig was okay, however I probably needed a bit more length in the anchor rope, with the wind and tide working together I couldn’t get it to hold in the muddy, weedy areas so that I could effectively work the sand pockets. Instead, I had to anchor in the sandy patches where the anchor held securely. This ruled out fishing the smaller sand patches, as dropping anchor in them would surely spook any fish.

a cloud and I saw another section of sand, about 8m in diameter, not too far away. A quick paddle and I anchored on the down current edge of the patch, allowing me to fish both sides of the kayak as well as fanning casts in front of the yak. With the wind blowing hard I upped the jighead weight to a 1/5oz NedlockZ and paired it up with a 2.5” paddle-tail plastic. This would give me some tail action, along with that buoyant, tail up kick of the Ned Rig. I fanned half a dozen casts to the left of the kayak without interest, then fanned another half a dozen in front of the kayak with the same result. The way the kayak had settled on the anchor there wasn’t a lot of room to cast to the left before landing in the weed, so I made a short 3m flick that landed right on the edge of the weed. The plastic hit the bottom. Hop, pause and hook up. The hook-set was solid and felt like a snag, before those tell-tale headshakes of a big flathead, followed by a strong run across the flat. I knew this was a big fish by the weight and power, but when it came into view my heart rate lifted, along with the stress levels. It was bigger than the 60cm fish I had hoped to see and maybe even a fair bit over 70. Without thinking I found myself saying, “don’t bite me off,” over and over, as a solid fish had bitten me off a week earlier. A couple more runs and the fish was close to the kayak. It made my kayak feel small and the kayak landing

returned the fish to the water. My plan was to leave the flathead in the water, attached to the lip grips on a leash and tow it to

I had landed in a while, measuring in at about 80cm and the best part was watching this impressive fish swim away.

There’s not much room in the kayak with the big girl on board! a sand bank nearby where people were swimming. This would allow me to get a few photos, keep the fish in good condition, swim it

The swimmers were interested in the lure that the flathead had eaten, so I left them with some Ned Rig jigheads and plastics in the

A selection of Ned Rig plastics.

The Ned Rig is always working for a bite with its changes between fleeing and defending. kayak. Now, how to get the anchor rope back to myself to retrieve the anchor? I simply grabbed a second short piece of rope, tied a loop around the anchor rope

and worked a couple of sand banks without a bite. The wind was blowing and the tide was running fast as it was working up to a big high, so I decided to fast drift

I worked a couple of large sections of sand with no luck and was starting to think the weather was going to beat me, when the sun came out from behind

net feel even smaller. After one failed attempt with the net I took a deep breath, readied the net and tried to glide the fish straight in. Half of the fish fitted in the net, it went crazy and I lifted it into the cockpit. It was onboard, but I wasn’t sure for how long, so I snapped a couple of quick photos and then attached the lip grips and

for a while and then release it. Sliding the kayak onto the bank, I yelled out to the swimmers who were pretty stoked with the big fish as well. We took a few photos, admired the fish, with its shovel sized head and beautiful markings, as it swam in the shallows and then sent it on its way. This was the biggest flathead

hope that it will help them land a big flathead. Not only had the Ned Rig produced plenty of flathead for me recently, it had also now produced one of my most memorable flathead captures and it was sure to be tied on again soon, especially when pick pocketing the weed flats. See you on the water. FEBRUARY 2019

115

Tow tow tow your boat PART 2 BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

In last month’s issue I covered a fair amount of country between home and boat ramp on the topic of towing a trailerboat. Some of the important topics raised were statutory requirements, limitations imposed by manufacturers, the laws of physics plus some common sense issues.

This is very true, so let’s look a little further into this vital topic. DON’T BREAK THE RULES ON BRAKES First, a reminder on the statutory requirements for brakes on trailers. When a single axle trailer and load has a gross trailer mass (its GTM) exceeding 750kg there has to be a braking system! It’s normally an override (mechanical) brake system, so long as the GTM does not exceed 2000kg. If GTM exceeds 2000kg,

They are called upon to work in one of the most hostile conditions on the planet: sea water. It’s vital to always give your trailer a thorough wash down after salt water immersion – and that’s not just a quick spray with the hose. A failure to wash down thoroughly, followed by a fair amount of down time, can be a major threat to all trailer brake systems. That’s because inaction might cause components to seize up. Remember the old cliché: use it or lose it. It applies to

Brakes on each wheel are the norm with big craft like the Sea Jay Trojan. Because it’s virtually impossible to launch or retrieve it without immersing the wheels, the brake assembly needs a good washdown after saltwater immersion. the bigger the wash down, the better. And don’t overlook the override brake system’s brake lock. This small tab comes down on the actuator bar to prevent it sliding forward

obstacle that could stop or slow it. This is because when more rearwards thrust comes from the prime mover, it will cause the actuator to come forward to immediately engage the brakes and lock

CORRECT CABLE TENSION IMPORTANCE The heart of many override systems is the cable connected to the brake system. This needs correct tensioning to function, and

In this image we can see the override system’s trailer’s brake lock in the ‘off’ position, as well as grease nipples to keep the slide moving freely. In this issue we’ll take things further. We’ll look at some often overlooked matters that are worth considering when you’re towing and racking up the kays. One thing to remember is that although towing regulations are pretty similar from state to state, it’s a

brake systems become more sophisticated. Each axle requires brakes on it, and braking must be controlled from within the cabin of the tow vehicle. When your foot touches the brake pedal, both the car and trailer are braking. The system sees an electric control module applying power to

brake systems on boat trailers as well as the human body! Override (or inertia) brakes are activated by a sliding hitch actuator just behind the tow ball. This hitch actuator either tightens a cable or pushes a hydraulic piston to initiate braking action via brake pads gripping onto a rotor

The trailer’s override braking system’s cable and slide actuator. Little maintenance other than greasing is required up here, as it doesn’t get inundated with saltwater. to engage the cable. Why prevent it from working? That brake lock tab would certainly be lifted up out of the way when travelling on the road but would be required to be down in place if the trailer is to be reversed uphill or perhaps over an

the trailer wheels. At that point the trailer starts sliding with wheels locked! The point is that because of its usually infrequent use, this small tab can seize in its ‘off’ position. To avoid this, give it a bit of spray lubricant from time to time.

as the brake pads wear down with use, that cable must be tightened to ensure efficient braking. There should be just enough free play to prevent friction between pads and disc when rolling along, yet a tightening cable should bring the pads into play

Upping the sophistication stakes from the override brake system, the Hydrastar is a state-of-the-art unit. different story overseas. For example, in New Zealand a couple of years ago I was treated to the sight of a family wagon towing a caravan with a 4.5m boat hooked up to the caravan! This spectacle immediately brought to mind something a mate once told me: “You can tow anything, but stopping can be the problem”. 116

FEBRUARY 2019

a hydraulic brake actuator. There is a brilliant system for larger craft, but as such there are more components to consider (and service) to ensure that it remains in tip-top working order. SERVICE THOSE BRAKE SYSTEMS Both of these brake systems are quite reliable if kept in good condition.

or disc. These systems are quite effective if the actuator is kept lubricated within its housing (grease nipples are always provided), and those vital components tucked behind the wheels are kept as free as possible from corrosion. There will be springs and other bits and pieces down there that can suffer from salt corrosion, so

With brakes on both axles, this big trailer is ready for heavy-duty towing.

when braking action slides the actuator forward. Correct cable adjustment via a turnbuckle under the draw bar (and behind the actuator) is the clue there, but once tightening adjustment is no longer available it’s better to replace the pads. With

boat trailer along and pull up the park/hand brake lever. The trailer should come to an abrupt stop if correct adjustment has been made. DON’T NEGLECT HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS Regular service for electrical/hydraulic brake

is well. The reality is that things cannot be taken for granted as we do with our car’s hydraulic brake system. Hydraulic fluid within a tow bar located reservoir – often out in the weather – can degrade as it actually attracts moisture. For this reason,

No brakes, no worries! Small boats are a joy to tow and lots of fun to use.

An override brake system that hasn’t been looked after. Corrosion is rampant, and you could put money on the brake lock tab being seized in place. new pads fitted it’s wise to slacken the cable a bit to avoid friction. How can we test efficiency? Simply push the

systems is arguably more important than TLC for override systems. With a hydraulic system up front it’s too easy to assume all

keeping an eye on a reservoir makes a lot of sense. Most manufacturers recommend that you replace the brake fluid every two years.

WHAT, NO ABS? Whether we like it or not, trailer ABS (antilock braking systems) are confined to heavy vehicle usage, not standard boat trailers. Your car has ABS to prevent wheel lock-up and skidding (which might see the car moving forward although the wheels are locked and maybe turned in another direction!), but your trailer doesn’t. This is a significant factor you have to consider when towing. It’s not a big deal when you’re towing

steadily in dry conditions, but it’s important to keep in mind when you’re towing on a wet road. If you slam on the brakes on a wet road, your car’s ABS will stabilise the vehicle. However, if the trailer brakes prevent the wheels from turning – as they certainly can – the trailer simply slides and pushes the car forward. Or worse, inertia will flip the trailer off to one side. Disaster! The stressful experience of a boat helping to push the car forward is one all boat

owners can do without. You can trust me on this! The only answer is to maintain a much greater than usual distance behind other traffic if you’re towing on a wet road, and always be very vigilant for brake lights ahead. We have all heard of mindfulness, right? Here is a perfect time to use it. You have to be very mindful when towing your boat in wet or slippery conditions because this is a whole new ball game. And the heavier the tow mass, the more cautious you need to be.

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117

Two smaller Stacer boats with a lot to offer - SC

TENT -

RE ONLINE MO

CON

AN THE

DE FOR EX

T FMG

Peter Jung pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

Testing boats for the magazines can at times be hard work. Poor weather can affect our ability to get a feel for how a boat performs, time limitations also prevent us from really testing things like the fishability of a boat and use it in the way you would expect to use it if it where your own. So, when the opportunity comes up to not only have an extended period of time using a boat, but to also compare two boats that are designed with similar styles of fishing in mind, you jump at that chance. This was the case when Andrew Stephen from Melbourne Marine Centre contacted me about testing a Stacer 429 Proline Angler and a Stacer 399 Proline at Venus Bay over a weekend. COMPARING THE TWO The 429 Proline Angler and the 399 Proline are part of the Stacer stable of boats built using the Striker Series hull. I will go more into the performance of the

hulls separately, however, the biggest difference I could see in the hull configuration itself was that the Proline Angler had a bit more V through to the transom to divert/cut water away from the hull, whereas the Proline had a much flatter profile. Both are designed to be stable underway and at rest, and that makes them very suitable for casting lures from (which was our intention over the weekend). But it also means the vessel is very comfortable if you wish to bait fish or troll. With the lure casting in mind, Andrew has optioned both with a Motorguide Xi3 55lb trust electric motor. Other than the overall length, the biggest difference between the boats is above the hull storage wise. The Angler has more storage space and options within the casting deck at the front. The Angler tested had a plumbed livewell installed, as an example. The Angler is also has a significantly heavier (hull weight) than the standard Proline. Motor wise both boats were fitted with Mercury 4-stroke outboards, the

Main: Fishing Monthly always loves the opportunity to compare boats designed for similar uses. If you are after a boating package to fish your local estuary, our inland lakes or rivers, it is well worth checking out the Stacer 399 Proline and the Stacer 429 Proline Angler. Above: The Mercury 20hp 4-stroke and Stacer 399 Proline was a great match â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a simple boating package that will provide hours of enjoyment on the water. Angler with a 30hp and the Proline with a 20hp. LAUNCHING AND RETRIEVING Both packages came on a Stacer Alloy Light trailer and could be towed by your average family vehicle. These packages are matched to trailers in the factory, so they towed with no fuss at all. Although the boat ramp

at Venus Bay is a good one, at low tide it has its challenges and it was good to know that even in very

low water both boats were simple to launch and retrieve and could easily be done by one person if need be.

STORAGE Although a feature of the 429 Angler is the additional storage, with the extra space a full front casting deck provides, both boats have purpose built storage. The 399 has small pockets in the gunnel as well as an area at the bow for larger items. In addition to front deck storage, the Angler has very clever storage hatches near the transom and the test boat was also fitted with a deluxe rod locker. Overall, both have enough storage to keep things out from under your feet. RIDE AND HANDLING I have to say I was a little surprised at how different the boats performed on the water as far as ride and handling was concerned. It goes to show how much weight affects performance of a hull and also how much even a small V changes what the hull has to do to get on the plane.

SPECIFICATIONS 399 Proline 429 Proline Angler Overall length ........................................3.99m ....................................... 4.28m Beam......................................................1.82m ....................................... 1.84m Length on trailer ...................................5.65m ....................................... 5.65m Hull weight ............................... Approx. 111kg ..........................Approx. 260kg Top ......................................................1.60mm .................................... 1.60mm Bottom ................................................1.60mm .................................... 2.00mm Min hp ......................................................20hp ......................................... 30hp Max hp .....................................................30hp ......................................... 40hp Max persons .................................................4 ............................................... 4 118

FEBRUARY 2019

Once on the plane the Stacer 429 Proline Angler matched with a Mercury 30hp 4-stroke handled beautifully.

429 Proline Angler The 429 Angler is rated to a 40hp motor with the test boat packaged with a 30hp on the back. With the extra length and weight of the boat, the 30hp was a little sluggish to get on the plane with two people onboard (some of that may have been to do with this rather large author), but once there it was excellent. We were unable to get performance figures, but a boat like this isn’t about getting from A to B in a hurry, more importantly it has to handle well and maneuverer easily at low and high speed. This it did, beautifully. The package doesn’t draw a great deal of water, which was a godsend at low tide at Venus Bay and this also gave us the ability to sneak up a few

Mia Stephen was keen to come out with the team and catch a few fish while they tested the boats. She spent most of her time in the 399 Proline, showing dad how it is done. rock solid in this department. 399 Proline The 399 has a maximum horsepower rating of 30hp, so my expectation of the test

The 399 Proline had plenty of fishing mojo. Andrew caught some solid fish too. little tidal creeks that see very little fishing pressure, which was a real eye opener for this Queensland angler. Stability underway and at rest are also vital components of smaller boats and the Angler version is

boat was similar to the 429 Angler, that it would take a little time to get on the plane with the 20hp Mercury it was packaged with. I was wrong – the lighter and flatter hull meant that the 399 transitioned onto

the plane comfortably and, like the 429, handled well at low and high speeds. It too was very comfortable in shallow conditions and was even more suited to the low tide exploring we did at Venus Bay. Andrew installed a casting platform and a low profile floor in the 399 to assist angler stability at rest, which made it great to cast lures from. It was also very stable underway. FISHABILITY Although we spent plenty of time motoring around putting both boats through their paces, we also allowed plenty of time to take in the fishing that Venus Bay has to offer, especially the estuary perch fishing. A key component of this was accessing the waterway at low tide and fishing the mangrove lined edges and channels as the tide pushed in. As mentioned, this was a key feature of both boats. Andrew has shown us in past tests we have done with him that he likes to purpose fitout his boat packages and this was once again the case, as the addition of the Motorguide Xi3 on both boats meant we could stealthily position ourselves to cast our soft plastics and use it as an anchor (anchor

lock) when fish were found. Both boats have excellent stability at rest, even when anglers fish from the same areas of the boat. It was interesting to see photos of the boat when both anglers

Although we did not have fuel usage figures, Mercury outboards are known for being frugal on fuel and this proved to be the case. The boats started with full tanks and after two days running around there was more than half a tank left in both. How does this improve fishability, I hear you ask? You can fish for longer and it is more affordable. FINAL THOUGHTS I have had a bit of time since doing these tests to think about summing up what each has to offer and which I would buy for myself to go and do the types of fishing we did at Venus Bay. Is it as simple as bigger is better? No, it’s not. Both boats tick the key boxes when it comes to having a package that will allow you to fish with lures in areas like Venus Bay, or

few extra outfits onboard, but I also like the simplicity the 399 offers. I was very impressed by how the 399 and the 20hp Mercury outboard matched up. It was a great little setup, with a tested price of $17,431. That is very affordable and I don’t believe I would change too much. I have very similar thoughts on the 429 Angler, but I would put the maximum horsepower on the transom. On those days when you have three or four onboard you would appreciate it and it would be a bit more aggressive onto the plane, which I prefer. Doing this adds a little over $3000 dollars to the $23,750 as tested price. Although marketed as entry-level packages, there is a lot of value in what the Stacer 399 Proline and the

To be able to spend a couple days using the boats as you would your own was a great opportunity. Here the author is putting the final touches on a silver trevally he caught from the 429 Proline Angler. were together. It shows the boat leaning, but you didn’t notice this while on board. We did not fish three out of either boat, but I believe you could do it in the larger 429 comfortably. In the 399 it may be a tight squeeze.

any of our estuary systems, and would be well and truly at home on our inland waterways or rivers like the Murray. I like the additional storage the 429 Angler has, as it allows you to have a

429 Proline Angler have to offer and they are well worth a look. You can contact Andrew and the team at Melbourne Marine Centre on 03 9703 2003 or check out their Stacer packages at www. melbournemarine.com.au.

Both boats were set up with simplicity in mind. The addition of an electric motor, a quality sounder and some thought put into the layout and you have two great fishing and boating packages. FEBRUARY 2019

119

Both boats were on a Stacer Alloy Light trailer. They are matched by the factory, ensuring they tow well and making launching and retrieving a breeze.

Both packages use the Stacer Striker series hull. The Proline Angler hull had a bit more V to improve water deflection and deal with the extra weight of the hull. The wider chines provide great stability at rest and underway.

Simple and effective storage is provided in the 399 Proline. One of the biggest differences between the two packages is the storage that the Proline Angler offers. Lots of storage keeps the decks clear and provides more room to fish.

The Mercury 4-stroke range is known to be frugal on their fuel usage. Reliable and fuel efficient, what more can you ask for? 120

FEBRUARY 2019

The Motorguide Xi3 electric motors that were on both boats provided the stealth and manoeuvrability to fish the mangrove lined system at Venus Bay. Just hit anchor lock and stay where the fish are when you find them.

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121

Victorian Tide Times

2019 2019 Local Time

POINT LONSDALE – VICTORIA POINT – 144° VICTORIA LAT 38°LONSDALE 18’ S LONG 37’ E

JANUARY Time Time m JANUARY 0113 0801 TU 1359 2109 TU

1 1 2 0205 0853 2

Time 0.54 0113 1.48 0801 0.35 1359 1.37 2109 0.65 0205 1.41 0853 0.36 1455 1.38 2215 0.75 0304 1.35 0948 0.36 1557 1.41 2318 0.81 0414 1.30 1046 0.35 1700

18’ S of High LONG 144° 37’ E TimesLAT and38° Heights and Low Waters Times and Heights of High and Low Waters MARCH FEBRUARY MARCH FEBRUARY m Time Time m Time m Time m

Time m Time m 0032 0.58 0230 0.73 0032 0.58 0230 0.73 0712 1.43 0907 1.32 09070.36 1.32 13050712 0.411.43 FR 1515 15151.35 0.36 1956 1.310.41 2245 WE 1305 FR 1956 1.31 2245 1.35 0116 0.67 0330 0.80 03301.26 0.80 07520116 1.380.67 1004 10040.39 1.26 13460752 0.391.38 SA 1617 16171.35 0.39 TH 1346 SA 2058 1.310.39 2345 2058 1.31 2345 1.35 0207 0.75 0444 0.84 04441.22 0.84 08400207 1.330.75 1106 11060.40 1.22 14350840 0.361.33 SU 1724 FR 1435 SU 1724 0.40 2205 1.340.36 2205 1.34 0307 0.83 0045 1.38 00450.82 1.38 09360307 1.290.83 0559 05591.21 0.82 15330936 0.331.29 MO 1208 12080.38 1.21 SA 1533 MO 2317 1.390.33 1825 1825 0.38 2317 1.39 0420 0.86 0138 1.43 01380.76 1.43 10420420 1.280.86 0704 07041.24 0.76 16441042 0.291.28 TU 1305 13050.36 1.24 SU 1644 0.29 TU 1918 1918 0.36 0026 1.47 0222 1.47 0026 1.47 0222 1.47 0538 0.84 0757 0.69 0538 0.84 0757 0.69 11561156 1.301.30 WE 1356 1.28 1356 1.28 MO WE 1757 0.24 2005 1757 0.24 20050.34 0.34

16 16

0.54 1.48 WE 0.35 1.37

Time 0140 0140 0802 0802 SA 1400 1400 SA2128 2128 0233 0233 0859 0859 SU 1457 1457 SU2241 2241 0341 0341 1008 1008 MO 1608 1608 MO2356 2356 0501 0501 1132 1132 TU 1730 TU 1730

16 16

m 0.72 0.72 1.34 1.34 0.30 0.30 1.36 1.36 0.79 0.79 1.30 1.30 0.30 0.30 1.36 1.36 0.83 0.83 1.27 1.27 0.31 0.31 1.41 1.41 0.81 0.81 1.29 1.29 0.30 0.30

17 17

18 18

19 19

1.45 0018 20 5 0018 0529 0.82 1.45 5 0529 0.82 20

0101 1.48 0101 0.72 1.48 20 200621 0621 0.72 WE 1251 1.36

6 6

WE 1455 WE 2215

3 0304 0948 3

TH 1557 TH 2318

4 0414 1046 4

FR 1700 FR

1.28 SA 1145 1145 SA 0.33 1800 1800 0115 1.50 0115 0635 0.79 0635 1.29 SU 1240 SU 1240 1852 0.30 1852

0.65 1.41 TH 0.36 1.38

0.75 1.35 FR 0.36 1.41 0.81 1.30 SA 0.35

SU 1.28 0.33

21 21

1.50 0.79 MO 1.29 0.30

1251 WE1848 1848 0159 0159 0730 0730 1358 TH 1358 TH1953 1953

21 21

1.36 0.26 0.26 1.56 1.56 0.59 0.59 1.45 1.45 0.24 0.24

1.55 1.55 01280128 1.551.55 0300 0203 03001.51 1.5122 0250 0250 1.62 1.62 7 0203 22 22 0730 0.73 0.73 06480648 0.760.76 7 7 0841 7 0730 08410.62 0.62 220828 0828 0.45 0.45 1330 1.30 1307 1.36 1441 1.32 1458 1.55 MO TU TH FR 1.30 MO 1330 1939 0.28 0.28 1939 0246 0246 1.58 1.58 0816 0816 0.68 0.68 TU 1415 WE 1415 TU 1.33 1.33 2022 2022 0.27 0.27

8 8

1.36 1441 1.32 FR 1458 TU 1307 TH 1903 0.180.18 2046 2048 1903 20460.33 0.33 2048 02230223 1.631.63 0331 1.54 0337 0331 1.54 0337 07480748 0.660.66 0920 0921 09200.55 0.55 0921 1409 1.431.43 FR FR 1522 15221.37 1.37 SA 1553 WE 1409 SA1553 20032003 0.150.15 2123 2139 21230.34 0.34 2139

23 23

1.55 0.24 0.24 1.66 1.66 0.33 0.33 1.61 1.61 0.26 0.26

1.60 1.60 03140314 1.691.69 0401 0420 0323 04011.56 1.56 0420 1.67 1.67 9 0323 24 24 0859 0.63 0.63 08440844 0.540.54 9 9 0956 1010 9 24 0859 09560.49 0.4924 1010 0.23 0.23 WE 1458 1.35 TH 1505 1.50 SA 1601 1.40 SU 1646 1.64 WE 1458 1.35 TH 1505 1.50 2102 2102 0.28 0.28 20582058 0.150.15

SA 1601 1.40 2157 21570.37 0.37

SU 1646 1.64 2225 2225 0.31 0.31

Time 0113 0113 0741 1345 FR 0741 2105 FR 1345 2105 0158 0158 0829 1431 SA 0829 SA 1431 2201 2201 0250 0250 0924 1528 SU 0924 SU 1528 2301 2301 0359 0359 1030 1639 MO 1030 MO 1639

m 0.63 0.63 1.38 1.38 0.32 0.32 1.37 1.37 0.71 0.71 1.29 1.29 0.39 0.39 1.32 1.32 0.78 0.78 1.22 1.22 0.46 0.46 1.29 1.29 0.82 0.82 1.18 1.18 0.50 0.50

Local Time APRIL APRIL Time Time m

m Time m Time m 0036 0.65 0215 0.77 0036 0.65 02150846 0.77 1.22 0652 1.39 0652 08461439 1.22 0.54 12481.39 0.28 SA MO 0.54 1.29 19580.28 1.44 MO 14392210 SA 1248 TU 1958 1.44 2210 1.29 0118 0.71 0316 0.81 0118 03160955 0.81 1.18 07380.71 1.35 0738 0955 1.18 0.61 13331.35 0.30 SU TU 1543 0.61 1.28 SU 1333 WE 20590.30 1.39 TU 15432310 2059 1.39 2310 1.28 0209 0.76 0438 0.80 0209 04381110 0.80 1.18 08370.76 1.30 0837 11101705 1.18 0.64 14301.30 0.35 MO WE MO 1430 22100.35 1.37 WE 1705 0.64 TH 2210 1.37 0315 0.78 0008 1.30 0315 00080601 1.30 0.74 09530.78 1.28 0953 0601 0.74 1.23 15431.28 0.40 TU TH 1220 1.23 0.64 TU 1543 FR 23250.40 1.38 TH 12201822 2325 1.38 1822 0.64 0437 0.74 0058 1.34 0437 00580659 1.34 0.65 11230.74 1.31 1123 06591318 0.65 1.32 17101.31 0.42 WE FR 1.32 0.62 WE 1710 0.42 SA FR 13181919 1919 0.62 0031 1.44 0140 1.39 0031 1.44 0140 1.39 0600 0.64 0742 0.56 0600 0.64 0742 0.56 12431.40 1.40 1407 1.42 TH SA 1243 1407 1.42 SU TH 1833 0.41 SA 1833 0.41 20022002 0.60 0.60 01301.51 1.51 0130 02170217 1.44 1.44 07110.50 0.50 0711 07180718 0.47 0.47 13501.52 1.52 1349 FR SU 1350 1349 1.52 1.52 FR 1940 0.40 SU MO 1940 1940 0.40 1940 0.58 0.58

16 16

Time

0055 16 16 0730 TU 1313 2043

m 0055 0.73 0730 1.33 1313 0.46 2043 1.41 0200 0.72 0852 1.32 1425 0.55 2153 1.41 0322 0.67 1021 1.38 1552 0.60 2258 1.44 0443 0.56 1136 1.49 1715 0.60 2356 1.49 0548 0.43 1241 1.61 1822 0.59

17 17

0200 17 17 0852

18 18

0322 18 18 1021

19 19

0443 19 19 1136

0003 1.30 0003 5 0520 1.30 0.82 20 5 0520 0.82 20 TU 1138 1.17

0548 20 20 1241

21 21

0048 0048 1.54 21 21 0643 0643 0.32

0146 1.38 1.38 22 7 0146 0733 0.67 0.6722 7 0733 TH 1339 1.27

0136 1.57 22 22 0731 0731 0.24 MO 1430

22 33 44

TU 1138 1753 1753 0100 0100 0636 0636 1243 WE 1243 WE 1855 1855

1.17 0.50 0.50 1.33 1.33 0.76 0.76 1.21 1.21 0.48 0.48

1.27 TH 1339 1945 0.45 0.45 1945

WE 1425 2153

TH 1552 2258

FR 1715 2356

SA 1822

SU 1339 1915

1430 2002

02211.57 1.57 0225 1.43 1.43 01530153 1.48 1.48 0219 8 0225 230221 8 0752 08080.36 0.36 8 0752 0817 0.58 0.5823 23 23 8 0816 0817 0808 0.39 0.39 TU MO 1429 1.60 FR 1426 1.35 SA 1450 1.63

FR 1426 1.35 SA 1450 1.63 MO 1429 1.60 TU 1516 20340.39 0.39 2028 0.44 0.44 2028 2034 20152015 0.58 0.58 2045

1339 1.72 1915 0.58

m 0.73 1.33 0.46 1.41 0.72 1.32 0.55 1.41 0.67 1.38 0.60 1.44 0.56 1.49 0.60 1.49 0.43 1.61 0.59 1.54 0.32 1.72 0.58

0136 1.57 0.24 1.79 1.79 2002 0.58 0.58 0219 1.58 1.58 0816 0.21 0.21 1516 1.80 1.80 2045 0.58 0.58

0259 1.48 1.48 03081.61 1.61 02290229 1.51 1.51 0300 0300 1.57 24 240308 9 0826 9 0259 0855 0.50 0.5024 08590.25 0.25 9 0826 24 9 0859 0.34 0.34 0900 0900 0.22 0855 SA 1508 1.42 SU 1545 1.71 TU 1507 1.65 WE 1559

1.57 0.22 1.77 1545 1.71 1507 1.65 1559 1.77 1508 1.42 SU TU WE SA 2104 0.44 0.44 21230.41 0.41 2123 20512051 0.58 0.58 2125 2125 0.60 0.60 2104

1.61 1.61 04000400 1.711.71 0431 0501 0330 1.51 1.51 03511.63 1.63 1.54 0356 04311.56 1.56 0501 1.65 1.65 03040304 1.51 1.51 0338 0338 10 0356 25 25 250351 25 10 0330 0937 0.58 0.58 09360936 0.430.4310 1029 1057 0929 0.43 0.4325 09450.18 0.181010 25 10 10 25 0941 0941 0.26 0937 10290.44 0.4425 1057 0.18 0.18 10 0945 09000900 0.30 0.30 0929 1639 1537 1.36 1600 1.54 1639 1.42 1738 1.63 1546 1.48 1634 1.73 1545 1.67 TH

FR FR 1600 1.54 SUSU 1639 1.42 MO TH 1537 1.36 MO 1738 1.63 2139 2139 0.30 0.30 21492149 0.180.18 2230 2309 22300.40 0.40 2309 0.38 0.38

1.54 0.26 1634 1.73 1545 1.67 TH 1639 TH 1.71 1.71 SU 1546 1.48 MO MO WE WE SU 2139 0.45 0.45 22070.44 0.44 0.62 0.62 2207 21272127 0.59 0.59 2204 2204 2139

1.60 1.60 04450445 1.711.71 04311.61 1.61 0401 1.53 1.53 05021.55 1.55 03390339 1.50 1.50 0416 0416 1.49 0540 1.61 1.61 11 0427 26 26 11 0401 260431 26 26 11 0427 110502 260540 1015 0.54 0.54 10271027 0.340.3411 1100 10300.16 0.161111 1000 0.37 0.3726 1140 1015 11000.39 0.3926 1030 09340934 0.28 0.28 1019 1019 0.32 1000 1140 0.17 0.17 11 1717 1616 1.37 1652 1.55 1717 1.43 1721 1.71 1623 1.67 1624 1.53 1829 1.58 FR

SA SA 1652 1.55 MOMO 1717 1.43 TU FR 1616 1.37 TU 1829 1.58 2214 2214 0.33 0.33 22382238 0.240.24 2303 2350 23030.45 0.45 2350 0.46 0.46

1.49 0.32 1721 1.71 1.67 FR 1717 FR 1.64 1.64 TH MO 1624 1.53 TUTU TH 1623 MO 22480.48 0.48 2212 0.47 0.47 2248 22032203 0.61 0.61 2243 2243 0.65 0.65 2212

05331.53 1.53 0510 04150415 1.48 1.48 0455 0455 0433 0619 1.54 1.54 1.43 1.59 1.59 05270527 1.681.68 05101.57 1.57 0433 1.53 1.53 12 0458 27 120533 270619 27 27 12 0458 27 12 27 1050 11310.36 0.3627 1112 10101010 0.28 0.28 1032 1222 0.19 0.19 12 1058 1058 0.39 1050 0.51 0.51 11151115 0.280.2812 1131 11120.18 0.181212 1032 0.33 0.3327 1222 1654 1.36 1747 1.54 1757 1.43 1806 1.66 1704 1.63 1701 1.55 1920 1.51 1756 1.56

1.54 1757 1.43 WE SA 1.36 SU 1747 SU WE1920 1.51 SA 1654 TU TU 23380.50 0.50 2246 2246 0.38 0.38 23252325 0.330.33 2338

1.43 0.39 TU SA SA 1756 1.56 WE 1806 1.66 FR FR 1704 1.63 TU 1701 1.55 WE 2328 22412241 0.64 0.64 2321 2321 2246 0.69 0.69 23280.53 0.53 2246 0.50 0.50

0506 0031 0.54 0.54 1.37 06061.49 1.49 0547 04520452 1.45 1.45 0535 0535 1.56 1.56 06070607 0506 1.51 1.51 1.631.63 05471.51 1.51 13 0529 280031 28 130606 28 28 13 0529 13 28 28 1124 1103 0659 1.47 1.47 13 1134 1134 0.46 12030.33 0.3328 1151 10471047 0.29 0.29 1124 0.48 0.48 1103 0.30 0.3028 0659 12021202 0.240.2413 1203 11510.23 0.231313 1733 1.35 1739 1.55 1303 0.25 1837 1.48 1845 1.50 1840 1.42 1850 1.58 1748 1.58

1.50 SU 1.35 MO 1845 MO SU 1733 2319 2319 0.44 0.44

1840 1.42 WEWE

00150.57 0.57 1.53 1.53 00100010 0.430.43 14 0600 29 140015 1157 06411.44 1.44 14 0600 29 1157 0.46 0.46 06480648 1.561.5614 0641 MO 1815 1.33 TU 1248 0.24 TH 1236 0.31

MO 1815 1.33 TU 1248 0.24 TH 1236 0.31 19291.40 1.40 2354 2354 0.50 0.50 19451945 1.451.45 1929 0635 1.48

0054 0.53

0055 0.64

1.48 0054 0.53 0.64 15 1230 30 150055 07181.39 1.39 15 0635 30 1230 0.43 0.43 07300730 1.481.4815 0718 TU 1902 1.32 WE 1333 0.27 FR 1315 0.30 TU 1902 1.32

WE 1333 0.27 FR 1315 0.30 20241.37 1.37 20452045 1.401.40 2024 01400140 0.640.64 08160816 1.401.40 1421 TH 1421 0.310.31 TH 2144 2144 1.371.37

31 31

TH1303 0.25 TH 2012 1.44 1.44 2012

WE SU WE 1739 1.55 THTH 1850 1.58 SA SA 1748 1.58 2322 23202320 0.68 0.68 2322 0.54 0.54

1.37 0.46 SU 1837 1.48

0.73 0539 0007 05340534 1.41 1.41 0001 0001 0539 1.48 1.48 00070.58 0.58 14 29 29 0620 0620 1.30 1136 0627 11291129 0.33 0.33 14 29 1136 0.28 0.2829 06271.44 1.441414 TH 1820 1.53 FR 1230 0.30 SU 1837 1.51 MO 1214 0.55

TH 1820 1.53 2359 2359 0.59 0.59

FR 1230 0.30 1934 19341.49 1.49

0.73 1.30 SU 1837 1.51 MO 1214 0.55 1922 1922 1.41 1.41

0614 0046 00030003 0.71 0.71 0045 0045 0.76 0614 1.44 1.44 00460.64 0.64 30 30 15 1210 0707 06250625 1.36 1.36 0715 0715 1.24 15 30 1210 0.27 0.2730 07071.36 1.361515 FR 1905 1.49 SA 1309 0.38 MO 1215 0.39 TU 1257 0.63

FR 1905 1.49

SA 1309 0.38 2021 20211.41 1.41 0128 01280.71 0.71 0752 07521.29 1.29 1350 0.46 SU 1350 0.46 SU 2113 21131.34 1.34

0.76 1.24 TU 1257 0.63 MO 1215 0.39 19351935 1.45 1.45 2012 2012 1.36 1.36

31 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. 122

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