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February 2020, Vol. 15 No. 4

Contents WEST COAST West Coast

Warrnambool 17 Apollo Bay

Cobden 18

CENTRAL Geelong 22 Port Phillip West

Port Phillip North East

Mornington Peninsula

Port Phillip Surrounds

Western Port North

Western Port South

Phillip Island

EAST COAST Gippsland Lakes

Corner Inlet

Lakes Entrance

Bemm River

Marlo 40

NSW SOUTH COAST Bermagui 42 Mallacoota/Eden 42

VICTORIAN FRESHWATER Wagga Wagga

Robinvale 85 Yarrawonga 86 Albury/Wadonga 87

From the Editor’s Desk... It’s been a testing month for Victoria. Some of our favourite fishing areas and holiday destinations have been under attack from one of the worst bushfire seasons many of us have lived through. And we all watched as Mallacoota became ground zero for national and international attention. In the recreational fishing community, we all know people affected. Some of my mates are regulars at Mallacoota every year and they were faced with a terrifying decision – pack up your family and drive through severe fire areas to get home or stay with your family and ride out the event. Scary when you have young kids. At the time of print, they’ve all made it home and are planning their next trips because they’re aware

of how vital tourism is to most of these communities. As anglers, this is what you can do to help in the next year – visit these communities when they’re ready to take you and spend money at the local businesses. Remember that a lot of these places were emptied out at the time of the year that they make most of their revenue.

TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE You’ll also see inside the 2020 ABT Tournament Angler Guide. This is stitched into every single Fishing Monthly magazine nationwide in February. Even if you’re not directly interested or involved in tournament fishing, be aware that plenty of the techniques and baits that you use today have had

their origins in the bream, bass and barramundi events. Ironically, the second event of the Costa BREAM Series was scheduled to be held at Mallacoota in early February and ABT anglers from all over Australia love this East Gippsland venue. ABT’s aware that it’s important to start spending money back in Gippsland as soon as possible, so have moved this event to Gippsland Lakes. The second round will now be a Mallacoota Fundraiser and it will be great to be able to put some cash back into that tightknit community. Remember that ABT events are for everyone. In both the BREAM and the BASS events, we have a system where you don’t even need a boat, you’re paired with anglers that own boats each day. It’s a great way to steepen the learning curve and add that extra dimension to your fishing.

Wangaratta 88 Eildon 89 West/South Gippsland

Shepparton 90 Crater Lakes

Nagambie 91 Ballarat 92 Bendigo 93

Flyfishing 82 Gamefishing 29 Hotspot 37 Tasmanian Lake Levels Tournament News Track My Fish

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Victorian Tide Times

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What’s new fishing

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Sub-Editors: Nicole Penfold Bob Thornton Lucette Eggleton Field Editor: Kelly Hunt Publishers: Steve Morgan Matthew Drinkall

SPECIAL FEATURES Which line to use?

New science for snapper stock management 12

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Which line to use, braid or monofilament? WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

There has always been a conundrum about fishing line: what to use and when. Choosing the right fishing line is about as important as choosing the right bait or lure for the fish you’re targeting. Sure, if you’re an occasional angler you can put anything on your reel, but if your fishing session only happens once in a blue moon, then you’d want to be making your choice on reliability so you don’t have your line fail when you hook into a solid fish. There are many factors that come into play when choosing your mainline, such as price, strength and line type. Today, braid and monofilament fishing line options are endless, but with so much variety, which one do you choose?

When fishing with light tackle, it makes all the difference being able to feel every bump and movement of the lure to manipulate how it swims and encourage the fish to bite. BRAID I’ve been working in the fishing industry for the past two decades and

single strand, and the more common braids tend to be available in a four or eightstrand braid. Four-strand braids are cheaper than eight-strand braids. We are also now seeing the introduction of 6 and 12-strand braids from some manufacturers. Braids are made all over the world, with Taiwan, China, India, Germany, USA and Japan being the main producers. Undoubtedly, Japan produces the world’s leading PE braid with YGK and Toray being the most well-known, but they aren’t cheap. Then in the USA, Honeywell would be one of the next largest producers, with their braids falling under the Spectra or Dyneema name. The difference between Dyneema and PE occurs

microfibre and are usually blended with a gel during the manufacturing process to create a more robust and abrasive-resistant braid. PE braids tend to be thinner and less abrasive resistant, which you’ll notice should they fray or become hairy with use. PE braids are made using a similar process to Dyneema, however, the term PE is the rating given to the line to ensure a consistent measurement of breaking strain and diameter. In saying that, the measurement can be skewed depending on the brand of PE braid. While both have pros and cons, you do need to decide when purchasing your braid what situations it will be used in. For instance, a Spectra braid is best suited to situations

looking back to the day I started, by golly braid has changed! I still remember back when I started, braid

Working steep banks with spinnerbaits for yellowbelly demands the use of braid. This is so you can feel what the lure is doing and can work it in and around timber without getting snagged.

Braid is extremely sensitive, allowing you to detect every bite from any fish, especially whiting.

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was limited to Spiderwire and Fireline before a few others filtered through into tackle stores. Braid might be a new thing to some anglers, but it has in fact been around in some form since the 1950s. Originally, it was made from nylon and cotton and today has been revolutionised with the introduction of PE or polyethylene fibre. The main reason braided fishing line was developed was due to monofilament line being too stretchy. A team of scientists used a nylon line to create a stronger, less stretchy and thinner fishing line that we know as braid today. Available in many forms, it is PE braids that are leading the way in braid development, mainly because the polyethylene fibre used is able to be made thinner and stronger due to technology advances. Braid is made from a series of fibres woven together to form one

during the manufacturing process. Dyneema and PE braids are made from ultra high molecular weight polyester fibre, but what makes them different is the size of the microfibres that make up the strands. Spectra braids tend to be made from a thicker

when targeting Murray cod, yellowbelly, barramundi, mangrove jack and the like, where you’re casting into thick timber or snags, and abrasion resistance is required. PE on the other hand, being a finer diameter braid, is better suited to

Big, heavy swimbaits can be tossed about like a rag doll when eaten by a big cod. With no stretch in the braid, the hooks can tear out. Running fluorocarbon as a mainline can be beneficial in this situation.

When you hook a kingfish using braid, you can really up the pressure and stop them before they bust you off. situations for casting distance or in open water where structure won’t cause damage to the braid. In these situations, it may be casting for calamari, flathead, mulloway, bream, snapper or gummy shark. But then again, many anglers targeting kingfish use PE braids when jigging around structure, and this is because of the diameter of the braid preventing the current from having any influence over the vertical fall of the jig. Aside from abrasion resistance, braid also has zero stretch. This means that should an end of the braid be tied directly to a hook or other piece of terminal tackle, there is no

give or buffer to absorb the impact. This can cause the hook to tear or pull out of the fish. To prevent this,

anglers can join a length of ‘leader’ or ‘trace’ material to the end of the braid via a PR, FG, Slim Beauty

Braid does not stretch, so you have to use a length of leader as the shock absorber.

or Double Uni knot. This length of leader will be the shock absorber preventing the hook from tearing out during a battle. Another fact about braid to know is that it floats and is susceptible to wind. This means that if you’re using light weight lures or unweighted baits in conditions when it is windy, you could miss the bite due to the excess line waving around in the air. On average, braid is about 1/3 of the diameter of monofilament fishing line (for the same breaking strain) making its bite detection extraordinary. However, if the lure or bait is light in weight coupled with wind, it

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can be difficult to see the moment a fish takes the offering and you could miss it. In calm conditions, if a lure or bait is taken the rod will instantly load, indicating that a fish has taken the offering. This is particularly helpful when bait fishing for gummy shark and snapper in tidal areas such as Western Port or Southern Port Phillip Bay, as well as lure fishing for flathead, bream, trevally and trout. MONOFILAMENT With all the pros of braid, it almost seems as if monofilament is obsolete, but this is far from the truth. Monofilament has been around from what seems like the dawn of

time. Monofilament was first produced back in 1939 by the DuPont company following the invention of nylon, the first synthetic fibre of its time. To this day, monofilament is still one of the most widely used fishing lines for many reasons. While it might not be as thin or responsive as braid, monofilament still does have its place in the market. Monofilament, or mono as it is also known, gets its name from being a single strand of line. Monofilament lines are produced by using a mixture of polymers that are heated and then extruded through tiny holes

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From page 9

to form single strands of line. The type of chemicals used in the mixture controls the qualities of the line, such as strength and abrasion resistance, among other factors that are all determined by the mixture of polymers. Unlike braid and its multiple strands, monofilament does lend itself to damage and breaking, not that this should deter you from buying it, but it does require some care if the user wants it to last. In saying that, regardless of whether you’re using mono or braid, you should inspect your line for irregularities and injuries. Despite being a single

which might be a good option for some. FLUOROCARBON To go one step further than monofilament, fluorocarbon

Monofilament is best when trolling, fishing with live baits and cubing for game fish. Most game fish have a soft mouth and if using braid, hooks can easily tear out, especially if the fight goes for a long period. While this is not just limited to game fish, as gummy shark, trout, Murray cod, redfin, salmon, kingfish and every other fish can be caught using mono.

This tends to occur because those anglers who only fish a few times of year might spool their reels with mono and with the rod/reel being put in the garage, over time the line deteriorates. For those who only fish a few times a year, monofilament is very cost effective, but you could

Whiting can be very finicky at times and if you are using monofilament, you can miss the bite. Braid is best for whiting due to its sensitivity.

Tuna have soft mouths and hooks can tear out if there is no stretch in the line. strand of line, monofilament has many advantages over braid. Monofilament offers stretch in the line, which provides the buffer when fighting fish. This aids in preventing sudden impact put directly onto the hook while fighting a fish, and prevents the hook from tearing out. However, should the fish engulf the hook, it could possibly bite on the line causing it to break. In these instances, a stronger leader line is used as a ‘bite leader’. Mono is also denser than braid, sometimes allowing it to sink, where many braids do not. This is an advantage for those fishing unweighted or

it absorbs light in water, making it nearly invisible to fish. However, the materials it is made from have a much higher abrasion resistance

almost unweighted baits for snapper. Due to the density of the line, it isn’t affected by the wind as much as braid, so it pulls tight with the weight of the bait, allowing for easy bite detection. Nearly all anglers targeting game fish such as mako shark, tuna, broadbill and marlin use monofilament line. Although some anglers will spool their reels with Dacron (another type of braid), they will have a minimum of around 200m of monofilament top shot. A buffer like this is required to land such great fish because of the sheer power from them during battle.

Although you might be able to ‘lock’ up on snapper using monofilament, you don’t have to in areas that have a forgiving bottom.

than monofilament fishing lines. For this reason many tournament bream, light tackle anglers and those fishing for Murray cod, spool their reels only with fluorocarbon. The only cons with fluorocarbon are that it is much stiffer than conventional nylon (mono) fishing line, making strengths above 15lb harder to cast a long distance, and the price. Due to the manufacturing process, fluorocarbon can be expensive. Fluorocarbon as a mainline isn’t for everyone, but if you are one of those anglers who targets specific species then it could be the line for you.

As well as being damaged more easily, monofilament is also susceptible to UV light damage over short periods. This makes the line brittle and weak, which can cause it to break more easily.

Braid is particularly good for lure fishing, allowing the angler to manipulate how the lure swims and twitches by having direct contact with it.

Braid floats, and with little current to pull the line tight in northern Port Phillip, you need to use monofilament. Mono sinks slowly and allows the angler direct contact with the bait. 10

FEBRUARY 2020

risk losing a fish, which is why it is recommended to re-spool your reel with new line before your next trip. Monofilament can be purchased for as little a $7 and sometimes cheaper,

was developed by blending fluorine, chlorine and carbon along with synthetics made from hydrocarbons. In layman’s terms, fluorocarbon was originally made as a leader material because

So, at the end of the day, line choice is not as simple as you may have thought. Making the right choice is vital and will help ensure you land most of the fish you hook.

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Science meets fishing

New science for snapper stock management PART I GEELONG

Ross Winstanley

For more than 100 years, snapper in Port Phillip have been Victoria’s most hotly contested fish stock. Today, while the western Victorian snapper stock is in a very healthy condition, trends in inter-state stocks warn against complacency. In October 2019, the South Australian Government announced the decision to close snapper fishing in the West Coast, Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent until January 2023. Other states, particularly Queensland, are looking to tighten snapper fishing regulations. It is possible that the closure of SA’s gulf fisheries could result in increased fishing pressure on the Victorian western snapper stock which extends

approach to exploring risks to the stock, associated with different levels of fishing pressure. To simplify things for readers, the term ‘catch’ is used here to mean the snapper caught and retained by anglers. BACKGROUND There’s a long history of pragmatic management of the Port Phillip Bay snapper fishery, often in response to anglers’ concerns. In 1915, Victoria’s first minimum length for snapper was set at 10.5”. The following year, smaller snapper were so abundant that anglers applied pressure to have the size reduced and in 1917 it was changed to 9”. In 1926, the 10.5” limit was restored and remained until it was converted to the metric equivalent, 27cm, during the 1970s. During the 1980s, anglers proposed bag limits

sustained period of poor King George whiting recruitment into the Bay, and gradual fish-down of the remaining stock, led to anglers’ severely depressed whiting catches. A local campaign was taken up by the wider recreational sector, leading to the 2014 political decision to close the commercial net fishery in the Bay, despite 20 years of assessments indicating the long-term sustainability of this fishery. The closure’s knock-on effect for snapper is that they will no longer be vulnerable to net fishing beyond 2022. The political sensitivity attached to the snapper fishery in the Bay is illustrated by this sequence of decisions in response to media-supported pressure from anglers. Against this background, the motive for the VFA snapper project came partly from the need for early

in South Australia’s gulfs. On the East Coast, the shared Qld/NSW snapper stock is regarded as depleted, at least off Queensland. This is thought to be a result of the combined effects of fishing pressure and low spawning success, possibly linked to climate effects and changes in fish movements. The most telling lesson for Victorian anglers comes from the SA gulfs, once the home of Australia’s most productive commercial snapper fisheries and the iconic recreational fishing for large snapper. Concerns over the stocks there have led to increasingly severe restrictions in the gulf fisheries over the past 20 years. Despite comprehensive monitoring, assessments and management responses, in June 2019 the Gulf St Vincent and Spencer Gulf stocks were reported to have declined by 87% and

The snapper fishing closure in SA gulfs could expose the western Victorian snapper stock to increased fishing pressure. Image courtesy of VFA to Kangaroo Island. Recreational fishing in Victoria’s two major bays accounts for the majority of the fish taken from this stock. With the commercial fishery in Port Phillip being scaled down to eight line-fishing operations, monitoring the state of the stock relies increasingly on information collected from anglers and annual surveys of small juvenile snapper. This article is the first of two parts. It is based on the Victorian Fisheries Authority’s major study to develop new methods for tracking trends in recreational fishing pressure, relying on a combination of remote cameras to count boats launched at major ramps, and continuation of a long-running creel survey program. The study also developed an advanced 12

FEBRUARY 2020

for snapper and whiting as a trade-off for tighter controls on commercial gill-netting in the bay. Intense pressure from anglers also contributed to the closure of the mussel and scallop dredge fisheries in the bay during the mid-1990s. In 2006, media coverage of fishing competitions featuring catches of large adult snapper during the November spawning season, led anglers to initiate a review of the size and bag limits. This resulted in the current recreational catch limit regulations. Following this, anglers’ concerns over increasing snapper catches by trawlers in coastal waters led to an overall cap on commercial trawl landings in 2011. Anglers’ biggest win followed a campaign that began in Geelong in 2012. A

warnings of future sustained declines in adult snapper numbers. The project aimed to develop tools to help managers to smooth out the effects of ‘feast or famine’ recruitment periods and to develop aids to objective management decisionmaking. The potential value of this research, nationally, attracted funding support from the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC). The trial of boat ramp cameras was supported by funding from the Recreational Fishing Licence Trust. INTER-STATE LESSONS Fishing and environmental pressures on inter-state snapper stocks have brought about severe restrictions on fisheries in Western Australia and the extraordinary three-year closure of all snapper fishing

23%, respectively, over the previous five years. A common thread in snapper stock declines appears to be failure to step in quickly and decisively enough to reduce fishing pressure on adult fish during extended periods of poor spawning success. This may sometimes require the counter-intuitive action of reducing catches when the fishery is still productive and anglers are happy. Leaving fish ‘in the bank’ when they are plentiful, to provide a buffer against a possible stock downturn, seems like a good policy. On the basis of their perceptions, many Victorian anglers who have visited Spencer Gulf to fish for 10+kg snapper, believe SA to be the state of enlightenment when it comes to fisheries management, particularly

with their higher minimum size. While SA has a fine record, what these anglers miss is the struggle that’s occurring to restore SA snapper stocks to more stable and productive levels. What helps to protect the Victorian western stock is that its range extends from Wilsons Promontory to Kangaroo Island, SA. As a result of seasonal migrations in and out of Port Phillip and Western Port bays, most of the stock is not exposed to high year-round fishing pressure. In contrast, SA’s gulf stocks are resident all year in well known fishing locations. So, despite spring/ summer closures to protect spawning aggregations, they have been exposed to significant fishing pressure during most of the year. With their year-round open access bay fisheries, Victorian anglers don’t have to live with SA-type seasonal and area closures. The lesson for Victorian anglers is that, despite being intensively studied and tightly managed, snapper fisheries can impose pressures that render continued sustainability at highly productive levels really challenging. What’s clear is that repeated spawning failures can lead to rapid declines in snapper fisheries. SNAPPER STOCK SAFEGUARDS The Victorian government controls snapper fishing in our State waters, including the bays. However, the western Victorian snapper stock extends from Wilsons Promontory to Kangaroo Island and there have been recent occasions when significant catches have been taken from this stock by Commonwealth and SA commercial fisheries. While the stock itself is relatively well monitored by the VFA, fishing pressure on the stock and the long-term implications of different levels of fishing pressure are not well understood. Events during the past 15 years demonstrate the impacts that combined fishing pressures can have on this snapper stock. Exceptional recruitment during the early 2000s led to a build-up of large fish, resulting in surges in commercial and recreational catches in Port Phillip Bay. Commercial catches had varied between 30 and 100 tonnes until 2011/12 when they rose to a 30-year high of 162 tonnes before falling away as catch rates and longline effort for large snapper declined. Recreational catch rate data also indicated the decline in adult snapper between 2011 and 2015. Coinciding with events

in the Bay, in 2006, a few SA longliners began targeting the increasing numbers of western stock snapper as they passed along the coast off south-eastern SA. After 25 years of almost-zero catches, between 2008 and 2013, their annual catches rose to more than 50 tonnes. In 2009 and 2010, they took more than the combined commercial catches from Port Phillip and adjacent Victorian coastal waters, peaking at 260 tonnes in 2010. By 2015, SA catches had dwindled to virtually zero. These events in Victoria and SA provide two important lessons. First, years of aboveaverage recruitment, leading to the build-up of numbers of large snapper, stimulate increased fishing pressure. If subsequent recruitment is poor-to-average, high fishing pressure and natural causes can rapidly deplete the stock of large fish, depressing catches and placing the VFA’s managers under pressure to respond. Second, while the Victorian Government can control fishing pressure in the bay to some degree, fisheries managed under other jurisdictions can have significant impacts on the stock. Responding to this, in addition to placing commercial quotas on the Bay commercial fishery, Victorian governments have acted to contain commercial catches in adjacent coastal waters. Daily trip limits now constrain the impacts of trawlers. Importantly, the Victorian and SA governments have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to support a more collaborative approach to assessing and managing the fisheries targeting the western Victorian snapper stock. The MOU commits the two states to communicate and jointly assess the stock status and to manage their respective fishery’s impacts on this stock. Formal stock assessments and stakeholder communications are required every two years. Victorian anglers can be assured that this two-state agreement will ensure that any proposed changes to SA commercial fishing on the stock will require consultation with Victoria. This leads to the purpose of the VFA’s snapper project, described in Part II. Note: The VFA’s study is titled “Developing tools to inform management risk and improve recreational fishery monitoring for a complex multi-sector, multijurisdiction fishery: the ‘Western Victorian Snapper Stock”. The report can be found on the FRDC website.

Get moving and stay mobile! NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.fishotopia.com

C’mon, don’t sit and wait for the fish to find you! Get out there, be active and hunt down your prey instead. It’s much more fun — and more effective.

but there are many ways that land-based and bank-bound fishers can improve their mobility to cover a lot more water and often increase their catch rates too. The biggest trick in mastering mobility lies in not burdening yourself with too much tackle and related paraphernalia. There’s a lot to

Fly fishing wading boots are perfect for their intended purpose, but not always ideal for longer hikes. The author’s new Simms Flyweights (right) are the best he’s found so far for extended trekking. also strap a spare multi-piece rod to the side of a backpack if needed. The other important thing I always include in my pack these days is a simple first-aid kit, including a compression bandage to

an important role, too. The obligatory Aussie summer ‘uniform’ of T-shirt, shorts and thongs might feel nice and casual around the house or by the beach at this time of year in many parts of the

Hooked up to a rampaging rainbow trout in the teeth of a Tasmanian gale. Staying mobile can dramatically improve your fishing results.

Believe it or not, this was the author’s total collection of terminal tackle for a three-day coastal hike on the far South Coast of NSW! When you’re covering well in excess of 30km on foot, every gram counts. In my opinion, there’s a lot to be said for mobility when fishing. Those happy holiday danglers with their heavy folding chairs, full drink coolers and a couple of rods propped up on forked sticks at the water’s edge might be doing it in comfort and style, but they’ll almost always end up being comprehensively out-fished by an active, alert angler who’s on the move and willing to take the game to the fish, instead of waiting for the fish to come to them. Boat and kayak anglers are obviously mobile by definition,

be said for a single, versatile rod-and-reel outfit, a small tackle box holding only what you’re likely to need, some leader material, a water bottle, a knife, pair of scissors and a set of long-nosed pliers, perhaps in pouches on your belt. For more extended forays, you can take things a step further with a lightweight backpack or a decent bum bag. This allows you to pack a warm or waterproof jacket, a few energy snacks, sunscreen, more drinking water and maybe a camera and some extra terminal tackle. You can

Fishing vests are great, but rationalise what you pack into those multiple pockets. It’s easy to overdo it and overload yourself.

are all arguments against this omnipresent ocker ensemble. When you blow a thong an hour’s hike from the car across rough country, you’ll quickly come to realise that you’ve made a very poor wardrobe choice. Footwear selection is largely dictated by terrain and fishing style. Lightweight sandshoes or even open sandals will suffice in some scenarios, while others call for decent hiking boots. If you intend to go wading, there are specialist types of footwear. Attitude and philosophy are even more important than exact gear selection when it comes to achieving fishing mobility. Being willing to stay active, keep moving and hunt your prey will make you a much better angler,

deal with snakebite. In really remote areas, consider adding a personal EPIRB or emergency locator beacon. How you dress and what you wear on your feet plays

The author lands a lovely rainbow trout. His sling pack holds all his flies, leader material and other tackle, as well as drinking water, a camera, snacks, extra clothing and a basic first aid kit.

There’s a track winding back… to a great fishing spot!

country, but it’s not the ideal get-up for safely racking up some kilometres along a remote riverbank, lake shore

or rocky shoreline. Sunburn, scratches from vegetation, insect stings and the everpresent threat of snakebite

not to mention keep you fitter and healthier! Make the commitment to be more mobile this year. FEBRUARY 2020

FEBRUARY 2020

More water to fish, more prizes to win! The team at GoFish Nagambie have been busy working on ways to make GoFish Nagambie even better in 2020, with one of the most exciting developments being extending the tournament zone north to Murchison. And while everyone’s favourite prizes will return, including the very popular Jayco Cod O’Clock, new prize allocations mean there is more for everyone, especially youngsters.

place on the 3rd of January. GoFish Nagambie ambassadors Karen Rees and Dan Hawkins were pumped to join good mates from Trelly’s and WIRF Leaders to assist 1.25g fingerlings being released into the Goulburn. Victorian Fisheries Authority CEO Travis Dowling said that stocking of native fish like golden perch and Murray cod into the Goulburn River and Lake Nagambie had transformed the fishery, providing freshwater fishers with a wonderful destination not far from Melbourne. “We’ve ramped up native fish stocking hugely in recent years, and last year stocked nearly 6 million across Victoria’s lakes and rivers,” Mr Dowling said. “Target One Million is striving to stock 10 million fish by 2022 and the Goulburn system will be a key part of achieving this target that’ll really make a difference to grass-roots fishers, their families and fishing dependent businesses in regional Victoria.”

PRIZE POOL $500,000 will go off at GoFish Nagambie in 2020, with more kids’ prizes, more women’s prizes and more random prizes. First there’s the $80,000 Murray cod, then there’s cash for the top 10 biggest Murray cod and golden perch, cash prizes for the top five biggest carp, a boat, trailer and engine package from Boats & More and much more. All up, there are over 700 prizes to be won! And we’ll keep revealing more in the lead up to the comp. GoFish Nagambie is bringing back everyone’s favourites, including Jayco’s Cod O’Clock, Carp O’Clock and, thanks to Lowrance, a daily Donut Prize for those who are struggling to catch a fish.

The Goulburn River and Nagambie really is the perfect angler’s paradise, not just Australia’s favourite fishing festival, so put Nagambie on your fishing hit list now.

TOURNAMENT EXTENSION To create more space for fishos on and off the water within the tournament zone, the GoFish team has extended the 2020 tournament boundary to Murchison. Starting once again at 2km south of the Hughes Creek junction at Seymour, the tournament fishing zone will extend well beyond the 2019 tournament boundary of the Goulburn Weir, to just beyond the Murchison Recreation Reserve. Looking to boost the quality of bank and kayak fishing options for GoFish Nagambie, 22.5km of waterways has been added to the tournament area for fishos to catch the winning $80,000 cod. Over the past 12 months anglers have been catching cod to 120cm in the new extension area, making Murchison the new hot spot for 2020.

New in 2020 is the Golden Hour competition for golden perch; the ‘Reddy, Steady, Go’ (redfin) competition for the juniors, plus the all new Grand Slam, which awards the best of the anglers who have caught a fish of every species. The daily lucky door prizes have doubled from 100 per day to 200 per day, totalling 600 prizes across the comp.

STOCKING

In what is arguably the best weekend on the Aussie fishing calendar, you’ll be green with envy if you don’t join the chase for the $80k cod come the first weekend in April! This is the biggest and best comp you’ll see all year, and anyone could catch the winning fish.

Nagambie is the home of 100,000 new Murray cod fingerlings, thanks to Victorian Fisheries Authority recent stocking efforts that took

Entries for GoFish Nagambie start at $50 for kids and are capped at $160 for adults. For more info head to www.gofishnagambie.com.au

This new addition to our tournament zone provides some cracking opportunities to land big fish. REALLY big fish!

FEBRUARY 2020

Keep calm and carry on WEST COAST

Brett Carson

With the school holidays winding down, this alwaysserene place will now feel even more remote. Serious local fishos will once again feel like the only ones on the Glenelg and come back out to play. The truth is that this grossly underfished river produced right through the silly season, because what we call fishing pressure is not even close to those waterways close to capital cities. Even the impressive Hopkins in the heart of

Warnambool produces fish after fish with boats all over it this time of year. I’ll never know why some local grinches give up over the holidays. We have been chasing live mullet flat out for mulloway anglers, who have been catching fish as far as 50km upstream. The low rainfall and large swells have ensured that the saltwater wedge has pushed at least that far up the mighty Glenelg. Don’t taste the water in the upper reaches and decide it must be all fresh, much heavier saltwater can be below the fresh, making mulloway

happy to venture 50km+ into the system. Live mullet fished under a float is the most productive method this time of year but a pilchard, strip of dead mullet or squid still accounts for plenty of fish. Don’t be afraid to berley to bring the fish in and trigger a bite, just like you would for snapper in the ocean. I don’t know a fish that doesn’t react to berley when it’s up for a feed! We are now around the time of year when 50lb+ mulloway patrol the coast, so hopefully the mouth is in good condition for them to wander into the estuary

Noel caught this mulloway when fishing with his son Mark.

Russel Hurst with one of several mulloway he snared in a recent evening on the river.

chasing masses of bait. There are plenty of smaller fish amongst the larger ones at the moment, with it not uncommon to be putting every second fish back in a session. Respect the undersize fish and handle them carefully. Bream are back in the estuary after finally coming back from the yearly spawn. Up until late December, the lower reaches could be frustrating for bream. Now the large schools can be seen scattering in front of the boat when you drive near the shallows, which means they’re feeding on the bait inhabiting the shallows they are patrolling. Fishing a crab, glassy or podworm from the area

is a sure way to get into the action. Be sure to fish light and give them some drag – the amount of ground they can quickly cover in the shallows can be phenomenal but there isn’t much they can get you on compared to edge fishing above the estuary. Plastics and hardbodies have also been productive now the spawn is completed. Matty Bell and his son found bent minnows have worked well in the shallows recently. When the bottom is weedy, they can be the answer to presenting a lure in shallow water while still being under the surface. Perch are extremely active now, with the best specimens coming from high up in the system. Lures and small live bait are normally the go but anglers trolling larger live

the same area, as they school heavily and will rarely be alone. The swells and temperature this time of year are kind to surf fishos, making late nights on gummy and school sharks much more enjoyable. Elephant sharks should also be available and like oysters, eat better than they look. The remote beaches hold some awesome gutters that have heavy rips so it pays to use wire style sinkers. Be careful not to go too deep in your waders, as the gutters can be hard to see in the dark. • 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

Gone fishin’ at Warrnambool Riverside Holiday Park Whether you’re just dropping by or staying a little longer, you’ll feel at home in our range of villas, cabins, ensuite and powered sites. 03 5565 1327 Search NRMA Parks Warrnambool Riverside Beau Allan landed bream and a few mulloway on 6lb braid and leader while fishing the edges around Dry Creek.

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FEBRUARY 2020

mullet and mulloway-sized lures have been caught off guard when perch strike their bigger offerings. Surface fishing for these critters has been good when the wind backs off. If you catch one, keep working

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.

Fire up for February WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

Even though it is officially the last month of summer, February is the prime month for targeting summer species in the South West. Water temperatures are starting to creep up after a cold and windy start to summer. There have already been some inshore tuna

plenty more of these sorts of days in the forecast. If chasing surface pelagics isn’t your thing, then there are plenty of bottom fishing options available. Some ripper gummy and school sharks have been taken recently and should still be an option in February. Dan Hoey from Salty Dog charters has been getting some excellent sharks recently and says it is well worth heading out if you want to

The longer the mouth is open the better, if the water is high with no tidal influence due to a closed mouth, fishing can slow up over summer. February can be a great time to chase estuary perch in the fresh and saltwater sections of the Hopkins River. A warm calm evening can produce some exciting surface action whether using lure, fly or floated cricket baits. The attraction of this style of

N O I P R O 485 SC February is the best time to target the local kingfish population. encountered and hopefully the kingfish aren’t too far away. By February however, things should be at their prime for surface pelagic fishing for these two species. Hopefully the abundant live bait that was a common feature of many locations along the coast last summer continues this year. Flat warm sunny days are the best for spotting schools of kings and tuna on the surface. Come February we hope there are

get a feed of these excellent eating species. The Hopkins has been fishing well lately with good numbers of bream being taken, along with the odd mulloway. The mouth is open and well established. A recent trip fishing on the flats at the mouth saw small waves pushing in as far as the danger-board area. The bream were biting well, as sand washed off the flat into the deeper water carrying food items such as brown shell and worm.

fishing now has a new incentive – the possibility of tangling with a bass. Bass have never been officially stocked in the Hopkins and don’t occur naturally, but a number of specimens in the 40cm size range have been turning up in the past couple of seasons. Putting in a canoe or kayak and doing some exploring in the freshwater sections is an attractive option with the increased possibility of encountering bream, EP, trout and bass.

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Casting stickbaits at tuna schools is a great way to spend a summer’s day. FEBRUARY 2020

Pick of the perch in the Curdies COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

It appears to be perch city down on the Curdies River. These fish have always existed here but were very hard to catch until recently. Anglers specifically targeting them have been going great guns, while those concentrating their efforts on bream (which are also active) have picked up a few perch as by-catch. I recently reported a 45cm estuary perch taken but I’ve heard rumours of fish

to 50cm being landed. A year or so ago, I discovered a school of juvenile fish in one spot. Using a hideously coloured, oversized soft plastic skipped across the surface usually ended in either a hook-up or a strike at the very least. From that moment on I realized the system was full of them, and in a few years these fish will all be a catchable size. There appears to be a somewhat healthy population of bigger fish and for whatever reason, they are becoming easier to entice into biting.

For those looking for a feed, I find perch sweeter than bream. Where one perch is taken, more will come. They are a very sociable fish and are mostly found in schools. If you come across a plethora of perch, enjoy catching them but take only what you need for a feed. We all want the next generation to enjoy hooking these magnificent fish. Bream are also responsive with many of the lake’s regions holding good fish on a given day. Locally sourced bait has been taking many, as well

The jetty at Port Campbell is always a hot spot for land-based anglers.

as lures and plastics fished just off the bottom to avoid the weed growth. Bream have been averaging around 37cm, with fish responding to dip netted shrimp and greyback minnow caught in the shallows using a hauling net. The Hopkins River has continued to produce good bream with many weighing 1kg and above. Many anglers have been having success using whole or cut crab, catching mulloway up to a metre in length as by-catch. Otherwise, hardbodied lures and soft plastics in a shad or shrimp pattern have been working. A few adventurous boaters have ventured way offshore in search of surface or sub surface action such as mako, sevengill and thresher sharks. If that falls by the wayside, many have been working the depths with large, weighted sinkers over 1kg in order to reach the bottom – not everybody can afford electric reels. Braided lines and sea drogues to slow the drift have helped a lot to catch blue-eye trevalla, hapuka, Tassie trumpeter, knifejaw and blue grenadier. However, unless it’s a huge fish such as blue-eye, it’s often hard to tell if you have a fish on. Instead of winding up often to check baits, it pays to use huge, tough baits tied on with plenty of hosiery elastic or

Darren ‘Wal’ Wynd with a good gummy. It was one of three taken offshore recently. even light trace wire and plenty of patience. Sitting on your hands for an hour or so before winding back up is the go. Closer inshore, some excellent school and gummy sharks have been taken in depths around 40m. The by-catch on offer has included morwong, nannygai and pinkie

snapper as well as the usual reef suspects. Squid are about in good numbers and as well as a good feed, are an excellent fresh bait for the above species. As usual, summer has arrived late, but this will extend the southern fishing season well into autumn. A bit of rain now and again would help things along.

Plenty of fish about for Apollo Bay anglers APOLLO BAY

Craig Rippon

The fishing has been great – it has been as hot as the weather right along the coast! Around the local harbour there have been plenty of squid and whiting taken. A lot of holidaymakers are

catching a good feed for their dinner. There have also been some sightings of one of my favourite fish, the yellowtail kingfish. I love chasing these fish! When they bite, look out, as these fish fight hard, however some days they can be about but not feed; it is very frustrating. I have had them follow stickbaits and poppers to the boat and not

take a bite. They love fresh squid strips slowly trolled down deep but catching them on the surface is the bomb. Seeing them take a surface lure is awesome! Gummies and snapper have been in all the local spots on the outer reefs. There has been a really good run of snapper this year. King George whiting captures have continued

with some nice bags coming in. Their numbers have been rising and fish up to 43cm have been taken. For anglers putting in the time berleying, there have

been some nice makos about with a couple around 80kg landed. There is plenty of bait around at the moment, with good schools of ’couta out wide. The blue sharks

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FEBRUARY 2020

Nat Barry with a decent sized EP.

won’t be far away either. There are some decent flathead about, you can’t beat a good feed of tails on the BBQ on a nice summer night. There has been the odd salmon school off the beaches and some nice gummies off Johanna Beach and Aire River. The Aire is also producing bream and mullet off the bridge and is good fun for the kids. I noticed a lot of rubbish left behind at the local Barham River only 30m from a bin. Please remember to take all your rubbish with you. Our waterways are really healthy at the moment so let’s keep it that way. It has been a bit tough for those diving for crayfish, as the fish are still a bit deeper and not in close yet. Make sure you check the abalone rules, as you can only take them on certain days in this zone. Hope you all had a great holiday break, be safe on the water and fish hard while the weather is great. Please send photos to snagga02@gmail.com.

FEBRUARY 2020

BLACK MAGIC

MASTER CLASS

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

Chasing the dream: fishing off the beach Ocean beaches are a great place to catch a range of species, from bread and butter stuff like bream, whiting and tailor through to larger predators like mulloway and sharks. Most of the time these areas are not only productive fishing areas but also easily accessible by foot or 4WD, making them ideal locations for anglers of all skill levels from kids to hardcore mulloway anglers. Regardless of what species you want to target from the beach, it’s important to get the fundamentals right, as without them you will struggle. Some beaches are dozens of kilometres long and only a small percentage of that will be typical fish holding country. Shallow areas that are constantly bombarded by waves should be avoided. Instead, look to fish the deeper gutters

as they usually disappear once the low light period is over. LARGER PREDATORS Mulloway are without doubt the holy grail for beach fishers and while they can be caught a variety of different ways, the most effective method is fishing after the sun goes down with large baits. In order to cast out larger baits, you need a stiffer rod around 10-12’ matched to a 10,00020,000 sized reel spooled with 10-15kg mono line. My preference again is the Black Magic Velocity Surf Line, as it casts great and provides

Black Magic has you covered when it comes to beach fishing.

A promising looking gutter. and troughs. These can be easily identified by places where waves don’t break and darker coloured water. Gutters will often funnel back out to sea while some troughs can run horizontal behind, in front or between sand bars. Fish are attracted to these places, as food sources like pipis, worms and crabs are pounded out of from adjacent banks and washed into them. On top of this, the deeper water also offers a bit of protection and rest zone for large schools of fish especially during annual mullet, luderick and bream migrations. Once you’ve narrowed down where to focus your efforts, it’s time to fish the area in the right manner for the desired species. There are three ways to fish from the ocean beaches 20

FEBRUARY 2020

once the sun goes down. The easiest way to rig a mulloway bait is to use a three way swivel with a star sinker attached to the bottom swivel eye and a 60-80cm length of 40-60 Black Magic fluorocarbon leader coming off the side swivel eye. Hook size will depend on your bait size and can be anywhere from 6/0-10/0. I always snell two hooks together when targeting beach mulloway and the best hooks I’ve ever used for them are the Black Magic C Point range. With

– one for your bread and butter species like bream and whiting, another for smaller pelagics like tailor and salmon, and then the third for larger predators like sharks and the mighty mulloway. BREAD AND BUTTER FISHING This is the simplest way to fish the beaches, but it’s extremely effective when done right. Use a 10-12’ rod with a light soft tip paired with a 40006000 size spin reel spooled with 6kg mono, preferably something like Black Magic Velocity Surf Line, as it’s made specifically for this type of fishing. Mono line is far better suited than braid when fishing the beaches, as the swell and turbulence will often throw the braid over itself and make some epic knots and birds’ nests. The rig is very simple and Black Magic makes it

even simpler, with the perfect pre-made rig ready to go in the Sandy Snatcher. It is a twin long shank rig, which is the ideal hook to use from the beach. Bait these up with live beachworms or pipis and you can’t go wrong. This is an effective way to catch things like bream and

whiting but you can also score loads of welcome by-catch species with dart, salmon, flathead and even mulloway often taking a Sandy Snatcher Rig. The best time to fish these areas is around the high tide, especially when you can get one that corresponds with dawn and dusk periods. Smaller pelagics like tailor and salmon also frequent the surf zone, making them a popular target for recreational anglers. The best rods to target tailor on ocean beaches are between 8-10’, with a 40006000 sized reel spooled with 20lb Black Magic Rainbow Braid to a 30lb 80cm length of fluorocarbon leader. Braid is the preferred option in this instance as you are constantly casting and retrieving, which eliminates the problems braid can give to anchored baits in the surf. The best thing to use is a whole pilchard, garfish or a metal lure around 20-40g. Early morning and late afternoon are prime times for both fish, especially for tailor,

The Sandy Snatchers are lethal on bread and butter species. unmatched knot strength. The favoured mulloway baits are whole squid or even better if you can source it, some live yellow-tail, mullet, whiting or tailor. Many anglers will get to the beach well before dark in order to catch a live whiting or tailor to put out

The ultimate prize for every beach angler: the mighty mulloway.

these hooks, you will rarely miss a hook-up. CASTING FURTHER Occasionally you’ll come across good-looking mulloway territory by way of a trough or gutter that’s just out of casting range and this is where Black Magic Longreach Rig comes into its own. It’s great for smaller live baits such as small yellow-tail or dead baits like whole squid. It comes pre-rigged with a KL5/0 and 3/0 hook attached to a plastic clip at the bottom of the rig near the sinker. This makes it super aerodynamic, allowing for much further casts than traditional rigs. It also has a small, inbuilt float that lifts your bait up to waft around rather than letting it sit on the bottom and be picked apart by crabs and rays.

FEBRUARY 2020

Good snapper hauls are all along the coast GEELONG

Neil Slater slaterfish@gmail.com

The Barwon River in February can see the odd outbreak of blue green algae, so keep an eye out for warning signs along the waterway. Your best bet at the height of summer in the Barwon is

to target carp, and keep an eye out for snakes. Otherwise, head down to the estuary. Early December, the Barwon River received 50,000 estuary perch in Geelong thanks to VFA and their estuary perch stocking program. Last year the river received 30,000 and they are expected to reach the legal minimum size of 27cm in around two to three years. The river is

crying out for something to bring anglers to the region. Let’s hope the estuary perch give us something other than redfin, carp and eels to target. CORIO BAY Corio Bay has been going from strength to strength over January. Yellowtail kingfish have been caught around the structures such as piers and channel markers in the past, so there is no reason they won’t

Jake managed to boat this big salmon after a torrid fight.

Maurice with an absolute belter of a snapper he caught off Portarlington.

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be caught there this year. Their numbers have steadily increased since the abolition of kingfish traps in NSW. Pilchards have been thick inside Corio Bay and as a result, the predators such as salmon, kingfish, pike and snapper have been following. Soft plastic anglers have had a ball catching big pike around the metre mark, snapper up around 45cm and some ripper flatties also around the 45cm mark. Snapper have been the primary target, with quality captures coming from the Geelong waterfront and Point Henry. Land-based fishos should try St Helens rocks at dawn and dusk with snapper and flathead around the 40cm here lately. Geelong waterfront has seen barracouta, bream, flathead and pinkie snapper fall to lightly weighted fish baits such as pilchards and bluebait and soft plastic lures worked slowly along the bottom. Eight-year-old Jake Crack made the journey down from

Ballarat with his dad Paul to fish inside Corio Bay. Hoping for a snapper, they launched from St Helens about 4pm and headed over to Point Henry hoping to see some fish on the sounder. Jake noticed some birds circling overhead and diving into the water. They headed over to find a fair bit of commotion under the birds so lobbed a few lures into the white water. Jake hooked up with only three turns of the handle. Paul says he could see it was a decent fish and Jake handled it well. After a short fight, they boated a 53cm Australian salmon that got them both motivated to resume casting. They ended up with three more around the same size before the school moved on. Still keen on landing a snapper, they headed down towards the bend in the shipping channel known as ‘the turn’ and anchored up. Using pilchards, silver whiting and fillets of fresh salmon, they caught four snapper to 44cm – all on the fresh salmon.

Maurice Hili headed out from Portarlington hoping for a snapper and to test out his new sounder last month. With his back to the rods while playing with the new sounder, he heard one of the reels let out a wail of protest. He turned around to see his rod bent over with the tip nearly touching the water. At first, Maurice thought this was a big stingray, but as it finally slowed down, he felt some head knocks. He called it for a big gummy shark until he got the fish close to the boat, where it was evident it was a very big snapper. Maurice says that over the years he’s caught a fair few snapper around 8-9kg, but this dude was definitely much bigger. Maurice estimates the snapper to be around the 10kg mark and definitely a fish of a lifetime in Victorian waters. Clifton Springs has also been on fire snapper wise, with quality fish to 5kg biting well on the tide change. Chris Stamalos caught a cracker around 6kg using a slimy mackerel for bait.

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The FAD about to be deployed off Torquay. 22

FEBRUARY 2020

BELLARINE PENINSULA Calamari have also been biting well on the both St Leonards and Queenscliff piers with standing room only for a while there in December. They haven’t been big, but there have been plenty of them. We’ve been blessed with a fair whiting season around the region, with consistent fishing rather than bags of big fish. Most whiting have been from legal length to 35cm with the larger fish biting after dark. As always, pipis and mussels do

very well, but if you can catch a squid or three on your way out, they’re excellent bait. Rod Ludlow from Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head says the King George whiting have been on the bite and well worth fishing for, with fish around 35-40cm plentiful. Be prepared to move around a little between Grassy Point and Governors Reef in both the shallows and right out to the deeper edges, as all spots are producing fish using pipis, mussels or squid the best baits. Rod says to fish both tides as

Mission accomplished! Jake and his dad Paul travelled to Geelong to try for snapper.

long as the water is moving. Rod notes that the squid have slowed a little and moving around is the best option. He did have some snapper and gummy sharks come in the Prince George light, with a big snapper at 6.5kg and a really nice half a gummy shark that a bronze whaler took a fancy to. Unfortunately for the smaller bronze whaler a bigger one came along and ate that! BASS STRAIT AND SURF COAST Chris Stamalos fished out off Barwon Heads where he caught a ripper snapper using slimy mackerel as bait. Pinkie snapper can be caught here at first light in close and larger fish to 5kg can be caught drifting out in around 30-60m of water. The Barwon River estuary is a great place to take the kids. There are often a few small fish on the bite to keep them entertained. Lately, silver trevally and whiting have been biting down near the mouth on the incoming tide. Grab a few pipis, squid or pilchards and fillet them into tasty morsels for best results. Michael Crawford from Adamas Fishing Charters says Australian salmon have been firing in the rip of late. Michael says the best ones have been around 2.5kg and they have been feasting on pilchards often regurgitating them on the deck after capture.

Chris Stamalos boated this ripper out off Barwon Heads. VRFish, Torquay Angling Club, Lorne Aquatic and Angling Club and the Victorian Fisheries Authority joined together to celebrate the return of Torquay’s FADs (Fish Aggregation Devices) and two brand new FADs, which were planned to be installed off Lorne and Airleys Inlet around the end of 2019. The FADs were a part of a two-year trial and saw kingfish captured as anticipated, which is why the trial is being extended and expanded to include other

South West locations. The Torquay FADs are anchored to the artificial reefs which were deployed off Torquay in 2015. The Torquay FADs are located above the reef at 38˚ 19.990′ S 144˚ 22.440′ E. By the end of November, FADs will be deployed at the proposed locations off Lorne (38° 32.264’S 144° 01.940 E) and Airleys Inlet (38° 29.143’S 144° 09.728 E). I ran the sounder over the artificial reef near the FAD not long after it was first installed

and they were clouded with small fish. I nabbed a couple of barracouta but no kingfish for me on that occasion. Catch a few around Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula or Surf Coast to Lorne recently? Send in a report to slaterfish@ gmail.com 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).

FEBRUARY 2020

The heat is on, it’s time to fish in Melbourne great effect. Steve has used a rope pulley to help Logan land his catches. Catching whiting around the 40cm mark can be a lot of fun if you’re using the appropriate gear. A 1-3 or 2-4kg rod paired with a 1000 or 2500 size reel and light line can turn what seems like quite small fish into a load of fun. Systems that are quite shallow with weedy areas will provide a great feed. Anglers have also been

PORT PHILLIP BAY WEST

Alan Bonnici alan@fishingmad.com.au

Thanks to a late rise in water temperatures, it is peak time for fishing around Melbourne. Various saltwater species such as snapper, whiting, flathead and squid are firing. Don’t forget the freshwater species too, with redfin and golden perch fishing very well in the lakes and rivers. Windy conditions have made fishing a little unpredictable and quite difficult for the weekend warriors to thrive. For whatever reason, weekends have been consistently sitting around 20-knot winds, with mid-week being substantially calmer. Weekdays have seen boat ramps jam-packed, which is a testament to anglers getting frustrated and probably taking a sneaky

pedal out only a kilometre or so in 5-8m of water and target snapper has me obsessively thinking about my techniques. I love targeting species in different ways and I have been experimenting with different soft plastics, baits and even trolling extra deep diving lures with success. Some of this is still a work in progress, but it’s exciting to catch a snapper between 3-5kg when trolling on a yak.

Whiting above 45cm have been a regular catch. mid-week sickie to get into some good fishing action. Snapper fishing this season has still been a

little inconsistent. I have had good days out on the water but bag-out sessions on snapper have been very

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challenging. I’ve spent countless unrewarded hours staring at a sounder as we cruise around trying to find schools. The volume of small pinkies has been incredible and often at times you’re forced to work your way through them to land a nice size snapper. Steve Vessey and his young boy Logan have been sending through frequent fishing reports. Steve has been taking his son out on many fishing adventures and slowly building up Logan’s skills for kayak fishing. In recent weeks the pair have been catching plenty of whiting by kayak around Werribee South and Campbells Cove, with Logan beating his personal best whiting size several times now. They have been paddling out to depths of 3-5m, anchoring up and berleying an isolated area and then waiting in anticipation, using small strips of squid on small circle hooks to

Logan with a pair of PB whiting. happily catching plenty of flathead as by-catch as well as the odd banjo shark, Port Jackson shark and stingray. This past month I have been hitting the water as often as possible in my kayak. Being able to

It’s also a great way to get into shape. The sensation when a snapper hits the lure is addictive and what excites me to get out time and time again. It has taken quite some trial and error to work the lure diving depth

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The author has been experimenting with different lures for snapper.

opposed to fishing depth but that is slowly becoming familiar. I have mainly been going with lures that dive down to 3-5m. Flathead also take a liking to this method of fishing and are a welcome by-catch. Make sure you keep in mind that this is the warmest time of year and you do need to be sun smart. The temperatures at times will peak over 40°C and this is only magnified

near water. Ensure you take the appropriate measures – a hat, regularly applied sunscreen, plenty of water to stay hydrated, UV shields and even consider UV gloves. Anglers are often burnt on the legs when wearing shorts or on the feet when wearing thongs. I can recall a few trips out on the water that were followed by a few days of pain where sunburn stopped me from being

able to wear appropriate work shoes, so keep these areas covered or protected with sunscreen. That will ensure a good day on the water without suffering the following days for cutting corners. The local lakes have been fishing very well. Fisheries have ramped up their stocking efforts with places around Melbourne such as Karkarook Lake, Melton Reservoir, Albert

Warm conditions are great for redfin.

Park Lake and Barkers Creek Reservoir stocked with large numbers of native species like yellowbelly and Murray cod. I really hope local anglers don’t overfish these lakes and instead practice catch and release. This will allow these stocked fish to grow and flourish, creating some remarkable fishing destinations close to Melbourne in years to come. I often see the same people at stocked locations filling buckets with small fish daily, which is within their legal right, but in my mind they’re not looking at the bigger picture and are defeating the purpose of creating wonderful local fishing ecosystems. Water temperatures at the moment are optimal for freshwater species such as redfin, estuary perch and yellowbelly. They will be aggressive and very eager to take soft plastics and shallow diving hardbodies, so make sure you get amongst some great freshwater fishing action. Until next time, good fishing everyone! You can contact me directly to share your recent fishing experiences around Melbourne and Port Phillip Bay from Werribee through to Port Melbourne so they can be added to

Steve Vessey enjoyed some flathead action. next month’s article. You can contact me by email at alan@fishingmad.com. au, check out my website at www.fishingmad. com.au, or look me up

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FEBRUARY 2020

This season’s solid snapper are still available of year, Mornington Wide is typically a great area to cash in, as 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 well as this migratory pattern takes hold. Not surprisingly, some of the charter boats have also been operating from this area of late. Much like the start of the season, many of the

PORT PHILLIP NE

Wayne Friebe wfriebe@bigpond.net.au

All the anglers in the bay have enjoyed a longer and more settled period of warmer weather over the past month. It’s been great to see plenty of local anglers and visitors alike revelling in the great fishing and boating conditions on offer after an unusually slow fishing period last month. With the expectation of a couple of warm months ahead, things are looking good for the rest of summer and into autumn. Snapper reports have normally tapered off by this time of year but with a slow build to the season so far, solid reports and captures of some quality snapper have continued. Traditionally, smaller school-sized

have been close to shore at times they are also well within reach for land-based anglers. Sometimes land-based anglers can do the best out of everyone when fishing a rising tide after dusk and into the night. Squid numbers have been starting to thicken up along the local inshore reefs but they have still been a bit hit-and-miss. 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

times to target calamari on the inshore reefs. Neutral and dark coloured jigs have been the most productive options. Kingfish captures have started to filter through from the heads and further into the bay itself, so it won’t be long until they show up locally as well. Mornington and Black Rock are two of the usual haunts, but it’s hard to say where they’ll pop up with the amount of food on offer. The late start this year means we are running a

Mornington, Mount Eliza and Mount Martha have all been productive for snapper, especially out wide. Photo courtesy of Brendan at IFISH.

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Snapper season strides ahead for summer MORNINGTON PENINSULA

Julian Frank

February can produce some of the best snapper fishing on the southern end of the bay. With many areas to target these fish, this season should be a great one. MOUNT MARTHA Large numbers of pinkies and snapper have been caught throughout different depths of Mount Martha. Fish have been taken from the back of the fort and around Rye on the drift when fishing for flathead. There have been lots of good flathead in close around the mussel farm. Whiting have been a little scarce through the day but early mornings have been successful for a few anglers. DROMANA TO ROSEBUD Dromana is fishing well land-based for whiting in the evenings. The pier has been quite busy but if you head there early or later, you will catch garfish, squid, flathead and the occasional bream. Anthonys Nose rock wall has produced some

Summer gummy sharks are still on offer.

B R AT I E N L

A great mixed haul of pinkie snapper and squid. tommies at night. There have been some whiting reports from the beaches. Around the Sisters has been productive in the mornings and further out, reports in the Pinnace Channel have also been good. A few gummies have been caught along the Symonds Channel fishing the flood tides. Some good size squid have been about when fishing the weed beds around that top end. In closer around Sorrento and Portsea has been very good for big squid and whiting. Further out towards the channel straight

out the front of Blairgowrie and Sorrento, charter boats have been targeting pinkies. PORTSEA/OFFSHORE Large squid have been caught at Portsea Pier. Whiting have been on and off at night, but catches of a dozen fish at a time are common. The Heads is a little quiet this season on kings but offshore has been good. Fishing the reefs off Barwon Heads and further out, snapper and big tiger flathead are regular catches and the gummies have been available in around 45m of water.

A better way to fish

excellent fishing. Numerous mixed reports of whiting, pinkie snapper and bream have come in over the last couple of weeks, and these bites should continue this month. The Rosebud jetty has been mostly productive throughout the day. Morning is a good time for gars, occasional mullet and flathead. In the evenings, anglers have been catching squid and lots of tommy ruff. RYE It has been flat out with boaters, jet skis and plenty of people jumping off the pier, but in the midst of all this the fishing has still been good. Bait fishing off the pier has been producing flatties and salmon. There have been plenty of squid in the evenings and come nightfall there has been a heap of slimy mackerel under the lights. The White Lady is fishing a little slow but steadily for whiting. Further in, drifting for flathead has seen some good fish around 50cm landed. Whitecliffs has some good weed beds around it at the moment. They’re certainly worth a look for squid drifting or whiting. Across the channel, the deep water has been producing an exceptional amount of fish. Mixed bags of gummies, school sharks and snapper have all been reported fishing the snapper grounds. BLAIRGOWRIE AND SORRENTO Both the piers have been fishing well in the evenings for squid. Like Rye, Blairgowrie has mackerel and lots of

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Some excellent flathead are available at the moment.

Promising offshore offerings GAME FISHING

Lee Rayner info@fishingfever.com.au

It wasn’t the start to the year that everyone was hoping for but it sure will go down in the record books – for all the wrong reasons. With Gippsland and up through southern NSW being affected by fires, it slowed angling efforts for a few weeks and I think during that period no one was thinking about fishing. As an interesting exercise, I checked the current charts and on many days you couldn’t get a reading on the ocean in the Gippsland area, as the smoke heading out over the ocean was like a thick cloud blanket. Hopefully by the time you’re reading this, things have begun to settle and everyone can get back to what summer is all about. WEST COAST With the hot weather, kingfish and tuna turned up on cue in January and a good bite of fish could be found off the North Shore at Portland through to the abalone farm. Further east, the kingfish and

unweighted plastics. Out wider, it is prime time to be hitting the shelf off Port Fairy. With warm blue water pushing in, lay a berley trail along the edge of the shelf. If the past weeks are anything to go by, this month will be a ripper for numbers of solid makos in the 30-150kg bracket. On that, I’m going to get on my soapbox and ask that anglers respect this fishery. I love eating mako sharks as much as the next person and have no dramas

Fishing for marlin around the rigs off Lakes Entrance is something special.

Leeroy nailed this Mallacoota marlin. tuna bite was good as always off the back of Lady Julia Percy Island. This month good fishing should continue, with February often producing some of the bigger school bluefin and fish over 30kg not uncommon. They can be very finicky, so the best methods are trolling small lures a long way back or even better, casting at the feeding fish with small stickbaits. These methods will allow long casts so you can either make a fast retrieve or just let the lure sink, which will give off a very enticing wriggle that will get the lure bitten on the drop on a regular basis. For kings, jigging has been effective on the deeper pinnacles. Topwater junkies have taken some quality kings on stickbaits and large

with people keeping a fish for a feed or even to weigh if it’s a potential record, but seeing boats with multiple sharks dead frustrates me. There is so much meat on one 50kg mako that it seems a bit unnecessary for boats to catch multiple fish in a day. Further to the east, this month will see kingfish on the chew at Apollo Bay and similar locations, with the pinnacles and the Nine Mile Reef being top places to look for them. In places like

Blanket Bay, huge whiting should be on offer and it’s also a prime spot to chase the elusive thresher sharks that like to hunt in this part of the world. Further along the coast, the Artificial Reef off Torquay should be holding numbers of school kingfish. Anglers have loads of fun on them there as a range of methods work, with jigging proving particularly effective. LOCAL WATERS It’s kingfish time! Charlemont Reef off Barwon Heads has been producing kingfish for weeks. This month should also see the Rip fire up with some bigger fish but as always, remember it’s a nasty bit of water and is a shipping lane so know your rules, regulations and abilities

as a skipper. Further along the coast, all the usual points will be holding kingfish with Cape Schanck, Seal Rocks, Pyramid Rock, Woolamai and Cape Liptrap all producing fish on their day. Out wider in Bass Strait, February and March are some of my favourite times to chase mako sharks in this part of the world. While they may not be all big, with most fish in the 20-50kg size, on light tackle they are heaps of fun. EAST COAST Off Wilsons Promontory, kingfish reports have been coming from regular locations such as White Rock and around the other local islands. If you can make the longer journey to some of the wider islands such as Rodondo and the Hogan Group, there have been some much better sized kings on offer. From Lakes Entrance and further east, the reports have been light for this time of year in this part of the world due to the bushfires that ripped this area apart. For those that have got out, good numbers of mako

Lee and Lee with a solid striped marlin. sharks have been offshore and plenty of big bronze whalers have been off the beaches for the land-based crews. On the reef areas, Marlo and Tamboon reefs have held numbers of kingfish while for adventurous anglers, now is often the prime time to be

searching for marlin off Lakes Entrance, Everard Canyon and some of the canyons off Mallacoota. Now it’s time for all of us to get out to support these areas and inject money into the local economies to keep them going.

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Prime offerings for February PPB OFFSHORE

Gerry Morsman

Port Phillip Bay is fishing at its best right now, which is no surprise for this time of year. For all the seasonal species

that enter in and out of the bay during the year, you can bet that most of them will be here right now. When it comes to rigs and tips, I’d highly suggest going to your local tackle shop because they are sure to lead you

in the right direction. Local knowledge is always the best. SNAPPER It’s fair to say that the previous months have been less than desirable for any species and there is only one reason for that: the

Julian Rennie keeps producing the goods fishing wide off Mount Eliza.

weather! The wind has been relentless and many recreational fishos have been seriously frustrated because of this. Thankfully, things have gotten a little better and we are starting to see some bigger windows for fishing out on the boat. Some of the best reports coming through have been wide off Mornington in around 20m of water on the opposite side of the fishing channel. Longliners have targeted that area for a while, which is a great sign that there is good numbers of snapper there. Squid strips and silver whiting have been the better baits and as per usual, the running sinker rig has been the way to go. Black Rock has seen a lot of fish pulled over the side of the boat since the start of the season. If you want to target some smaller fish in great numbers, you can’t go past the mussel farm at Mount Martha. There is a big area of reef between the farm and the mainland that holds an abundance of food that big schools of pinkies and snapper love to feed on. Downgrade your hook size from a 5/0 to a 2/0. You

Scotty shows just how good the southern end of the bay can be with this decent size gummy shark.

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will still be able to hook a big fish on the smaller hook if one does come along, so don’t stress about that. Carrum, Frankston and

Larger squid are quite big in numbers around Rye at the moment over the solid reefs and broken ground, which you can generally

Amy had a good session off Mornington using Major Craft squid jigs in 3m of water over broken ground. Mount Eliza have also been productive. SQUID If you are after larger models, head south of the bay where the water has a much larger tidal flow.

see without a sounder in depths of up to 7m. For those that haven’t done much squid fishing, this method is quite simple. Get a squid jig between 3.0-3.5 to help with heavy tidal

flow, plus bigger squid like a bigger meal so they go hand in hand around these areas. Finding reef is not hard in shallow water and the best thing is you don’t have to anchor, as drifting across reef to cover more ground is much more effective. Using this same method but in the smaller sized squid jigs such as 2.5 around Mornington, Mount Martha and Mount Eliza has also been very effective. These areas don’t hold much tidal flow so smaller, weaker squid generally inhabit these areas. Black Rock has also been a hotspot for smaller squid in good numbers. The colours of choice have been red foil, green and brighter colours for very clear days. GUMMY SHARK The gummy shark fishery is as good as it has been for a long time, which is great to see considering they are one of the best table fish you will get in Port Phillip Bay. There is always a debate on whether or not you should let the bigger models go but that is entirely up to each angler. Fishing off the edges of the shipping channel has been popping up in all reports. Gummy sharks tend to move along

deeper drop-offs, purely for the simple reason that these areas get food pushed up along the banks. Portsea has also been holding good numbers of gummy sharks. Using oily bait that will create its own berley trail is the go, such as fresh salmon, trevally or even mullet chunks. A running sinker rig is the rig of choice in these tidal areas, as it allows your bait to look as natural as possible in the running current. An 8/0 circle hook is more likely to get you a hook-up in the corner of the jaw, leaving you the best possible chance of not pulling the hook and losing your catch. Make sure that plenty of the hook is out of the bait for the best possible hook-up rate. KING GEORGE WHITING I can’t chase whiting enough – if you find yourself on a hot bite, there isn’t much time to scratch yourself! The last couple of years have been exceptional for whiting. Rye has been a big standout so far in around 5m of water. Hitting the sand holes amongst the broken ground has been successful for many anglers of late. Using fresh squid strips has been ideal, but if you can’t get fresh squid, don’t

The whiting fishery is the best it has ever been, with the average size increasing over the last couple of years. stress – the bite has been so good that they have not been shying away from frozen baits. Pipis are also a go-to bait as well as good old mussel. There are so many hooks to choose from, including long shank and shiner, but if you haven’t tried the Gamakatsu C10U, I highly suggest

giving it a go. Another great area lately has been Safety Beach. It has been especially productive late in the afternoon and leading into the night. There is plenty of sandy broken ground that whiting love to get into to feed, particularly around this time of year.

FEBRUARY 2020

Whiting aplenty in the top end WESTERN PORT NTH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

Holiday season might now be over but that’s not a reason to stop fishing just yet, especially with the abundant fishing options that are available. The top end of the port has gone from good to even better with the warmer

weather, and whiting, calamari and gummy sharks have made up the bulk of the catches. There are still some nice-sized snapper about as well, however the pinkies have swarmed the port in abundance. Fishing the run-out tide at the mouth of Horseshoe, Boultin and Bouchier channels, you’ll find some solid gummy sharks, most in the 5-8kg range. They

are in decent numbers, but you’ll have to sift through the smaller models before you nail a sizeable one. Whiting are going absolutely nuts at the moment, so it really doesn’t matter where you drop your anchor. Depending on how you fish for whiting will determine your catch quantity. For instance, those using berley will easily attract them in fair numbers

along with salmon, flathead and other unwanted species, however if you don’t berley, then you’ll need to work the banks, changing locations more regularly to get your bag. Browns Reserve and the Tooradin Channel are producing very nice whiting. They are in a large range of sizes too. Unlike other years where you’ll catch a bag of fish ranging 32-38cm, this year the fish are a mixed bag from 27-45cm. In this case, it might be worth releasing the smaller models and just keep the larger ones. Gentle Annie, Charing Cross and Irish Jack have been the biggest producers of whiting over the past few weeks and at this time of the year, they’ll keep in this area for another few weeks yet. While the shallow banks are loaded with whiting, for consistent fish over 40cm, try fishing out in the deeper water. This is a popular style of fishing for those fishing the North Arm but there are also plenty of whiting in the deep from Joes Island to Crawfish Rock. While the depth may vary and the tide runs

Working the top end channels is very productive.

Pipi and squid cocktail bait has been the game changer for big whiting. extremely hard, you’re best to fish two hours either side of the tide change with at least 6oz of sinker weight. I know it seems heavy but

you need it in these parts. Pipi, mussel and squid baits are still used in the deep and the whiting are usually To page 33

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Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

The variety of fishing amazes me at this time of year, as there is such a range of options. One minute you can be catching whiting on a shallow bank, and the next you can move 50m and drop a bait for a gummy shark.

fishing is exceptional for tiger flathead and you can catch them basically everywhere with a sandy bottom. Bottom bashing while drifting for a mako is also a good option, as you have a fair chance of picking up a gummy too. Kingfish are about and there have been quite a number of anglers heading out to find them. More of the offshore fishing tends to revolve around trolling Seal

sandy, but you can troll along the edge of the rocks in calm conditions and often pick up a few kings doing so. The Western Entrance is also the top location for gummy sharks and now is the time to be seeking out large models, as many gummies caught at this time of year tend to be over 15kg. However, fishing the Western Entrance is no easy feat, especially if you haven’t fished it before. Buoy 5, 11 and 14 are good areas to drop the anchor and use oily baits such as trevally, salmon, yakka and squid. While snapper have slowed right up, whiting are the most popular species to catch and they are everywhere. Somers/ Balnarring areas have been producing whiting to 45cm so far and if you’re ever going to get a genuine 50cm model, it will be here. Along the edge of the weed beds off

Ventnor to McHaffies Reef in 5m of water is another top whiting location. This area best fishes on the last hour of the run-out tide. There are a few sand holes to look for and whiting have been plentiful. Of all the places to catch whiting in the Port at the moment, Tortoise Head Bank and Rhyll are the top locations. Tortoise Head is a great whiting fishery, but you still need to fish the tides – the last two hours of the run-in tide and first two hours of the run out. Because the bank drops into deep water around it, whiting will move into the deeper water as the tide abates and come up on the bank with the rising tide. If you are going to fish here, you’re best to fish in 3m of water and as the tide abates, drop to the edge of the bank in 6m and visa versa for the run-in tides. On the other hand Rhyll

Matt Caterson had no problem finding a good feed of whiting. fishes completely differently, as you can fish through the entire tide in one location. The main whiting locations are in the Rhyll channel during the run-out tides. There are some good sections of reef through the Rhyll channel where whiting will congregate. David Jarman from T-Cat Charters has been having a ball in Rhyll with his clients catching plenty of quality whiting of late. Coronet Bay is another location where it’s worth having a look for whiting. This area is around 5m deep but holds whiting in good numbers. It has one of the best access points for kayak anglers to launch off the beach to catch whiting. There is plenty to do at the moment and it is hard to pick what to target. However, while whiting are hot they should be a main focus.

Working the shallow flats has led to some amazing whiting fishing for T-Cat Charters. The offshore fishing has been exceptional, with a few mako sharks caught over the past week. As we head into the tail end of summer, they are still a viable catch given the warmer water temperatures. The bottom From page 32

a lot bigger. Tyabb and Quail banks tend to get crowded with boats and anglers seeking whiting, but they continue to produce fish. An advantage of fishing up here is that you can also flick a garfish float for calamari. These weedy banks produce plenty of fish and it is a good option to try for other species while whiting fishing. Another productive whiting haunt that very few people fish is down near the shipping terminal at the bottom end of the Tyabb Bank. You’d want to be fishing in 7-8m of water and, usually, the whiting are quite sizeable here too. Just don’t go fishing in the terminal, as you are not allowed. If you like light tackle fishing and big fish, then

and Pyramid rocks. Live baits such as yakkas and squid make the best livies when trolled slowly. Inside the Western Entrance, there is a really productive trolling location between Seal Rocks and Cats Bay. The bottom is this month you should start to have a look about the top end channels as the annual elephant run will begin. Now is the time to be targeting them and, as

Whiting have been red-hot around Rhyll. previously mentioned, they are a lot of fun on light tackle. Elephants only have a small mouth so a 3/0 circle hook with half a pilchard, pipi or small

calamari ring will be substantial bait for them. Remember, you are only allowed one elephant per person so catch and release is highly recommended.

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Summer conditions have anglers in a spin PHILLIP ISLAND

Craig Edmonds

Let’s hope the summer ends much better than it started, as the weather in spring and early summer has been some of the worst for many years. It even had an effect on the commercial fishers, some of whom have worked here for 30 years and say they have never spent so much time in port in December as they did this year. It all needs to be put into perspective though and all we missed out on was a bit of fishing time, whereas other parts of Australia had it much worse. If you are planning a trip north or west and you have the time, don’t forget to stop where you can in affected towns. Many of the businesses will be up and going again and in need of customers since they missed out on the Christmas trade. A cup of coffee or a lunch stop will help them out. If the weather plays its part, this will be the best time of the year to fish around Phillip Island because of the wind

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patterns. You don’t need to have the biggest boat at the ramp to fish offshore, you just need to be smart enough to only fish when conditions allow. We generally have northerly patterns and more settled conditions this month, not the spikes in the winds like early summer. Offshore is a whole new world of fishing and you just don’t know what you might find. There are plenty of targeted species like sharks, kingfish and flathead, but the list of what you could catch is endless! It has been a season of all or nothing. Most of the time over the last month or so the ‘all’ has been very small fish. Whiting, pinkies and flathead have been in good numbers but small in size. This is great for future years but it can be a little frustrating when you are trying to catch a feed to take home. There have been some big fish amongst the small ones of all types, but it will take a bit of bait to find them. If you want to better your chances, the smaller fish, especially pinkies, seem to go off the bite as soon as the sun starts

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Delia caught this 80cm, 6kg snapper off Rhyll. to go down. It can take a while for bigger pinkies to turn up and it will often be just after dark. All reports have suggested that as soon as the pinkies disappear, you should start to berley hard, upsize your baits and go to a more traditional running sinker rig. Several customers have successfully landed quality snapper or gummies this way. We have still been

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seeing the odd 5kg or better snapper, as we do right through the year, and while these aren’t in massive numbers I haven’t had too many customers complain when one turns up at the side of the boat. Some quality school shark, 8kg and better, have been in the bay this season together with some very good numbers of quality gummies. Over the last few seasons elephant fish haven’t been turning up in numbers like they used to at this time of the year. There doesn’t seem to be any logical reason behind it, they just don’t seem to come in large schools anymore. What we do see now is several during the winter and very early spring, all of which are very small so they’re probably born here. Whiting have been a little like snapper, with big numbers of very small fish quicker to the baits than the older ones. I have had a couple of customers tell me that when the small ones show in big numbers they change up their gear to 3/0 hooks and half pilchards or squid strips with half pipis. It sounds big for whiting but they have proven several times over this season that it works. While they don’t necessarily catch dozens of 40cm+ ones, they do get plenty for a feed and a 40cm whiting has no trouble engulfing a pilchard. Like snapper, we also have to remember that the last three or four seasons have been exceptional for whiting in size and now we are starting the cycle over again. Whiting grow fast so next year should be better, but in a couple of years we should have another excellent season again. When we took over the shop 14 years ago,

the calamari fishery was small and seasonal, and now it is as big as the snapper season. It has ups and downs but there isn’t any time of the year you couldn’t find one or two if you look hard enough. They have also become more popular as a table fish and plenty has been done in promoting the fishery through the tackle industry over the last few years. It is a very clean and simple species to target and you can get away with simple and minimal gear – once you master the art of not

getting inked. We get calamari reports on a daily basis and the size of this season’s calamari has been noticeable. We haven’t had the usual period of reports telling us that the calamari are only as big as the jig, and instead we have seen more that are nudging the 3kg mark, with the best 4.25kg so far. I haven’t mentioned areas that have been the best because there haven’t really been any. Most species have been coming from everywhere – whiting from 1.5-14m of water, pinkies/snapper from the whiting areas as well as where you would expect to catch them and some of the best gummies (aside from offshore) have come from shallow water, with a 8kg model from the whiting grounds behind the police station. Calamari have been the same, especially since people have gotten over the myth that they are only in certain areas and have started fishing for them everywhere in the bay. Western Port has a huge variety of fish and most of them can be found all over. Some areas can be better for certain species, but with seasons like we have been having, the fish have been traveling around looking for better conditions.

Max and his 10yo son Harry headed out Sunday morning and managed a couple of snapper and these quality gummies. Harry caught the bigger one!

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It is often overlooked by a lot of anglers, but the Werribee River is one of Melbourne’s hidden secrets. The wide variety of species and methods you can fish is what makes it stand out. Good populations of bream, perch and mulloway with the odd snapper and plenty of small salmon call this place home. This beautiful river is full of surprises and big fish, just when you want them! PRIME TIME In the warmer months, bream become more active and fishing the edges and flats with hardbodies is a deadly technique. Over the winter months, they school up in deeper water along with the everelusive mulloway. THE GEAR Light graphite spin rods are the go when targeting bream in the river, with a 2-4kg rod and 6lb braid being ideal. Long fluorocarbon leader is a must when targeting tricky, easily spooked bream. The same rod and reel outfit can also double up as a mulloway outfit if you bump the leader up a bit more than normal. THE RIG If you’re bait fishing, a size 4 baitholder style

Keen bream angler Daniel caught a solid pair of bream while lure fishing down the river. hook with a freshwater yabby or scrubworm is a solid choice. A long 4-6lb leader fished really light is the best method when targeting bream. Live bait

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Griffo scored his first EP ever! More estuary perch have been showing up in the systems around Melbourne thanks to stocking efforts.

or fresh squid is best when targeting mulloway. BAIT AND LURES There are a number of lures that are all effective when fishing the river, including my favourite, Lucky Craft Pointer 48. For fishing the rock walls and banks, hardbodied lures and small, lightly-weighted plastics are the way to go. BEST METHOD Lure fishing is a productive and efficient way to fish. You can cover more area and you have a better chance at finding the fish by moving around and searching for them. An electric motor is a must when lure fishing and can be used to sneak around or hold position against the wind and tide. MOTHER NATURE When it’s windy, this place can be hard to fish. So if you don’t like to do things tough, keep an eye on the weather and check the wind before you go. It can turn a day’s fishing into a nightmare if you aren’t prepared. HOT TIP Fishing the high tide is always a good place to start when targeting bream. The water will be up high and covering structure like rock walls, which will push bream into the banks to look for food. It’s easier to locate fish when you can spot them on the banks. These fish are generally also easier to catch, as they are in feeding mode. FEBRUARY 2020

Everyone is talking about whiting and bream GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

Last month was holiday madness on the water with boats and kayaks everywhere and the calm weather probably helped double the usual numbers. The good thing about so many anglers around is that reports are coming in from far and wide and the news has been very positive. The buzz around the jetties and tackle shops has mainly been about the big run of lake whiting and bream in the lower rivers.

anglers targeting and catching ripper bags of large whiting in the Gippy Lakes. I bumped into a friendly couple while fuelling up at the local servo and they were returning from their yearly camping trip and heading back to Melbourne. They were based at Loch Sport and drove their boat down to Painesville and Metung areas to fish each day. They had excellent results using pipi or fresh mussel baits and were scoring up to 60 whiting a session, with their biggest fish around 39cm. Even more impressive was that the average size was around the 34cm mark and they happily returned heaps

A chunky lake bream caught on a Hurricane Vibz blade in lethal weapon colour. Shallow water blading is deadly at this time of year. KING GEORGE WHITING This summer is the first time I’ve noticed so many

of whiting under that mark. The key to their success was fishing long days, continually searching

different weed beds to locate the schools and moving as soon as the bite slowed right down. To prove that point, they said friends in other boats that sat in the same spot most of the day caught only a few whiting or none at all. As with nearly all forms of fishing across most species, active busy anglers always get the best results. BREAM BITE IS BACK Last month I wrote about how tough it was finding bream, as they had seemingly all shut down. Things have certainly changed for the better with lure anglers scoring good tallies of bream of all sizes from 28-40cm, especially in the very lower reaches of the Mitchell River and out into the shallow lake reefs nearby. Slow rolled hardbodies are a go-to method for this area and I talked to a few anglers that had fished the area over two days and returned about 40 bream each time. Other mates have told me that blade lures have been working just as well. I’ve relied on soft plastics for this area at this time of year but the trick is to use a heavy jighead (around 5g) even in shallow water and retrieve it with very short but constant and quick jigs, then maybe slow down when you feel a few taps or whacks on your lure. The Tambo River has produced a lot of big bream

around 40cm on frozen prawn baits by anglers fishing from the bank between the highway bridge down to the ramp. AROUND THE JETTIES Bait anglers have been doing well. Bob Smith from Warragul took his grandson Kaden for their annual sortie to the Gippy Lakes a few weeks back. Although they were land-based, they covered a lot of areas and caught plenty of fish. They caught modest size bream and luderick in the Tambo and Mitchell rivers, and whiting were jumping on the hook when they tried Shaving Point in the Metung area, proving it really is a big year for King George numbers. There may not have been a lot of record-breaking sizes caught but they were kept busy with a hot bite. I’ve also heard about thumping big bream cruising around the Metung jetties while frustrated anglers watch fish well over 40cm swim past baits and lures below their feet. All I can say is I know that feeling! PRAWNS Holidaymakers have been out in force chasing prawns and a few good reports have been coming in but as usual, the season will peak between March and April when the run of really big prawns should fire. It is common practice to choose the darkest of nights around the new moon to chase prawns but over recent

Estuary perch are suckers for slow twitched soft plastics in river snags. years a few anglers have told me differently. A bright full moon night doesn’t worry them and some people have told me they actually prefer that time of month. I’d be really interested in feedback from anybody who also has joy with prawns during the full moon period, including any flounder success too. LOOKING AHEAD The section of the Mitchell River around the township of Bairnsdale should be firing for bream and a few big perch this month.

The best places to find bream feeding in the shallows will be at the Mitchell River flats, out around both sides at the mouth of the Tambo River, Duck Arm, Raymond Island and the edges of the lower Silt Jetties. Search the lower Nicholson River from the ramp and downstream into the vast northern sand flats of the lake down to Tambo Bay. Be on the lookout for kingfish. Many anglers will be out looking for them like the last few years around this time.

All the top summer species are now here CORNER INLET

Will Thompson allwaysangling@bigpond.com

Over the past month, the water temperature has increased dramatically to around 21.5°C inside the inlet. This brought on fullblown summer fishing. The higher temperatures have made the larger snapper a bit tougher to catch. We had a ripper two weeks of snapper fishing last month during that sweet spot of 18°C, then they shut down a little and have been caught in small numbers early morning on sun up or last light. The snapper

caught are big, and have been ranging between 7-10kg. The entrance seems to be the place to catch big reds, while the Toora and Franklin channels have a heap of pinkies to around 50cm being caught frequently on small squid baits and pilly cubes. The gummies are around in massive numbers now the water has warmed and all channels inside have been producing good numbers of medium sized gummies to 1m in length around the slack tide. The odd huge gummy has been in the entrance and Franklin Channel with a few good-sized school sharks as well. There are also stacks of salmon in the entrance so

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if you manage to catch a few of these first, you are sure to catch a good gummy or toothy. Those that are putting big baits out are hooking the odd bronzie as well. In the Lewis Channel, calamari are still going berserk. They are still mixed sizes but there have been days where you can literally get a squid per cast. Whiting are still going strong in the Lewis Channel as well and are ranging between 32-40cm mainly on the run-out tide. There have also been schools or kingfish busting up near the long jetty so keep an eye out. If you see them, cast large white or pink soft plastics at them and you should catch them, especially in the early morning. Kingfish are starting to fire offshore, however at the time of writing there haven’t been too many big ones caught yet with most of them being from undersized to 75cm. The best methods have been casting stickbaits, jigging when you sound them up or just blind trolling skirted lures and hardbodied lures. Flathead have been crazy offshore with nearly everyone managing to bag

out on a drift either between Rabbit or Cliffy Island, but if you can’t go that far it doesn’t matter, as drifting in the entrance has produced some massive flathead in the past weeks. In Port Albert, the fishing has been similar but there have been stacks of undersized pinkies annoying all the whiting fishos.

Whiting have been very good here though and are ranging from 30-40cm. They have been caught on both tides with better reports on the run-in, while the larger pinkies to 40cm have been caught on the run-out. Port Albert and Drum channels have been fishing very well. The entrance has been producing a few gummies

and lots of flathead. There’s the odd school of salmon getting around and the odd lucky angler has found a school of kingfish! • For more information, contact Will at Allways Angling in Traralgon on 5174 8544. You will get expert advice and great deals on fishing bait and tackle.

Paul and Connor nailed this massive 10.5kg snapper.

February promises fresh start LAKES ENTRANCE

Steven Pryke

The Gippsland region has had a challenging couple of months – the weather patterns have been up and down with scattered bushfires throughout. However, the lake has begun to show its colours with strong numbers of King George whiting being found throughout the lower lake. Areas such as Rigby Island and Fraser hold some of the best whiting grounds around in the lower lakes. Fishing for these whiting is incredibly simple and well worth it, either for sheer fun or for some of the best eating fish around. Rigs don’t have to be fancy; the classic paternoster rig is one of the best with size 6 long shanks. Mussel is a standout as it’s regularly available and fresh, but other baits such as pipis and squid strips work well too. Find broken weed beds and sand patches, ideally anchoring on these edges the cast a variety bait around the generally areas to try and locate whiting. Australian salmon have

been on the move with the large schools of whitebait around. These aggressive hunters have been quick

to seek out an easy feed, commonly seen blowing up on the surface during the early hours. Small

King George whiting are great fun and delicious.

surface lures and minnow style soft plastics are ideal, especially if they match the small whitebait these fish commonly feed on. With the lake really settled into summer, it shouldn’t too long before reports of yellowtail kingfish begin to show up and shock anglers fishing for bream and whiting. LAKE TYERS The lake has been considerably shallow over the recent month, with boat ramps such as Fishermans Landing practically unusable. It has been a period of great change, as typically successful areas are currently unproductive. Anglers have had to change their approaches and explore to try new options throughout the lake. The main lake is still a regular producer with places such as the Glasshouse flat ideal areas to target large flathead, especially early or late in the day when the boat traffic begins to back off. Swimbaiting is growing in strength each season, with anglers serious about catching the trophy size flathead Lake Tyers is known for.

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Yellowfin bream have become more established in the lakes. This one was taken on a shallow weed flat. Further upstream, the estuary narrows, timber and rocky edges are the bulk of the fish holding habitat and bream have been seen and caught regularly. These areas provide ideal areas for targeting bream, but the barnacle-encrusted trees are some of the sharpest and nasty timber in the lake system and you do run the risk of cutting your line. Many approaches work well but there isn’t much more deadly than

non-weighted baits or small creature style soft plastics. Cast your offering up tight then allow it to sink under its own weight, ensuring slack in the line to help trick these picky fish. HAVE YOU BEEN FISHING? If you have been out for a fish lately and have a great photo, please send it to stevenprykefishing@ gmail.com with a short description and you could be featured in the next edition of Fishing Monthly.

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Dry heat means a hot bite BEMM RIVER

Robyn Sturgess

It’s been a long, dry summer, with threats of fires and a lot of smoke visible in the area but this hasn’t deterred the holidaymakers and anglers. Bream fishing has been the best we’ve seen for a while throughout the system. The river is still producing good catches of perch and bream with the odd luderick thrown into the mix. Now the warmer weather is here, flathead are biting with excellent reports of big fish. Please remain aware of the size restrictions. At time of writing, the entrance remains open but due to wind changes it is expected to close at any time. This should still give us a prawn run up until Easter. The surf beaches have

Bream fishing in the river has been excellent, with no signs of slowing down.

been outstanding with some big sharks caught. One caught on game rods was measured at 2.6m and released. There are still plenty of salmon and tailor about, as well as mullet in the shallows and the odd yellowfin bream and trevally. All boaties should make sure their safety equipment is up to date and in good condition. This includes servicing of your lifejackets and dates on flares. • Now is the time to plan your fishing trip to Bemm River. Give me a call on 0427 584 233 – the phone is always in my pocket! For on the spot and up-todate fishing reports check out Robyn’s website: www. bemmaccommodation. com.au or ‘like’ us on Facebook – Bemm River Holiday Accommodation. Phone: (03) 5158 4233/ Mob. 0427 584 233 Email: bemmaccomm@ bigpond.com.

Flathead are on the chew.

Prawns are bringing in big summer bounties MARLO

Jim McClymont mcclymont@net-tech.com.au

As I mentioned last edition, the entrance is closed and with little hope of good rain in the near

future it will remain so for some time. With the prawns coming down to the sand flats and no

Allan Lavell with two of his bream from the Vic Bream Classic Grand Final.

Allan managed to land this mulloway on 4lb line.

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entrance to run to sea, they are growing bigger every moon and will give locals and visitors plenty of chances to get loads of prawns for the table. The fishing has been great with plenty of flathead on the sand flats and bream on the flats up to both lakes and up both rivers as far as the highway bridge at Orbost. Plenty of estuary perch have been caught on snags and structures in both the Snowy and Brodribb rivers. Luderick have been caught on the rock groynes that surround the islands and along the riverbanks. Sandworm and shrimp have gotten the best results. Big schools of yellow-eye mullet have

been throughout the whole system with sandworm working well. The surf beaches have been firing with plenty of salmon and tailor taking metal lures. For bait anglers, fishing bait with a popper has been productive during the day. Gummy shark have been in close during the evenings and fishers have been regularly getting their bag of two gummy per person. For the more adventurous anglers, bronze whalers have been in fairly close with many fishers catching some big models and then releasing them. The fishing offshore from Cape Conran is still great with lots of flathead, gurnard, squid, barracouta,

salmon, and pinkie snapper on the bite. Baitfish have arrived in good numbers and brought kingfish with them, with fish over a metre being taken. Local anglers Allan Lavell and David Shanahan recently qualified for and travelled to Nelson to compete in the 2019 Vic Bream Classic Grand Final. They caught and weighed in a nice bag of bream on Saturday, weighing 3.48kg to place them in 4th place. On Sunday they only managed to weigh 1.96kg, but remained in 8th place out of 46 teams to stay in the prizes. They also caught many estuary perch, and Allan even managed to land two mulloway on 4lb line.

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Offshore offerings open lots of opportunities MALLACOOTA/EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

Over the holidays, the Eden Mallacoota area was abuzz with visitors and the offshore fishing has been excellent. Sand and tiger flathead have been really on the bite, with fish of good size caught

out of Eden right through to west of Mallacoota. The key is to keep moving until a patch of fish can be found. Plenty of gummy sharks have been caught and the fish are spread out with anglers catching them from a number of locations. Schools of undersized kingfish have been around but once you find the bigger fish, you can catch kingies to around

This 62cm tailor grabbed a soft plastic.

90cm live baiting, jigging and trolling. If you use the Bastion Point boat ramp it’s best to try and avoid the low tide period, as the entrance to the harbour is very shallow. Fishing in all the local estuaries has fired up and dusky flathead have come on the bite. The lake at Mallacoota has been fishing exceptionally well with plenty of fish caught over the size limit of 55cm and plenty in the 80-85cm bracket. Fish are feeding on the many prawns in the system, so any lure resembling a prawn is a good choice. When fishing for a feed, anglers have had no problem catching a bag limit of smaller eating size fish. Big tailor have also been caught, with fish to 70cm not uncommon. Plenty of these fish earn their freedom as they bite through the leader and swim off with your lure in their mouth. The upstream areas are the best areas to fish if targeting bream. Salmon are in the lake and won’t be leaving, as the lake is closed. Unfortunately, the lake has

Young Jarrod was happy with an 83cm flathead caught in Harrisons Channel. been opened prematurely the last two times, with the last time opened purposefully just to let water out, dragging sand with it and now the entrance area is choked with sand. The future is not

looking promising – gone are the days when boats headed out to sea, crossing the bar. Rain is needed for the bass fishing to fire up, as all the local creeks and rivers have stopped flowing.

• This report was supplied prior to the devastating bush fires that engulfed the area. Our thoughts and best wishes are with those who have been affected and hope for a speedy recovery of the area.

Berley is the secret for summer success BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

No matter what areas you may be fishing, whether it is offshore, along the beaches, from the rocky shoreline through to the estuaries, there is no doubt that if you try using berley it will increase your catch rate and may even produce some species often not encountered just by using bait or lures. Estuary fishing couldn’t be better with warm water throughout the systems making for good fishing. On the tidal flats, using squirt worms or nippers with the rising tide will produce whiting, bream, blackfish and a host of other species. Small lures and flies will work too and if you haven’t got a boat, the weather should be warm enough to wade as the tide recesses. The places fishing the best in the Bermagui River have been around any form of structure, regardless of tide. These areas give fish cover and a safety zone and may come in the form of weed beds, rock and oyster bars, drop-offs or artificial structure like bridge pylons and boat jetties. You don’t have to be throwing baits and lures right into the structured areas. Try holding out from these areas and bring the fish to you with berley so they can be fought 42

FEBRUARY 2020

Mac tuna often visit in the warmer months and are partial to a high-speed lure. out in clear water to reduce the chance of break-offs. It’s surprising how far fish (especially bream) will travel from their safety zone when enticed by a scent. Offshore game fishing will be at its best with large numbers of marlin, tuna, sharks, and mahimahi patrolling the vast baitfish schools that come with the warm summer water. The edge of the Continental Shelf, Twelve, Six and even the Four Mile reefs will all hold their share of baitfish and with them will be the predators. For marlin, every season is different, as tides, moon phases and current dictate where the fish will be holding. A well-set lure pattern trolled behind boats will produce not

only marlin but other species as well. If water temperatures are up, start trolling close to shore and work your way out to find where the fish are holding. Once they’re found, work the areas over, either staying on lures or using baits. Sharks are best targeted with berley and for best results, use plenty of tuna in it. Out over the shelf will be better with makos, blues, hammerheads and tigers all in the warm water. Berleying the Twelve Mile will also produce sharks with the added bonus of being able to bottom fish. The step out from Tilba back towards Bermagui has good numbers of sand flathead, red gurnard and the odd gummy shark frequenting there. Closer to

shore out from Camel Rock, plenty of small to mid-range sand flathead are being caught. South of Bermagui, the reefs through to Goalen Head and as far out as the Twelve Mile have been producing large amounts of quality bottom dwellers. Snapper, mowies, tiger flathead, kingies and a host of others can all be encountered in increasing numbers. With warm water pushing right into the shoreline, beach and rock anglers have a great chance for some good pelagic action. The deeper rock platforms around Bermagui Headland, Mystery Bay to the north and Bunga to the south have been seeing a host of

different surface feeding fish come within range of land-based anglers. Those wishing to target species such as kingfish, tuna, sharks, the occasional marlin and to the lesser scale salmon and bonito from the rocks may do so using a variety of techniques. Lure fishing has gained popularity again with the introduction of large plastics to the scene. High-speed retrieves with large metal lures have not been forgotten and have been producing a variety of different speedsters. However, live baiting is still the favoured way of producing large fish from the rocks.

There are some cracking bream over the shallow flats in the Bermagui River.

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Costa BREAM Series Qualifier Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7 Round 8 Round 9 Grand Final Australian Open Queensland Open

BREAM SERIES

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Qualifier Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Grand Final BASS Australian Open

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Date 4-5 February 8-9 Feb 7-8 March 11-12 March 4-5 April 30-31 May 25-26 July 29-30 August 26-27 September 6-8 November 29 April - 1 May 22-23 February

State VIC VIC TAS TAS WA NSW QLD NSW QLD NSW NSW QLD

Location Gippsland Lakes Gippsland Lakes Derwent River St Helens Mandurah Forster Bribie Island Richmond River Gladstone Port Stephens Sydney Harbour-Hawkesbury River Moreton Bay - Gold Coast

Date 21-22 March 25-26 April 23-24 May 20-21 June 18-19 July 8-9 August 3-4 October 12-13 September

State NSW NSW NSW QLD QLD QLD QLD NSW

Location Lake St Clair Clarence River Glenbawn Dam Cania Dam Wivenhoe Dam Somerset Dam Cania Dam Glenbawn Dam

Sponsor Sufix Megabass Keitech Bassman Spinnerbaits Ecogear Evinrude Sufix Rapala

Casino Outdoors and Disposals BASS Electric Series

Qualifier Date Round 1 1 March Round 2 5 April Round 3 2-3rd May Round 4 7 June Round 5 12 July Round 6 23 August Grand Final 19-20 September BASS Electric Australian Open 17-18 October

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Sponsor Casino Outdoors & Disposal Green Energy Edge Rods BKK Green Energy Sufix Casino Outdoors & Disposal Humminbird

Date 30-31 October 26 November 27 November 29 November 1-2 December

State QLD QLD QLD QLD QLD

Location Tinaroo Kinchant Dam Teemburra Dam Peter Faust Dam Peter Faust Dam

Sponsor Edge Rods Wilson Fishing Lowrance Power Pole Samaki

BARRA Australian Open

29 Sept - 1 Oct

QLD

Awoonga Dam

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State VIC NSW VIC WA NSW QLD NSW WA NSW TBA

Location Bemm River Sydney Mallacoota Blackwood River Woy Woy Gold Coast Forster Albany St Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Basin TBA

Event Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7 Round 8 Round 9 Australian Championship

Date 29 Feb - 1 March 28-29 March 18-19 April 2-3 May 16-17 May 20-21 June 19-20 September 3-4 October 17-18 October TBA

2020 West Australian Bream Classics

WA BREAM CLASSICS

Location Richmond River Coldstream River Lostock Dam Moogerah Dam Hinze Dam Clarrie Hall Dam TBC Wyaralong Dam

Event Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5

2020 Hobie Kayak BREAM Series 12

2020 HOBIE KAYAK BREAM SERIES

State NSW NSW NSW QLD QLD NSW TBC QLD

Sponsor Costa ZMan Cranka Mercury Sunline Daiwa Garmin Atomic Mercury Costa Daiwa Samaki

Event Boat Round 1 Kayak Round 1 Kayak Round 2 Boat Round 2 Kayak Round 3 Boat Round 3 Kayak Grand Final Boat Grand Final

2020 Vic Bream Classics Event Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Grand Final

Date 15-16 February 8 March 24 May 14 June 13 September 25 October 14-15 November 28-29 November

www.hobiefishing.com.au Sponsor Strike Pro Cranka Lures Mortgage Corp Lurefans - JML Atomic Tackle Tactics Lowrance Power-Pole - Gerber Pro Lure Daiwa

Facebook: WA Bream Classics Location Nornalup Inlet, Walpole Swan River, Perth Moore River, Guilderton Murray River, Mandurah Peel Inlet, Mandurah Swan River, Perth Murray River, Mandurah Blackwood River, August

www.vicbreamclassics.com.au Date 1-2 February 21-22 March 25-26 April 20-21 June 17-18 October 28-29 November

Location Marlo Metung Mallacoota Nelson Warrnambool Marlo

Sponsor Atomic Club Marine Daiwa Glenelg Shire Glenelg Shire NS Rods Sunline

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We are ready to roll! From a little company established in 1998, ABT’s done some pretty big things over the years. Established in the era of consolidated media and a real bait fishing and trolling culture, I truly think that we have changed the way we fish. You guys are innovators and early adopters. You’re

always the first to take on new tackle, techniques and gear and happy to share the fruits of your labours. Every year, more and more of you are happy to run cameras and show the fans what you’re doing out on the water. ‘Who Shares Wins’ has never been more relevant or more widely adopted. Thank

This is where we all want to be – holding up the perennial trophy at the end of the season and enjoying the accolades being an ABT winner offers. The new boat is nice, too. 4

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you for that. It helps the industry grow, our sport grow and it helps you raise the bar as anglers. Increasingly, we are able to reach more and more people with what we do. Fifteen years ago, it was magazines and the AFC TV show that promoted growth in our sport. Nowadays we still use the magazine network (after all, you’re reading this in one) of Fishing Monthly Magazines, and a variety of other channels to get out our other content. Last year, ABT produced videos reached 549,000 people through our digital platforms. That number rises every year. All of it has a hub on the ABT website (www.abt. org.au). Each event, the front page story for that event has links to the preview stories, results, image galleries, videos and everything else we publish - wherever we publish it. So you don’t need to trawl through a site, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram to get what you need. Just visit the site and it’ll all be there for you. On that note, it’s worth mentioning that we will be transitioning our platform for our live weigh-ins from the Facebook platform to our YouTube channel in 2020. It may take a while to train our viewers to look for it there, but remember, it’ll also be embedded in ABT’s page for that event. If in doubt, go to www.abt.org.au. If you’re a YouTube

Main: You’ll see this van kicking around the ABT circuit again this year, sometimes with a stage trailer on the back and sometimes with the Fishing Monthly boat. Say g’day if you see us on the road! Above: The ABT website is the hub of all ABT information and media streams. You’ll find the 2020 weigh-ins embedded here from this year forwards. subscriber, the channel to follow is ‘ABT Tournaments’. Make sure you subscribe and hit the little bell – that way you’ll be notified when we go live from each weigh-in – just like Facebook occasionally does for you now. And like we see every year, you can watch it from your phone, from your computer at work or streamed to your 70” telly at home! We have a new boat sponsor this year – Bluefin Boats is back. Bass Cat is still a minor ABT sponsor (through Manning River Marine) but the declining Aussie dollar has put the brakes on a Bass Cat for a major prize for the moment. We’ve given away plenty of Bluefin boats in the past, some at BASS Electric Conventions and some at the ABT Grand Finals. Graham Franklin and Neil Kelly won a pigeon pair at the Lake

Macquarie BREAM Final in 2017 and Jeremy O’Connell won one at a BASS Electric Convention at Hinze that I saw on the water at the Australian Open this year. Brad and his team from Bluefin Boats have been long time supporters of ABT. This year, we have a prize boat for the boater winners of both the BREAM and the BASS Grand Finals AND for the winner of the BASS Electric Grand Finals. That’s three Bluefin boats that’ll go to new owners at the conclusion of the tournament season. A BassPro 498 in the BASS, a Bass Pro 463 in the BREAM and a decked out P-Series in the BASS Electric. And if you think that we’re just giving away tinnies, think again. Bluefin’s new Alloycraft Bass Pro

models have the looks, the storage and the affordability to be a serious contender for boater bucks when it comes to getting on the water. Check out their rigs on www. bluefinboats.com.au. ABT also gets great support from outboard motor suppliers. After all, at our first BASS series in 1999, the average horsepower on a tournament boat was under 30hp. Nowadays, most fields average between 150 and 200hp and we are definitely spending more money on our boats than ever before. Mercury in the BREAM and Evinrude in the BASS offer owner bonus programs to reward ABT anglers who perform well and support their product. We also have some out-of-industry sponsors who help the machine roll. Neil Carstairs from Mortgage

Corp immediately saw the value of live broadcasting and has been helping us do it ever since. Without Neil’s help you’d still be wondering what’s going on at weigh-ins and on the water. Instead, we can stream it to you – LIVE! What you mightn’t know is that Neil can also help you with your fishing. He’s a specialist at re-financing your mortgages in your favour. The way it works is that the less you have to pay the banks, the more you can spend on boats and doing what you love. Seriously, give him a call if you think that you’re a slave to your bank and see what he can do about it for you. It won’t cost you a cent to ask and he has helped more of your fellow anglers than you’d think. And lastly, of course, there’s the broad range of tackle sponsors that keep ABT ticking. We’ve always had a theory that a lot of companies kicking the can a little bit is the healthiest thing for our sport. A GFC, dozens of natural disasters, a massive change in the media landscape and a generational change in the anglers and we are still going strong thanks to their support. They provide the product for the prize packs and some coin to pay our

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After 20 years, there’s plenty of history being created. Aaron Sharp named the Queensland Open trophy ‘Geoff’. After all, he’s been looking after it for a lot of its life. hard working ABT staff. New sponsors on board this year include VMC hooks, Megabass and we see the return of Atomic, BKK Humminbird and ProLure. We have a new ABT Tournament Director starting this year, so we hope that you’ll make him welcome.

Want to know who it is? You’ll find out at the BREAM Queensland Open when he starts his role. Nicholle Smith has become the backbone of ABT sponsorship and media and Kym Rowbotham the hub of all entries at the ABT head office in Shailer Park

in Queensland. Plenty of you met them during the year and at the Grand Final dinner on the Gold Coast. Keep playing nice with these ladies and they’ll make your tournament smooth and enjoyable. And finally, there’s you guys. Thank you for your business and your

membership of ABT. Your membership fees help to keep the wheels turning back at the office and it is appreciated. We’ve had excellent uptake of the digital subscription tokens that we send out each month with the ABT member email newsletter. Instead of a single,

posted copy of the magazine for your state, we now offer you all four of the Fishing Monthly magazines in a digital form for you to read at your leisure. Going to a tournament interstate? No worries – read up about the areas before you go. That’s where it’s powerful. Not getting your ABT member newsletter? Call the office and make sure that we have your correct email address. Also, check your Junk Mail folder, sometimes your mail server doesn’t know the difference between quality email content and that letter from the Nigerian millionaire that wants to give you all the cash. Prefer a printed copy? Call the office and Kym will swap you across to a print version for your state. Call (07) 3387 0888. There are several event changes in 2020, you can read about them in the pages of the 2020 Tournament Angler Guide. We’ve added a BARRA event in Tinaroo, added an event to the Costa BREAM Series, changed the Samaki BREAM Queensland Open to a multi-venue, weekend event and we’re leaving the BASS Pro tour exactly as it is! See you on the water in 2020.

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Samaki Queensland Open changes for 2020 The Samaki Queensland Open has had an interesting history. It’s an event that has had many names over the years. It was an Invitational at the old Brisbane Tinnie and Tackle Show and it’s been both a teams and singles event at the Cleveland Boating, Caravan and Outdoor Expo for a number of years. And now 2020 sees the format become more mobile and locked into a two-day, weekend footprint. The Daiwa BREAM Australian Open uses multiple venues to test anglers across the tournament days. Brisbane’s waterways have the same potential, so from 2020, the Samaki Queensland Open will feature two

There’s a great mood involved in a Queensland Open event. Anglers fishing a wide arena tend to look after each other and share some great days on the water.

How’s this for a mean assortment of breamers? We expect fields to increase in 2020 with a reduction in days to two-days and a weekend footprint. Payouts are based on 100% of entry fees paid back plus added prizes.

SAMAKI QUEENSLAND OPEN Event: Samaki BREAM Queensland Open Dates: 22-23 February 2020. Venue: Gold Coast (1-day), Moreton Bay (1-day). Venue order will be weather dependent. Entry Fee: $550, 100% payback. Coverage: Full ABT Live weigh-ins plus Garmin highlights cameras. Format: Boater-only with paired observers is available.

days on two different sections of Brisbane and surrounding waterways. And with the massive arena divided, anglers will need to formulate different plans if they’re able to take the trophy off encumbent Queensland Open Champion, Jamie McKeown.

The arena will be divided at the Powerlines at the mouth of the Logan River. ABT Director, Steve Morgan said, “The split of the Sydney arenas has had nothing but positive feedback in the Australian Open, so we’re looking To page 8

McKeown displays the bait that caught him the winning fish in the 2019 Queensland Open – the Tiemco Lonesome Sweeper.

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forward to rolling out that theory in the Queensland version. “We’re also aligning the event with a weekend footprint to see if we can encourage more Queenslanders to come and test themselves in this boater-only, Open format. “Naturally, we’ll also have spots available for observers, so that if you want to spend a day aboard with some of Queensland’s best breamers, you just

Tournament Angler Guide need to let us know and we can allocate you with the leading anglers. It’s a great way to accelerate your learning curve.” McKeown, who is currently looking after both the BREAM Australian Open and the Samaki BREAM Queensland Open trophies, added, “It’s such a big arena and you’ll need to have a variety of spots and plans if you want to take the title in 2020. “And you don’t need to be a local to do well.

We’re unsure how often this will happen. Jamie McKeown won the 2019 Daiwa Australian Open and the 2019 NuLook Floors Queensland Open in the same year. Amazing effort!

Dave Mackenzie (commonly known as TNB: Tristo’s Non Boater) chanced his arm alone at the 2019 Open and finished just out of the money. His name is on the perpetual trophy plenty of times.

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abt.org.au Last year South Australian, Wally Fahey, fell one legal fish short of a win by focusing on a simple, canal fishing pattern and sticking to it for the whole event. Get in the groove and anyone can take home the win,” he continued. The other change for the Queensland Open this year is the time of year. Originally held at any time between March and September, the last few years have seen it run in spring. The move to late summer will mix it up again,

with bream in a different phase of their yearly cycles. Are you keen? You just need an ABT capable boat (3.7m or greater with 20hp or greater) and a 60L recirculating livewell. Fill out the entry forms when they become available and you’re in.

BREAM QUEENSLAND OPEN

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Moreton Bay rat Denis Metzdorf is always up there at a Moreton Bay event. His success in the Queensland Opens, Australian Opens and Grand Finals has elevated him into the top 5 ranked BREAM anglers at the end of 2019. The Queensland Open gets you plenty of rankings points.

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Barra events expand in 2020 Arguably, the ABT BARRA tour is the best fun you can have fishing. Socialising by day and catching barra by night, the 50-odd anglers who make the trip each year sample the best that the Mackay and surrounds can offer when it comes to catching big, impoundment barra. In 2019, there was plenty going on in BARRA events. We added the Venom Rods BARRA Australian Open at a resurgent Lake Awoonga to take advantage of this fishery, which is coming back strong. A 100% payback and some great prizes from Venom will

Mick Detenon broke through for his first BARRA event win at Faust in 2019. Let’s hope he can continue the momentum in one of the six 2020 BARRA events.

Who could forget the 137cm Kinchant Dam beast that graced the deck of John Campbell’s boat in 2019? At a tad under 50kg, the 2020 events will still reward big fish with their estimated weight, but the AOY points will reward numbers of barra a little more. This fish set social media alight!

ensure that this event grows from year to year. In 2020, this event will be held on the lead up to the early October full moon, a few weeks later than the 2019 event. According to Awoonga guide, Justin Nye, this is the best time of the year to catch these fish. It’s a three-day event with the final night landing right before the full moon. And, for the first time in over a decade, ABT BARRA is headed back to Tinaroo Dam. A lake famous

What would a BARRA Tour be without a Colin Brett? This man is dangerous with a barra rod or a beer in hand. for world record barra, it’s a fishery on the rise and according to locals, it’ll fish great on the early November full moon when the event is scheduled. There are two full moons in November. The one at the end of the month is

traditionally when the Zerek BARRA Tour is held, and 2020 will mimic the popular rotation of lakes in a weeklong, four-event series that will end up crowning the 2020 BARRA Team of the Year. There’s a calendar hereby for you to lock in the dates,

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but there’s also a full BARRA Tournament Angler Guide published later in the year, so keep an eye out for that in the Fishing Monthly publications. BARRA TEAM OF THE YEAR There was a lot of discussion on the 2019 BARRA Tour about trying to reward the teams who catch a limit of fish. With the length/ weight curve used to run the

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abt.org.au events, a big barra can beat a whole limit of little fish. ABT won’t be changing the app-based system that converts verified lengths into weights of fish in 2020, but we will be modifying the points system that we use to decide the Angler of the Year to reflect the numbers of fish caught. Teams have always received 100 points for an event win and one less point

for each place down the list they finish. In 2020 there will be a bonus point awarded for each barra caught in the session (up to a limit of 5 fish). Therefore, you can now technically get up to 105 AOY points in a one day event, and each fish caught matters in the AOY race. So we now have a Team of the Year trophy that’s skewed to reward consistency, and an event system that’s designed

Jimmy Reid’s now retired from running tournaments and weighing fish, but you may well see him around with a rod in the hand in 2020 events. to reward big fish. Finally, the 2020 Team of the Year will count your top 5/6 events, allowing you to drop or miss a round. Canny anglers will also realise that a three-day event will offer plenty of opportunities

for bonus points (up to 15 bonus points available in a three-day event) where a single day event will only offer potential for an extra five points. That makes the Australian Open look

appealing, doesn’t it! Want to get on board? Lock in the dates, stock up on your Zereks and organise your time off. We’d love to have you there for any or all of the BARRA events in 2020.

2020 BARRA EVENTS Date Event Sep 29 - Oct 1 R1: Venom Rods BARRA Australian Open Oct 30-31 R2: Edge Rods Tinaroo 2-Day Nov 26 R3: Wilsons Lake Kinchant Event Nov 27 R4: Teemburra Dam Evening Event Nov 29 R5: Faust All-nighter Dec 1-2 R6: Faust 2-Day

Dylan Brier-Mills is stoked that the Zerek Barra Series is coming to Tinaroo in Spring 2020. He’s a gun on the lake and reckons that fishing will be ‘grouse’.

Location Lake Awoonga Tinaroo Dam Kinchant Dam Teemburra Dam Peter Faust Dam Peter Faust Dam

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Humminbird BASS Electric Open to boom in 2020 ABT

Joey Urquhart

With the new year upon us and the regular BASS electric season about to get underway, let’s fast forward to the end of the season to the pinnacle of the calendar, the BASS Electric Australian Open. 2019 saw the inaugural Valleyhill BASS Electric Open take place at Wyaralong Dam in Southeast Queensland, and following

its initial success, it’s back in 2020 with a new naming sponsor: Humminbird. It promises to be bigger and

Day 1 Highlights

better while offering 100% pay back in cash plus prizes to all bass anglers wanting to get their hands on the trophy. Most people won’t have heard of Wyaralong Dam as it only finished construction in 2011. Only weeks after construction, however, the large catchment area received massive rainfall which filled the dam in a matter of weeks. Located about 15 minutes’ drive west of Beaudesert and only a 1-hour drive from Brisbane and northern NSW, it’s perfect for day trips.

This puts a new meaning to catching them in the trees. Blades fished right amongst the timber yielded results in 2019.

Two typical size Wyaralong bass. That’s right – this is the average size when you fish reaction baits in the right places. These fish came from heavy timber.

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Wyaralong is an up and coming lake that is jam-packed with plenty of big bass and huge numbers of small bass – but rest assured that the by-catch of carp and tilapia will keep you busy. The dam offers great access for all types of boats, whether it’s a 3m tinny or a 20ft bass boat, with great car park facilities to accommodate all trailers. You can leave your petrol motors attached, you just

can’t use them. BRINGING IN THE BASS Wyaralong is really a bass fisher’s dream, offering everything from rocky banks, sunken timber and lily pads to reed-lined foreshore. There’s something for every angler to target, no matter what your favourite technique is. 2019 saw the bar being raised yet again in the BASS Electric Australian Open held there. Wyaralong turned

it on with nine 6kg+, 5-bass limits, with the largest for the tournament coming in at just over 8kg. The Big Bass prize was fiercely contested, and the eventual winner tipped the scales at 2.03kg. It is really one of those lakes where you can catch them on anything, although there were some stand-out lures from the 2019 Open. Day one leader Charles West chose to target sunken timber using his lipless

cranks to great effect, and I also opted for the same technique, which helped to put me in the top three going into the last day. Talking to anglers after the tournament showed that more then half the field opted for this same technique, while eventual

Day 2 Highlights

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There are plenty of these in Wyaralong – big timber standing in open water. The bass love these areas.

Adrian Wilson weighed a cracking bag on Day 2 of the 2019 BASS Electric Australian Open with quality fish like this.

Want to be treated like a BASS Pro angler? The BASS Electric Australian Open has the same payout percentage and coverage as the BASS Australian Open on Glenbawn. Boom.

winner Jake Schwerin fished the same structure throwing a spinnerbait, keeping it in contact with the timber at all times. The trusty old blade played a big part in filling people’s limits, although the average fish size on blades was a lot smaller than those caught on reaction baits. You can see lots of the angler highlights in the videos captured at the event – just scan the QR codes hereby or search on ABT’s YouTube channel (ABT Tournaments). WHAT’S IN STORE IN 2020 Jumping forward to this year’s event, I think we will see a lot more of this lake

unlocked as anglers search and find that something a little different. In saying that, I think if you were going to fish this event you would be silly not to have a lipless crank tied, and searching different ground from the community spots could prove crucial. Rain could also play a big part in this event. Having large amounts of rain that cool the water down could see the edges fire with jerkbaits, but that’s totally weather dependent. Another way to bring in a large limit I feel could be the very popular skirted jig. It’s a technique that hasn’t been fished there a lot and To page 16

Dean Thompson’s old man was the inaugural BASS Pro Angler of the Year in 1999. The young bloke can catch them pretty well, too.

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abt.org.au dam permits you to leave your petrol motor on the boat, there’s no excuses not to come. For more information on this event or any of the BASS electric events jump onto www.abt.org.au and follow the links to the entry forms and rule sheets. As a wrap, I personally love this dam and if you love catching XOS bass on a number of different techniques you will be mad if you miss this one. Will we see that elusive 10kg limit come in or even a 3kg bass? I know one thing for sure and that’s there’s every possibility of both happening. Hope to see you there.

From page 15

if done on the right structure at the right time could be the winning combination. Be assured though that anything could produce a big bag as it’s really undocumented and there’s a lot more to learn about this lake. The Open format allows anglers to fish for a 5-fish limit while not having the pressure of someone else in the boat. You also have the chance to take home some big prize money and at only $250 per angler entry, its great odds. This event is open to all boats, providing they are only run by electric power and given that Wyaralong

There’s a lot of great looking country in Wyaralong. Bring your own favourite baits and techniques to dissect it for yourself.

Adrian Wilson spends a lot of time at Wyaralong. “The secret is out,” he said after the 2019 Open.

A small electric-powered boat or a big bass boat are both fishable in Wyaralong. You can leave your petrol motor on while fishing the event.

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Braid v fluoro: what’s the best for your fishing? ABT

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

It’s been interesting watching the trends of fishing line in this country. When I started working in the tackle industry in the 1980s, everyone used nylon monofilament line. Working at Mossops and The Tackle Warehouse in Brisbane, you’d sell spools of mono to customers. ANSA (Australian National Sportfishing Association) and GFAA (Game Fishing Association of Australia) guys demanded pre-tested monofilament nylon line to claim their lineclass records, because if your line broke over the designated class, your claim would be refused. Heavy tackle game fishers and fly anglers used non-stretch braided Dacron lines for their specific applications (mainline for marlin guys and backing for fly fishers). Dacron, however, wasn’t thin for its breaking strength and wasn’t eminently castable like modern braids are. The birth of ABT BREAM and BASS events 18

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and the broad uptake of soft plastic baits went hand-inhand with the acceptance of braided and fused lines made of fibres such as Dyneema and Spectra. These fibres were super strong for their diameter and eminently castable off spin and baitcast reels.

Aussies, as soft plastic newbies, needed to ‘feel’ the bites to keep their confidence up, and products like Berkley Fireline – a cheap, no-stretch line where the fibres are fused together rather than woven into a braided form – took over the market. Tipped with a fluorocarbon leader, anglers

had the feel of braid and the confidence with 5-8ft of low visibility leader connecting their lure to the highly visible main line. Switched-on anglers in general, and bream anglers in particular, became partial to the suppleness and durability of very fine, expensive,

Main: We all have our favourite lines, but how much thought have you put into choosing the right combination for your presentations? Above: Generally, if you want to set hooks and bully fish, use braid and leader. If you use a lure that you don’t impart action to, why not use straight through fluorocarbon?

woven braids that cast amazingly well compared to the fused offerings. Subsequently, breamers worked out that there was a middle ground between the zero-stretch braid and the very stretchy nylon monofilament. Fluorocarbon line fell right in the middle of the elasticity of these two products. It had more ‘feel’ them nylon and more ‘give’ than braid. And, you could use a whole spool of it at once and fish this fluorocarbon ‘straight through’ to the lure. I make no secret of the fact that I use braided lines only when and where they are needed. To me, there are only a few situations where braid is the best, and they are usually scenarios where you need to combine good castability with either a heavy leader and/or some hook setting power. These situations include: • Fishing topwater baits (where the braid floats and you set the hooks after the fish eats the lure on a slack line); • Oyster rack fishing (where you need to take charge and skip the fish over racks with no stretch); • Sight fishing with weightless plastics (especially where the

fish eats the offering on a slack line); • Using jigheads with bigger baits in deeper water; and • Any combination of the above. Everything else on my boat gets fished on straight through fluorocarbon. I’m also a believer that if you use moving baits, the fish can be spooked by the ‘line shadow’, and a solid braided line is more visible in the water than a fluorocarbon line. I know this by years of fishing with non-boaters in ABT events. Dozens of times I’ve fished side-by-side with some excellent co-anglers in clear water, with both of us using the same crankbaits. It’s incredibly rare for the angler using braded line to out-fish the angler using mono. It’s that simple. Within the fluorocarbon classes, you have to fish as light as possible while still retaining the best chance of landing the fish. In open, super-clear water, I have no problems using 2lb fluorocarbon straight through, even in Tassie where the bream weigh on average the same weight as the line’s breaking strain. By doing this, I hook many more To page 20

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From page 18

fish and still land nearly all of them. When the water is dirtier or the structure I’m fishing is more rugged, I’ll up the line class to 3lb or 4lb when I think I’ll still hook plenty of bream. If I’m fishing a bridge pylon in dirty water or the same water over rocky reef, 5lb or 6lb fluorocarbon is the natural choice – I don’t have to make long casts in those conditions, the fish aren’t put off by the diameter, and the pulling power is sometimes a blessing. There’s a fine balance, though, between having the pulling power and actually using it. Sure, fluorocarbon stretches, but it’s still possible to tear the hooks out of a bream’s mouth with stretchy line. When I used to fish crankbaits on braid,

Straight-through fluorocarbon should be right in the zone for crankbait anglers, especially for yellowfin bream where a straight retrieve often works well.

I’d lose heaps of bream with pulled hooks. It didn’t matter how soft my rods were, there was still a percentage of fish that wouldn’t stay connected, no matter how skilful I thought I was. The answer is to fish all line classes as if the bream is only just hooked. Treat your extra diameter (and breaking strength) in your fluoro as simply more abrasion resistance. Just because you’re fishing 6lb doesn’t mean that you have to have a heavy drag. The bonus with doing this is that if the fish does make it home into some structure, it will be much harder for the fish to break a line under less pressure. Any line, at breaking point, will part instantly when it touches a sharp, underwater object. The same line at only To page 22

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Fishing unweighted plastics, you need to set those hooks hard, which means the braid and leader combo is the natural choice.

SPOOLING FLUOROCARBON

SPOOLING BRAID

I’ve read plenty over the years on the best ways to spool line. Spooling light fluorocarbon onto a small spinning reel is the easiest process ever. 1. Thread the line down the guides and tie it onto your reel. 2. Stick a pen through the middle of your spool. 3. Wind the line onto the reel with a small amount of pressure. There’s none of this having the line come off this side or that side of the spool to counteract the twists. That’s all rubbish. The line is untwisted when it’s sitting on the spool you buy it on. It twists slightly as the line is spooled onto the reel. As you cast, these twists are removed. Don’t make it any more complicated than that. The main danger in spooling up fluorocarbon is to not overheat the line. Heat kills fluoro very quickly, and you can create too much heat if you’re trying to wind the line on under too much pressure. Add the pressure with your bare fingers, and if it gets too hot for your fingers, it’s too hot for the line.

You spool braided line in exactly the same way that you spool fluorocarbon, apart from the pressure. A little bit of heat doesn’t damage the braid the way it can destroy fluoro, and braid spooled under too little tension can cut into itself and create problems. Use a piece of rag to add enough pressure to keep the braid tight as you’re winding it on. If you’re using a shallow spool that doesn’t need backing, use some sticky tape to help anchor the braid to the spool. If you don’t do this, the whole spool of line can slip on the spool. A deeper spool that needs backing can be backed with cheap nylon monofilament line. The braid will never slip on mono backing. Just make sure that the knot between the backing and the main line is good. You never know when you’ll need the connection to remain fast.

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20% of its maximum tension will be very forgiving. This leads me into my ‘softly-softly’ approach. FIGHTING A BREAM SOFTLY If a bream swims around structure when you’re fighting it, the worst thing you can do is to pull as hard as you can. This will invariably break your line. In contrast, I have landed hundreds of bream from sticky situations by

Tournament Angler Guide easing the drag back to nearly nothing and slowwinding the fish back out the way it came. Let me explain. When a bream is hooked, it will, naturally, swim away from the perceived danger. When the pressure is relieved, the bream will often stop and then focus on the lure in its mouth. At this time, gentle pressure will often result in you being able to ‘lead’ the fish back along the lay of the line. If it is swum around a

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couple of pylons, then very often, it will let itself be led back the way it came. It’s pretty important to do all of this work with the reel and not to move the rod much. If you try to ‘pump and wind’ the fish, the pressure is uneven and each time you drop the rod tip, the bream has a chance of turning its head around and changing direction. You don’t want it to change direction. You want it to keep swimming the way you’re

Left: It’s a dead-set walk in the park to re-rig your fluorocarbon rods. Cut the line, tie a knot and you’re done. Right: When it comes to connecting your braid to a leader, modern knots like the FG are vastly superior to the Albright connectors we all tied when ABT started.

The shadow of the line spooking fish may be a foreign concept to some, yet braid throws a much bigger shadow than light fluorocarbon does. Food for thought.

winding it. Whenever I extract a bream like this, I make sure that I don’t do the drag back up when it’s clear. The line may be damaged and break at a fraction of its advertised strength. The fish will eventually see you – or the boat – and try to swim away again. There’s no better example of why you should do this than the 1.47kg yellowfin bream I landed on the second day of a

BREAM Australian Open on Sydney Harbour. I was fishing a flat in around 3ft of water with two, large rocky outcrops on it with an SX40 and 3lb fluorocarbon straight through. The lure bounced over a rock pile and got clobbered by the bream, which then bolted up the gap between the two rocks and buried itself in a crack. Instinctively, I loosened the drag, put the electric motor on 100% and headed straight for the rock. The

armature of the motor hitting the rock at around two knots spooked the fish, which then took off over the flats. Drifting with the current and after nearly 10 minutes of back and forth with the light drag, the bream succumbed to the net. When I removed the hooks and tested the line, it broke at around 250g of pressure. Keeping the drag backed off with the damaged line make a kilogram difference to my final bag.

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2019 BASS ELECTRIC RANKINGS Ranking 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 17 19 19 19

First Name Joseph Nathan Adrian Charles Aaron Jesper Matthew Pete Tom Mark Scott Dale Jake Paul Glen Nick Alan Steve Chelsey Drew Liam

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2019 BASS ELECTRIC AOY

Surname

Points

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229 203 200 192 170 168 146 139 130 129 129 119 102 99 93 90 88 88 85 85 85

Rank

First Name

Surname

Points

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 15 17 18 19 20 20

Joey Mark Adrian Dale Tom Nathan Alan Glenn Charles Jake Liam Aaron Peter Mattew Matt Stephen Jesper Luke Drew Mark Wade

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ABT BREAM and BASS rankings by the numbers 2020 marks ABT’s 21st year, and over that time a total of 659 boaters and 903 non-boaters have competed in 180 BREAM events since rankings calculations started. Many Australian anglers dream of winning an ABT event, however Anglers not only seek to win events during the year but compete for Angler of the Year (AOY). AOY rewards the angler who is the most consistently highly-placed angler throughout the BREAM rounds, with points per round allocated according to placing. Tristan Taylor (Boater) and Stuart Walker

only 102 boaters can claim to have won an ABT bream tournament. This of course means there are anglers who have won multiple ABT BREAM events. 31 of these winners have won more than once, making them our superstars of the sport. (Non-Boater) took out this prestigious title in 2019. ABT also tracks the form of anglers through rankings. Rankings use the best five scores in the last 12 months added to the best five scores in the preceding 12 months (12-24 months ago). The top five ranked anglers coming into 2020 are:

TOP FIVE RANKED BREAM ANGLERS 1 2 3 4 5

BOATER Steve Morgan, QLD Jamie McKeown, QLD Mark Crompton, NSW Denis Metzdorf, QLD Charlie Saykao, QLD

1 2 3 4 5

NON-BOATER Stuart Walker, NSW Mike Hodges, VIC Craig Johnson, NSW Tanya Konsul, ACT Neil Kelly, NSW

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ABT BREAM MULTIPLE EVENT WINNERS Steve Morgan Chris Wright Warren Carter Kris Hickson Russell Babekuhl Tim Morgan Darren Borg Szarn Tink Brad Hodges Tristan Taylor Cameron Whittam Andrew Howard Chris Metcalfe Scott Towner Mark Crompton Dror Pietsch Jamie McKeown Mark Mangold Steve Steer Ross Canizzaro Ben Godfrey Ian Seeto Jarrod Healey Jay Morgan Michael Metcalfe Nigel Webster Patrick Sullivan Scott Butler Spiro Spiropolous Steve Starling Graham Franklin

11 9 9 8 7 7 6 6 6 6 5 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

ABT BASS in 2019 saw a massive increase in numbers, which we assume is due to the collapse of BASS Nation. As such, competition for the AOY and Rankings placings was tighter than

weighed at the BASS Grand Final in 2019 at Lake St Clair. After a cracking year, where he won the BASS Boater AOY and the Rapala BASS Australian Open, Graham

TOP FIVE RANKED BASS ANGLERS BOATER 1 Graham Ford 2 Kris Hickson 3 Keeghan Painter 4 Stephen Kanowski 5 Jonothan Bale in recent years. In fact, Grand Final spots were at a premium. We think that it will be a long time before an entire Grand Final field logs a perfect score, like the 300/300

1 2 3 4 5

Jason Martin ended the year at the best ranked angler in the back of the boat, and 2019 BASS Non-Boater AOY Paul Mazaroli landed just out of the top five after a stellar year. NON-BOATER Jason Martin Nick Price John Francis Mitchell Petty Trent Blake

Ford topped both lists, displacing fellow NSW angler Kris Hickson who spent a lot of his year deciding which country he was going to fish in next. After his Grand Final win,

It’s great to see that ABT is rewarding the increased participation in BASS with a prize boat again in 2020. The numbers back this decision up.

Anglers of the year (AOY) The other game in town, of course, is the Angler of the Year. These coveted trophies reward the angler who does the best in the season that year. Angler of the Year

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Tournament Angler Guide

Steve Morgan

Jamie McKeown

Mark Crompton

2019 BREAM BOATER RANK

abt.org.au

Denis Metzdorf

Charlie Saykao

2019 BREAM AOY BOATER Current

First Name

Surname

Points

383

Tristan

Taylor

494

370

Steve

Morgan

481

Charlie

Saykao

480

Ranking

First Name

Surname

Points

Steve

Morgan

Jamie

McKeown

Mark

Crompton

353

Denis

Metzdorf

316

Mark

Crompton

470

Alan

Lister

457

Charlie

Saykao

281

Alan

Lister

279

Wally

Fahey

435

Scott

Wilson

430

Kris

Hickson

276

Wally

Fahey

269

Jamie

McKeown

419

Allan

Murray

411

Cameron

Whittam

237

Tristan

Taylor

232

Chris

Head

345

Jason

Mayberry

341

Christian

Wardini

218

William

Carruthers

218

Stephen

Duff

318

Mark

Saric

314

Brad

Hodges

209

Jason

Mayberry

204

Christian

Wardini

268

Denis

Metzdorf

263

Scott

Wilson

203

Todd

Riches

195

Kim

McIntyre

257

Steven

Pryke

251

Ross

Cannizzaro

193

Allan

Murray

178

Craig

Templar

246

Scott

Towner

231

Zac

O’Sullivan

224

Grant

Kime

172

Mario

Vukic

168

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2019 BREAM AOY NON-BOATER

2019 BREAM NON-BOATER RANK Ranking

First Name

Surname

Points

Stuart

Walker

391

Mike

Hodges

Craig

Johnson

Tanya

Neil

6 7

Current

First Name

Surname

Points

Stuart

Walker

496

268

Travis

Ryan

470

247

Richard

Wootten

465

Konsul

238

Neil

Kelly

465

Kelly

234

Bernard

Kong

457

Colin

Wilson

224

Dallas

Blatchford

456

Michael

Thompson

212

Tanya

Konsul

450

Glen

Sturrock

210

Darren

Murphy

448

Bernard

Kong

207

Justin

Reeves

440

Dallas

Blatchford

205

Glen

Sturrock

437

Rodney

O’Sullivan

187

Craig

Johnson

423

Brendan

McNamara

185

Colin

Wilson

406

Shaun

Egan

181

Rodney

O’Sullivan

369

Richard

Wootten

169

Michael

Hodges

350

Peter

Breukel

152

Shaun

Egan

348

Nick

Penprase

140

Andrew

Williams

345

Travis

Ryan

140

Daniel

McNeice

333

Daniel

McNeice

140

Jordan

Armstrong

278

Jordan

Armstrong

130

Ahmad

Mahfoud

263

Grant

Oliver

128

Shannon

Hush

255

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Graham Ford

Kristoffer Hickson

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2019 BASS BOATER RANK

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First Name

Surname

Points

Graham

Ford

383

Keeghan

Painter

379

235

Matthew

Langford

368

217

Jonathan

Bale

359

Bale

216

Jake

Schwerin

359

Lennox

208

Robert

Tilley

353

Matt

Johnson

203

Nick

Anderson

345

Tom

Slater

195

Luke

Draper

343

Glenn

Hayter

188

Kristoffer

Hickson

332

Mike

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167

Steve

Chang

328

Greg

Beattie

166

Mark

Parriott

327

Luke

Draper

163

Dane

Pryce

326

Dane

Pryce

163

Adrian

Melchior

324

Robert

Tilley

160

Philip

Nix

323

Phillip

Nix

159

Gregory

Burke

323

Simon

Marchant

157

Greg

Mitchell

321

Wally

Fahey

156

Tony

Thorley

318

Peter

Phelps

153

David

Browning

316

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149 148

Wally

Fahey

315

Brett

Hyde

313

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Points

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Ford

331

Kristoffer

Hickson

300

Keeghan

Painter

Stephen

Kanowski

Johnathan

Mark

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2019 BASS AOY NON-BOATER

2019 BASS NON-BOATER RANK Current Rank

First Name

Surname

Points

Current

First Name

Surname

Points

Jason

Martin

239

Paul

Mazaroli

376

Nick

Price

192

Mick

Eastment

367

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Francis

188

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Steenhuis

362

Mitchell

Petty

186

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Reynolds

357

Trent

Blake

184

Leaon

Walker

352

Paul

Mazaroli

183

Allan

Price

347

Bill

Rose

181

Shaun

Beekman

339

Leaon

Walker

180

Trent

Blake

337

Tim

Steenhuis

179

James

Browning

333

Tom

Deer

176

Brad

Wickson

333

Dylan

Byron

174

Ian

Wratten

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Mitchell

Rose

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Mitchell

Petty

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James

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156

Shannon

Hush

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James

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Shapland

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Angus

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Martin

314

Mark

Caneris

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Chivas

311

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Flynn

128

Rodney

Thorpe

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Warren

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James

Hickson

309

Mick

Eastment

116

Angus

Meyndershagen

304

Anthony

Melchior

106

Malcolm

Draper

304

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FEBRUARY 2020

An enduring icon: 100 years of Alvey reels to turn silky oak wood into the back and spool of the first 3” and 4” reels. The back support, line guide and ratchet parts were

BRISBANE

Sean Thompson

Alvey Reels Australia. This name is synonymous with beach fishing and the Australian fishing scene in general. January 26, 2020 marked the 100th anniversary of Alvey reels, but the brand so near and dear to many of us nearly didn’t get to the ‘ton’ to salute the crowd. In fact, the company has suffered three major setbacks over the past century, but it was the most recent setback that looked to be the end for sure! On July 20 2017, Bruce Alvey shocked and saddened the fishing Community and the

was even more robust. Charles’s work was so good that anglers called the Alvey ‘the reel you cannot wear out’.

The original Alvey factory at St Lucia, Brisbane. It was badly damaged by the 1974 floods. news. In April 2018, Bruce announced the business would be staying open after teaming up with Con Athans, a semi-retired branding and sales expert. Alvey Reels Australia became backed by a new company, with Bruce and Glenn Alvey and Mr Athans the new co-owners from July 2018. HISTORY Bruce and Glenn’s great grandfather, Charles Alvey, founded the business in 1920, manufacturing reels in a tin shed next to the family home in St Lucia,

One of Alvey collector Keith Beck’s original Bakelite tackle boxes. made from gun metal, which was in such demand during World War II that the production of reels was

By the 1930s, silky oak and camphor laurel timbers were used to make the spools. A brass plate

A selection of new Alvey reels and accessories. general public by declaring on Facebook: “To our wonderful customers over many, many years. It is with great sadness I have to announce that Alvey Reels Australia will be closing down.” The community was

devastated. The only glimmer of light in Bruce’s speech was that the closure would not be immediate with Bruce adding, “We still have substantial stocks to be distributed to retailers and we will support warranties and spare parts

for as long as we can”. Bruce’s post went viral, and new and old Alvey fans bought up with unprecedented demand. The closure was delayed three times until the company finally announced some exciting

One of the early model Alvey cedar reels.

Lightweight Stealth 65 reels ready for dispatch to tackle shops. 76

FEBRUARY 2020

Brisbane. Few people would know that side cast reels were popular at the time when Charles, who had been doing reel repairs in the city, decided he could make a better, more robust one. Charles started out making about 20 reels a week on a treadle lathe (a foot powered tool for turning wood) in the early 1920s. He used the lathe

halted, and the factory and materials used for the war effort for six years. After some refinements from the commonly used wedge lock and gem spring turning mechanisms, which were prone to wear, Charles and later his son Ken (who joined in 1925) changed the design to a baselock spring. He also later adopted and purchased the Ferguson patent, which

was screwed to a number of models including the 5” reel, while in 1936, Bakelite (an early type of plastic) was used for the first time on the smaller 3” and 4” models. After the factory was closed for six years during the war, camphor laurel was used temporarily, until it was replaced by the finer grained cedar reels. In 1946, Jack, the son

of Ken, joined the growing business. Jack was also a keen fisherman and champion distance caster, and this helped reinforce a strong bond with the angling community and kept the brand in touch with anglers’ needs. The early 1970s was a period of change, with Ken passing away and Bruce joining the business with his father Jack. In 1974, the Brisbane floods caused major damage to the factory and set it back considerably. It took eight

the 21st century, things started to get a lot tougher. Alvey was competing with cheap imported reels and internet sales, along with high rent and electricity prices, and a move away from traditional forms of fishing such as beach and bait fishing to lure fishing. This culminated in the sad announcement by Bruce Alvey in 2017. Fortunately though, customers decided the brand was too good to lose. This meant the company survived long enough,

100-year celebrations throughout 2020. Some things won’t change though. “Some people said we made too good a product that never wore out or broke down,” Bruce said, “but this was our reputation and this will never change.” WHAT’S NEW The most exciting recent addition to the traditional side cast range is the Stealth 65. It is 300g lighter than other 6.5” models, and for people like me with back problems, it

A selection of collector Keith Beck’s huge collection of Alvey reels. woven Carbontex drag washers – the hardest, smoothest and most reliable drag washers available. This means you can pretty much lock the drag up without it grabbing. Having this incredibly smooth drag could be the difference between landing or losing that mulloway or mackerel of a lifetime. A new

version of the saltwater fly reel using these special components is also on the horizon. The biggest shock to the Alvey range over the past 12 months though is the addition of the new Orbiter spinning reel range. As an Alvey ambassador I was honoured to be one of the first anglers to test these

can see all the specs at www.alvey.com.au. There are currently four sizes available, and hopefully a smaller 1000 size reel will be added in future. A special treat for Alvey collectors in 2020 is the release of a limited edition wooden 65 reel for the 100th year celebration, made from Australian red

The author’s new Alvey Orbitor 65 with a flathead caught trolling. weeks to clean up the machinery and parts, and ultimately led to a move to higher ground in 1978 to the current location at Carole Park. The clean-up effort was supported by local fishing clubs who had come to love the brand. Following this upheaval, the 1970s saw manufacturing increase to 40,000-50,000 reels a year. Also, due to the damage to the wood from the floods, timber reels were replaced by fibreglass and Bakelite. In 1987, injection moulding machines were introduced to make lighter spools with a smoother finish. A range of accessories were also manufactured onsite, including hand casters, tackle boxes and bait traps. In 1988, Glenn, Jack’s youngest son, joined the company. Then during the 1990s, the first graphite back/fibreglass reels were made, with larger models following shortly after including the 6” and 6.5” models. Following that, the Easy Cast system was introduced, and in the early 2000s lighter vented model reels were released. Then in 2008 the Turbo cast system was introduced, allowing even longer casts. A few other special edition reels followed, but into the second decade of

with the resilience of the Bruce and Glenn Alvey, until a white knight in the form of Con Athans came along to form a joint company venture. Con has a number of new ideas and has been pushing the brand into new markets, including overseas. 100 YEARS AND BEYOND The future is looking bright. Alvey Reels Australia have been restructuring their range of products and adding new models and colours. The team also plan on

makes those long sessions on the beach easier on the back. The Stealth’s light weight is due to the fact it is made from titanium, along with the strongest and lightest engineering grade carbon-reinforced plastic on the market. This reel looks and feels amazing. The Stealth has a moulded carbon fibre backplate, spool and drag reel, and all the accessory parts (e.g. springs) are nickel plated in black, which looks great. These reels also have lightweight

New and older model Alvey reels secured on Alvey roof racks.

Having your nickname engraved on your reel is now an option for your much-loved Alvey.

reels after they had been pulled apart by the Alvey mechanics to ensure they met quality specifications. My instructions were simply “to give them hell” and report how they performed. I have been using these reels for five months and they are very sturdy and very smooth. At first reaction I wasn’t sure how I’d like the big knob on the handle, but I soon found this makes retrieval and handling a big fish a dream. Slippery fingertips from fish scents or slime on those tiny little knobs on many other reels can cause slippage, but not with these handles. They are great quality for the price, and you

cedar. Alvey collectors will snap them up! A must-have for the beach angler this year will be the Australian flag on the graphite back of the 6” models. You’ll have to get in quick though, as numbers are limited. In addition to the new reels, anglers should keep an eye out on the Alvey website for 100-year clothing and patches. There is also the option to have your name, nickname or a special message inscribed on your new or existing reels. I hope you have enjoyed this look at the past and future plans for Alvey, and let’s hope it can celebrate another 100 years! FEBRUARY 2020

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Target Tassie trumpeters TASMANIA

Kelly Hunt

The weather has finally come on for the better in Tasmania. We had a very windy start to the summer fishing season and it really curbed angling activity for even the hardiest of fishers. Tackle stores could even see the effect the weather had on their normal seasonal sales. Thankfully, that is all

in numbers or anglers have gotten better at catching them, they have been coming aboard boats and even being caught from the shore in greater numbers. St Helens holds good numbers of King George whiting in the bay. The area of Port Sorrel has heaps in the estuary and offshore along the beaches and headlands. Further west, the Moorlands Beach area and the sand patches around the Don Heads

It’s a great time to go fishing for whiting. behind us now and we have had some sensational weather windows leading to very productive fishing all around the state. The species being targeted have been broad and plentiful. Snapper and gummy sharks have been popular, and people have been getting their snapper techniques down to a fine art, allowing anglers to find good fish more often than not. For those that have yet to master the knack, the challenge continues. These fish are terrific table fare and put up a great tussle on mid-sized gear. The by-catch of a solid snapper session is always a good gummy or three, as the berley activity while sitting on anchor draws them in. Sand and king flathead have also been landing on people’s tables from all over the island. Whiting have been turning up in more and more places. Whether this is because they’re growing 78

FEBRUARY 2020

hold fish. The Stanley and Montague areas have had some massive fish that are so big they look like another species! Wherever you head to try your luck, you will need to practice your techniques. The spots you are looking for are the edges of sand near the rock or weed edges. You can often see the bottom and get an idea of where to cast. A few feet out from the edge is perfect. You will also need some special rigs with little beads and small circle hooks. You can make up your own but I normally just purchase some whiting rigs and smaller sinkers. Baits will need your utmost attention. Presentation is key and I often use some bait keeper thread, as this can keep the bait on while the pickers are in play. You ideally want a very slow drift, but if conditions have you drifting too fast, use a sea anchor or just fish at anchor. Use

some very fine berley but be warned, too much tends to bring some annoying by-catch. Squid strips with a smashed end and peeled prawns are top choices for bait. Light supple rods with a nibble tip are a good idea, as the fish can hook themselves when using the small circle hooks. We are spoilt for choice in Tasmania but I can’t go past striped trumpeter or blue eye trevalla. These two species yield a lot of meat per fish frame and when cleaned and processed properly, are hard to beat eating wise. This month, let’s look at how we find and catch striped trumpeter as well as how to make sure you don’t waste any of the flesh. February will offer up a few days weather wise that will be perfect for getting some good stripey. FUEL UP Trumpeter and trevalla seem to tease us by being a fair distance away from dry land and boat ramps. Any day chasing trumpeter will have a considerable fuel burn out and back. Eaglehawk Neck has a few spots that are easily accessible, but as such tend to be heavily fished and stripeys there are not in great numbers. The mecca of stripey fishing is the West Coast of Tasmania. It is the place for big horse-sized stripeys in very good condition. It probably owns this crown due to the limited amount of days you can hit the fishing grounds. I can hear the howls of disapproval from the Eddystone Patch brigade already, and don’t get me wrong – they have a great population of fish and when they are on, you can bag out pretty quickly. It’s a great spot but the

big, thick bruisers from the West Coast beat them. The trumpeter fishing off Pedra Branca is also exceptional and when it is firing, it provides quantity and quality. These areas all have long runs out and good fuel burns in common. The only time to fish these spots is when the weather conditions are excellent, i.e. swell below 1m on the East Coast, swell below 2m on the West and South East and no to very little wind. You need to make sure you have a boat with a good size tank and work out your fuel usage needs with a healthy safety margin. If you are tight with little margin for unexpected fuel usage, find a spot on the boat to store 20-40L safely. Bicheno has pockets of trumpeter across its bottom out to the shelf. The Seymour area holds good numbers of fish and is not too far from the Bicheno launching ramp. All these areas are going to need a good sounder and some ability to use it. WEATHER WATCH These trips need to be planned around weather events and not weekends. I know it is difficult with work, but maybe you can train your boss to love striped trumpeter and give them some when you go! The boat and crew need to be ready to go when the moon and stars align and for the West Coast, that is a big high over the state and a couple of days of offshore breeze. However, this is only one part of the puzzle, as it’s not just localised winds that affect the swell coming in. Storms hundreds of nautical miles away in the Indian Ocean push massive swells towards the West Coast of Tasmania. These swells

This huge trumpeter went 13.6kg! can be massive even when the wind is well down and has been for ages locally. You can spot a couple of days of light offshore winds off Cape Sorell, hook the boat and head down to lunch at Strahan, only to be heartbroken as you come over the hill just out of Strahan on Henty Road and see a lot of whitewater on Ocean Beach instead of clear blue. A swell of below 2m is perfect for the West Coast. If you can get it below 2m, you are doing very well. If

Cray fishing has been really heating up with the weather.

you can get it below 1m, maybe buy a lotto ticket! It is also a good idea to see what the swell is doing over the days you might be there, like whether it’s reducing or building. This can help you plan your trip; you might decide to camp on the boat in an anchorage or get back to the ramp and stay on shore. THE PLAN OF ATTACK My mates and I recently had a trip off the West Coast. All three of us were watching the weather like hawks. I knew if we were going to get into the shore where the big commercial boats can’t get anywhere near, we didn’t want any surge or swell to speak of. Once we had a weather update predicting light winds off Strahan for three days and the swell was SSW below 2m and backing to 60cm, we threw ourselves into planning. Come Friday at 5pm, Clinton Howe and his son Joel, Brett Lowry and I were off! We steamed out of the Hells Gate entrance of Macquarie Harbour and found the conditions to be better than forecast. The wind was well down and the swell already looked to have gone below 2m. We made Point Hibbs (25nm from Cape Sorell) in great time the next day, as the swell was down enough that there was little

Go Behind the Scenery reverb off the coastline. We headed out well wide of the coast and had a great run down. Between us, we caught 20 crayfish from diving, the one pot and using cray rings. We found an awesome spot in behind Hibbs Pyramid, cooked some tea and bedded down for an early start on striped trumpeter. We decided we would hit the 120-150m of water out towards the shelf, but quarter back north to half our trip back to Hells Gates. We had never been there before so we relied on a good sounder to do some prospecting. Once at the desired depth, we slowed to 8 knots and put out some tuna lures in case there were some bluefin about. When we found a few items of interest on the sounder we would slow the boat, turn the scroll speed on the sounder down and make a couple of passes. You are not looking for any great drop, rise or structure. What you are looking for is a little layer of sounder return that is minor and indiscriminate. It is not sounder arches or big solid fish returns; it’s light blue/ green return. Once you see that,

baits and no fish on is a real chore and I am too old for that caper! I also have quite large, dangly baits

do now was to prepare the fish and make sure none of the amazing flesh would go to waste.

fillet to cut into three large pieces per fillet, and one rib cage section surrounded in prime flesh. Once you do the same to the other side of the fish, you have a frame with the head. A lot of people toss that over the side at this point but doing so wastes a lot of awesome flesh, doubly so on bigger fish like these. The wings are

cut the section out, you can run the knife down the middle and they open out flat. These are sensational on the grill. The section left is the head and you might toss this overboard, but what you are holding is some of the best cray bait going around. We have used all the normal baits for pots and rings – Australian salmon,

Stripey trumpeter are golden treasures, especially at this size. for prospecting. When looking for new ground, you need to create some attention so a small water

Jonah Yick christened his new Cootacraft recently with a barrel bluefin tuna on the continental shelf. bring the lures in and set up electric reels. While I use big Penn Slammer III reels at this depth, we like to prospect with the electric. Winding up big sinkers with untouched

was nothing. There was a lot of rubbish talk about what everyone was doing wrong but in reality there

Tasmania

activated light goes on the rig as well. We found a really good quality fish first drop and there were hoots and hollers all round. Then for the next half hour there

was no drift and no current to speak of. So we just kept presenting on a few more drifts and then it started to happen. Even the by-catch started to come on as the tide started to move and the fish started to fire up. This is an important lesson not only with stripeys but all fish – be patient. If your sounder is telling you something, persevere for at least a half hour. Stripeys can be notoriously fickle on baits and water movement. We had very good quality squid baits we had caught ourselves and frozen down so we were confident they would come to us. If you have good squid baits and/ or some good mackerel or striped tuna as baits and they don’t bite, they are just not there. Change your approach angle or direction of drift to try and find them, or check your sounder for a mark you have done well on before. We drifted over a spot close to where the first fish was taken and another good fish came over the gunwale. The skipper was happy enough to call out the spinning reels and Joel and Brett hit the bottom in 150m. Clinton had the drift down perfect and the fish were coming over thick and fast. These were not your normal everyday stripey either; they were very solid fish with the average being 8kg and one going 13.6kg. We were very happy and made sure to bleed the fish well and place them in a saltwater ice slurry once they had bled out. After an epic session on the water over two days, we ran home. All we had to

PREPARING TRUMPETER Normally the striped trumpeter you catch are smaller and you fillet them like any other fish and come over the top of the rib bones with your knife. This is because there is little to be gained in trying to utilize the ribcage area. However, the fish we caught were massive and had lots of flesh in and around the ribs. The ribs themselves were big enough to be easy to deal with as bones when eating, and in this scenario the technique changes slightly. Run the knife down the back of the fish as normal to the spine, then change to a sturdier knife and crunch along the ribs up close to the head and run back to the tail. This will leave one big

Richard Sherriff has been catching quality King George whiting from the Tamar area. sensational eating and easy to get at if you have the right tools at hand. The wings are the part of the fish under the gill plates from the pectoral fins to the start of the fish’s chin. Quality meat shears are the best way to crunch through some of the tricky bits. Using a knife is possible but a chore. Once you have

couta, mackerel – and they all fish ok, but nothing brings the boys to the yard like stripey trumpeter heads. Cut the heads in half from the top and freeze the two sections down ready to be thawed on your next cray trip. If you get a smaller fish, they are also sensational for oven roasting. On this trip, we didn’t get any small enough!

Briarna Fichera often goes fishing with her dad at Lake William Hovell. She recently caught her PB brown trout, measuring 71cm, trolling a scrubworm behind a Ford Fender. FEBRUARY 2020

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Make the most of the settled summer weather HOBART

Andrew Large

Bad weather continued to plague the holiday break but anglers still managed to get some good fishing in over the limited settled windows. Australian salmon and smaller cockies have gone very quiet throughout the Derwent and Huon rivers but good reports of large fish to 3kg along the East Coast have prevailed, particularly along the many surf breaks around Mayfield. Persistence will pay off if you’re trying locally, as large schools are about

to 550mm taken. Soft plastic lures have been productive cast into the shallows. Blue-spot flathead are a little known Tasmanian specialty, with fish sometimes reaching 1m. This species generally favours the East and North coasts of Tasmania. A favourite technique is to simply walk a reasonably sheltered beach or bay and cast soft plastics as you go to big blue-spots lying in wait to ambush prey. These fish are not easy to catch and anglers should be prepared to put in the time to find these bigger fish. Tiger flathead have been

silt bottom. Snapper rumours have been flooding in of fish been caught in Storm Bay throughout mid-December. We weren’t sure if these were correct as generally these fish seemed scarce. However, since then snapper have been caught in Storm Bay and White Beach while Bruny Island and Great Bay saw their fair share as well. The popular method has been to anchor up in 8-12m of water and add a small volume of berley to the water column. The top of the tide has been fishing best. Gummy and school sharks have been on fire.

inshore water. Mega calamari have been encountered in most areas, as the prolonged spring into summer spawn saw adult fish in close. Bad weather has occasionally steered fish stocks toward deep water and shelter. Kingfish had a slow start, as water temperatures were right down. It needed to lift 3-4°C and as it has begun to do so, king reports have filtered through. Rumours of fish up north of the state suggest good numbers won’t be too far away in the south. Mature barracouta have been a surprising catch in cooler water recently, with

The author caught this Central Highlands brownie on fly recently.

Jack Gard with a ripper gummy caught in the south. and have more often than not been holding over the broken bottoms near prominent points and lagoon mouths. Sand flathead continued to be patchy, primarily due to bad weather and anglers not being able to explore too far. Good windows have presented though with fish up

caught east of Maria and further north towards Bicheno. The lower East Coast, including Storm Bay closer to Hobart, did fire a little later than usual as a prolonged spring affected many species. Adventure Bay has been a hotspot for tigers in recent weeks, so look for 50m+ of water and a sandy or

The Peninsula, Schouten and Bruny regions have all been fishing well with fish up to 10kg being caught. Although normally finished by mid-January, calamari have been running well lately because they have not needed to vacate the shallows to avoid warmer

rumours of some rather large bags landed. FRESHWATER The Great Lake has continued to produce good size rainbows and browns on bait, lure and fly. Swan Bay has been a popular location with fish being polaroided by spin and fly fishers in

the shallows. Woods Lake has been fishing well, with the recent World Fly Fishing Championships highlighting how good some of the trout in this lake are. Spin and troll anglers have been using Tassie Devil lures to take fish. The lake was relatively full but this may have reduced as summer progresses. Lake Burbury is also high for the moment as the West Coast received almost

record rains over winter. This lake allows bait, lure and fly fishing and holds a majority population of wild, selfsupportive rainbow trout to 4kg. Mudeye fishing has been hugely popular with many fish falling to this tiny bait suspended beneath a waterfilled float. Summer in the salt and fresh has signalled some great fishing to come, as water temperatures peak and the onset of gamefishing begins.

HYDRO TASMANIA WATER STORAGE INFORMATION Water Storage Information as at 9th January 2020 Lake/Lagoon

Metres from full

Comment

Trevallyn Pond..................................3.35........................................................Steady Lake Mackenzie................................9.03........................................................Steady Lake Rowallan..................................3.44........................................................Steady Lake Parangana................................0.75........................................................Steady Lake Cethana....................................1.37........................................................Steady Lake Barrington................................0.50........................................................Steady Lake Gairdner...................................0.00.......................................................Spilling Lake Paloona....................................2.07........................................................Steady Lake Augusta....................................3.21........................................................Steady Arthurs Lake.....................................2.16........................................................Steady Great Lake........................................13.43......................................................Steady Little Pine Lagoon.............................0.67........................................................Steady Shannon Lagoon...............................0.10........................................................Steady Penstock Lagoon..............................0.25........................................................Steady Woods Lake......................................1.15........................................................Steady Lake St Clair.....................................1.76........................................................Steady Lake King William.............................0.65........................................................Steady Lake Echo.........................................5.90........................................................Steady

Dee Lagoon.......................................0.00.......................................................Spilling Pine Tier Lagoon...............................2.52........................................................Steady Bronte Lagoon..................................1.01........................................................Steady Bradys/Binneys/Tungatinah..............3.29........................................................Steady Laughing Jack Lagoon.....................1.84........................................................Steady Lake Liapootah.................................2.86........................................................Steady Wayatinah Lagoon............................0.41........................................................Steady Lake Catagunya................................0.56........................................................Steady Lake Repulse....................................0.44........................................................Steady Cluny Lagoon....................................1.02........................................................Steady Meadowbank Lake...........................0.37........................................................Steady Lake Burbury....................................3.46........................................................Steady Lake Margaret..................................2.00........................................................Steady Whitespur Pond................................8.02........................................................Steady Lake Newton.....................................4.51........................................................Steady Lake Plimsoll....................................2.21........................................................Steady Lake Murchison................................14.70......................................................Steady Lake Mackintosh..............................3.16........................................................Steady Lake Rosebery..................................0.57........................................................Steady Lake Pieman.....................................0.19........................................................Steady Lake Pedder......................................0.92........................................................Steady Lake Gordon.....................................18.71......................................................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 2020

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The flies of summer CANBERRA

Richard Barnsley

Summer always brings its own mood to Australian waters, and often creates some of our most difficult conditions. In the highlands, hopper hatches stir the resident trout, but the bright, clear days make the fish spooky. Down on the sand flats the bream and flathead are active, but an oversupply of holiday anglers means fishing spots are hard pressed. In the cod gorges, the cicadas are screaming and the cod are eager. Unfortunately, it is intensely hot when you’re hiking the backcountry, and wildfire is a constant concern. Despite the negatives, however, it is a terrific time to get out and throw some flies. I’ll give you a lowdown on two of my favourite patterns for this time of year. JACK’S FOXTAIL Jack’s Foxtail is a wonderful dry fly attractor. Many years ago, I ran a cattle property high in

the New England ranges near Ebor. We developed a couple of old timber cottages that were once accommodation for timber workers at the Styx River mill. Jack Eggins and wife Noela used to come up from the coast regularly. Jack used to fish the local waters and Noela would paint bush scenes that surrounded the cabin, which they christened ‘Possum Lodge’. Often I’d see Jack heading out along the Point Lookout Road early in the morning, heading for one of his favourite secret streams. One afternoon he saw me working in the cattle yards and drove in for a chat. The subject of trout came up, and when he’d finished showing two lovely rainbows wrapped in wet newspaper he offered me a couple of his favourite flies – Jack’s Foxtails. The Foxtail, as the name suggests, is tied from the tail hair of the fox. Cut a clump of tail hair about the thickness of a pencil and comb/pluck out the

Jack’s Foxtail fly.

under fur. Trim to roughly twice the hook length and bind down with the tips extending back over the hook bend. Tie a small set of mono eyes in place and then fold the fox fur forward and bind in at the rear of the mono eyes. Make sure that you leave a decent ‘hump’ of fur because this aids floatation. Now split the forward tips and x-wrap to produce wings such as you’d find on a spent spinner. This fly is well suited to those leisurely spring creeks and slow, shaded runs common in the mountains. A perfect choice of an evening, it imitates terrestrial moths and is also often picked out during a hatch. It is not my pattern of choice on rough, tumbling waters but it’s well suited to serene conditions. You can dress it up a little by overwrapping the shank binding with peacock herl, which gives a little sparkle to the fly. Alternatively you can let a couple pieces of crystal

Clouser Pig Boat fly. flash extend beyond the bend of the hook to provide a light, shimmer husk. CLOUSER PIG BOAT FLY In the high country waters, away from the cold, summer is a terrific time to chase the bass and cod over rivers draining the Great Divide. Although popper action can be superb, I mostly fish such places with wet patterns until late afternoon/evening. My go-to imitation is a cross between Bob Clouser’s Minnow and the Calcasieu Pig Boat. The pattern combines the best attributes of both flies. It rides hook point up, sinks readily and provides heaps of movement with the rubber skirt. Clouser ’s Minnow is widely known but the Pig Boat is a little more reclusive. The original was an invention of Tom Nixon, a Louisiana angler who lived close to the Calcasieu River. The main attribute is the use of the rubber skirt – a first for flies back then. We all know what rubber skirts and spinnerbaits did for bass and cod fishing across Australia. My interpretation of the two great patterns is to tie a

suede cut or rubber leg tail on a hook size suitable for your quarry. I’m a fan of wide gape hooks such as grubbers, particularly for cod. They sink deep into the corner of the mouth, and the bulky rubber skirt seldom produces false strikes. To start with, x-wrap a suitable set of dumbbell eyes, giving consideration to the sink weight required. I’m a big fan of slow sinking patterns for cod and bass. Generally, we aren’t fishing fast water, so there is plenty of time for your offering to sink. Slow sinking offerings give you time to twitch and flip during their descent, which is an excellent technique when the fish are tight against the cover. Now lay down a body of deer hair or similar synthetic. This should extend to just short of your tail material. Slip on a rubber skirt or build up single strands to complete a collar. When starting out, use a little less material here than you think. Overdressed skirts tend not to work best at slow strips, which is usually the preferred retrieve. If you’re targeting fish

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in really rough structure, I recommend adding a mono weed guard. However, for most situations the up-riding hook is sufficiently snag resistant. The colour comes down to what has previously worked in your local waters, but I’m a big fan of white as well as black/lime green. Down on the sand flats you should have great fun with a lightly dressed variation of white tail/body and red rubber skirt. Hop them up and off the sand bottom along moderate drop-offs for flathead. Another tactic which is less popular but very successful is to drift down any coastal river in your tinny with the fly in contact with the bottom. Do several short strips up off the bottom, and then allow the fly to sink again. Tie up either of these patterns and I’m sure you’ll enjoy fishing them. Unfortunately this summer is seeing widespread bushfires and extensive destruction across the country. If you’re lucky enough to get some time on the water this summer, give a thought for those other fishos who are busy battling flames.

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Find the cold water for Tumut trout catches cast up tight against the logs, and hardbodies rolled along the length of the log. If you prefer to use bait, take a shrimp trap with you as they are easy to catch and are the perfect bait. Make sure you buy some aniseed soap, as it is another easy option that

WAGGA WAGGA

Rhys Creed

February will see a continuation of January’s hot summer weather and active fish to match. The main rule to remember at this time of year is that the native species will feed in the coolest part of the day, so fishing late and early is critical. TUMUT RIVER The Tumut is one of my favourite places to fish over the summer and it will continue to fish well through until March. With the cold water coming from the bottom of Blowering Dam, the river will always remain at a cool temperature for the fish. This means even after

Thumbs up for this cod that took a slow rolled Balista Dyno 90 in against a big snag pile. reject your lures, as they are mainly keyed into feeding on insects like willow grubs and hoppers. Sight casting to cruising fish in the still edges with hopper imitations is my favourite summer fishing style. During the middle

making it easier for you to stalk them. If you do try this style of fishing, running a 6lb tippet and trying to place the fly in front of the fish about a foot and off to either side is key. Bow and arrow casts are the go-to,

A beautiful Tumut River backwater brown trout that smashed a hopper under some willow trees.

Hoppers are the best fly imitation in the summer months for the Tumut River. consecutive 40°C+ days, the fish will still actively feed. These hot days are perfect for fishing as it increases the insect activity (especially grasshoppers) and therefore increases fish activity. Early and late in the day are still the best times to fish. As the river is running high, you don’t want to be fishing out in the fast water when you are

spinning. The top areas to fish are the shallow inside corners, as the fish will sit in these spots to rest out of the current. Walk your way upstream casting small hardbody lures, spinners and small paddletail soft plastics. The other areas worth casting are in the backwaters and under willow trees. You may find these fish in the backwaters

Harry Taylor caught this cod on the river with his Pop. of the day when the sun is high is the best time to use this technique as the fish stand out easily,

Casting spinnerbaits late in the afternoon is the perfect technique for cod along the Murrumbidgee River. 84

FEBRUARY 2020

any structure in the shade. The cooler the area, the more chance you’ll have of hooking onto a fish. BLOWERING DAM Fishing at night is the go-to method this time of year with so much water sport activity during the

so make sure you practise this technique. MURRUMBIDGEE RIVER AND OLD MAN CREEK The river and creek are well worth a fish whether you’re using bait or lures. With the hot temperatures, the fish will be active and in need of a feed but the bite windows will be very short. The first two hours in the morning and the last two hours before sunset are the best times. Bait fishing overnight when camping as well as surface fishing will also work well. The river will fish well all around Wagga and way out west towards Hay. The river is not as high this year as it has been in previous years, which means the water temperature will get hot. However, fish will still feed in those key periods. I love using spinnerbaits

day. If you’re targeting big fish, you can cast big soft plastics, spinnerbaits and hardbodied swimbaits, or troll deep diving lures. If you’re after some fun and just want to catch fish, use small hardbodies between 70-100mm and troll these along the rocky banks towards the dam wall end of the lake. Bait fishing while sitting around at camp during the day and night is always worth a crack with big yabbies. The bigger the yabbies, the better! There are still plenty of options to fish in and around the heat. If you’re keen on catching a few cod with the

Adam Smith from FTL Lures caught this little summer trout. works well. Put two or even three pieces on the hook to make it a big meal for the fish. Other good baits are yabbies, bardi grubs, wood grubs, worms or even cheese. When choosing the best place to fish, try to find

family, head to the river and tie up under a tree to bait fish; if you’re chasing that giant cod, Blowering is your place; or if you want to sight fish for trout, make for the Tumut River!

Murray cod surfacing ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

As the boats rolled into town for the opening of the Murray cod season, so too did cold, wet and windy conditions. Catching a Murray cod on a dropping barometer is always a tough gig as

a daily basis from both bank and boat on lure and bait. Local anglers are starting to see the true worth and effective nature that surface lures have when it comes to tempting and catching large Murray cod. No doubt we will see and hear plenty more about this over the coming season as more and more fishos give it a try.

and all they needed was a little luck. It’s worth mentioning that with the Murray cod slot limit now in place, all these larger fish reported caught over the cod opening were returned to the river. It’s great that anglers are provided the opportunity to catch a big Murray cod over again and into the future. I have always

Brett Evans trolled a solid model from the Murray River near Mildura on a Koolabung Codzilla lure.

Clinton Hann scored a ripper Murray cod on a Bassman Aussie Crawler surface lure. they generally refuse to feed when the pressure is down. In saying that, plenty of keen anglers braved the rain and a few were rewarded with some good size Murray cod. Swan Hill fished well considering the inclement weather with several large Murray cod up to and over the metre mark landed. The best bites were in the Murray River near Brooks Lane where cod were striking surface lures in the low light conditions. Murray cod reports continue to roll in from Swan Hill on

Downstream along the Murray River to Wood Wood, several Murray cod to a metre have been landed since the start of the season. Chicken, cheese and yabbies have all been on the menu. In the Murray River at Mildura, Kym Sykes said several good size Murray cod to 114cm were caught on lures. The biggest fish was landed on a fluoro StumpJumper on the troll. It was hard work in unfavourable conditions but anglers were keen to land their first cod for the season

thought of these iconic fish as too special to be caught just once. The Murray River around Mildura has continued to be a good spot with several metre-plus cod caught on trolled lures. Neds Corner at Lock 9 has been producing big models on trolled lures, spinnerbaits and surface lures. So far it has been a great start to the Murray cod season around Swan Hill and Mildura. I expect to see and hear of plenty more large Murray cod landed before next month’s report!

Circle hooks have been working well for bait anglers targeting Murray cod. Most fish are hooked cleanly in the corner of the mouth for an easy release.

Nev Plant caught this Murray cod from the Murray River at Swan Hill on chicken.

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

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

Nov Dec Jan

Mulwala

Cairn Curran

(Yarrawonga) 91 92 96

48 45

Dartmouth 54 53 52

Newlyn

Eildon

45 44 41

Nillahcootie 39 38 31

Eppalock

34 32 30

Rocklands 25 26 25

Eucumbene 30 30 30

Tantangara 19 13 9

Fyans

83 80 76

Taylors

59 56 53

Hepburn

99 96 82

Tullaroop

82 75 70

Hume

38 33 24

Waranga

50 48 41

Jindabyne 81 82 78

Wartook

59 54 51

Lauriston

William Hovell 100 100 87

97 95 92

100 99 87

(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 2020

Mulwala should be called Murray cod capital YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

The smoke has cleared from the bushfires and now it’s time to hit the lake and get into some

goes without, but over time the numbers will even themselves out. For those getting out onto the lake, the best thing you can do is avoid the pesky speedboats and water lice (jet skis) and hit the timber. The

cod. Headlamps, torches, net, lip grips, measuring mats and cameras are all implements that should be at hand. Finally, know how you are going to get home in the dark without causing any undue dangers to yourself or others who

down to the hook – cod don’t tend to be that picky. The holidays were hectic, with metre-plus fish reported on a daily basis. The best reported were a couple around the 122cm mark. I did have the privilege of seeing Canadian friend Terry Quealy being towed around by a Cod of at least this size until it eventually busted him off and took his lure. This was Terry’s first ever encounter with a Murray cod and one he

will never forget! Luckily enough, he managed a 65cm 15 minutes later to tick the species off his list. Another who deserves a special mention is young Melbourne boy, 8yo Will Radman. Will is a capable young angler and decided to have a cast of his dad’s monster swimbait rod with a Jackall Gigantarel attached. Low and behold, on his third cast Will was slammed by a great 90cm cod that he landed by himself.

The competition season is upon us with a few events coming up over the next couple of months. The first is the ever-popular Humminbird Dash 4 Cash on 15-16 February, followed by the His & Hers Partners Classic on 29 February and finally the Cod Nationals will round out the competition season. The four days of tournament fishing for dedicated green fish anglers will be held from 12-15 March.

Effects of the carp virus Researchers at the University of Adelaide found that in many Australian inland waterways, risks to water quality associated with the potential release of the carp virus would be minimal in many areas and manageable in others. “If the carp virus is released to control carp,”

explains Principal Investigator Justin Brooks, “the ecosystem will need to cope with a surge in the number of dead carp, an increased demand for dissolved oxygen and the presence of more nutrients. This work has shown the impacts on water quality would be minimal in many waterways where there is good flow and mixing, and

manageable where the flow is slower.” The study’s models show that areas with good flow, depth and cooler waters would likely cope best, whereas shallower waters with low or no flow and warmer temperatures are more likely to experience water quality impacts,

Will Radman scored a new PB Murray cod measuring 90cm! serious cod fishing. We’re now entering prime time to be on, in and around Lake Mulwala, the home of Murray cod. As always, cod will be on offer all throughout the lake and there is no right or wrong technique. The main virtue I try to instil in those fishing Mulwala is persistence. Sure, your average Joe can land an unlucky fish that makes him look like a legend while your gun angler

most productive big fish methods of late have been casting either surface lures or larger swimbaits in the 1.5-3m mark around a bit of weed. If you want to try surface fishing, here are a few pointers. Identify the areas you plan to fish during daylight hours so you have a rough lay of the land come dark time. Have everything prepared and working for when you do catch the elusive Murray

are out and about. For kids looking to snag a cod, the best bet is to head down below the weir with some cheese, chicken or worms for a bit of fun. Traditionally the cod downstream are not as big as those caught in the lake but you get them in greater numbers. A size 2/0 hook, size 2 bean sinker and line in the 15-25lb range will see you ready to do battle. Keep it simple with a running sinker right

Releasing the carp virus may not harm water quality as much as was originally feared. Image courtesy of NCCP.

Cast off at Yarrawonga Mulwala Holiday Park After a day out fishing on Lake Mulwala, relax in our range of villas, cabins, ensuite and powered sites, only three hours from Melbourne. 1800 817 570 Search NRMA Parks Yarrawonga Mulwala

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FEBRUARY 2020

especially if the density of carp is high. These bodies of water might require some intervention to clean up dead carp to avoid significant impacts on water quality. The main threats to water quality include a reduction in the concentration of oxygen in the water and the possibility of associated algal blooms. The first is due to the oxygen consumption of organisms working to decompose dead carp, whereas the second is a result of an increase of nutrients present in the water as dead carp break down. The research showed that at the existing biomass of carp, it would be unlikely that oxygen concentrations would drop below levels that are dangerous for native fish in most waterways. In many locations, the research showed that the existing biomass of carp would have to be increased by more than four times before water quality impacts would become noticeable. The research means that management of carp carcasses can focus on the higher risk

sites which have still water and higher temperatures. This research project is an important part of the National Carp Control Plan (NCCP), which was formed to investigate the feasibility of releasing a virus to control carp in Australian waterways. The NCCP is a $10.2 million program led by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC), on behalf of the Australian Government. It aims to address two questions: Is it feasible to release the carp herpes virus to control carp? If so, what is the most effective way to release and manage the virus? The NCCP was delivered to the Australian Government in December 2019, and the Government is currently deciding on the next steps. Carp (cyprinus carpio) completely dominate freshwater fish communities in Southeastern Australia, and the impacts are felt environmentally, economically and socially. – National Carp Control Plan

A different perspective on chasing green fish ALBURY/WODONGA

Connor Heir

February has come around quickly and the summer days are still hot, temperature and fishing wise. As I’ve previously mentioned in past articles, warmer months typically bring good numbers of cod across many water systems. Fishing during the heat of the day can be physically tough on you, but your

efforts will bring you results if you approach it correctly and continue to persist throughout the heat and long days. Figuring out where fish sit during the heat of the day and why they do so is a key factor that can drastically improve your chances of persuading a fish to eat or strike out of aggression. It seems that shaded pockets of water hold the fish most of the time, particularly in the flowing water systems. This would be

no surprise to cod fishers, as cod love areas with shaded protection. Fish can come out of ridiculously shallow shaded pockets of water at times and I think a lot of viable water is mistakenly dismissed because it appears to be too shallow. Textbook deeper pools of water with heavy, built-up structure may be their ideal habitat, but I’ve found that sometimes they really don’t need much to sit on. I don’t usually get big fish, but I have

During the day, diving lures are good to probe the depths where bigger fish can be holding. bigger ones too. At the end of the day, these cod must eat and they are an aggressive striking

fish. Finding active fish to eat your lure can be a challenge at times but persistence will absolutely help you achieve

your fishing goals. The adventure to finding these fish is as good as catching them. Keep at it and tight lines!

There should still be good numbers of cod in February.

Nate Kileen (8yo) caught this flathead from the Port Albert Jetty on squid while teaching his younger brother how to fish.

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pulled off smaller ones from small, shallow rock edges or tiny twigs built up in areas that are shallow, and a lot of strikes have been quite committed to eating the lure. Many of these areas are often where current leads into, which can also be a major factor as to why fish are sitting there. They can be easy ambush spots for when food floats or sinks past the fish’s nose. It also seems that smaller fish can be pushed right out of the more textbook snags if bigger, more aggressive fish are in these holes, as Murray cod are very aggressive when it comes to their shelter. You definitely can pick up bigger fish shallow spots, but the trend of smaller fish in shallower areas is something I have picked up on in recent summers. Night fishing is certainly worth doing during this time of year. At night, fish of all sizes tend to move around sourcing and tracking down food, which means often they will move in and feed on creatures that lurk in shallow water. With this, the surface fishing opportunities really open up and these fish are not afraid to wham creatures scuffing around on top of the water. Often, the night bite can really be effective on not only numbers of fish but

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Heat takes its toll WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

February can be a bit of a hit-and-miss month in the Wangaratta area as far as fishing is concerned. We sometimes get our hottest days in February, and we also usually start to see the beginnings of cooler nights towards the end of the month.

Lure fishers should try surface lures later in the evening and early in the morning. Low light periods are best. Throughout the day, try using spinnerbaits or diving hardbodied lures. Bait fishers using cheese and worms will do well. If you’re specifically targeting a large Murray cod, try using a very large yabby. No yabby is ever too big for a hungry Murray cod.

February as the nights start to get longer and cooler, the water starts to cool as well. At this time, trout will just be starting to move and feed again after lying low during the extreme heat. At first they will be happy to follow a lure but may be reluctant to strike, and then as the water temperature continues to fall in the autumn they will start to get a bit more active again.

The author caught a solid Murray cod on a Zerek Live Mullet on cod opening. in February, particularly in the second half of February, and wild trout just cannot resist them. REDFIN February can be one of my favourite months to

Buffalo on the Buffalo River often fish well this month. Shore-based anglers should be able to walk the banks quite easily as both lakes usually drop at

technique in these lakes. If you have one, a depth sounder or fish finder is an invaluable tool – not so much to find the fish, but to find the depth as both lakes have quite uneven bottoms

This monster redfin was caught recently on a Strike Tiger Nymph in banana shock. MURRAY COD February is probably the third best month of the year to target Murray cod in the Wangaratta area, third only to December and January. As the nights just start to get longer and the water starts to

TROUT At the time of writing, it is 44°C and we have just endured several days over 40°C, so I’ve been wondering if it is even worth writing anything about trout. I really hope

In February, you should head high. Try the alpine lakes at Mount Buffalo and Falls Creek. If you want to fish a stream, head high into the headwaters in search of the coolest water you can find. Remember

Brett Corker landed this cod near Wangaratta on opening day. target redfin. Both of the main lakes in the Ovens River catchment are worth heading to if you want to target redfin in February. Lake William Hovell on the King River and Lake

this time of year. Casting bladed spinners, minnows or soft plastics will all be worth a try. If you’re in a boat or a kayak, try trolling small deep diving minnows. This is a tried and proved

due to the steep topography in which they were built. Without a sounder, you may find yourself trolling a lure that dives 1-2m in 15m of water without even realising!

It’s a great time of year to fish for redfin in North East Victoria. cool, the Murray cod fishing can begin to slow down. Don’t get me wrong, plenty of Murray cod are caught in February; I just find that my Murray cod outings begin to get a little patchy, particularly with lure fishing. If you are bait fishing, you shouldn’t have too many troubles catching a few Murray cod right through February. 88

FEBRUARY 2020

this extreme heat does not knock the trout numbers around too much in the streams. When it is really hot, I usually do not spend too much time in the streams chasing trout. I like to leave them alone during the extreme heat unless I am deep in the mountains where the water is a bit cooler. Towards the end of

that during the heat of summer, if you hold a trout up for a photo it will die very quickly, so you really need to release your trout in a matter of seconds if you want it to survive. Try using something black like a black Strike Tiger Nymph or a black Blue Fox Super Vibrax spinner. There are usually quite a few crickets around

February can be tough for catching wild trout as the water is at its warmest. Later in the month as the water begins to cool, trout may start to become active again.

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 and South 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, out in the kayak or boat, keep an eye out for surface feeding fish and move in to casting distance to access the feeding zone. The common phrase for fly anglers, ‘match the hatch’, is also very applicable to surface lure fishing. 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. The sound of a surface feeding bass

Adam Neville has been hitting Blue Rock over summer and enjoying the evening bass fishing. could be best described as an aggressive ‘popping-gulp’ 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 is advantageous when stealth fishing. An alternative is to simply use an oar to propel

the boat to within casting distance of the feed zone. Kayakers won’t have any issues getting into a feed zone and nor will landbased anglers. Blue Rock bass are hitting trophy sizes with some big fish caught in recent months. Both a 48 and 49cm bass have been caught and released recently so it’s only a matter of time before

some lucky angler tips the 50cm mark. Bass have been averaging around 30cm but even smaller bass around 20cm put up a ripper fight, especially on light gear. A good set-up for surface fishing is a 6’6”-7’ rod with a weight rating of 2-4kg fitted with a 1000-2500 class reel. The norm is 8-10lb line or braid with 8-12lb leader. Don’t be afraid to up the

leader this time of year, as these fish hit mighty hard and are quick to pull lures into the snags, especially as the lake level is now at capacity and hiding many snags. When 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 style lures are great fun to use too and mimic struggling baitfish or frogs on the surface. Carp feed off the surface too, and when presented with a tempting 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, as carp give out a thrilling fight to the net. Blue Rock carp are healthy, clean specimens, easily reaching 60cm+. 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 yellow-winged locusts. Like bass, stream trout are best targeted in the early morning or late afternoon in the shade. 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, 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.

Summer fun still going strong EILDON

Peter Burtchell

The lake has been full of wake boats, jet skis, picnic boats, houseboats

the boating action, fluoro coloured lures will once again prove their worth. Bob and Dawn Purchase travelled from Denver, Colorado for their Christmas holidays to try their luck

the Fishing Guides from Geelong who regularly fish mid-week on Lake Eildon got amongst the giants of the deep with a multitude of catches and releases during their two days of fishing. The surface action proved to be just as good, with Wazza and Clayt testing out the new range of Harro’s surface and diving lures. The fish just kept popping up, with both of them running a Diver matched with Clip ‘n’ Catch blades. The 3.5m bib had the most success, as the main food sources at this time of

year are on the surface and close to the banks. Fishing will remain strong during these warmer months and there should be some great monster Murray cod and trophy-sized yellowbelly landed. • Be sure to try the new 454 Big Block Air Boat Guided Murray Cod Bait Fishing Tours when you go to Eildon for a fish. Seating 7, it is the perfect end or start to your great fishing trip up in the high country. Visit jerusalemcreek.com.au for more information.

Relax and enjoy delicious food and warm hospitality.

Bob and Dawn Purchase caught their second Murray cod early in the morning. and powerboats, creating an action-packed holiday atmosphere this summer. Just beneath the lake’s surface, there is just as much action as all sizes and species of lake fish feast on the bounty of summer insects. Summer is definitely the season to be trying your luck in and around Lake Eildon’s many protected bays and inlets. With a bit of turbidity from

fishing for the iconic Australian natives, Murray cod and yellowbelly. They were duly rewarded for their efforts, catching and releasing three Murray cod and one yellowbelly during their four hour chartered tour trolling the Big River Arm, Main Arm and around the Jerusalem Creek Inlet. They were also lucky enough to witness a pair of peregrine falcons. Earlier in December,

Local trout guru Nischal caught a quality rainbow trout on rainbow Powerbait.

Open for breakfast from 6am 7 days a week (Closed Mother’s Day)

Coffee Light meals Pastries Cakes Bread Steve found his 60cm yellowbelly working the trees with plastics.

10 Main St, Eildon Victoria 3713 03 5774 2362 0438 881 629 FEBRUARY 2020

Get creative with cod catches in Shepparton SHEPPARTON

Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com

The summer has been red-hot and so has the cod fishing in the region. There have been more and more reports of big cod being caught in the Goulburn and Broken river systems. Over the holidays, there was a handful of 90cm+ cod caught in the Goulburn River, and earlier in the season a couple of monster fish were caught in the Broken. Shepparton local Brocq Robertson managed to land a meter-plus cod from the Broken River on a Jackall Pompadour, whereas others have had luck on cheese and chicken.

to water quality but the fishing has still been consistent downstream of the weirs, especially closer to Shepparton. Surface lures are the go-to with the most popular being the smaller Jackall Pompadours, Codgers with the extra tails attached or the green and black Bassman Aussie Crawlers. February can be a tricky month to navigate locally due to the heat as it can restrict fishing times to early morning or late afternoon. This will continue to see surface lures dominate but if possible keep a rod rigged with a spinnerbait nearby, as a lot of fish can be caught after a missed surface strike by casting a spinnerbait

weedless presentations like the Zerek Weedless Fish Trap available, there are plenty of options for lure fishing the lake. Bait fishing off the grass hill is always a good choice but it can be very hot in the summer months, as it sits in direct sunlight almost all of the day. Floating worms in this area in the early morning or just on dark has caught redfin and silver perch. WARANGA BASIN Whenever the wind is low lately, the boat ramps have been full with keen fishers targeting redfin and yellowbelly. It’s been a strange time of year to get good numbers of yellowbelly but there have been heaps of reports of

Harlee Mcrae scored an 86cm cod from the Goulburn River. black combinations. Some smaller redfin have been caught off the top with small poppers cast around the weed edges about an hour before dark. Bait fishing has been consistent and worms or chicken strips have been the best baits to use. Unweighted worms around the weed edges can be a

good method when trying to catch good numbers of redfin. Some huge carp up to 80cm have been caught on corn in the smaller channels that run off the Main Eastern around Shepparton East, which can also be a good option for those wanting to get kids into fishing or just have a bit of fun.

MOOROOPNA REC RESERVE LAKE The small lake at the football ground has been producing good numbers of small carp with floating worms around the reeds or an unweighted corn and worm cocktail. With grassed banks and easy access, it’s a great entry-level lake for those getting into fishing.

Take your pick of lakes CRATER LAKES

Rod Shepherd

Brocq Robertson caught a monster cod on a Jackall Pompadour in the Broken River. I spent some time working at a local fishing store over the break and I was amazed with the different ways locals are now targeting and landing good numbers of fish in the local river systems. Bait fishing was a very popular method with many using a wide variety of baits. Cheese and bardi grubs fished well but things like chicken nuggets and dim sims were some interesting baits being used with success. Fishing the Goulburn prior to the environmental flows was the most productive time for a week or two after the drop and the water temperatures came back up. Lure fishers have reported good numbers of fish caught on the Old Mate 15ft divers in fluoro green or the pink and purple colour, with trolling being the best method behind Aquamoves or down towards Jordans Bend. The Broken River has seen better days in regards 90

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straight into the area where you had the boof. Fingers crossed we get a couple of decent summer storms in February to give the Broken River a fresh flush of water because it will send the fish into a frenzy in that system. KIALLA LAKES Small yellowbelly have been all there is to report over the warmer months to date. Late afternoons have been the most successful sessions, with the heat of the day being a waste of time. Casting smaller spinnerbaits around the sandbars has been the best method, with a couple of reports coming in of fish around the rocky banks taken on smaller hardbodies. SHEPPARTON LAKE The lake had a good stocking of natives not too long ago and we are now starting to see more cod and yellowbelly being caught in the lake. There are still some small areas without masses of weed and with

yellas up to 50cm being caught around the boat club by anglers trolling small 15ft diving codgers or medium sized Predateks. Those trolling for redfin have had luck fishing in around 4-6m of water using deep diving hardbodies or blades with a set of assist hooks instead of a back treble. Drifting baits has also been a successful method at the basin but anchoring on a school once you find one will help you get higher numbers of fish. Bigger redfin have been caught on the outskirts of the schools, with the schools being filled with fish around 15-20cm. LOCAL CHANNELS The channels have fished okay in the past month or two with a lot of smaller cod being caught amongst the odd redfin and yellowbelly. Casting smaller lipless crankbaits around the bridges is still very successful as well as small spinnerbaits and mumblers in purple/

The freshwater scene continues to perform well as the lakes have fired up along with several rivers, such as the Mount Emu Creek, Hopkins and Merri rivers. The upper reaches of the Hopkins just below the falls coughed up a few good brown trout, taken mainly by casting and slow rolling shallow diving minnow lures or soft plastics. The visual strikes have been quite

amazing and this method works well in shallow, fast moving water where the other option is to snag up on the bottom. The Merri has seen trout cruising close to the weed beds that grow along the banks. Medium divers as well as plastics allowed to sink a bit have worked well. Anglers working the edges of the lake with lures have taken a few trout and redfin out of Purrumbete. Those who put in the long, hard hours or are just plain lucky have managed a fish or

two but again, not in large numbers. However, it only takes one angler bringing in a trophy brown or Chinook and publically placing the fish on the angling club scales to reinvigorate others to get back out there and try once again. Redfin have been taken in amongst the weed as well as at depth with live bait, soft plastics or blades jigged just off the bottom. I’m not exactly sure what depth the fish have been hanging at but a depth sounder will soon To page 91

Anglers on Bullen Merri have been static fishing on the bottom for Chinook salmon.

Size does matter – big baits and big lures close to the banks, and around the cumbungee islands and weed beds. Finding warmer water can be critical to finding active fish. KIRWANS BRIDGE If you want to catch a Murray cod this month, I recommend fishing the timber at Kirwans Bridge. With the warmer weather the fish will be tucked up in the shade provided by stand-up timber and submerged laydowns. The warm water also makes the fish more active, making them more willing to hit bigger lures. Lures to try

NAGAMBIE

Sunny Martin

The fish are active in the warmer water, starting to put on weight for the colder months ahead, and it’s a good time to get amongst them. MITCHELLSTOWN The fishing has really started to pick up with the warmer weather. The surface fishing in the afternoons has been pretty good, after the sun has heated the water all day. The fish usually remain active all though the late afternoon and into the night, which makes for some enjoyable surface fishing sessions. There have been quite a few big cod caught around Mitchellstown, including two fish over the metre mark. Most have been caught on bait and surface lures. Koolabung Wake Walkers have been a standout lure in recent weeks. If you’re using bait, just send out a bardi grub or some cheese on a running bean sinker rig and cast it into a back eddy, some standing timber or a laydown. Some really good yellas have been caught in the willow trees on worms and small spinnerbaits such as the Obsession Bass and Bassman Yellaman. Natural skirt colours have been a standout From page 90

locate any fish hugging the bottom. Under 12m you will start to encounter bottom weed growth, which can be a nuisance, but that’s doesn’t mean the fish are not there.

Matari getting amongst the cod in and around the willows. all through the system, particularly dark colours such as black/purple or olive green. White with chartreuse has been good as well. For land-based anglers, one of the best spots is Majors Creek Reserve, which provides anglers with good access to the water. The boat ramp at the Goulburn bridge is another great place for landbased anglers, and bait fishing is the best technique. Look for banks that have fishy structure

on them, such as willow trees and laydowns, or back eddies. NAGAMBIE LAKE This is a great spot for families who want to fish off the bank, as it’s right there in town, and is easy to access. The boardwalk is an A+ spot, and it will be even better this month now that the holiday crowds have dispersed. The decrease in angling pressure should cause the fishing to pick up even more. Nagambie Lake doesn’t

to boats 4m and under but if there’s no solid rainfall in the coming weeks, this will rapidly change. Bullen Merri once again has an algae problem so taking fish for eating is not a good

the lake. Mudeye, gudgeon minnow and Powerbait have been catching a few. Pilchards have also been productive bait, especially when fishing at depth targeting Chinook salmon.

normally top the list of yellowbelly spots, but in recent weeks there have been awesome amounts of yellowbelly caught. One local angler has been crunching the yellas off the boardwalk, using Outlaw spinnerbaits in purple/ green colours. The rowing club is another town spot that has been fishing really well. If you’re after a few yellas, target areas near the weed and around the cumbungee islands. If you’re not keen on lures, you can do well on worms and fresh shrimp, and may also encounter a few carp this way. For boat-based anglers there are heaps of willow trees along the caravan park stretch of the river which are always productive. Tying up near the willow trees and using scrub worms or live shrimp is the go for bait fishers. Something to remember when fishing the lake is to keep an eye on water temperatures if you can. Those active fish will be in the warmer parts of the lake, which are typically

Little cod, big appetite! Anglers have been enjoying good surface action around the weeds. include spinnerbaits (e.g. Bassman Codman), lipless crankbaits (e.g. Jackall TN 70 and Doozer) and swimbaits (e.g. Bull Shad Herring and Jackall Gantia) because the water is so clear. Early morning and late afternoons are good for throwing surface lures, especially when there’s no

When chasing bigger models at Bullen Merri, be careful of the plentiful small, newly released fish. Elingamite has continued to offer up one and two-year-old stocked trout with the majority being browns. A few decent reddies have also been taken. Casting in and around the weed beds has worked, along with trolling minnow lures along the edge of the weed growth. The lake currently remains open

wind. Stand-outs include t he Codger Topwater, Koolabung Wakewalker and Jackall Pompadour. If you want to target bigger fish, head down towards the weir pool and fish the main river channel. The bigger fish like to sit right on the edge of the tree line. The have been taking spinnerbaits such as Bassman Codman or Bassman DT, or one of the big Obsession Spinnerbaits or Pirate Spinnerbaits. Using bait is another great way to get bigger fish. There have been a few reports of

idea. However, fish continue to be caught with plenty being taken from the bank on bait and lures. The fish seem to be hanging deeper during the day and depths approaching 10m seems the go. Early morning such as first light until sun up is the best time to catch fish out in depths to 5m, which is only a cast or so out from shore around much of

Lake Tooliorook still has some water in it but the fish remain extremely hard to catch even though there were releases by fisheries in recent times. As far as I know, no evidence of a fish kill has occurred there but it seems to be devoid of fish. It appears that no one’s catching anything and if they are, they are keeping it a secret.

There are plenty of yellas around the Nagambie boardwalk in the middle of town.

anglers getting good results using a running sinker down to a 6/0-8/0 circle hook baited with a yabby. If you want to try this you should use as big of a live yabby as you can find, and let it crawl out the back of the boat while you’re casting lures. The willow trees are holding yellowbelly, and you can catch them on freshly caught shrimp bobbed down the willow trees. Scrub worms are always good, too. Another way to get yellowbelly from the shore is to head down to the weir pool past Kirwans Bridge; there’s a big rock wall along the main eastern channel, and yellas are always found around there. You can get good catches on small lipless crankbaits in dark colours. The fish are more active when the water is warm, so the best time to fish is from late morning to late afternoon. FISHING IN FEBRUARY The hot weather over the past few months means there will be lots of phytoplankton, which gives the bait a chance to repopulate the system. The knock-on effect is that predatory fish will be quite aggressive, so don’t be afraid to throw those bigger lures and baits around. Go big! FEBRUARY 2020

Venture to less familiar waters for rewards is nestled in the Wombat State Forest, 11km from Daylesford and 40km from Ballarat. Victorian Fisheries Authority stocks the reservoir with 1000 rainbow and brown trout annually. It’s not a large

BALLARAT

Shane Stevens

Summer has finally hit us. It’s hot and that wet, late spring weather is only a distant memory now. Anglers around the district need to start thinking smarter and wiser about the times of day they head out to catch a fish to put the odds back in their favour. It’s no good sitting out in the middle of a 30°C+ day expecting to catch a fish, it’s not comfortable and I’m sure the fish are sitting on the bottom of the lake or reservoir in the colder water conserving energy. They will feed when the weather cools down during the evening, throughout the night and early morning. A lot of the trout’s food supply will hatch then, so that’s when anglers need to be out on the water. A few of the lesser-

Jason Mackley caught this ripper of a brown trout fishing Wombat Reservoir at Daylesford. Photo courtesy of Jason Mackley.

lots of overgrown foliage along the banks and plenty of snakes. Don’t be scared off by them, just be wary. Wear breathable chest waders so you can walk through most sections of the river. The river has some excellent runs and deeper pools where fish tend to hold during the warmer weather. Fish with a mate, as you will be doing plenty of walking. Take a couple of cars, leave one car at a drop-off point then leave the other where

you are going to fish to or start from. Jordan Minster prefers to fly fish the Yarrowee River with a small brown nymph under a dry fly. Jordan says most of the trout seem to eat the nymph but every now and then they take the dry, and a 3 or 4wt fly rod is preferable with a floating fly line. Other anglers cast small hardbodied lures in rainbow and brown trout patterns. Wombat Reservoir

Steve Angee landed this Wendouree brown trout fishing a mudeye under a bubble float. Photo courtesy of Steve Angee.

Jordan Minster landed this Yarrowee River brown trout on a brown nymph suspended under a dry fly. Photo courtesy of Jordan Minster.

known waters around the Ballarat District have been producing some excellent fishing over the past month. The Yarrowee is a small river of 43km, which starts to the north of Ballarat and basically runs right through Ballarat and joins up with the Leigh River at Cambrian Hill. It has a self-supporting population of brown and rainbow trout that have most likely 92

FEBRUARY 2020

stocking of fish compared to somewhere like Lake Wendouree but Wombat produces some quality fish, with most trout averaging from 0.75-1.5kg and the odd larger specimens weighing up to 3kg.

escaped from private dams over the years, and the water quality is good, as the trout do have a successful spawning run throughout the winter months. Trout in the Yarrowee River do not grow to large sizes, so a 30cm trout is a decent catch. The most popular methods are casting lures and fly fishing. Fishing the Yarrowee River is no easy feat, with

Tom Kulczynski nailed a magnificent Wendouree redfin casting a 4” soft plastic with a super slow retrieve. Photo courtesy of Tom Kulczynski.

Wombat Reservoir caters for all angling methods with some excellent beetle hatches through the summer months. Jason Mackley likes to fish some of the lesserknown waters around the district and enjoys walking the shores of Wombat casting hardbodied lures or spoons with excellent results. Over the past few months he has nailed a couple of rippers around the 2.5-3kg mark. These fish don’t get to that size for no reason – they are very smart and wily! Jason reckons patience is key to fishing Wombat. Don’t expect to catch big numbers of trout or resident redfin from Wombat; I’ve had plenty of trips for donuts. Still, it’s worth fishing with the quality of fish it produces. The water temperature at Lake Wendouree has risen over the past month, firing redfin and trout up, and time of the day is especially key to your success. Tom Kulczynski loves to catch a feed of To page 93

Running hot around Bendigo BENDIGO

Roger Miles codhuntertours@bigpond.com

The warmest months of the year are upon us. Water temperatures in the Bendigo region were well below average over spring, which affected the fishing. Now that we’re well into summer, the region has received some very hot days, producing a rapid rise in water temperatures and improving catch rates. The normal trend at this time of year is the majority of the fish are caught early in the morning in the first three hours of daylight or last three hours of daylight. With the hot weather, cicadas are now coming out so fishing during the night with surface lures is a good option when targeting a Murray cod. LAKE EPPALOCK Water levels continue to decline at Eppalock. With the lack of rainfall and no prospect of good rainfall in the near future, we are faced with the prospect of falling water levels at this location for the next several months. The low water levels mean several boat ramps are now out of the water. If you are launching your boat off the From page 92

reddies at Wendouree. Tom likes to cast soft plastics in the rowing lanes in various locations, working these areas with a very slow retrieve, and if one area doesn’t produce he moves to another until he finds the fish. Steve Angee normally casts lures on Wendouree with excellent results. He recently tried mudeyes suspended under bubble

bank, always look for some hard rocky ground. On a positive note, the water clarity has been very good in all areas around the lake and productivity has been improving. I would not describe the current fishing as being great but if you put the time in, you can catch some quality fish. Trolling the rocky shorelines with hardbodied lures and spinnerbaits has been producing small numbers of Murray cod and golden perch. Some anglers have reported good results trolling shallow diving hardbodies over the top of submerged shrubs. They have been landing redfin up to 40cm and some quality golden perch measuring around 45cm, with the occasional model above 50cm. Fishers casting around the laydown and standing timber have caught some quality Murray cod and golden perch. With the falling water levels boat drivers should proceed around the lake with caution, as there are now large numbers of trees just under the surface that can be difficult to spot when boating around the lake. CAMPASPE RIVER The Campaspe has been

fishing very well. The water clarity is currently the best I have seen it in several years and there is a good amount of weed growth in several areas along the river. At present, decent size golden perch have been making up the majority of anglers’ captures, averaging between 40-45cm. The numbers of Murray cod caught have been very encouraging. Most fish caught have been around 50-60cm, but there has been the occasional large Murray cod landed. A range of lures have been working well, but my most productive options have been lipless crankbaits in dark colours and spinnerbaits with black or purple blades. In periods of very low light, swimbaits and surface lures have been producing some quality Murray cod. CAIRN CURRAN Fishing has slowed down here over the last month, but if you put in the time in there are still some quality fish available. Trolling the edges of the rocky shorelines is still producing small numbers of Murray cod and golden perch. For golden perch, casting lipless crankbaits in bright colours around the treetops and bait fishing off the bank late afternoon and

floats with work mate Justin Mulholland. They managed to nail some lovely browns including Justin’s first ever fish! He’s now hooked and ready to chase the trout on Wendouree again. Fly fishing on and after dark has been exceptional, with trout and redfin feeding on mudeye as they move in around the edges to hatch into dragonflies. Ballarat Fly Fishers Club has a weekly

competition on a Monday night throughout the daylight savings period from 6-11pm. Over the past month some absolute rippers have been caught on mudeye patterns, notably Ian Penberthy, 61cm brown and Bruce Pipkork’s 59cm brown. These trout are caught, measured, photographed and released to fight another day. Bostock Reservoir is located approximately

through the night have both been productive. Locating a good school of redfin has not been easy. Trolling bright coloured hardbodied lures and casting soft plastics and hopping along the bottom have been the top techniques for redfin. LODDON RIVER The water clarity continues to be patchy in the Loddon River, depending on the river flows. Reasonable numbers of golden perch and the occasional Murray cod have been caught in the section of river directly below Cairn Curran and Laanecoorie. For those anglers fishing the Bridgewater section of the Loddon, the most productive fishing has been in the lower section in the Ski Zone and around town where the water clarity has been the best. If you are fishing the Ski Zone, make sure you abide by the rules for this area, which are sign posted at the main boat ramps. I would only recommend fishing these areas very early in the morning or very late in the afternoon when the boat traffic is minimal. Further downstream, the water clarity has been improving in the Serpentine section of the Loddon

This 58cm golden perch was caught at Lake Eppalock on a slow rolled lipless crankbait. River. I did recently receive a report of some anglers who had been camping at this location and had their camping equipment stolen

while they were out fishing. If you are out fishing at this location and you do see any suspicious activity, please report it to the police.

Justin Mulholland caught his first ever trout from Lake Wendouree on a mudeye suspended under a bubble float. Photo courtesy of Steve Angee.

Bruce Pipkorn caught a 59cm brown trout from Lake Wendouree with a Craig’s Night Time fly pattern. Photo courtesy of Bruce Pipkorn.

40km from Ballarat near Ballan and is another water not heavily fished. It has good access for anglers, especially those who don’t mind a good walk. Victorian Fisheries Authority regularly stocks Bostock with rainbow

and brown trout. It also has a healthy population of resident redfin that vary in size. Bostock Reservoir caters for many angling methods, with plenty of rainbow trout being caught at the moment on small dry

flies early in the morning when they are feeding on midge. They have also been caught on Powerbait fished on a running sinker rig, and early morning and evenings have produced the best results. FEBRUARY 2020

WHAT’S NEW FISHING SFT TAKUMI

SFT is a new tackle brand to hit Australian shores, and the range includes some serious lures for serious offshore anglers. Anyone who keeps an ear to the ground would have already heard of the SFT Takumi lure last tuna season in South Australia. The Takumi has been the must-have lure to use, with countless fish caught on it. The Takumi comes in three sizes, 75mm, 95mm and 125mm. It can be trolled or cast, and being a weighted lure it tracks straight and quite fast, allowing it to be trolled at speeds up to 15 knots. Boasting fully wired though construction and Owner trebles straight out the pack, the Takumi also runs well with inline singles for catch and release anglers. The SFT range also includes lures to suit salmon, kingfish, GTs, mulloway, barramundi, snapper and more. You can check out the range and stockist locations at the SWL Distributions website. You can also follow SFT Australia on Facebook and Instagram. www.swldistributions.com.au

DAIWA LEGALIS RODS

The new Daiwa Legalis series is light in the hand yet heavy in quality. Featuring advanced design and excellent value for money, this rod series performs well above its price point. The Legalis’ Braiding X graphite blank, with its robust and rugged construction, boasts superior lightness, sensitivity and responsiveness. The Legalis’ impressive blank is matched by its equally impressive hardware, with stainless steel O ring guides, Daiwa Surround Hold reel seats and a combination of cork and EVA grips providing comfort, control and stylish design and looks. With a range that includes 16 models (10 spin and six baitcaster), the Legalis series has tapers and designs to suit a variety of angling types, from ultra-light estuary to heavy-duty freshwater and inshore. If you’re in the market for a good quality budget baitcaster, check out the range at your favourite tackle store. www.daiwafishing.com.au

NEW ZMAN COLOURS

There have been some exciting new ZMan colour additions, including purple death, the Wright stuff and hot craw. Purple death is making a name for itself in both the fresh and salt, thanks to its UVreactive green belly, translucent purple back and micro glitter that adds a natural scale flash. It is available in both the 3” MinnowZ and 4” DieZel MinnowZ. The Wright stuff colour is named after US angler Jesse ‘Redfish’ Wright, who helped design it. This natural translucent brown colour contains a mix of black, gold and copper fleck, making it dynamite in dirty and tannin-stained water, along with targeting species that reside around muddy and weedy environments. Available in the 3” MinnowZ and 4” DieZel MinnowZ, these two new colours will be on the menu for flathead, barra, jacks, mulloway, bass and more. The hot craw colour has a dark back over a bright red, with a black and gold glitter. Hot Craw is an excellent reaction colour, and it stands out from the natural colour range offered in these models. It’s available in both the 2.5” TRD CrawZ and 2.75” TRD BugZ. The 2.5” TRD CrawZ, 2.75” TRD BugZ and 3” MinnowZ have six per pack, while the

FEBRUARY 2020

PRODUCT GUIDE 4” DieZel MinnowZ has five per pack. Price: SRP $11.95 www.z-man.com.au

TICA BRUTE WOLF REEL

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TiCA has released a new large sized spinning reel for the budget conscious angler, and it’s jam-packed with quality features at an affordable price. The TiCA Brute Wolf features a high tensile strength slim body frame that helps to keep weight down. Other features include a forged aluminium spool, computer-balanced rotor, multi anti-reverse, TiCA’s IOS Intelligent Oscillating System, and four TiCA rust-resistant bearings. The Brute Wolf also offers a robust 10kg of drag pressure, and comes with an extra large, round EVA power handle for extreme cranking power. The Brute Wolf will retrieve 90cm of line per handle turn on its 4.4:1 ratio, and will hold 320m of 20lb line. All in all, it’s the perfect entry level reel for the angler wanting a large line capacity while fishing the rocks or surf. Price: SRP $70 www.jurofishing.com

TASSIE DEVIL BLADES 5 AND SPOONS The new Tasmanian Devil Blade features a uniquely designed spinner blade which has been created to match the famous Tasmanian Devil lure. The blade provides a distinct, enticing action as it spins through the water. The Devil Blade range features custom Tasmanian Devil paint designs that have been created specifically for freshwater species. Devil Blades are available in two sizes, 3.8g and 5.4g, and each lure is equipped with quality terminal tackle and VMC treble hooks. Another new release is the Devil Spoon, which has the dual attraction of vibration and flash. As the spoon travels through the water it flutters from side to side and emits a vibration that attracts fish, even in cloudy water. The polished underside of the Devil Spoon produces a flash attraction which is particularly effective in clear, running water, and it’s a proven trigger for predatory species. It’s available now in 7.5g and 12.5g sizes. www.jmgillies.com.au

BIWAA BALTIK 7” PADDLE TAIL

The Baltik Swimbait 7” is one of the newest members of BIWAA’s soft swimbait line-up, and has been designed by one of BIWAA’s most innovative pro staffers, Kevin Hernandez. The Baltik Swimbait 7” looks as good as it performs, and is great for a wide variety of presentations. It can be fished with great effect at any speed. This big 7” paddle tail is what you need if you are targeting barramundi, mulloway or cod. You can rig it with weighted or unweighted weedless hooks, or use a jighead with a 7/0 hook. Other features include: durable and long lasting plastic formulation; 3D eyes; photorealistic paint designs; and 3D scales to create an ultra lifelike appearance. The BIWAA Baltik Swimbait 7” is available in six colours (08 – herring, 19 – aurora gold, 22 – hitch, 008 – pearl white, 303 – pro blue, 305 – lavender) and comes in packs of two. You can view the full colour range on the EJ Todd website. www.ejtodd.com.au

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING

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SAMAKI MANGROVE JACK

The Manic Jack shirt takes red dogs to a new level! Aggressive by nature, this powerhouse of a species pounces at speed, attacking the Samaki Redic lure – and lurking in the background is the school of pups waiting for an opportunity to join in on the feast. The lightweight fabric is perfect for all outdoor elements, shielding you from the harsh sun with UPF50+ protection. The soft touch 100% polyester material is comfortable on the body, and has the added feature of being breathable, keeping you cool and dry. Samaki designs are brought to you by Australian anglers who love to design Australian species. These shirts are available in adult, youth and kids sizes, ranging from size 2 through to a 5XL, allowing the whole family to get in on the action and out onto the water. You can find more information and stockists on the Samaki website. You can also see the latest releases, catch photos and special promotions on Facebook and Instagram. Price: SRP $59.95 (adults), SRP $49.95 (kids) www.samaki.com.au

RAPALA X-RAP MAG CAST

Built heavy and aerodynamic for extreme casting distances, the new Rapala X-Rap Magnum Cast delivers even in the most demanding saltwater fishing conditions. Heavy-duty construction ensures that the X-Rap Magnum Cast stands up to the strongest of saltwater beasts. Featuring a perfectly balanced swimming action for fast retrieves, it will run straight even with the fastest cast-and-burn presentations. Its fluttering action on the drop also adds lifelike flash. Other features include: full wire through construction, extreme casting performance, perfect balance, new generation high definition colours, 3D holographic eyes, and durable in-line VMC single hooks. For more information head to the Rapala website, or look them up on Facebook (www.facebook. com/rapala.australia) or Instagram (@ rapalaaustralia). www.rapala.com.au

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SAMAKI TEFLON KNIVES

Following an extensive design process, Samaki have produced a knife to suit all anglers. This knife fits comfortably in your hand, is built strong with a German stainless steel blade, and is rust resistant with a Teflon coating. The ultra-sharp German stainless steel blade is of the finest quality, with excellent durability and longevity, and a Teflon coating for rust resistance. The handle has been carefully shaped and moulded to suit a variety of anglers’ hands, fitting comfortably and allowing you to apply pressure when necessary. The two-toned Samaki design allows for a good grip and protection of your hand. Our sheaths are custom designed from the ground up, and have a sharpener at the tip for that quick touch up, a scoop for innards removal, rear belt clip for fast access and screw holes for attachment to your bait board or chopping board. This sheath has it all! With two lengths of 6.5” and 7.5”, Samaki offers a fine boning blade, two all-rounder fillet knives, and a super flex fillet. For more information and stockists, check

out the Samaki website. You can also join them on Instagram and Facebook for updates and catch photos. www.samaki.com.au

ZEREK ICE GIGOLO

The Ice Gigolo is a classic ice jig that is 40mm long and available in six colours. Weighing an easy-to-use 10g, the Ice Gigolo is ideal for targeting suspended Australian bass, redfin and trout in our many lakes and reservoirs. Work it with a subtle hop or with light taps on the rod butt to shake the Gigolo in the fish’s face to ensure solid strikes. With a specifically placed tow point that allows the Ice Gigolo to dart from side to side easily, this lure is fantastic for shut down and hard-totempt fish. Equipped with two strong single hooks on the ends and a belly treble underneath, hookup rates compare very well with all other ice jigs on the market. Clever anglers adjust this lure’s capabilities by removing the belly treble and placing a sinker on the hanger to give the lure greater depth capabilities without the loss of action. www.wilsonfishing.com.au

LIVETARGET SLOW ROLL SHINER

The award-winning LiveTarget Slow Roll Shiner features Injected Core Technology (ICT) which produces a lifelike ultra-realistic metallic core with lifelike eyes and scale patterns produces large amounts of flash and providing perfect balance, while the outer Exo-Skin generates a hard-thumping paddle tail action. The result is a perfect looking, shimmering baitfish profile inside a larger, clear paddle-tail soft plastic. Unlike other soft plastics, the Slow Roll Shiner’s thumping tail creates a whole body rolling action. This subtle and enticing roll is irresistible to a range of species, including bream, bass, flathead and barra. It can be rigged weedless for fishing in snaggy country, and it’s also very effective when rigged on a traditional jighead and retrieved along the bottom. LiveTarget Slow Roll Shiners are currently available in six colours and three sizes. The 3” and 4” models come in a pack of four, and the 5” version comes in a pack of three. LiveTarget lures are distributed by EJ Todd, and you can check out the full range on their website. www.ejtodd.com.au

DAIWA X TIDE COLLAB

It’s time to dress to impress with the Daiwa X Tide Collab range. Featuring a more generous sizing than previous collabs, the range ticks the boxes in both looks and comfort and welcomes some new stylings to the popular Daiwa X Tide Collab line-up. Featuring six pieces in the range, including two short sleeve T-shirt designs (Barramundi and Locked Up designs), Lake design long sleeve tee, and two-toned (black and camo) Nature Boardshorts, the new collab series is Daiwa streetwear with that classic Tide flavour. On the water the new Nature Jersey and Facemask will have you protected from the elements with their SPF 50+ rating, and the contemporary style will stand out in a crowd on the beach, boat or headland. Look good and stay protected this summer with the Daiwa X Tide Collab summer series. www.daiwafishing.com.au

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au FEBRUARY 2020

WHAT’S NEW FISHING

PRODUCT GUIDE

JIG STAR SHIMANO BLUE STARWALKER LURES 13 ROMANCE Jig Star evolved after its founder and acclaimed jigging expert Chris Wong in New Zealand had spent many years jigging with some of the world’s most renowned big fish anglers from Japan, USA, Southeast Asia, South Africa and New Zealand. Hundreds of hours were spent testing products. One of his latest releases is the Starwalker, an inexpensive but productive topwater stickbait that has proven highly effective on yellowtail kingfish, tuna and giant trevally. Starwalker lures cast like bullets, are perfectly weight balanced, and don’t tumble during casting. These lures feature a hi-tech laser etched holographic finish, and come in eight vibrant natural baitfish finishes. Starwalker lures are 18cm long and are available in both floating (100g) and sinking (130g) models. Each lure features a wire through body construction for added strength, and stainless steel tow points. These lures come un-rigged to allow the angler to determine their chosen configuration. Jig Star recommends using 8/0-9/0 inline hooks, such as Jig Star In-Line Hooks, to ensure a perfect swimming action. To find out more about the Jig Star range visit the Juro Oz Pro Tackle website. www.jurofishing.com

SHIMANO BRENIOUS 14 JIGS The Brenious NT (bottom style) jigs are an exciting new way to fish soft plastics, introduced to Australia direct from the Japanese domestic market. This innovative snag resistant jig is designed for bottom style fishing and can be hopped, slow rolled, jigged and dead sticked and consistently accounts for fish in a diverse range of environments. This finesse jig can be used with a variety of plastic styles in the Squidgy Bio family and has proven deadly on a range of Australian species ranging from bream, flathead, snapper, trevally, bass, and yellowbelly. The Brenious NT jigs are available in three weights (5g, 7g and 10g) and four colours (flash purple, flash green, flash pink and suika red). Price: SRP $8.95 www.shimanofish.com.au

PRO LURE FISHTAIL

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Designed by Shimano Japan, the new Blue Romance series incorporates the most popular actions from the Australian TK3G series and unique Shimano rod components. Featuring Shimano’s High Power X graphite blanks, which features 0 and 90° wrapped graphite sheets and spiralled Infinity Tape prevents the rod twisting during the cast and the fight. A CI4+ reel seat provides weight reduction advantages, EVA grips for functionality and comfort, and Fuji’s classic K aeries Alconite guides throughout. There’s a choice of spin rods in one and two-piece in a range of line weights, from ultra-light up to heavy-duty. Baitcaster users are well covered also, with a single piece 5’8” and a 6’0” option featuring the same componentry, but with trigger grip reel seats. www.shimanofish.com.au

PLATYPUS STEALTH 17 FC LEADER Manufactured in Japan to exacting specifications, Platypus Stealth FC is an advanced fluorocarbon leader that offers cutting-edge technology and excellent value for money. With over 120 years of line development and manufacturing in Australia, Platypus has comprehensively tested its fluorocarbon leaders to deliver a world-class product. This leader has extreme abrasion and impact resistance, excellent knot strength and a refractive index close to that of water, making it virtually invisible underwater. Stealth FC also has a quicker sink rate than mono, making it ideal for maintaining contact with baits and lures when sinking, while not absorbing water and in turn maintaining its strength throughout extended fishing sessions. An elastic line tamer comes with each spool, protecting and controlling the leader on the spool, while allowing easy dispensing via the eyelet on the line tamer. This avoids the spaghetti mess of leaders without keepers, and the difficulty of locating the end of the leader in hank style, clamshell spools. Platypus Stealth FC is available in breaking strains from 2lb-50lb, and spool lengths from 50-100m. Price: SRP $18.95 - $22.95 www.fishplatypus.com.au

RAPALA 15 RIP STOP

Over the past 12 months Pro Lure have been working on some modifications to the popular Fishtail soft bait. In order to increase the versatility and make the lure easier to rig, several changes have been made. A shallow split belly has been added to aid weedless rigging with worm hooks, and the dorsal fin has been removed, replaced with a shallow groove along the back, making it easier to rig straight and align jigheads, as well as having a protecting channel for weedless worm hook points to sit snugly. The final change is a slight narrowing up front so that standard jigheads will sit cleaner. The addition of a white albino colour to the range and more rigging options will provide more possibilities for the Fishtail. The Pro Lure Fishtail is available in three sizes, 80mm, 105mm, and 130mm. Trade enquiries can be directed to sales@ prolureaustralia.com.au. www.prolureaustralia.com.au

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The new Rapala Rip Stop is described as ‘fast ripping – hard stopping’. Its unique boot tail design acts as a break when paused, and when the lure stops it perfectly suspends, triggering the bite. The one-of-a-kind tail design generates a fast-ripping and flashing swimbait action. The unique body style lessens forward travel after each twitch, delivering an action that is unlike anything the fish have ever seen. Built with a secondary lip towards the rear of the bait, the Rapala RipStop Jerkbait stops on a dime, and produces a subtle shimmy before coming to a rest, then ever-so-slightly lifts its heard with a super-slow rise. You can fish it for a range of species using a variety of techniques, and cast it far with little effort. This suspending lure is available in two sizes, 9cm (7g, 0.9-1.2m running depth) and 12cm (14g, 1.3-1.6m). There is also a Deep version, which is 12cm long and dives to 1.22.4m. www.rapala.com.au

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Mangrove Outdoors M-Series Coolers – built tough, excellent cooling The 2020 cooler market isn’t quite as crowded as the sublimated fishing shirts scene, but the number of offerings – both good and bad – has certainly grown significantly in the last few years. When Mangrove Outdoors launched mid-way through last year, this Aussie small business set out to break the mould and offer features you won’t find in most other coolers at a price that’s not going to cost you a second mortgage. While there are big plans in place to expand the Mangrove Outdoors range, their first offering is fairly simple: three different sized coolers (20L, 45L and 70L) in three colours (Uluru Red, Daintree Camo and Thredbo White). Accompanying the coolers is a small range of accessories and apparel. Each is well made and features only subtle labelling.

The rubber latches keep a great seal but are easy enough to open that my 9yo daughter, Asha can easily open them.

20L CONSTRUCTION Rotomolded in the same fashion as your kayak might be, the walls of the coolers are made from BPA-free, UV-stabilised material and are smooth and easy clean after a trip. In between those walls is plenty of high-density poly foam insulation to keep your essentials cooler for longer. From the first time you pick them up you can feel they are built to last, and every cooler has its own unique pattern. FEATURES It’s clear that plenty of thought and research has been put into configuring each of the current sizes. All come with strong XL-sized hinges which don’t protrude from the main body, have comfortable non-slip handles, and oversized rubber latches that keep a tight seal but are easy enough to use that my 9yo daughter can open them. Perhaps my favourite feature though is the marine-grade, slip-resistant pad with a pair of cut-outs that fit your stubby perfectly. It also provides extra insulation and makes it comfy to sit on. The 45L and 70L models come standard with a dry goods basket, drink holder and an acrylic cutting board which also doubles as a divider. This is very handy for keeping your catch separate from your other food and drinks if you decide to keep a couple for the table. All models feature lockable lids and tiedown loops so you can leave them in the boat or ute tray without having to worry some scumbag will help themselves to your precious cargo. On the Mangrove Outdoors website there’s a handy guide of just what you’ll fit inside your new icebox, measured by beers + bags of ice. From my own ‘research’ they are accurate, and are as follows:

• 20L: 12 beers + one bag of ice • 45L: 30 beers + three bags of ice • 70L: 60 beers + four bags of ice When you add the storage basket to the larger two models you can also keep those other fishing trip essentials fresh and cool, – i.e. a couple of servo pies, a box of Pizza Shapes and two king-sized Chunky Kit-Kats. PERFORMANCE So far so good, but what happens when the sun starts to sizzle and you need to keep the T-bones and marlin cans cold? This is was the most impressive part for me. The M-Series coolers exceeded all my expectations when it came to

Plain old servo party ice was lasting up to three full days in the smaller two coolers, and when I went on a camping trip and took the big rig, I used the supplied info sheet and combined block ice I froze myself with 4L ice-cream containers. I was able to get five days of stable, dependable cooling before heading home for a much-needed shower! This is with all with very little maintenance from myself as far as opening the bung to drain the excess water. If I was more attentive it would have extended the life of the ice even further, but for the purpose of this review I wanted to just let it do its thing and report back on what you guys can expect as a basemark for performance.

OVERALL To say I’m impressed by the Mangrove Outdoors M-Series would be the understatement of the year. My family spends a lot of time in the outdoors, and being able to keep food fresh and drinks icy-cold away from home makes our lives so much better. For my kids to be able to easily grab themselves a drink or snack without me having to get up again might just be my favourite feature. With prices ranging from $229-$449 with free shipping available to most areas, Mangrove Outdoors are making it easy for Aussie fishos and families to have a premium quality cooler without the price tag you might see from overseas owned companies. If you’re tired of poor performance and durability from your current ice-box, jump onto www.mangroveoutdoors.com.au and order one for yourself. - RUPE

45L internal temperatures and how long the ice lasted in the red-hot Queensland summer. I’ve had all three out and about with me camping, at Christmas BBQs and running around the Gold Coast broadwater islands on a sweltering New Years Day. Each time they stood up to the heat and to my kids constantly opening them, despite growing levels of threats from myself!

70L

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au FEBRUARY 2020

Future of citizen science in rec fishing SUNTAG

Stefan Sawynok

The National Recreational Fishing Conference was held just before Christmas, and this time around the topic of choice was citizen science. I was a little surprised at Infofish not being asked to attend, but to be fair, we had three separate groups presenting that were using our data and technology. I have always preferred long form mediums, like Fishing Monthly, as 20 minute presentations are good to give an overview but I prefer to get into the meat of the topic. This is now the my sixth year of articles in Fishing Monthly writing on a wide variety of subjects, and for the first couple of years, I was writing on nothing but citizen science topics, so it’s a good time to reflect on where we were then, where we are now, and where we need to go. It’s fair to say that in that time, the number of uses we have found for fishing data has grown significantly. First question that I had to ask was, is there a future for citizen science data? Over time we have seen challenges in terms of club participation and volunteers dropping off. However, I believe that citizen science does have a future, but only a limited one if the traditional approaches are followed. CITIZEN SCIENCE? The term citizen science is a very limiting term when it comes to recreational fishing, because it ‘presumes’ that the reason someone is involved is for the science, and that the only useful output of the activity is ‘a scientific outcome’. The reality is that people get involved with data collection for a whole lot of reasons, citizen science focused groups are by far one of the smallest groups in the fishing community. Even then, the number of large contributors is even smaller. Our database has had 30,519 fishers either tag or report a fish recapture through various tagging programs, which is a serious number of fishers totalling 894,876 fish. The top 100 fishers have contributed 379,715 or 42% of the records. The top 150 have contributed 438,686 or 49%. So over 30 years, just 150 fishers have contributed half of the data recorded. Most citizen science programs can more accurately be described as communitybased monitoring that produce a dataset that can be used for science. We recently provided nearly 300,000 barramundi tagging records that will be used by a range of scientific projects and is by far the richest dataset 98

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available. Nobody set out to tag 300,000 barramundi and the reality is if this was an official fully funded government program without volunteers, then the cost of data collection would have been astronomical. That dataset has been used for dozens of projects and reports over the years so instead of a single use, single purpose data collection exercise that ends in a paper, you have a dataset that has benefitted the wider community in many ways. Community-collected data has enormous value. WHY DON’T MORE SCIENTISTS USE CITIZEN SCIENCE DATA? I know better than most the brick wall that fisheries management can be when it comes to citizen science. None the less, over time the barriers to using communitycollected data are breaking down, not least because commercial catch data does not provide universal coverage, leaving them poorly placed to address a growing number of community concerns. SHOULD THEY USE THE DATA? It depends. Scientific processes are not renowned for their transparency. There is a degree of transparency within the review process, but tends to be a black box to the wider community. Further, in my experience scientists don’t trust ordinary people to collect data correctly and often lack the skills in communication to deal with public scrutiny. If the data is contributing to important science that is independent of any management decisions, I am more open to giving the black box approach a pass. If the data is really just being used by scientists as a part of a management exercise, a lack of transparency should be treated with scorn. Why should fishers contribute to something that will impact them, if it’s all going to be worked out behind closed doors? The answer is they shouldn’t. SCALE IS THE PROBLEM The two largest programs we have – Suntag and the NSW Game Fish Tagging programs have an ongoing base of fisher but are just two pieces of a much larger puzzle. They have depth in terms of time sequences, both dating back more than 30 years, but the geographic coverage is still limited. Tagging is also not a universal activity and there are varied regulations that manage the tagging process. Here in lies the problem in citizen science data, it’s only as good as its availability. We can’t answer any questions in the areas where we don’t have data, and in general the number of questions that can be answered without comparative data from other areas is equally limited. As excited as people are at the possibilities that come

with cheap community collected data, I generally recommend a cold shower unless you are willing to put the priority on how you get the data in the first place. THE SCALABILITY PROBLEM AND PASSIVE DATA COLLECTION It’s not too difficult to get a program of volunteer collected data happening, growing it and keeping it going is another matter altogether. Most people don’t consider social media to be a ‘citizen science’ program but in fact YouTube, Google search, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter combined are the largest ‘citizen science’ program in the world. These datasets are used to train large-scale artificial intelligence algorithms that do everything from guide advertising to manage behaviour. This model proved so successful that it’s become the go-to model within the fitness industry, empowering individuals to collect data on themselves as they go about their business, day and night, awake or asleep. Passive data is what made the gig economy possible, from Airbnb to UBER. Sure, these services connect people at the core but without the learning algorithms, the efficiency of those services would be as poor as the traditional services they replaced. Without learning the smaller habits of customers, the efficiency of routes and so on they would be just another Trading Post. I have not used a taxi unless needed because this is the passive data collection model, that is instead of ‘intentionally’ setting out to collect data for the purpose of research, the data is collected as a normal part of daily activity, it’s utility decided once the data becomes available. Passive data spawned the movement away from statistics to data science, where robust survey design was replaced by a more discovery driven approach. PUT FISHERS BEFORE DATA I don’t believe that a top down ‘build and they will come approach’ will work and I have 30 years of evidence across dozens of programs in the country to attest to that. When I built Track My Fish, we built it a different purpose to what we do today, specifically to market to citizen science. I binned that version, partly because there just isn’t the market to sustain citizen science apps without a lot of government funding, a big marketing budget and a lot of patience. Even then governments have their own agendas and that tends to be a turn off for a lot of people. The bigger reason I binned it though was the realisation from the early users that none of the fishers wanted an app for citizen science. We had invested in the app, so I wanted to do something

with that base that would make the effort worthwhile. There had always been a phase two planned, looking specifically at fishing tournaments, where I saw a number of issues for event managers that could be simplified with technology. At that point we shelved the citizen science goals and went to work building the tournament management platform. That platform has delivered 35,000 catches in 18 months across all states and New Zealand. That kind of growth would never have been achieved through the previous version. Throughout that time, we have always worked with fishers and any way we can improve on what we are doing to help them out – we will do it. We haven’t focused on citizen science at all with that data, but we have over that period added value to the dataset by checking nearly 20,000 photos for markers that indicate fish health. We have also been able to record the presence of species in areas that are normally considered outside their range. There are bigger things we can do with that dataset, but I believe in being driven by the community on such matters, so if there are questions we can help with I am up for it. Building a network that is useful to fishers takes priority for me. So long as it’s method of collecting data is consistent, it will be useful to answering questions. Once you have datasets, you can have a conversation on what to do with them but you need to put being useful to fishers first. SIZE DOESN’T MATTER (WELL ACTUALLY IT DOES) Imagination is a limit and most fishers imaging what they catch by rod and reel is the most important thing. Rarely do people think much about what they catch in their castnet except for bait or a meal of prawns. I would be unsurprised to discover that along the way there are a bunch of significant by-catches that go unnoticed or tossed away. Over the past 20 years, we started recording the details of catches via castnets, refining the methodology to the point where we have had scientific papers produced. Castnets target a surprising range of species at a point in their lifecycle where knowing what’s there is important – the babies. Rockhampton has had four poor years of barramundi recruitment in a row, which means there are pretty much only mature adult fish in the system. That makes for good results for fishers, but results that are degrading over time, as the rate of replenishment is lower than the rate of mortality. The case for top up stocking as a longer term strategy is growing with every year, especially as the Fitzroy River is now a

serious tourist fisher destination. Castnet surveys are cheap and easy to perform and they provide a wealth of data on what is going on in the fishery. We have completed more than 1000 of them and they have provided some of our best real science. My point is that the definition of useful data need to be expanded beyond the rod and reel. Sometimes the most effective measure you can have is to know when recruitment is high or low so you aren’t guessing what the next years fishing will be like. CLIMATE CHANGE IS THE BIGGEST GAME IN TOWN Climate change has been a big topic over the summer as our country burns, bringing out the forces for and against. Up front, I am particularly concerned which camp you fall in. The processes behind climate change are down to physics, not a subjective, wishy washy science but forces that are hard baked into the universe. Climate change is a slow but relentless process, the extremes will get worse with long enough periods of respite to forget what the fuss was all about, which is what makes it so dangerous to ignore. That said, I am as opposed to those who feel a religious fervour on dealing with climate change, as I am those who deny it. We need to respond to what is happening, but reacting in fear is as dangerous as doing nothing at all. In all the publicity, there have been many animals affected and the rounds of media focused on koalas and birds have gotten a look in as well. Gone in the ten second attention span of the news cycle has been the stories on fish. A quick look around the country sees few of the impoundments flush with water, many down to alarming levels. Many of these impoundments were stocked in the good times, for example the SIPS formula in Queensland is based on surface area. While many of our species have evolved in what is a boom bust environment, that was done at a time when mobility was possible at least at the points prior to the dry times. Impoundments by definition are designed to stop the movement of species. With intense temperatures and lower water levels, might this not affect the fish? We did a Biosonics fish survey in 40°C heat in Rockhampton before Christmas, it was so hot that all our equipment failed and our Biosonics unit had its GPS interface burn out permanently. Water temperatures were in the 30s. When we looked at the results of the survey, the fish were all concentrated in the channels of deep water. That probably shouldn’t be a surprise but it suggests to me that fish do suffer from heat stress. I wonder if we shouldn’t

be planning around cycles, and the habitat available when the water levels fall because this time will come again and all available evidence, each time it will be worse. At a competition on the Sunshine Coast in September, the number of pikey bream recorded was surprisingly high. The long-term fish tagging records certainly show that the ranges of fish are changing, whether that change is opportunistic, or a trend is not yet clear. These are the sorts of problems that long-term citizen science data is perfect for, to compare results in good and bad times, year on year. Fish are creatures of biology, but that doesn’t mean that physics won’t kick them hard, creating winners and losers. Put tilapia on the list of winners by the way. Climate change will have a huge say on the state of our fishery into the future. As a fishing community, leaving our homework to the last minute in terms of collecting data, will leave us with precious few options in terms of responding to what in the next 20 years will be a climatically changing world. Accepting ignorance is just another way of saying you are willing to accept the chips; however they fall. Nobody will whinge when things go wrong, I am sure. SETTING IN FOR THE LONG TERM The direction of citizen science was the core topic of the national conference, which means it was late to the party, however this is a monumental step forward. It’s vital that a direction is set for citizen science into the future. There is no one group that can deliver a large scale, longterm citizen science dataset. There are a range of data networks that will spring up and I have already advocated (unsuccessfully) that providing a mechanism for those networks to contribute to a larger citizen science dataset is the only way you are going to get the coverage needed. Some of those networks originate outside of Australia, what motivation do they have to open up their datasets without having a process to protect their IP and revenue streams? I hope that at some point a solution will be found.Until the focus of the direction of citizen science moves to solving the scaling problem, the application of citizen collected data will frustratingly limited and fragmented at a time where the fishery faces real challenges that are bigger than just being about who should have access to the fish. The scalability problem is the only problem I am focused on right now. Overcome that, and the possibilities to do science that will help fish and fisher alike become real

175, 200, 225hp V6 175, 200, 225hp V6

A New Era in A New Era in FourStroke FourStroke

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6 Holland Drive Melton Phone: (03) 9747 0588 | Fax: (03) 9747 3999 Website: themarineshop.com.au

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878 Springvale Road Braeside Phone: (03) 9798 8883 | Fax: (03) 9798 7554 Website: jvmarine.com.au

117 Northgate Drive Thomastown Phone: (03) 9465 8787 | Fax: (03) 9466 1418 Website: triplemmarine.com.au

MELBOURNE BL MARINE

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612- 614 Plenty Road Preston Phone: (03) 9478 1420 | Fax: (03) 9470 4638 Website: blmarine.com.au

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SHEPPARTON BOATS AND MORE

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Plenty to promote for WIRF WIRF

Cara Cummings

What a huge couple of months it has been, and it doesn’t look like it’s about to slow down either! The

perch, trout, redfin, Murray cod and carp. VIC FISH KIDS/CODSTIVAL It was a big weekend in Shepparton with the ‘Kid’s Day’ kicking off the festivities. It was a

a go at bank fishing. Sunday saw the return of the annual ‘Codstival’ conference, which provided a wealth of information to all who attended or tuned in via the live stream. Every aspect of cod fishing was covered

Lee Vasic was very pleased with her Murray cod capture. fish are truly on the bite and everyday our WIRF members are sharing stories of their catch. As much as I would like to share all the photos, I would run out of room! So here’s the list of species that have reached the brag mat: Gummy shark, school shark, flathead, bream, snapper, salmon, bluethroat, sweep, squid, estuary perch, golden

(Karen Rees, Shea Bloom, Niki Duckstein and myself) and the manager of the program from the VFA, Belinda Yim were excited to attend the NRFC in Hobart. The wealth of knowledge we have gained and the mammoth support received from other attendees (nationally) has been overwhelming. We were given the opportunity to deliver a presentation explaining who and what the WIRF network is, our achievements so far, our goals, objectives and future endeavours. We received a remarkable response in return, despite the girls running slightly over the allocated time slot. When we weren’t learning from the informative presentations, we were networking, attending meetings and partaking in brainstorming sessions. Shea and Karen were also special guest speakers on ABC Radio. Recreational fishing is so much more than just

WIRF Leaders at the NRFC in Hobart, Tasmania. heading out for a fish, it’s also about eco systems, sustainability, rehabilitation, waterway care, climate

wonderful turn out with 150 lucky kids going home with fishing rods and reels, and big smiles! There were workshops teaching the youngsters how to tie knots, cast and what to do with a fish when you catch one. Special guests Rex Hunt and Lee Rayner, who are ambassadors of the program, were sharing tips and lending a hand with the kids who had

Shea and Karen were special guest speakers on ABC Radio.

The VFA have been busy stocking waterways across Victoria with ‘catchable’ sized cod. 100

FEBRUARY 2020

from insights, tactics, stories, tips, hints and everything else to do with this iconic species. If you missed out, you can head to the VFA YouTube channel to catch these presentations. NATIONAL RECREATIONAL FISHING CONFERENCE The main theme for the conference was all around Citizen Science. Rec fishers are imperative to the success of a healthy and sustainable fishing future. We met with numerous organisations and volunteers paving the way to improve all aspects of the industry and ultimately shape the future of recreational fishing. Four WIRF Leaders

change and so forth. As fishers, we are responsible for our fishing future and need to be actively aware that all these topics are linked to us having the opportunity to go and wet a line! So on that note, I encourage all of you to consider what fishing means to you, your family, the environment and the future. There is a National Recreational Fishing Survey currently being conducted and we urge you to fill it out. Your input is imperative to the future. It doesn’t matter if you are a keen angler or a weekend fisher, your voice matters. Whether fishing is a sport, hobby, lifestyle, retreat, a meal for the family, or something else, we urge you to have your say so please take the time to fill out the survey at www. nationalrecsurvey.com.au. Big things are happening for our network and Women in Fishing. We are so excited

Lilydale Fishing Clinic provided a fun and informative fishing day for the kids from the Lighthouse Project for Disadvantaged Backgrounds.

to implement innovative ideas and continue to expand and grow our sisterhood to get more women involved in fishing! FISHING CLINICS We’ve also been very busy running fishing clinics across the state. With the support of the Victorian Fisheries Authority and Fishcare, Jo Larkin (WIRF

mentor and PE teacher) organised a fishing clinic for her school at Lilydale Lake. The kids also had a ball stocking native fish, Murray cod and golden perch. This is all part of the urban stocking program that gives Victorians and its visitors an excellent chance to catch great fish all year round. Many thanks to fellow WIRF

At Upper Coliban Reservoir, WIRF helped restock the waterway with 2,000 small Murray cod and 20,000 fingerlings.

Leaders, Michelle Jackman and Isabella Sesto who came along to inspire the kids to give fishing a go. Another clinic was supported by WIRF leader, Jaclyn Threlfall. She said, “We had the pleasure of working with Lighthouse Project for Disadvantaged Backgrounds and getting these girls and boys out learning how to rig their rods, find that perfect fishing spot and cast their rods to catch some fish. We had a lot of ‘bird nests’ and ‘snags’ but that was all part of the fun and learning curve of patience and fishing. We love to teach new beginners how to get out there and start fishing and most of all encouraging 50/50 girls and boys on the water. Fishing is not only awesome fun but also proven to be great for mental health and we hope these guys can keep up their skills they learnt to keep fishing in the future.” Shea Bloom organised and ran a Women’s Free Fishing Night at a tackle store in Albury. She had special guest speakers, and plenty of informative wisdom to share. Feedback was wonderful and there have been many requests for another event in the Albury/ Wodonga region. We will be running plenty more of these Ladies

Squid can often change colour even after death. This is due to chromatophores, pigment containing light reflecting cells. Fishing info evenings around the state throughout the year, so be sure to stay tuned. We love meeting our members and sharing our passion. FISH STOCKING The VFA have been busy stocking waterways all across Victoria and I was able to attend the recent stocking at Upper Coliban Reservoir in Central Victoria. We helped release over 2,000 Murray cod at catchable size and 20,000 fingerlings. In a

couple of years, these fish will be most photo worthy! Q&A Q. Having caught fresh squid and once having killed it, the dots and colours were still changing and moving while being prepared. Why is this? A. These are pigment cells called chromatophores, which is what squid, octopus and cuttlefish use to camouflage, signal and change colour. They can sometimes produce

coordinated patterns on the skin even after the animal has died, so don’t worry if you see this occurring while you’re filleting! For upcoming event details and to see what else has been happening, please head to our Facebook group www.facebook.com/groups/ womenrecfishing/ or via the VFA website/Facebook page. Are you a WIRF woman? If not, we’d love to have you on board. Join us on FB today!

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2020

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

1-2 Feb

Vic Bream Classics Round 1

vicbreamclassics.com.au

Marlo

4-5 Feb

ABT BREAM Round 1 Gippsland Lakes

abt.org.au

8-9 Feb

ABT BREAM Round 2 Gippsland Lakes

abt.org.au

22-23 Feb

ABT BREAM Queensland Open Moreton Bay

abt.org.au

29 Feb-1 Mar

Hobie Kayak Bream Series 12 Round 1 Bemm River

hobiefishing.com.au

7-8 Mar

ABT BREAM Round 3 Derwent River

abt.org.au

11-12 Mar

ABT BREAM Round 4 St Helens

abt.org.au

21-22 Mar

Vic Bream Classics Round 2 Metung

vicbreamclassics.com.au

28-29 Mar

Hobie Kayak Bream Series 12 Round 2 Gorges River

hobiefishing.com.au

4-5 Apr

ABT BREAM Round 5 Mandurah

abt.org.au

18-19 Apr

Hobie Kayak Bream Series 12 Round 3 Mallacoota

hobiefishing.com.au

Add your tournament or competition to this list by emailing jthomas@fishingmonthly.com.au or calling 07 3387 0800 in office hours. Just supply a date, venue, tournament name and a telephone number and contact name. FEBRUARY 2020

101

BAIT & TACKLE

MARINE MECHANICS

WEST COAST

PROVEN WORLD LEADING

Naaj Marine 0421 955 371

Portland Bait & Tackle (03) 5523 5213

Unique Marine Accessories (03) 5427 1802

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Hunter Marine Boat Builders (03) 5032 2320

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

MARINE MECHANICS

Specialty Fishing Products

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Korr Lighting She Left

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GT Lures

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FG Wizz

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Kris Oakley Marine Services (03) 9794 5524 JV Marine World Braeside (03) 9798 8883 JV Marine World Laverton (03) 9368 7100 Nautical Marine (03) 5984 1666 Melbourne Marine Centre (03) 9703 2003 Regal Marine (03) 9874 4624 Streaker Marine (03) 9729 8288

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Melbourne Marine Centre (03) 9703 2003 JV Marine World Braeside (03) 9798 8883

Boats and More Shepparton (03) 5822 2108

Compleat Angler Ringwood (03) 9870 7792

Boats and More Echuca (03) 5482 1992

The Flyfisher Melbourne (03) 9621 1246

Eades Xtreme Marine Echuca (03) 5482 2333

EAST COAST Always Angling Traralgon (03) 5174 8544

FRESHWATER Compleat Angler Echuca (03) 5482 1992

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

SCREEN PRINTING

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$90 + GST for 6 months Email: pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

BOAT TRAILER CENTRAL Vic Marine & Trailer Warehouse 0412 264 450

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

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. 102

FEBRUARY 2020

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION WEST COAST

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$320 + GST for 6 months Email : pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION

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www.marlocamping.com.au Marlo Ocean Views Caravan and Camping Park, Marlo (03) 5154 8268

EAST GIPPSLAND (Continued) (03) 5158 4233 or 0427 584 233

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

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

0400 440 705 www.timeoutfishingcharters.com.au

22 85

Timeout Fishing Charters 0400 440 705 South-West Fishing Charters, Portland 0418 306 714 Gone Fishing Charters 0409 007 068

CHARTER BOATS Able Fishing & Charters, Williamstown (03) 9502 3777 ACE Fishing Charters, Bonbeach (03) 9773 4183 Adamas Fishing Charters, Barwon Heads (03) 5254 3320 Big Red Fishing Charters, Queenscliff 1800 805 587 Blue Magic Fishing Charters, Rowville (03) 9759 5301 Geelong Charters & Fishing Trips, Geelong (03) 5275 7107 Katrina Louise Charters, Cheltenham 0402 828 140 Kestrel Charters, Queenscliff (03) 5258 1783 Queenscliff Fishing Charters, Queenscliff 0458 504 058 Pro Red Fishing Charters 0421 442 775

Phone Cases From

29 45

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Far Out Charters, Lakes Entrance 0428 401 819 Prom Coastal Charters, Yanakie (03) 5687 1248 or 0429 935 583 East Gippsland Charters 0400 564 032

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

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

NSW SOUTH COAST

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From

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Reel Affair, Merimbula freecall 1800 233 247 Espirit Charters, Bermagui (02) 6493 4104 or 0407 260 110 Freedom Charters, Eden (02) 6496 1209 or 0415 602 446 Headland Fishing Adventures, Merimbula (02) 6495 1134 Island Charters, Narooma (02) 4476 1047 or 0408 428 857 K9 Fishing Charters, Merimbula (02) 6495 1681 Merimbula Marina, Merimbula (02) 6495 1686 or 0427 951 080 Narooma Charters, Narooma 0407 909 111 O’Brien Charter Service, Bermagui 0407 214 124

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

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 Anchor Right (03) 5968 5014 Salt-away 1800 091 172 or www.salt-away.com.au Techni Ice (03) 9783 1922

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Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call (07) 3387 0800 or email pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au FEBRUARY 2020

103

FUN PAGE AND COMPETITIONS TYPES OF LURE COLOURS

CAMO

REFLECTIVE

IMITATION

LUMINOUS

NATURAL

HOLOGRAPHIC

FLUORESCENT

FLASH

METALLIC

SHINY

CHROME

BRIGHT

CLEAR

DULL

TRANSLUCENT

ULTRAVIOLET

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 2020

Phone (day):

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

Complete the Find the Word and go in the draw to win a Fishing Monthly Prize Pack containing a limited edition neck scarf and a Fishing Monthly environmentally-friendly tote bag.

SPOT THE

10 DIFFERENCES

BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

ORIGINAL

FIND-A-WORD

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

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE

The subscriber prize winner for December is N Dawes of Swan Hill, who won an Alvey prize pack valued at over $300. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – V&TFM

S Brightwell of Mordialloc, N Foot of Lara, R Sanders of KooWeeRup, J Drummond of Moe, R Batty of Brighton, A DeBresser of Apollo Bay, B Riley of Jamieson, R Shrimpton of Rosebudy, G House of Ferntree Gully, K Schnitzer of Cooma, M Rose of Capel Sound, W Henley of Park Orchards, Jett Booth of Miners Rest, D Parry of Stawell, W Hester of Cohuna, D Boros of

Korumburra, F Oleszko of Braybrook, A Strange of Cardigan, R Price of Mildura, D Robinson of Carisbrook, B Rafferty of Maryborough, B Sharp of Mendouree, C Gevvetsen of Walkerville, J Thomas of Broadford, L Neilson of Rochester, T Stevenson of Mooroopna, L Greaves of Doreen. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – V&TFM

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS

FIND THE ZMAN LOGO

104

FEBRUARY 2020

GUESS THE FISH?

This month’s Guess the Fish Answer: Giant Gruoper

The answers to Find the ZMan Logo for December were: 8, 10, 16, 19, 38, 40, 44, 52, 53, 60, 66, 70, 82, 88, 94. – V&TFM The Find the ZMan Logo prize winners for December were: M Meyer of Dartmouth, G Smith of Stawell, N Bryant of North Albury, B Delphine of Emerald, C Hehir of Belmont, K Tripp of Glenroy, R Coombes of Vermont, D Gillett of Portarlington, D Coltish of Tatura, M Miller of Euroa, M Fryer of North Balwyn, W Johnson of Morwell, M Moulding of Lakes Entrance,

Answer:

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106 Have a plan ‘B’ when kayak fishing Tom Wilson discusses the importance of having a backup plan when you take the yak out!

108 Get around your ramp knowledge

Wayne Kampe passes on some valuable tips to make your time at the boat ramp more comfortable.

114 Anglapro Core CSR444

Steve Morgan has a run in this fantastic sportfishing rig, powered by a Suzuki 50hp 4-stroke!

FEBRUARY 2020

105

A plan ‘B’ will save you from fishless days VICTORIA

Tom Wilson

When the stars align and I set out for a day’s fishing, I usually hit the water with a target species in mind. When fishing an estuary, it’s most likely bream and flathead I’m hunting. In the bays, I’m often searching for snapper and

of these locations are great for catching cricket scores of bream or the elusive monster dusky flathead but they also have a tendency to shut down without warning. Having a fishless day when you’ve travelled for five hours from Melbourne is upsetting to say the least. What can save the day when bream and flatties won’t play ball is that there is always an

they are unfathomably fast. The way to work a lure for them is the same: fast and aggressive. If you’re fishing soft plastics for bream or flathead, you can switch to plan ‘B’ by simply changing up your retrieve and burning the lure back fast. However, when I’m serious about chasing a chopper, I like to go on the troll. I use shallow diving

The author caught this hungry tailor from Lake Tyers.

Aussie salmon are a great alternative when fishing for snapper in Mornington. gummy sharks. As we all know, even the best-laid plans in fishing can fail, so what do you do when your target species is completely shut down? Some anglers like to do battle with their chosen species until the bitter end and can take a defeat well, but I take it pretty hard when I have to end a trip having not caught a fish. When the going gets tough, I pride myself on having plenty of backup options so I can still have a productive day. CHOPPERS Some of my favourite places to fish in Victoria are the East Gippsland estuaries, particularly Lake Tyers, Marlo, the Bemm River and Mallacoota. All

angry tailor out there that is eager to annihilate a fastmoving lure. It puzzles me that tailor are not more commonly targeted in Victoria. In Queensland, the big ones are well respected as the powerful sportfish that they are. In Victoria, we tend to view them as annoying by-catch that will chop your lure off when you’re targeting bream, hence the nickname ‘choppers’. The fact that we view tailor as a by-catch species does not change the fact that these small to medium size fish are a hell of a lot of fun to catch on light gear. If you’ve ever spotted a tailor darting through the shallows, you’ll know that

Lake Tyers has a solid bread and butter population but it’s good to have options when they won’t play the game. 106

FEBRUARY 2020

hardbodies for a troll; anything that resembles a small baitfish and dives to about 1m is perfect. You could find a chopper anywhere in these expansive estuaries but if you focus your attention on the edges of banks and weed beds, you greatly improve your chances. Once you have chosen a location, it becomes a simple game of endurance.

Troll that little lure as fast as you can in your yak for as long as you can. It’s only a matter of time until you come across a grumpy chopper that will launch an assault on it! AUSSIE SALMON The next species on the list is not so much a backup plan as an opportunity to be seized when it arrives. Australian salmon congregate in large numbers

This impressive Flinders snook put up a tough fight.

in both Victorian bays and as soon as the school shows up is when plan ‘B’ gets put into action. The way it usually plays out is that I’ll be quietly fishing for snapper when I hear a faint splashing sound in the distance. On a calm morning, I can spot the commotion of salmon feeding on the surface from quite a long way away. Sometimes it’s a flock of birds dive bombing small baitfish being pressured to the surface that gives the school away. Once I’ve spotted them, I haul up lines and anchors at record speed and get over to the school as fast as my pedal powered kayak will take me. Ideally, I’d have a small soft plastic like a Berkley Gulp 4” Nemesis or a ZMan 2.5” GrubZ already rigged on a 1/4oz jighead but sometimes I have to tie one on in a mad panic! As soon as I get within casting distance of the school, I flick the lure across the fish and roll straight through with a medium-fast retrieve. The hard part in all of this is locating and reaching the school. Once you have

The Bemm River has plenty of aggressive choppers to chase.

your lure swimming through a mass of frenzied salmon, you’ll almost certainly hook up in the first couple of casts. COUTA AND SNOOK Two species make up the next of my backup plan list, barracouta and snook. I lump these two together because I target them in the same area and with exactly the same methods. Neither of these species is highly sought after as a table fish but they hit a lure hard, and sometimes all you want at the end of a tough trip is to see your rod bend. When I launch from

Flinders to fish the western entrance, I’m typically looking to catch squid over the shallow reef or sharks out deeper. When these plans fall through or when I’m travelling between spots, it’s time to troll for some angry looking pelagic fish. I prefer to troll for snook and barracouta as opposed to casting and retrieving lures, because it allows you to cover ground faster and to keep your lure in the strike zone for much longer. You want your lures to be swimming mid-water

to catch the attention of these cruising monsters. At Flinders, where I like to troll in about 6m of water, I aim to keep my lure swimming at about 3m deep. As with all of these pelagic species, you really can’t troll too fast for them in a muscle-powered kayak. Snook and barracouta are lightning fast hunters so a lure trolled as fast as your legs will carry you will be chased down with ease! You’re trying to imitate a small baitfish when you select a lure for the troll, and getting it to shimmy down to

A lovely sunrise from the yak on Port Phillip Bay.

Barracouta love to strike a suspending deep diving hardbodied lure.

the 3m strike zone is the key to success. Medium to deep diving hardbodies are a very easy way to achieve this; simply tie one on that dives to the desired depth range and away you go. I like a suspending hardbodied lure for this task because it gives you the option of a lengthy pause in the strike zone. The strategic pause of a suspending hardbody lure can trigger just about any fish species to attack! Soft plastic lures on heavily weighted jigheads are another option I’ve

used with great success. A 100mm Squidgy Fish on a 3/4oz jighead, when trolled a long way behind your boat at medium-fast speed, should sit at just the right depth to catch the eye of cruising predators. One more lure option worth a try is the winged Tassie Devil lure. It’s not an offering that gets pulled from a saltwater angler’s tackle box very often but the erratic wobble of these lures drive snook and barracouta crazy! A little bit of help might be required to get these lures to sit at the right

depth when you’re trolling them fast. I use a running sinker rig with a reasonably heavy ball sinker running free above a swivel and then about 2m of leader down to where your Tassie Devil is attached to achieve this. While I hope that everyone who reads this catches their target species in abundance, the reality is that slow fishing days are part of the game. Hopefully the information provided helps you avoid the dreaded fishless day when you’re doing it tough.

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www.tacklejunkie.fish FEBRUARY 2020

107

Boat ramp smiles for miles BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

A boating lifestyle is a great lifestyle. Whether it’s fishing, touring or just ‘taking her for a run’ to ensure that all systems are working, the chance to get on the water in a small boat and start an engine is one of life’s pleasures. NO NANNY STATE One of the main attractions with boating is of course, the freedom. The Nanny State stops at the ramp and the rules and regulations are quite limited when compared with driving a car. Navigation rules simply come down to common sense: who wants to run aground? If everything goes well, you get to the ramp and then give a small amount of attention to straps, maybe lift the engine a bit higher, and back down the ramp so the boat can be pushed, slid, lowered by winch or driven off the trailer. Retrieving the boat isn’t always as easy as launching. Things can change, and I’ll discuss this later. And occasionally things aren’t ideal for the launch either.

the crowds on a weekend morning you often have to launch at 3:30-3:45am. With a lot of boats ready to go at just a few

and the shackle connecting the safety chain and boat has been greased recently so it won’t need tools to free it.

the car driver, if possible. Dropping a trailer off the end of a ramp into deep water and current in the pre-dawn gloom is no way

Borumba Dam’s ramp shares a trait with several other freshwater ramps in that slime adorns nasty rocks on the sides.

Adverse conditions can occur when retrieving the boat. This ramp was child’s play when launching at daylight, but not so much fun when this photo was taken. minutes’ notice around the same time of day, things can become a bit hectic. Manners have been left at home, and there can often be tension between ramp users. This is not how things should be and it’s certainly not an enjoyable way to start a day on the water. Try to keep things in perspective and on an even keel. While there might be

ramp, you should shift it so that other boaters can also launch – and this is where things can get tricky. Some ramps cater for this, or at least have a pontoon close by, while other ramps are cramped and tend to make things hard. If there’s nowhere for you to move your boat out of the way,

inconsiderate so-and-so is backing down on her. It’s just not on. RAMP HAZARDS Fortunately, most marine ramps have stand-by areas at their ends or sides which can usually be reached without getting wet above the knees. However, freshwater

KEEP THAT RAMP FRIENDLY For skippers who are new to boating, there are a few pitfalls to consider before putting the trailer wheels in the water. It’s a good idea to have a look at your selected ramp prior to a first launch, to check out its size and slope. And if the ramp is a makeshift job, as we have on some

A welcome sight: a boat ramp with plenty of slope, ready and waiting for the boat. Just be aware that things may have changed a lot by the time you return. to start the day. Also, if the ramp has a shallow gradient and/or the tide is low, it might be necessary to physically push the boat off to get it into the drink. Once your boat is off the trailer on a narrow

don’t stress – everyone else just has to sit and wait for a short while until your crew are ready to go. It’s not a good look to see a mum with kids in the boat try to move a fair lump of a craft (while dad is parking the car) because some

Makeshift ramps can be tricky. Check to see what depth, slope and mud awaits the boat. EARLY STARTS THE NORM Frustratingly, what was so easy a decade ago now tends to be harder, thanks to an increase in boater numbers. As boating has gained more and more popularity, boat ramps don’t seem to have increased in number or size to keep up with this growth. Launching can be tricky, especially in areas of dense population. At this time of year, if you want to beat 108

FEBRUARY 2020

a bit of a delay in launching it’s not hard to stay out a few minutes longer to make it up. For skippers who are accustomed to launching under pressure from other boaters waiting their turn, things seldom go pear shaped. These skippers have a mental checklist to make sure that routine tasks are performed before backing down the ramp. The tie-down straps are off, bungs are in, engine is up,

of our unofficial launching areas these days, it will pay to see what your wheels will be going down into. There may be weed or mud, and/or it might be much too shallow. A ramp’s slope and size dictates how far the trailer may need to go in the water for you to get the boat off. For this reason, you might want to have someone accompany the trailer down the ramp and into the water to provide feedback to

Life is a bit easier when the ramp has a pontoon beside it.

ramps can be very difficult, due to a lack of room or localised hazards. A couple of examples of tricky ramps would be Borumba Dam and Peter Faust’s ramps. Both are very busy on a weekend or Friday afternoon, especially Faust if there’s an upcoming tide change (this is considered to be a hot barra bite time). Both ramps have nasty slimy rocks beside them, accompanied by a generous coating of slime in the area where the boat leaves the trailer. This situation can make things… interesting. For example, if you’re at Peter Faust and a strong southerly is piping through the surrounding hills, it’s very difficult to hold your boat steady at the end of the ramp. For this reason it’s wise to have a rope handy to let the boat out a tad while the car is being parked. My advice is that if you’re launching in fresh

g. een. a Lift sides price e.

water in new territory, especially in the dark, avoid moving quickly around the boat. If you do, you may well end up with a wet backside. RETRIEVAL ISSUES Now that we’ve covered launching the boat, let’s have look at retrieving it. In the sea, retrieval isn’t always as carefree as the launch, because tide height may have changed a lot, and there’s possibly

a fair line up at the ramp, all waiting to get out of the water. On top of this, your team may be tired and irritable thanks to that sparrow chirp start, or just plain cranky because the fishing was poor. Been there, done that! Crosswinds can also raise their ugly heads on a tidal change to make things hard, which can see the long-suffering partner holding the boat in enough water to get it onto the

trailer while the car is being reversed down. This is a time for patience and good humour. And if things are going pear-shaped for someone else, go and help them if you can. Help is much more effective and appreciated than abuse. The last thing that should occur is for another boat to be trying to reverse down while a boat is trying to come out. This situation is very frustrating if you’re

A busy bayside ramp on a Saturday morning. This photo was taken at 6am.

A busy ramp, yet the team with the catamaran had the rig off the trailer, in the water and out of the way in only a couple of minutes.

flying solo and have to leave the boat at the ramp while you’re getting your car and trailer. At Borumba Dam one busy afternoon I saw a solo boat owner in his car, lined up, and ready to reverse down. He was faced with letting four other teams launch or retrieve their boats before he was able to complete backing down the ramp to get his tinny out. Pretty frustrating! Boating isn’t always easy, but we should all do our utmost to make

it what it should be: an enjoyable escape from the day-to-day grind. FUN TIMES AT FAUST On the topic of fun I’ll share an interesting incident which occurred at Peter Faust’s ramp. With fishing over for the morning I was holding the Galey at the end of the ramp while my wife Denise went up to get the car and trailer. Low and behold, down backs a ute and jet ski straight onto me. The driver, not acknowledging my presence, almost

pushed me right off the ramp as he braked to slide the ski off its trailer. No sooner had I dodged this missile than I spotted a big brown snake next to me in the water, which had been rudely tipped out of a nice, warm spot in the jet ski. Not good! I hastily pushed the boat out and scrambled aboard in one movement. The snake must have thought I’d take it for a spin because the cheeky devil tried to get over the transom! The E-Tec was in gear the second it fired.

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109

Victorian Tide Times

2020 2020 Local Time

POINT LONSDALE – VICTORIA POINT – 144° VICTORIA LAT 38°LONSDALE 18’ S LONG 37’ E

JANUARY Time m JANUARY Time 0506 1048 WE 1653 2249 WE

1 1 2 0538 1126 2

TH 1733 TH 2325

3 0609 1202 3

Time 1.61 0506 0.54 1048 1.36 1653 0.35 2249 1.57 0538 0.52 1126 1.33 1733 0.42 2325 1.52 0609 0.51 1202 1.29 1815

18’ S of High LONG 144° 37’ E TimesLAT and38° Heights and Low Waters Times and Heights of High and Low Waters MARCH FEBRUARY Time m Time Time FEBRUARY m Time MARCH m m

Time m Time m 0536 1.53 0458 1.68 05360.41 1.53 10390458 0.421.68 1137 11371.37 0.41 17001039 1.490.42 SA 1753 17530.50 1.37 2246 0.271.49 2339 TH 1700 SA 2246 0.27 2339 0.50 0537 1.65 0606 1.49 06060.39 1.49 11250537 0.351.65 1210 12101.36 0.39 17511125 1.480.35 SU 1834 FR 1751 SU 1834 1.36 2333 0.351.48 2333 0.35 0616 1.60 0014 0.57 00141.44 0.57 12120616 0.301.60 0638 06380.38 1.44 18481212 1.460.30 MO 1243 12431.34 0.38 SA 1848 1.46 MO 1919 1919 1.34 0020 0.45 0052 0.65 00521.39 0.65 06580020 1.550.45 0714 07140.38 1.39 12590658 0.271.55 TU 1316 13161.32 0.38 SU 1259 TU 1953 1.430.27 2012 1953 1.43 2012 1.32 0108 0.56 0132 0.73 01321.33 0.73 07420108 1.480.56 0753 07530.38 1.33 13480742 0.271.48 WE 1355 13551.31 0.38 MO 1348 WE 2101 1.410.27 2111 2101 1.41 2111 1.31 0159 0.67 0220 0.82 0159 0.67 0220 0.82 0832 1.41 0840 1.28 0832 1.41 0840 1.28 14421442 0.290.29 TH 1442 0.38 1442 0.38 TU TH 22082208 1.411.41 2216 22161.32 1.32 02580258 0.770.77 0319 0.88 0319 0.88 09300930 1.351.35 0937 09371.24 1.24 15441544 0.310.31 FR 1540 15400.37 0.37 WE FR 23132313 1.421.42 2328 23281.35 1.35 04070407 0.820.82 0432 0.90 0432 0.90 10351035 1.301.30 1047 10471.22 1.22 1652 0.32 1652 SA 1652 0.32 0.35 TH SA 16520.35

16 16

1.61 0.54 TH 1.36 0.35

17 17

1.57 0.52 FR 1.33 0.42

Time 0554 0554 1156 1156 SU 1844 SU 1844

16 16

m 1.61 1.61 0.17 0.17 1.56 1.56

0007 0.47 17 0007 1.55 0.47 170634 0634 0.17 1.55 1240 MO 1240 MO1940 1940 0051 0051 0717 0717 TU 1326 1326 TU2039 2039 0138 0138 0805 0805 WE 1414 1414 WE2140 2140 0230 0230 0901 0901 TH 1510 1510 TH2244 2244 0333 0333 1007 1007 1619 FR 1619 FR2348 2348 0453 0453 1118 1118 1732 SA SA 1732

0.17 1.51 1.51 0.57 0.57 1.48 1.48 0.22 0.22 1.45 1.45 0.66 0.66 1.40 1.40 0.28 0.28 1.39 1.39 0.75 0.75 1.32 1.32 0.35 0.35 1.36 1.36 0.81 0.81 1.25 1.25 0.40 0.40 1.36 1.36

18 18

0.50 19 4 0000 0641 0000 1.47 0.50 4 0641 1.47 19

19 19

5 5

20 20

6 6

21 21

7 7

22 22

8 8

23 23

0051 0051 1.39 1.39 23 0614 23 0614 0.78 0.78 SU 1227 1.23

FR 1815 FR

1.52 0.51 SA 1.29

SA 1239 0.49 SU SA 1239 1902 1.27 0.49 1902 1.27 0039 0.59 0715 0039 1.41 0.59 0715 0.48 1.41 MO SU 1316 1316 SU 1.25 0.48 1956 1956 1.25 0120 0.68 0120 0.68 0753 1.36 0753 1.36 1358 0.47 0.47 TU MO MO 1358 2058 2058 1.25 1.25 0208 0208 0.78 0.78 0838 0838 1.31 1.31 0.46 WE TU 1444 1444 TU 1.28 0.46 2203 2203 1.28 0305 0305 0.86 0.86 0930 0930 1.27 1.27 TH WE 1537 1537 WE 0.44 0.44 2310 2310 1.33 1.33

0.83 0.83 1.22 1.22 0.42 0.42

SU 1227 1.23 1839 1839 0.41 0.41

1.451.45 0.90 0.90 00160016 0035 0147 0415 00351.42 1.42 0147 1.43 1.43 9 0415 24 24 05250525 0.830.83 9 9 1029 1.24 1.24 0549 0722 9 24 1029 05490.86 0.8624 0722 0.71 0.71 FR 1142 1.28 TH 1640 0.40 SU 1205 1.25 MO 1328 1.27 TH 1640 0.40

FR 1142 1.28 18001800 0.310.31

SU 1205 1.25 1805 18050.31 0.31

MO 1328 1.27 1934 1934 0.39 0.39

Time 0504 0504 1108 1731 SU 1108 2318 SU 1731 2318 0534 0534 1138 1809 MO 1138 MO 1809 2352 2352 0607 0607 1208 1850 TU 1208 TU 1850

0027 0027 4 4 0641 1240 WE 0641

WE 1240 1936 1936 0103 0103 0717 0717 1315 TH 1315 TH 2030 2030 0145 0145 0802 0802 1400 FR 1400 FR 2133 2133 0238 0238 0901 0901 1457 SA 1457 SA 2245 2245

55 66

Local Time APRIL APRIL Time Time m

m Time m m Time m 0529 1.59 0538 1.44 1.51 0529 05381136 1.44 0.32 1.51 11321.59 0.12 0.34 1132 11361826 0.32 1.55 0.34 18290.12 1.65 1.48 MO WE 1.48 23491.65 0.52 WE 1826 1.55 TH 0.52 MO 1829 2349 0.52 0.52 0610 1.53 0004 0.67 1.49 0610 00040613 0.67 1.40 1.49 12161.53 0.17 0.32 1216 0613 1.40 0.33 0.32 19200.17 1.57 1.47 TU TH 1207 0.33 1.50 1.47 FR TH 12071909 0.58 TU 1920 1.57 1909 1.50 0.58 0031 0.59 0040 0.72 1.45 0031 00400651 0.72 1.35 1.45 06530.59 1.46 0.32 0653 0651 1.35 0.35 0.32 13001.46 0.25 1.45 WE FR 1244 0.35 1.44 1.45 WE 1300 SA 20130.25 1.48 FR 12442000 2013 1.48 2000 1.44 0115 0.67 0119 0.76 0.64 0115 01190739 0.76 1.31 0.64 07410.67 1.37 1.40 0741 0739 1.31 0.39 1.40 13451.37 0.34 0.32 TH SA 1329 0.39 1.39 0.32 SU 21100.34 1.40 SA 13292059 1.41 TH 1345 2110 1.40 2059 1.39 1.41 0204 0.74 0210 0.79 0.71 0204 02100742 0.79 1.27 0.71 08380.74 1.29 1.34 0838 07421326 1.27 0.45 1.34 14361.29 0.44 0.33 FR SU 0.45 1.37 0.33 MO 22100.44 1.34 SU 13262107 1.37 FR 1436 2210 1.34 2107 1.37 1.37 0304 0.79 0216 0.78 0.78 0304 0.79 0216 0.78 0.78 0945 1.22 0903 1.27 1.29 0945 1.22 0903 1.27 1.29 1541 0.52 1440 0.51 0.35 MO 1541 0.52 1440 0.51 TU 0.35 SASA MO 2314 1.32 2217 1.34 2314 1.32 2217 1.38 1.38 1.34 04250.81 0.81 0.83 0425 03360336 0.72 0.72 0.83 11011.19 1.19 1.25 1101 10331033 1.34 1.34 1.25 17000.56 0.56 1604 0.38 SU TU 1700 1604 0.55 0.55 0.38 WE TU 1.34 SU 23222322 1.43 1.43 1.34

16 16

Time

0530 16 16 1133 TH 1845 2355

m 0530 1.44 1133 0.34 1845 1.53 2355 0.69 0618 1.36 1215 0.45 1937 1.44

17 17

0618 17 17 1215

18 18

0043 0043 0716 18 18 0716 0.74 1.28

19 19

20 20

21 21

22 22

FR 1937

m 1.44 0.34 1.53 0.69 1.36 0.45 1.44

0.74 1.28 SA 1303 0.55 1303 2032 0.55 1.37 2032 1.37 0140 0.78 0140 0829 0.78 1.22 0829 1.22 0.64 SU 1400 1400 2130 0.64 1.33 2130 1.33 0257 0.78 0257 0945 0.78 1.21 0945 1514 1.21 0.71 MO 1514 2227 0.71 1.32 2227 1.32 0418 0.74 0418 0.74 1058 1.26 1058 1.26 0.74 TU 1636 1636 0.74 2319 2319 1.33 1.33 0521 0521 0.66 0.66 1200 1200 1.34 1.34 WE 1744 1744 0.73 0.73

00151.32 1.32 0346 0.85 0.85 04550455 0.59 0.59 0004 0004 1.36 230015 8 0346 8 1150 23 05500.77 0.77 8 1150 1017 1.23 1.2323 8 23 0550 1017 1.46 1.46 0608 0608 0.57 SU 1610 0.40 MO 1214 1.22 WE 1729 0.55 TH 1249

SU 1610 0.40 MO 1214 1.22 WE 1729 0.55 18140.57 0.57 2358 1.37 1.37 1814 2358

1.36 0.57 1.44 1249 1.44 TH 1834 1834 0.72 0.72

0507 0.81 0.81 01101.36 1.36 1.40 00180018 1.50 1.50 0043 0043 9 0507 9 0601 24 240110 1145 1.27 1.2724 06580.68 0.68 9 0601 9 24 1145 0646 0646 0.49 0658 0.44 0.44 MO 1731 0.40 TU 1316 1.28 FR 1330 TH 1256 1.61

1.40 0.49 TU 1316 1.28 TH 1256 1.61 FR 1330 1.54 1.54 19150.55 0.55 0.70 0.70 1915 18361836 0.53 0.53 1915 1915

MO 1731 0.40

1.41 1.41 01160116 0134 0232 01541.40 1.40 1.501.50 0100 1.44 1.44 0013 01341.50 1.50 0232 1.47 1.47 01090109 1.56 1.56 0117 0117 1.44 10 0013 25 25 25 10 0100 250154 0531 0.90 0.90 0659 0814 07460.59 0.591010 06370637 0.790.7910 0625 0.69 0.6925 10 25 10 25 0531 06590.76 0.7625 0814 0.62 0.62 10 0746 06570657 0.30 0.30 0722 0722 0.42 0625 1132 1.25 1316 1.32 1420 1.33 1409 1.37 1353 1.73 1406 1245 1.29 1301 1.37 FR

SA SA 1245 1.29 MOMO 1316 1.32 TU FR 1132 1.25 TU 1420 1.33 1745 1745 0.34 0.34 18581858 1912 2021 0.290.29 19120.26 0.26 2021 0.38 0.38

1.44 0.42 1409 1.37 1.73 SA 1406 WE FR SA 1.62 1.62 TU 1301 1.37 WE FR 1353 TU 20020.53 0.53 1850 0.37 0.37 2002 19301930 0.52 0.52 1950 1950 0.69 0.69 1850

1.541.54 0155 1.52 1.52 02301.44 1.44 1.49 1.49 02110211 1.47 02261.57 1.57 0308 1.50 1.50 01550155 1.60 1.60 0152 0152 260230 11 0110 26 26 11 0155 26 26 110226 260308 11 0110 07380738 0.720.7211 0756 0856 0730 0.54 0.5426 08260.50 0.501111 0638 0.85 0.85 0756 0756 0.38 07560.64 0.6426 0856 0.54 0.54 11 0730 0826 07470747 0.19 0.19 0638 1445 1.81 1440 1341 1.32 1417 1.41 1506 1.38 1406 1.49 1452 1.45 1238 1.28 SA

SU SU 1341 1.32 TU TU 1417 1.41 WE WE 1506 1.38 SA 1238 1.28 0.280.28 2009 2102 1843 1843 0.28 0.28 19491949 20090.23 0.23 2102 0.39 0.39

1.47 0.38 1452 1.45 1.81 SU 1440 SA SU 1.67 1.67 WE 1406 1.49 THTH WE SA 1445 1955 0.35 0.35 20420.53 0.53 0.68 0.68 1955 2042 20182018 0.53 0.53 2025 2025

03131.63 1.63 0339 1.52 1.52 0300 02390239 1.62 1.62 0227 0227 1.49 0244 1.581.58 0244 1.58 1.58 03001.47 1.47 1.58 1.58 02570257 120313 270339 27 27 12 0201 27 12 0201 27 12 27 08470.51 0.5127 0932 0.47 0.47 12 0900 08360836 0.14 0.14 0829 0829 0.35 0825 0732 08300830 0.650.6512 0847 0932 0825 0.39 0.3927 09000.43 0.431212 0732 0.78 0.78 1513 1.50 1545 1.43 1529 1.52 1535 1.83 1515 1.70 1431 1.34 1504 1.61 1338 1.33

1.34 1513 1.50 TH TH1545 1.43 MO SU 1.33 MO 1431 WEWE SU 1338 21010.23 0.23 2138 0.41 0.41 0.280.28 2101 2138 1935 1935 0.22 0.22 20362036

1.49 0.35 MO MO 1515 1.70 TH TH 1504 1.61 FRFR 1529 1.52 SU SU 1535 1.83 2116 21032103 0.54 0.54 2059 2059 0.68 0.68 2048 2048 0.35 0.35 21160.53 0.53

03210321 1.61 1.61 0302 0302 1.49 03561.66 1.66 0407 1.53 1.53 0328 0330 03301.49 1.49 1.64 1.64 03360336 1.591.59 0328 1.63 1.63 28 28 28 130356 280407 13 0249 28 13 28 13 0249 09220922 0.13 0.13 0901 0901 0.34 0821 09370.38 0.3828 1005 0.41 0.41 13 0915 0932 0937 1005 09320.37 0.371313 0821 0.69 0.69 09140914 0.580.5813 0915 0.26 0.2628 1623 1.79 1550 1.70 1431 1.39 1516 1.37 1605 1.57 1621 1.46 1558 1.69 1602 1.57

1605 1.57 FR 1.37 MO 1.39 TU FR1621 1.46 TH TH MO 1431 TU 1516 21500.26 0.26 2212 0.44 0.44 2150 2212 2024 2024 0.19 0.19 21172117 0.300.30

1.49 0.34 TU TU 1550 1.70 FR FR 1558 1.69 SASA 1602 1.57 MO MO 1623 1.79 21472147 0.56 0.56 2133 2133 0.68 0.68 2137 2150 21500.54 0.54 2137 0.37 0.37

04020402 1.57 1.57 0338 0338 1.47 04361.67 1.67 0435 1.53 1.53 0409 0400 04001.50 1.50 1.68 1.68 04100410 1.591.59 0409 1.64 1.64 140436 290435 29 29 14 0334 29 10071007 0.17 0.17 0933 0933 0.34 10240.27 0.2729 1037 0.37 0.37 14 1002 1004 0907 29 14 29 14 0334 1024 1037 10040.34 0.341414 0907 0.60 0.60 09540954 0.520.5214 1002 0.16 0.1629 TU 1709 1.72 WE 1627 1.68 FR 1657 1.60 SA 1656 1.48 SA 1649 1.72 SU 1636 1.60 TU 1522 1.44 WE 1558 1.38

FR 1657 1.60 SA 1656 1.48 TU 1522 1.44 WE 1558 1.38 22370.31 0.31 2245 0.47 0.47 2237 2245 2112 2112 0.18 0.18 21562156 0.330.33

05151.65 1.65 1.571.57 1.70 1.70 04400440 15 0417 30 150515 11110.20 0.20 0953 30 15 0417 1111 10301030 0.480.4815 0953 0.51 0.51 SA 1749 1.59 WE 1611 1.48 TH 1637 1.39

SA 1749 1.59 TH 1637 1.39 WE 1611 1.48 23230.39 0.39 2323 0.380.38 2159 2159 0.21 0.21 22302230 05080508 1.551.55 11051105 0.440.44 1715 FR 1.381.38 FR 17152304 2304 0.430.43

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SA 1649 1.72 2223 2223 0.41 0.41

SU 1636 1.60 2223 22230.56 0.56

1.47 0.34 TU 1709 1.72 WE 1627 1.68 22302230 0.60 0.60 2208 2208 0.70 0.70

1.44 0449 0432 04450445 1.51 1.51 0414 0414 04321.50 1.50 0449 1.63 1.63 30 30 15 1006 1006 0.35 1048 1035 10501050 0.25 0.25 15 30 10350.32 0.321515 1048 0.12 0.1230 SU 1739 1.71 MO 1710 1.61 WE 1756 1.63 TH 1706 1.64

SU 1739 1.71 2307 2307 0.46 0.46

MO 1710 1.61 2257 22570.59 0.59 0505 1.47 0505 1.47 1105 11050.31 0.31 1746 TUTU 17461.59 1.59 2330 23300.63 0.63

1.44 0.35 TH 1706 1.64 WE 1756 1.63 0.72 0.72 23122312 0.64 0.64 2243 2243

31 31

 Copyright Commonwealth of Australia2019, 2019,Bureau Bureau of of Meteorology Meteorology  Copyright Commonwealth of Australia Datum of Predictions is Lowest AstronomicalTide Tide Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) daylight savings savings time when in effect Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) orordaylight time(UTC (UTC+11:00) +11:00) when in effect New Moon First Quarter LastLast Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon 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. 110

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WHAT’S NEW BOATING POWERWINCH 912 TRAILER WINCH

The affordable Powerwinch 912 electric trailer winch is designed for power-in and free-wheeling out. Features include an efficient gear train system for smoother pulling action and less amperage draw, a level wind system that prevents snarls and cable wear, aircraft-quality cable fitted with safety hooks, and a super-tough, ABS weatherresistant housing. This winch suits boats from 7-9m L.O.A. The maximum single line pulling capacity is 1587kg, the maximum double line pulling capacity is 2721kg, and the maximum approx. boat weight is 4535kg. The Powerwinch 912 is supplied with a simple-to-install wiring harness that can be hooked up to any 12V auto or truck battery in minutes. www.powerwinch.com

RAILBLAZA RODSTOW

The RodStow rod holder system is a vertical fishing rod storage rack and caddy for boats. RodStow rod racks will hold your rods above deck, safely and securely, until you’re ready to fish. These rod holders have a removable gimbal pin that you can leave in to support the rod and stop rotation, or remove to let the rod pass through. RodStow is a modular system, so if you buy more you can add them together to make longer rod racks. If you buy a Double or Triple kit you can easily join the components together with the provided stainless steel fasteners, and install it in minutes. The attached storage caddy holds lures, leader and other tackle, and it’s even big enough to hold a small tackle box. The Double kit has one caddy, and the Triple kit has two. Offset mounting is possible, preventing large reels from hitting each other. The vertical RodStow rod rack is suitable for most rods and reels, including spinning, baitcast and game reels, and any length of rod. It’s made from UV Stabilised, fibreglass reinforced engineering polymers, and comes in black or white. Price: SRP $49.99 (Double model with caddy) www.railblaza.com

FUSION MS-RA210 STEREO

Fusion has launched the successor to the highly popular MS-RA205: the MSRA210. Packed with Fusion Digital Signal Processing (DSP) technology, it delivers an exceptional audio experience in a compact form. The MS-RA210 features a 2.7” optically bonded colour LCD display, built-in Class-D amplifier, Multi-Zone technology in two zones, and Fusion-Link integration. The brilliant, fullcolour LCD display offers colourful album art with information such as the artist, album and track title. Meeting both IPX6 and IPX7 international standards for water resistance from the front panel, the MS-RA210 is built to last in the harsh marine environment. Fusion’s DSP technology delivers premium audio to all speakers, subwoofers and amplifiers. Every step of the audio chain is optimised to deliver a technically superior listening experience, without the need for boat owners to have a technical understanding. Setting up DSP profiles is simple with the free Fusion-Link app. With just a few clicks, you can set up the preconfigured DSP profile to play high-quality audio, customised for your ears and the environment. Precisely calculated loudness curves are optimized to ensure quality audio delivered at every volume level. www.fusionentertainment.com

VESPER CORTEX

PRODUCT GUIDE

The Cortex from Vesper Marine is the world’s first radio with wireless touchscreen handsets, built-in Class B SOTDMA smartAIS transponder and remote vessel monitoring. Cortex alerts boaters of collision risks, providing information about the potential threat and making it easy to communicate with them. The touchscreen handset makes typically complicated functions easy to use. For example, touching a vessel onscreen and pressing ‘call’ makes a direct DSC call. Cortex continuously shows crossing situations, navigation light sectors and even allows trial manoeuvres while a boater talks on the VHF radio. A 10W speaker output enables louder audio and alerting even while handsets are turned off. Cortex includes dual-watch, favourite channels and onehanded operation. Pressing the man overboard button activates a track back mode on all handsets and marks the waypoint on NMEA 2000 connected MFDs. Cortex combines data such as wind speed, GPS and AIS to prioritise alerts, such as potential collision or anchor drag or MOB. For the full list of features visit the Vesper website. www.vespermarine.com

STAR BRITE HULL CLEANER

Star brite Hull Cleaner gel formula sticks where it’s applied, to maximise cling time and cleaning power. This product completely covers stains to penetrate and dissolve them. It’s specifically formulated to remove the toughest stains, including rust, dried fish blood and leaf stains. It works on all fiberglass and painted surfaces and is ideal for vertical surfaces. This product does not contain harmful acids, and it’s safe and easy to use. You just spray it onto the surface being cleaned (rubber gloves are recommended), let it remain on the surface until the stain disappears, then rinse thoroughly with fresh water. Stubborn stains or spots may require a repeated application with longer soak time and gentle scrubbing. Price: SRP $35 www.starbrite.com

YELLOWFIN PLATE CC

All models in Yellowfin’s updated Centre Console series come standard with Yellowfin Plate’s Spartan Console. This rugged, wide console has plenty of room for electronics and grab rails. For additional cover, a Dolphin Pro T-Top can be installed. The biggest of Yellowfin Centre Consoles (7000 and 7600) can be optioned up to the Mega Console. This aluminium folding console is 220cm high with six rod holders, space for a 16” sounder and room for a radio or other accessories in the top. Standard fishing include 6-side deck rod holders, a live bait tank and self-draining deck. The Platinum Pack includes a bow mount plate, removable bait board, deck wash and more. To get up to the 520mm high raised casting platform, there are steps on either side of the boat with a space in the middle so you can fish at sea level or raised up. Inside the casting platform is a large hatch that can fit a big icebox. he strike chair in the Centre Console is wide enough for two passengers and can quickly be reversed with two release pins. Yellowfin Plate owners can be driving one minute and fishing the next, and the Offshore HD Hull will keep drivers stable and dry. www.yellowfinplateboats.com.au

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

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Stessco 620 Albacore with Yamaha F200hp - SC

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plenty of dry storage. Overall the ride was very smooth, and the boat handled extremely well and felt stable on the turns. Given the day we had and the centre console configuration of the boat, we did get a bit wet, but if you drove more sensibly than we did you could easily avoid the late shower! The top speed of 68km/h

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Bob Thornton

It’s rare enough that I get to leave the office to test such a big, bad-ass boat, but even rarer that mother nature dishes out some conditions to adequately test it in! Stessco never cease to amaze me by just how many types of boaters they can cater to. From decked out tinnies and jon boats for fishing ponds, to sleek, tournament-ready fishing machines, to familyfriendly runabouts, and all the way to comfortable offshore rigs for the most serious of anglers – they literally do have it all. This time round we were testing out a boat in the latter category, the 620 Albacore, the biggest in its series. This premium fishing rig, with its hi-tech fit-outs, big T-top and dual-axle trailer was a tad intimidating at first, however after a quick tour courtesy of Stessco’s Lance Warren, it was clear to me that this boat was built with the serious offshore angler in mind! A QUICK LOOK Having a quick walk around, Lance told me that this is the largest of the Albacore series, at 6.55m long, with the others coming in at 5.9, 5.6 and 5.42m. “The Albacore series of boats was one of the first boats the Stessco name branded as a centre console sea-going boat, so it’s one of the original Stessco boats,” he explained. And with it being one of the SPECIFICATIONS Length (mm) ....... 6550 Beam (mm) ......... 2480 Depth (mm)......... 1480 Bottom sides (mm) .. 5 Top sides (mm) ......... 4 Max. hp ................. 200 Transom height .....25” Max. people.............. 6 112

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specialised purposes, and sometimes even singular species. This version of the 620 Albacore is the perfect boat for someone who wants to fish offshore but not limit their fishing to only a few species. This is truly a ‘jack of all trades’ offshore boat. Whether it’s dropping baits and jigs for reefies, trolling for mackerel, popping for GTs, or even

PERFORMANCE

Main: With four aboard and the hammers down, this big offshore machine was in its element. Above: The Yamaha F200hp was extremely quiet, even while cruising. originals, it’s clear Stessco have had a long time to modify and perfect the fit-out and design, culminating in a boat that is, as Lance puts it, “tough as nails.” This latest version of the wellproven workhorse is tougher than before, with thicker plate bottom and sides and upgraded horsepower rating. This rig was fitted a Yamaha F200hp (its maximum horsepower), and its optional features included but were not limited to, dual Humminbird Solix units, JBL stereo, BLA Drum Winch, deck hose and a 112lb Minn Kota Ulterra on the bow. All this added up to an impressive looking rig that was not only perfect for taking on just about any offshore fishing challenge, but also a boat with enough creature comforts to entertain any non-fishers. You can get a more thorough rundown of these electronics from Marcel Krieger from BLA by scanning the QR code hereby! TRAILER AND LAUNCHING It always makes sense to put a boat on a trailer designed specifically for it, and this is especially for true for larger rigs such as this one. Stescco offer their customers an extended warranty of five years (on their premium hulls like the Albacore) if they chose

to sit that boat on one of the OEM trailers built by Dunbier. Stessco actually set these trailers up for their boats, so you’ll know you’re getting the best trailer possible for that rig. In this instance, the dualaxle composite design of the trailer made launching and retrieving very easy for two people, with one person needed to connect/disconnect at the winch end and one person at the helm to guide it as it gently slides on or off. Trailing will obviously demand a vehicle with a decent towing capacity, but this is the reality of owning a sea-going boat of this size. ON THE WATER When we motored out of Scarborough Marina, there were four of us aboard; two shy of the maximum persons allowed on this craft. Once underway the first thing I noticed – and it is such a small thing – is the padding around the gunnels, which is a great bracing point for passengers, especially on the choppy day Moreton Bay dished up. The cast deck up the front featured removable padding, meaning the cast deck doubles as a lounge if you just want to enjoy a day on the water with a few snacks, almost like a bowrider. I also liked that with the way the Ulterra was

mounted, it didn’t impede sitting space when stowed. Being a fishing boat, this boat had space to move around the whole boat’s perimeter unobstructed while fighting fish. This is a huge plus when going after bigger ocean going trophies, and while this is going on the skipper can position boat with ease from the centre console. Underdeck and gunnel storage will be very attractive to serious offshore fishers, and the underfloor kill tank toward the stern will negate the need for extra eskies. The large console also allowed for

RPM ...................... km/h ....................... km/L 1000 ............................. 7 ......................... 2.41 1500 ........................... 11 ......................... 2.13 2000 ........................... 13 ......................... 1.46 2500 ........................... 15 ......................... 1.22 3000 ........................... 24 ......................... 1.32 3500 ........................... 35 ......................... 1.54 4000 ........................... 44 ......................... 1.49 4500 ........................... 53 ......................... 1.30 5000 ........................... 59 ......................... 1.00 5500 ........................... 68 ......................... 0.97 WOT ........................... 68 ......................... 0.93 was impressive for a boat this size, however if you wanted to save on fuel and still get to your spot fairly quickly, idling back to around 3500rpm will still get you along at about 35km/h with a fuel economy of 1.54km/L. VERDICT There are many specific boats on the market for very

searching for billfish, this boat would step up to the challenge! With all the bells and whistles this boat had fitted, it would go for around $95,000, however Albacore 620 packages will start at about $60,000. For more information or to find your closest dealer visit www.stessco.com.au.

The slightly rougher than usual conditions allowed the team to really test out the offshore capabilities of this boat.

Top: Entrance from the rear of the vessel is not only easy, but also very safe for younger passengers. Above: Wiring is all internal, but not unreachable – a great balance.

Top: Space is a big feature of the 620 Albacore, which is important when fighting big angry ocean predators, or rocking out to your favourite tunes played through the speaker, as the team may have done… Above: The bait board is an essential piece of equipment to anyone dropping bait for reefies.

The F200hp is one of the more popular models in the Yamaha range, and given the quietness, economy and reliability, it’s not hard to see why.

The room at the stern was fantastic, and the underfloor kill tank had room enough for even long fish such as Spanish mackerel.

That’s one tricked up dash! You can check out Marcel Krieger’s tour of the dash in the video.

Top Left: It’s a small thing, but the foldaway checker plate ladder at the rear makes getting into the boat that much easier. Bottom Left: The BLA drum winch is a luxury for anyone who doesn’t want to be manually pulling the anchor rope all day. Right: The T-top managed to keep the sun off four people, while also not encroach on casting space.

Left: Being able to walk all around the boat unobstructed will appeal to any serious angler, and the padded gunnels make an excellent brace point. Right: The view from the lounge/casting deck up the front shows the internals of a boat that is, as Lance put it, “tough as nails.” FEBRUARY 2020

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Anglapro Core CSR444 with Suzuki 50hp 4-stroke - SC

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Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

Sometimes it seems overwhelming to make the step from your first boat to a bigger, more comfortable boat that expands your range, safety and fishing options. There are literally dozens of options in this class of aluminium boat in Australia. Considering that a really basic tinny will cost you around $10,000, the guys at North Coast Boating Centre in Coffs Harbour have set up this Anglapro Core444CSR for on-water testing. And it’s come in, as tested and drive away, from under $20,000. So what do you get for double your money? Basically, you get a painted, carpeted, more stable and capable boat with boarding steps, storage and the potential to trick it up into a real fishing machine. Let’s look at the details. The 4.5m hull has a 2.11m beam, which makes this rig very wide for its length. It means that you’ll find stability to be no problems compared with a 3.7m v-nosed tinny. PERFORMANCE RPM.... SPEED.km/h 1000 ....................... 3 2000 ....................... 5 3000 ....................... 8 4000 ..................... 24 5000 ..................... 36 6000 ..................... 52 114

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Main: Open tinnies with smooth sides are increasingly popular on the water. The Anglapro Core CSR444 paired with the Suzuki 50hp tiller is a great rig for under $20,000. It’s at home on open water on calm days, and it can sneak up a shallow estuary with ease. Above: Headed out from Coffs Harbour, the Anglapro was noticeably light in the bow. This can easily happen on a boat test where there’s no electric motor, batteries or fishing tackle onboard. The Core444CSR has 3mm bottom sheet and 3mm side sheets with plenty of internal ribs to support the smooth plate gunwales. Traditionally, strength used to be added with clinkered sides, but more and more aluminium boats feature the smooth sided finish nowadays. Before painting, this rig has the floor frames welded in, an optional bow-mounted electric motor bracket and the rear boarding step and rails attached, as well as a couple of internal side pockets. After being sprayed (this one was

white), the carpeted floors are fitted. Finally, the team from NCBC drop it on a single axle, Australian-made trailer (which you can pull around with virtually any car on the road today) and bolt on the 50hp tiller steer Suzuki outboard, which is fuelled by the remote fuel tank that’s kept out of sight under the rear hatch. Registered and out the door, that’s $20,000. You’ll need to add your own fish finders and electric motor. From a fishing point of view, this is an inshore boat that you can take outside on

calm days. We took it for a spin off Coffs Harbour on a calm day with a few lumps left over from some wind elsewhere. You can watch it in action in the video version of this boat test on the Fishing Monthly Magazines YouTube channel (or by scanning the QR code on this page on your smartphone). Although there was no fuel metering equipment fitted on the boat, we did get a feel for it in a cruise up along the coast. At wide open throttle (WOT) we hit a top speed of just over 50km/h at 6,000rpm. The optimum cruising speed was between 4,000 and 5,000rpm, and we infer well over 50km of range from the remote tank. These boats need a little weight up front to balance the ride and help the rig out of the hole. With all of the weight (battery, fuel, motor and two people) down the

SPECIFICATIONS Length................. 4.5m Beam................. 2.11m Depth .................. 1.1m Bottom ................ 3mm Sides ................... 3mm Capacity ..... 4 persons Hull.weight (basic) ................ 250kg back, it took a little effort to get this boat up on the plane, but once you add an electric motor and some of your gear, it will level out nicely. I would also add a couple of seat bases a little further forward. These can help you balance the load, and they also hold the seats when you’re anchored up and drowning some baits. For more information about the Core CSR444 and to check out the rest of the Anglapro range of boats, go to www.anglapro.com.au.

At rest, the Core is stable and roomy. There’s plenty of room for you and a couple of mates to wet a line.

Using a Suzuki with a 20” shaft, there’s a fair difference between the top of the transom and the outboard mounts. Inflow is caught and channeled away by a channeled engine well.

The step and grab rail is standard on this Core model.

The electric motor mount is optional but a necessity on a boat of this size.

The cranking battery sits inside this rear, starboard side hatch.

There are a couple of rear seat mounts, however a port mount a little further forward would allow for a variety of configurations.

Check out this for a mountain of deck space. The semi-raised front deck is a great compromise for a boat that may spend equal times in calm and open waters.

Like all boats with casting decks, the Anglapro gains plenty of underfloor storage space.

The Core comes with a built in anchor well, allowing anchoring as well as electric motor options.

You’ll see plenty of ribs in the smooth sided design.

There are two long side pockets that will hold all of your gear that needs to be readily accessed.

The Core runs a remote, 25L fuel tank. It’s tucked neatly away under the starboard rear hatch.

The step up onto the front deck isn’t too high and gives you the height you need to see into the water. FEBRUARY 2020

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World Class Engines, World Class Support.

All recreational Mercury Outboard models from the 2.5 to 400hp range now come with 6 years of warranty coverage. A comprehensive warranty that’s supported by the strength and service expertise of one of the largest dealer networks in the country. Simply have your engine serviced at an Authorised Service Centre at the recommended servicing intervals and you’re covered by an additional 3-year factory backed warranty on top of the first 3 years. That’s a full 6 years of non-declining warranty coverage. *Terms and conditions apply for full warranty information visit mercurymarine.com.au.

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