Victoria and Tasmania Fishing Monthly January 2020

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January 2020, Vol. 15 No. 3

Contents WEST COAST West Coast

18

18

20

24

26

Warrnambool 19 Apollo Bay

20

Cobden 20

CENTRAL Geelong 24 Port Phillip West

26

Port Phillip North East

28

Mornington Peninsula

30

Port Phillip Surrounds

34

Western Port North

36

Western Port South

37

Phillip Island

38

EAST COAST Gippsland Lakes

42

Corner Inlet

42

Lakes Entrance

43

Bemm River

44

Marlo 44

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

VICTORIAN FRESHWATER Wagga Wagga

60

Mildura 61 Robinvale 61

From the Editor’s Desk...

Got a spare 15 minutes to help protect recreational fishing? Take some time to fill in the National Recreational Fishing Survey, and show policy-makers how important fishing is to Australians.

Surveys like these don’t come around very often, and they help us to understand how many people fish, their patterns in doing it, how much money they spend doing it, and some of the more indirect stuff, like how fishing affects your mental health.

If you’re anything like me, fishing time is quality time – either by yourself or with family and friends – where you can renew your connection to the natural world. You don’t need to stress about the pace and demands of modern life when you’re fishing, and there’s an old saying about the time spent fishing not coming off your number of days allocated on this earth.

Maybe the NRFS will

quantify that! You can fill it out at www.nationalrecsurvey.com. au, and be in the running to share in $6000 worth of prizes.

The survey is run by the Valuing Recreational Fishing project, which is funded by the federal government and Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC). The survey will measure the social and economic

values of recreational fishing and other outdoor activities, and will help to answer such questions as: • Does recreational fishing have a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of fishers?

• How do the benefits of recreational fishing compare to other outdoor activities?

• What is the economic value of recreational fishing to the Australian economy, and the

economy of different states and territories?

• What barriers sometimes prevent people experiencing benefits from fishing?

All Australians aged 18 or older are invited to take part, even those people who don’t fish very often, or haven’t been fishing for a while. If this is you, you’ll be asked when you most recently went fishing, and why you haven’t gone recently.

This is an important part of understanding when fishing does and doesn’t form part of people’s lives.

And if you go fishing all the time, that’s great too – you’ll be able to provide valuable input on the value of fishing for you.

The bottom line? Please spend the time to do this survey.

They won’t ask for GPS marks, and the information won’t be used to restrict fishing access, regardless of what the tinfoil hat brigade will have you believe!

The survey is open until 14 February, 2020.

Yarrawonga 62 Snowy Mountains

63

Wangaratta 64 Eildon 65 Shepparton 66 Nagambie 67 Crater Lakes

67

Ballarat 68

39

Dam Levels

69

Fun Page

53

Flyfishing 59 Gamefishing 32

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Tasmanian Lake Levels

57

Tournament News

78

Track My Fish

74

Editorial Manager: Jacqui Thomas

Trade and Services Guide

76

Victorian Tide Times

90

What’s new fishing

70

Sub-Editors: Nicole Penfold Bob Thornton Lucette Eggleton

What’s new boating

87

WIRF 58

SPECIAL FEATURES Holiday Marlo mayhem

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Post-capture fish shrinkage research

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Victoria’s best estuary lures

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This 54cm flathead was caught while fishing the Mots Beach flats.

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Marlo magic makes for family friendly fishing FMG

Peter Jung pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

East Gippsland is full of great holiday destinations that have a fishing twist.

One such locale is Marlo and the Cape Conran coastal area, which is a short drive via the Orbost turnoff on the Princess Highway coming from Melbourne or by the

Cabbage Tree-Conran road if you are coming from Canberra or Sydney.

There is plenty to explore but most importantly, it is a great place to relax and to make some memories with the family.

Although the fishing in the Snowy River, Brodribb River and the waters off the Cape Conran coast is great to explore from on the water, having a boat is not a necessity. There are

numerous areas for landbased anglers and families to fish and explore. It can be as simple as purchasing some bait, pumping or digging your own (the kids love helping out) and using that or packing a few hardbody and soft plastic lures to fish the numerous flats in the area.

LOCATIONS Brodribb River boat ramp The Brodribb River boat ramp is at the end of old Marlo Road. The ramp itself

Map of the Marlo area.

Yeerung River was a new place to explore on a recent trip to the area.

This image shows a view of the lower system from the lookout.

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was recently upgraded and is now a great place to launch a boat and explore via the water. The area also has a great expanse of grassy bank with easy access for landbased anglers.

This area lends itself to bait fishing. Local sandworms and bass yabbies are my favourite options but the smaller bream and pickers that reside in the area can make short work of them, so it can pay to have a couple of flesh baits handy. They tend to last a little longer and give the bigger fish a chance to grab your bait.

Bream and estuary perch are the main target species, however luderick and tailor are also common captures.

Lure fishing is not out of the question with the water’s edge accessible downstream from the boat ramp.

This is a great place to take the family and the facilities include a filleting station to clean your catch and a toilet block.

The Brodribb River boat ramp has a large grassed area that is a great family friendly space to wet a line.

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The Yeerung River shoreline looks very fishy. It really just depends on how much you want to explore and the effort you want to go to.

Marlo jetty and Beach Road A very popular location for locals and visitors to wet a line, the Marlo jetty and Beach Road offers very accessible fishing options. It is a very busy place with the main boat ramp also located there.

Like Brodribb, this place lends itself to bait fishing.

The flats along Beach Road are a great place to cast lightly-weighted baits out and retrieve them very slowly across the sand.

Whiting, flathead and bream love this presentation and are present in good numbers, especially on a building tide.

The best baits to use are local sandworm and bass yabbies.

Fishing from the jetty itself can be very productive.

Worms and bass yabbies again are great bait options but flesh baits, prawn or pilchard pieces are not out of place, as tailor and bream can be thick at times.

The area can also be very

productive for lure anglers.

Small hardbodied lures like a Zerek Tango Shad, a Strike Pro Bass X or a Jackall Chubby slowly rolled over the sand flats have every

effective. If the fish aren’t quite committing, then try a Bent Minnow. One or the other will work.

Deeper water is best reached from the jetty.

the deeper water is also a good option. It is not unusual to pick up estuary perch or flathead like this too.

Snowy River esplanade There is a walking path that leads down to the river opposite the Marlo Ocean Views caravan park. Most of the river is a large sand flat but it does have pockets of slightly deeper water. It is best fished on a rising tide and the fishing methods that are most effective are the same as the flats at Beach Road.

I have seen some huge flathead caught from this area, but a great species for

all the family to catch is the humble mullet. Set up a little berley trail of bread, use bread dough as bait and rig it under a float for hours of fun. They are not bad eating when cooked fresh.

Mots Beach Of all the shore-based fishing options in Marlo, Mots Beach is the one where the more effort you put in, the bigger the reward may be. To get there, head north along Marlo-Conran Road.

There is a sign posted parking area adjacent to a walkway that takes you down to the Snowy River. Make sure to put on insect repellent, as the

A beautifully coloured juvenile Australian salmon caught in the lower Yeerung River. It is better known for its bream and estuary perch fishing.

Map of the Yeerung River. chance of being eaten. In a similar vain, surface lures like a Strike Pro Hot Dog or Zerek Trail Weaver twitched over the shallows during low light periods can be super

Casting metal slugs as far as you can from the ends of the jetty and retrieving them at a steady pace is a good method to catch a few tailor. Rolling or hopping soft plastics in

The estuary at Mots Beach is quite shallow, however if you wade across it and walk towards the river mouth there are wonderful stretches of water with drop-offs that just beg to be fished.

mosquitoes can be full on.

This area really lends itself to lure fishing in the form of wading and casting either small hardbodied or soft plastic lures. The water in general is quite shallow and isn’t suited to fishing baits. It is not that there is no deep water, it is just a bit of a walk north to get to it or you

can wade across the river and head south. However, it is a great area to take the family and pump for bait in the shallows.

I go for lures to target bream and flathead. The three lures I always take are a Jackall Chubby, a Bent Minnow and a few colours To page 10

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of the ZMan 3” Slim SwimZ (with 1/4oz jigheads to suit).

If I have the time, I will wade across the river at the base of the walkway and head towards the river mouth.

There is a great mix of shallow and deep water and I work it over thoroughly using those lures. You can walk all the way to the mouth of the Snowy River if you want to. It is not difficult walking but water, hat, sunscreen and sunglasses are a must.

Frenches Narrows My first experience of fishing in Marlo was at Frenches Narrows. It is a little further north along Marlo-Conran Road, where an initially steep path takes you down through the coastal reserve to reveal a beautiful piece of water.

salmon was visible in front of the rocks as you first get down to the beach. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to pack a slightly longer rod and some of those Surecatch Knights for a day at Yeerung River.

On a side note, the river was closed off from the

The Marlo jetty and area along Beach Road are very popular spots for locals and visitors to wet a line.

The area just off the bottom of the walkway at Yeerung River shows the potential the surf and rock fishing has there.

This area can be fished at any time of the tide with bait or lures. The deeper water is generally on the beach side of the waterway with plenty of options to bait fish for all of the species already mentioned. Here it tends to be toadfish that can be a pest pinching your baits rather than tailor, so it pays to have plenty with you or a pump handy.

I have had good success targeting flathead here with soft plastics. I use a 1/4oz jighead and a 3” ZMan Slim SwimZ in calico candy with a hopping or hop wind technique. I never grow tired of feeling that tick in the line as a flathead comes and eats your plastic. They put up a great fight, especially when you are trying to manoeuvre them into the shallows to land them. I have seen some big models in the 80-90cm range in this part of the waterway, so it pays to use heavier leaders (10lb-15lb).

Flathead are a great feed too; just remember the slot limit in Victoria is 30-55cm with a limit of five (dusky flathead).

It is also worth flicking a hardbody lure around, as there tends to be a few decent bream at the Narrows as well.

Mots Beach – the surf The track that takes you through the Frenches 10

JANUARY 2020

were spot on and I really enjoyed the chat. He has been in the area a long time and is extremely knowledgeable.

STAYING AT MARLO There are plenty of accommodation options in Marlo from lodge style set-ups to a couple of

Narrows coastal reserve also provides the best access to the surf side of Mots Beach.

It is a very popular location for anglers to cast lures to the Australian salmon that frequent the area. They can be in huge numbers at times and generally are within easy casting distance.

Metal slugs are all you need to have a lot of fun in the surf. For bait anglers, a pilchard rigged using gang hooks is a dynamite way of targeting salmon and many other surf fishing targets.

Yeerung River Until my recent trip to Marlo, I hadn’t been to

Yeerung River. This little body of water is a little over 20km north of Marlo via the Marlo-Conran Road. A left turn at Yeerung River Road takes you into the Cape Conran Coastal Park and to the car park at Yeerung River.

Access to fishing from the shore is limited to where the river would flow into the ocean (the mouth was closed at the time of writing) and along the section that backs onto the sand dunes. You could certainly fish more of the shoreline, but the scrub comes all the way down to the waterline and I wasn’t that keen to explore first time around.

There is also a kayak

Karl Jung exploring the Yeerung River just north of where the mouth would be if it was flowing into the ocean. ocean when I visited it but does open after rain. All the local anglers that I spoke to said to mention that care should be taken when it is open. The water may not be deep to wade across but the sand is very soft underfoot, making attempts to cross it dangerous.

caravan parks. Marlo Ocean Views is the largest park in Marlo and offers every style of accommodation you could want. They have powered and unpowered sites, a number of cabin options and are pet and boat friendly. Les Heyne, who runs the park with his wife Kathy, is a wealth of

The author’s favourite spot to explore in Marlo is Frenches Narrows. It’s easy walking and offers good fishing for those using either lures or bait.

Karola Jung caught this little bream on local sandworm at the Brodribb River boat ramp.

launching area just before you get to the main car park. A kayak would be a great way to explore this beautiful waterway. It has a good head of bream and estuary perch and as I found out, some juvenile Australian salmon. Any of the aforementioned hardbodied and soft plastic lures would be suitable.

The fishing doesn’t stop with the river – the beach looked very fishy.

There were plenty of close in gutters when I visited and a decent school of

ASK A LOCAL Like with any fishing location, local knowledge can be invaluable. Other than the banter at the Marlo Hotel, two great options to find out what might be biting and where are the Compleat Angler in Orbost run by VFM writer Jim McClymont or the Snowy River Tackle and Cafe in Marlo. Both have a great range of tackle and fresh bait for sale.

I stopped in and saw Jim on my last visit. He gave me a few tips that

knowledge about the area and has no dramas pointing you in the right fishy direction.

They have made my visits memorable every time.

Marlo and the Cape Conran Coastal Park is a great place for the whole family to visit. It is the perfect destination to relax, unwind and scratch that fishing itch.

Best of all, it can be done from the shore at multiple locations. There is every chance you will catch a fish and how much effort you want to put in is up to you.

Go and check it out!

JANUARY 2020

11

Science meets fishing

Research behind post-capture fish shrinkage just meet a MLL while alive, the possibility that the fish may shrink after death presents a risk to the fisher and a challenge to Fisheries Officers in how they interpret and apply the regulations.

There are several possible explanations for a fisher to be in possession of undersized fish. These range from post-capture shrinkage of fish that met the MLL when taken, to carelessness, calculated risk-taking or out-and-out flouting of the size limit regulations.

Among the factors that a Fisheries Officer may take into account are the fraction of the total catch that are undersize and the degree to which fish measure under the MLL when inspected. How the officers respond might be left to their discretion or might be guided by agency directions – who knows?

On this point, there has been some good work done

by Fisheries Victoria’s and South Australia’s marine fisheries researchers on the shrinkage of three popular saltwater species that are taken by recreational and commercial fishers.

Careful examination of fish that are close to MLLs is front and centre when Victorian Fisheries Officers conduct field inspections.

BLACK BREAM In a December 1999 study – when the MLL for bream was 26cm – 70 were

GEELONG

Ross Winstanley

In 2000, Fisheries Victoria decided against prosecuting a Gippsland Lakes commercial fisherman alleged to be in possession of undersized bream on the basis of the department’s own research on post-capture shrinkage of bream.

Possession of undersized fish is one of the most common offences seen in the fisheries compliance field, resulting in large numbers of Penalty Infringement Notices for minor offences and court appearances, convictions, boat/vehicle seizures and major penalties for more serious offences.

It is probably safe to conclude that some potential cases of possession of undersized fish have not proceeded to court based on consideration of the shrinkage factor. If so, it’s fair to contemplate how many anglers may have paid out on Penalty Infringement Notices for lesser offences of the same sort.

Minimum Legal Lengths (MLLs) are crucial to the regulatory framework needed to ensure that recreational and commercial fishing is conducted sustainably.

In some instances such as stocking-based fisheries,

was no difference among the groups subjected to differing forms of storage and the degree of shrinkage bore no relation to the length of the fish.

Bream that were held at 22ºC for 12 hours before being iced, tended to shrink faster than those immediately iced or refrigerated at the start of the experiment. Of the 25 bream that started at 26-27cm, 17 (68%) were less than the MLL after 6 hours, by an average of 4mm. After 24 hours, 18 (72%) were less than the MLL by an average of 5mm. From the data, the researchers estimated the probability that 50% of bream measuring 26-26.4cm when caught would shrink to below the 26cm MLL after 24 hours. They estimated that the probability of a bream measuring more than 27cm shrinking by 12mm is extremely low.

The researchers noted that the rapid initial shrinkage observed may have been even greater if the bream had been measured immediately upon capture and not the 75 minutes or so that it took to measure them. They calculated that between 60 and 145 minutes after capture, bream shrink by an average of 2.5mm per hour.

KING GEORGE WHITING The 1995 whiting study was conducted in

RESEARCH OUTCOMES • More than 70% of legal-sized bream within 10mm of the MLL may shrink to less than the MLL within a few hours of capture.

• Legal-sized King George whiting measuring up to 5mm above the MLL may shrink by up to 8mm within a few hours of capture.

• Shrinkage of snapper occurs faster over the first 6 hours after death and is mostly complete after 24 hours.

• For those measuring close to the MLL, the reported shrinkage averaged 5.5mm and ranged from 2-9mm.

• For all three researched species, the degree of shrinkage is unaffected by holding them in chilled or iced conditions.

• Where tag-recapture programs are aimed at measuring growth rates in fish, it is critical that recaptured fish are measured carefully while alive, immediately upon capture.

• Fishers should be wary of keeping just-legal fish in warm ambient conditions for hours before landing.

MLLs are important in strategies aimed at ensuring that fishing conforms to broad community views on what constitutes a fair or acceptable size for retaining fish. Wherever MLLs are specified they are widely publicised and a key focus of both the fisher information and field enforcement sides of compliance programs, supported, where necessary, by the courts.

So, when recreational and commercial fishers take and keep fish that 12

JANUARY 2020

caught in a commercial haul seine and were initially treated as if part of a commercial catch, being stored in unrefrigerated insulated boxes. They were individually tagged and measured about one hour later then divided among three separate treatments involving differing levels of ambient temperature and cold storage. When first measured, the bream were between 24.6-35.3cm in length. When measured 24 hours after death, the mean shrinkage was 5mm. There

SA where the aim was to measure length changes between capture by commercial fishermen and onshore inspection up to 8 hours later. Mesh-netted whiting were measured immediately on capture, individually tagged and placed in ice-seawater slurry in insulated bins. At the end of normal fishing operations, the fish were measured again at the processing plant up to 12 hours after capture. When remeasured, 72 of the 76 whiting showed shrinkage

of up to 8mm. As with bream in Victoria, the degree of shrinkage bore no relation to the length of the fish.

This study was carried out at two locations, Coffin Bay and Port Lincoln.

What was particularly interesting, and important if results are extrapolated to Victoria, was the significant difference in the amount of shrinkage between whiting of the same sizes at the two sites.

shrank faster than the filleted fish.

OVERSEAS OBSERVATIONS Australian studies have also shown post mortem shrinkage to be common in red-throat emperor and summer whiting, and similar results have been observed for many species in the northern hemisphere.

These range from tropical reef and pelagic fish to coldwater groundfish and trout, and are linked to

In the complex business that constitutes fisheries management, compliance is “where the rubber hits the road” and has two equally vital components – education and enforcement. So, what messages do recreational and commercial fishers need to hear to maximise compliance with MLLs and are these messages being clearly delivered? In Victoria, MLLs are well publicised as are messages about holding and dispatching fish

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS The Fisheries Act 1995, section 68A(3)(a) contains two distinct offences in relation to undersize fish: • taking fish that are less than the minimum size, and • possessing fish that are less than the minimum size.

In relation to the possession offence, the relevant size of the fish is the length of the fish at the time it is in possession.

Coffin Bay fish shrank by an average of 3mm while Port Lincoln fish shrank by an average of 5mm.

The researchers calculated the probability of whiting measuring up to 5mm above the MLL when caught shrinking to below the MLL (30cm in 1995) was 4% at Coffin Bay and 30% at Port Lincoln.

SNAPPER Carried out in the early 2000s when the MLL for snapper was 27cm, the Victorian study of post mortem shrinkage in snapper was more sophisticated than the bream and whiting studies.

Using snapper measuring 17.9-26.2mm fork length (about 19-29cm total length) the study was designed to account for any impact that rigour mortis may have on shrinkage. The possible effect of rigour mortis was examined by comparing shrinkage of intact snapper and snapper that had been carefully filleted to eliminate any compression of the vertebral column during rigour. After being euthanased, measured and tagged, both filleted and control snapper were covered with ice and held in a chill room at 4ºC. They were then measured at intervals of 1, 2, 4, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 168 hours after death. Fish from both groups showed similar amounts of shrinkage so the results were pooled for all fish. They showed that shrinkage was faster over the first 6 hours and was virtually complete after 24 hours, although some showed slight shrinkage up to 168 hours after death. The amount of shrinkage averaged 5.5mm and ranged from 2-9mm.

While they eventually shrank by the same amounts, the intact fish

a variety of post-capture storage treatments.

Adding to the intrigue attached to this phenomenon, a Florida study found that while most bluefish (tailor), Spanish mackerel and pompano shrank over 6 hours after death, seven out of eight common snook increased by an average of more than 1% of their length over the same period.

WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS? As the circumstances surrounding the 2000 Gippsland Lakes ‘almost prosecution’ illustrate, post mortem shrinkage of fish can pose serious risks to fishers and complex challenges for those in compliance and judicial positions.

Shrinkage happens fast in the first hours after death and happens faster in fish held in ambient conditions than those chilled or iced.

The findings for three popular Victorian species pose a number of interesting questions.

While it’s all very well to advise fishers to measure their retained fish carefully and to immediately place them on ice or chilled brine, the reality continues to be that this is not how most fishers operate. So, either way if their catch is going to expire and quickly begin to shrink, should they act conservatively and routinely allow a 5mm margin of error for bream, whiting and snapper that barely meet their respective MLLs when caught?

What margin of error do – or should – Fisheries Officers allow for legitimate shrinkage? Whether their judgements are based on set departmental protocols or their own discretion, are these the subject of discussions and review with angler groups and industry?

humanely and chilling them as quickly as possible but shrinkage is not mentioned in information products.

The Victorian Recreational Fishing Guide 2015 includes a definition of ‘possession’ that relates purely to “the maximum number of a particular type of fish that a person may possess at any time while in, on or next to Victorian waters”. However, it gives no mention or warning of the possibility that fish of legal size at the time of capture may be under-size some time later while in a fisher’s (or another’s) possession. In terms of MLLs and the law, the onus is on whoever is in possession of the fish.

A couple of ‘special cases’ are worth mentioning here.

First, as part of its Target One Million policy, the Government is committed to introducing a MLL for trout in Victoria’s public waters.

As this is being proposed not on stock conservation grounds but on the Government’s interpretation of community values, how rigorously will the mandated minimum length(s) be enforced and how heavily will penalties be applied?

Second, scientific programs and high level fishing tournaments that depend on accurate measurement of fish lengths should emphasise the critical importance of carefully measuring fish immediately they are caught. This is particularly important for tag-recapture programs that are intended to determine growth rates in fish and for age-length studies where fishers supply otoliths along with length and other capture data.

Maybe it’s time for an open conversation about post mortem shrinkage for the sake of fishers and effective fisheries compliance.

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JANUARY 2020

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JANUARY 2020

How to fish Nagambie… and win some serious cash!

By now, you probably know that the guaranteed $500,000 prize pool is back at GoFish Nagambie, including an $80,000 cash prize for the largest Murray cod, and we’ll also be paying out to 10th place!

LAND-BASED OPPORTUNITIES Walking the banks targeting natives is simple, effective and fun. As always, the fishos who are prepared to put the extra effort in and walk the extra mile will usually come up with the goods.

Here are some effective techniques to set you up for a productive session.

What you may not know is how to give yourself the best chance of winning in April 2020. Whether you’ll be fishing from a boat, kayak or from the bank, there are some cracking 1. Carry two outfits. Many anglers don’t like the hassle of lugging extra gear around, but you opportunities to land big fish. Here are a few should have a larger rod for longer casts for the tips to give you an edge on the competition. bigger bodies of water and a short outfit for the tight spots. You’ll also have the advantage of having two different lure options rigged and ready to go.

2. Small streams – using that smaller outfit, weedless soft plastics are the preferred form of luring. Your casting skills will be put to the

KAYAK OPPORTUNITIES If you’re thinking about entering and fishing from a kayak, you could easily give yourself the upper hand. Nagambie Lakes is a kayaker’s paradise. The lake system is never ending, with shallow edges, backwaters and billabongs to explore. Many of these areas are inaccessible by both boat and bank… it’s just too shallow and remote.

As a kayak angler you’ll be able to easily access these hidden gems which hold masses of fish that don’t get much pressure from the rest of the anglers!

NAGAMBIE PROFILE Nagambie is an angler’s paradise, with plenty of heavy timber, standing trees, overhanging structure, willows, thick weed beds and a river channel that provides the lake system with depths varying from 0.5m-11m deep.

test in the small streams; you’ll need to nail underhanded, backhand and bow-and-arrow casts.

Looking from the Goulburn Weir to everything upstream to the junction with Hughes Creek, there are backwaters, billabongs, lagoons and creeks within the area, including Majors Creek and Sandy Creek. Minimal water flow makes for great fishing opportunities, whether you’re fishing with bait, lure or fly.

3. Large bodies of water – the key to casting rivers is targeting the snags, rock bars or overhanging cover and presenting the right lure.

Your longer outfit will help your lure reach the prime structure. You can’t go past a paddler for that chance to experience those violent surface strikes.

BOAT OPPORTUNITIES The question for anglers fishing from their boats is whether to troll or cast. The answer is BOTH! Covering both options will give you the best chance of catching a winning fish.

First thing in the morning and late in the afternoon, you should use surface lures, hardbodies and spinnerbaits, cast into the shallows. During the day while the sun is up, it’s time to make the switch to trolling the river and the deep channels in the lake seeking out larger fish. If you’re after golden perch, trolling around the standing trees is your best option.

GET IN QUICK! Boat entries are motoring out the door, with over 50% sold out. To avoid disappointment, head to the GoFish Nagambie website to lock in your spot. See you in April!

JANUARY 2020

15

Mysterious Mysteriousmulloway mulloway Your fishing licence fees are helping the Nature Glenelg Trust track tagged mulloway.

More than 70 volunteers have tagged nearly 500 mulloway over two years.

25 Yarra River

308 Glenelg River

Geelong beaches

Portland beaches

2 Moyne River

34 Patterson River

23 Hopkins River 17 Barwon River Western Port beaches

Top taggers Tim Murrell has led the charge tagging nearly 100 mulloway in the Glenelg over six months. Michael Gordon and Aron Coleman have also been top taggers in the Glenelg with 49 and 32 respectively.

In the Hopkins, Shane Murphy has been busy whilst Reece Cliff, having only joined in early 2019, has tagged 13 fish in the Patterson River including a 120cm thumper, the largest in the project.

Recaptures Of 81 recaptures so far, seven have been twice and one, tagged in November 2018 in the Glenelg, has been recaptured three times!

Over half the recaptures (55) have been in the same estuary the fish was initially tagged and released in.

George Gabriel isn’t far behind with a 118cm fish from the Yarra.

The greatest distance travelled was in the Glenelg where a mulloway swam 24km, from town bridge to Saplings Creek, in 90 days.

Reece Cliff with the biggest catch in the program.

More than 300 mulloway have been tagged in the Glenelg River.

Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne

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JANUARY 2020

movements movementsrevealed revealed Growth rates

Hungry at Hopkins

A mulloway tagged at 89.5cm in December 2018 near the Glenelg’s mouth was recaptured in August 2019 at 105cm along Taylors Straight.

In January 2018, a 45cm mulloway was caught and tagged 10km from the river mouth. The fish was caught again in December 2018 at 62cm near the mouth. That’s 17cm growth in 11 months.

The fish had grown 15.5 cm in 217 days, which is the second fastest growth rate (0.07 cm per day) observed in the Glenelg so far!

In February 2019, the fish was captured a third time a few kilometres further upstream. It measured 70cm.

That’s 8cm growth in just two months!

Days 300

200

100

0

80

90

100

Length (cm)

105

Round trip

Luke Gercovich with the mulloway in Jan 2018 at 45cm.

Mulloway #222 was first tagged and released in the Glenelg in December 2017. It measured 60cm.

In February 2019, it was recaptured at Browns Bay in South Australia, about 17 km away. It measured 79cm.

In May 2019, it was caught again back in the Glenelg near Donovans. It measured 80cm and is the first mulloway in the study to complete a ‘round-trip’.

May 2019 Donovans Feb 2019 Browns Bay

Shane Murphy with the same mulloway in Feb 2019 at 70cm.

Dec 2017 Glenelg River Nelson

Metro mulloway A 66cm tagged mulloway was caught at the mouth of the Yarra, near The Warmies. It had been tagged more than a year prior in the Patterson.

In its 427 days at liberty, it had grown 14cm to 80cm.

This is the second mulloway to move from the Patto to the Yarra’s mouth and represents the only ‘between estuary’ movement documented so far.

vfa.vic.gov.au/mullowayonthemove JANUARY 2020

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Bait schools promise a blissful busy season WEST COAST

Brett Carson

January is always busy on every Australian waterway, but what we call busy here is a city fisho’s sweet serenity. In the middle of the season, you can find kilometres of river where you’re the only boat in sight and while other busy rivers often shut down due to boat

traffic, there is literally zero change here. The sign of a good season is thick bait schools and it’s looking that way, with large bait balls on the sounder and plenty of predators hanging about close by.

The low rainfall conditions this time of year means that the saltwater is way upstream as far as Moleside Landing 50km from the mouth, meaning

mulloway can be spread far and wide. In reality, mulloway have been way upstream for months due to the extremely low rainfall of last winter. The schools are thick through the Sandy Waterholes to Sapling Creek area, but wherever the mullet go, the fish will surely follow.

Mulloway around the 20lb mark are not uncommon like they were a few years ago, when it was the norm

Gordon caught this estuary perch on a fly.

Young Gibbo scored a great haul of bream from upstream.

to catch five undersized fish to one keeper. There has definitely been a fresh influx of smaller fish mixed with the biggies that weren’t here before, but with such a healthy bait population they should grow quickly in the next season or two. If you offer them live mullet, you will get the best results.

Estuary conditions are

shallower than usual, making for a potential river blocking in the near future. The sand is a long way up from the mouth and massive schools of bream can be seen scattering in front of the boat as you cross the flats. As the sun goes down or when there’s a bit of wind breaking the surface is a great time to target the shallow fish.

Podworms and crabs are

the go-to bream baits right through the system, with pipis and glassies working well. Bream have bred en masse again and hungry little fish are feeding right through the river following another successful upstream winter run. Matching podworms with worm style plastics worked slowly has been very To page 19

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Anglers will need to fight against the wind WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

In some angling locations, the key fishing factor is the tide. It’s not worth it if you fish the wrong tide or you can’t even access the area at certain tides. Other fisheries rely on seasonal influxes of fish; if they aren’t there or if it’s the wrong time of year, any effort will be futile.

Here in the South West, the major key to piscatorial success is the weather and sea conditions.

local annual offshore club competition is spread over more than a week is to give anglers the chance to hopefully get a couple of flat days. If you are in town for the holiday period, take part in the 2020 Richardson Marine Shipwreck Coast Fishing Classic from 3-11 January. The competition caters for all different angling species from trout to tuna and categories for all age groups with a glittering array of prizes. All senior entries go in the draw for the major prize of an Anglerpro boat package valued at over $20,000.

If the weather is too bad

Richie McKellar caught this 54kg mako off Port Fairy recently.

Summer tuna have become a regular occurrence the past few seasons, so let’s hope this year is the same.

Local saltwater fishing, whether from a boat or the beach, isn’t just poor, it’s simply unfishable if strong winds and big seas persist. After an early taste of warm weather and flat seas, the weather leading up to summer has been quite windy with precious little offshore fishing opportunities.

Hopefully this month will provide some great holiday weather to allow visiting and local anglers a chance to get out amongst the fish.

One of the reasons the From page 18

productive in the shallows.

The big bream upriver have mostly finished spawning and are moving back through the system in droves.

Perch anglers are doing well fishing small live bait and lures around the upstream snags. Wafting a small livey under a float around a snag and waiting for the hit is addictive, only beaten by the surface lure bite.

With a little bit of knowledge, you can tick perch off the to-do list.

Dawn and dusk on a still day can provide a window of frenetic perch activity.

They will attack the top foot of water even in the middle

for offshore angling, there are plenty of estuary options.

For holiday anglers, there is usually opportunity to catch bream, mullet and salmon near the mouths of any of the local estuaries on bait. Using a little berley, keeping the line and sinker weights down and using fresh bait can produce almost non-stop action for families trying to keep youngsters entertained over the holiday period. A boat is an advantage but there are plenty of piers, landings and other structure of the river under the cover of rapidly changing light. Often near the full moon, they will attack a lure profile they can see against the light of the moon and under the lights from shacks and landings well into 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 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.

that will produce as well.

The Hopkins Bridge is often overlooked and produces good fish with the structure and shade available.

For those with the capability to go slightly offshore, there is usually plenty of pinkie snapper around to keep rods bending. Just head out a short distance from either Port Fairy or Warrnambool ramps on a calm morning and you should be in business, with the possibility of a mixed bag of squid, whiting, trevally and the like. Hopefully we get a warm, wind free January and everyone will be able to get out and chase tuna and kings on the surface, dive for crays or target game or gummy sharks.

We can only hope!

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JANUARY 2020

19

It’s time to go luring for big Hopkins bream COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

The Hopkins River is firing for big bream and estuary perch at the moment. The fish have reportedly been holding tight to bankside rocky ledges and falling to soft plastic swimbaits as well as diving hardbodies.

Enthusiastic anglers have caught bream to 45cm and perch over 50cm using artificials, with low light conditions performing best. That’s not to say that quality bait won’t work, but currently I have no solid reports to pass on.

The Curdies is still good for quality bream with schools of fish moving up and down the lower reaches of the river. It’s just a matter of finding these fish in feeding mode.

If your sounder shows schools of bottom-hugging fish deeper than 4m, these fish are more interested in spawning than feeding.

Casting baits and lures within 2m of the bank is a

This Curdies River bream fought hard and was taken close to the bank near the river mouth on a Pontoon 21 CrackJack Minnow. sure fire way to detect any bream in feeding mode.

The mouth is still open but has a sandbar building

up, slowly choking the mouth. I’d guess that by the start of January the mouth will be closed again,

but as we have seen an excellent flush out in recent months this shouldn’t be a problem. Greyback

minnow (whitebait) will have entered the system en masse and should provide good bait for anglers with a hauling net over the coming months.

The weed is growing back, providing a home for shrimp and spider crab. Bream will soon finish spawning and spread once more throughout the system. Don’t forget that quite a few head upstream over summer, so turning left instead of right at the Boggy Creek boat ramp will be a viable option.

Plenty of solid school and gummy shark are on offer for those who can get out. The wind is still playing havoc on certain days and these more often than not have coincided with anglers’ days off.

Shark averaging around 16kg have been boated on some days – a great capture in any angler’s book.

The by-catch, believe it or not, has been snapper up to 4kg. This side of Christmas usually sees the bigger fish come close inshore, not only to spawn

but to feed on the squid also moving into the shallows to lay their eggs. So, guess what the top bait is for snapper and shark?

As well as squid, some anglers are using large, white paddle-tail soft plastics to entice snapper and shark into biting. Other species like rock flathead (when working the reefs), nannygai, leatherjackets and rock cod have been caught.

The whiting scene still seems quiet for now but usually they fire up in larger numbers in January.

The crayfish season has well and truly opened with a large percentage of crays taken by divers.

Scuba gear is not required, just goggles and a snorkel.

Poking around the rocky shallows on a calm day has seen many red beasts pulled out from under a submerged ledge.

I’m proud and humbled to state this is my hundredth Cobden report for VFM. It’s been an absolute pleasure and I look forward to writing many more!

Summertime fun is available for everyone holiday break and getting a chance to hit the water.

The past couple of years King George whiting have been a bit slow, so it’s been great to have plenty of quality whiting coming in. Some Geelong anglers caught fish up to 40cm in the harbour at the end of the breakwater. They caught 13 using pipis, which is a good

APOLLO BAY

Craig Rippon

This is my favourite time of year to fish. With the warm weather, it’s a pleasure to be out on the water at the moment and fishing has been great.

Hopefully everyone has been enjoying their

sign there are plenty about and you can catch a good feed from land. Boat fishers who know the area have been getting near bag limits along the coast in all the popular areas.

Pipis, fresh squid and bass yabbies have been great baits. Everybody has different ways and times and they do all work, but I

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will always fish the change of tide. Whiting love that running water and seem to bite hard when it changes.

They are one of the best tasting fish so it’s well worth the effort.

Flathead have been plentiful and you can pick up a feed out the front of Apollo Bay right down to Moonlight Head from 30-65m of water. Squid is a good bait, as it stays on the hook when small fish pick at it.

This is also the time of year when kingfish turn up, and they should be as close as the rock wall at the harbour. However, they were patchy last year. They

are an excellent fighting fish, so good luck with them.

There are still plenty of gummies and snapper about in the usual areas.

Fresh salmon are great baits for the gummies and good numbers have been caught trolling and casting off the beach.

All the rivers and streams have had a decent flush out this year. The fishing has been good with quality estuary perch taken at dark on small hardbodies.

The beaches can get busy this time of year so be mindful of people fishing beside you and take all rubbish when you go so the beaches stay clean. Be

patient at the boat ramp – wait your turn and have your boat ready to launch.

Too many people back their boat down and block the ramp while getting ready. The car parking at Apollo Bay has improved, as the area is sealed and line marked now.

Make sure you have checked all safety gear and your fishing licence, and know your bag limits so you aren’t caught out.

Everyone wants to have fun fishing with the family over this time, so be careful and enjoy.

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A decent feed of Apollo Bay whiting caught recently.

JANUARY 2020

21

BLACK MAGIC

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Looking inshore to target big black marlin For many anglers, catching a marlin is the pinnacle of fishing and often thought of as an unrealistic target species that’s best left for hardcore anglers with all the gear and big boats. While this could be said when it comes to chasing a blue marlin in 600 fathoms of water 40nm+ off the coast, there are certainly much easier ways to tick a marlin off your bucket list.

This is especially true if you live on the East Coast anywhere between central QLD to the South Coast of NSW. Every year around spring, black marlin start making their way down the coast, providing amazing fishing opportunities to inshore anglers often within a few miles of land. In some areas, they can even be caught land-based.

If you know what to look for, what to use and when to do it, these fish are not that hard to catch.

There isn’t a better sight than a marlin in full flight. if they’re not there. Early in the season, it’s important to keep an eye on reports up the coast. I live at Port Stephens, so I know that if they haven’t shown up at South West Rocks I’m

Black Magic’s KLT Hooks are the best in the game and their tough fluorocarbon leader is perfect for inshore black marlin.

TIMING Knowing when black marlin are going to show up is the first thing you need to understand, as you won’t catch them 22

JANUARY 2020

probably wasting my time.

When they do show up, it tends to be in waves over couple of months with water temperatures and bait dictating their

movements. Warm blue water between 21-25°C is ideal for inshore black marlin and sea surface charts will give you a good understanding for where the best water in your area is currently holding. While you will have to pay for access to the most current sea surface temperature sites, it’s worth it to take out much of the guesswork for which direction you should head.

Once you’ve found the water you’re looking for, bait schools are the next thing to further hone in on.

Slimy mackerel, yellowtail scad and pilchard schools are the primary food source for inshore black marlin and usually hold around structure, current lines and temperature breaks. A good sounder will not only mark the bait but can also mark up actively feeding marlin.

GEAR AND TACKLE Having the right tools for the job is very important for any fishing and marlin fishing is no exception.

Mono line is definitively the way to go, as the stretch in the line acts as a shock absorber, especially when the fish jumps. Something like Black Magic IGFA rated line in 10-15kg is spot on when it comes to fishing for black marlin and will subdue even fish approaching 100kg, which are not as uncommon as you might think when fishing inshore.

When that big stubborn fish does come along, even on light tackle it can put the

hurt on you. This is where the Black Magic Equaliser Gimbal and Harness comes into play, taking much of the pain away from long fights with big fish that don’t want to play the game nicely. The new equaliser also has a twin pin system that will accept bent butt rods without any adapters needed.

Leaver drag overheads are traditionally favoured for marlin fishing. The main advantage of these reels is the free-spool function, which allows you to disengage a pre-set drag, allowing the marlin to eat the bait with no resistance on the strike. This is very important when trolling

live or skip baits on circle hooks, which is the most effective way to catch black marlin.

Once the fish bites, the line pops out of the outrigger clip in free-spool with the ratchet on and then it’s just a matter of pointing the rod at the fish while it’s taking line and gradually applying drag as you lift up on the rod. When done correctly, this gives the best possible hook-up rate for marlin fishing by far.

Larger spinning reels with the baitrunner function will also act the same way and are becoming popular alternative options, particularly when fishing with 10kg line.

The best circle hooks to use for inshore live bait trolling are the Black Magic KLT range, as they are the perfect shape and size as well as being super sharp. For inshore black marlin, the 6/0-7/0 size is right on the money. Bridle rigging the baits will keep them alive longest and also limit the chance of the hook getting caught in the bait when the fish strikes. This is done by attaching a short loop of either Dacron or 50lb mono to the hook and using a bait needle to poke it through the clear cartridge in front of the eyes of your slimy mackerel or yellowtail.

Once the loop is through the fish, you put the hook through the loop a number of times and secure it about an inch from the fish’s nose. It’s important to not go too heavy on your leader so 60-80lb Black Magic Fluorocarbon Leader fits the bill.

While slow trolling live baits is probably the most effective way to catch inshore marlin, lures also have their place. They are particularly useful when you want to travel to another area but could potentially catch fish between locations. They allow you to cover more ground, as you can troll them much faster than live baits. For inshore fish, skirted lures like the Black Magic Maggot, Flea and Saury ranges are all the perfect size.

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23

Get caught up in holiday fun GEELONG

Neil Slater slaterfish@gmail.com

Corio Bay has been developing into quite the fishery, with excellent soft plastic fishing catching a wide variety of fish. This month, we should expect kingfish around Bass Strait and the Surf Coast.

FRESHWATER Stony Creek Reservoir near Ballan and the Barwon River in Geelong have produced a few redfin early morning and on overcast days. Most fish in the Barwon River have been caught close in near the weeds while the Stony Creek fish have been caught along the wall in the deeper water.

I took my 11-year-old son Max down the Barwon, where we caught a gudgeon and put it on for bait. Pack up time came around and when Max went to retrieve his line, it bolted off! Because of the live bait, we hoped it would be a good redfin but to our disappointment it was a carp.

CORIO BAY Land-based anglers have enjoyed fishing from Cunningham Pier with snapper, trevally and

barracouta taking baits and soft plastic lures. Trevally have been a little fussy, so using no weight on a bait such as raw chicken or pilchard pieces should see their undoing.

Kelvin Baldwin has been fishing Cunningham Pier lately and says it has been producing silver whiting, pinkie snapper and flathead for bait fishers. Kelvin has been casting soft plastic lures

out and fishing deep, working the bottom for pinkie snapper and the odd flathead.

Kelvin noticed a flash of silver behind his lure one retrieve so he changed to a 10g gold spoon. He sent it out and worked it mid-water with a fairly fast retrieve until he suddenly had a strike. His hook-up turned out to be a 55cm barracouta, which we haven’t seen around

The shipping channel edge has produced a few good snapper for Simon.

Cunningham Pier for a while.

Kelvin says he’s caught a few over the last month but the bite shuts down pretty quick and they move on.

Simon D’Antino fished out of Curlewis recently.

Using fresh squid for bait, he and a mate landed nine quality snapper, with the biggest measuring 85cm. Silver whiting have also been top snapper baits, and have been in fair numbers around Corio Bay this season. Sending small baits down off Cunningham Pier and near the shipping channel can catch them.

Another baitfish we haven’t seen for a while is yellow tailscad or yakka, as they are affectionately known. Hugh and I caught a few in 8m of water out off St Leonards recently and others have reported them off Portarlington.

Nathan Wright has had some success fishing the margins of Corio Bay using soft plastic lures. Lately, he has caught a few decent pinkie snapper around the 50cm mark using Berkley Gulp 5” Jerk Shads on a 1/4-1/6oz jighead.

Collan and Malcolm Erard fished Point Henry in Corio Bay last month. They found a school by sounding around and actively searching

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Marty and friends scored a feast of Bellarine calamari. for fish. They sent out some baits but it wasn’t until just on the end of the run-in tide that they started getting bites.

They finished with four pinkie snapper around 40cm, two whiting above 35cm and a 48cm flathead.

Six-year-old Austin

Lundy and his dad Owen headed out to fish the outer harbour of Corio Bay last month. Fishing in 6m of water just off the shipping channel and using lightlyweighted pilchards for bait, they caught three just legal gummy sharks (which they

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returned) and three snapper.

Austin scored a new personal best snapper, so it seems his dad will have a fishing buddy for some time to come!

bagging out with some up to 1kg. Governors Reef, Prince George Bank and any of the weed beds off Indented Head have been the best.

Austin was thrilled to land his PB snapper, measuring 66cm.

BELLARINE PENINSULA Rod Ludlow from Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head reports that snapper are hungry, with large fish being taken off both the Portarlington and St Leonards piers. The water has been dirty, helping land-based anglers. Rod notes that Steeles Rocks and Grassy Point around evening have also been producing snapper.

Rod says squid have been red-hot, with plenty of boats

Marty Ellul and his son Xavier travelled up from Warrnambool to spend some time fishing on the Bellarine Peninsula between Portarlington and Clifton Springs last month. Xavier and his crew found excellent numbers of calamari fishing in close over the weed beds. They turned a couple of calamari into 4kg snapper, fishing close to the shipping channel.

Hugh and I fished out off St Leonards recently and we decided to anchor up away

from the crowds in 4m of water. We managed about 10 whiting from 30-35cm using some of the squid we’d caught earlier.

We then moved out towards the White Lady and anchored up in 8m of water. We caught a few more whiting but were plagued by undersized pinkie snapper, which made it hard to keep bait in the water. All of a sudden, Hugh’s rod buckled over and line screamed from the reel. Hugh gave it heaps, thinking it could possibly be a stingray, but the fish remained mid-water and circled the boat. It wasn’t too long before we had a nice gummy shark aboard.

Whiting are often hit-andmiss, but this season there have been some up around 45cm caught around Queenscliff.

Regular baits such as squid

strips and pipis have been doing the job. Fish with long leaders, as there is fair current at Queenscliff and around the Bellarine Peninsula.

BASS STRAIT AND SURF COAST January is kingfish time along Bass Strait and the Surf Coast. The FAD has been installed over the artificial reef off Torquay, so hopefully we’ll see a few kingfish around it. I’ve had the sounder over the reef a few times and it is teeming with fish.

Slow trolling with weighted strips of squid has been very successful along Bass Strait, the Surf Coast and around the Rip. Game sharks should also be on the radar with mako, blue and threshers all possibilities.

Send out a good berley trail in about 70m of water and kick It wasn’t a redfin but Max still enjoyed landing a 1kg carp.

Kelvin has caught a few barracouta off Cunningham Pier in Geelong recently.

back and wait.

Dave Reynolds fished out off Barwon Heads with Warren Shelton last month.

They drifted about in hope for a few flathead and just before they called it quits, Dave’s rod folded. A dogged fight ended with a solid gummy shark boat side, which Warren duly netted.

Caught 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).

JANUARY 2020

25

There will be fickle fishing around Melbourne 17°C, which is usually when we see the snapper fishing go from strength to strength.

For some reason this season I have been seeing a lot more catches on sundown rather than to sunrise. The last 30 minutes of sunset just before the peak of high tide has been the most consistent way of finding snapper on the chew.

Generally this time of year I am heavily fishing in areas such as P2, Fawkner Beacon and T20 channel markers but for whatever reason, each weekend has been greeted with blustery windy conditions. Most catches still seem to be in close, as shallow as 4m deep, so we have been staying in close fishing areas such as

PORT PHILLIP BAY WEST

Alan Bonnici alan@fishingmad.com.au

Happy New Year to all readers! Hopefully you got some new and exciting fishing gifts over Christmas to give you a worthy excuse to get out on the water.

Each year I like to set some personal fishing goals for the coming year. I find this to be a great way of staying motivated no matter how big or small the personal goals may be – catching a new species or catch bigger versions of the same species, fishing new waterways or master fishing a new lure or technique.

The best way to describe fishing for 2019 around Melbourne would be unpredictable – it was a mix of extreme highs and lows. For some reason, the fishing last year seemed a little more challenging than in previous years. I certainly

the Williamstown football ground, around the Cardinal markers and around Port Melbourne. There have been some great sessions on snapper and pan-sized pinkies.

Unweighted or lightly-weighted full pilchards or silver whiting from a double snelled pair of 5/0 hooks or a paternoster rig have accounted for many snapper. Often hours of nothing have preceded a mad rush of captures, which is often sparked by change of tide.

Remember to always play it safe on the water. I have seen many boats and kayaks out in dangerous conditions lately. I love catching snapper as much

Surprisingly, salmon are still around.

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didn’t have as many bagged out sessions. The weather was unhelpful at the best of times and water temperatures throughout seemed a little colder than normal.

As fishing and boating grows in popularity around Melbourne, it can make catching good fish regularly hard work. It is a challenging and competitive fishing landscape. Someone posting a photo of them catching a good fish at a known location will see an avalanche of keen anglers there the next day. Either way, let’s hope 2020 brings us improved fishing fortunes.

The snapper fishing around Melbourne is now at its peak. No doubt our season started quite slow, but things are now fishing well. Water temperatures have gone past

Rob Kriz scored this Williamstown snapper from the shallows.

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Throughout December, I fished locally around Melbourne with many solo fishing sessions on my kayak around Port Melbourne, Altona, Williamstown, Geelong and Werribee. Much of that time was spend staring at my sounder, hoping to see a school of arches. It was tough and time-consuming, but the rewards do come when you persevere.

I had one session with my good mate Mark. We had

been on the water for several hours without a single touch.

We had not sounded a single fish nor had one nibble. Our kayaks were only metres apart and we were chatting about how tough things had been lately when suddenly, a big snapper smashed my curltail. I turned and looked at Mark as line was screaming from my little 3000 size reel, only to see that he too was onto a big snapper. We had both switched over to light spinning rods, so we were going head to head with big fish on 1-3 and 2-4kg rods.

After some patience and

many big runs, we landed the pair of 3kg snapper.

As we head further into summer, I have strangely had more luck finding schools of salmon over schools of snapper so far. This has particularly been the case when fishing with my kayak in shallow water around 4-5m deep, so maybe it’s simply because I’ve been closer to the water level and can pick up on breaking water more easily. I have managed to catch plenty of salmon on ultralight spinning gear and 4” curl tail soft plastics. They may not be

Mark caught this lovely size snapper.

The author had great success targeting squid in a kayak last month.

the desired snapper, but I’ll happily battle with a salmon on light spinning gear any day. It’s just so much fun and they fight as hard as any fish, pound for pound.

The squid fishing has also been great. It’s a great species to target when the weather is windy as it allows you to stay in close and shallow. I have had a few epic sessions on the yak around Lara, Kirk Point, Clifton Springs, Campbells Cove and Altona, catching really good size squid for

this area. Brightly-coloured squid jigs in golds, oranges and pinks have been the standout performers this past month. In a particularly awesome session, things started slow and as the conditions got windy and very choppy, I landed three squid, all with 40cm+ hoods within 10 minutes.

It just highlights the erratic nature of fishing around Melbourne.

That’s all from me this month. You can contact me directly to share your

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Slower start to this year’s snapper season best fishing of the whole season was in January and February, especially from the traditional wider marks out from Carrum to Safety Beach. Traditionally, these wider marks and those closer to the shipping channel will fish well, especially out from Mornington, Mount Martha and Safety Beach. The time to fish in closer and from the piers and rocks is during and after onshore winds, so there are plenty of snapper options for anglers of all persuasions into January and February as well.

Lure fishing for smaller school-sized snapper has been very reliable recently,

PORT PHILLIP NE

Wayne Friebe wfriebe@bigpond.net.au

While the normal peak snapper action and other species activity seemed to be running a little late in line with the slowly rising water temperatures, the frequently changing weather has also brought some peak periods of great fishing.

As we settle into the height of summer and the continuing warmer months ahead, anglers should expect the action on the bay to return to a more traditional summer pattern.

At the time of writing, it seems that things are generally starting to settle again for a long summer ahead.

Snapper reports have been centred on changes in barometric pressure, especially before, during and after recent storms, and changes of light, especially in the afternoons. The snapper bite over the past

that they can be fished from an anchored boat or from a moving boat to effectively cover more water.

Lure fishing on the inshore reefs for pinkie snapper has also been very reliable, especially for kayakers, but the bigger models seem to be fewer and farther between than previous years. UV enhanced soft plastics have been a standout lure but like the bait fishing reports, bite windows have been very short. Normally the best time has been around the change of light in the morning or at night, and sometimes it’s been during the change of tide.

Brendan from IFISH caught a ripper red that ate his Shimano Tiger Baku Baku jig on the drop. month has been much like the traditional spring behaviour from years ago.

The major change from then to now has been the massive amount of bait

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and other natural food sources available, and the frequently changing water temperatures.

Some quality snapper have been landed in recent weeks, with most anglers choosing to fish either in close in around 8m or going to the other extreme and concentrating on the far wider deeper areas around the shipping channel.

Mount Eliza, Frankston, Mornington and Seaford have all been productive for anglers fishing in close, nearby to reefs and structure. Out wide, Mornington and Mount Martha have been the best.

The ever-reliable pilchard has accounted for more than its fair share of snapper so far this year and is still the go-to bait for many bay anglers.

However, the bigger fish that have been taken seem to be responding to more specific baits like fresh squid and salmon, from anglers willing to put in extra time and thinking outside the box. The growing population of

slimies and yakka in the bay has also made fresh bait gathering worthwhile, and these baits have already accounted for several large snapper this season, especially by anglers fishing in close before first light.

The entire eastern seaboard of the bay is beginning to fire in a much more traditional summer snapper pattern, which we usually experience in November. With this later start to the season this year, anglers should expect the snapper bite to continue for some time to come. Over the New Year period and beyond, expect the reds to move into more of a grazing pattern, as they will look to put on condition. They will move into the wider and deeper marks, and therefore finding fish on the sounder before dropping the pick and setting the rods will be more important, as well as the use of berley.

Normally, most anglers have moved on from targeting snapper

by Christmas, but in the last few seasons the

Adam Fraser scored this quality school-sized snapper on a soft plastic out wide from Mornington. with the odd big fish being caught as well. Some anglers have been doing well fishing some of the newer, smaller flutter and fall jigs on the market, as well as the new editions to the proven octo style jigs. The best thing about these jigs and plastics is

Many of the bay’s other popular species should fire up over the coming months, as the water temperatures continue to rise. Local whiting and calamari numbers will explode, and I’m looking forward to kingfish showing up locally again.

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School size snapper have been responding well to small jigs like this Shimano 40g Colt Sniper.

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It’s popping off at the Peninsula MORNINGTON PENINSULA

Julian Frank

Welcome to the new year!

The past year went so quickly, which is probably for the best as we are now into the greatest time to get out and wet a few lines. This month is going to be absolute madness, as is every January on the

as close in as 12-14m off Bradford Road, which is only 1km off the rocks.

There have been plenty of bigger fish taken in the usual 18-20m as well.

Most fish have been caught around the morning and early afternoon tides, and the best baits have been squid strips and pilchards.

Around the mussel farm there has been a

been alive with gars and tommy ruff, which are easy enough to get using a net and prawn light. Another great fishing option for yak fishers is chasing calamari and flathead in close in the areas most boaters can’t access.

RYE While the beaches and pier are packed this time of year, fishing early

Moorings and all the way out to the Pinnace Channel, which seem to be best in the morning. Fresh squid strips, pipis and mussels are all working really well.

The marina and pier have been busy at night, with plenty of squid action and heaps of tommy ruff and mackerel around. They can be caught regularly on Sabiki rigs and even small soft plastics for something different.

PORTSEA Reports of pinkies are still flooding in. Most are a bit small but there have been a few good ones amongst them. Red mullet have been showing up from time to time, and they are a great target species on soft plastics, especially some of the larger 30cm models.

Straight off the pier, good numbers of whiting have been holding up around the sand holes. The flood tide seems to be fishing the best.

Towards the entrance,

A standard calamari for this time of year.

It was caught land-based fishing.

Scotty Craig got his hands on a couple of decent crays! morning and late afternoon are your best bets to get a feed of fish. Garfish are a really good option in the morning, as their numbers seem to be up this year.

Squid can also be taken regularly in the evenings, so be sure to get in early.

BLAIRGOWRIE AND SORRENTO Whiting are red-hot at the moment. The boat traffic has slowed the bite a little but you can still get a good bag in no time.

The Sisters are probably the number one area, but there are also fish being caught around Blairgowrie

A couple of better size pinkie snapper in close.

Some decent flatties have been caught around the mussel farm.

Peninsula, but there are many fishing options and we should have plenty of good days to make the most of it.

MOUNT MARTHA Snapper have really fired up. Most depths of water are holding good numbers of fish so you don’t have to go far to sound these fish up.

Snapper have been caught 30

JANUARY 2020

number of decent flatties caught, measuring around 40cm. Closer inshore, whiting and squid have been reportedly caught out the front of the BP. ROSEBUD AND TOOTGAROOK Whiting have been a little hit-and-miss at times but otherwise they’ve been fishing reasonably well.

The foreshore at night has

This snapper haul was found just 15 minutes off Mount Martha.

reports of kingfish have been coming in. Fishos have been getting onto them using jigs with live or dead baits.

OFFSHORE The back reefs have been holding some decent snapper and kingfish on the tide changes. For anyone diving for crays and abalone, they are in abundance.

Gummy sharks are a good option when fishing just outside the 40m lines.

The charter operators seem to be doing well bottom bashing for big tiger flathead.

A few smaller makos are about; most of them are being encountered further down towards Anglesea.

If you’re on the water this summer, be safe and tight lines!

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31

Good New Year for offshore GAME FISHING

Lee Rayner info@fishingfever.com.au

The start of a new year is a very exciting time for everyone, however you would be hard pressed to find a group of more excited anglers than bluewater or offshore fishers. This is the time of year we have been eagerly waiting for!

few months, the favourite method to chase kings will be to anchor up and fish live bait under a balloon.

Other productive methods are to troll and cast lures over the reef areas and, as kingfish can be fussy, having a few different options to throw at them will increase your success.

Further to the east, the waters around Julia Percy Island are red hot areas to

The added bonus to drifting through these areas is that the bottom fishing here is generally very good for a range of species, including snapper, morwong, flathead, gummy and school sharks.

It’s a similar story as you heads to the east with makos available along the shelf and in the closer waters from Port Fairy to Apollo Bay. The waters of Apollo Bay also offer anglers the chance

Plenty of anglers are looking forward to the offshore action this January.

On the East Coast, we’ve watched current charts and listened to reports, hopefully seeing the East Australian Current (EAC) pushing its warm fish-filled water into our Victorian waters.

While on the West Coast, the prevailing southeast winds generate the Bonney Upwelling to do its thing, and bring nutrient rich waters to the coastline, and with it a whole host of kingfish, tuna and sharks.

Closer to Melbourne, it’s all about the kingfish, which will inhabit the coastline and bring everything from elation to devastation for a whole host of anglers.

WEST COAST For many anglers, Portland is just about catching tuna during the cooler months, however in January the waters off Portland and to the east come alive with warm water species, like mako and thresher sharks.

The main focus will be on solid kingfish that move into the shallow waters to feed and warm up after a long cold winter. The shallow reef known as the North Shore is a prime spot to look for them. Over the next 32

JANUARY 2020

be looking for the kingfish.

Best results have come from casting at surface cruising schools or marking the kings on pinnacles then using jigs and live baits.

Fingers-crossed this month we will also see schools of big school bluefin tuna working the coastline between Portland and Port Fairy. These tuna can be in big numbers but are often very fussy, so it’s usually a case of casting small stickbaits and plastics at the schools.

If you like to troll, out wider they will take smaller skirts, like the Zacatack 9mm and JB Micro Dingo sized skirts, or for divers the X-Rap Magnum in the 10 and 15 size is dynamite.

If sharks are your target then there is some amazing fishing to be had for makos out on the continental shelf.

Most days out there are producing multiple chances at makos ranging between 30-150kg, with the odd bigger model among them.

If travelling to the shelf isn’t for you, then spending a day drifting and berleying in the 60m line will also see you in with a solid shot at a mako, thresher or bronze whaler shark.

to chase kingfish along the coastline with the Nine Mile or little reef system being a perfect spot to look for kings. This area generates lots of current and has lots of pinnacles for the kingfish to hold on. If you plan to head here, then a range of methods will work but jigging seems to get good results.

CENTRAL WATERS Lorne to Waratah Bay will be all about kingfish in January. With warm weather and miles of prime kingy coastline, anglers will be out there fishing a variety of methods. It will depend on where the good water ends up as to where the bulk of the fish will be. For the most part the areas off Barwon Heads and Charlemont Reef generally hold numbers of fish to 10kg, while The Rip itself should be holding kings. As always, remember it’s a shipping lane so boats and anglers must obey the rules, which includes wearing a lifejacket.

Further along, anywhere from Cape Shank to Woolamai headland, can and will produce fish. Slow trolled live baits are the key to getting a bite. Saying that, I love slow trolling a popper while searching and on a lot of occasions it has proven deadly.

Out off the coastline, mako sharks have been on the chew and while most of them are on the smaller size, they do provide good sport with many between 20-50kg. However, anglers

Hopefully Mallacoota will fire for striped marlin again this year. This was one of many that Leroy caught off Mallacoota last season. should consider letting most captures go, as one is heaps for a feed. They got hammered quite hard several years back and it seems that their numbers haven’t been as good ever since.

The main target this month will be kingfish in the shallow waters. They will be looking for a feed and warming up after a long cold winter.

EAST COAST Blue water has been pushing in around the multitude of islands around Wilsons Promontory, bringing with it kingfish.

Kingies are often in big schools ranging in size from 3-9kg, and there are plenty of much bigger fish among them.

If the past season or two are anything to go by, then it’s hoped that this month will see plenty of fish at locations, such as White Rock, where anglers can have a ball using jigs and live baits. Once you have had a bit of fun or if you’re just after a really big king, a good tip is to try and use really big baits, such as live salmon, big mackerel or arrow squid.

This will stop smaller fish from eating the bait and give a big banger a chance to get in on the action.

Along the coast, it’s well worth looking at locations such as Marlo and Tamboon reefs, while up towards Mallacoota the Star Banks and under the Aerials should also be holding good numbers of kingfish.

Out on the shelf, it’s a guessing game. There will be plenty of mako sharks around, and if the water has pushed down the East Coast then it could be time to get out and chase a marlin or even a big yellowfin tuna. Good areas to search are usually up off Everard Canyon and north.

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Port Phillip Bay delivers the angling goods PORT PHILLIP

Gerry Morsman

It’s a sensational time to be a recreational fisher around Melbourne.

With snapper firing and whiting hitting baits all around the bay, there is no reason not to get out there and give it a crack.

It’s not just these two

species that are getting people excited either; there are big numbers of calamari squid as per usual plus the perennial favourite, gummy shark.

SOUTHERN CALAMARI Squid fishing is as popular as it’s ever been and when you can go out and target food and fresh bait at the same time, it’s

easier to see why. Whether you are chasing the bigger or smaller ones, there are always plenty of options throughout Port Phillip Bay. If you want to target big models, it is hard to go past St Leonards in around 5m of water. They school up huge numbers around this area and can never seem to resist a size 3.0 or 3.5 squid jig. A lot of people seem to

Jayden Perrot was this year’s Port Phillip Bay Snapper Classic champion.

be switching to the brighter colours as by all reports these have been bringing much more success.

If you want to target smaller squid, which are great for bait and tend to be a lot nicer served on the plate, you can’t go past areas such as Mornington, Mt Martha or Mt Eliza.

Fishing in areas over the broken ground in anywhere from 2.5-5m of water should see you throwing a few over the gunnel of your boat or kayak.

SNAPPER Snapper have spread over most of the bay by now but there are more consistent bites at certain areas, such as Carrum and Mount Eliza. These are usually the hotspots for congregating snapper.

When fishing these areas, you will notice there is not a lot of reef. Instead, these fish tend to feed over rubbly mud flats so sounding around and finding regular arches on the bottom is your best bet for success.

One you have found this and anchored up, just keep the berley consistent to attract these fish towards your boat. The bite times change, however first and

The southern end of the bay is always a good option for targeting bigger squid.

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last light have been the most consistent bite times by all reports.

Down the southern end of the bay around Clifton Springs on the spoil grounds has been producing some great fish and if you like throwing plastics on light gear, look no further. The team from Trellys in Geelong have been smacking them in around 5m of water. They found they could either go in the morning or the afternoon; you just have to be lucky to get the right bite time.

WHITING There is nothing more exciting than getting on to a frenzied feeding school of whiting, especially when the fish are ranging from 38-45cm. This has been a regular occurrence in the bays so those that can’t quite get their bag limit are in luck, as the size of the fillets has been better than ever.

Portsea is often a safe bet this time of year and the reports have been there to back this up. Fishing either squid strips or pipis has been the go. Anchoring up in around 6m of water over sandy ground along most beaches across Portsea has been quite successful but the key is to berley hard to get them to your boat and once they are there, keep the berley going.

If you want to fish land-based, I would highly suggest fishing the beach at Mornington but be sure to fish it late in the afternoon and moving into the night.

Whiting love to get close into the shallows during these times. Fishing squid

Julian Rennie shows off a solid handful of whiting caught down the southern end of the bay. strips will be your best bet, especially at night. Pipis can fall off when casting at distance and if you are fishing at night, you will not see if this has happened.

GUMMY SHARKS When fishing the top end of the bays, it can be quite hard to target gummy sharks consistently. That’s not saying you won’t catch them, as there has been quite a few caught as by-catch when fishing for snapper around the Altona and Black Rock area. If you want to specifically target them, you should be looking further down the bay in areas like Rye where there is a bit more

tide. Tide brings food, which will bring in the predators like gummy sharks.

Fishing the edges of the shipping channel all the way from Rye to the entrance will give you a good shot at landing a decent or even huge gummy shark. Getting down closer to the entrance around Portsea has also been producing some cracker gummies. To give yourself the best chance at landing a big female, you should be catching fresh bait that day. Gummy sharks have an incredible nose, so most of the time they will be able to tell if your bait is not quite right.

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Mark Keaveny caught this snapper from Mount Eliza recently.

JANUARY 2020

35

Finding fish is easy when you’re at the top end good time to start targeting whiting and they have been in huge numbers. I mentioned last month that Gentle Annie, Charing Cross and Browns Reserve were already fishing well

WESTERN PORT NTH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

I am sure the weather gods decided to be nasty this season. Despite the rain and cyclonic winds throughout the last few weeks, we finally got a good break.

While the weather did put things on hold, anglers still braved the conditions every chance they could and with good results.

The top end around Joes Island seemed to be the place to be with plenty of fish being pulled in. Mind you, Western Port fished much better than Port Phillip Bay, mainly due to the warmer water temperature. Snapper have continued to be the main target and depending where you head the chance of a good gummy shark is on the cards, especially in the upper channels.

Patience is key to catching big reds.

Photo courtesy of Justin Blythe.

With Christmas behind us, the bulk of the snapper fishing is all but over. Sure, you’ll still catch them up until February but the size and numbers have already started to dwindle. They will finish spawning and then head back offshore to their winter homes. The Port will also begin to become busier with holidaymakers

Calamari have been quite aggressive and not fussed about jig colour.

Photo courtesy of Justin Blythe.

Brendon Hogg caught this gummy shark from his yak.

Photo courtesy of Brendon Hogg.

There have also been solid reports of reds caught around Bagge Harbour, Crawfish and Eagle rocks.

These areas are very reefy, which is why the congregation of snapper is so thick. They can still be a challenge to catch at times, so fishing the tides with fresh bait is key to a good session.

The North Arm has also fired up recently, with many anglers hooking into solid fish around Lysaght. This area is mainly 15-17m deep and runs from Hastings to Yaringa. While it can be crowded with anglers, it has been a very productive area in recent weeks.

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JANUARY 2020

bigger fish must certainly be as a result of the netting ban some years ago, which is great to see. I actually can’t remember last when so many anglers were catching such huge numbers

Get the drift right and you can catch some quality calamari along the bank edges.

Photo courtesy of Justin Blythe.

Brett Palmer from Palms Yak Fishing worked the mangrove edges in his kayak to pull out some amazing estuary perch.

Photo courtesy of Brett Palmer.

descending on Phillip Island and the local caravan parks, and with more boats on the water the fish can quite easily shut down.

With that in mind, it’s a

and they are bursting with whiting. I have received a few reports of anglers catching their bag in just a few hours and many fish are around 38-42cm. These

of whiting. It seems like you can’t get away from them at times.

The Eastern Channel is also fishing well. with the local charter fleet finding them with ease. Depending on the tide, if you head through the ‘cut’ along the Middle Spit and work the western side you’ll find some solid fish. In this area you can fish the entire tide through, but it can become weedy. Berley is advisable, as the bottom is mostly sand and weed and fish will sniff it out quite quickly. If you’re not into using berley, then just stop and drop along the edge of the drop-off up and down the channel to search for a good patch of fish.

The North Arm has just begun to fish well for whiting. From Buoy 31 down to Buoy 25, deepwater whiting have been great fun. To fish here you do need to fish the tides, at least two hours each side of the change, so you should use 6oz sinkers. Fish a twin dropper paternoster rig with each dropper containing a circle hook, so that you don’t have to worry about pulling the hook out or missing the bite altogether. For the next few weeks this area will continue to fish well and it is worth giving a go if you’ve never targeted whiting in the deep before.

Lots of possibilities on the Port WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

Every year Western Port always amazes me, not just in its diversity of fish species but also because there is always somewhere fishable regardless of the weather. With the recent bout of wind and rain, getting out in the boat has been tough but plenty of

in doing so caught a few nice gummy sharks, mostly in the 5-8kg range, but still decent by-catch. Kayak anglers have also been getting into the action working the flats during the high tides.

Brendon Hogg from Krakka Yakkaz has been out quite a bit of late and has managed decent snapper and gummies fishing these areas. Other kayak anglers have also been having similar success.

Whiting have come on

night, big snapper get up into the shallows and in the past, it has been a regular haunt for anglers to catch 9kg snapper.

Although it is getting close to the end of snapper season, the Corals have still been productive along with Rhyll and Observation Point. While the Corals may be only around 5m deep, it still produces some amazing snapper as well as plenty of pinkies. Due to the cunje bottom, school sharks, gummy sharks and mulloway are also welcomed by-catch.

Further down the Port and along both sides of the Eastern Entrance, calamari and whiting have been plentiful. Anglers fishing from the sand have been doing well late in the evening. The edges are quite weedy but long casts will find sand where whiting are prolific on the high tides.

Although it’s shallow, casting silver whiting under a float has been productive

Bay and encompassing Balnarring, Somers and Point Leo has been exceptional.

The Western Entrance has seen plenty of pinkie snapper caught around McHaffies Reef and some larger models around Buoy 12. It is also a very reliable spot for gummy sharks and we are well on our way to the peak season when larger models will enter the Port. These extralarge gummies should run from now on until March, however many are breeding females and should be released after capture.

Another popular species to target along the Western Entrance is whiting. Catching them in the deep is possible but challenging due to the force of the current and even then, fishing an hour each side of a tide change doesn’t give you long to try your luck. Instead of trying in the deep, it’s best to head to the Phillip Island side of the entrance and work around Ventnor and down to Cat

Brendon Hogg has been working the southern end of the Port with amazing success on gummies and snapper.

Photo courtesy of Brendon Hogg.

Jamie had a ripper session out on Western Port with some quality snapper coming aboard. anglers found somewhere to hide and fish. Landbased anglers and those working the shallows from their kayaks also managed some memorable fish.

Solid reports of snapper have continued to come through from the Corinella region with no signs of slowing down. Anglers fishing the Spit Point to Lang Lang areas have been plucking quality models from the murky waters and

in the Coronet Bay area in fair numbers. Anglers fishing in 5m of water have been working the sand holes with fish to 40cm caught.

Mussel baits have proven to be a hit with whiting in this area. Coronet Bay is quite a large bay, extending from Settlement Point, Corinella right down to San Remo, encompassing Reef Island where snapper, flathead and calamari have also been caught. Throughout the

Whiting and salmon have been abundant throughout the Port.

Photo courtesy of Justin Blythe.

swamped before so check the conditions before doing so.

Larger boats can launch from either Cowes ramp on Phillip Island or from Stony Point, where you’ll have to drive down the Western Entrance unless you’re confident in crossing Middle Bank. It is mostly exposed on the low tide and only around 2-3ft in depth on the high tide so take care if you decide to cross.

Flinders has also been fishing well for calamari from the pier and boats.

Drifting in 10m of water out the front of the pier has seen some sensational calamari caught. The pier has been very productive

for calamari.

WESTERN ENTRANCE The entire area from Buoy 15 right down to Cat

If you want quality fish like this, you have to put in the time on the water.

Working the weed beds out from Flinders can lead to very big calamari.

Photo courtesy of Justin Blythe.

Bay. Whiting are prolific here and it won’t take long to catch your bag.

You can also do well fishing the Somers, Balnarring and Point Leo side. This is relatively sandy with patches of weed – prime

whiting habitat. Getting here is no easy feat though. If you have a 4WD, you can launch from the sand ramp at Flinders but beware, as the ocean swell can make launching and retrieving difficult and boats have been

for those flicking jigs throughout the night on high tides.

I can’t believe that it is January already. Last year had plenty of memorable catches, so let’s hope this year continues on strong.

JANUARY 2020

37

Settle into summer fishing PHILLIP ISLAND

Craig Edmonds

Hopefully a new year will bring a change of conditions and a calmer, more traditional summer will lead into the autumn this area is known for. While the winds during summer can be moderate, they are also predictable with very settled mornings, an early afternoon sea breeze

and a return to perfect conditions in the evening.

The downside is the fish in the bay are usually smaller and there is an abundance of undersized ones, but these can be great if you have the family on board and want to keep the kids busy.

Apart from the bigger fish that show up in the bay, the upside of summer is that offshore comes into its own. People often avoid heading offshore

because they consider it too dangerous or not worth the travel distance or fuel.

However, it is no more dangerous than fishing in the bay if conditions aren’t suitable and as far as needing to travel, from Newhaven it’s about the same distance to Rhyll as it is to where you’d head offshore. You do need to change up your gear but when the reward can be a bag full of flatty tails or a species list as long as your

It’s great to see families fishing together over the holidays.

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arm, it won’t take long to get used to it. You can generally get away with just changing your rigging and the way that you fish, drifting and not at anchor.

Snapper were about a month late spawning this season because of the very unsettled spring and the ever-changing temperature in the bay. This is probably why snapper over 6kg were still being caught well into December, when in a normal year the reports of bigger snapper would run out towards the end of November. Bigger snapper are caught right through the year but they are a very different looking fish once they have been in the bay for a length of time and you very rarely catch more than one.

When we do see conditions like this season, it’s not uncommon to see bigger snapper in numbers caught right up to Christmas. In the past, a late spawning has meant snapper mixed up with the pinkies and you will go through a bit of bait getting past the much smaller fish.

We had a season similar to this a couple of years ago when many of the snapper headed offshore to the reefs at Kilcunda, with a second run after Christmas in late January of bigger fish to catch through winter. Over the 14 years in the shop, no two years have been

This gummy might be too small but with sunsets like this, an evening fish is always worth it. standing on! The reports have actually improved because as a whole, we are seeing far more than we did in the early days in the shop. It’s important to move around and try somewhere different, whether you’re land-based or a boat angler.

We have seen a steady growth over the last few years not in an increase in numbers in one spot but a growth in the number of spots reports are coming from. Many customers will now drop a squid jig down everywhere they go in the bay. The more traditional spots have been producing plenty and the average size has definitely been up this season. A few have been showing up on the Rhyll jetty with Newhaven, San

and landing some quality calamari. It takes a bit of practice and you need to know where you are, because if you aren’t quick enough to retrieve you will lose your jig to the weed.

The smaller whiting of late winter/early spring have grown to respectable mid 30cm sizes. The numbers have been good for several months, but it has been a struggle to get a bag of decent ones. There hasn’t been a lot of pattern to any of the reports, which had more to do with the inconsistent weather earlier in the season than anything else. There were weeks in a row before Christmas that you could only fish one day a week because of the weather and every time you went out you had to work

Quality 7kg snapper can show up any time of year – you just need to put in the effort. the same but there are definitely more resident snapper in the bay overall.

Calamari have continued to improve each season for the last five or so years but many customers have reported that they are not catching anywhere near as many as they used to.

The main problem is some anglers have fished so often in the one spot, they have worn out the jetty they are

Remo and Cowes jetties performing a little better but still not consistent.

The beaches at Ventnor and in Cleeland Bight have out-fished the jetties at high tide on dark and they can be less crowded.

Baited jigs under a float have normally been better off the beaches than artificial jigs but I have several customers casting artificial jigs off beaches

out where they were.

Whiting have been caught consistently from 8-10m of water and once anglers have worked out the best rigs and times, they are often heading straight to the deep before their favourite shallow spots. It will take a little practice and a change of rig, but if you work it out you will find bigger and far more aggressive whiting.

Why structure is so important NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.fishotopia.com

Recognising and understanding structure is critical to catching so many types of fish — in both fresh and saltwater — yet some anglers still struggle getting their heads around this basic concept. Here’s how (and why) it works: Fishing writers like me are always banging on about the importance of ‘structure’ in our how-to articles, yet I’m sure this term still leaves some anglers puzzled, confused and scratching their heads.

Basically, structure — at least as it applies to fishing — is any object, feature, element or abnormality that breaks up an otherwise reasonably uniform stretch of terrain, seascape or environment.

It could be something as obvious as a dirty big boulder, a fallen tree or an undersea reef pinnacle, or it may be as subtle as a line of bubbles or foam drifting in the current, a transition

First light filters through the fog on prime bass water. There’s plenty of juicy structure along that deeper left bank, but don’t rule out a weed bed or isolated log on the shallower side either, especially in low light conditions.

FADs or fish aggregation devices are classic pieces of artificial structure that attract all manner of marine life, including tripletail like this beauty Jo Starling pulled from under a bamboo raft FAD in Indonesian waters.

Frigate birds begin to wheel overhead and a brown booby lands on the raft. A passing loggerhead turtle paddles over for a look.

Down below, a squadron of tiger-striped wahoo hangs menacingly in the current

between dirty and slightly clearer water, or the hidden layer in a lake where the water temperature changes abruptly across a vertical distance of less than a metre. These are all structures and they can all be keys to finding and catching fish.

Most anglers understand

This bream is finding both food and shelter in a wavewashed gutter that’s literally bristling with marine life.

It’s not only fish that love snags or fallen trees! The presence of water dragons like this gorgeous specimen is often a good indicator of the likelihood of encountering bass, Murray cod or other fishy predators.

that when they’re chasing bass, Murray cod, bream, jacks or barra, they’ll tend to do better if they cast their baits, lures or flies as close as possible to the cover of snags, mangrove roots and rock bars. Fewer stop to think about why

What a fishy set-up! A tropical run-off drain with a snag right in its mouth. You’d almost guarantee a strike from a barra, jack or estuary cod on the first cast at a structural element of this calibre.

these structural elements actually attract and hold catchable fish.

The best fish-holding structures offers three critical benefits to the fish they attract: food, shelter and a point of reference or home base for navigational purposes.

Think about a bamboo raft FAD (fish aggregation device) anchored or drifting in warm, tropical seas.

Within days (sometimes hours) of being deployed, tiny fish and larval crustaceans will begin to gather in the shadow of this raft, seeking shelter from seabirds or other predators, and possibly nibbling on the algae already beginning to grow on the bamboo.

Shortly afterwards, the first cruising mahimahi (dolphin fish), rainbow runner or tripletail will wander by, spy the cloud of little organisms sheltering under the raft and happily chow into them. Soon other predators will join the first one and, even if they succeed in eating all the small fry, they’ll tend

beneath the FAD, while further out, a massive blue marlin begins to stalk a pod of juvenile yellowfin tuna that are also using the raft as the centre of their hunting activities.

A fallen casuarina tree in the upper reaches of a southern estuary works a little differently, but the same general principles apply. Tiny fish, shrimps and prawns hide amongst the twigs. Barnacles and algae grow on the timber.

Bream move in to crunch open the tasty barnacles and luderick graze on the algae. A school of estuary perch swing by to chase the small fry and their flashes and splashes attract a passing mulloway. The system is working: life is attracting other life, all driven by the presence of a single, fallen tree.

Consider these things every time you wet a line. Think about why a particular piece of structure might attract and hold certain types of food and

An old set of bridge pylons and the accumulation of flood debris they’ve trapped marks a prime piece of mid-stream structure. to hang around in close proximity to the raft, using it as a home base or a point of reference in the otherwise vast and featureless ocean.

Life attracts life.

the fish that eat them.

Consider which items of structure have more to offer than others. Then question your assumptions. If you do, I guarantee your fishing results will improve!

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Mulloway movement mystery Your recreational fishing licence fees are funding a two-year study by the Nature Glenelg Trust that is revealing amazing secrets about the movement of mulloway in and between Victorian rivers, bays and beaches.

Aquatic Ecologist with the Nature Glenelg Trust Lauren Brown said volunteer fishers had tagged nearly 500 mulloway in the Glenelg (308), Patterson (34), Hopkins (23), Yarra (25), Barwon (17) and Moyne (2) rivers, and six beaches at Portland, Geelong, Western Port.

“Over 80 tagged mulloway have been recaptured so far, seven fish twice and another, tagged in November 2018 in the Glenelg River, has been recaptured three times,” Ms Brown said.

“More than half the recaptures (55) have been in the same estuary the fish was initially tagged and released in, and the greatest distance travelled was in the Glenelg River where a mulloway swam 24km from town bridge to Saplings Creek in 90 days.

“In August, a 105cm tagged mulloway was caught in the Glenelg River. It was originally tagged at 89.5cm back in December 2018 near the Glenelg’s mouth. The fish had grown 15.5cm in 217 days, which is the second fastest growth rate (0.07 cm per day) observed in the Glenelg so far!

“In January 2018, a 45cm tagged mulloway was caught 10km from the Hopkins River mouth. The fish was

Volunteer fishers have tagged nearly 500 mulloway in the Glenelg River to assist in mulloway research. caught again in December 2018 at 62cm, having grown 17cm growth in 11 months.

In February, the fish was captured a third time a few kilometres further upstream at 70cm. That’s 8cm growth in just two months!

“On Melbourne’s doorstep, a tagged mulloway was caught at the mouth of the Yarra River. It had been tagged more than a year before in the Patterson River. In its 427 days at liberty, it had grown 14cm from 66 to 80cm.

“This is the second mulloway to move from the Patto to the Yarra’s mouth and represents the only ‘between estuary’ movements documented in the study so far.”

Ms Brown said the study’s

Bass stocking underway Recreational fishers in Gippsland are smiling from ear-to-ear thanks to the stocking of over 130,000 Australian bass into 11 lakes and rivers to further improve freshwater fishing opportunities in the years ahead.

Victorian Fisheries Authority CEO, Travis Dowling, said Australian bass are a highly regarded sportfish, native to Gippsland and Australia’s East Coast, and have thrived since the annual stocking program for the species was ramped up.

“The statewide stocking

program is funded by fishing licence fees and the State Government’s $35 million Target One Million plan to get more people fishing, more often, in more places,” Mr Dowling said.

Bass were released into these waters, with more fingerlings to be stocked soon: Mitchell River 39,000, Lake Glenmaggie 25,000, Blue Rock Lake 45,000, Avon River 5,000, Valencia Creek 1,000, Rainbow Creek 1,000, Thomson River 5,000, Cowwarr Weir 2,000, Tyers River 2,000, and Traralgon Creek 1,000.

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success was in large-part thanks to the keen involvement of several fishers like Tim Murrell who’d tagged nearly 100 mulloway in the Glenelg River over six months.

“Michael Gordon and Aron Coleman have also been busy in the Glenelg tagging 49 and 32 respectively.

“In the Hopkins River, Shane Murphy has tagged lots of fish whilst Reece Cliff, having only joined early in 2019, has tagged 13 fish in the Patterson River including the largest in the study at 120cm.”

If you catch a tagged mulloway, report it by emailing lauren.brown@ngt. org.au noting to record the date, tag number, location of capture and length. – Victoria Fisheries

Around 130,000 Australian bass have been released into 11 lakes and rivers.

In addition, the Macalister River received 5,000 bass downstream of Lake Glenmaggie and 2,000 above.

Reports from local fishers confirm that bass stocked previously into the above listed waters have survived and grown well and are providing exciting fishing for beginners and keen fishers on lure, bait and fly.

Several of the stocked fisheries are now considered good enough to host competitions, like those in New South Wales and Queensland, which have been the envy of Victorian lure-casters for years.

Mr Dowling said Victorian fishers no longer have to travel interstate to bag a bass now that we have productive fisheries at destinations like Glenmaggie and Blue Rock.

The VFA will shortly begin stocking estuary perch fingerlings too, a close relative of Australian bass. – Victoria Fisheries JANUARY 2020

41

A cautious new season for bream anglers GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

Bream anglers have been a bit quiet lately but things should begin to fire up now, as this month is the start of prime lure and bait fishing.

Flathead have been turning up in decent numbers and whiting have also been bagged over the last few weeks. Salmon, pinkie snapper, luderick, some big tailor, prawns and flounder have been available. With some perseverance, the Gippy Lakes can be very rewarding over summer for a wide range of species.

METUNG MORNINGS The area from Metung to Nungurner will be a prime fishing location now, as it’s where some big tallies of bream and flathead should be available during the next few months. Every time in early summer some amazing fish turn up around this area and usually stay until at least late May. Black and yellowfin bream have already been caught around the jetty pylons on lures and some impressive flathead will be found on the shallow sand banks as well.

These areas will also obviously work well for bait anglers, but no matter your technique, always plan to be on the water as early as possible. Even in the dark, morning will be deadly and it means you also avoid those

nasty easterly winds that rise around lunchtime. Too many visiting anglers start at the wrong time of the day. It’s great to enjoy your holiday sleep-ins, but a lot of boats launch around midday just as the nasty easterly starts up and that wind only ever gets stronger as the afternoon rolls on. Even by 2pm, it can be so choppy on the water that you will be heading back after a very short session.

Don’t forget to target pinkie snapper around the deeper jetties. Some huge tailor are now feeding in the area as well, so troll a few lures behind the boat.

BAITING BREAM Recently, I tracked down some bait anglers to get an idea on what their bream

results have been like and their general thoughts on how the Gippy Lakes are fishing. Too often I only communicate with those who are lure fishing so I wanted to make more effort with other anglers.

I met Stu Chipperfield from Frankston who has been visiting the lakes for over two decades and makes an annual trip with 5-6 other keen anglers. They stay about four days each time and fish flat out for bream by searching and boating to many different locations.

They also have self-imposed slot limits and any bream over 40cm or under 33cm are returned. They spent a lot of time searching their usual favourite spots including

Ripper estuary perch have been caught in the Mitchell River and were carefully released.

the Nicholson and Tambo rivers and the upper Mitchell River but caught absolutely nothing. The only place they had any real success was in the Silt Jetties around Two Bells, where they landed a very modest number of bream but got nice sizes between 36-41cm. He said only a couple of blokes in the boat landed fish and they all used frozen prawn because sandworm was unavailable.

Sadly, Stu said it was the slowest fishing they had ever experienced in over 20 years.

Julie McHale reported a quality bream taken at Paynesville recently, also caught on frozen prawn.

Although it measured just a whisker under 40cm, her friend Cathy released it. I didn’t hear of any other fish they had caught and that area of the lakes has also been fishing very slowly.

I talked to bait anglers fishing Newlands, Duck Arm and the nearby canals and they all reported in with nothing caught. It was sad to see so many despondent anglers. I’m not sure what it all means but nearly all the anglers I spoke with are worried about the local fish stocks.

BREAM AND PERCH ON LURES Lure anglers have also only been getting small numbers of bream but that’s fairly common for December. Bream are always cranky if not shut down at this time of year, which tests

Bream numbers have been fairly low over the last month so perseverance is key. lure fishos. However, things can turn around very quickly.

The Mitchell River around Bairnsdale is still holding some quality bream and good numbers of EP as well. It’s really nice to see anglers releasing the estuary perch they catch and in fact, I don’t know of anyone that keeps them. The best places to find bream on lures over the next month will be the Mitchell Flats, at the mouth of the Tambo River, Raymond Island and the edges of the Silt Jetties. You should also explore the lower Nicholson River downstream from the ramp and the vast

sand flats around Metung and Bancroft Bay. PRAWNS The prime time prawning season is still ahead of us, so be patient and look forward to March and April when the run of big prawns start to gather. It’s still worth a look at this time of year if you choose the darkest of nights around the new moon. Holidaymakers have been out in force chasing the early run of prawns with mixed success. They are definitely around, as smaller bait-sized prawns have been caught since late October and early November.

Jig for tasty snapper CORNER INLET

Will Thompson allwaysangling@bigpond.com

Snapper season is in full swing, with big numbers of snapper starting to school up, so now is the perfect time to break out the snapper jigs!

The weather has been atrocious! I can’t remember a season where there have been so many unfishable days. At Corner Inlet we are lucky to of had one fishable day per week since September. The constant cold fronts have kept the

water temperatures lower than usual for this time of year, however the snapper have still arrived in good numbers and are there waiting to be caught when we get a good day.

Those who have been lucky enough to get out on the one good day a week, have been smashing the reds.

In the past week, the snapper have started to school up thick and anglers are starting to break out the micro and Kabura style jigs, which have been working an absolute treat. There have been some cracking fish taken so far, with anglers landing reds to

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8kg, with 60-100g jigs being the standouts. The lighter jigs work well close to slack tide, however if you have either strong winds or you are fishing mid-tide, you will need at least a 100g jig to get down, and up to 120g jigs when the tide is ripping.

The colour of the jigs doesn’t really seem to matter that much, however, blues, greens, pinks and orange are always successful.

In other news, the SGGFC held their annual snapper tournament a few weeks back, which was a huge success. With almost 90 boats entering the comp, there was a stack of fish caught, with the winning fish being in excess of 10kg and the place getters all catching 9kg+ fish. This shows the quality of the snapper that are in the system this year, they are huge. Imagine hooking one of these fish on 15lb braid on a light jigging rod – pretty awesome!

Moving along, the gummy sharks are still thick inside. If you fish the run-in tides, you will catch more gummies than snapper. They

The lads with a nice double hook-up. Micro and kabura jigs did the damage. are averaging just below 1m, however there are some bigger models further out in the entrance and offshore.

Large baits will target the bigger gummies, and use bigger hooks that won’t just catch flathead after 30 seconds of being in the water, and size 7/0-8/0 is definitely the way to go.

There are still plenty of calamari around, with the Lewis Channel being the best option. The best jig colours have been white, red and gold in size 3.5.

Also, the same areas have been consistently producing good numbers of whiting so it’s worth taking some pipis with you if you are just

going to fish in close. The whiting are cracking sizes as well, with heaps of fish over 40cm.

• For more information, contact Will at Allways Angling in Traralgon on 51748544. You will get expert advice and great deals on all fishing bait and tackle.

Change up techniques LAKES ENTRANCE

Steven Pryke

A new year is here, bringing new opportunities. The Gippsland Lakes are ever changing, with weather and freshwater levels affecting the lower lakes.

Each season requires anglers to adapt to the changes yet the lakes still produce quality fish, especially after anglers invest the time and effort in learning and using fresh baits.

The scattered weed around Rigbys and Flannagans islands has produced quality King George whiting working the weedy edges in search of an easy feed. A pipi or fresh mussel baited up on a paternoster rig then dropped along the edge of the weed beds is quickly taken by these great table fish. Whiting haven’t been over the whole weed bed so repeated attempts in different locations are best until you get hook-ups.

The scattered coves around Metung and downwards towards Lakes Entrance are commonly where large schools of

whitebait frequent. These coves produce ideal areas for ambush hunters and large 80cm+ dusky flathead are often spotted in these bays. However,

these big models are tricky to catch, as the smaller table size flathead often beat the bigger fish to baits and lures. Minnow style soft plastics have been one

This quality dusky took a liking to a Bassday Sugapen walked across the shallow flats.

Ricky from Lakes Charter Fishing caught some quality King George whiting on a recent charter.

of the best offerings for these flathead to match the whitebait.

LAKE TYERS Lake Tyers is one of my favourite fisheries. It offers up all manner of fishing styles with the lower area having a mixture of flats and rocky points. The lake has become known as a trophy flathead fishery over recent years, with quality flathead spread throughout the system.

The mud flats of the Nowa Nowa Arm offer up some great fishing.

Small topwater lures have been getting crunched by

actively hunting bream and flathead. The timbered snags from Devils Hole down towards the island have been holding quality bream. Anglers have been finding a mixture of sizes, but consistently better quality bream around the 38-40cm mark have been found higher around Devils Hole.

Bait anglers have had great success with fresh shrimp or nippers fished lightly-weighted around the snags. This is a deadly approach and will produce fish nearly year round in the system. These same

timber snags have been ideal areas for lure anglers casting small crankbaits as deep into the structure as possible then slow rolling them along the branches as. Hook-ups are usually explosive and locked drags and heavy rods are a must or you’ll get destroyed.

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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Get bream around the Bemm BEMM RIVER

Robyn Sturgess

Bemm River is going gangbusters once again!

At the time of writing, the entrance is still open but it’s expected to close soon depending on the weather. The fishing

has been brilliant for a variety of fish caught like bream, flathead, trevally, luderick, salmon plus the occasional whiting and tailor.

Last month saw the mouth of Mud Lake become a hotspot for quality bream.

Flathead have been caught around the mouth of the

Flathead have been plentiful around Pelican Point.

It’s a great time of year to chase quality bream.

channel and back on the sand bed heading towards Pelican Point. Decent bream have been caught below the old post office on the western side of Pelican Point. The river continues to be a hotspot for shoreline anglers, but you should keep one eye on the rod and one eye peeled

for snakes. They love to sun themselves along the riverbank this time of year.

The road to Pearl Point is now easy access for two-wheel drive vehicles so anglers have been enjoying great salmon fishing on all the surf beaches.

Pearl Point has been the premium location but you should be prepared to walk the steps. Some of the anglers have fished for gummy at night and have been rewarded with excellent catches. One group hooked onto a bronze whaler and after a couple of hours, the big animal won and got away.

If you’re fishing the beaches this summer, please be very aware of blue bottles and rips. The safest beach for families is

Bream are just one of the species available from Bemm River this month.

Py-yoot Bay. With the entrance open since September, we have seen the health and wellbeing of the waterways flourish.

This has been reflected by the quality of fish caught. Please be mindful of the sizes, especially flathead, as there have been a lot landed over the 55cm mark, which means you must release it unharmed.

All boaties should make sure their safety equipment is up to date and in good condition. This includes

servicing 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.

Hoping for rain to come MARLO

Jim McClymont mcclymont@net-tech.com.au

On the Snowy River, we have given up on any major rain events and are hoping for the occasional s c a t t e re d s h o w e r.

Although the entrance isn’t very deep, the tides are still managing to bring good schools of fish into the system, resulting in some excellent fishing.

Big schools of luderick have moved into the estuary and are schooling on the rock groynes that surround the islands and riverbanks.

Anglers have reported getting good captures in the Snowy and Brodribb rivers, fishing close to shore on the mud banks with sandworm or shrimp.

Anglers fishing in both rivers have reported getting 44

JANUARY 2020

some big bream using sandworm, Bass yabbies, black crab, local shell and frozen prawn. Some good size schools of estuary perch have also entered the system and can be found in both rivers holding on snags and structure. The best results have been from using sandworm, shrimp and lures. Yellow-eye mullet are also in good numbers and can be caught throughout the whole estuary system on sandworm. Trevally are present in much of the estuary and can be caught on most bait.

The surf beaches are really firing, with salmon and tailor taking baits and lures during the day and rays and pesky crabs taking baits at night. It takes a special angler with plenty of skill and patience to land the elusive gummy shark,

but plenty of anglers out there must have what it takes because reports of good size gummies have been coming in hard and fast. The top baits have been squid, eel and fresh fish fillets.

Keen anglers are still chasing bronze whaler sharks, with many reports of big bronze whalers over 10’ long being landed and later released.

Fishers have been either swimming baits out past the breakers or sending the baits out with drones, then anchoring baits to buoys with breakaway lines and landing the sharks using gamefishing gear and tackle. The offshore fishing has been great in general with plenty of flathead, gurnard, squid, barracouta, pinkie snapper, salmon and gummy shark.

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Chance to score big in January MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson

It’s been a busy time of year around Merimbula with the holiday crowd but anglers putting in the time are reaping rewards, as there’s some exceptional fishing on offer.

The local beaches have been excellent, especially for bream and whiting.

After the recent heavy seas, deeper gutters have formed in close just past the shore

dump, making it easy for anglers to reach the deeper water. Bread and butter species have been caught on lighter outfits and some anglers have caught seven or eight quality fish in a short period when the conditions have been right. Bream to 1kg and whiting to 43cm have been consistent. They’re good sport on light tackle and not too bad on the plate either. Pipi, fresh prawns and live beachworms have been the top bait options at

Estuary perch are very partial to a wellpresented stickbait. This 34cm fish came off a rock wall in 8m of water.

North Tura, Tura Main, and Merimbula Main beaches.

There have been plenty of salmon when you come across a school. They’re not super thick but 4-6 fish a session has been the norm.

Early morning flooding tides are definitely the best time to fish before the wind gets up. I’d expect a few mulloway and gummy sharks to be caught from the beaches, and I know of one quite big 8.5’ bronze whaler shark caught from Merimbula Main recently.

The fishos that caught it lost another not as big but I’d estimate it was 120kg after looking at the photo.

The estuaries are fishing great guns and this will continue. Merimbula and Pambula are firing for most estuarine species with plenty of flathead, whiting, bream and luderick. Bait fishos have been having a ball in the channels while anchored. It really doesn’t matter which tide you fish, as long it is running. Use a decent sinker on a running sinker rig with fresh prawns or striped tuna strips and you will have plenty of action. If lures are your go-to method, you won’t be disappointed

either. Fishing the channels on a draining tide using stickbait soft plastics will see plenty of fish, especially bream, trevally and the odd salmon.

There have been a few big tailor down the front. It’s probably a bit weird to be catching these bigger greenbacks at this time of year but I don’t hear too many anglers complaining. If you’re fishing the main basins of either lake, concentrate your efforts along the ribbon weed edges in 4-5m of water for best results.

A mixture of paddle style softies in various colours and blades will see plenty of fish caught.

January always sees some monster flatties active, so if a croc is your desired target you will have a great chance at an 80cm+ fish. I would be fishing bigger plastics around 100mm, especially in Merimbula Lake. This system is a little deeper along the drop-offs and the bigger lures are definitely more effective on the larger models.

With the water warm and around 22°C, surface presentations will work on

Young gun Alex Daly with the sort of tailor that have been caught in the lower sections of the main channel opposite the oyster leases.

They are great fun on light gelspun. bream and whiting. This technique is great fun, with poppers and stickbaits the lures of choice. Most flats will hold fish but look for ones that have a mixture

of sand and weed, not just sand. These areas are abundant around the back of the oyster leases in both systems. You need a To page 47

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Chasing bread and butter summer species NAROOMA

Stuart Hindson

It’s the business end of the holiday season around Narooma, but even with the increased boat traffic there’s plenty of fish to be caught.

At Montague Island, kings have been a little difficult of late but that will improve once we get more southerly current.

This is important for kings, especially the bigger fish and when using live bait.

The fish that have been caught are not huge, averaging 3-4kg, but they’re still a whole lot of fun. Live bait and jigs are the go-to method with the

the season, though switch baiting when bait balls are evident down deep or on the surface will certainly work. Anywhere from the 70-fathom line to the second drop will fish well, but it will depend on prevailing currents, bait activity and current direction. There should be some reasonable yellowfin tuna to 40kg, plus albacore and a variety of shark species. Tuna have certainly dropped in size from last month, but there’s still a few about to keep things interesting.

Those after a feed can score sand and tiger flathead in great numbers.

Fishing in 40m of water straight off Dalmeny has been excellent, with bag

limits reached on most outings. Anglers targeting snapper have found it a little harder. You will have to work for them but the deeper reefs in 45-50m straight off Potato Point are a good place to start searching. Casting micro jigs and soft plastics has been effective and bait crews have gotten amongst a few too.

Salmon, tailor and bonito can be expected off the ocean rocks, with most rock platforms producing but Mystery Bay to the south of Narooma the top option. You will have to get there early, as this is only

a small ledge that can’t hold many anglers. Fresh pillies on ganged 4/0 hooks is the best way to tempt them. Use only a small ball sinker straight down to the hook and slowly wind back the pilchard to you. A few kingfish are caught this way every year, so using slightly heavier tackle will give you a fighting chance of landing one.

Throwing larger chromed lures around 40-50g is also worth a go. If you’re after a feed, bream, blackfish, and trevally are possible opponents in the washes.

Fish lightly-weighted baits like fresh prawns or cunjevoi for best results and a little bit of berley will help.

On the beaches, the warmer water has pushed in and bream and whiting are high on anglers’ lists.

These bread and butter species can be found on almost every local beach that has a half decent gutter close to shore. Long casts are not required here so a light outfit with a running sinker rig baited with live beachworms or pipi will see some nice fillets for the pan. Try the Narooma Main, Tilba and Brou beaches just north of Dalmeny.

Brou has been exceptional of late with salmon, tailor and gummy sharks all succumbing to baits fished on heavier tackle as well.

Head north to Blackfellows on the southern end for a mulloway. Several fish in the 7-9kg bracket have been caught there recently.

In the estuaries, Tuross continues to fish well in the lower sections for flathead, bream and the odd mulloway. You do have to work for them but if enough time is put in around the peak periods, some good results can be had. Anglers casting bigger softies on the draining tide have done okay downstream. If you fish smaller lures the undersize flatties will cause you grief, which is great for the future but can prove frustrating.

A little further

The water is warm north of us and it shouldn’t be too long before that first beaky hits the deck.

Closer to shore, the bottom brigade have been doing well on snapper and morwong. The southern reefs around Haycock are the go around 32m of water, with the inside edge of Hunter Rocks in 17-22m also accounting for quality snapper. A mixture of micro jigs, softies and bait should see a bent rod or two, and if one method isn’t working try another and you should soon be in business.

The rock spin diehards will be around in numbers from now on as a variety of surface speedsters will be willing to hit a lure or two. Kingfish, striped tuna, bonito are all on the cards and you never know when that stray northern bluefin will come too close to the rocks. Tura Head is the place to fish, but the wharf and rocks in Merimbula Bay are also worth a look. Spearos have scored several solid kingfish up to 15kg so bigger fish are there; you just need to get them to bite.

A cracking 42cm whiting decided a flatty lure was on the menu. western side of the island fishing best. Some of the bigger kings have been mixed in with the bonito on the surface and taken on trolled deep divers. This technique can be hit-andmiss but it covers a lot of ground and sometimes you have to try a few methods to get a fish.

The marlin action will be in full swing a little further east around the shelf. Black and striped should be available with the chance of a big blue when fishing wide enough.

Fishos trolling a mixture of different coloured skirts seem to do well early in From page 46

reasonably high tide and a smaller boat that draws less water, but the fish are there in good numbers.

Offshore fishing has been tough. The weather has been windy and not ideal for venturing east, and even when the window has opened it still has been a little disappointing. There have been a few albacore about with the odd smaller yellowfin but nothing to get too excited about.

This should change as the month progresses.

Gun local angler Bill Boyton caught and released a few solid bream from the flats. upstream, bass and estuary perch are among the snags with hardbodied lures fished close to structure getting results.

The mornings have been good for surface lures, as poppers and walk-the-dog presentations have caught fish. A few bream are around to but are patchy, but once you find them

expect some solid action.

Again upstream is the place to fish though there are a lot of fish among the oyster racks but they can be very skittish and hard to entice.

Wagonga is back to its best after a few weeks of mediocre fishing. The fish have been there but are hard to entice, which has changed since the water temperature

has risen a few degrees.

Flathead, bream, snapper and heaps of tailor are about. A few smaller kingfish have been caught in Forsters Bay, mainly by anglers chasing flathead around the whitebait schools. This has happened for the last few seasons, so let’s hope they make the lake home for a few more months yet.

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Get a taste of Bermagui this holiday season BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Bermagui is well known for its gamefishing and it is the prime time for it, however over the holidays a lot of people come to Bermi to taste the magnificent seafood on offer. Culinary delights like fish, calamari, prawns and oysters are top of the list and many anglers can gather their own.

Magnificent reef fish are on offer, all within close proximity of Bermagui Harbour. Species include morwong, snapper and perch on the reefs, while up at the island kingfish are on the chew as well as tasty flathead.

Sand flathead are in good numbers out from Tilba, Cuttagee and Murrah beaches. Large tiger flathead have been caught outside the Four and Six Mile reefs and some quality morwong and other assorted fish species have come from most of the reefs south of Bermi, with Goalen Head being the pick. Gummy sharks have been regular catches around the full moon and if you wish to fish the deepwater of the Twelve Mile Reef, larger and varied reef fish will be encountered.

Large blue marlin

appear in January and the best way to encounter them is to troll big lures over the canyons. Stripes, black and blue marlin will frequent the Twelve Mile Reef to

feed on the vast schools of baitfish and don’t forget to throw a bibless or diving lure out when trolling, as school size yellowfin are also around.

Vanessa caught her first ever mulloway from the beach.

Berleying on the beaches, preferably near rocky outcrops, has been producing decent bream, salmon, mullet and tailor.

Using simple rigs and light rods has been heaps of fun as most fish are close to shore attracted by the berley. Night fishing can be productive with quality gummy sharks, tailor and large salmon being common catches.

Late evening and into night is the time to fish Brogo for bass. Using surface lures or large bulky flies can get spectacular strikes when you work them at varying speeds across a usually calm surface. Weed beds and overhangs are the better areas to work.

Insect life is likely to fall into the water from any overhanging trees and will attract bass to surface feed, allowing anglers to catch these fish.

Due to the lack of rain, a lot of our estuary systems around Bermagui are closed to the ocean. Although they are still producing fish, they are not as productive as those that are open like the Bermagui River, which estuary fish can migrate freely in and out of. Dusky flathead, bream, whiting, luderick and more are on offer and whether you are a lure or bait angler, there are plenty of fish to be found in this system.

With water temperatures rising, you should expect to see marlin of all different sizes.

Summer species have fired up MALLACOOTA/EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

Much needed rain is yet to come, as only 50mm has fallen in the Mallacoota Eden area over the past month. With summer temperatures here,

bushfires are a genuine concern. The past month has seen only a few truly hot days, but they are now the norm.

The offshore fishing is starting to fire up off Mallacooota, with sand and tiger flathead coming on the bite. The water temperature inshore is around 16-17°C, with cold water still out Find the bait and silver trevally won’t be far away.

Flathead have really come on the bite with soft plastics catching plenty of fish.

Good size tailor have been caught in the Top and Bottom lakes.

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JANUARY 2020

on the shelf. The coming months will see it warm up until late February when the water will be at its warmest on the beaches.

The inshore reefs are starting to fish well with reports of good catches of pinkie snapper along with some gummy shark. Tiger and sand flathead have also been available. An early start often sees fish on the

chew and when conditions allow, there is often a good bite in the late afternoon towards dusk.

There has been little to report on the gamefishing scene, with cold green water pushing along the shelf. Until the water warms up, things will remain quiet. The past month has seen some windy days and the coming

months will see it get even windier, so an early start is the key to getting a feed of fish and getting back before conditions make things unpleasant.

Fishing the local beaches and rocky headlands has been good with plenty of salmon being caught. As the water warms, the variety of fish will increase. The next few months are a great time of year to fish into the night and you can expect to encounter gummy shark and maybe even a mulloway.

Fresh or live baits are your best option.

Estuary fishing really comes alive over the summer months. Dusky flathead have

been caught on a variety of lures, with fresh bait also getting a few fish.

Sand whiting have been active and as the water warms they will turn up in greater numbers.

Fishing for black and yellowfin bream has picked up. As fish spread out around the shallow margins looking for a feed, the key is to keep moving to find the fish. Fishing for bass in the upper reaches of the local creeks and rivers over the summer months can be great but to really get things firing, rain is needed to get fish moving back to their summer haunts.

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JANUARY 2020

49

Lures for Victoria’s estuaries WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

Victoria might not have the likes of barramundi, mangrove jack, GTs and queenies but we do have an amazing array of willing lure taking species.

Light tackle enthusiasts can go toe-to-toe with flathead, Australian bass, mulloway, black and yellowfin bream, trevally, estuary perch, Australian salmon and tailor, which make up the bulk of prized estuarine species.

Shallow and deep crankbaits for every occasion. Whether you’re on the flats or flicking structure, a crank is the ideal lure. they can search for where the fish are holding.

CRANKBAITS Matching the hatch is a widely used term these days and while it stems from the fly flicking community, it is now used in all lure fishing

resembling something similar can pay dividends.

Crankbaits are an ideal estuary lure for bream, perch, flathead and trevally, mainly due to their design and size often replicating small fish, crabs and insects that these fish feed on.

Bream can be particularly fussy and are often found feeding on the shallow flats or holding deep amongst the snags. Cranks are a proven lure in these situations and are available in shallow and deep diving, floating, sinking and suspending models.

Due to their range of actions, there is always a crankbait to suit how the fish are feeding on the day. If the fish are on the flats in the early morning, you could be fishing in less than a metre of water.

Shallow suspending or floating model cranks can

Wriggler style soft plastics have a lot of action and bream just can’t resist them.

Flathead are commonly found along the edges of channels. Slow rolling shad style plastics is an effective technique.

Gippsland may be the Mecca when it comes to luring these species, but close to Melbourne’s CBD there are plenty of other river systems that can produce the same results.

The Yarra, Maribyrnong, Werribee and Patterson rivers and Mordialloc and Balcombe creeks can be very rewarding. In most

Fishing with lures doesn’t need to be complex, but you do need to understand the different styles and actions that are available to choose the right one for the species you intend on targeting.

Otherwise, you could be putting in a lot of hours and casts for zero result.

Lure fishing enables anglers

Shallow and deep diving crankbaits work exceptionally well on estuary perch around structure. be worked near the bottom wherever fish are sighted.

When fish are holding amongst the snags, deep diving suspending and floating cranks may be a

better option, especially if the waterway is tidal influenced.

On a high tide, bream and perch will often sit higher in the water column, whether

they’re under submerged timber or amongst a reed bed. However, on the low or falling tide they will sit deeper. Deep diving crankbaits are ideal in this situation because after a cast is made, you can rip the lure down to its desired diving depth before making a pause. If this doesn’t get an inquiry, repeat the process after a few seconds. Usually after the first or second rip a fish will take the lure.

Due to how crankbaits are used (crank, pause, crank), other species such as flathead and trevally will also take them if they are in the area. Crankbaits don’t tend to be large in size and while there are larger models for Murray cod and Australia bass, those designed for bream and perch tend to be in the 30-50mm range.

MINNOWS Minnow style lures can fall under the jerkbait category; however, rather

When bream are schooled up, metal vibe lures can quickly sink to where they are holding. cases, these systems are relatively shallow with a lot of structure and it pays to have some experience in these systems to be successful.

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JANUARY 2020

to cover an area, sort of like hunting for fish. Bait fishers tend to sit in one location and wait for the fish to come to them but for those fishing with lures,

scenarios. Regardless of the species being targeted, they all have their own diet they are used to eating. When it comes to lure selection, being able to fish a lure

Bream, perch, mulloway and flathead hold around structure. Working the edges with soft plastics, vibes and diving hardbodies will coax them out.

than being jerked as such they tend to be cast, wound and paused. Although this technique is similar to that for crankbaits, a minnow lure isn’t ‘ripped’ hard to get it to dive deep.

Minnows tend to

also an extremely effective lure to troll. Depending on the waterway you’re fishing, you can use them to target salmon and tailor as well.

Minnow lures are a little larger than crankbaits and more slender in design,

take but it’s ten times better watching them eat it.

Surface lures come in a range of actions from poppers, paddlers and stickbaits. Either way, all float so they can be manipulated on the surface to act like they are a dying insect or baitfish in some form.

Poppers are named so because they ‘pop’ or displace water when worked. After a cast is made and the popper lands on the surface, with a tight line the tip of the rod can be pulled in a short jerking motion

quickly while winding the reel’s handle to take up the slack line. This will cause the popper to skip across the surface, splashing as it does. While this motion can excite a fish, it is on the pause that the fish will hit it.

On the other hand, paddler style surface lures tend not to be jerked, just wound and paused. Due to their design, their wings make all of the commotion, enticing the fish to follow it. Once again, it is often when it is paused that it will be taken.

Stickbaits tend to

Flathead will devour most things that come near, but big prawn soft plastics in particular are rarely passed up.

A variety of surface lures suitable for estuary fishing. represent small baitfish that may be in an estuary. While they are also available in floating, sinking and suspending in deep and shallow models, their profile allows for long casts and steady retrievals.

Bream and perch can be quite fond of minnow style lures but they’re used best on flathead due to their profile. They can be cast along the edges of drop-offs as well as being cast into snaggy territory. They are

tending to range from 50-70mm. There are larger models out there but when it comes to flicking an estuary, lures in this size range are more commonly used.

SURFACE LURES Talk to any seasoned angler and they’ll agree there is no better form of fishing than surface luring.

While any fish on a lure is a lot of fun, seeing them smash a lure on the water’s surface is totally awesome.

It’s one thing to feel the

Even while you’re targeting flathead, bream will take big soft plastics if they are hungry enough.

be worked in a different manner. These styles don’t disperse water like paddlers and poppers; instead they imitate dying prey. These ‘walk-the-dog’ style lures tend to give off a snakelike action on the surface but to get this to occur, the lure needs to be wound while slightly shaking the tip of the rod.

SOFTIES Soft plastics are arguably the most versatile lure to use in an estuary, mainly due to them being quite inexpensive. When fishing for bream and perch, a lot of the time you are flicking amongst snags so you will lose a lot of lures.

Soft plastics, although they To page 52

JANUARY 2020

51

From page 51

are sinking, are a great alternative to throwing expensive lures into thick timber. You can still go through a fair amount of plastics and jigheads in a session but it is still cheaper than losing $20 lures each cast.

When choosing soft plastics, wrigglers and grubs

to some environmental factor, a slow, constant retrieve might stir up a lethargic fish.

On the other hand, if they are actively feeding you can vigorously hop the plastic back towards you. The hop method is more used when targeting flathead, as you can rip the plastic up into the higher

Soft plastics are available in a range of sizes and styles. As they’re inexpensive, it pays to have a wide selection.

Surface lures twitched across the top of the water are very quickly set upon as they imitate a sick or dying fish. are a top choice for bream and perch while for flathead, wrigglers and shads ranging 70-100mm are most often used. Wrigglers have quite a long, thin tail that ‘wriggles’ when worked, creating a visual display. Shads have a slimmer profile with quite a large, roundish tail. When retrieved, the tail beats in a side-to-side motion due to the water pressure when retrieved.

While these plastic styles are extremely effective, they can be retrieved using two different retrieval actions. The action of the lure is what excites the fish to take it; however, if a fish is not biting due

the rod vertically a metre in the air. This lifts the vibe off the bottom and you can immediately feel the vibration from the lure.

After the rod is lifted, the rod tip is lowered back to the water surface while winding up the slack line.

When the line is taut, the process can be repeated.

However, when retrieving a vibe, it is always good to let it sit on the bottom for a good five seconds before lifting again.

Keep in mind that if you don’t feel the lure vibrate on the lift, nine times out of ten the treble hooks have fouled up during the cast, in which case you are better to bring the lure back and recast than to continue to work it. If a fish does strike with the

water columns before allowing it to swim back to the bottom.

Bream and perch will sit higher in the water column, usually amongst the snags. Plastics can be cast into the timber and slowly wound back out, allowing the plastic’s tail to do all the work with minimal manipulation.

VIBES If you are new to lure fishing, vibes are the simplest to use. Crankbaits, minnows and soft plastics all require a finesse approach in using them to get the desired action from the lure and if you’re

Vibes are extremely versatile lures and can catch anything. heavy-handed like me, manipulating some lures can be frustrating. Vibes make things much easier.

Vibes can be made from metal, ABS plastic and in the form of a soft

from 30-160mm; however when it comes to estuary fishing, 30-50mm are commonly used.

In many rivers throughout winter, bream are known to school up

hooks fouled, you might miss setting the hooks.

Lure fishing estuaries is a lot of fun and these days it is more common than bait fishing. Despite the variety of lures available, choosing

When bream are holding in the timber, casting sinking stickbaits or cranks can tempt them to strike.

While bream are willing lure takers, they can still be tricky at times.

Some fish just can’t pass up a shallow diving crankbait.

52

JANUARY 2020

plastic. Despite the different materials, all are used with the same technique. They vibrate on the retrieve and this action under the water is what lures fish to them. They’re available in sizes ranging in size

either in the middle of a river or along the edges and in open water. Vibes can be worked in all depths and the technique is as simple as casting them out, allowing them to sink to the bottom before lifting

the right one to use can be the difference between being successful and not.

Fishing situations change and not just from day to day but by the hour. Having the ability to adapt is what will ultimately bring success.

FUN PAGE AND COMPETITIONS GREAT BARRIER REEF SPECIES

ANGELFISH BUTTERFLYFISH CARDINALFISH CLOWNFISH DAMSELFISH GROUPER POTATO COD PARROTFISH HAMMERHEAD SURGEONFISH

DTD - REAL FISH OITA

TRIGGERFISH MAORI WRASSE RED BASS WHALE SHARK CORAL TROUT STOUT MORAY BLUE SEA SLUG MINKE WHALES GREEN SEA TURTLE

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 JANUARY 2020

Phone (day):

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

The ‘Real Fish Oita’ is an incredible, award winning squid jig manufactured in Europe by leading Croatian company - DTD. Taking out the coveted ‘best new product’ in its class at the EFTTEX 2015 Expo in Warsaw, this wonderful range is now available in Australia through Dogtooth Distribution.

The product imitates real fish species. This coupled with DTD’s use of only the highest grade materials available, ensures great balance and results in superior catching ability. With the unique ‘fish parasite’ feature, aimed at luring predators in for an ‘easy kill’, these truly unique jigs are set to explode into the Australian market.

FEATURES - Double weight system with inner weight designed to produce sound while squid jig is in action.

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SPOT THE

10 DIFFERENCES

FINS SCALES & TALES by A. Both

ORIGINAL

FIND-A-WORD

Congratulations to Chloe Riddell, 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 November is D Jones of Coleraine, who won a Fishing Monthly Subscriber prize pack.

All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – V&TFM

K Morrison of Moama, H Eason of Kensington, J Collier of Smythes Creek, G Miller of Euroa, D Martin of Nowra, F Hutchins of Sunbury, K Voros of Korumburra, D Coltish of Tatura, J Titter of Werribee, C Hale of Sorell, D Robinson of Carisbrook, I Hasanoglu of Yarraville, H Kirk of Hadspen, R Wilde of Maryborough, P Hutcheson of Moe, M Rose of Caple Sound, J Neilson

of Rochester, L Gruar of Portland, S Peterson of Campbells Creek, R Halley of Murchison, T Mathieson of Patterson Lakes, R West of Pearcedale, B Sharp of Wendouree, K Carter of Shepparton, M Meyer of Dartmouth, N Mutch of Balmoral, B Rafferty of Maryborough, A Strange of Cardigan, D Clarke of Colac.

Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks.

– V&TFM

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS

FIND THE ZMAN LOGO

GUESS THE FISH?

This month’s Guess the Fish Answer: Gummy Shark

The answers to Find the ZMan Logo for November were: 8, 12, 16, 18, 23, 25, 32, 34, 37, 40, 45, 52, 59, 64, 79.

– V&TFM The Find the ZMan Logo prize winners for November were: K Dowell of Highton, C Sorell of Prahran, M Pearce of Devonport, R Shrimpton of Rosebud, N Bryant of North Albury, R Waters of Temora, J Simpson of Trafalgar, S Wyatt of Kyneton, W Henley of Park Orchards, J Ellis of Reservoir, J Morrison of Clones,

Answer: JANUARY 2020

53

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Reeling in New Year tasty Tasmanian offerings TASMANIA

Kelly Hunt

To celebrate the New Year, I am taking a fresh look at fishing approaches and techniques this month. It is the holiday season and the shacks around the state are full. The seaside towns are full to the brim and there is a feeling of fun and fishing in the air.

It’s important to study the weather apps so you know what to do if the weather changes. Having a backup plan is always a good idea. The next few months should really shape up for offshore fishers, so let’s see what species can be chased in January.

OFFSHORE January is a time for offshore fishos to rejoice.

Once the water temperatures start rising, warm water species show up and we all hope to see the gamefish we rarely get to target. It is a little early for marlin and

Mako shark start to get thick in January. mahimahi, but the warmer water does bring with it a heap of striped tuna and this in turn brings a good number

of mako sharks.

The small tuna are great for berley and also work well cut into strips and salted for

trumpeter and blue-eye baits.

They are often underused, getting thrown on the deck of a boat and smashed by the sun all day. It is for this reason they are not regarded as any good for eating. This is a waste, as if they’re bled and chilled, they are great for a range of recipes. I can see the screwed up faces already from people reading this, but they are the same faces that wouldn’t have eaten squid in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.

If you are going to use them for berley, do not bleed them. You want the flesh to be full of blood as you process through your mincer.

This way they attract pretty much anything to your boat.

If you are going to use them as strip baits, look after them.

Keep them chilled and out of the sun. When you get home, cut up and salt and then let them sit for a while. The salt draws the moisture out of the Tye Curtain with a ripper of a blue-eye trevalla. surface before freezing. This will produce a tougher bait once thawed and remains on the hook much better.

• Twin console Southern calamari • 5 metres fishing has been strong • Front & rear casting decks • Huge storage lockers right around the state. The • Mercury 115 Pro XS traditional hot spawning fishing in November after the closed season in October was awesome, so there will be some in the freezer. However there have still been some great CAN QR CO reports of squid caught in S – good numbers off the broken LOGO DESIGN bassco boats ground in and around rocky points. During spawning they seem to look for the LOGO green sea grass to hide and DESIGN bassco boats lay their eggs. Other times of year they seem to be hiding in and around any seaweed and rocky outcrop they can find. Looking to ambush a • Centre console ALSO • Centre console • Large front casting deck feed as it swims casually by.

AVAILABLE: • Small front casting deck • Large centre rod locker Squid are ferocious feeders and if you have worked over Contact Michael Boag Full pricing & specifications the bottom a couple of times and had no hits or follows Bassco Boats you can move on a little

further and try again.

TACKLING MAKO Gaffing and subduing a mako shark is not for the feint hearted and takes some technique and a calculated approach. What normally happens is the excitement gets the better of everyone and it’s all a total mess.

If you are going to burn the fuel and go to the trouble, it is best not to skimp on berley. You are going to need enough berley for a minimum of five hours of effort. In most conditions 8kg of frozen berley will last an hour, but the warmer the water and the rougher the day the quicker you will go through it. A fast drift and some wave action will speed up the berley depositing into the water column.

Keep the berley tied up short so you can haul it up if a shark surprises you. If a shark grabs and cuts the rope holding your berley, they can just sink off with it and not come back. The other reason to keep the berley tied short is so that the up and down motion of the boat will help get the berley out. It’s busy work cutting up cubes and keeping an eye out so having the boat do the work is good.

You can use just about whatever baitfish you have a ready supply of for your cubes. I like to use barracouta and Australian salmon, as it cuts up well and has a good sink rate. Early on with your cubes you can cut them a little bigger at 3cm, and then slowly get smaller down to

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The author and Howey found a good patch of squid to take home to their families.

There are orders shouted and barked from all angles and there is a huge chance that everything goes pear shaped as a result.

2cm and 1cm cubes. This means your earlier cubes will sink faster and get down quicker. You don’t want to feed the shark, but you want

Go Behind the Scenery enough cubes going down to keep their attention.

It is best to rig a bait or two early on. You do not want a shark to pop up at the back of the boat and then madly prepare a bait.

You will rush it, do a bad job and jam up the gape of the hook. This can mean the bait falls down into the gape so you won’t get a hook-up when the mako inevitably takes the bait. If you are happy to take on any shark that comes along you can even put a bait out under a balloon. At times, I’ve put a bait out with a large snapper sinker rubber banded to the eye in the clip on the end of the double. Then I strip 50m of line off the rod tip and let the bait sink down.

If you have never caught a mako and you want to catch one to eat, use a big offset J hook. This is a big normal hook that has been put in a vice and the hook at the gape has been bent out at roughly at 40 degrees. If you have caught a few makos and you are in a fishing competition and just looking to tag them, use a big circle hook.

Keep an eye on the berley and make sure the fine berley in your bag is going out and you have a few cubes going over the side every few minutes. While you are waiting, go through the process of who is going to do what when a mako comes up to play. If the person nominated to do a task has not had much experience in their designated role, it may

be a good idea during the long waiting game to have a practice. You cannot drive about while you have your berley trail half substantiated, but you can certainly give the prospective new driver a few tips on what to expect and how the fight will play out. You can of course get the gaff out and show the new gaff person how to use it, what is expected and hand it over for them to have a feel of it. If you are really lucky, a shark will come up and make itself known as you finish explaining everything.

Once a shark is near, get the berley in and out of the way as quick as you can but just before you pull it out of the water, give the bag a hard shake. This will get a good amount of berley and food smell in the water and keep the shark interested. If the shark is a bit timid, you may have to do it again if the fish is disinterested in the bait.

Toss the bait out the back, making sure you don’t tangle it and pull line out with some light drag set. Freespooling the reel without the clicker on at least is a recipe for disaster and a tangle. If the shark doesn’t want the bait and is still timid, let the bait drop out of view by stripping more line off the reel. As the bait goes out of view, keep stripping as the shark will see it and follow it down.

The shark will feel the food is getting away and will be inclined to chase and eat it.

You will feel the line pay out and the clicker sound

Tasmania

Southern calamari is well suited to a fryup to accompany a summer salad. when the big grey torpedo has the bait. Don’t strike the fish. Leave the rod tip down and pointed at the fish and calmly ask the nominated driver to start the boat. Give the fish time to get the bait down into its stomach.

Once the shark has had the bait a little while, have the driver move off. When you’re 30m away, push the drag up on the rod. If you are using an offset J-hook, wind

the slack out of the line, strike up vigorously twice and wind again, repeating until you feel resistance.

If the hook has found its mark, you will soon know about it. If using a big circle hook, wind the slack up nice and easy as the hook turns

and finds a good spot in the shark’s jaw to lodge into.

Either way, you should have a disgruntled shark and a fair bit of action on your hands.

Keep away from the shark in the early stages of the fight, as makos are famous for jumping and not caring how or which way they come down. This has been amongst the crew in the middle of the deck! When the fish looks like it has tired enough to safely take with the gaff, have another look. It may be tired, or it may have manoeuvred itself in the current to take a rest. They have a habit of getting a second wind if you’re not careful. What you need to do is make that shark run uphill and get tired. To achieve this, you might have to change the angle and in doing so lose some line. This may seem like crazy talk, as you want the fish to be close to the boat to take it. Having the fish move and go for a few more runs by creating an angle and pulling on the fish will pay dividends at the close of the fight. This is when you need all the slack out of the line and all the stretch taken up in the mono.

Get a curve in that rod and lean on the fish hard.

Now, there is a decision to make and it must be made calmly and without panic. Once the call goes

out, everyone should know their role so it can happen efficiently and without yelling and screaming.

However, when that gaff goes in the best laid plans normally go out the window, as the fish will find a third and fourth wind. There is a lot of debate on where to hit the fish with the gaff, but for mine I like to hit it the first time from the far side and try and get the point in through some of the rear gills and out through the top of the head. Once you have done that and you have a second gaff, just hit it again.

I can say to hit it here or there with the second gaff, but at this point this fish will be completely wild. So, just get it in the fish somewhere and hang on.

After a while, if by some miracle no one has been beaned by the gaff pole or gotten one hell of a rope burn, you can get your stoutest knife and drive into the shark’s head 2” behind where its eyes are. There’s no need to try and cut its head off, just try and get the blade in there and do some damage.

Hopefully these tips will help you land a mako shark so you can score a heap of super tasty fillets for you and your crew. It takes a great effort but is worth the pay off.

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JANUARY 2020

55

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Taking the Tassie squid to the next level TASMANIA

Matt Sherriff

Fishing for squid over the last few years in Tasmania has become increasingly popular. Not only are these strange looking creatures great fun to catch, they are also exceptional on the plate. Regardless of whether you have a boat

or are shore-based, you generally do not have to travel too far to find a feed.

When squid are on the chew, they will aggressively hunt down almost any jig thrown at them and you can usually put yourself amongst the action using a basic rod and reel combo or even a handline. However, this isn’t always the case and sometimes a change of

The author with an impressive Tasmanian southern calamari.

technique and equipment is required to help you to extract some of these tasty morsels from the water. One such option is the Japanese style of squid fishing with an egi.

ROD An egi rod will be around 8’ and usually comes in 2-4kg or 3-5kg ranges.

The 2-4kg rods are suited to size 2.5-3.5 jigs and the 3-5kg rods are better for 3.0-4.0 sized jigs. These rods have a relatively stiff tip for imparting action to the jig and are parabolic for dealing with lunging squid without ripping the spikes of the jig out of the squid.

A parabolic rod will bend in a large U-shaped arc across its length, unlike the fasttapered rods that are suited to lure and plastics fishing where the top third of the rod is the only part that really bends over.

Egi rods are generally fitted with low rider guides, as unlike normal lure spinning where a lure loses speed very quickly, squid jigs maintain a high speed for a long distance when cast.

These guides are designed for casting long distances while eliminating any line wrap when using soft braided lines. Good rods are made of high modulus carbon and will have good sensitivity and be very light in hand.

I use both the Crucis Egi Ink (3-5kg) and the Lox Egi AU7924 (2-4kg).

REEL All you need is a 20003000 size reel that is braid friendly and has a smooth drag. The reel does not need a large line capacity unless you intend to use it on other pelagic fish. The best advice I could pass on with reels is to try it on the rod

Brody Munday managed to go one-for-one all day in a friendly squid fishing session with the author. before buying to make sure it balances up well. I often use Crucis Carbon reels but have recently been testing the new Pioneer Cyclones and have been happy with the results.

LINE Braided line is a must for this style of fishing, as the lack

of stretch is critical to not only impart action on the jig but also to detect strikes. I prefer to run fluoro orange or green line, as it stands out and you can easily see subtle movements in the line indicating a take.

As far as breaking strain goes, I generally run 12lb braid with

a 12lb shock leader of around 2m in length. Previously I have run an 8lb leader, but I have not found the 12lb to be disadvantageous with squid plus it gives a better chance of retrieving a jig if it gets snagged up.

To page 57

HYDRO TASMANIA WATER STORAGE INFORMATION WATER STORAGE INFORMATION AS AT 4TH DECEMBER 2019

Lake/Lagoon Metres from full Comment Trevallyn Pond...............................0.86...................................... Steady Lake Mackenzie.............................7.89...................................... Steady Lake Rowallan...............................1.27...................................... Steady Lake Parangana.............................0.61...................................... Steady Lake Cethana.................................3.37...................................... Steady Lake Barrington.............................1.79...................................... Steady Lake Gairdner................................0.00..................................... Spilling Lake Paloona.................................1.50...................................... Steady Lake Augusta.................................2.62...................................... Steady Arthurs Lake..................................1.96...................................... Steady Great Lake.....................................12.99.................................... Steady Little Pine Lagoon..........................0.48...................................... Steady Shannon Lagoon............................0.11...................................... Steady Penstock Lagoon...........................0.22...................................... Steady Woods Lake...................................0.82...................................... Steady Lake St Clair..................................1.31...................................... Steady Lake King William..........................0.09...................................... Steady Lake Echo......................................5.44...................................... Steady Dee Lagoon....................................0.00..................................... Spilling Pine Tier Lagoon............................2.01...................................... Steady

Lake/Lagoon Metres from full Comment Bronte Lagoon...............................1.01...................................... Steady Bradys/Binneys/Tungatinah...........1.28...................................... Steady Laughing Jack Lagoon..................0.11...................................... Steady Lake Liapootah..............................2.97...................................... Steady Wayatinah Lagoon.........................0.47...................................... Steady Lake Catagunya.............................0.00..................................... Spilling Lake Repulse.................................0.32...................................... Steady Cluny Lagoon.................................0.81...................................... Steady Meadowbank Lake........................0.26...................................... Steady Lake Burbury.................................1.77...................................... Steady Lake Margaret...............................0.00..................................... Spilling Whitespur Pond.............................4.78...................................... Steady Lake Newton..................................2.92...................................... Steady Lake Plimsoll.................................0.00..................................... Spilling Lake Murchison.............................7.97...................................... Steady Lake Mackintosh...........................1.68...................................... Steady Lake Rosebery...............................0.41...................................... Steady Lake Pieman..................................1.76...................................... Steady Lake Pedder...................................0.73...................................... Steady Lake Gordon..................................20.01.................................... Steady

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

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JANUARY 2020

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Let’s hope the wild weather has finally gone Howrah bluffs. Likewise, simply troll, jig and spin the wider harbour for solid results.

Sand flathead continued to bite well in areas such as The Mercury Passage near Maria Island and Marion Bay close by. Their cousin, the tiger flathead, are normally a late spring proposition but have been taken this year in depths of 70m or more from mid-September. Fresh is best when in comes to bait, normally a fresh calamari leg or yabby will do the trick on the top of the tide.

Jumbo, 100kg+ SBT, did make an appearance in early November. Two fish were taken by diehard recreational anglers, the largest being 110kg. A commercial operator who worked the same 14-day period took eight fish ranging from 115-140kg.

It seems an annual October sweet spot is becoming more and more the norm.

Calamari dominated spring catches with some super-sized specimens landed. For over 12 weeks, fish with good lengths of up to 60cm have been taken quite close to Hobart, particularly in Brunt Island waters, Betsy Island and Storm Bay. Bream have all now returned from spawning to the wider Huon and Derwent estuaries, with fish up to 43cm being caught in recent weeks. These fish are now feeding heavily on a number of summer baitfish species.

Sea trout catches have been nearly non-existent in the last six weeks.

However, some anglers have persevered and it has paid off with fish to

Martin Commane caught a decent sea trout from the Derwent River – it was 2kg of solid fight!

2kg being landed. These fish have been quieter this year due to the whitebait runs going up river two or three months earlier than the traditional months of September and October.

It has been disappointing when you are expecting to see fired up trout chasing and charging about in the tidal shallows.

Late spring and summer evenings have proven very effective for those chasing flounder with a light and spear.

Calm nights are required as anglers walk the sand flats spotting and stalking partly buried flatbush in just 200-300mm of water.

Striped trumpeter have fished well in depths of 80m+ off the southern coastline of Bruny Island, Tasman Peninsula around Cape Pillar.

Two early confirmed mako captures occurred throughout November. One fish over 90kg was taken towards the edge of the shelf while another one was taken right inshore less than 1km off the coast in the Brunt region. As pelagic bait arrives, and arrow squid and mackerel numbers increase, there should be some great January game fishing to follow.

Arthurs Lake on the freshwater trout scene continues to fish well during a massive comeback after years of very low fish numbers. Huge bags have been taken by trollers, spin and fly fishers. Fish up to 4kg have lined bags in a water that during its prime only saw fish of 1.8kg being taken regularly, this water is well worth a visit for a chance at a brown trout of

above average proportions.

Great Lake continues to give up fat, wellconditioned brown and rainbow trout. These fish have been in great condition since the start of the season in August. Atomic Hardz 65mm jerk minnows in clash tiger, rainbow trout and brown trout colours are a great choice for spinning the edges from the shore or boat.

Tungatinah Lagoon has been fishing well of late. This

year has seen double figure bags taken consistently by anglers. Black Magic BMax have, due to their small 55mm size, are a great choice to use in and around the submerged timber that lines the shores.

In short, whatever your holiday fishing expectations may be, enjoy the long range predicted good weather, play it safe and err on the side of caution in your exploits. Above all, have fun chasing your desired summer species.

NET While any net will do, large mesh rubber nets work best as jigs don’t tend to get tangled up in them and they are very good at dispersing the ink. A quick swish through the water is all that’s needed to get any remaining ink from the mesh after boating your catch.

GLASSES We all know to wear glasses when we’re fishing to protect our eyes, but do you wear high quality polarised eyewear? A good pair of glasses is nearly as important as your fishing rod and you will definitely catch more squid wearing some!

I look for a pair that are scratch resistant as well as photochromic, meaning the lenses will darken slightly in bright light and lighten up in overcast or darker conditions. Being able to see squid following your jig not only helps improve your catch rates but will also give you an understanding of how they react to the movements

this, allow the jig to sink back down to the bottom by dropping the tip of your rod while maintaining contact with the jig by winding in any slack line. The initial action of the jig will get the interest of squid and bring them over to your jig, and then they will grab it as it begins to fall back down.

It is important to keep the slack out of your line and watch it intently as it drops (bright line is extremely helpful for this) to see if there are any changes indicating a strike. If you suspect a hit, strike immediately and drive the spikes home. This technique will also increase the life of your jigs, as squid don’t have time to pull the jig in and take a chunk out of the material with their sharp beaks.

OTHER TIPS Squid have big eyes and hunt primarily by sight.

Clear water is paramount to successful squid fishing and calm conditions will often give the best results. After

heavy rains or big seas, it is often best to let things settle before you plan a trip to avoid disappointment.

If it’s a tough day, sometimes anchoring in an area where you’ve picked one or two up and then using some berley will improve results. Berley will often attract small fish such as gars or mullet, which will then attract the squid and keep them in the area.

Sometimes you can be out for an hour or so with only one squid to show for it, and then in the next half an hour you can catch 20 or 30. It’s important to be patient and keep at it, as like all fish there will be certain times where they feed hard or go off. I’ve found they tend to shut down when the tide stops running, so it’s a great time to grab a bite to eat in between sessions.

Make sure you give them some time to expel their ink before you land them unless you don’t mind a face full of the black stuff. It also

pays to point them away from you when netting and never wear any clothes that you aren’t prepared to sacrifice! Dispatch your catch quickly by squeezing tightly between the head and tube or using a spike to the brain (with a squid specific spike). This will stop the squid regenerating ink and help make it less messy come cleaning time.

While I’ve always loved catching and eating squid, the one task I’ve never been fond of is cleaning the messy critters.

These days I use a purpose designed cleaning bag, which eliminates pretty much all of the mess and saves heaps of time!

Hopefully this article gives you some inspiration to give the egi style of squid fishing a crack! This is not only a fun way to target them, I can also guarantee it will see you filling the bucket quicker than before, especially on tough days.

HOBART

Andrew Large

Wild weather has lashed the southern coastline for over three months now.

However, anglers have made good use of small windows of decent weather and made commendable catches in all areas.

November saw the early arrival of kingfish in the southeast, which seemed to appear a few weeks after the arrival of Australian salmon in late spring. There have been a lot of losses by anglers chasing salmon.

As our water continues to rise, kingfish will begin to peak in numbers.

Historically at around 18ºC, they will start to bite consistently. Great locations to chase a yellowtail around Hobart are Kangaroo and

From page 56

JIGS There are many high-end jigs on the market these days, ranging up to $30. These jigs may seem expensive but if squid are playing hard to get, they can be the difference between a good day and a slow one. Good jigs will have high quality cloth that is ultra-reflective, with most being UV enhanced.

These jigs will also have an attractive sinking action.

The Hayabusa 3.5 jigs I use have a sink rate of just over 3 seconds per metre, allowing me to count the jigs down to get into the zone.

In regards to colours, if you’re fishing with others it is best to all be using different colours to start with before changing to the ones working best on the day. Many anglers prefer red foils for low light periods and gold foils as the sun gets up but as with all fishing, it depends on the day in question.

of the jig. Once you have their attention and they have followed up your jig, most of the time it is just a simple case of feeding the jig back down to them to entice a strike.

TECHNIQUE Most of us are used to throwing out a jig, letting it sink and just giving the rod a slow lift and drop to work the jig. With the egi style of fishing, you need to become a little more active.

Cast out your jig and let it get to the desired depth. If you’re drifting, cast forward and off to the side of your boat to allow your jig to sink faster. One of the most important things to do is to get your jig within a foot or so of the bottom, as this will entice squid up from the cover of the weed.

The next step is where the technique differs. You now impart the action on your jig with two or three erratic/violent jerks, which will make the jig dart up like fleeing or injured prey. After

Alex Green with a solid 1.6kg flycaught Arthurs Lake brown trout.

JANUARY 2020

57

Let’s talk about trout!

WIRF

Cara Cummings

Happy New Year! Both salt and freshwater fish are on the bite and we love the photos that are being posted in our Facebook group. Well done ladies, hopefully this might inspire more of you to get out there and give it a go!

strong female presence at the event, many of which were fellow WIRF members.

Our WIRF leaders were also incredibly grateful to have a private breakfast with Hilary, and her sister Whitney.

WIRF mentor Tiffany Newton said, “Breakfast with Hilary, was probably the most productive and relaxed

WIRF member Kylie Rowe had a great start to the Murray cod season.

TALK WILD TROUT A woman of many talents, Hilary Hutcheson hails from Columbia Falls, Montana, where she’s built an impressive career as a journalist, fishing guide, fly shop owner and flyfishing instructor (just to name a few).

Hilary is a bona fide trout expert and was one of the key speakers at the Mansfield Talk Wild Trout Conference held in November.

Montana’s trout fishery is amongst the best in the world and Hilary gave a fabulous firsthand account about her family’s passion for wild trout fishing and how North America is recognising all the benefits of spending time in the great outdoors.

It was great to see a

where they were 15 years ago and have now moved on to new ventures, from similar events at ICAST, to women’s workshops and offering services for women to participate in fishing.

“Most inspiring was the American program 50/50, where they want a 50/50 ratio of males and females fishing and participating in events around fishing.

It was great to hear their intake on what events are successful, and support that they receive from sponsors on making fishing accessible for all abilities and allowing media to promote women fishing.”

WIRF ran our very first Workshop in Melbourne where Hilary was the special guest speaker.

Hilary delved into how we can learn from her experiences and challenges that she has encountered as well as how we can incorporate some of her

Karen Rees is the new ambassador for GoFish Nagambie in 2020. session I have been a part of within WIRF. Learning the backgrounds and influences for Whitney and Hilary was very inspiring. What we are trying to achieve now, is

strategies to encourage more women to give fishing a go in Victoria.

It was interesting to learn that America has a much stronger presence of

WIRF attended the Talk Wild Trout Workshop with Hilary Hutcheson (seated 4th from left in first row). females on the water, which has developed from the 50/50 initiative. 50/50 aims to inspire and celebrate women in [fly] fishing with the end goal of gender parity. Hearing that they faced similar problems that we are seeing and learning how they overcame these, reiterates that we are definitely on the right track and inspires us to continue our mission.

CARE FOR COD Cod season has gone off with a bang. It’s important to be refreshed on how amazing this iconic native species is and how we can best care for them when targeted.

The key elements are: ‘Be prepared’, ‘Reduce air time’, ‘Gently does it’ and ‘Use the right gear’.

The Care for Cod campaign was created by the Victorian Fisheries, VR Fish and Native Fish Australia. More information can be found via any of these contacts.

MURRAY COD TIPS We are seeing great reports of cod fishing throughout Victoria with highlight areas including Lake Eildon, Lake Mulwala, Goulburn and Loddon rivers.

When lure fishing, try tempting cod with To page 59

RECIPES THAT ARE ‘WIRF’ IT

Chimichurri

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4) 1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley 1 red chilli (mild) diced 1tbsp red wine vinegar 1/2 lemon juice Pinch salt and pepper 1/4 cup quality olive oil 4 serves fresh fish/prawns/squid [This recipe can be used with any type of seafood] METHOD Gently mix all salsa ingredients together, and use three-quarters of the mix to coat your fish. Leave to marinade for at least 15 minutes before grilling or BBQ. The acidity in the salsa will start to cook the fish so it will only take a short time to cook through when grilled – no more than 2 minutes each side.

Serve with a spoonful of the reserved fresh mix on top and enjoy with salad or chips!

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JANUARY 2020

The WIRF Facebook page has received some amazing photos from group members. From top to bottom: Tiff Newton, Cindy Rapsey, Chantel Meehan, Amy Seymour.

The problem with wind CANBERRA

Richard Barnsley

Harrison and I had planned a late spring fishing trip to Tantangara Dam for some time.

The plan was to stay at Daffodil Cottage on the northeastern shoreline

defeating wind is to get out of it. During our Tantangara trip we decided to mostly fish below the high banks on the western shoreline and hence reduced the impact of the breezes. It was still tough, but we definitely managed to get a cast out.

Likewise if you plan on drifting the oyster racks,

It took patience and change of tactics to pull this nice brown under difficult conditions. and fish the flats of an evening.

Unfortunately the fishing gods took offence at our intentions and by the time we arrived Friday evening it was a howling westerly wind and sleet that greeted us. Over the next two days we froze and got blown off the lake.

That didn’t however stop us testing the waters and wrestling a couple browns from the choppy water.

Dealing with wind is a problem often encountered in the fly fishing life. I ain’t talking about that Blazing Saddles, beans around the fire kind either. The nature of our equipment and the techniques we employ are often in response to the weather conditions. The following tactics are just a few of the ways to get a line on the water successfully once the breeze picks up.

GET OUT OF IT Perhaps the easiest and most obvious option with From page 58

spinnerbaits (daylight hours) and fish around structure. When the sun rises and sets, will be your best chance with surface lures.

Live baits, such as yabbies work well, and use circle hooks to allow for easy removal and less stress.

WIRF SPOTLIGHT Karen Rees Karen was promoted from WIRF Leader to Mentor earlier this year and is making waves in

check aerial pictures and try to target river bends with sheoak cover or those with high banks. In the cod gorges of northern NSW, if the wind is up it’s easy to find sections that run cross wind and hence don’t funnel the strength.

PLAN AHEAD By studying the weather (there are plenty of great apps) you can get a handle on wind direction, strength and expected peaks throughout the day. Adjust your day’s strategy accordingly.

It is pretty common for the first and last light periods, especially during spring and summer to be quiet in terms of breeze.

So get out early. Usually, winds strengthen as the day warms, unless they precede a front coming through.

Also some months are traditionally more unsettled than others. In my home country of the New England Tablelands it is often the August/September period the fishing industry. She is also a wife and mother to three gorgeous young girls, co-manages a tackle store and, in her spare time, you’ll find her out freshwater fishing. Karen has recently also become an Ambassador for GoFish Nagambie in 2020.

GoFish Nagambie is a freshwater fishing comp, outdoor and lifestyle festival. It kicked off in 2019 and is set to be bigger and better for 2020.

With Karen on board as an ambassador, GoFish have

that has stronger than normal wind patterns.

CAST ON THE DOWNSIDE One of the biggest difficulties with windy days is having the fly line blown into you. A wind blowing from your casting hand side is a nightmare to deal with.

There are however several simple tactics that can assist under such conditions.

Some anglers will angle the rod at about 45° over their head while casting.

This places the rod tip on your downwind side and allows you to cast unhindered.

Alternatively, stand with your back towards your target patch of water and false cast as normal.

Deliver your fly on what is now your back cast.

Again this allows you to have your loops positioned on the downwind side of your body.

Although it takes practice, learning to cast with your rod at a very low angle offers the option to get a line out almost parallel to the ground.

GO LIGHT – GO HEAVY Fly lines are notoriously fickle in the wind. Even lighter weights are less wind resistant, but equally so get blown around more

Open lakes such as Tantangara are often plagued by strong winds. Learn tactics to cope with such conditions. readily. The compromise is a mid-weight for your style of fishing and stiffer rods, which allow you to direct/ control line easily.

For example, when trout angling on lakes I prefer a 6wt rather than my lighter 5wt (preferred for shallow flats) and my 7wt (for distance casting weighted streamers).

Whenever possible I also prefer to choose weighted patterns for my wet options and less bulky wind resistant dries. Weighted flies when coupled with an open loop allow you to deal with wind

more efficiently as the fly tends to ‘drag’ the leader out on presentation. Less wind resistant flies also allow greater leader control.

If the wind is strong, chances are you won’t be dealing with glass smooth water and spooky fish.

Analyse your fly selection to make it easier to get them on the water.

Some rods tend to have a ‘softer’ action and we’ve seen that with the return of glass and cane rods. A stiff graphite blank will allow you to punch the fly line with more authority when

Gorge trout streams, especially below waterfalls, often funnel the wind problem. a big agenda to increase women’s involvement in fishing.

Their aim is to break down barriers, help women feel more comfortable and hope to double the female participation from 11% in 2019 to 20% in 2020 and boost female participation across the whole sport.

GoFish plan to, host a ladies evening to meet like-minded anglers, build a network and teach and learn from one another.

Strategically place amenities throughout the tournament

zone and for those with kids, there’ll be plenty of fun, educational and safe activities back at the Festival Hub. Tickets are on sale now.

Karen said, “The promotion of women in fishing within the fishing industry and community has been one of my main missions since becoming a WIRF Leader in 2018.

When the opportunity arose to become an ambassador for GoFish Nagambie 2020 I knew how important this opportunity would be to help see the change we (the

WIRF Leaders) have all been striving for.

“GoFish Nagambie 2020 is truly going to be a celebration of women in fishing and I’m so excited to be working alongside the GoFish Nagambie team to help drive the WIRF message further through specific advertising campaigns and by helping to create a more female friendly event by taking strategic steps to help ensure women are properly catered for. To see a fishing competition as huge a GoFish Nagambie embrace

the wind is an issue.

OPEN UP Trying to cast those picture book ‘tight loops’ in heavy winds simply won’t cut it. When the zephyrs are up, allow your rod tip to ‘drift’ at the end of your forward/back casts. This will put a more open loop into your cast. This reduces the potential for tangles and allows the leader to roll out in a more open configuration.

LIMIT CASTS When conditions are trying, reduce your cast rate. This means you should limit your false casts, which in turn reduces the potential for tangles. Also cast during lulls, or when the wind drops. Be ready to take your shot. One good presentation in the strike zone is better than a dozen errant ones.

DRESS FOR SUCCESS If you are going to spend a day out in the wind, get comfortable. In cold conditions be warm and dress for the session. If it is going to be hot, you’re better of with big hats and sunscreen.

Tackling windy or inclement conditions calls for perseverance and commitment. Think about your tactics and techniques and approach the water with consideration. Windy doesn’t mean rushing – the fish are under the water and that’s where your fly should be! and promote women in fishing is unprecedented in Victoria and Australia and it is exciting to imagine the impact this will have on females fishing now and into the future.”

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!

JANUARY 2020

59

Avoid the heat for best results WAGGA WAGGA

Rhys Creed

Into the New Year the great fishing will continue. It is the hottest time of the year, which can slow the fish down in certain areas, but in others it will be red-hot.

If you prefer to use lures, both casting and trolling will work, it just all depends on the conditions, moon phase and area you decide to fish.

On a dark or windy night, trolling large hardbodies like the 150mm AC Invader is your best option. Troll in depths around 5-10m (watch

on the flatter banks covered in large logs.

Casting is my pick of the techniques, with large soft plastics, spinnerbaits and chatterbaits doing the trick.

Try concentrating on rocky areas and areas with schools of carp and redfin. If you cannot find baitfish between

is to catch live grasshoppers and drop them unweighted into the slack areas below overgrown banks. The trout will come flying out to eat your bait if they are there.

If you’re casting lures, small hardbodies, spinners and soft plastics will work best. Try to find the slack pockets, just out of the high flows to make your casts, these are where the big browns will be sitting in wait.

Last of all if you’re chasing trout on fly (my go-to method), you’re going to have so much fun! You cannot go past using hopper imitations and dropping them in on cruising trout in the backwaters. I love this style of fishing because it’s visual.

You spot the fish first and cast the flies right on their

Oliver, Harry and the author with a beautiful Tumut River brown trout caught in town.

Chris Cotterill with a solid rainbow trout taken casting a spinner in against the rocky edges of the river.

The number one tip I have for you at this time of year is to fish the cooler parts of the day and in cooler locations; avoid the heat.

BLOWERING DAM This will be a popular destination over the Christmas/New Year break, but once this traffic starts to settle down it will be well and truly worth a fish. This traffic will start to slow down after about 7-10 January and your best bet is to fish during the dark.

Hot summer days are tough going at Blowering, because it gets extremely hot, even though it’s close to the Snowy Mountains. The fish are like us, they won’t be out chasing food in the heat of the day and they will mainly hunt during first and last light, and throughout the night.

Camping at the dam and using large baits is a great option. Large yabbies and grubs are the pick, but you can also use chicken pieces.

The fish will move out of the depths and come into the shallower water during the night to feed, so you won’t need to cast your bait out too far.

your sounder to try and find fish and then change your depth accordingly) on both flatter banks with timber and steeper rocky banks.

The rocky banks around the island are perfect at this time of year and I recommend a smaller lure for these areas, between 90-120mm. I prefer the larger 150mm plus lures

JANUARY 2020

It’s hard to go past the 220 Ignite Cod Fury in Blowering Dam. This 90cm model inhaled the plastic headfirst. them is best.

The casting technique is a ‘bow and arrow’ cast, which is easy to master and simple to use. We use this

The rocky banks around the island up near the wall are great areas to fish during summer.

Summer is a great time on the Tumut, with plenty of active and hungry fish getting about.

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6-10m, look shallower, and if you find bait there, then fish shallower.

TUMUT RIVER This would by far be my pick of the local waterways and it is one of the best months to chase trout for the entire year. This extremely hot weather means major bug activity, which the trout

OTHER OPTIONS There are so many other waterways that you can fish in January in the region.

For trout there’s places in the Snowy Mountains like the Eucumbene and Murrumbidgee rivers, as well as some of the smaller rivers and creeks.

The Upper Murray over near the Victorian boarder will fire for cod, the Murrumbidgee River and Old Man Creek closer to home are also great options for cod and golden perch. Early mornings at Lake Albert are worth a crack for some of the larger cod.

There’s also a number of small creeks where you can chase carp on small plastics and fly, which is great fun.

So as you can see, the area is just brimming with

love! The more food, the better the fishing.

Willow grubs, ants, mayflies and grasshoppers all find their way into the water at some stage and this is what the trout gorge themselves on over the summer.

If you’re bait fishing, there are two great options.

The first is to drift worms on the inside slow bends of the river with a very light split shot about 30cm above your bait. The second option

head and watch them eat it!

Size 10-12 foam grasshoppers work best in any natural colour. Use a 5lb tippet on the end of your tapered leader and make sure you are extremely stealthy when stalking these fish.

When you find a fish you’ll want to just sit and watch them for a while to work out their feeding pattern, then try to drop your fly within 15cm of their head and in their line of sight. In front of

Big nets are a must when chasing Blowering Dam giants. because the casts are usually only very short. It’s worth giving this a crack on the Tumut River this summer!

options! Stay safe over this holiday period, and start your year with some quality freshwater angling!

A great time to hit the Murray at Mildura MILDURA

Rob Oswin

What an absolute great start to the month and also to the year. Over the course of the last month reports of anglers catching quality fish have been flooding in.

There have been reports of monster perch being caught and great size cod as well. The Mildura area has seen some fantastic fishing recently, no doubt in relation to the great weather and also to the many people out on the river thanks to school holidays.

From the recent reports bait has been the preferred method of fishing for many anglers, with small to medium-sized yabbies and shrimps being the most effective bait. Lures such as vibes and some smaller

While the average size of cod will drop off, the numbers will increase.

hardbody lures have also been catching numbers of fish.

This steady flow of fish being caught can be expected to continue as the month progresses as more and more people are out and enjoying the river and what it has to offer. In the upcoming month it can be expected that the number of larger cod will slowly start to decline, with the smaller and more active cod hunting more frequently.

The numbers of perch are expected to keep on getting even better as the weather continues to warm.

The amount of bait such as shrimp and yabbies will continue to rise, and with bait being in higher numbers the fish numbers will only continue to rise.

Vibe lures and lipless crankbaits continue to be an extremely popular option amongst anglers, with colours

such as the black, purple and chartreuse producing results.

Smaller hardbody lures such as StumpJumpers and AC Lures when trolled along the deeper sections of the river have also managed to catch good numbers of fish.

Recent reports from many anglers have said that the area around Loch 11 and Loch 9 are hotspots for perch, with many being caught casting lures back towards the bank or trolling them along deeper parts of the river.

Many fish are being caught on bait and have been holding tight to structure, so getting as close as possible to snags and rocks has been the most effective way to target fish using bait.

So get out there and enjoy the great weather we are having and will continue to have.

Clear waters to start the year ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

Swan Hill promised the goods in the lead up to the Murray cod open, which fell on a Sunday this year.

Reports of clearing water conditions saw several by-catch cod stretching beyond the metre mark landed on small hardbodied lures intended for perch.

good catches from the Murray at Swan Hill this season.

First and last light could see surface fishing worth a go in these waters, as the cod turn to the top to feed. Several nice cod were taken from the top last season as local anglers began to accept the worth of surface lures for Murray cod.

Ouyen angler Matt Barry popped a 96cm off the top near Tooleybuc from the Murray River last season and is geared up and ready to do it again.

The Kerang Lakes near Swan Hill like Boga hold some good-sized Murray cod and trolling spinnerbaits has proven a productive way to tempt a strike.

The Murray River at Swan Hill has fished well for several seasons now. Missing the last lot of black water, its cod have had the chance to grow big and fat. Not being a particularly deep section of river, lure selection is a range of shallow divers and spinnerbaits. Anything that wiggles and sits in the 2-3m depth range is a real chance to be eaten. It’s great to see this area fishing well once again, and I’m expecting some very

Early mornings and evenings during the light change have proved most successful for surface fishing.

Bait anglers will also be amongst the action, with all the usual suspects being pinned on the hook. While you don’t often read about bait fishing for Murray cod, in truth the majority of anglers that target these fish do exactly that.

While river shrimp, yabbies and nomadic fish like bony bream and carp would

make up the majority of what Murray cod eat, there are several non-aquatic delights that tempt cod like no other.

Grubs, or to be more specific, bardi grubs are the number one bait for Murray cod. In saying that, they are probably the hardest to get.

Digging grubs is nothing short of hard work. These large juicy grubs lay hidden deep underground in silk lined tunnels, where they spend their lives eating and growing before hatching into ghost moths with the autumn break.

Finding the grub holes is only half the battle, as you will also need to master the art of lassoing these hidden gems with a ready-built wire. Once captured you have the best bait there is for Murray cod and a thirst that will soak up a few well-earned ales.

Yabbies are also great Murray cod bait and often a little easier to get, so if you know of a good dam or channel, catch yourself a few to put on the hook. Yabbies are a tough bait that bait pickers like small carp or silver perch generally leave alone. Hard baits like yabbies will stay on the hook long enough for a Murray cod to find them. River shrimp are generally plentiful on location and easily caught with a small shrimp trap baited with either cat food or fish offal. Several of these threaded on the hook make very good cod bait. Worms are excellent bait for Murray cod, with the large finger thick scrubworms the pick of them all.

Kitchen baits are also a good backup bait supply with chicken strips, cheese, nuggets and dim-sims all proven cod catchers.

Much of the bait used for Murray cod can be purchased at the local tackle store or

supermarket if you don’t have the time to gather it yourself.

For my money, catching the bait is half the fun, unless of course it’s digging grubs.

Now we have our bait, let’s get back to where we should be using it. Lake Boga fished well in the lead up to the open, with several goodsized cod taken on lures near the artificial structure. No doubt cod are scattered right around the lake and from past experience if the water is clear then slow trolling spinnerbaits is a good way to find a fish or two. The cod here are fastgrowing, fat as mud and fight quite well. A slow drift with lightly-weighted bardi grubs or scrubworms will also turn up fish often, with golden perch and large redfin in the mix.

As we travel down the Murray River, Boundary Bend, Robinvale and Wemen all showed promise of clearing water conditions in the weeks before the open. While it’s been a few seasons since I have seen a metre cod caught at these locations, fish to 80cm are a reel chance. Perhaps this

As bait goes, the riverside bardi grub is about as good as it gets. will be the season a few big ones start to show.

Local tackle proprietor and keen angler Kym Sykes says the Murray River at Mildura has dropped away and is starting to settle. He expects the clarity to improve, so anglers are able to use lures to target cod. Several metre plus cod were landed in the

The Darling River is but a shadow of its former self, and we can expect to see plenty of dead cod this summer.

lead up to the closed season last year, so he thinks those big fish and others will be ready to fire. No doubt we will be hearing some good reports from this area over the season. Sykes also said bait anglers targeting perch have landed some small cod this past month, with a few unstoppable bust-offs most likely from big Murray cod.

We can expect to see a good amount of angling traffic in our local waters and communities over the next few weeks.

Don’t forget to grab yourself a fishing licence before you head out to fish.

Licenses and all the up to date information on bag and size limits are available at most tackle stores, with some even handing out a free booklet and measuring sticker. All up it should be a great season, with plenty of cod on the chew in our local waters. If you are out camping, don’t forget to take your rubbish home, and most of all have a great time.

JANUARY 2020

61

Now is the time to tangle with Mulwala green YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

The beginning of December brought more excitement to native fishing enthusiasts than 25

tend to hold their breath until the first full weekend in December to celebrate the opening at Lake Mulwala, with Australia’s iconic Cod Classic fishing competition.

All fishing methods tend to see you in with a

produce their fair share also.

Those who prefer to cast tend to use spinnerbaits and hardbodied lures, but nowdays swimbaits, glidebaits and plastics are seen as ‘trendy’, and certainly catch plenty of fish. The bait crew should

Nature, but most were rewarded with some action.

The best reported capture was 115cm, while Nathan Sanders of Berrigan was one lucky enough to tangle with a 92cm model for the morning.

Fishing below the weir early in the season generally produces plenty of undersize Murray cod, protected trout cod and

fun silver perch. Throw in numerous carp and good numbers of yellas, and the Murray is more often than not a better option for the family if they are looking to put the kids onto a fish for a bit of fun.

• If you’re visiting Yarrawonga/Mulwala I urge you to call in and see us at our two locations, opposite the Post Office

in Mulwala with the big green fish out the front or at our Yarrawonga store located between Rivers and One Zach. We’re your local Murray cod fishing specialists and specialise in all things green! We’re also the official Cod Classic shop. For up to date fishing reports or for further information call 0357 441 667.

Re-set your cod goals ALBURY/WODONGA

Connor Heir

2020 is a new year for new challenges, adventures, goals and dream fish!

The start of a new year is always a nice time of year to catch up with family and friends, have time off work or school, and in the eyes of a keen cod fisher, it’s a

solid time to go at catching our favourite freshwater fish species!

January is typically hot and days are long. The sunshine lasts a lot longer in the day, meaning the beaming sun is directly on the water for majority of the day. Water temperatures rise significantly, and this can see results go either way.

Many keen cod fishers

So where to start and what to do to catch a cod in the summer?

Yes, continuously fishing throughout the hot days will eventually produce results, and we definitely do see red-hot bites in hot weather at times. But fishing during low light periods and even at night has been becoming more popular recently.

This is because cod like

Glen Hogno with an armful of Mulwala Murray cod that measured 80cm.

December and thankfully, this cod open was a good one.

There wasn’t a lot of fan fare to cod opening this year, as it fell on a Sunday and only the dedicated greenfish anglers braved the very ordinary winter like weather conditions. Most

great chance of action this time of year. Lure fishing tends to turn up bigger cod, while the bait fishers will be rewarded with numbers.

For the trollers, 70-120mm lures are always a great choice while spinnerbaits should not be discounted as a trolling lure, as they

be looking to bardi grubs, yabbies or scrubworms for natural baits, but kitchen baits like cheese, chicken and dim sims account for many cod too!

As earlier mentioned, opening day itself was a little slow. Only the dedicated braved Mother

Overcast summer days are often when the fish are at their most active.

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JANUARY 2020

tough out the hot days and persist through it in the endless pursuit to try and turn a cod, and a lot of the time we are rewarded for our efforts.

to feed, at this these times, and fish can move out into areas that would be visible during the day, putting them at high risk of other To page 63

Higher elevations fishing well SNOWY MOUNTAINS

Anthony Bentley

Hot, hot, hot! With very little rainfall and very warm temperatures over the past month, the fishing is a little tough! The rivers are flowing clear and low, but thankfully Lake Jindabyne has remained steady and reasonably high, and Lake Eucumbene is still rising.

Thredbo River has been fishing consistently well, with the higher sections of the river performing much better than the lower.

With such warm weather conditions the trout will be seeking refuge in the cooler water, such as under the banks and in faster water.

Fishing the margins with a dry and dropper during the day is going to be the recipe for success – just make sure you get those nymphs right up under the undercuts. A size #16-18 tungsten nymph hung under a larger hopper or beetle pattern about 60-90cm will help ‘swing’ the nymphs under the bank. Stimulators, Hopper patterns and big foam beetles are perfect for this style of fishing.

From page 62

predators spotting them, and hence they avoid them during the day.

These fish know their waterways unbelievably well, and know what’s going on around them most of the time. Low light is a great time to break out the topwater presentations. Cod will take any chance they can get to engulf an easy meal, and with nighttime or early mornings being a prime feeding time, they will willingly take on surface lures like it’s their last meal. Some of my most red-hot sessions on Murray cod have come during late afternoons using surface lures, which to me is the most addictive way to catch these fish.

Another thing I have

When spinning on the river during summer it’s also important to take a stealth approach in presentation as well. Casting small spinners and hardbody lures onto rocks, into fast current, and even dropping in from the side of the bank will limit the amount of fish you spook.

Having a good selection of different colours and sizes will allow for change of

lures/flies to increase your capture rates. If a fish rejects your lure or fly, a change in colour or size can often be their undoing.

The higher alpine streams and creeks are definitely worth a look, as the higher elevations are generally cooler and more comfortable for the fish. Guthega Pondage, the Snowy River between

Luke Despoja with a beautiful wild brown trout. learnt is that much of the time bigger fish can come about at these low light periods. Of course big fish can definitely come at any time, and it depends where you are fishing, but I have had more encounters with big fish during the low light periods. Some theories as to why may be both true and false, but the fact remains that bigger fish have come at these low light periods.

It really is a different world fishing at night, and when I first started doing it a bit it changed my perspectives on cod fishing in so many ways. I was starting to pick up fish in areas where I would usually turn my back to during the day, with many of my fish coming in the shallower areas. Next time you go

camping overnight, go for a bit of a wonder and take a torch with you and have a into the waters you are fishing. So many yabbies, shrimp and baitfish are out and about, which means lurking around somewhere will be a fish ready to eat.

If you are lucky enough to be able to do some nighttime fishing during the summer, I highly recommend it, but one thing I will say is plan it well, and please be safe.

Things can sometimes go wrong, so let people know where you are and if you are not comfortable or familiar with a fishery or area, make sure you do some sussing out during the daylight to get comfortable with where you are fishing!

Even with the nighttime and low light fishing

Guthega and Island Bend Pondage, Spencers Creek, and Betts Creek are lovely at this time of the year.

The Mowamba River has been very tough fishing for the past couple of seasons, although the evening hatches seem to be producing some reasonable fishing opportunities.

Smaller caddis and mayfly imitations are working the best.

Lakes Jindabyne and Eucumbene are starting to get warm, although the levels are still quite good for fishing. The boat anglers are having mixed success with daytime fishing, with most anglers finding fish right on the bottom in the deeper sections of the lakes. These fish are predominately feeding on yabbies, so you really have to get down deep! Shore-based fishing at night can be a lot of fun during these warm times, and larger flies and lures worked hard around the edges can entice some very large browns.

The keys to success with the warm weather and low rainfalls are: a very careful ninja-like approach, low-impact presentations,

The fishing is better at higher elevations. fishing during and after rain, and fishing during the cooler parts of the day.

• High Country Outfitters has the largest range of fly fishing gear in the Snowy Mountains, with something for every skill level and budget. Brands include Sage, Rio, Redington, Scott, Simms, Patagonia, Loop, TFO, Vision, Hardy, Riverworks, Scientific Anglers, Airflo and McLean

nets. There’s also a big range of flies from Manic, Stu Tripney, Mick Hall and Pisces, as well as waders, boots, vests and outdoor apparel. For all the latest information on what’s biting and where, drop into the store at Nuggets Crossing Shopping Centre, Jindabyne.

You can also call them on (02) 6456 2989, like them on Facebook or check out their website at highfly.com.au. periods being successful, it does not rule out fishing during the day. Cod are a very aggressive fish, and even if they are not hungry will often strike out of pure aggression, so fish in the heavy structure as closely as you can and results will definitely come your way.

To many cod fishers that have been fishing for these fish for some time, points like these are very basic, but they are definitely a great place to start. Each cod fisho has go-to lures, theories, experiences, knowledge and little one percenters.

Go out and make your own, and as always (and most importantly), just have fun doing it – that’s why we do it!

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63

Murray cod are still firing WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

Welcome to January, the hottest month of the year in North East Victoria. By far the most popular target species will be Murray cod, as it is a great time to target them, second only to December.

January can be very hot in the Wangaratta region. As the rivers run quite naturally, they are usually very low this month and the water becomes quite warm. At this time, a few hot days and strong winds can blow millions of gum leaves into the river, turning the water jet black like ink. If you find the Ovens River looking like that, do not let that deter you from still wetting a line.

There is black water, and then there is ‘blackwater’. Black water, which we get here in Wangaratta, is generally tannin stained water. ‘Blackwater’ is the name given to hypoxic water, or water with very low levels of dissolved oxygen, which often leads to fish kills.

In many cases, ‘blackwater’ is not even black!

MURRAY COD In January, when the water is very low, warm and dark Murray cod can sometimes slow down. I believe it gets a little too warm for them.

They will still feed during this

Lake Buffalo and Lake William Hovell are top spots for redfin, and there are fish in some of the streams if you’re willing to explore.

An orange Bassman 4x4 Codman Spinnerbait enticed this Murray cod to strike last season.

bonus, powerboats and kayaks are allowed on Lake Sambell and it’s right in the heart of Beechworth.

TROUT This month is the worst time of year to target trout in North East Victoria.

Trout are a cold-water species, and sadly the water in January is far from cold.

these unsettled conditions can really turn Murray cod on.

So during January, head out whenever possible and try to focus on the low light periods. If the opportunity to fish in front of a thunderstorm arises, grab it with both hands!

REDFIN January can be a great time to target redfin in the Wangaratta region. Lakes William Hovell and Buffalo are the two best-known redfin lakes, however I have had more success in Lake Buffalo

Lake Buffalo can be hit-and-miss for redfin during January but it is certainly worth a try.

Murray cod are a favourite target species for many anglers around North East Victoria. time and most anglers will still catch Murray cod, however the numbers might drop a little from what you may catch during December.

Late evening and early morning are the best times to fish during extreme heat conditions. After a cool change moves through the barometer may drop, slowing the cod down, but it may also help cool the water down a little. After a day or two as the barometer begins to stabilise, Murray cod may switch back on.

Summer thunderstorms can also be ideal times to target Murray cod in the Wangaratta area during the heat of summer. Storms can bring a sharp drop in the barometer followed by a sharp rise, and 64

JANUARY 2020

this time of year than I have in Lake William Hovell.

In both cases, they can be hit-and-miss. However, there

are plenty of other smaller waterways littered around the region, including many small streams that have redfin in them that will definitely be fishing well in January, provided the drought has not left them without water. It is worth exploring different creeks and rivers in search of a stream with redfin in it.

I will give you one red-hot tip – Lake Sambell in Beechworth. There are some great redfin in there hiding amongst the tiddlers, plus you have a chance of hooking yellowbelly as by-catch. As a

At the height of summer when the water can become quite dark, a brightly coloured lure such as this Predator lure can come in very handy.

Do not despair, as there are still plenty of trout fishing options around, just not as many as there are in spring.

Once the water warms to a certain temperature each spring, trout often move upstream in search of cooler water. This is why headwaters of the streams can be the best areas to fish.

Do not overlook the region’s alpine areas. We have Rocky Valley and Pretty Valley dams up at Falls Creek, as well as Lake Catani at Mount Buffalo.

The fish in these lakes are generally smaller with the odd larger fish amongst them, however they are usually plentiful and willing to take a bait, lure or fly.

Fly fishing is particularly popular up in the alpine areas during the heat of summer.

As an added bonus, the temperature at these lakes is usually 10-12°C cooler than the valleys below, so while we suffer under 40°C temperatures in Wangaratta, you can be fly fishing in 25°C at Pretty Valley Dam.

Blue Rock bonanza WST/STH GIPPSLAND

Steve Haughton steve@habitatcreations.com.au

The school holidays provide an opportune time to get out with the family to explore the great outdoors. The West and South Gippsland region is a great starting point to discover what freshwater fishing hotspots there are east of Melbourne.

West Gippsland in summer features tall damp forests, dry Australian bushland and open farmland.

To escape the summer heat, Noojee is a great place set in a valley shaded by tall forests with the Latrobe, Loch and Toorongo rivers flowing through. While these trout streams offer great fishing for small wild trout, they are too just inviting and refreshing on a hot summer day.

Blue Rock Lake is also a welcoming place throughout the warmer months.

Swimming or just having a dip in the lake is a must

for any angler chasing bass, redfin and carp through the heat of the day.

The Tarago River is a bit closer to Melbourne and has some great fishing, picnic areas and swimming holes positioned nicely in Longwarry North and Drouin West, Picnic Point and Fisher Road Reserve.

The Tarago below the reservoir flows from Neerim South down to Labertouche entering the Bunyip River.

It holds some good trout and even through the busy times trout can be caught near active swimming holes.

Picnic Point has everything you need for a family day out, including barbecues, picnic tables, rotunda, toilets and playground. Fisher Road Reserve is a little smaller with only a rotunda and parking, but does have a nice swimming hole and offers good fishing below and above the weir and fish ladder. Heading a bit further away from Melbourne, Rokeby Reserve is a little

unknown access point to the Tarago River that has some picnic tables set on a nice lawn area beside the river.

In Noojee you have a choice of three rivers to fish from, but the most family-friendly spots are dotted along the Latrobe River in town. There is a large playground (which is a good plan B if the fish aren’t biting), toilets, undercover rotunda with free BBQs and picnic tables. Upstream from the main picnic area are plenty of smaller picnic tables and car parks close to the water. Access to the Latrobe River is ideal for children wanting to wet a line. For the big kid at heart, the river presents ideal wading conditions to cover fishing ground.

Baiting up a worm on a hook and casting out in a slow moving pool is the most relaxing form of stream trout fishing on those hot days. For those To page 65

Let’s hope for more exciting fishing times ahead EILDON

Peter Burtchell

Happy New Year! Let’s hope that the fishing around Lake Eildon in 2020 is as exciting as it was last year.

Late November saw the release of the muchanticipated film Total Native II where cinematographer Andrew Barnes and fishing personality Rob Paxevanos created Australia’s first cinema-release feature film on fishing. Amazing

Rob Paxevanos and Mick Caufield on set during filming of Total Native II at Jerusalem Creek. of these fishing methods and techniques used with great success.

During December and January, Murray cod and yellowbelly will produce well as they continue feeding on the remnants of the spring breeding season.

With only a little rain predicted, the fish will be more concentrated in the deeper parts of the lake,

such as Jerusalem Creek, Main Arm, Big River and the Goulburn arms.

The last event on the native fishing calendar for Jerusalem Creek also occurred in November with some great catches. During the weekend, almost 100 anglers attended the final round of the Central Vic Lure Casters Super Series.

The weather was great, however the lake was not giving up its fish easily.

Some anglers managed to find the target species of Murray cod, but plenty of others had to be satisfied with golden perch, redfin and trout.

Murray cod guru, Paul Thomas, once again showed everyone how it was done by taking out the round and Angler of the Year with quality fish on the Saturday and Sunday of the event. Russ Sandford, the JD Eddy lure maker, also proved he can find the fish after reeling in an

holders of Australian inland waterways.

Education, stocking and sustainable practices have seen these mighty creatures make a comeback in numbers. New methods and techniques have opened up native fishing to be some of the most sought-after sports action on the globe. Lake Eildon with its growing populations of Murray cod and golden perch see many

Cod guru, Paul Thomas, with one of his many Eildon Murray cod that helped him to the top spot in the recent Central Vic Lure Casters Super Series.

From page 64

keen to burn a bit of energy, hardbody minnow lures with small bibs, soft plastic wrigglers or small spinners work best when cast slow moving water.

Dry flies to match the hatch are best fished in the evening when the trout are rising to feed. During the day, beaded nymphs with dry indicators are the most productive.

Blue Rock Lake fishes well in January, with some big bass now being caught thanks to the successful stocking program. Bass are of a good size, with plenty being caught in the 30s, with some topping 40cm+. Blue Rock is a very popular destination now that boat and engine size restrictions have been lifted. The water temperature is spot on for hungry bass feeding up at the surface. Late in the afternoon and into the evening is the best time,

any legal fishing method can be used to win one of many prizes. For more information visit www. facebook.com/lakeeildon fishingchallenge/.

Winter will host the inaugural Lake Eildon

Mick Caufield has mastered the art of Murray cod surface fishing at Lake Eildon.

Rita Caufield with the 95cm Murray cod that placed her in second for Angler of the Year. cinematography capturing Australia’s landscapes, people and native fish was filmed in 12 Locations from Queensland through New South Wales and ending at Lake Eildon in Victoria.

Rob has spent a lifetime researching and catching these ancient creatures and in his own words, “There is nothing like them on the planet”. Murray cod and golden perch are the

impressive 95cm green demon. Rita Caufield had some action as well, landing and releasing a 95cm Murray cod, which placed her second on the Angler of the Year tally.

The largest yellowbelly

Bass will be a popular target at Blue Rock this month.

with most fish caught in the shade. Worms and other live baits such as yabbies dropped by the dead trees have been received well by bass too.

Redfin are also very active at the moment, and some decent-sized fish are being landed. Trout will go quiet as the water warms up and will likely be caught in the evenings as they feed off the surface. While carp might have a bad name, they are very active at this time of the year too, and can be a lot of fun for the family and on light gear.

The native river blackfish season has re-opened for the year and offers an alternative target species to trout in the rivers of West and South Gippsland. Feel free to send me a report or photo, particularly if you have any success stories over the school holidays. Please email me any questions too.

Happy fishing!

went a cracking 61cm, and the longest Murray cod was landed by a junior angler at a massive 99cm.

For your fishing calendars, Jerusalem Creek has a host of events and competitions during 2020 where you can learn and practise your fishing skills.

The first major event being the Lake Eildon Fishing Challenge, which will be run from the 15-17 May 2020 with registration beginning on the Friday.

The competition is a family friendly event where

Cod Masters from 19-21 June, where competitors who think they have what it takes to be crowned Angler of the Year. For more information on the limited entries available visit www.facebook.com/ groups/699752433829280/ • To keep up-to-date with what is happening on the Lake visit www.facebook. com/lakeeildonfishing/ a Facebook Fishing Group that provide regular updates on catches, competitions, events and anything fishy at Eildon.

Relax and enjoy delicious food and warm hospitality.

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

Coffee Light meals Pastries Cakes Bread 10 Main St, Eildon Victoria 3713 03 5774 2362 0438 881 629 JANUARY 2020

65

Weather and native action is really heating up SHEPPARTON

Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com

The Christmas period is now over and our focus has now shifted to fishing the two hottest months of the cod season.

In the past January and February have always been tricky months due to the high temps and low water flow.

The low flows have affected the Broken River a lot in the past with water quality turning bad in the heat of the year. The Goulburn has not been as affected in that aspect due to environmental flows but we just need a good pulse of freshwater from a rain event to really

bends. For those wanting to troll, I would be using the Old Mate lures in a fluoro green or a big Codger.

If you’re heading out for a surface fish this January, I would focus on fishing the Broken River down towards Broken River Drive.

There have been plenty of reports of 5-6 fish caught in a session. This area of the Broken River does not have as much traffic, so the fish seem to really commit to the surface lure and are definitely not lure shy.

All the usual spots are fishing well in the Broken, but what is becoming disturbing is the amount of rubbish that’s being left on the bank and fences being cut.

weed, but with the council clearing out a lot of it throughout the year you can find a few good trolling runs.

Bait fishing from the grass hill is always popular and silver perch have been on the chew, with worms being the best bait. With the water temperatures rising in the heat of the summer, the trout will become harder to catch and if you do catch one they seem to get knocked around a bit, and I have seen plenty die in the heat even after a immediate return to the water.

In the next couple of months the fish will be staying deep in the weed to escape the heat, but if there is a fresh flow of water flushed through I would fish

A solid local yellowbelly for James Dainton, caught on a Balista Trance in Shepparton Lake. kick start the fishing in the next few months.

Fishing the Goulburn right in the heart of town has always been productive this time of year, with plenty of good-sized fish caught in behind Aqua Moves and up near the Broken/ Goulburn junction.

There’s has been reports of some good-sized fish being caught on bait out Toolamba, with locals targeting the deeper holes on

We all need to ensure we are respectful of the environment and also the land owners’ fences when walking these banks or else we all will be locked out.

SHEPPARTON LAKE The Shepparton Lake is really starting to fire, with plenty of reports of good size yellowbelly being caught on smaller diving lures like the Balista Trance and the smaller 10ft Codgers.

There is still plenty of

those areas where you can see the flow.

LOCAL CHANNELS This season we have heard so many more reports of yellowbelly being caught in the channel system compared to previous years.

The yellowbelly bite has gone right into December and fingers crossed it continues into the New Year.

Smaller lipless crankbaits with a beetle spin arm like always is dynamite on the

James Dainton nailed this cod on his locally designed Balista Tremor lure. channel yellowbelly, and soft vibes have also worked well when the fish are more shut down.

The cod fishing was heating up when I wrote this article, and I expect to see a fair few good size fish being reported this summer, with so many more locals now targeting cod in the channels with bigger lures.

Speaking of bigger lures, the locally designed Balista Tremor is one I want to try around the bridges this cod season. The vibrating feature just reminds me of a small bird falling out of a nest and flapping around on the surface. The cod will be looking up around a lot of the bridges due the high population of birds that nest under these bridges.

KIALLA LAKES This three-lake system has been a bit quiet recently, with only a couple of reports coming in over the November-December period. This is a surprise, as it is normally a good option for those who want to have a quick flick.

Fishing around rain in the lake will be the best bet this time of year and casting smaller spinnerbaits or lipless crankbaits will be the best way to target the yellowbelly on lures.

If bait fishing I would

stick to shrimp around the willows or floating worms around the drop-offs.

WARANGA BASIN If there is one tip for the basin over the next few months, it would be to get in early, as the boat traffic can be a nightmare in the summertime.

Speedboats and jet skis will take over the ramps and foreshores, so try to get out early and beat this headache.

Fishing wise I would be targeting the wall in the summer months by trolling a bigger deep diver for cod

Shannon Anderson caught this solid yellowbelly in Shepparton Lake.

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or yellowbelly and have another rod rigged with a vibe or small trolling lure for redfin.

Yellowbelly up to 50cm have been caught near the wall, and it seems to be a good spot for targeting natives.

Drifting baits at this time of year can work well and you can allow the rocking of the boat to keep your boat moving.

Fresh is best, so a handful of worms or 2-3 shrimp on a hook works well around the boat club in about 12-14ft of water.

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Good weather, warm water and great catches NAGAMBIE

Sunny Martins

The weather is great, the water even better and there are some quality fish being caught in the Nagambie region. There have been some absolute brutes caught in the last month, especially around the winery and Kirwans Bridge. As well as size, there has also has been great numbers of fish caught. Murray cod, golden perch, redfin and plenty of carp are all a common sight around this time of year.

MITCHELLSTOWN Fishing around the Mitchellstown area has been relatively slow, with few reports coming from

the area. Anglers who have been targeting Murray cod have only reported a few bites each session. However, the fish that are being caught in this section of river have definitely been high quality specimens, with reports of a couple in the 80cm bracket, and one in the 90s. There was also a report of an absolute beast that measured in at 112cm that was caught on a piece of chicken marinated in garlic near the winery.

The best place to focus on when bait fishing is any slow-moving water, like back eddies and where the current creates a bit of a swirl. Any deep holes along the bends of the river are always good spots to drop a big yabby, cheese or even some chicken.

For anglers looking to cast at lure, there are plenty

of timber lining the banks to focus your efforts. Most fish are tight up against the timber with the strong current.

Spinnerbaits or divers would be a great option for these locations.

NAGAMBIE LAKE Fishing around the main lake at this time of year is far from ideal, with lots of boat and jetski traffic.

Nevertheless, there are still

they make great hiding spots for ambushing bait. For anglers targeting this area with bait, scrubworms or fresh caught shrimp are absolute dynamite. Anglers looking to cast, smaller spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits, like Doozer or TN70s, will be sure to be in with a chance.

KIRWANS BRIDGE Kirwans Bridge area has been fishing really

Kyle Hippisley found this healthy looking 65cm Murray cod.

There are plenty of little fish to fill in time between the bigger bites.

some great golden perch and the occasional Murray cod being caught off the willow trees lining the caravan park. Anglers have a chance to target this area as there is land access along the boat ramp.

The willow trees are in full summer foliage and the fish just love hanging out in and around them because

well lately. Warm water temperatures, together with clear water, have made for great fishing. This area of the system does not get as much water traffic, so the fish are a lot more relaxed and more inclined to feed.

There are some great reports are coming from this area, which include one young angler getting an 87cm

Local angler Paul O’Connor is all smiles with his 107cm Nagambie Murray cod.

Murray cod on a surface lure casting some willows along the river’s edge.

Reports of golden perch being caught on spinnerbait further downstream towards the weir have also been common.

Perhaps the most exciting report has to be from a local angler, Paul O’Connor, who trolled up a giant 107cm Murray cod on a Bassman DT spinnerbait.

This was truly an amazing catch and I was lucky enough to experience it with him.

Anglers looking to target this area with lures should pay close attention to the standing timber lining the rivers edge, as this has produced the most fish.

In the middle of the day, targeting shady spots is likely to produce a bite as the hot days drive the cod and golden perch into the shade.

Large fish releases are a relief for anglers CRATER LAKES

Rod Shepherd

Chinook salmon and rainbows are beginning to fire up in good numbers at Lake Bullen Merri.

Bank anglers in particular are reaping the rewards of good fish along the north shore.

Many quality baits, such as mudeye and PowerBait fished either on the bottom or suspended under a bubble float are working well. Those who choose to

launch are doing fine trolling medium diving minnow lures in 5-8m depth.

Late November saw yet another sizeable release of fish into Bullen Merri – 50,000 rainbow and 30,000 Chinook fingerlings. Fisheries Victoria must still have plenty of confidence in the lake by continuing to release large numbers of fish here.

Some solid salmonoids continue to be caught at Lake Purrumbete, however not in huge numbers. This is a lake where anglers have to work for the fish. There have been

plenty of smaller browns and Chinooks (around 1kg) taken casting towards the weed beds with either hardbodies or soft plastics on the troll not too far out from the bank.

Redfin have mostly left the depths and can be enticed out of the shallow growing weed beds with bait and lures. In saying that, some schools still remain in deeper water but they are difficult to locate.

The reddies, thanks to the warmer weather, have finally woken up and are easier to catch now. Lake Elingamite

Shane Stevens from Ballarat with a thumper Elingamite brown taken recently.

A 45cm Elingamite redfin picked up on the troll using a Pontoon 21 Greedy Guts minnow lure.

has some sizeable specimens on offer, as many boaters can attest to in recent times.

Casting lures or plastics in and around the weed growth or trolling has seen lots of reddies take an offering that was put out for a trout.

Speaking of trout, plenty of browns including some weighing in at over 2kg, have been caught here in recent times. Medium divers have worked well on the troll with flashy, reflective colours

doing well, especially when the sun is out.

The lake’s depth at the start of December was 60cm, which means you can motor out in shallow drive with no problems. Unless a heat wave hits the South West in the next month or two, this shouldn’t change for the worst.

Mount Emu Creek has received a good flush-out, thanks to the winter rain.

This has fired up the fish, especially in the deeper pools

that can be found along the length of the lower reaches before the creek enters the Hopkins River. Decent browns to 1kg, along with some excellent redfin, have been caught by those using small spinners and soft baits worked around the head and tail of individual pools. Keep an eye out for snakes when walking the bank as plenty of brown and tiger snakes are now out and active.

JANUARY 2020

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Trout biting at Wendouree and we have managed to catch 4-5 rainbow trout around the 500g mark every time. It’s awesome fishing and I recommend to anyone, especially those with children, to head up to Wendouree and you will definitely catch one.

The flyfishing is fantastic at the moment for all the reasons I have already mentioned. Fishing a small Craig’s Nighttime, Mrs Simpson, or a Hammils Killer fly patterns prior to dark and just after dark will bring them undone. Then,

BALLARAT

Shane Stevens

It’s been a very strange fishing season so far around the Ballarat district. There was so much promise going into the season but unfortunately some of our waters just haven’t fired up as yet. Is this a case of just a late season given our extended winter that never seemed to end? Or is there some other reason?

I suppose only the fish can answer that question.

LAKE WENDOUREE On the bright side Lake Wendouree is fishing its head off at the moment with the trout and redfin certainly on the chew, which is awesome. The lake is full of hungry rainbow and brown trout courtesy of Victorian Fishing Authority, with their annual stocking of

Lake Wendouree’s bug/spider mudeyes that are on the trout and redfin’s menu at the moment.

Wayne Rigg landing a magnificently conditioned brown trout casting a surface lure. Photo Courtesy of Wayne Rigg

Denver Minster catching a feisty rainbow trout on a mudeye suspended under a float while fishing from a boat.

Luke Barby nailed this lovely brown trout while flyfishing Wendouree recently on a Black Cruncher fly pattern. Photo courtesy of Luke Barby. around 30,000 trout.

I mentioned last month that with the warmer weather on its way, the mudeyes would start to hatch. Like clockwork, this has happened and the fish are in a feeding frenzy at the moment. Every fish that is caught and cleaned you will find small bug mudeyes in the contents of their stomachs. Trout and redfin feed mainly on mudeyes after dark when they start their migration from out of the mud, weeds and under rocks to the shore, to then hatch out into dragonflies.

The mudeye shucks (shell or casings) can be found on trees, posts or any structure that they can crawl up and allow their wings to dry out, which enables them 68

JANUARY 2020

to fly away.

While the mudeyes move throughout the night under the cover of darkness, which creates opportunities for the fly fishers to catch trout and redfin feeding on them, the trout will feed on them throughout the day.

Mudeyes are trout candy and they cannot resist the temptation to eat them.

Over the past few weeks, and will continue for the next couple of months, you can wander up to Wendouree at any time of the day and fish a mudeye suspended under a bubble float and you will catch a fish. I cannot believe how many trout seem to be in the lake at the moment, I have been out with my kids fishing from the boat and from the shore

change over to surface fly patterns when you can hear the trout slurping down mudeyes. Cast out a Cubits Mudeye Pattern or a Muddler Minnow pattern in the general direction, with a very slow strip or figure-ofeight retrieve. It’s great fun and the fish fight really hard, and you have the opportunity to catch some really big brown trout as well.

Ballarat Fly Fishing Club member Kevin Pearce recently had a ball fishing the mudeye hatch after dark. He landed three big thumping redfin all over 3.5lb on a small Craig’s Nighttime fly pattern. Kevin thought it couldn’t get any better, then fished on again and this time it was a magnificent brown trout of 52cm.

Trolling and casting

Mudeye fly patterns that are currently being used to catch trout and redfin on Wendouree. Left to right: Cubits Mudeye Pattern, Olive Muddler Minnow, Black Muddler Minnow, Hammils Killer, Mrs Simpson and Craig’s Nighttime.

lures still remains one of the most productive methods on Wendouree. Trolling small hardbodied lures up and down the rowing lanes has produced some lovely rainbows around the 500g mark. Wayne Rigg has been catching plenty of these feisty rainbows by trolling.

On a recent trip he thought he’d try casting a bent minnow style lure while drifting the open water.

It didn’t take long before Rigzy nailed a beautiful golden brown trout. A couple of happy snaps and it was released to fight another day.

NEWLYN RESERVOIR Newlyn Reservoir has been producing some lovely redfin in the evenings.

Shane Jeffrey loves a feed of reddies and Newlyn certainly hasn’t disappointed. Shane lives close by so he heads out quite often. He has been catching the redfin on small hardbodied lures and soft plastics. He said there has been a few trout rising on evening mainly feeding on caddis moths. I assume the trout would focus on feeding on mudeyes after dark, exactly the same as Wendouree.

To page 69

Cod will be the focus over holiday season BENDIGO

Roger Miles codhuntertours@bigpond.com

January has arrived and the focus for many anglers has now changed from targeting golden perch to pursuing that fish of a lifetime. Catching and releasing a large Murray cod is a goal that many anglers desire to achieve.

Putting the time in on the water is a key ingredient when trying to land a large Murray cod. This time of the year is often when a lot of anglers have their annual leave. So make the most of your time off work and go fishing.

LAKE EPPALOCK Water levels are continuing to steadily decline, but the clarity remains good at Lake Eppalock. Water temperatures have now increased to reasonable levels and the productivity in the fishing has increased in recent weeks.

Redfin fishing has remained disappointing.

Small numbers of anglers who are putting the time in are still managing a few good specimens weighing up to 1kg.

The most productive

This 58cm Murray cod was caught at Lake Eppalock on a Mazzy Vib lure. Due to the fish stocking from Victorian Fisheries, we should start to see catch rates of Murray cod improve. techniques have been casting soft plastics lures and hopping them along the bottom. Results for anglers trolling deep diving hardbody lures for redfin have also improved in recent weeks.

The numbers of golden perch being caught continues to improve. Small numbers of golden perch are being caught by those targeting the rocky shorelines. The most productive areas for golden

perch have been around the timbered sections of the lake.

Both casting and retrieving lures, and trolling lures have been working well.

On a positive note there has been an increase in the number of Murray cod that have been caught recently.

A combination of lures have been working on them, such as lipless crankbaits, spinnerbaits and hardbody lures. The average size of the Murray cod caught has

not been large, their average size has been between 45cm and 60cm, but this is a good sign for future angling opportunities at this location.

CAMPASPE RIVER The fishing in the Campaspe River still remains good. Anglers are landing a good combination of Murray cod, golden perch and some small redfin in this river system. The numbers of golden perch being caught are not high but the average

size is over 40cm.

The most productive lures for golden perch have been lipless crankbaits and suspending hardbody lures. There has been a real mixture in the size of Murray cod being landed, ranging from 35-90cm. A big variety of lures have produced the results. Surface lures, swim baits, spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits and hardbodies lures have all been working on any given day or night!

CAIRN CURRAN The fishing has slowed down over the last few weeks. It still remains a good destination and, if you put the time in, you are most likely to stir up a few fish.

Golden perch continue to be the main target species for the majority of anglers.

Reasonable numbers of golden perch are still being caught by both bait and lure fishing around the standing timber. Small numbers are still being caught around the rocky shorelines by casting and retrieving lipless crankbaits and trolling medium sized hardbody lures.

Finding a good school of redfin has been difficult.

If you do manage to locate a good school then casting and retrieving soft plastics is

a good technique.

LODDON RIVER Water clarity continues to be variable in this river system. At the present time the water clarity along the Loddon River would be best described as below average.

During those periods of reduced flows coming down the system, water clarity has slowly improved, then shortly after the river flows increase and water clarity deteriorates.

Catch rates have been below normal for this time of year, which is mainly due to the reduced water clarity.

The Loddon River is always a popular destination with anglers over the holiday period.

If you plan to fish this area over the holidays then try and fish those sections of the system that receive the least amount of fishing pressure. If you are planning to fish one of the most popular sections of the river, at Bridgewater or Serpentine, then it is very important to hit the water early before there is too much boat traffic and the fish shut down. The saying ‘The early bird gets the worm’ is very true for the Loddon River at this time of the year.

From page 68

HEPBURN LAGOON At Hepburn Lagoon, the reports have been very scarce over the past month.

VFA have recently released some yearling rainbow trout, which would certainly be hungry and only too eager to eat a fly, lure, mudeye or some PowerBait fished on the bottom.

Hepburn should have some very large brown trout cruising around as well at the moment. While the fish are feeding on mudeye, you could get the opportunity to nail one of these big suckers – just fish after dark or very early in the morning to catch one.

MOORABOOL RESERVOIR Moorabool Reservoir was the talk of the town only a month or so ago, but has dropped off the radar a bit with not many reports filtering through. There has been a report of algae,

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

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

Oct Nov Dec

Cairn Curran

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Oct Nov Dec Mulwala (Yarrawonga) 91 91 92 Newlyn 100 100 99 Nillahcootie 40 39 38 Rocklands 26 25 26 Tantangara 25 19 13 Taylors 59 59 56 Tullaroop 83 82 75 Waranga 48 50 48 Wartook 60 59 54 William Hovell 100 100 100

52 48

Dartmouth 57 54 53 Eildon

45 45 44

Eppalock

36 34 32

Eucumbene 29 30 30

Will Stevens landed this lovely rainbow trout fishing from one of the many jetties and pontoons located around Lake Wendouree. which may deter anglers. The algae will not harm the fish as they will continue to feed up, it’s just disappointing for

SEASON

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anglers as it offered so much promise. Anglers will need to keep an eye out for signage in reference to the algae.

IS HERE!

Every Saturday 5.00pm on

Fyans

83 83 80

Hepburn

101 99 96

Hume

40 38 33

Jindabyne 75 81 82 Lauriston

98 97 95

(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.)

OUTDOOR & FISHING SHOW

Listen on 5am-6am Every Saturday JANUARY 2020

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING STORM ARASHI GLIDE BAIT

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Engineered to achieve the perfect lifelike swimming action, the Storm Arashi Glide Bait lets you take advantage of one of the hottest, most effective techniques for targeting trophy flathead, mulloway, barra and Murray cod.

The Arashi Glide Bait is very responsive, with an exaggerated swimming action that flows from side to side with every turn of the handle and every twitch of the tip. It is very stable and has a super slow sink rate (.4ft/sec), and can be fished effectively at all speeds, allowing anglers to speed up or slow down to match the behaviour of the fish.

Made to target the largest predators, this lure is built with a durable triple-pin construction and swivelling hook hangers that prevent fish from gaining leverage during a fight. Included with a snap and an extra tail that will keep your bait in running order, even after vicious strikes, the Arashi Glide Bait offers a high-quality alternative to overpriced, hard-to-find glide baits. It’s available now in eight fish-catching colours. www.stormfishing.com

BLACK MAGIC UTILITY BOX

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Black Magic has added a new waterproof Utility Box to their range.

One of the main differences with the latest model is that it has a seal fixed to the lid designed to keep the contents dry, and less likely to suffer from water damage or corrosion. There are two latches on the front and one on each side. When combined with the two sturdy hinges, they lock down securely, ensuring a good, tight seal.

There are 13 compartments in the Utility Box for storing an array of tackle, some of which have removable sidewalls, allowing the box to accommodate larger items.

This box measures 270mm x 170mm x 45mm, and has been specifically chosen to fit into Black Magic’s Tackle Bags and Tackle Packs.

Visit the Black Magic Tackle website for more information on the Utility Box and a range of other tackle storage solutions. You can also find more information, news and catch photos on their Facebook page (www. facebook.com/blackmagictackle), check them out on Instagram (@blackmagictackle) or subscribe to the Black Magic YouTube channel. www.blackmagictackle.com

SAMAKI ZING XTREME V2

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Zing Xtreme’s amazing blanks are only one of the features that contributes to the series’ success. The smart Samaki technology of MDC (Multi Direction Carbon layer) improves strength, and the X Power weave construction gives you precision casting, great action in the fight and enough grunt to get you out of sticky situations.

Other features include Fuji KW and LKW series guides, Fuji TVS and VSS reel seats on spin models, Fuji PTS and SK reel seats on baitcast models, and custom super-hard EVA camouflaged grips with superior carbon locking rings.

Zing Xtreme caters to all fishing enthusiasts, with 7’0” spin models in extra light, light, medium and medium heavy 1-piece and 2-piece that sit alongside the 7’6” extra light solid tip flats rod, and 7’6” extra heavy offshore rod. Cast models range from 5’4” through to 7’0” in medium, medium heavy, and heavy, covering everything from bass to barra. www.samaki.com.au 70

JANUARY 2020

PRODUCT GUIDE

X-RAP MAGNUM PREY

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The Rapala X-Rap Magnum Prey is a compact, long cast stickbait that works with a variety of techniques, from subsurface sweeps to skipping on top – just add a boiling school of pelagics, cast and repeat.

This lure is weighted extra heavy for extreme casting distances, and features a darting baitfish action. It’s an ideal choice for fast and aggressive predators feeding on top or in the shallows. Lipless design and fluttering action on the drop allow natural baitfish-imitating presentations. On fast retrieve, the lure skips on the surface like a fleeing baitfish.

Equipped with VMC 3X Strong Coastal Black Trebles, the 100mm Magnum Prey weighs 41g and comes in 12 proven colours, including UV colours. Built heavy and aerodynamic for extreme casting distances, it delivers even in the most demanding saltwater fishing conditions, and stands up to unforgiving punishment.

Other features include through-wire construction, quality X-Rap finishes, saltwater prey patterns, and 3D holographic eyes.

Price: approx. SRP $30 www.rapala.com.au

WILSON CAMO BACKPACK

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Designed specifically for fishing, the Wilson Camo Series Backpack makes life easier. Side access to the internal cargo area allows anglers to easily keep the backpack over one shoulder while accessing the internal cargo area – there’s no need to completely remove the backpack.

Other features include three tackle trays inside the main cargo area. There are two standard large trays, and one large tray (with no dividers) for bigger lures such as swimbaits and surface lures. There are also four external zippered pockets for accessories such as leader and fishing gloves, as well as two Velcro secured tool holders and a massive front flap with even more storage for things such as plastics and spare hooks. An external sunglass holder and a retractable tool lanyard are also included.

The top pocket has elastic webbing for securing jumpers or rain jackets, and the adjustable shoulder straps are padded for comfort and feature a chest strap. The sturdy zippers are easy to open, even with cold hands.

As well as being ideal for hiking, this backpack serves as a complete kit for a boat. www.wilsonfishing.com

PALMS TURN POP

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

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The new Palms Turn Pop is designed to target smaller species like bream and whiting on the surface.

Fitted with a treble on the belly and twin assist hooks at the rear, this proven set-up will convert more strikes into hooked fish.

The rear assist hooks are also fitted with red rubber legs, giving the presentation more appeal on the pause. Retrieve options include pop and long pause, quick short sharp pops, and consistent skipping on the surface.

The Palms Turn Pop measures 50mm and weighs 3.9g. There are six transparent colours in the series, covering all conditions – clear water, dirty water, bright light or low light. For more information on this and other Palms lures, visit the EJ Todd website. www.ejtodd.com.au

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

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PRODUCT GUIDE

WHAT’S NEW FISHING

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

DAIWA SHORE SPARTAN

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Daiwa Shore Spartan lures are designed with a dimpled body that helps you cast further, while their through-wire construction and durable 1.8mm ABS thick plastic bodies ensure ultimate durability.

Featuring Owner split rings and hooks, there are four models – the 140mm Power Splash popper, 140mm floating Rough Ride stickbait, and the 120 and 140mm Break Through sinking stickbaits.

The Power Splash cup-face popper is capable of spitting a large amount of water, however it can also be retrieved fast, creating an enticing bubble trail and wobble. The Rough Ride stickbait has a tungsten weight at the rear, producing the perfect floatation level to create the tantalising dive and ‘S’ wave action.

The lures’ dimpled design acts like a golf ball travelling through the air, aiding the lure to track straight and true, and it also aids the bait’s motion subsurface. This design characteristic is most evident with the Break Through sinking stickbait, which can be retrieved ultra fast without breaking the water’s surface – a key trait for targeting high-speed pelagics. The Break Through also features a very low centre of gravity for enhanced performance and tracking. www.daiwafishing.com.au

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TALICA II 20 AND 25 REELS

The iconic Shimano Talica II 20 and 25 models have received a welcome upgrade for 2019 with the introduction of a spare mono line cam.

The reels are still factory fitted with a braided line cam that provides a smooth drag curve to suit anglers spooling with braid. For those who run a full spool of mono IGFA line, a spare mono cam is available inside the box to make the drag curve ideal for the preferred line class once changed over.

All of the other Shimano features that make the Talica II reels so sought after have remained the same, but now the reels’ drags can be set more accurately so you can be even more confident when you hook that gamefish of a lifetime.

Price: SRP $1010-$1030 www.shimanofish.com.au

OKUMA KOMODO BAITCAST RODS

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The Komodo SS baitcast reel has a reputation for strength, reliability and stopping power. The matching series of rods follow the same design principles, from their quality finish, 30T Toray carbon blank construction and Seaguide Hero Hi-Grade Low Frame Casting Guides, to the attention to detail in bind and metal component highlights, and custom ergonomic reel seat for increased ‘feel’.

Available in a selection of models that cover heavy bass fishing and extracting mangrove jack, to taking on monster impoundment barra and bucket-mouth Murray cod, this series of rods will impress in terms of both finish and performance. For those throwing big swimbaits, there’s even a model for you, without the insane price tag commonly associated with swimbait rods. This model (KM-C-801H) is 8ft of pure casting and stopping power, with an 8-15kg rating and casting weight rating of 1-4oz.

The other four models are: KM-C-601MH (med-heavy action, 6’0”, 6-8kg line rating, 1/43/4oz casting weight), KM-C-661MH (medheavy, 6’6”, 6-8kg, 1/4-3/4oz), KM-C-661H (heavy, 6’6”, 8-15kg, 1/2-2oz), KM-C-661XH (X-heavy, 6’6”, 8-20kg, 1-4oz).

Price: SRP $129.90-$149.90 tackletactics.com.au

BALISTA TREMOR

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The BalistaTremor is an Australian creation designed for one purpose: to catch big native fish.

At 200mm in length, the Tremor has a 3-piece jointed body, and internally it is fitted with advanced electronics with a rechargeable battery, with an in-built vibrator to mimic an injured fish. Of course, it also features Balista’s trademark LED technology that will entice the most aggressive reaction bite.

The Balista also comes with three interchangeable bibs – crawling, wake and diving swim bait. Whether it is trophy Murray cod, barramundi or any other big bait eating predator you are chasing, the Balista Tremor has been designed to get bites from temperamental big fish. On its first day in action at Lake Mulwala – a notoriously pressured fishery – it produced four Murray cod between 95-110cm, at a time when it was unheard of to get so many bites from big fish in the one day.

To see the Tremor in action, search for ‘Balista Tremor’ on YouTube. You can also see the rest of the range on the Balista Lures website, or on their Facebook page. www.balista.com.au

JIG STAR KATANA BRAID 8X

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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, Taiwan, SE Asia, South Africa and New Zealand.

Hundreds of hours were spent testing products on ridiculous sized yellowtail kingfish and humungous hapuka.

Katana Jigging and Popping Braid is an 8-Carrier high pitch Dyneema line. Katana Braid is a multi-coloured braid that changes colour every 10m and features Micro Pitch braiding technology, with an advanced coating process.

This helps produce a braid that is extremely strong, while still being thin and having minimal guide friction.

Katana Braid is available in 300m and 1000m spools in PE 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10 breaking strains.

To find out more on the Jig Star braid range visit the Juro OzPro Tackle website. www.jurofishing.com

DAIWA SEAJIGGER

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Seajigger has been one of Daiwa’s most popular surf and rock fishing line of rods, and this year the series has been updated to be better than ever before.

HVF carbon is where it all begins, with Daiwa’s low resin, high strength, reduced weight, high density carbon the foundation for a series that is stripped of unwanted weight, and loaded with all the power that you need.

Daiwa’s X45 blank technology further enhances Seajigger’s design and performance level by eliminating blank twist and distortion to increase casting distance.

Design features include ultra-thin Winn wrapped butt section for blank protection, minimalist EVA grips, and Fuji reel seat, while Fuji Alconite Lowrider stripper guides and new lightweight LKW guides provide superb casting ability delivering anglers tangle-free casting all day long.

Classic in style, and advanced in design, function and application, Seajigger offers diversity, strength and exceptional value like only Daiwa can. www.daiwafishing.com.au

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

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING LUMICA L.E.D ROD LIGHTS

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Lumica Japan are the developers and inventors of the chemical light stick, and they have now developed a superior range of LED lights for anglers targeting fish at night and in low light conditions.

The Lumica L.E.D Rod Tip Lights are perfect for fishing at night, and simply clip onto your rod tip. They are quite small so they don’t weigh down or affect the tip action of your rod.

The lights are available in two colours, sunset red (visibility of 60m) and sea green (visibility of 100m). They are both available in two sizes so they will fit most rods on the market, and they are super bright and re-useable.

The lights are very easy to use and also feature an on/off switch so you can turn them off easily when not in use. The LED rod lights require a lithium BR/CR 425 battery, and will last approximately 12 hours with continual use.

To find out more on the Lumica range visit the Juro OzPro Tackle website. www.jurofishing.com

OKUMA SABIKI UTG ROD

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PRODUCT GUIDE

LIVE FIBRE BLADE N TAILS

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The Samaki Vibelicious is now available in two new sizes and five new colours.

The new 85mm size is designed to target the likes of bream, flathead, jewfish, yellowbelly and bass, while the 150mm is a heavier weight vibe to target offshore reef fish and bigger estuary brutes such as barramundi and jewfish.

Each model’s colour selection has been created for different target species in all locations around Australia. The new colour range includes natural baitfish colours and bright attractants with UV additives. Introducing Hardy Head, Coral Trout, Stripey Snapper, Fairy Floss UV, and Ghost Bait UV. The Vibelicious Fork Tail comes in 70mm, 85mm, 100mm, 125mm and 150mm sizes.

The 100mm and 125mm have now been upgraded with the new YS81 Decoy Hooks and new Decoy EX Strong Split Rings. The 70mm, 85mm and 150mm are all available with BKK super sharp hooks and Decoy EX Split Rings.

As always, every Vibelicious contains premium Japanese stainless wire and is made of the toughest 10X super stretch material, for maximum durability. www.samaki.com.au

BANDICOOT HEADLAMP

BETTER TACKLE FLASHER RIGS

The Knog Bandicoot Headlamp isn’t like other headlamps. It uses silicone to seamlessly merge the strap, body and LEDs together, rather than fabrics or multiple elastics which are fiddly and unreliable. The silicone band is tangleproof, won’t lose strength, and doesn’t need constant adjusting.

The durable Bandicoot is super lightweight at just 60g, with a compact and sleek design.

The headlamp incorporates quad optics which are integrated into a single-piece chassis, removing the need for a clunky hinge.

The four sets of LEDs are optimally placed for their each individual purpose – a high beam to see with, elliptical beams for broad ambient light, a red light for darker environments, and down lights for reading.

Now, with the ModeMaker app, users can experience added functionality and program their Bandicoot Headlamp from a library of light modes - with 100 lumens being its maximum output.

The Bandicoot Headlamp also offers USB charging capabilities, meaning you can top up the battery at any time and always begin your adventures at maximum brightness.

Price: SRP $59.99 escape2.com.au

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JANUARY 2020

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The Okuma Sabiki UTG rod is designed for jigging sabiki rigs when gathering bait, with the design allowing the rig to be wound inside the rod to minimise snagging and tangling when not in use.

This rod boasts quality components, and has been designed from the ground up to overcome the shortcomings of other sabiki rods. A slight increase in length allows more brands of jigs to be wound completely inside the rod, while the slimmer design increases the action of the rod and in turn the fishcatching action of the jig.

Designed to be used with either spin or overhead reels, the Sabiki UTG is a 2-piece design for easy storage, with a butt join rather than the traditional join above the bottom line guide, which can make line feeding difficult and cause snagging of swivels on sabiki jigs.

The tip of the Sabiki UTG is also uniquely designed to remove the snagging that occurs both on the outside of the tip and internally where the tip joins the rod blank on traditional sabiki rods.

Price: SRP $79.90 www.okuma.com.au

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The Live Fibre Blade N Tails series takes in just about every lure casting scenario available to Australian anglers.

Built on Toray graphite blanks and fitted with Fuji Faslite guides, the new Blade N Tails series has been modelled on the popular BNT series.

Features include specialised skeleton reel seats that allow the angler’s hand direct access to the blank for the ultimate in sensitivity, actions that have been specifically developed to enhance lure casting and the effective working of lures, and a range of one- and two-piece options that allow the travelling angler to fish with a quality stick built for Aussie fishing.

There are 18 rods in the range, with everything from ultralight 4-8lb spin models through to a 30-60lb heavy baitcaster. The range will be expanded as demand heats up for this series. www.wilsonfishing.com

NEW VIBELICIOUS ARRIVALS

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When Australian fishing rig specialist Josh Price designed Better Tackle’s flasher rigs, he had one thing in mind: to make every product better than anything else on the market.

Better Tackle’s flasher rigs feature a rapidrelease rig-winding board, making it quicker for you to get out on the water when the fish are on the chew. Tried and tested two-tone colour selections, along with lumo eyes that mimic baitfish eye-shine, give you the ability to match your offering to what your target species is chomping on.

The unique design gives this flasher the perfect shape, flash and silhouette to attract finned predators, while still keeping its shape fish after fish. The outstanding strength on each rig’s knot and leader is no accident, nor is the quality of the hooks used. Every component and design feature of every rig has been carefully considered, to maximize catch rates and longevity.

And remember that flasher rigs are no longer just for snapper – they are perfect for a range of species, including coral trout, red emperor and nannygai.

Price: from SRP $8 www.bettertackle.com

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Obsession Spinnerbaits now obsessed with bass NTENT CO

CO

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FOR EXTR

A

At the time I realised that he did have a few styles that could crossover into the tackle box of someone looking to catch Australian bass. They were his Mini Single and Mini Twin Spin models, of which a few had to come home with me.

Fast forward two years and the Mini Single has become a part of my go-to bass fishing arsenal. I have also gotten to know Ray better, even fishing his home waters (Lake Mulwala) with him. During that two-year period he was always keen to create a range that had a bass focus, and the Bass Six Pack was born. In the range there are six bass-specific colours based around

CA N T H E Q R

The GOAT colour in action.

RE ONLINE MO

-S

Several years ago I met Raymond Parry from Obsession Spinnerbaits at the Australian Lure Expo in Ipswich. He’s a down to earth Aussie lure maker, designing lures to catch Australian native fish. Initially, the main focus of his spinnerbaits was targeting Murray cod and golden perch, and with my love of using spinnerbaits I promptly tested a few for the magazines. You can check out that review at www.tacklejunkie.fish.

TESTED

Raymond’s Mini Single model. The new spinnerbaits are available in three weights – 1/4oz, 1/2oz and 5/8oz – and are a single Colorado blade configuration. The six colours are GOAT, WB, DONC, GM, BG and PBJ. A COMBINATION OF ROBUST AND FINESSE Spinnerbaits for bass in Australia have come a long way.

Gone are the days where large profile, clunky lures were good enough. Bass anglers now demand smaller profiles with quality components. From the instant that the spinnerbait hits the water, we want it to work to our advantage.

The spinnerbaits in the Obsession bass series fall somewhere in the middle of finesse and robust. The use of a single Colorado blade reduces the footprint of the lure while

The PBJ colour, or peanut butter jelly as the author’s youngest daughter calls it, is a natural colour with a purple highlight through the skirt. colours, so GOAT and PBJ naturally appealed to me.

However, the baitfish profiles of WB and GM quickly became favorites of mine in waterways like Somerset Dam and Wivenhoe Dam here in Southeast Queensland, as they contain large populations of bony bream.

More recently I have tested the BG (black and gold) and DONC colours. The surprise packet has been the DONC colour, which is a natural colour with a chartreuse highlight through it. It has quickly rivaled the GOAT as a favourite, and who doesn’t need a Donk (reference Crocodile Dundee).

If you scan the QR code on this page you’ll see a video that takes you through the colours and has some fishing action from my field testing. Alternatively, you can go to YouTube and search for ‘Obsession Spinnerbaits’.

Although I have been mainly targeting bass, and have caught bass on every colour, the Six Pack spinnerbaits have also accounted for a number of other species like golden perch, Mary River cod and southern saratoga. Due to the slightly more robust style of the lure, I have no doubt that they would deal with a Murray cod as well.

To view the full range, find your local stockist or place an order online, head to www.obsessionspinnerbaits. com. They are well worth checking out!

All the six pack colours are ideal for our native species. This is 54cm of Lake Somerset golden caught on the GOAT colour.

It pays to bring a DONC.

maximising the flash and vibration. The wire and even the hook are on the heavier side, while the skirt quality and style is finesse orientated.

This combination is the key to the effectiveness of these spinnerbaits. They work well as soon as they hit the water, they will deal with a lot of abuse, and most importantly they have consistently caught fish for me on many different waterways and in many different situations.

THE COLOURS Although the colour range isn’t huge, this may well be a blessing in disguise. The six colours are a good mixture of baitfish and natural colours, and the head colours are also cleverly matched to the skirts, with some having highlights that extend into the skirt colour. There is no questioning the bass appeal of the colours available.

ON THE WATER I have been using the GM, WB, GOAT and PBJ colours for more than 12 months now. I have always fished natural

WB will be a very popular colour in lakes that have large quantities of baitfish.

JANUARY 2020

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Top 5 fishing events for 2019 SUNTAG

Stefan Sawynok

Last year I put out a list of the top events we were involved with, and I thought this was the right time to repeat the exercise. I am a big believer in repeating the things that work and the group of events that I have selected each have unique characteristics that others should have a look at emulating.

Last year (as of November) we had put through 194 events, 19,000 fish and 36,000 participants. To be frank, I was knackered and was looking forward to December when we could get prep work done for 2020.

If there is a common thread to my top picks it’s that they know their audience and give them lots of what they want – and that is more than fishing.

In terms of the state of competitions in general it’s a mixed bag. I think the fragmentation of the competition scene with a proliferation of events puts a lot of pressure on sponsors and dilutes the prize pool overall. Not every competition has prizes at their core but increasingly prizes are what gets bums on seats. The cost to be competitive technologically is only going up – it’s understandable that competitors are looking for some payback for their investment. I do think it’s a shame though that achievement in of itself is not valued in the modern era.

More and more cash is king, not least because the best fishers already have all the gear and any gear they win will end up on sale but that is a double-edged sword. More cash does attract the better competitors but has the effect of either reducing the field for the event, as it’s harder for the second tier fishers or they take competitors out of smaller events leaving them struggling to survive. I don’t think the number of events being run now is sustainable and a thinning out is inevitable.

I also think that weigh-in events will continue to struggle as there is a chunk of the community that have decided they need to be cancelled. For the record – I don’t have a problem with weigh-in events, much less trophy fish like Marlin, but there is no doubt that events that have large fish have a problem on social media. I am not blaming them personally.

I love all types of fishing events but there is a reality and it needs to be tackled. I do think we collectively need a positive strategy that ensures events are well run and responsible and so long as they are defended and the good work they do promoted to the wider community.

On the positive side, the level of innovation is on the rise and my picks for the top events are the ones who are trying new things and attracting a growing audience. One of the most positive changes I am seeing is a focus on business models and delivering value to participants and that goes beyond the prizes. In the long run I believe events that offer an experience will be best placed to attract those second tier anglers who provide the financial base that competitions need. Not everyone is after the same thing in a fishing competition and with a limited population of fishers, focusing just on the best anglers is a recipe for trouble.

TOP FIVE

last event. The events are sufficiently challenging to attract the high-end fishers, although they have confessed more than once to me that they are there for the fun and to get away from the antics that happen in the more professionalised circuit. In terms of the complete package – serious fishing, serious fun and knowing your audience – I think any event would do well to learn from Matt and Andrew.

Matt and Andrew do everything right, which means they are in demand to run more events – more than they can realistically do. Fishing Freshwater have found that perfect balance between competition and social that allows everyone to have get something from the event even if they aren’t finding the fish. Every event was fully booked last year it will be the same next year. If I have a complaint it’s that I don’t get the break time I used to because the fishing was a lot slower a year ago.

2: LUREMASTERS

I was warned that the luremasters event would be full on and they delivered in spades. Luremasters is run in the Auckland Bay area, but technically it extends to the whole north island, so long as you can get back to the weigh-in. The initial single day event was supplemented with two monthly events and across the three events 1900 fish were recorded with snapper up to 83cm to the fork in all three events. Target species are mostly snapper, king and kahawai though with the most species format we had catches reported from as far away as Fiji. Luremasters has a huge and loyal following of fanatical kiwis and they know how to have a good time. At the same time they are super serious about their fishing.

Dan and Wayne are the most approachable guys you will ever meet and they use social media in a really creative way to have direct ‘conversations’ with their competitors. They livestream regularly and every time they want to make an adjustment to their format they put it out to the wider world on the livestream, conduct polls and get comments to get direct input. This ‘direct’ relationship with what is over 500 fishers enables them to road test concepts before they put them into action and deliver exactly what there competitors want. This avoids one of the key pitfalls I have seen with events in Australia where the best fishers get the say on how things should happen. Luremasters has the similar high-energy approach of Dean’s SCF events, a similar amount of citizen science data, a great after party and a fanatical following.

I expect them to top the list in 2020.

3: DAIWA NZ KOHGA COMPETITION

1: FISHING FRESHWATER

I am going to regret this, as Matt Mott will never let me forget it, but the best this year I have been involved with is the Fishing Freshwater crew. For an event series that prides itself on its rough nature, the series ticks every box there is in terms of innovation and focus on audience. First, they don’t do sponsors – they pay for all their prizes outright. Second they work direct with councils to put on the events, including fun days, fireworks and more where needed. Every event has a band and like at Rainbow Beach, when the fishing is done, the festivities begin.

Matt takes his whole Smak Lures store with him to each event, which means if you don’t have something that’s working you can always duck back to camp and get something that will.

The series attracts fishers of all abilities. Success is shared with no secrets on what is working and a focus on helping everyone catch fish. As a result, across the year the group collectively doubled their output, then doubled it again in the 74

JANUARY 2020

This is an event that would go to number one in terms of pure innovation. We have been working with Daiwa NZ for over a year and they are now the largest single group in the Track My Fish family. A little while ago they contacted me to look at a multistore competitive format, it’s not the first time that’s been done but it’s the first time that’s been done on that scale and it demonstrated that even in a format like this tactics are everything. Right out of the gate Top Catch Whangaparaoa jumped to first place and for the whole three months the event was run they were leading right up to the end.

While the event was a little slow out of the blocks the weekly biggest snapper kept everyone in the hunt ensuring that while fishers didn’t have a crack every weekend they did take the chance to get in on the action. In the end stores needed a best three of over 2m to make it into the top 10. Daiwa spread the action with the weekly snapper, most species, biggest snapper, kahawai and yellowtail king as well as the best store overall. All up 30 stores took part and I think it’s the template for trade level events into the future.

4: RAINBOW BEACH FAMILY FISHING CLASSIC

Rainbow Beach Family Fishing Classic is probably the last event I would expect to make it on my list because it’s as old school as they come. This is the traditional weigh in personified and seven plus days of it at that. That said, they know how to put on a party for the community and they are pushing the envelope in a different way. Home base is at the local sports club and the weigh in itself is conducted over a couple of hours and projected onto a big screen.

With lots of music, food and beverages on offer the whole community turns out giving the event an authentic festive vibe. The idea of a seven day fishing party seems something from a bygone era but given the event is run by a very savvy 21-year-old woman who has fishing in her blood, the future is looking bright.

While I think that the traditional weigh in format has had its day, the fish all end up on the dinner table and the event enjoys a lot of community support. During the event there are specific days for ladies and veterans and there are a number of multigenerational families that provide their own personal competitions. This event demonstrates why the values of the local community are king. Others may see it differently but you won’t win people over by bashing them and on what I saw they were responsible and having a good time. Beyond the festivities they have a photo only event, which had hundreds of entries and some serious professional photography that captured the essence of fishing, and the fishing generations of Rainbow Beach. All up, who doesn’t love a party and when you are celebrating fishing what better excuse do you need to grab a beer and kick back.

5: SCF AUSTRALIA/KING OF KINGS

SCF was my pick for last year and given that Dean has gone bigger and better this year, it would be easy to put him first again. Given that he’s done all the work himself it’s a credit to him that he has managed to put together the best citizen science model going and given the Game Fishing Tagging program and Suntag have a long track record that is saying something. I am not demeaning them in any way, nor underselling the good work they are doing, both are the elite when it comes to citizen science. The difference with Dean is while traditional programs attract the best fishers, Dean has been successful in taking citizen science to the masses with the second largest group in the Track My Fish family and only one of two with over a thousand participants.

To be fair, Dean is not a rocket scientist when it comes to the citizen science, but when it comes to marketing, Dean knows how to generate the kind of energy that gets people out fishing. SCF was recognised by Advance Queensland as the only fishing-based citizen science organisation to receive funding from the department responsible for science as opposed to fisheries activities and I think that is a real feather in his cap. His 750 fish reported in 2018 has been more than doubled to 1900 and it’s the multispecies format for his events that is the key to his success. By providing 20+ chances to take home $500 he attracts the widest possible audience, the best fishers eye off doubling or tripling their winnings while the bread and butter species allow families to have a crack. In the end fun comes first, and the serious science is tucked away to the back. I think that is the right way to do it, there will always be a lot more people interested in a good time fishing than ever will be interested in citizen science. Allowing participants to do both effortlessly is winning at all levels.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

WRAP UP

YAKHUNTERS

Yakhunters is the only ‘kayak’ only group on our list and I expect will roar into the top 5 next year. They are also the only group we deal with covers all states.

They were relatively recent additions to the Track My Fish family, joining us mid-year but they made up for it with their events running across multiple locations simultaneously. As a kayak agnostic group they are the main alternative to the Hobie series where the shared love of kayak fishing is enough to get you going. Even though they were late starters Yakhunters is now the third largest of our repeating groups and I expect them to be double their size this time next year.

Yakhunters understand that kayaks and camping go hand in hand thus they offer the opportunity for their growing tribe to get away from it all and bond over beers.

There are a lot of under 25s in there but some are older anglers as well and I think that mix of ages is important to the vitality of the group. Some older wiser heads temper the more extreme impulses of the younger members, while the energy the younger members have pushed the older fishers to lift their game. As a result the mix of getting away from the grind, beer and some serious but goodnatured competition is a formula that is offering a real point of difference to the mainstream events.

The Yakhunters team have something big in the works for next year, probably the most daring innovation I have seen on my travels and while I can’t say more, watch this space, I think these kayakers will be global in a couple of years time.

COBRAM BAROOGA ANGLERS

Cobram Barooga Anglers contacted me last year and we have followed their development throughout the year, including me getting down there for a comp during the winter.

On paper the club seems similar to the traditional clubs but they too have a similar model to Yakhunters with a limited number of events where everyone gets away from it all and camp in communal groups. With a growing membership that numbers over 200 and only in its second year they are doing something right.

I actually lived and worked in Cobram in my late teens and in returning the region, like many rural towns it has had some ups but a lot more downs. That natural cycle of adversity breeds self-reliant people and I think there is a ‘community solidarity’ element that is key to their success.

That said, they know their community well and a stressed community doesn’t need high-octane experiences so much as a chance to get away from it all and forget the troubles of the world. Like Yakhunters there are a lot of younger members, but in this case more families and out of six events there are a good three to four chances for some quality time on and off the water. As with most events a couple of good fishers dominate, but the attraction isn’t the winning, it’s the time away with family and friends sharing a passion and a beer or two.

Image courtesy of Cobram Barooga Anglers Facebook.

Maybe next year I will find something more technical to grade events on, but I really believe the secret to success for majority of events is fun no matter how serious the fishing is. I have had a lot of conversations this year that go along the lines of “I stopped going to X event because it became too serious”. The Australian market is just not big enough to knock back paying clients. Not everyone can be a winner, but everyone can have a good time and the more you do as a host to bring the fun – and it can be your own special brand of fun, the greater the chance that next year you will be knocking back participants.

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

77

Taylor finally seals a BREAM Grand Final win Thirty-six year old dentist Tristan Taylor finally got the job done at the 2019 Costa BREAM Series Grand Final, held on the Gold Coast in late November/Early December, 2019. He’s placed second twice previously – the last time the headline event was on the Gold Coast in 2007 and once in a Forster, NSW Grand Final.

The win capped off a magic year for the Brisbane breamer. He committed to fishing the full series in 2019 and attended every event across the country.

His qualifying effort earned him two event wins (at Bribie Island and Gladstone) and the Power Pole Angler of the Year title.

Now that’s a reward for three days of quality breaming.

Tristan Taylor took home a $70,000 Bass Cat Margay powered by a Mercury 150hp ProXS and fitted with a Motorguide X5 and a Lowrance LIVE12.

Tristan’s secret to success was quality bream from the Macleay Island area.

His win was not a sure thing, though, with fellow Brisbaneite Denis Metzdorf leading the event after day one and challenging the whole way through. Ultimately, Metzdorf fell 500g short, but it was a magic final stop for Taylor that got him the final upgraded he needed to seal the deal and take home a BassCat Margay/Mercury outboard package, worth $70,000.

“We had a very ordinary final day on my regular run, which included trashing the prop and gearbox on my motor,” Taylor said, “and we

left early with under 2kg in the livewell.”

“But on the way up to my northern spots, I saw this bank on the inside of Stradbroke Island with some rocks on it and we decided to give it a go on the way back. Before I’d gotten a cast in, my non boater, Col Wilson, was hooked up on a big upgrade.”

After that, Taylor and Wilson boxed two more solid upgrade fish before limping back to the weigh-in.

“Best. Decision. Ever,” Taylor continued.

Although Col caught that

BOATER RESULTS Place Name 1 Tristan Taylor 2 Denis Metzdorf 3 Mark Crompton 4 Vaughn Lewis 5 Jamie McKeown 6 William Lee 7 Michael Thompson 8 Scott Towner 9 Steve Morgan 10 Brett Crowe

Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize Bass Cat/Mercury rig worth $70,000 15/15 8.42 15/15 7.93 Power Pole shallow water anchor 15/15 7.54 Millerod 15/15 7.46 Costa Sunglasses 15/15 7.18 Costa Sunglasses 15/15 7.17 Cranka Crab pack 15/15 6.87 OSP/Imakatsu pack 15/15 6.84 Cranka crab pack 15/15 6.75 15/15 6.70 Sunline/Lucky Craft pack

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888 78

JANUARY 2020

upgrade fish on a Gulp Crabby rigged on a jighead, Taylor’s weapon of choice was the ubiquitous Atomic mid depth 38mm crankbait in a variety of natural colours.

“You couldn’t even count the number of bream these baits have caught over the years. Not just for me, for people all over Australia,” Taylor said. His colour of choice for this event was GGB (ghost gill brown).

He threw the bait on a SamuraiReaction 201 rod, a model that he has been using successfully for the last decade. He paired it with a Megabass Idaten Racing Condition 2506 reel, 10lb Unitika braid and 6lm Unitika Eiger leader.

“With that outfit, I’d be confident bream fishing anywhere in Australia,” Taylor concluded.

Bass Cat Australia’s Craig Simmons was on hand to present the prize.

“This rig is ideal for anyone who wants to move up into a comfortable bass boat for the right price. It goes well with 115hp (even though the prize model runs a 150hp ProXS Mercury) and you can tow it behind most mid-sized vehicles,” said Simmons.

“What a finish!” Said Mercury Marine’s Anthony

Brown, watching the coverage afar from Melbourne.

Indeed, all ABT sponsors created prizes and atmosphere worthy of a season-ending national event.

Taylor’s future plans involve training for a gruelling triathlon next year before concentrating on fishing again.

Scan the QR code to watch the interview with Tristan Taylor.

Scan the QR code to see the Day 3 highlights.

Scan the QR code to see the Day 1 highlights.

Scan the QR code to see the Day 2 highlights.

BREAM Series presented by

Denis settles for second place Denis Metzdorf is considered a southern Moreton Bay specialist and he came out guns blazing with a tournament best 3.20kg limit on the first day to take the lead. Unfortunately, he couldn’t repeat his day two heroics and slipped into a solid second by the end of the event.

“One day my time will come,” said Metzdorf, who is a perennial placegetter in local events, from club derbies through to the Queensland Open.

Taking home a PowerPole for the runner up position, it’ll match his existing pole nicely and offer him total boat control.

Denis concentrated on his regular spots around Macleay Island and threw a combination of baits, including his favourite Pontoon 21 crankbaits.

“That Crackerjack 48 in the deep diver had saved me so many times over the years. It really is a musthave bait for me when I’m fishing for bream,” Denis continued.

He definitely lost key fish over the three tournament days, mainly in shallow, rocky water, but conceded that it’s the nature of the beast in the environments he chooses to fish.

But he had some wins as well.

One particular fish is memorable from the highlights video.

Denis hooked and was winding in a small bream when he saw it was being followed by a cloud of bigger bream. He quickly

Denis Metzdorf led the event after the first day of competition, but struggled for quality kickers on the final two days.

Boaters and non-boaters fished together and shared their collective weights over the course of the Grand Final. The shared weight events have been happening at the BREAM Grand Finals for 20 years.

got his non-boater, Glen Sturrock, to drop a Cranka Crab into the mix and he immediately hooked a quality upgrade.

“That’s awesome teamwork,” Denis said when recounting the story on stage.

“I’d also like to thank my friends and family for their messages of support … they’re awesome,” he concluded.

Wilson wins from back of boat Scott (son) and Col (father) Wilson are regulars on the Costa BREAM Series and although Scott did well on the boater side, the old man took top honours in the non-boater division.

He, as well as second placed Tani Konsul, took home a Hobie Passport MirageDrive 10.5 kayak for their efforts.

Unlike normal qualifiers, the BREAM Grand Final is sharedweight. This means that a boater and non-boater fish together for the day for a collective limit of five bream between them.

The fish are weighed and both anglers get that weight on the scoreboard.

It makes for a supportive environment on the boat

and allows anglers to work as a team.

As it happened, Col not only got to influence his own fate, both he and Tristan used their last minute surge to pip their opponents.

“I caught that first upgrade on a Gulp Crabby on a jighead and it was a pretty busy little session we shared,” Col said.

When asked about his experience on tour this year, Col was very happy with the format.

“You get to meet and fish with some good people and you end up looking forward to catching up with them again at the next event,” he said.

Travelling with his son is just a bonus and so is the Hobie, which will help Col to further fishing freedom.

The top two non boater prizes were the quality Hobie Passport kayaks with MirageDrive, a great way to get out on the water for some fishing freedom!

Scan the QR code to watch the interview with Col Wilson.

The Grand Final is unashamedly a winner-takesall event, but don’t worry, Denis won a Power Pole as well as a second place badge.

McKeown wins Australian and Queensland Open winner Jamie McKeown added a further trophy to his mantelpiece with the 2019 Mercury Cup. Awarded to the highest ranked Mercury owner for the season (which includes Opens and Grand Finals that the Angler of the Year doesn’t), it gave him a $1,500 bonus at the end of a great season from the Queenslander.

McKeown entered the event only needing to finish to get the points needed to take the win. Finishing 5th made the margin very comfortable indeed.

“I run a 225hp OptiMax on the back of my bass boat.

She’s done plenty of hours and has plenty of mojo,” McKeown said.

Indeed, Mercury stepped up to the plate in a big way this season to help celebrate their 80th anniversary. There was $8,000 in total given to the top three Mercury owners in each of the BREAM Qualifiers. That’s $1,000 per event supporting those who support the ABT sponsors.

The Mercury Bonus program will continue in 2020.

The 2020 ABT season is nearly locked in. All dates and information can be found on www.abt.org.au. We really appreciate all sponsors and anglers from 2019. It’s been a season to remember!

NON-BOATER RESULTS Place Name 1 Col Wilson 2 Tani Konsul 3 Craig Johnson 4 Neil Kelly 5 Bernard Kong 6 Sam Peck 7 Glenn Sturrock 8 Jacob Smythe 9 Fred Fraser 10 Stuart Walker

Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize 15/15 8.07 Hobie Passport 10.5 15/15 7.86 Hobie Passport 10.5 15/15 7.46 Millerod 15/15 7.46 Costa sunglasses 15/15 7.13 Costa sunglasses 15/15 7.09 Cranka crab pack 15/15 6.83 Cranka crab pack 13/15 6.81 Keitech pack 15/15 6.66 Squidgies pack 15/15 6.65

Jamie McKeown won the 2019 Mercury Cup based on rankings points of Mercury owners over the 2019 Tournament Season, including the Grand Final.

JANUARY 2020

79

Team Berkley back to their best at Nelson The weekend of 23-24 November saw 44 of the best bream fishing teams in Victoria head to the picturesque township of Nelson on the Glenelg River to battle it out in the 2019 NS Rods Sunline Bream Classic Grand Final. With the weather looking good and the river on fire with bream, mulloway and perch all eager to crunch a lure, it was anyone’s to win.

Throughout the weekend, anglers were presented with stable weather, low wind and good cloud cover. For Team Berkley’s Brad and Mike Hodges, it was a consistent

the weekend.

They headed downstream on day one to target some rock walls as well as look for steep drop-offs and fallen timber.

This combination meant that snags were plentiful so casting accurately was important.

They used a combination of Berkley Gulp Alive Crabbies and Puppy Dogs. The Crabbies were rigged semi-snagless, with just the point of the hook showing. Although this didn’t completely stop them from getting snagged, it was a good trade-off for having a decent bite to hook-up ratio.

They had their bag of 5 by 9:30am and upgraded a few

Damien McGlynn and Adam Arbuthnot, who weighed 5/5 bream for 3.96kg, and leaders Team Atomic Club Marine’s Tom Deer and Dean Truman, who weighed in 5/5 bream for 4.02kg. Going into day two, Brad and Mike were happy being in third place, as third on day one has been a lucky spot for them over the years. That being said, it was still in the back of their minds that losing a couple of quality fish on day one would haunt them come Sunday afternoon.

On day two, their hopes were high and conditions felt good, but the first hour passed with no bites. A move

Brad and Mike Hodges with some of their winning bag. two days of fishing that produced the bags needed to claim victory.

On pre-fish day they had a look down the front of the system and despite Mike catching a bream on the first cast, it was slow going. Just past the bridge, the edge was covered in a thick weed so they decided to relaunch at Sapling Creek to make use of the three launch options available. The fishing was really slow and what they did catch was very small, but the style of fishing suited them and so they locked in Sapling Creek as their launch site for

80

JANUARY 2020

times throughout the day, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing.

They pulled out the hook on a number of bigger fish, including the two biggest fish of the day.

Weighing in 3.63kg, Team Berkley was in third place on day one behind Team Chemically Sharp’s

further downriver resulted in a very tentative bite that was converted into a small legal bream. As they approached a small rock pile, Brad switched tactics and cast a Berkley Puppy Dog in toxic sushi deep into the thick of it. The rod loaded up a solid fish that fought furiously. Using

Team Berkley’s Brad and Mike Hodges took out first, second place went to Team Atomic Club Marine’s Tom Deer and Dean Truman, and Team New Vision Bricklaying’s Nathan Stack and Tyler Ridgewell came third.

4lb leader in heavy cover is often fraught with danger but every time the fish buried itself in the sticks, he was able to release the pressure and slowly work it out.

A few bust-offs and long periods of nothing later, they were running out of time. With only two fish in the well just before 1pm, they came to their last rock wall. Luckily, the fish decided it was feeding time and it was a bite a cast.

Within 5-6 minutes, they were upgrading in disbelief! Most teams experienced a tough day on the water and so when Team Berkley weighed in a 3.64kg bag, it seemed they had captured their third Vic Bream Class Grand Final with 10/10 bream weighing 7.27kg.

Team Atomic Club Marine couldn’t get the bigger fish they found on day one

RESULTS Place.... Team..................................Total Fish............. TW(kg)..........BB (kg) 1........... Berkley...............................10/10.................... 7.27 2........... Atomic Club Marine ..........10/10.................... 6.91 3........... New Vision Bricklaying.......10/10.................... 6.85 4........... Just Winging It...................9/10...................... 6.30...............1.27 5........... Samurai Rods....................10/10.................... 6.02

and when they weighed in 5/5 bream for 2.89kg, it allowed Team Berkley to take the lead and claim the 2019 NS Rods Sunline Bream Classic Grand Final. The JML Anglers Alliance Big Bream went to Team Just Winging

89 Samurai Rods Steven and Lindsay Pryke, with their day two bag of 3.29kg rocketing them up the leaderboard from 30th to finish in 10th place.

All in all, the weekend was a fantastic conclusion to the 2019 series. The 2020 series

Chris Allwood with Team Just Winging’s 1.27kg big bream!

It’s Chris and Jack Allwood with a cracking 1.27kg bream, propelling them from 14th to finish in 4th place. The Hurricane Monster Movers prize went to Team Atomic

entries are live now so to get involved in this great sport, visit www.vicbreamclassics. com.au or call tournament director Bill Hartshorne on 0409 823 070. – VBC

JANUARY 2020

81

Leigh Martin Marine Mercury Lake Hume 2019 With bad weather forecast for the weekend of 26-27 October, numbers for the Leigh Martin Marine Mercury Lake Hume Classic were down on previous years quite considerably. Saturday was not a pleasant day to be on the water, with strong gales, rain and even

hail at one stage making it very difficult.

Even so, 41 golden perch were caught on the Saturday along with a couple of quality trout. Most of the golden perch were caught before 9:30am, which is about when the weather came through. The event was held later in the month this

year to try and capitalize on the warmer water to bring the fish on, but the weather clearly had other ideas.

With 349 competitors managing a total of 75 golden perch for the weekend, the event tallied over double last year’s total. For the adult sections, Shane Boswell took out the

Eddie’s Tavern Fishing Club were the best represented club at the event.

Despite the bad weather, golden perch numbers were doubled from last year’s event.

golden perch with a 61cm fish. Ben Roberts came first in the redfin category with a 44cm fish. The best trout for the weekend went to Cooper Boyle and was an impressive 69cm long. This was a very good conditioned fish and very deep in the body. The fish was released to fight again another day. The adult carp went to Stephen Hausfeld with a 72cm fish.

In the junior categories, Matilda Robinson won the

golden perch section with a 61cm fish. The best junior redfin measured 35cm and was caught by Charlie Morton. Eli Toll took out the carp category with a 62cm fish.

The team event is based on the total length of golden perch only, as is the Champion Angler title.

Team Who was crowned champion team with a total length of 526cm. The adult Champion Angler was

Ben Strauss with a total length of 258cm. Thomas Weeks claimed Junior Male Champion Angler with a total length of 107cm, and Scarlet O’Mara took out the Junior Female title with 104cm. The major prize of the Quintrex boat and Mercury motor package went to Scott Crothers.

Next year’s event will be on 24-25 October, so hopefully we’ll see you there! – LHC

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2020

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

29 Jan-2 Feb

Hobie Kayak Bream Series 11 Australian Championship hobiefishing.com.au.

Bemm River

4-5 Feb

ABT BREAM Round 1 Gippsland Lakes

abt.org.au.

8-9 Feb

ABT BREAM Round 2 Mallacoota

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 3 St Helens

abt.org.au .

28-29 Mar

Hobie Kayak Bream Series 12 Round 2 Georges River

hobiefishing.com.au.

28-29 Mar

ABT BREAM Round 5 Mandurah

abt.org.au.

18-19 Apr

Hobie Kayak Bream Series 12 Round 3 Mallacoota

hobiefishing.com.au.

29 Apr-1 May

ABT BREAM Australian Open Sydney

abt.org.au.

Add your tournament or competition to this list by emailing jthomas@fishingmonthly.com.au or calling 07 3387 0800 in office hours. .

Just supply a date, venue, tournament name and a telephone number and contact name.

82

JANUARY 2020

boats & kayaks

In the skipper’s seat

Inside story...

After WWII, the pace of life changed as a war-ravaged world now craved speed and excitement. This era saw enterprising young businessman Jim Whittley who, along with his brother Ossie, indulged a love of boating.

In 1953, Jim produced his first timber boat out of a small shop in the Melbourne suburb of Bulleen. In the late 1960s they made the switch to fibreglass, and have been moving forward ever since.

Made for...

Whittley balances traditional core boating values with constant improvement and delivers on that original promise of quality and innovation.

This month...

Steve Morgan has a ride in the SL22 HT from Whittley, with the ever-reliable Yamaha F150hp on the back! Check it out on page 88.

84 Kayak kit-out for summer fun

With summer now upon us, it’s a great time to think about your kayak kit for when you hit the water! Justin Willmer will show you the way.

86 A deeper look at propellers

In this second installment from Wayne Kampe, he’ll look at the specifics of propellers, and how it can influence prop selection.

111 What’s new in the world of boating Check out the latest news and space-age products from the boating world.

FEBRUARY 2020

83

Kitting out for kayak fishing BRISBANE

Justin Willmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

Summer is a time when many anglers buy their first kayak. Kayak fishing is a great sport because it’s inexpensive, you can launch anywhere, keep it as simple as you like, and catch some quality fish. Some of my biggest fish have come from my smallest and most basic kayak.

Over the coming months I have a few adventure articles planned, however I will also be getting down to the nuts and bolts of kayak fit-out in more detail, including installing a sounder to my small kayak, along with fitting out rod holders and lights, and looking into more detail on kayak storage and transportation. To kick things off though, let’s take a look at the gear that I carry in my small and large kayaks. Hopefully this will assist you in selecting items to make your adventures safer and more comfortable, and ultimately help you catch more fish. Yaks on!

1. LIFEJACKET The first on any list would be a PFD (personal flotation device) or lifejacket. Ensure you have a quality, comfortable and well-fitted PFD and, more importantly, wear it! I am a capable swimmer, but I still wear one. For years I have worn an inflatable PFD for

The author prefers not to use flushmounted rod holders, as they keep the reels close to the water. These combos are safely stored at the front of the kayak. paddling. It also lets you focus on the fishing, rather than your sore butt!

3. PADDLE If you’re purchasing a package there may be an opportunity to upgrade the paddle, and it’s probably worth doing. Alternatively, if you already have a kayak with a cheaper paddle, and you’re enjoying kayak fishing, you can look at upgrading your paddle down the track.

Cheap paddles often have alloy shafts, which can be heavy and transfer cold through your hands, while a fibreglass shaft is lighter and more comfortable. Cheap paddles often also have basic plastic blades that are less efficient due to their shape, and power is lost when the blades

An accessory float is ideal for keeping landing nets and other accessories from sinking. freedom of movement and comfort. However with the development in the design of foam-filled PFDs, including mesh backs, better distribution of bulk, lighter and more compact materials, quality zips and accessory pockets, I will be looking to change up to these. When it comes to safety, they are the ultimate.

2. SEAT I still see kayak anglers out paddling and fishing without a quality, well-padded and supportive seat… or a seat at all! A quality seat allows you to be more comfortable, spend more time on the water, have more support and power when 84

JANUARY 2020

flex. Fibreglass-infused plastic blades, along with some of the more techy plastics, are much more durable and rigid.

Carbon fibre is another option and one that is often preferred by ocean paddlers looking for the ultimate in rigidity and weight savings when covering distance.

However for the river, estuary and impoundment paddler who is battling rocks, logs and other structure, the price and fragility of carbon fibre is probably not desirable.

4. WATER I always carry more water than I think I’ll need. I carry it in a vacuum-sealed flask so

that even when it’s warm in the sun, the water inside the bottle is still cool and can keep me cool and refreshed, even when I’m covered head-to-toe in sun protection clothing. It’s much better than a single-use

sun angle. A decent pair of polarised sunglasses will allow you to fish longer and make your sessions more enjoyable, and often more productive.

When I want a photo without them, I push them up on my head, with the head sock securing them, or push them onto my leg.

Other anglers prefer to use retaining leashes or clips to secure their sunglasses. The important thing is to have a plan, otherwise you will be looking for them, hear a splash and then watch them sink! On extended adventures I carry a spare pair in a dry bag inside the hull of my kayak, along with the first-aid kit and other bits and pieces.

7. TROLLEY A trolley is a handy accessory, allowing you to set up the kayak and wheel it to and from the water ready to go, rather than carrying the kayak to the water and then carting

Everything within reach, including sounder, tools, rod storage and icebox.

I now have complete piece of mind that no components of the trolley can separate and end up in the water, with the trolley also attached by bungee cord.

My larger kayak has a specifically designed trolley to suit it, however even this trolley has been retrofitted with C-Tug wheels.

8. LANDING NET A landing net makes landing and handling fish simpler and safer. As kayak fishing has grown in popularity, the range of ‘kayak’ nets has increased, and there are now several quality options for anglers. I prefer a shorthandled net, which I stow in a rear, flush-mount rod holder

The layout of the author’s large kayak. plastic bottle. I add a few ice cubes to the bottle too, as it helps to keep me going in warm weather.

In the big yak my water bottle sits behind my seat or tucked under the front of the seat, while in the small yak it rests in the bottle holder between my legs.

5. SUNSCREEN/SUN PROTECTION Don’t forget the sunscreen, and don’t forget to put it on your legs if you’re wearing shorts! I always apply sunscreen before I venture out fishing, and I reapply throughout the day, keeping the sunscreen handy. In my large yak, I store the sunscreen in the mesh side pocket, and in the small yak I keep it tucked in behind my seat or stowed in my tackle dry bag.

Sun protection clothing is a big part of kayak fishing, and there are many options to cover you head to toe, while keeping you warm, cool or dry.

6. SUNGLASSES Sunglasses aren’t just for protecting your eyes from the sun; sunnies also protect your eyes from branches, flying lures and other objects, while cutting glare and increasing your chances of spotting fish.

In a kayak we are often low to the water, making it more difficult to see what is in the water, due to glare and

gear back and forth. The C-Tug trolley is a standout for me, with its durable, corrosionresistant materials, wheels that don’t require inflation, and the ability to dismantle it and stow it inside your hatch.

I carry a bungee strap (occy strap) to secure the trolley to the rear of my smaller kayak while fishing.

When I secure the trolley on the back of the kayak I also take the strap that’s designed to hold the kayak on the trolley, and I feed this through each wheel and the two top sections of the trolley, then do the strap up.

on my small yak or beside the seat in my large yak, both within easy reach. If you’re using a short handled net, remember to leave enough line out of the end of the rod to guide a fish in.

Some anglers prefer long-handled nets, however I find that when stowed in a rear flush-mount rod holder they can be in the way when casting, and they also act as a sail in windy conditions.

Rubber net material is ideal because hooks and lures rarely tangle in this material.

It’s also less likely to snag on other items in the kayak, it

passes through the water easily and protects the slime coat on the fish.

In the past I leashed the net to the kayak, but when landing and handling fish the leash tangled with rods, lines, other leashes. Moreover, leashing a net to your kayak creates a potential tangling risk for the angler should anything go wrong and you end up in the water. Instead, I now attach an accessory float that will save the net should it be dropped into the water, while allowing much more freedom of movement with the net, and minimal tangling.

The big rig fitted with everything within easy reach.

9. LIP GRIPS Lip grips make it safer and easier to handle fish for photos, release and transfer to the icebox. My lip grips are leashed to the kayak on a retractable leash that is long enough to reach comfortably to the water on either side of the kayak. Better quality lip grips are especially important when handling larger fish that can twist and open cheap grips.

These are another accessory worth spending more money on if you plan on doing a lot of kayak fishing.

10. PLIERS I often don’t carry pliers when fishing soft plastics as I am dealing with a single hook that makes handling and removal simple. As soon as treble hooks are involved though, I carry pliers. It’s safety first when multiple hook points are flying around attached to an angry fish. A net, lip grips and pliers should see you avoiding those trebles.

I keep my pliers leashed

An anchor and running rig or anchor trolley can make fishing easier in the wind and current.

13. RULER Don’t forget your local rules and regulations in terms of size and bag limits, along with a ruler to measure your catch, be it for keeping track of PBs or keeping a fish for a feed.

Some anglers prefer a roll-up mat style of measuring device, which can be stowed

foreign odours, such as fuel and sunscreen. I like to apply scent every 30 or so casts and after catching a fish, which means I need to keep the tube handy. In my larger kayak I stow the scent within easy reach in a mesh side pocket or in the accessory tray in front of me, while in the smaller kayak I stow it

in the drink holder, tucked in the space under my legs or in one of the many pockets of my long fishing pants.

15. ROD HOLDERS In my smaller kayak I have two rear flush-mount rod holders and another two in front of me. However, on the whole I’m not a fan of flush-mount rod holders as I believe your reels are too close to the water. I have also seen a few rod combos lifted out of the rear ones with the paddle, and lost while paddling the kayak. If you want to use flush-mount rod holders, I recommend keeping an eye on how wet the reels are getting, while also attaching leashes to the combos.

In my smaller kayak I lay my two rod combos in front of me, and in my larger kayak I have created and attached a 4-rod holder unit using Railblaza mounts and accessories. Railblaza adjustable rod holders allow you to slide a lock around

I use a Deeper mobile sounder that clamps onto the kayak and connects to my mobile phone as a head unit (screen).

There are plenty of videos and articles out there about mounting sounders, and I will also be mounting a sounder to the small kayak in a future issue, outlining options such as in-hull transducer and external mounting options.

On the smaller kayak I generally drift or anchor in the shallows, and have the anchor tied to the front handle, with a short second rope tied with a loop around the main anchor rope and then back to a side handle. I can simply pull on this rope to bring the anchor rope back to me and then retrieve the anchor.

19. ANCHORING An anchoring device can be a good option for holding

The C-Tug trolley makes for an easy trip to and from the water. It can be strapped on the back or dismantled and stowed in a hatch.

17. ICEBOX Regardless of the size of my kayak, I always attach an icebox, using the rear well and bungee or tie-down straps to secure it in place.

An icebox allows you to take a feed and cold drinks out, or bring a feed home in the best condition. I either use a zip-lock bag containing a couple of ice bricks or a couple of frozen bottles of water to keep things cool, washing and reusing the

The layout of the author’s small kayak. to an attachment point or attach an accessory float.

11. SNIPS/SCISSORS Don’t forget your scissors or snips for rigging. I carry a Boomerang Tool Retractable Line Snip as I can attach this with my lip grips and it has its own retractable cord. If you have a drink bottle holder on your kayak, this may be your go-to place for storing snips and other bits and pieces.

12. DRY BAG OF TACKLE Over the years I have stowed my tackle trays, tackle and plastics in a variety of different storage devices, however in recent times I have found a dry bag to be the simplest. I load in a couple of small tackle trays, a dozen packets of plastics, leader and other accessories, and roll the top closed, leaving enough air to float it should it end up in the water. You can tuck a dry bag behind the seat, in the rear well, under some bungee, use its locking clips to clip it somewhere, or pretty much stow it anywhere out of the way. I use a Sea 2 Summit dry bag as they are quality, keep the gear dry and they are white inside, which makes it much easier to find what you’re after, including a particular colour soft plastic.

when not required, and rolled out and dampened prior to use, to protect the slime coat on the fish. I prefer a plastic ruler as it is less prone to being blown around in the wind. I use either a 40cm model, which covers me for a flathead’s minimum size in QLD, or a folding version if I’m after more length. This ruler is either leashed to the kayak or has an accessory float attached so that it floats if lost overboard.

14. SCENT I am a big believer in applying scent to my lures to attract fish and trigger strikes, while also masking

A portable sounder, like those from Deeper, is a good option for smaller kayaks.

The little yak rigged and ready. to secure the combo in the holder.

In the future I will be fitting out my smaller kayak with rod holders, and will write an article on the process.

16. SOUNDER As you explore deeper water your sounder will become your eyes under the water, assisting you in locating depth, structure, bait and fish. On my larger kayak I have a sounder and transducer mounted using Railblaza mounts and accessories. On the smaller kayak, if I require a sounder,

water bottles to minimise my impact on the environment.

18. ANCHOR RUNNING RIG I have an anchor running rig fitted on the larger kayak.

It consists of a pulley on the front and rear of the kayak, with a loop of cord running between them and then a tag line running off this loop to which the anchor line is attached. This allows me to easily slide the anchoring point from the front to the rear of the kayak, or anywhere in between to control the drift or anchoring angle, when it is safe to do so.

position, especially if the wind is blowing or there is a bit of current. A safety note when anchoring: be careful not to get side-on too much in wind or current when your anchor grabs. Also, when retrieving an anchor, be prepared for it to suddenly release from the bottom.

Anchoring options include an anchor, grab anchor, stakeout pole, sea anchor (drogue/drift chute) and more. You will find articles and videos on each of these options, and we will look at breaking them down in more detail in a future article. I generally carry a Cooper poly anchor, as it is lightweight (weighted in the point), plastic and grabs well in the bottom that I generally fish, which is weed, mud and sand. If you’re offshore or in heavy current, a length of chain and reef anchor are a good alternative.

Other aspects to consider when getting into kayak include visibility, such as a brightly coloured kayak, flag, paddle, icebox or clothing, along with lighting if you’re paddling in darkness. Basic survival equipment and a first aid kit are other items that I also often include in my kit, depending on the adventure.

After 35 years of fishing from a kayak, this is the setup that I have found to be the safest, most comfortable and most productive. I’m sure that over time this will evolve further, however for now I hope this has inspired you to consider how your kayak is kitted out next time you are out fishing, or maybe add an extra piece of gear or two that improves your experience.

See you on the water.

JANUARY 2020

85

A layman’s look at propellers PART II BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

As we discussed in last month’s issue, there’s far more to buying a prop than just putting one on and seeing how the boat performs.

THREE BLADES OR FOUR? The proliferation of 4-stroke engines has affected propeller design.

These engines need to run at very specific RPMs for maximum longevity, which means that propellers are now pitched in far smaller increments than they used to be. This caters for the

the additional bite created by the extra blade. This is an important factor to be considered when pulling very hard from start up, as is the norm with tow sports or when the engine is fitted to a larger craft with extra weight around the transom area.

Interestingly, a 4-blade unit can often run faster,

as a 3-blade prop, so if you switch from a 3-blade to a 4-blade you might see the pitch decrease by 1-2”.

This will ensure that the engine’s rpm remains in the correct operating range.

In some instances a poorly handling craft will improve markedly if you switch to a 4-blade prop, but for most of our lightweight fishing rigs and runabouts, a 3-blade propeller is the go.

STAINLESS STEEL OR ALLOY Now comes the controversial question: stainless steel vs alloy.

Both materials have their own advantages and disadvantages. In years past, alloy was able to be tweaked into more complex shapes than stainless

Three-blade alloy props are cheap and versatile. This old stager has done some work but still does the job. formed into some pretty dynamic shapes to get that bit more performance from a given size (by cupping

The right propeller on the right rig is an awesome combination.

Last month we looked at diameter (the overall size of the blade as measured tip to tip), as well as pitch (the theoretical distance the propeller will move the

need to adequately match the 4-stroke engine’s torque curve.

This also raises the question of whether a 3-blade or 4-blade prop is

and more economically, at mid-range rpm than a 3-blade prop! This is significant because many anglers prefer to run their rigs at mid-range revs in the pursuit of economy, especially if they are travelling long distances.

It’s often the case, too, that a 4-blade prop might keep a larger, heavier boat planing at less speed and RPM than a 3-blade counterpart.

A 4-blade prop will often have a smaller diameter for the same pitch

Although not as common as 3-blade propellers, a 4-blade prop can make a big difference to some boats. steel. However, modern manufacturing techniques have largely overcome this alloy advantage.

Alloy props are cheaper and available for virtually every boating situation these days, and can be

the tips of the blades, for instance). However, the material is not so capable of withstanding bumps and knocks. A boat that is going to be used frequently around hard or shallow ground, or in stump-

Sheer strength is the strong point with stainless propellers. Look at the thickness of those blades! boat with one revolution).

The ideal propeller has the correct diameter, plus a pitch that will keep the engine in its most favourable operating range while maintaining a chosen speed. The engine should be running at factory-specified RPMs at full throttle, not overw or under-revving.

While it’s true that blade area gets the boat going, it’s pitch that gives the desired momentum.

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the best one for a given task.

Generally, 3-blade props are more common because they are available in more size ranges and cost less than 4-blade models. They also frequently provide a higher top speed, but let’s not write off the 4-blade prop just yet; 4-blade props usually provide more thrust and very smooth cruising performance. Also, 4-blade propellers can provide more lift at the stern because of

As the water levels go down, the stumps and submerged obstacles come up! The best plan to avoid damage to props and/or gear boxes is to keep the speed down.

riddled impoundments, will likely not have an alloy prop stay in shape as readily as a stainless one with its thicker, stronger blades. It doesn’t take much of a ding to deform an alloy prop, and I speak with some experience here!

Stainless steel is far more able to withstand a few dings or nicks without malformation.

That said, if a boat running a stainless prop happens to collide with a rock or big stump at higher engine revs, the prop might well survive the impact but shortly afterwards the gear box might start making noises that cost a lot of money to eliminate.

Repairs can cost far more than replacement of a prop.

Luckily, many propeller manufacturers these days incorporate a very strong splined rubber bush in the prop’s hub to safeguard the gearbox by shock absorption of any impact on the blades, as the boat is put into or out of gear, or from an impact.

An alternative is just to swing an alloy prop and keep a spare on board. Alloy props can cost around half as a much as stainless ones, which means you can keep a replacement alloy prop on board for emergencies.

The choice comes down to what your plans are for your new rig. Tell the dealer what you’ll mainly use the boat for, the expected performance and terrain.

This should result in the right propeller, as per the dealer’s judgement, on your rig from day one.

LOOK AFTER THAT PROP! Take care to respect the propeller at all times. Careful inspection is essential after any impact to avoid vibration or possible gear box damage at a later time. A damaged prop will also reduce performance considerably.

While minor scuffs or imperfections can be easily filed out of alloy, it’s much harder with stainless steel, and should be left to a professional.

WHAT’S NEW BOATING

PRODUCT GUIDE

FOULFREE TRANSDUCER COATING 1

SILENT TORQEEDO 1103

Propspeed has created a revolutionary foulrelease coating designed specifically for transducers: Foulfree.

Designed by industry-leading engineers and designated by Airmar as a certified transducer coating, Foulfree releases marine growth, reducing the maintenance needed to keep transducers clean and streamlining water flow.

Fouling on the face of transducers can reduce their sensitivity, bottom-echo returns and positive fish targets. Transducers also perform best with minimal turbulence over their surface during operation. Foulfree is a specialized foul-release coating that is biocide-free and does not poison marine growth. Once cured, Foulfree forms a super-slippery surface over the transducer, preventing marine growth from attaching to its surface. Offering a long service life – it lasts a minimum of 12 months. www.oceanmax.com

With its integrated lithium battery and its outstanding efficiency, the Torqeedo Travel is equivalent to a small petrol outboard.

The newest Travel model is the 1103, which features direct drive, making the motor almost completely silent.

The 1103 is completely waterproof (IP67), has an instant throttle response, and an on-board computer with GPS-based calculation of speed and remaining range. This information can also be accessed via your smartphone.

The Travel 1103 is virtually maintenance free and comes with a 915Wh battery for increased range. It can be recharged from normal household power, from your boat’s 12V battery, or from a foldable solar charger (sold separately), even while underway.

The overall weight is 13kg, and the motor can be easily disassembled into three parts (motor, battery and tiller).

To get a sense of just how quiet the 1103 is, search for ‘Fishing Monthly’ on YouTube to see our boat show video. www.powerequipment.com.au

RAILBLAZA RODRAK

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The Railblaza RodRak is an expandable fishing rod storage system for hanging your rods from any vertical or horizontal surface.

This kit will hold two fishing rods inside the gunwale, under the cabin roof, on the shed or garage walls, or any other place you can screw into. The hooks can be installed standalone, or joined together. If needed you can add a 4mm bungee cord (not supplied) as a retention band.

RodRaks are made from UV stabilised, fibreglass reinforced engineering plastics with stainless steel fasteners.

Features include: soft flexible inserts protect handle and tip, and allow fast and easy stow/ removal; rod handle size from 2.5-3.8cm diameter; stackable for multiple rods; suits vertical or horizontal surfaces; made from UV stabilised, fibreglass reinforced engineering polymers and stainless screws; fits all rod lengths; and available in white or black.

The kit comes with 2 x handle end hooks, 2 x tip end hooks, 4 x hook inserts and 8 x stainless steel screws.

Price: SRP approx. $35 www.railblaza.com

GARMIN GPSMAP 86I

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The Garmin GPSMAP 86i is a premium handheld that has wireless connectivity, making it a virtual extension of your onboard marine system.

The 86i is water resistant, floats and has a sunlight-readable 3” display. It lets you stream boat data from compatible chartplotters and instruments, and stay in touch with inReach satellite communication and two-way text messaging via the global Iridium satellite network (subscription required). It also functions as a remote control for Garmin autopilot and select Fusion products.

The 86i supports BlueChart g3 charts, and its adjustable GPS filter smooths speed and heading indications over swells. You can track and share your journey, and, if necessary, trigger an interactive SOS. You can also receive marine weather forecasts directly on your device.

A worldwide basemap is preloaded, and there’s the option to add BlueChart g3 coastal charts. You can also sync the 86i with the Garmin Explore portal and app.

GPSMAP 86i offers Wi-Fi connectivity, ANT+ and Bluetooth. Its internal, rechargeable lithium battery provides up to 35 hours of battery life in 10-minute tracking mode2. www.garmin.com

STANDARD HORIZON GX1400

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The GX1400 Marine VHF Transceiver is ultra compact, measuring just 156 x 61 x 100mm.

Its slim rear case allows for greater mounting flexibility in tight spaces.

Constructed with an advanced rugged diecast chassis, this 25W VHF radio has a host of features, including: meets Class D DSC (Digital Selective Calling); radio controls on the microphone; E2O Easy to Operate icon/menu system; oversized full dot matrix display (31mm x 55mm) with new brighter backlight for better contrast; built-in separate receiver for CH70 (receiving DSC calls); DSC test call and auto DSC channel change selection; GPS position and time shown on a full-dot matrix display when connected to a GPS receiver; NMEA in and output connections to a compatible GPS chart plotter; programmable soft keys; automatically poll the GPS position of up to six ships using DSC; submersible IPX8 waterproof rating (1.5m for 30 minutes); preset key used to recall up to 10 favourite channels; and programmable scan, priority scan, and dual watch.

Price: approx. SRP $295 www.standardhorizon.com

STABICRAFT 1850 FISHER

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Stabicraft’s new 1850 Fisher has more beam, more stability, more space, more bow access, more fuel capacity, and more choice in package configurations.

There are now multiple 1850 Fisher packages to suit different styles of boating. Each package has varying specifications and multiple options, allowing you to customise to your preference, whether fishing with the kids, or heading offshore with your mates.

The new 1850 Fisher range has EPAcompliant fuel tanks, which carry up to a huge 150L of fuel – more than its predecessor and one of the best in its size class. The biggest upgrade though is space. The new Wide Body hull gives boaters much more cabin and deck space plus more stability and on the water performance. It provides a safe and stable platform for anglers and families alike.

The walk-through windscreen, as well as increasing visibility and cockpit space, opens up crucial access to the bow. It creates an ideal loading, un-loading, casting and anchoring point.

For more information see the Stabicraft website or contact your nearest dealer. stabicraft.com

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

SCAN THE QR CODE!

JANUARY 2020

87

Whittley SL22 with Hard Top and Yamaha 150hp - SC

TENT -

RE ONLINE MO

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Length................. 6.6m Beam................... 2.4m Transom.deadrise .23° Fuel ..................... 210L Water..................... 30L Dry.tow.weight2100kg Max.hp .................. 225 Capacity ..... 7 persons 88

JANUARY 2020

DE FOR EX

SPECIFICATIONS

CO

s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

We’ve previously tested a Whittley SL22 with a 250hp Volvo Penta inboard, so it was good to be able to get out in the same hull powered by an outboard, albeit 50hp less than the SL22 that we tested with a 200hp Volvo.

The Whittley Sea Legend hulls are a deep vee (23° at the transom) designed for boating in open waters.

On the spectrum of fishing boat to cruisers (Whittley do both) these are a solid fishing boat with just a little bit of luxury. Whittley’s cruisers are the opposite: luxury that you can fish from.

The test boat had the hard top option fitted. The options list is a little unusual in this boat; the hard top is optional while the rubber flooring, freshwater deck wash and plumbed live bait tank is standard. Order the hard top, though, and all of the handrails and rocket launcher rod holders are included.

As a fishing boat, the SL22 is entirely capable.

The flooring is full, custom-

R

The helm is comfortable and well laid out. Increasingly though, I find cable-driven throttle and shift boxes stiff and clunky compared to Yamaha’s digital shift and throttle. If you can afford the upgrade, you’ll never go back.

This boat is fitted

Steve Morgan

Q

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FMG

together by Queensland Whittley dealer Northside Marine, and although the boat with all of the options as tested was $118,000, packages start from $104,000.

For more information visit www.whittleyboats.com. au to find your nearest dealer,

PERFORMANCE

Main: The Whittley Sea Legend 22 (SL22) is one of Whittley’s fishing boat range, as opposed to their popular trailerable cruisers.

Above: With a deep vee and plenty of weight in the hill, the SL cuts through rough water with ease, and lands softly both into and with the prevailing chop. routered decking and is easily maintained with a hose when you get home from a day’s fishing. There’s a substantial kill box under the floor, and the optional bait station at the back complements the built-in live bait tank on the port side.

Unlike some other Whittleys, there’s room to flush mount large electronics and to see them from the cockpit.

On a twin axled trailer, there’s just over two tonnes to drag around, meaning that you can haul it with a standard twin-cab ute or 4WD. Getting in and out of the rig while on the trailer isn’t difficult with the boarding ladder folding down on the starboard side.

At first glance, I thought that this rig would be a little underpowered, yet the F150 4-stroke Yamaha got the

boat up and on the plane pretty easily. This motor is a stalwart of the Yamaha range and will offer years of trouble-free boating.

Wide open, the rig delivered 70km/h at 6000rpm, while the most economical cruising speed was at 4000rpm where the Yamaha yielded 1.7km/L at 41km/h. With a 210L underfloor fuel tank, that gives the boat a theoretical range of well over 300km, which is plenty for a big weekend on the water with your mates.

Quite unique are the seating arrangements at the helm. Off the back of the helm seats are some rear-facing single seats with significant storage underneath. Not only are these an excellent place to sit and watch if your rod is getting a bite, they’re a

way to keep extra passengers in the shelter of the hard top while travelling. A rear lounge seat doesn’t do that.

RPM......Speed.(km/h). Economy.(km/L) 1000 ......................... 9 ....................... 3.5 2000 ....................... 15 ..........................2 3000 ....................... 21 ....................... 1.3 3500 ....................... 32 ....................... 1.5 4000 ....................... 41 ....................... 1.7 4500 ....................... 48 ....................... 1.6 5000 ....................... 56 ....................... 1.6 6000 ....................... 70 ....................... 1.1 with trim tabs and you do need to use them to level the ride. With a big day’s load on board, they will be increasingly important.

This test rig was put

and make sure that you check out the video boat test through the QR Code at the top of this page. You can also find the video on the Fishing Monthly YouTube channel.

As a fishing boat, the SL22 has plenty of space and plenty of storage for your tackle.

Bait fishos aren’t forgotten about either, with very comfortable rear-facing seats.

Top: It’s a neat set-up for the cranking and backup batteries – up and out of the bilge and in the cupboard down the back. The charger and isolators are easily reached.

Below: The rear-facing passenger seats are an alternative to a rear bench seat. These ones have plenty of storage underneath.

Top: It wouldn’t be a Whittley if it didn’t have some basic comforts. The cabin is comfortable and practical.

Below: The dash is simple, yet there’s plenty of room to flush mount your favourite brand of sounder as well as engine gauges.

Yamaha’s 150hp pushed the SL22 to 70km at 6000rpm. The best economy was at 4000rpm with 1.6km/L.

The fibreglass hard top is an option in this boat. It costs around $6400, but it comes with all of the rod holders and grab rails.

The custom SeaDek is a great feature of many modern boats, and this Whittley comes with plenty of it. It’s on the floor, in the side pockets and on the gunwales, and comes standard with this model.

Top: A padded gunwale, versatile side pockets and a movable vertical rod storage lets you organise your gear and your day on the water.

Bottom left and right: Freshwater washdown is standard, as well as the plumbed bait tank.

The white hatch on the floor leads to an underfloor kill tank/wet storage area.

JANUARY 2020

89

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

m

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

11

22

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

33

18 18

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

44

19 19

5 5

20 20

55

20 20

6 6

21 21

66

21 21

7 7

22 22

77

22 22

8 8

23 23

88

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

11

22

33

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

77

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

11

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

22

0618 17 17 1215

18 18

33

0043 0043 0716 18 18 0716 0.74 1.28

19 19

44

19 19

20 20

55

20 20

21 21

66

21 21

22 22

77

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

31 31

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.

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