Victoria and Tasmania Fishing Monthly November 2018 by Fishing Monthly

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November 2018, Vol. 14 No. 1

Contents WEST COAST West Coast

Portland 18 Warrnambool 20 Cobden 20 Apollo Bay

CENTRAL Geelong 22 Port Phillip West

Port Phillip North East

Port Phillip East

Mornington Peninsula

Port Phillip Bay Offshore

Western Port North

Western Port South

Phillip Island

EAST COAST Lakes Entrance

Marlo 43 Gippsland Lakes

Corner Inlet

Bemm River

NSW SOUTH COAST Bermagui 46 Mallacoota/Eden 46 Narooma 45 Merimbula 44

VICTORIAN FRESHWATER Robinvale 61 Snowy Mountains

Albury/Wodonga 65

From the Editor’s Desk... It seems like it took forever, but the warm weather has finally arrived! We all know that November is likely the best month to fish in Victoria – footy is over. We’ve dusted the cobwebs off on Gone Fishing Day (which gets bigger and bigger every year) and it’s time to make hay while the sun shines. Literally. With nine events tempting keen and less regular anglers out and onto the water, VR Fish are to be commended for helping to co-ordinate the listings of these events on the www.gonefishingday. org website - as well as the organisations that conducted them. Search the #gfd18 tag to see pics from the day. The good thing about GFD is that you don’t have to be involved in an organised event to be engaged. Just grabbing your kit and getting

out on the water – alone or with friends and family – has demonstrated mental health benefits as well as re-establishing our connection with the outdoors. God knows that we need less screen time and more sunshine. In the salt, it seems like all

species are in play – snapper, whiting, gar and calamari should all be in your sights. Eildon is really emerging as the perfect mixed fishery. Golden perch really shine in November and it’s not long until Murray cod are back on the menu.

DIGITAL COPIES FREE FOR ALL Did you know that you can read back-issues of Victoria & Tasmania Fishing Monthly for free online? They are available as soon as the printed issues are out of distribution. These are becoming more and more popular as people become more comfortable reading on their computers, tablets or phones. Of course, if you can’t wait, you can buy digital copies online. The paid copies are available about an hour after the magazines go to print, which is over a week before the print copies turn up through the usual outlets. The digital subscription deal is even better. Full access to all of the Fishing Monthly titles across the country, as soon as they’re available, for $65 a year. Search Fishing Monthly on www.issuu.com for purchase details.

Yarrawonga 61 Horsham 62 Wangaratta 64 Shepparton 65 Nagambie 66 Bendigo 68 Ballarat 67 Eildon 70

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Science Meets Fishing

Tasmanian Lake Levels

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Track My Fish

Trade and Services Guide

Victorian Tide Times

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Tony Blackford with a cracking trout caught after the trout stocking at the Goulburn River.

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DIY lure making: hardbody jig clip Crabapillar 54

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Trout

Targeting summertime trout WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

Trout season opened with a bang back in September, with the Victorian Fisheries Authority releasing around 2000 trout averaging 4kg into the Goulburn River. These fish were released at different locations along the river and have no doubt provided anglers with plenty of entertainment throughout the spring months. However, with summer upon us it’s time to change up our tactics from when we were targeting trout in the spring. Trout are a cool water fish and with the rising water temperatures they begin to feed a little differently.

There is something about chasing trout that is totally addictive. months, especially for trout. One thing to note, when the temperatures rise you can expect all sorts of creepy crawlies out and about while

when you’re walking the edge of a riverbank. Spiders and snakes are a common sight, and the last thing you want to do is get bitten if you’re in a

Tony Blackford displaying one of the monster rainbow trout released for the trout opening back in September. Plenty of these fish are still in the Goulburn River and will be great fun to catch in the summer. TACTICS FOR SUMMER TROUT There is nothing more satisfying than fishing throughout the summer

pushing your way through the brush to polaroid a trout sitting in the shallows. It always pays to keep a close eye amongst the brush and on the ground

remote location. As a safety precaution, it does pay to carry a first aid or snakebite kit with you just in case the worst should happen.

Victorian summers can be a harsh time of year; 35°C+ temperatures can heat the water’s surface very quickly, sending trout out to find the coolest water in the river. Nevertheless, the rivers run clear, free of silt and run-off from the winter rains and snowmelt helping to provide gin clear water and allowing for some of the best visual trout fishing you can experience. When the temperatures rise, focusing on the peak bite times is paramount. Early morning on first light until around 10am and then again late in the afternoon from 5pm until dark tends to be when trout are at their most active. Early morning feeders often cruise the river in search of food, focusing their attention below the water’s surface. During the middle of the day trout often search for cooler waters to hold in,

Working the edges of the drop-offs is where you’ll often find marauding trout. riverbank watching how trout feed is a spectacular sight. For the most part, late afternoon trout are back

really keep a close eye on the water. Picking out areas where a deep pool or gutter lays along the edge of a

Rainbows can’t resist inhaling a lure in the summer months. and this is the time to be hitting the deeper pools. By late afternoon the insects are out and usually in numbers. If you have the patience, sitting on the

out searching for that easy meal sipping off the top, and this is the prime time to be tossing small surface lures. Depending on the river being fished, it pays to

shallow gravel or sand bank tends to be where you’ll find a hungry trout. A long cast ahead of the pool with the lure worked along the edge usually finds its match.

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Making accurate casts to pinpoint locations can result in quality trout like this brown.

Trout Clear running rivers and streams cause trout to be easily spooked when the sun is high. Even early in the morning, the fish will see you before you see them, unlike in winter and early spring. It is times like these when long and accurate casts get the result.

spinners, plastics and topwater insect imitation lures are a good first option. Hardbodies still have their place in the summer months. When targeting deeper pools, a deep diving hardbody such as Yakamito’s SXY Shad, Megabass Great Hunting 48

Yakamito’s Slim Minnow 60, Megabass X-52 Acrobat, Megabass Great Hunting 45 and Zerek Stream-X are all successful lures to use. Then, during the afternoon when the insects are out, hitting the topwater can have you experience some of the most explosive and

Although hardbodies and surface lures are effective, casting a spinner can also lead to success. Twitching hardbody lures around the deeper pools in summer can easily coax a trout out from its lair. LURE OPTIONS Trout lures certainly are a dime a dozen these days, and although you might have an extensive collection of expensive hardbodies,

and Megabass Shading-X 62 will get down to where the fish are holding in the cooler waters. If you’re flicking the edges of the banks early in the morning,

vicious attacks you’ll get to see with trout. Small floating surface lures such as the Imakatsu Spider and Megabass Tiny Siglett dominate the surface scene

for summertime trout. However, it can take many casts before you get a solid hook set, so having some patience and stealth is of the upmost importance. The moment you trip over a submerged rock or tree limb and make a splash on the water’s surface, you’ve

lost your chance. I guess you have to become a ninja, a trout ninja in fact, if you want to be successful on the top. Aside from hards and topwater, flicking softies in the deep pools and amongst the fast runs is another effective technique. Early

in the morning, when trout are cruising about looking for an easy feed, a twitched 2.5” or 3” soft plastic is hard to pass up. There are two main techniques to use when flicking soft plastics in rivers and streams. The first is to use the traditional To page 10

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Trout From page 9

method of a lift, pause and wind, however you’re fishing shallow water in most parts so keep the lift to only 30cm or so. The other retrieve is to hold the rod horizontal to your side

looking for cover. Using this action in the head of a pool and working it back to your position can quickly catch the attention of a hungry trout. While there are countless plastics on the market, a Berkley 2.5”

Typical trout food. When these guys are in plague proportions and landing on the water’s surface, it’s no wonder why topwater lures are so effective.

With a clear running stream, you really do need to hide amongst the grass and shrubs. and rip the rods tip while simultaneously winding in the line. This causes the lure to twitch and act like a scared or lost trout fry

NOVEMBER 2018

black/gold sparkle T-Tail minnow, Zerek 70mm Live Flash Minnow and the Berkley 3” bloodworm and pumpkinseed coloured

Power Minnows are downright deadly. Mind you, they still need to swim with the right action, and that is where a 3g jighead with #6 hook achieves the right sink rate and action from the plastic. TACKLING EM ON THE TOP The Imakatsu Fujin Spider and Megabass Tiny Siglett certainly dominate the topwater scene when it comes to trout. However, you do need to ensure that when working the surface you are extremely quiet. Trout are one of the most easily spooked freshwater fish there is, and the slightest foreign noise can send them off upstream and you could be putting in a lot of casts for little result. Working the surface is ideal in the late afternoon

when the heat of the day has begun to dissipate, and the insects hit the water

in swarms. Depending on the river you’re fishing, you might need to switch surface lures until you find what they want. If you’re in central or northern Victoria where there are cicadas humming, the Megabass Tiny Siglett can work extremely well. If you’re wading a southern river such as Big River east of Lake Eildon or the Rubicon River you’ll want small creature baits in the form of spiders and other insects. While there is no secret to working small topwater lures for trout, it all comes down to accurate casting

to specific points from where you’re standing. The more casts to the riffles, working the lures back into the slower pools the more chance you have at coaxing a trout to sip off the top. Fishing for trout in the summer months can be far more rewarding than at any other time of year. Although the size of the fish might not be as big as those towards the end of the season, the ones on offer are in abundance, if you focus and concentrate on your stream craft, hitting the points where fish are likely to be.

A deep pool, a deep diving hardbody and a fantastic summertime trout.

NOVEMBER 2018

Science meets fishing

Snapper: their first year of life in Port Phillip Bay GEELONG

Ross Winstanley

Port Phillip Bay is at the heart of the western Victorian snapper stock.

In particular, the conditions in the Bay during the critical spawning period and larval stage determine ‘year-class success’ and whether the recruitment of fish entering the pinkie

little effect on catches. But, several successive poor-toaverage years of recruitment can have a marked impact on the fishery. We’ve recently seen such an effect: strong recruitment in 2001, 2003

20 – 18 –

Recruitment Index (No. per 1000m2)

16 – 14 – 12 – 10 – 8 – 6 – 4 –

Average 2017 –

2016 –

2015 –

2014 –

2013 –

2012 –

2011 –

2010 –

2009 –

2008 –

2007 –

2006 –

2005 –

2004 –

2003 –

2002 –

2001 –

2000 –

1999 –

1998 –

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0 –

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2 –

Year (March)

Figure 1. Until the above-average recruitment in 2013 and 2014, the fishery had been steadily depleting the stock of big snapper spawned in 2001, 2004, 2005 and earlier. What happens in the Bay in that first year after snapper spawn determines what impact the year’s spawning will have on the future of the stock and the fishery.

fishery 3-4 years later, and the adult snapper fishery after 6-7 years, will be strong, average or weak. For a fish that can live up to 40 years, one or two below-average years have

and 2004 followed by lower recruitment success between 2006-2012. The result was that the stock of large snapper first built up to a high level but was then depleted by a combination of fishing

pressure and natural causes. Now, the strong recruitment in 2013 and 2014 (Figure 1) has produced a revival in the pinkie fishery and will carry on into the fishery for adult snapper from 2019. THE BEGINNING: SPAWNING Moving into the Bay from early September, adult snapper form spawning aggregations waters from Mornington to the Faulkner Beacon in Hobsons Bay between October and November. This behaviour is timed to match surface water temperatures of 15-19°C, which are ideal for successful spawning and subsequent larval survival. Eggs may hatch at water temperatures as low as 15°C or as high as 22°C, but peak hatching occurs between 18-21°C. In good years, the ideal temperatures combine with what is really critical for spawning success, low-to-

Figure 3. At 1+ months, 2-3cm juveniles feed during the day and shelter close to the sea floor at night.

Snapper larvae are visual predators, hence their large eyes. They feed on zooplankton during the day.

Figure 2. It takes the right conditions to produce these copepods in numbers and at sizes that newly-hatched snapper larvae can feed on.

Figure 4. Tiny juveniles feed and shelter in and around structures like the Yakka recreational fishing reef, Frankston. 12

NOVEMBER 2018

medium Yarra River flows and nutrient inputs that favour the plankton that snapper larvae depend on. If all these factors line up, the resulting phytoplankton provide the right food for the copepods (small zooplankton) that snapper

larvae depend on (Figure 2). Even then, there must be a range of juvenile and adult prey to suit newly hatched and older larvae during their weeks as developing larvae. When their yolk sacs are nearly exhausted, snapper larvae’s survival and growth

depend on immediate access to juvenile copepods suited to their small mouths. THE CRITICAL LARVAL STAGE From the peak NovemberDecember spawning period, larval snapper hatch from their floating eggs in

Snapper larvae swim in the water column for 3 weeks, reaching 10-12mm, before transforming to tiny juveniles and settling on the bottom.

Science meets fishing December-January and start out as mid-water plankton feeders. If conditions are favourable, there may be a second successful spawning and larval recruitment when water temperatures are decreasing in autumn. It is this critical stage of snapper’s life history that determines the ‘year-class strength’ – the potential

that might mean for the future fishery. Sampling in March can yield a range of sizes, reflecting the duration of successful spawning and variations in growth. In the early months of their bottom-dwelling life, juveniles seek out various forms of bottom structure. At that stage they may find

they can be plagued by avidly-feeding juvenile snapper, which occur on the same reefs and seagrass margins as whiting. Fortunately, most of these small snapper hooked as by-catch can be released unharmed as they are hardy, provided care is taken to de-hook and release them quickly.

At around one year and 12cm or more, juveniles on inshore reefs and seagrass beds are vulnerable as by-catch from whiting anglers. contribution that each year’s spawning eventually makes to the pinkie fishery 3-5 years later and the subsequent fishery for adults. SHIFT TO BOTTOMDWELLING LIFE After three weeks in the water column, the larvae transition to the 2-3cm juvenile form. They settle to the bottom, widely spread out over the soft sediments that cover most of the Bay

shellfish beds, ascidians and other fixed forms of bottom life attractive, but they soon seek out and take up residence on natural inshore reefs. As Figure 4 shows, they are also highly attracted to reef balls on the recreational fishing reefs at depths of 11m, between Aspendale and Frankston. ONE YEAR OLD JUVENILES By the time they reach

Catch records collected by the VFA’s Angler Diary program volunteers become important in providing a measure of the year class strength of 1+ year olds, independently of the trawl sampling when the same fish were only months old. The VFA’s annual snapper recruitment monitoring and Angler Diary Programs are supported by funding

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You can become a volunteer for the VFA’s Angler Diary Program. floor. Feeding by day on a mixture of small plankton and bottom prey, they shelter and rest in depressions and among ascidians (sea spuds), shellfish and other bottom life at night. At this stage, VFA researchers can sample them using small trawl nets to get an indication of the year-class strength and what

one year of age juvenile snapper are about 12cm long. At this stage they become vulnerable to size six hooks commonly used by whiting anglers. It is around this age anglers can first see signs of the emergence of a strong year class. If they use berley while fishing for whiting

from the Recreational Fishing Licence Trust Account. Anglers wishing to participate in the VFA’s Angler Diary Program can contact Pam Olivero at the Queenscliff Fisheries Research Centre at 03 5258 0111. Photos courtesy of Vicotrian Fisheries Authority.

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NOVEMBER 2018

GoFish Nagambie $500K prize pool

There are half a million reasons why GoFish Nagambie is the talk of the Aussie fishing scene. It’s the world’s biggest and most unique fishing tournament and outdoor lifestyle festival, and it’s coming to Victoria. Boasting a guaranteed $500,000 prize pool, Aussie anglers are champing at the bit to get their hands on an entry and have their shot at taking home the big bucks. Founded by Daryl Herbert and Rod Lockwood at GTR Events, GoFish Nagambie is an event for the whole industry and fishing community. It will provide a platform for recreational anglers to gather and relax for a weekend of fishing and fun whilst creating a unique opportunity for brands, ranging from local handcrafted lure makers to industry leaders, to showcase their products. The event also strives to create an ongoing legacy. “We are passionate to use GoFish as a vehicle to endorse important environmental messages by demonstrating how the improvement of fish habitat and re-stocking can create better fishing opportunities,” Mr Lockwood said. The catch, measure and release tournament will highlight Australia’s apex predators of the rivers and lake systems, the Murray cod and golden perch. Nagambie’s pristine waterways are jam-packed with structures, snags and habitat that anglers will love fishing, from their boats, kayaks or from the bank. “With $500,000 prize pool up for grabs, and prizes to be awarded in open, cadet (teenage) and kids’ categories, we are showcasing that fishing is a sport that everyone can enjoy,” Mr Lockwood said. “The prize pool is split so that anglers of all abilities can and will go home winners. We want more people fishing, more often.” There is plenty of action happening off the water too, as the banks of Nagambie Lakes play host to the Festival Hub. “Visitors will want to come down and soak up the electric atmosphere and immerse themselves in all that it has to offer,” Mr Lockwood said. “With everything from a vibrant shopping precinct, hands-on education program and kids’ activities, local gourmet produce and cooking demonstrations, this will be a great place to unwind with good food, drinks and great entertainment going on into the night.”

GET READY TO CAST OFF, THE HOTTEST TICKET IN TOWN IS READY TO LAUNCH Without further ado, it’s time to whip out your diaries and let the drumroll begin because the dates for the 2019 GoFish Nagambie tournament entries are here. Hot off the press we can confirm that the entries for the inaugural GoFish Nagambie tournament will be available to the general public starting from 9am on 30 November. GoFish Nagambie’s e-news subscribers who we like to bring into our inner sanctum will gain access to pre-sale entries. This will give our subscribers a 48-hour window (starting 28 November) and first access to secure entries into Australia’s most highly anticipated fishing tournament and festival on the fishing calendar. With the tournament capped and a further limit on boat numbers, accessing entries through the pre-sale could just be the key to securing the ‘golden ticket’.

Entries on sale 30th November One of Australia’s top freshwater fishers, Rhys Creed, is pumped to be involved with Go Fish Nagambie. “It’s the first competition of its kind and I’m excited to be part of such a massive event based around freshwater fish,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the community and festival component of the event, as it’s a great way to bring likeminded people together in one place to share a passion we all love. I can’t wait to see anglers put their skills to the test and try to catch the winning fish and take out the massive cash and prizes up for grabs.” Rhys added that he’s looking forward to seeing the whole fishing community come together for the very first time. “It’s a rare opportunity to see so many aspects of recreational fishing together, celebrating our great

$500,000

sport,” he said. “Everyone from experienced to novice anglers, small boutique businesses to well known brands, peak bodies and community groups will be there. It’s going to be an absolutely cracking weekend. “I believe that the Expo and night vibes and talks will really make the event. The conversations that will be passed among anglers is something I’m really looking forward to. It’s about bringing anglers to one place for them to have a good time, learn more about fishing and for them to see just how bloody good fishing Nagambie can be!” We challenge you to find a more dedicated and active member of the Aussie freshwater fishing scene than Rhys, who lives and breathes freshwater fishing. “I love it because of the unknown, the mystery,” he explained. “It’s a challenge to face every single moment that you’re out on the water, as the fish test your skills and you never stop learning.” We couldn’t let Rhys go without asking him for a hot tip to help win you a share of the $500,000 prize pool. He’s given us some advice on the best hardbody lures to use at the competition. “Small 50-80mm lures are the perfect size for those targeting golden perch, redfin or even small Murray cod [you can still win with a small cod if it is the mystery length]. My favourite is 60-70mm and they are perfect for both casting and trolling in Nagambie. “Medium 90-130mm lures will catch all sized Murray cod and even some larger and more aggressive golden perch. These lures are the perfect option for both trolling and casting as they aren’t too heavy to use on a normal baitcaster rod. I recommend casting lures in the 100-130mm range. “Lures that are 150mm+ are the biggest of the hardbodies and are built for monster fish. These lures are best trolled in deep water between 4-6m. Trolling in the deep sections of the river and river bed in the lake is the best way to find that winning Murray cod.” Entries and pre-sale registrations will be available via our website at www.gofishnagambie.com.au. Be sure to check out the GoFish Nagambie Facebook page to stay up-to-date with the latest news and give us a ‘like’ to join the community. Good luck, and we’ll see you next April!

UP FOR GRABS AT AUSTRALIA’S WEALTHIEST FRESHWATER FISHING TOURNAMENT

How to catch a crocodile NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.fishotopia.com

It’s big flathead time right now in many parts of the country. So, how do you set about targeting the largest flatties living in your local waterways?

exceeding 55cm is a pretty good fish. The same goes for sandies and rock flathead in Melbourne’s Port Phillip Bay. Over in South Australia’s gulfs, around Kangaroo Island, or on the northwest corner of Tasmania, a ‘big’ southern blue-spotted flattie could well be a fish in excess of 70cm, and there’s always

catch a few less of the smaller, run-of-the-mill flathead that generally tend to fill anglers’ bags. You need to decide up front how important this is to you. Are you more interested

flatties (these fish are often referred to as ‘crocodiles’ or ‘crocs’ by those who love them). Big flathead of any species are capable of

Flatties can reach impressive proportions!

Starlo with a reasonable dusky. Not quite a crocodile, but getting there! Jo Starling prepares to release the sort of jumbo flathead we all want to catch. Whether you chase sand, rock, blue-spotted or tiger flathead down south, bar-tails in the west and north, or the king of them all, the mighty dusky flathead of our east coast waters, right

the chance of an 80cm+. And of course, from Wilsons Promontory to Cairns along our heavily populated eastern seaboard, duskies are known to top a metre in length on very rare occasions, although

in quantity, or quality? Bear in mind too, that in most cases you’ll be releasing these jumbo flathead after a quick photo anyway, either because local laws require you to do so, or simply as recognition of their importance as breeders. This is not a meat hunting game.

eating very large meals. In fact, an 80cm+ flattie can easily wolf down a 25-30cm mullet, whiting, bream or tailor. They are also not at all averse to dining on their smaller brethren, and stories of genuine crocs grabbing average-size flatties that have been hooked by anglers are surprisingly commonplace. I know of one 88cm flattie that grabbed a hooked 44cm dusky and held on long enough to be netted, photographed and released. That’s a potential meal half

as long as the diner themself! So, if you normally use whitebait or sprats, upgrade to whole pilchards, while if you already cast pilchard or poddy mullet baits measuring 10-15cm in length when chasing flatties, think about scaling up to significantly heftier yellowtail, slimy mackerel or herring. Similarly, if your standard flathead lures or flies are mostly in the 8-12cm length range that is so justifiably popular for this purpose, bite the bullet and double their dimensions. Seriously. You may need to beef up your tackle slightly to cast these larger baits and lures, but that’s not a bad idea anyway, as it will help you handle not only XOS flathead, but also the sort of by-catch you’re likely to encounter, which may well

include mulloway, kingfish and even barra, estuary cod and jacks further north. Think about strengthening your leaders and terminal tackle, too. Big crocodiles are extra hard on leaders and it’s heartbreaking to play a monster lizard almost to your feet, only to have it win its freedom at the last moment. Hunting crocodiles isn’t for everyone, but if you’re up for it, these fish are certainly out there. Happy hunting. Starlo’s new website portal www.fishotopia.com offers access to lots of nittygritty, how-to information like this, including a 34-page flip magazine dedicated to the pursuit of extra large flatties. Jump on, have a look around and consider signing up for the free monthly newsletter.

All XOS flatties should be carefully released to continue breeding. now is a pretty good time to be looking for the biggest specimens of the year. Exactly how large a truly ‘big’ flathead is depends very much on where you happen to be fishing. If you’re chasing bar-tails in Perth’s Swan River, anything 16

NOVEMBER 2018

anything over 80-85cm is a trophy dusky for most of us. Targeting these largerthan-average flathead generally requires a certain degree of dedication and specialisation in terms of both gear selection and technique. It may also mean that you’ll

Assuming that you’re serious about wanting to target those extra bigger flatties, the first and most important tip I can give you is to significantly upsize the dimensions of your bait, lure or fly. This is by far the most vital key to catching larger

Don’t be afraid to throw seriously large lures if you’re chasing seriously big flathead!

Plenty of variety on offer PORTLAND

John Johnstone

With the change to daylight savings, we experienced what Portland is capable of with the Lee Breakwater as the place to be for land-based fishos. Catches of King George whiting to 50cm, snapper to 7kg, school and gummy sharks, the ever-present barracouta and goodsized calamari have kept anglers busy. Boat anglers have had great results along the north shore targeting snapper, whiting, mulloway, school and gummy sharks and squid. With summer fast approaching this will only improve, and who knows – we may even see the return of the SBT to the bay, as has happened the past couple of years. Late November will see the kingfish return to again

test anglers’ skills and gear. These fish are great fun in shallow water and will fight all the way to the boat. The new soft plastic squid lures are sure to be a deadly technique. The local rivers have been well and truly flushed out following the spring rain and have yielded good catches of bream and mullet, with the odd mulloway starting to show up as well. Surf fishing has been pretty consistent, with regular catches of snapper, salmon and sharks, and the odd mulloway as well. The canal will have bream, mullet, trevally and mulloway to keep anglers entertained. From Point Danger to the Corkscrew anglers should encounter King George whiting, flathead, leatherjacket, barracouta and salmon. Drifting is a good way to secure a feed. Out the back in

40-100m will see school and gummy sharks, flathead, snapper, coral perch, nannygai, morwong and gurnard. Drifting along is a good way to target these species, and berleying on the bottom increases your chances of catching a feed. Anglers with enough anchor rope may want to try anchoring in the deeper water (40-60m), as this allows you to use lighter gear and lighter sinkers. This can increase your chances of catching a gummy or school shark, and at the same time may reduce your chance of some tasty by-catch (snapper, flathead etc.). The 100-200m water is seeing anglers with good catches of morwong, nannygai, school and gummy sharks, Tassie trumpeter and knifejaw. Further out on the shelf is seeing good catches of blue eye, pink ling, blue grenadier and gemfish.

So get out there and enjoy what this great region has to offer. There’s plenty of fishing for all to enjoy. • Portland Bait and Tackle is family-owned and operated, stocking fishing tackle, bait and marine accessories. They are open 7 days a week from 7 to 7. Portland’s one stop fishing tackle shop, we cover everything from chasing redfin and trout in freshwater to blue eye and other deep sea fish over the continental shelf. The new owner John Johnstone has extensive experience for both fresh and saltwater. He has fished most areas of Australia, from chasing trout in the high country to the jumbo tuna down the West Coast – the chances are John has done it. To get the latest advice on what’s been caught call Portland Bait and Tackle on (03) 5523 5213 or drop in and see them at 111 Bentinck, Portland.

A local charter operator with a decent bag of snapper.

Bait fishers are bagging out WEST COAST

Brett Carson

Warm spring weather has the fishos out and about and covering plenty of river in search of bream, perch and mulloway. The water is really starting to clear now, and unless we get some serious late season rains the river will just get more and more inviting. The spawning run of bream has gone way up the system and many have been caught by the baitos that follow their migration every year. Just like human pregnancies, when bream are pregnant the fish go through some strange eating habits that take some trial and error. Podworms are probably the best bait when the fish are schooled up and down deep, but don’t be frightened to try other soft baits such as pipi and whitebait. In late winter and early spring the poor old lure fishers can wonder what they’ve done

wrong, as the edge bite can be hit and miss. It seems vibes are the only thing that works. I’d suggest that if there’s not much more rain for the season, the edge bite will return very quickly as the salt drives its way back through the system. Schools of estuary perch

are right through the lower reaches, and at times they can almost black the bottom half of the sounder out. The surface bite will only get better from here. I know I rave on about it, but I believe it’s the most exciting fishing in the river. Perch love lures, and you should make sure

Cal and his catch of estuary perch.

when you work them to fish the lure right to the boat. It’s not uncommon for perch to follow the lure all the way to the boat then nail it 2m from the rod tip. Mulloway are still having a go with the last few months producing some of the best fish in the last twenty years. I’m sure the trophy hunters will be out in force as there are still plenty of reports of ‘unstoppables’ smashing anglers and leaving them wondering what could have been. Local Neil Humphries hasn’t paid for a drink in town since his 70lb catch back in June. There is plenty of bait in the system, so there is no reason for the fish to leave. A carefully rigged live mullet will bring plenty of hungry mulloway unstuck in the next few months. Talking of mullet, there has been a fantastic run of eating sized fish coming from right through the Glenelg. I know plenty of people that target them and love nothing more than a fresh feed. Again, podworms and pipis are the best bet. They

Jye Wilson with a 40cm bream. also make great surf bait and if you fish them on the dark of the moon in any of the deep gutters you have a great chance of converting them into a gummy or a schoolie. Just be careful of walking out too far in your waders and into the surf. The surf beaches here can drop off very quickly, and mixed with a serious undertow could be deadly. Being bowled over by a wave in waders is no fun – just ask me how I know. • Good luck and feel free to

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Fresh provides a fishing fix WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

With the consistently strong winds persisting, the freshwater has been a great back up for those keen to wet a line. The rivers dropped and

cleared fairly quickly after the early spring rains. There were still some good trout being taken in both the Merri and Hopkins Rivers, particularly if you were keen on doing a little walking. The Merri River has also shown up some big redfin, with most fish being over 40cm. On the still rare calm

Luke Gercovich with a large Merri River redfin.

days there have been some quality gummy and school sharks taken offshore, and these should continue to be a viable option throughout November. Close inshore areas should also begin to fire as water temperatures rise. The Killarney area and the inshore areas just out from the Moyne at Port Fairy and in Lady Bay at Warrnambool can produce some good whiting in the 40-45cm range at this time of year. With the price of frozen pipis these days, pumping some clickers or using small pilchard strips can be good alternatives. Drifting or using your electric motor to move around the shallow bay areas in calm, clear conditions sight casting to squid is not only but a great way to get a quality feed, but also great fun too. Some

good specimens are already being taken from the Killarney region. Cray season will also be in full swing, with both divers and hoop netters hopping for flat conditions to target their quarry. Don’t forget to have your blue tags ordered from Fisheries and ready to go when the season opens on 16 November. The estuary section of the Hopkins River has been hit and miss during early spring. There have been a couple of decent mulloway taken by anglers fishing bream-sized lures in the lower reaches, so hopefully this is a sign that this month there will be a few more of these silver river ghosts still making their presence felt. November is not only a month that gives you a good chance of a Hopkins

Good trout like this can still be taken in November if the weather curtails your offshore plans. mulloway, but is usually a great month to target bream and estuary perch. Lure anglers in particular

love this time of year, particularly if you can get a surface bite happening on a calm warm evening.

Anticipating the fresh for the spring bream COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

Right now there has been some excellent bream fishing to be had in the Hopkins River. The bream are schooling up in anticipation of their spawning run. Exactly where that happens in the river? Well, it would be catching not fishing if we knew. It all depends

how much freshwater is pushing down to meet the incoming salt. The salinity that bream need to spawn is basically freshwater, so the newly fertilized eggs float up to or near the surface (but not as quickly as they would in saltwater) and wash into any bankside weed growth. Some time later the eggs hatch into larvae and already have a ready-made habitat where they can feed and try to

evade any predators. Some quality fish have been taken in the middle reaches around the institute up to Kings Head. The fish are mostly holding out in the river in and around 2m of water. They are avoiding the deeper channel and only entering the mud flats at night to feed when the urge takes them. I’ve heard several reports of anglers fishing soft plastics at these depths and taking several

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fish well in excess of a kilogram in a single session. Bait anglers are having success with hard baits such as brown shell and live crab. In saying that, some have caught fish using peeled prawn, the flesh from small mullet and salmon cubed with the skin left on. Bream can be very finicky when it comes to feeding at this time of year as they obviously have breeding on their minds. It can be a feast or a famine when wetting a line, but that’s all part of the parcel of angling. A few estuary perch are about and often taken while targeting bream, so too is the odd mulloway to 75cm. The Curdies River has a similar situation, with bream congregating in Peterborough Lake outside the channel that runs from the river mouth, waiting for the right conditions in which to breed. During November, water flowing downstream out of the river is still murky, so bait anglers are currently out-fishing those lure anglers. Anchoring to or just off the channel

markers, leaving the river mouth, has been the top place to try. Instead of casting baits directly into the channel, boaters are casting out the back onto the shallow flats. This is where bream are holding up, waiting for the current to slow down so they can enter the river proper to make babies. Anglers have tea tree boughs galore set right along the lake, especially near the mouth in the town. The weed beds have yet to

re-establish themselves after a cold winter, which causes dieback, so the boughs provide a perfect habitat for shrimp and spider crab, two delicious bream offerings. Yes, it’s all about the bream in this month’s column, due to persistent inclement weather refusing to dissipate. So, there’s not much in the way of reports coming in from the salt. Next month could prove an entirely different scenario.

Difficult but not impossible – this bream succumbed to a Pontoon 21 Greedy Guts worked over the Peterborough Lake flats near the river mouth.

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November waters warming up APOLLO BAY

Wayne Diffey

Out from Apollo Bay there have been some good catches of gummies and schoolies plus some decent-sized flatties and snapper. The Blanket Bay Reef has been very productive for gummies and other reef fish in 40-50m of water. Matt

from a local charter reported a good trip recently with some big gummies. They were fishing the change of tides using fresh cut bait like salmon and flatty fillets. The salmon still remain very patchy off the beaches with Wild Dog Creek Beach the best of the local spots. One customer came back in recently to tell me that he had caught eight

salmon to 6lb spinning off the beach at Wild Dog Creek at sunrise. The local streams and rivers have been fishing well, with some good bream and brown trout being caught. Casting minnow style lures remains the most productive method, or you could also try a bladed style lure like the Mapso Saja. Regular customer Ashley Cockerell

Ashley Cockerell caught this West Barwon Dam brown trout.

sent in a photo of a good brown trout (one of two) he caught at the West Barwon Dam using a Pontoon 21 Paco Spoon. November should see the weather improving with an increase in water temperature. With this the calamari in the Apollo Bay harbour should become more plentiful. Early morning and late evening are the best times. Squid jigs in more natural colours usually work well, and you should choose the size/weight of your squid jig based on the tides at the time. November sees the southern rock lobster and abalone season opening mid-month. Before you go hunting, be sure to check out all of the latest rules and regulations for both of these, as not following them can prove costly. Don’t forget to have your tags for rock lobster. If you don’t have any, go to the Fisheries website to create an account and order your tags. • If you’re coming to Apollo Bay for a fish, be sure to pop in to get all your bait and tackle needs, as well as an up to date report, or call us on (03) 5237 6426.

An armful of gummy.

Photo courtesy of Hit-n-Run Charters.

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Snapper season is starting GEELONG

Neil Slater slaterbunch@optusnet.com.au

November is pretty much peak hour for snapper fishers in this region. Boat ramps are chockers, there’s warmth in the air and hungry red fish in the bay. BARWON RIVER GEELONG The Barwon River in Geelong can fish very well for redfin this time of year. It

has been slightly discoloured with a bit of rain, but expect this to clear up and the lure fishing for redfin to lift to another level. Jemma Kelly fished the Barwon River at Breakwater with her dad Jason recently. Using scrub worms for bait, she caught a pretty little brown trout. The Barwon River in Geelong isn’t a renowned trout spot, so to get one in town is a great effort. CORIO BAY Soft plastic lure

enthusiast, Paul Mayer has had a few sessions inside Corio Bay lately. Paul and his mate were hoping to get a feed of flathead, but could only manage small fish around the inner harbour. That was until they came across a patch of fat flathead up in the high 50cm bracket, which turned an average day into an epic day. Paul says that most fish were caught around the 4-6m mark just on the base of the drop offs using Munroe’s

Jemma caught this beautiful brown trout in the Barwon River.

soft plastics coupled with Jigman jigheads. Anglers fishing from Cunningham Pier have caught grass whiting, snotty trevally and the odd salmon using pipis and raw chicken for bait. Collan Errad fished Corio Bay last weekend hoping to find a few snapper. Collan motored along from Point Henry to the turn in the shipping channel with one eye on his sounder hoping to see a couple of tell-tale arches. He saw a few small marks, so anchored just off the channel. He fished there for a while but could only raise undersized fish. He slipped back to Leopold, sent some baits down for whiting and ended up with 18, which he was understandably happy with. Collan said he threw back about six just legal size whiting hoping for bigger ones, but they went off the bite not long after that. Maddie Lundy fished with her dad out off Clifton Springs recently, where they both caught their personal best snapper. Maddie caught a ripper 77cm snapper using a pilchard on a paternoster rig, while Owen’s snapper took a silver whiting and measured in at 91cm. Both

Maddie boated her PB snapper with her dad out off Clifton Springs. fish were released, while father and daughter were super pumped with their experience. Calamari have been jumping on squid jigs off Clifton Springs pretty much all year and they have been the fall back if nothing else is biting. Locally caught calamari are an easy stop off on the way to your snapper spot to gather fresh bait, so it is always worth packing a few jigs. BELLARINE PENINSULA Rod Ludlow says most of the local fishing so far has been for squid and flathead, with both species biting well making it easy to get a quality feed. From Governors Reef

out to the Prince George bank and along the beach are great areas to try for these tasty cephalopods, while the flathead have been out a little deeper. Rod says he has heard of some King George whiting off St Leonards and a few snapper out off Portarlington, but locals aren’t actively targeting them yet. Rod says that he will be advising everyone to start targeting them now, so all that is needed is some reasonable weather. Calamari over two kilograms invaded the Lonsdale Bight during the traditional spawning period around late September to early October. Southern

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calamari have a very short lifespan, grow fast and breed up big, so they are considered a very sustainable fishery. They can be caught drifting with skewered

were up and about with some seriously big fish amongst them. Aaron caught them up to 50cm using just strips of squid for bait. The gummy and school

while fishing for snapper and gummies over the cooler months along the Surf Coast. SURF COAST Hugh Hanson fished with Peter Galvin in an Otway

Paul caught this cracking flathead on a Munroe’s soft plastic lure with a Jigman jighead inside Corio Bay. garfish, herring or traditional artificial jigs over shallow weed beds, or casting over broken ground if you’re land-based. Aaron Habgood reports that while the water was cool down the south end of the bay, King George whiting

sharks have been going well outside Port Phillip Heads, with some absolute monsters around up to 30kg amongst them. Aaron notes that it is great to see school sharks also coming back to our waters. Aaron caught a few

stream for trout opening. Using minnow lures, Hugh managed to catch and release a small, but beautifully marked, wild brown trout. Justin Green fished out off Lorne with Alan Falzon last month in about 45m of water. Justin says they fished the high

tide and caught a couple of small pinkie snapper. Alan felt a bit queasy and lost a bit of breakfast due to the swell, but managed to push though the nausea and caught a sergeant baker. The lads put the sergeant baker straight down for bait and not long after they boated a quality gummy shark. They had to pack up around lunchtime due to the plague of bait-stealing draughtboard sharks that can be around this time of year. PLANNING AHEAD Snapper should be the priority. According to a fascinating study by VFA, peak snapper activity in Port Phillip Bay occurs when the water approaches 16°C, so it is handy if you have a temperature capable depth sounder. Clifton Springs and Portarlington are hotspots, with plenty of good fish caught right around the Bellarine Peninsula and Surf Coast. Land-based fishos should put a few hours in at St Helens and North Shore rocks from around dusk with pilchards, as some whoppers are caught here every year. If you’re down the Surf Coast, snapper are best targeted from the rocks at dawn and dusk with tough bait such as squid or cuttlefish. Largest snapper are found around Torquay and Barwon Heads, but you can still get quality fish from Anglesea to Apollo Bay.

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November can be excellent dry flyfishing in the Otway streams, if the breeze gets up a bit much to head offshore. FISH HARD – DIE HAPPY! Catch a few around Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula or Surf Coast to Lorne recently? Send in a report to slaterbunch@

optusnet.com.au with “VFM” in the subject field or give me a call on 0408 997 348. Please include where (without giving away your secret spot!), when, what on and who caught the fish. Pictures are always great, but please make sure they are at least 1MB (file size).

Aaron with some kidney slappers from southern Port Phillip Bay.

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Counting down until summer PORT PHILLIP BAY WEST

Alan Bonnici alan@fishingmad.com.au

The start of spring felt more like winter, however now we’re finally starting to enjoy some pleasant conditions with summer just around the corner. I’m excited for early morning sessions on Port Phillip Bay, watching some sunrises over the Melbourne CBD while waiting for some snapper action. It’s November and by now many anglers around Melbourne have chalked up their first big red of the season, and those who haven’t are itching to have their turn. As always, we’re seeing mixed results with the snapper. Some days go without much action and the next day is full of excitement, but it is that anticipation that makes snapper fishing so exciting. Around Melbourne the usual spots are consistently providing local anglers with

good opportunities, this includes Williamstown Reef near the football ground, Mornington, Mount Martha and Port Melbourne. For land-based anglers, it’s been a tough grind, with long hours required to land a good-sized snapper. Change in weather conditions can really help land-based anglers. Often strong winds and rain are key conditions to landing a snapper

from land, as the snapper come in close to shallower areas for a feed and to escape the choppier conditions. This means snapper are well within reach and a cast pilchard or squid in an accessible location is the way to get that bite. Spots that have been producing the odd big red by land have included many of the accessible areas around Port Melbourne, including Webb Dock, the Warmies,

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around the West Gate Bridge and Port Melbourne, Lagoon, and Kerferd Road piers. A bit further down, areas such as Mornington Pier and Mount Martha rocks have also been providing anglers with some snapper action. This month on 17 and 18 November will be the second annual Port Phillip Bay Snapper Classic competition. This is a great excuse to hit the water for the weekend, target some snapper and go head to head against other keen snapper anglers around Melbourne. I look forward to being out there. For those without boats unable to reach snapper grounds, don’t fret, there is still loads of good fishing on offer. There’s plenty of squid being caught off the piers around Mornington, as well as many bream being caught along the entrance of the Yarra and Maribyrnong rivers. Grub and minnow style soft plastics are a hard choice to beat, either hopped off the bottom or slow rolled in snaggy areas. I’ve caught a very fair share of bream on the Yarra and around Werribee by kayak. For local kayak anglers, fishing has been a little slow recently. The water temperatures were sitting around 12°C, which is still very cold for this time of year. Squid have been fishing well in most areas, and inlets like the Docklands have been producing plenty of pinkies between 35-45cm. Local young gun James has still been doing well in these areas. As the water temperature rises the fishing should only get better, so expect to see more kayak anglers out on the open waters soon. For those looking to do some fishing outside of Melbourne, it’s not too late to head up towards the Goulburn. There is no denying that the opening of trout season has been nothing short of epic. Well done to Vic Fisheries for doing a tremendous job with new stocking programs that

Big squid are around at local piers. saw anglers from far and wide with a real chance of landing a trophy size trout. With seven tonnes of rainbows released around the 4kg mark, it was hard not to get caught up in the hype and many of my angling buddies around Melbourne went up for a few days. To more unfortunate news, recently a local factory in Footscray caught fire and turned into a roaring blaze. Toxic chemicals from containers located on the site and foam from firefighters entered the Yarra River, Maribyrnong River, the Warmies and Hobsons Bay. As a result, dead fish including bream, pinkies, mullet, as well as eels, birds and other marine life were found washed up on shore due to poor water conditions and low oxygen levels. Weeks on the water levels are still not quite at a safe level and the EPA have strongly advised local anglers not to eat any fish caught in these immediate areas for some time for your own health and safety. Despite the warnings, the Warmies was full of local anglers fishing the very next day, many of them with buckets full of tailor, mullet, bream and pinkies due to the

pumps recently being on. We assume many of those fish were taken home to be eaten. For now, I would strongly advise that if you’re fishing in these areas to stick to catch and release, or to look for other locations if you’re looking to take a few fish home to eat. From a fishing point of view it’s quite devastating news. We are sad to see the effects this fire has caused to ecosystems, which are already quite fragile. Government funds have recently been approved to improve water pollution in these areas, so this is a step backwards for those preparations. That’s all from me this month, but please share your recent fishing experiences around Melbourne and Port Phillip Bay so they can be added to next month’s article. Contact me by email – alan@ fishingmad.com.au. Also check out my website www. fishingmad.com.au, and social media pages Facebook – facebook.com/fishingmad. com.au, YouTube channel – youtube.com/c/fishingmad and Instagram – instagram. com/fishingmad.com.au. QR CODE

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For more information: Victorian Ports Corporation (Melbourne) Tel:more (03) 8347 8300 For information: For more information: Website: www.vicports.vic.gov.au/community-and-bay-users Victorian Victorian Ports Ports Corporation Corporation (Melbourne) (Melbourne) Tel: (03) 8347 8300 Tel: (03) 8347 8300 Website: www.vicports.vic.gov.au/community-and-bay-users

Snapper fishing heating up PORT PHILLIP NE

Wayne Friebe wfriebe@bigpond.net.au

The cold winter weather seemed to hang around well into the middle of spring this year, and just as quickly the warmer weather rolled in with its longer days and got the seasons moving again. The transformation of the seasons is a favourite time for many anglers on the bay. Most importantly, spring on PPB means only one thing, snapper! While water temperatures and general weather patterns are still a little on the cooler side, things will warm up pretty quick. At this time each year, the vast majority of us ‘Melbournian’ anglers get into a spin around the mighty snapper, and with good reason. The prediction for

this season is for one of the best snapper runs in many years, and this has lots of bay anglers very excited. There have been very positive and encouraging reports of snapper coming from both bays. In PPB, the early action has been confined to specific areas such as in the traditionally productive northern reaches of the bay, around the mouth of the Yarra, and also up into the river itself. As the water warms up, the fish will disperse further south, staying closer to reef and structure. They will move into a daily grazing pattern as they look to put on weight before they spawn in the summer months. Specifically, the Mount Eliza, Frankston and Mornington areas have all been producing some quality snapper to 7kg. Many anglers have been reporting seeing big numbers of fish on the

sounder, but patchy and tentative bite periods. The best depth at the moment seems to be 15-16m, as well as in much closer for the first and last light sessions.

ridiculous early morning starts before work, and a screaming run from a snapper at first light – it doesn’t get better than that. The land-based locations

Josh Stoll holds a brace of reds from Mornington wide.

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David Georgiou with a ripper snapper taken in 19m out from Mornington. Reports of bait anglers catching numbers of fish from the traditional wider marks is less common at present, but it is looking to improve in the coming month. Expect the snapper to load up along the eastern seaboard over the month of November, and the pre-dawn missions will be the order of the day. Chaos and long queues at the boat ramp,

along the same stretch will also fire over the next month or so, especially during and after periods of strong onshore winds. The great thing about this is, when it’s too rough to put the boat on the bay you can still get amongst the action from the bank. And it also gives anglers without a

boat a chance to get amongst the action as well. In some previous seasons, most of the larger snapper caught locally were taken by landbased snapper anglers, not from boats. Kayak and small boat anglers have also been catching when targeting smaller pinkie and schoolsized snapper around the inshore reef areas, right along from Frankston to Mount Martha. The hottest bites in the shallower areas are occuring during low light, at the start and the end of the day. While some of the smaller fish can be annoying at times, there are enough larger fish to keep anglers persistent, and you never know when the bigger snapper will strike. Fishing soft plastics and other sinking lures on the drift is the preferred technique, as

well as trolling likely areas with diving lures. This can be done effectively with a downrigger, especially when the snapper are holding a little deeper. For those anglers looking for something other than snapper over the next month, there are still big numbers of squid in the southern reaches of the bay. You can expect the local reefs will also load up with more consistent numbers as the water warms up. The inshore water clarity is very good at present, so neutral and dark coloured jigs have been best. Plenty of salmon have also been popping up in the usual areas, and with great sport and even better baits on offer, anglers have been cashing in when the schools are up. With summer whiting just around the corner, we’ve all got a lot to look forward to.

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Mike Davies proudly displays a ripper calamari from Blairgowrie.

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Reds are rampant taken off the pier over the past weeks, with any good onshore blow seeing anglers lined up for the abundant reds that move into the area to feed. While this action often slows a bit for the land-based anglers it’s still well worth getting on the pier during a good southwest blow. Out in the boats a lot of anglers are reporting that there has been some really good shallow water snapper on offer during the dawn and dusk periods, with big fish being taken off all the favourite areas such as Mentone and in the shallows off Mordialloc. Another top area that has been producing snapper is around the yellow buoy located in about 14m of water off Mordialloc. For whatever reason this area is one that snapper seem to hang around each year, and best of all it’s a top spot, with boat hire places close by. It is also worth fishing the 14-16m line that runs through Mordialloc and up past Ricketts Point. This area has lots of broken ground and blue mussel beds that tend to not only attract the snapper but also hold them there for periods of time. While it is a top area for bait fishing, it is also a very productive part of the bay for lure fishing, with a lot of anglers having great

PORT PHILLIP EAST

Lee Rayner info@fishingfever.com.au

The start of October saw us with some mixed weather that ranged from cold southwest blows to warm clear days, and one thing that was apparent was a distinct lack of rain during September that saw the bay become super clear through October. This was great for the squid and garfish anglers, while on the snapper front the fishing got better and more wide spread as the month rolled along. November is the month that all red-blooded snapper anglers really hang out for each year, as the coming weeks will produce the best fishing for the season. If the reports so far are anything to go by then this month should be a good one. MORDIALLOC TO BLACK ROCK This is the time to be getting yourself out in search of a big land-based snapper and one of the prime areas to start looking for them is off Mordialloc Pier and the beach up off Parkdale and Mentone. Good numbers of pinkies and big snapper have been

success on soft plastics and small metal jigs. On the bait front, the good old pilchard has been catching plenty as it always does, but as the water warms this month the silver whiting will really start to play a big part in anglers’ success, especially on the bigger snapper. While there are already good reports of snapper coming from the deeper water areas of the bay, this month will see locations such as the Gasso and up along the edge of the shipping channel really fire up with numbers of 2-4kg snapper as they school up through these areas. When fishing in these areas you won’t find a lot of structure on the bottom, but there is heaps of bait in the area. Personally, if I can mark a few fish I will definitely stop, but if not I like to find a bit of bait near the bottom, and if I mark one or two fish nearby, I’ll anchor up and get the berley going, as quite often there will be a few fish in the area. SANDRINGHAM TO ST KILDA This area has been a standout over the past few weeks with loads of snapper being taken through this part of the bay.

It’s still well worth getting on the Mordialloc Pier during a good southwest blow. Land-based anglers have been getting big numbers of snapper through this area for weeks, and best of all, it’s not just about being on the Brighton Breakwall or the Rock Groynes at Hampton. In saying that, they have performing well as usual, but we have also received several great reports from anglers fishing off the nearby rocky shoreline and even on the sand and catching good numbers of big snapper when it’s rough. Out a bit wider, boat anglers have had success for bigger fish in the 4-7kg bracket during the dawn period between the Anonyma Shoal and further north along that line. However, if it’s numbers you’re after, than the edge of the shipping channel from T1 up to the Fawkner Beacon has held schools of fish in big numbers, and this month should see some red-hot fishing during the afternoons and into the evenings.

Up off North Road and towards St Kilda Marina, the shallow reef areas here are the place to find big snapper at night, often with big numbers of 4-8kg fish moving into these areas at night to feed on the heavy reef bottom that runs through here. In this area it’s all about stealth, as you’re generally fishing in 4-6m of water. Keeping quiet and fishing unweighted baits are the keys to getting good fish and having stacks of fun. ST KILDA TO PORT MELBOURNE It never ceases to amaze me the way this part of the bay keeps producing big fish, and the past month has been no different with several 10kg fish being taken up in this area. The Breakwall at St Kilda has been producing good reds in this rough weather, with a lot of boat anglers fishing in close proximity to it and having good results on some

very solid runs of snapper. While they have been dong that, the land-based fishers are getting their share off Kerford Road, Lagoon and Station piers. Out wider the bigger numbers of fish are to be found around the edge of the channel, with up at the Fawkner Beacon producing the goods of an afternoon. For those anglers who like to stay out at night, moving back towards the shore is producing as they move into the shallower water at night to feed. It is then a matter of repeating the process in reverse pre-dawn and into the morning. If you’re looking for another area to fish, then it’s also well worth fishing the area around both sides of Princess Pier this month, especially in close to the shore in 4-8m of water. Have fun this month and I hope you all get a bunch of snapper.

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Get ready to hook up MORNINGTON PENINSULA

Julian Frank

It’s that time of year yet again! Snapper season is here, whiting have shown up locally and all our bread and butter favourites are readily available. We are finally back to daylight saving hours, so enjoy the extra sunlight guys. Let’s hope this season will be a cracker.

There will be plenty of fishing options over the next month so make the most of it. MOUNT MARTHA Now is the time to be hitting the water in search of good reds. There are plenty of fish to report being caught throughout the area, fishing between 16m out to the Mount Martha spoil grounds and back up towards Mornington. Fishing the hospital marks in 16m

and 20m has seen anglers catching plenty of fish. There has been good numbers of squid and yakka caught from the rocks around Bradford Road and the Mussel Farm, all of which have been prime baits for our local snapper. Some reports of whiting have been circulating of those fishing from a boat and land-based. Those of you who have marks in the area or know it well should see some good results.

Shane Beel with a lovely gummy.

Ben Argentino caught this beauty fishing off Rosebud.

ROSEBUD The pier at night is good for calamari. Occasionally schools of tommy ruff have also been spotted feeding under the lights. Reports of garfish have been regular, but nothing of great size as yet, however once the water warms we will hopefully see some bigger specimens. Fishing Rosebud Reef for snapper and pinkies can see you catching specimens up to 2kg on a regular basis, as well as good table size gummy sharks and amongst other things some excellent flathead and whiting.

moorings has been fishing really well for squid. There are still a few bigger models around but we are seeing a lot more smaller to mid-size mantels hauled in. The salmon schools have dissipated slightly but there are still fish being caught. It’s a great time of year to be out with some of the lighter tackle chasing flathead on the sand flats, particularly with the water starting to warm up. A good jerkbait style lure or minnow will go a long way and if you’re a soft plastic enthusiast the fatties just

An excellent mixed bag taken by Joshua Natoli.

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RYE The whiting have been fishing well out on the Pinnace ground and back inshore around the White Lady. The outgoing tide is the best bite time for these areas and using pipis and fresh squid has been best for baits. Plenty of smaller squid are being caught off the Rye Pier. If you want to fish baits try for some of the more desirable flathead and larger salmon that often cruise by early mornings. A few flounder reports haven’t gone astray either, over the last couple of weeks there has been a number of people out spearing for them and seeing a few good size fish between the yacht club and the pier. BLARIGOWRIE TO PORTSEA All throughout the

can’t resist. Over the Symonds Channel has been fishing well for gummy and the occasional snapper moving through. Other sharks have also been reported, with some very long, hard fights described by a few anglers of late, all who were busted or bitten off shortly after hook set. At Portsea Pier you can expect to see some good whiting in the evenings now. Strips of squid are generally the better bait. Big garfish are often caught as well, usually during the morning period. Some schools of salmon have been moving around the pier with one angler mentioning a juvenile kingfish he hooked up to but unfortunately busted off on. OFFSHORE Most of the reefs are fishing well for snapper. Out the back of Sorrento we have had reports of big gummy, a couple of smaller makos while bringing up flathead and there’s still plenty of salmon being caught from the beaches.

Young Billy Edwards with a couple of ripper fish taken off Blairgowrie.

Getting chummy with some PPB gummy PPB OFFSHORE

Gerry Morsman

With the water temperature still not quite warm enough for the huge schools of snapper and whiting to enter our bays, the offshore fishing is the perfect option with successful catch rates on several different species. In saying that, I am still seeing some great reports of snapper in the bays but for the amount of boats getting out there and targeting them I wouldn’t go as far as saying the snapper are in. As for whiting, there are good numbers starting to show up in the lower reaches of the bays like Portsea, Sorrento and Flinders. As we all know offshore fishing is a very weather dependant option, so picking the right days to do this is crucial. There are three options to getting out from either Port Phillip Bay or Western Port Bay. To get out from PPB you will have to navigate your way through what is known as ‘The Rip’. This is known as the second most dangerous piece of water in

the southern hemisphere, so knowing what you are doing isn’t just important, it’s a must. Even the most experienced skippers will most likely have a story of when they had a close call, so seriously do your homework before heading out through The Rip. Western Port Bay has two options, and one is definitely safer than the other and that is the eastern entrance. The bridge to Phillip Island is where this is located, but it’s still an entrance, so check the weather and swell. The third option is the western entrance and this place can get pretty dodgy even on the best of days. I’ve seen waves stand up out of nowhere mainly on a run-out tide. When you have a run-out tide and a decent swell coming in against it you can be up for a pretty bad time, so just be aware of this. GUMMY SHARKS Gummy are once again the flavour of the month, with anglers coming home with a feed of flake on a regular basis. Fishing the reefs in around 30-35m of water is ideal at the moment, and the best thing

about fishing these reefs is that you can catch your baits in the same spot you are targeting your gummy. Because you will be anchored up and berleying, all you have to do is drop down a paternoster rig with a small squid strip, just

like you are fishing for whiting. Do this and you will be sure to get yourself onto parrotfish and barbers perch, which are ideal bait for gummy sharks when fishing offshore. There are a couple of reasons why these baits

Using fresh parrotfish for bait is ideal when fishing offshore.

tend to do better than your usual baits (like squid, salmon and trevally) and that’s because the pickers like parrotfish themselves won’t attack your baits, and by sitting there a lot longer. It allows you to hopefully get that fish of a lifetime. Another reason is that bait like salmon and trevally are very oily, which is great for places like Western Port and Port Phillip Bay, but when you are offshore there can be huge amount of seven-gilled sharks that can really ruin a days gummy shark fishing. They easily get lured in by the smelly oily bait and even though some love to target the seven-gillers, it can get quite frustrating when trying to hook up to a gummy shark. Barwon Heads has some great ground, but you are usually looking in water to around 40-45m, which is actually a little deeper than usual when trying to target a gummy, but it has been proven to be a hotspot lately. There is great ground all the way from Seal Rock to Pyramid Rock in around 30-35m of water and that is a more typical depth when targeting flake offshore.

Another successful way of targeting them is on the drift, which has become my favourite way of doing it. I feel you cover a lot more ground, but my thoughts may change again soon after I fail and think about what I’m doing wrong like every other angler, but this is definitely my favourite way at the moment. When drifting I suggest being on sandy/rubbly ground to minimize getting snagged. If you can find a ledge where the tide will push food against it that is even better. From recent reports gummy shark have been out as deep as 50-60m and this is the perfect depth for school shark. Trust me, you will know if you have hooked one of those steam trains, and if you do get ready for an epic battle. SQUID Running a close second for flavour of the month, who can go past a fresh plate of calamari? There are so many ways of cooking up a feast of these inky creatures and there are also plenty of ways to target them at the moment, because they are literally everywhere over the reefs in around 30m of water.

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When I target them in the bays I usually like to fish in around 5m, so it seems kind of crazy to be targeting them in such depths but I’m telling you, they are there. Julian Rennie from Port Phillip Bay Snapper Classic has been smacking the big calamari. He drops a paternoster style rig with a squid jig over the reefs while targeting gummy sharks and has been cleaning up with huge squid. He anchors up and leaves the squid jig just off the bottom, and the rocking of the boat while the rod is in the rod holder is enough to lure these big squid in to eating the jig. Another way is to do the exact same thing, but while on the drift. This allows you to cover a larger amount of ground. SNAPPER Now is a great time to target snapper offshore, as there will be big schools sitting on the reefs waiting to enter the bays in order to do their big spawn runs, and that is something I am a little too excited for. Just like in the bays you can sound over reefs looking for those big arches on the screen. You may find that they are stacked close together, which isn’t ideal as this means they aren’t feeding. But when putting a fresh bait in front of their face there is usually one greedy one that can’t help itself, kind of like the guy that takes advantage of free

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BOATING IN A SEA JAY 490 CRUSADER alcohol at a party. It’s hard to give you an exact location as they tend to move from reef to reef, but I can say Barwon Heads has been great. FLATHEAD I love a flatty tail just as much as the next angler, and fishing offshore is the best place to target a bag. Cape Woolamai is a real hotspot for fish averaging around 40cm and there are plenty of bigger models lurking around. Try drifting in around 30m of water in this area using a paternoster and a squid strip as bait and I can nearly guarantee you will be on to a few cracking flatties. Another way is to drive your boat out into depths of around 50-70m of water on sandy ground and apply the same tactics. Areas for this method aren’t crucial because the floors of the offshore sandy ground are covered with flathead. KINGFISH The exciting stuff is still yet to come, with the mightiest of all fish not far away from entering our local waters. The Rip (Port Phillip CRUSADER Bay entrance) is a true hotspot for these kings of the sea. December is the usual time to start targeting them, but I can bet my last dollar we will start to see the odd kingy being taken very shortly.

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Snapper, whiting and calamari are about area, as well as around 100m south of Buoy 29. Of course, fishing these locations can be difficult because of the tide strength, so be prepared with varying sinker weights to be able to change up or down depending on the strength of the tide. Also keep in mind, that due to the strength of the current, baits can easily come off your hooks, especially

WESTERN PORT NTH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

I can’t believe just how quickly time flies. We are now into November, the peak month of snapper season. I guess we all better make the most of it because by the end of December the reds will begin to spawn, causing them to go off the bite in a big way. So far, the season has been nothing but excellent from my account and with reds coming in left, right and centre, it feels like you can soak a bait anywhere in the port and you’ll catch quality fish. The top end of the port has been nothing but sensational over the past few weeks and will ramp up even more this month. There are good concentrations of snapper around Joes Island, with plenty of anglers getting stuck into them. Fishing with fresh baits has been the key, especially during the last few hours of the run-out tide. Local angler John Laidley fished the Joes Island area and picked up three nice snapper ranging 4-6kg. John reported that fresh calamari was the top bait used. Other reports of snapper being caught have also been from in the Tooradin, Bouchiers and Boultins channels. Fishing these areas requires anglers to be fishing the last few hours of the tides due to the strength of the current. The reason behind fishing the last few hours of the tides is so you can get away with using 6-8oz sinkers, otherwise you could be fishing with 20oz or more just to keep your baits on the bottom. Amongst the snapper there has also been some good gummy shark captures, but most have been in the

When the water has been clear and clean, the calamari have been in very good numbers. smaller size range to 5kg. Another prime snapper location has been Long Reef, which runs from the southern side of Eagle Rock down to around Lysaghts. The area is around 17m deep and is quite

lift your confidence knowing that there are fish in the area. Just because there is a group of boats tightly packed in the one location doesn’t always mean there are a snapper there. More often than

Cross and Gentle Annie channels have been full of whiting over the past few weeks. From all reports, the top of the high tide has produced some quality fish in the high 40s, with a significant amount of fish being caught along Browns Reserve. Browns Reserve is a small bank that runs between the Tooradin Channel and Cockyanes Channel and always produces good fish. I was actually talking to an old commercial fisher recently about whiting in the top end of the port and he was telling me that he used to find that the whiting were

Flicking jigs around the weedy banks will catch the attention of a hungry calamari.

There are plenty of snapper about in the top end, you just have to fish the tides. heavy with reef structure. The current can rip through here at a rate of knots, so plan your trip according to the tide and you’ll do well. When targeting snapper, don’t just plop and drop. It is best if you use your sounder to find fish before dropping the anchor. This way you’ll

not, finding your own fish away from the crowds is a better option. Though the majority of anglers are seeking snapper at the moment, there have been a few that have already made the switch over to whiting. The Tooradin, Charring

When targeting whiting, fresh baits such as calamari strips or tentacles are dynamite.

Working the edges of the banks has also seen a fair number of whiting being caught. 34

NOVEMBER 2018

from easily coming off. The Tyabb and Quail banks have also been producing whiting, especially on banks either side of the Yaringa Channel. When the water has been clean, the fish have been going well. This area is also producing some monster calamari at this time of year. Fishing for them is best with a baited jig fished

always in greater numbers throughout November. For the larger whiting, fishing in the deep is where you’ll find them. Adjacent to the top end of the Middle Spit is always a productive

if using pipi or mussel. In this case, it is a good idea to use a cocktail bait and thread on a little piece of calamari. Calamari flesh is quite strong, and it will aid in preventing the pipi or mussel

back over the edge of the bank during the run-out tide. Of course, casting squid jigs works a treat as well, but it is shallow, so be weary of the jigs sink rate otherwise you could donate a few jigs to the bottom. If you are keen on calamari and whiting, the best locations of late have been in the top end of the port, however, fishing inside the Sandstone Channel and around the Submarine has also seen good numbers of both species being caught. The same goes for the other side of the Middle Spit. The Eastern Channel tends to fire up at this time of the year and while whiting are the main target, berleying also attract hordes of silver trevally and salmon. These tackle testers can be great fun, but if you’re fishing to lighter tackle they can bust rigs and tackle lines quickly. In this case, it pays to be fishing a paternoster rig tied from a minimum of 14lb fluorocarbon to prevent this from occurring. November is most certainly a big month with fishing options aplenty. Of course, I too am all about snapper and just can’t enough of them and why wouldn’t I be when they are about in plague proportions?

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NOVEMBER 2018

Snapper are out in full force WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

There is certainly no shortage of snapper around the southern end of the port at the moment, with anglers plucking fish from every location. Corinella is still proving to be a prime area with many fish being caught at Spit Point, Lang Lang and Corinella. Due to the discoloured water, it is recommended that oily baits are used so the fish can pick up on the scent. While

berley is recommended in some parts of the port, up here along the edges of the muddy banks you’ll tend to attract a lot of stingrays and other unwanted species, so refrain from berleying if you can. The scent from a piece of fresh calamari, trevally or salmon fillet will be enough to attract your target. Even though snapper may be on your hit list, these areas also produce plenty of gummy shark, which are a welcome by-catch. Matty Bond headed out solo around Corinella and did exceptionally catching some ripper snapper. Fresh calamari

Young Cameron Freitag headed out with David Jarman from a local charter, managing a cracking snapper from the Corinella area. Photo courtsey of T-Cat Charters.

baits did the trick while fishing the run-out tide. David Jarman from a local charter has also been doing exceptionally well in the Corinella region, putting his customers onto some very good quality fish. David reports that there is plenty of snapper about, but you have to be fishing the prime times to be successful. These have been the last few hours of the run-out tides as well as the first two hours of the flood. Land-based anglers can also get into the action fishing from Stockyard Point on a low tide or Lang Lang on the top of the high tides. Lang Lang is particularly productive through the night when the fish get up on the bank searching for food. Though it is shallow, there is still a lot of good fish to be caught. Another good land-based location that doesn’t get the notoriety it deserves is Tenby Point. While you don’t hear too much about this area these days, it is one of the most productive land-based mulloway locations to fish. Tenby Point is best fished on a high tide and even then, you’ll be just within casting range of the edge of the channel. Though it is a great location to target mulloway,

snapper and gummy sharks are also a common catch. If you are planning a trip to Tenby, it pays to fish with relatively small baits such as calamari rings or small fillets of trevally and salmon. Of course, while soaking a dead bait, you can always throw out some berley in the form of mashed up pilchards into the shallows and catch mullet and salmon. These can then be used as live baits for mulloway. Further down the port, the Elizabeth Island area has fired up in a big way with some real good quality reds. Fishing about 500m off the Island and along the bank that drops into the channel has been a good area. When Elizabeth Island fires, so does Observation Point and the Rhyll area. Local angler Matt Caterson and his son Taj have been fishing the Rhyll area with excellent success. The boys had a blinder of a session with some nice snapper being caught on fresh calamari baits. If there is one location to really focus your efforts on this month, it is no doubt the Rhyll area. There has been a stack of fish here with many in the 4-6kg range. While the depth varies, try to anchor up in 13m of water, this seems to be the

Matty Bond, known as ‘Han Solo’ himself, fished the Corinella area catching some very nice reds. Photo courtesy of Matty Bond.

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desired depth for snapper. The strength of the tide doesn’t run as hard throughout this area, so you can comfortably fish with 6-8oz sinkers. Although my focus would be on the Rhyll area throughout November, it can be hard not to fish a tide change on the northern side of Observation Point. The bank along here runs right down to Cowes and has produced some half a dozen snapper over the 20lb mark in past seasons. In fact, if my memory serves me correctly, a 12kg model was caught here back in 2010. While you don’t have to get in too shallow, I’d suggest somewhere around the 12-13m mark would be a good depth. Before dropping the anchor sound up some fish, so at least you’re confident the fish are about. Once again, keep with using fresh baits such as calamari, but as an alternative,

485 Photo courtesy of Matt Caterson.

Photo courtsey of T-Cat Charters.

chunks of garfish are the next best bait. If you are looking for something different to target this month, the Rhyll area is also well known for delivering exceptional whiting. Those who know the area focus on the Rhyll channel, which has a significant reef structure nearby. Ideally, this area is best fished during a high tide and it is advisable that berley be used to bring the fish on the bite. Paternoster rigs and extended paternoster rigs work well with pipi and mussel baits recommended. However, if you can spare some time to go and gather bass yabbies, there wouldn’t be a whiting in the port that can resist them. Another ripper whiting haunt is up on the Tortoise Head Bank. During low tide most of the bank is exposed, so don’t get up too far on the high tide or you could find yourself high and dry by the low. If you head in a

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Matt Caterson picked up some quality snapper in the Rhyll area using fresh calamari baits.

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northeasterly direction from the west cardinal marker, you should find some good ground before getting up on the bank. There are a lot of weed beds throughout this area, so if it’s a sunny day try and anchor in an area where you can see the weed and sand holes. If you get your timing right, this bank fishes best on the last two hours of the flood tide and first two hours of the ebb tide. There are also some nice calamari amongst the weed, so it can pay to flick a squid jig about while waiting for the whiting to bite. Typically, November is a month for snapper, so no doubt the majority of anglers will be targeting them. Sometimes it can be frustrating when you’re choosing a location to fish, but as previously mentioned, the Rhyll area has been a standout in recent weeks and will continue to produce quality fish right up and well into December.

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Young Taj Caterson had a blinder of a session with his dad, managing to land this quality red. Photo courtesy of Matt Caterson.

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It’s now time to jig for a squid PHILLIP ISLAND

Craig Edmonds

November in Victoria means one thing for many, a 4 day weekend for the Melbourne Cup, but for those with fishing businesses, it means the start of the business season. While September and October are steady for business and reports, it’s cup weekend when fishing season really starts. It also helps that we are into daylight savings and the temperature has started to climb, making it a bit easier first thing in the mornings. Snapper reports are

steady now and the areas they are being caught are getting bigger as well, with snapper starting to move around and get ready for the spawning phase of their visit. The reports are indicating better sizes, and this early season we have already seen a mixture and not just the normal big fish. The best of the snapper reports from the boats are coming from those fishing the tides very early or late in the day, while on the land the best has been change of low tide from Newhaven Jetty, day and night. For Cowes the snapper reports have come from after dark on the high tide changes. There are still good

snapper around Spit Point and the fingers, you just need to battle 200 other boats for a piece of real estate. If you prefer it a bit quieter, head further down the bay towards Rhyll and sound where you will find smaller schools sitting on patches of structure. It’s a little early for them to be on the mud in the real shallows and you will need to be looking for water 6m+ in depth. Those who have fished offshore over the winter were finding snapper on the reefs towards Kilcunda, and they are still there with a lot more of the smaller ones moving in. The whiting season is looking to be a much better one so far, with not only

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some very good reports already, but it’s the type of reports coming in. Last season was very ordinary and the whiting were difficult to find, especially late season and from Easter on there was virtually none. It’s the couple of seasons before where all we saw was big whiting, and if you didn’t get a box of 40cm fish you were doing something wrong. While that was good, we didn’t see any small whiting and remembering back we didn’t have an undersized one reported for at least 12 months, which probably lead to a shortage of them last year. Whatever the reason last year, so far, we are seeing a good mix of all sizes that will only help the numbers over the next couple of seasons. The smaller ones are in the top end of the bay towards Reef Island and Bass River, and then further down into Dickies Bay you start to find the best of them under the bridge in Cleeland Bight. Calamari reports started slow in the spring, but the water was that stirred up over winter and early spring that it was almost impossible to keep your jigs weed free. It was frustrating fishing off the jetties because you could often see them in the water but every time you dropped the jig in the water the weed got to it before the calamari. Once the weather settled and the weed disappeared the big calamari showed up and we saw some of the biggest calamari we have seen in our time in the shop. There haven’t been too many small ones around and those caught have been plenty for bait and a feed. The jetties have been quieter than the beaches with the beach in Cleeland

Greg with a 54cm hood-length squid. At 46cm wide, this calamari pulled the scales down to 4.63kg. Bight outshining the rest. Ventnor Beach has been surprisingly quiet, and we have only seen a handful of reports. San Remo Jetty is normally the best jetty, but reports have come from all the jetties now people are actually fishing for them. Boats and kayaks are faring the best, as they always are in Cleeland Bight, all the way from the public moorings to the entrance. Attention will soon shift to offshore, which generally will mean we’ll have mixed bags of keeper fish reported. For those new to offshore fishing, you will soon realize that the only fish you might not bring home is the one you actually went to target. Anything and everything is possible and that’s the best part of fishing offshore. Something that is often forgotten when fishing offshore is you don’t need

There have been regular reports of solid fish coming in from most parts of the bay. 38

NOVEMBER 2018

to be 100 miles out to find a feed of fish. Most of the structure and reef you need to fish on is in reasonably close for 80% of all the reports we get, even the tuna when here are caught within 5km of the beach. With the busy season ahead, we can expect some crazy days at the boat ramps. While there has been plenty of conversation lately regarding the inadequate boat ramps around Victoria and the lack of funding to improve them, for now they are what they are and if we want to fish we just have to put up with them until something changes. Ramp rage is the catch cry of the campaign to get more funding and while it has a slightly different meaning in the campaign, rage at the ramps is real and the poor facilities help to create the frustration. The problem is the arguments are caused more by impatient or inconsiderate boat owners than anything else. Inconsiderate people, load your boat as soon as possible, park it out of the way, then go back and clean your fish. Don’t leave your boat tied up at the ramp while you are at the cutting table. Be ready to launch your boat as soon as you are at the front of the line, don’t just sit in your car and get it ready at the top of the ramp. If you aren’t ready, wave the next person around to keep things flowing. Impatient boaters, you should get in or out of the water by helping the person that is struggling, rather than hurling a barrage of abuse. It always makes me laugh that people can sit in the boat patiently for hours not catching fish, but get back to the ramp and if they aren’t loaded in five minutes the patience goes out the window.

Waiting for that warmer weather to come LAKES ENTRANCE

Steven Pryke

Throughout spring the Gippsland lakes have continued to warm, yet the fish have not. The lower end of the lake, around Lakes Entrance and Metung, has become extremely hit and miss with schools of fish simply disappearing. LAKES ENTRANCE The lower lakes are

consistently changing – with fish there one minute and gone the next. The main town wharf has been rather quiet. Our local beaches have been the highlight. Close to town, anglers have reasonably consistent success chasing Australian salmon, and areas such as Eastern Beach and Lake Bunga have been producing the odd fish pushing the kilo mark. Anglers have mostly targeted these fish spinning

with small metal lures. LAKE TYERS With the winter blues hanging on, it raises the question of whether the lake has warmed up enough for a decent fishing session. This never-ending chill has presented a challenge for bream and other species, and makes it hard for anglers to find consistent patterns. Areas such as Devils Hole and Ironstone Creek have begun to hold some bream

Quality yellowfin bream are still around, but their high mobility makes them hard to track down.

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along the edges. With the increasing temperature this should form into a consistent pattern, especially later in the day when the water is at its warmest. Small crankbaits have been producing, and a consistent slow roll has turned unsure fish into landed ones. Personally, a key has been using ultrathin treble hooks. Ultralight gauge hooks hook up so much easiler. The only worry is because they’re

ultra-thin they do bend easy, so light drags are a must when using then. The barnacle covered snags of the Nowa Nowa Arm have begun to show some consistent form, with bream slowly beginning to make their way up to the shallower areas and have commonly been seem crushing barnacles off the snags on the glassy days. Small un-weighted soft plastics have been deadly, with small creature baits

being the most productive, especially when matched to a un-weighted worm hook, allowing access to the most dangerous snags. HAVE YOU BEEN FISHING? If you have been out for a fish lately and have a great pic, please send it to stevenprykefishing@gmail. com with a short description and you could be in the next edition of Vic & Tas Fishing Monthly.

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MELBOURNE

Mitch Chapman

If it’s the prized ghost of the estuary you are after, better known as mulloway, then the Glenelg River is at the top of everyone’s list. About 5 hours from Melbourne is one of the most picturesque estuaries the country has to offer. With abundant numbers of mulloway as the main attraction, the bream and EP fishing is also up there as some of the best. If it’s lure fishing you like, then it’s to the Glenelg you must go. PRIME TIME Winter is the prime time to chase mulloway in the river systems. The fish enter the system from the ocean (if

the boat at walking pace is one of the old school ways, and is a method a lot of anglers still use down there today when targeting mulloway. Bream fishing with a light leader of 4-6lb is deadly also, as bream at the best of times can be super spooky and wary of their surroundings. So, the lighter the better for them. BAIT AND LURES The most effective way to target mulloway when lure fishing is to bump vibes/ blades or plastics along the bottom. Small Ecogear VX 40s and 45s are a go to lure, and 4” paddle-tails are my favourite plastics. Bream love a blade fished with short, sharp hops, the same way you would a plastic. Lightly weighted plastics skip casted back into the

form of structure, whether it be snags, rock walls or dropoffs. Also pay close attention to your sounder. Big schools of bream and perch can be easily found, making fishing much easier. Don’t be surprised when targeting bream and perch along the edges if a mulloway comes along and takes your lure. At first you’ll think it’s a bream, but it doesn’t take long to realise that the head shakes and long runs are of the next level. MOTHER NATURE Watch out for kangaroos if driving from Portland through to Nelson, especially at night. They are everywhere and if hit at speed they can do some serious damage. I know from experience. Keep your eyes peeled.

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Marlon Blackford with a cracking mulloway caught from his kayak on a vibe. This was his first ever mulloway, but not his last as he bullied a few more on a recent trip with his dad. the mouth is open) in search of food, gorging themselves on the abundant salmon and mullet in the lower part of the system. They school up in big numbers, especially after big rains, and catches of 10+ fish a session are not uncommon. Bream fishing is red hot in the warmer months when they like to cruise around on the flats down the front and mooch around the never ending cliff faces that line the river. Sight fishing along the cliffs is one of the best styles of fishing you can do. Winter can also be good fishing as the bream school up in the middle of the river getting ready to do their thing, where cricket score tallies of fish can be had. THE GEAR A typical 2-4kg spin outfit is more than enough when fishing the river for the three main species, and is a good choice when you don’t have a specific target. However, if it’s mulloway you are chasing then you can always bump it up to something slightly heavier with a bit more pulling power, as there are some very large fish over 50lb in the system. THE RIG Live mullet or salmon under a float or trolled behind

shadows are deadly and a good one to use are pink grubs fished on a worm hook twitched across the surface. Watching a 1kg+ bream come out from the shadows and slurp down your plastic off the top is one of the best visual ways to fish and something you won’t be forgetting. BEST METHOD Cast parallel along the banks when working artificials and always look to cast at some

HOT TIP As I mentioned before, you should keep a close eye on the sounder – especially when you’re targeting mulloway. The fish can school up pretty thick at times, especially after rain, so when you find a school of fish, keep working them until you trigger one to bite. One bite can sometimes turn the whole school on, making for some A grade fishing at any level.

The eye of a predator. The mulloway is simply stunning up close. NOVEMBER 2018

Bream are coming on the bite GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

Positive bream reports are starting to trickle in now, and I’m hoping that trend continues. As expected, the rivers are now holding the greatest numbers of bream with the Nicho and Mitchell fishing

interesting lure techniques for tricking the bream. “Our first stop was the Mitchell. We tried a few banks as we headed up the river, but it wasn’t until we went past The Cut that firstly the presence of a number of boats, but secondly the sounder lighting up told us that the fish were there. We asked the guy in the boat next to us how he was going, and he had been

oil on a 3/32oz Jigman Worm nose jighead with a drop of superglue. Very slow lifts and drops on the deep rocky edges were soon catching some nice 36-39cm Gippsland black bream. It’s just a pity that we had to get in the car and head back to Melbourne. Definitely a great day.” FLATHEAD TIME Right now is when we start to really celebrate the late spring or early summer awakening of the Gippy Lakes dusky flathead. For the best results you really want to concentrate on areas like Metung, Nungurner, up in

the North Arm and Kalimna. Try the shallow water early morning and then move out into the depths as the sun rises, and don’t be surprised if the bite stops towards lunchtime. Historically, the really large female flatties up to 80cm and bigger are caught from now through to the end of January. If you’re serious about chasing really big flathead then you have to upsize your lures or use big live baits. Plastics between 4-6” are the go, especially when fished on 1/4 or even 1/2oz jigheads to work the deeper areas thoroughly. I’m always surprised

A pair of cracking river black bream that Blair Bryant tricked with a soft plastic grub.

This is the sort of picture lure anglers love to see on the sounder – bream fully stacked in deep water ready to attack blades or soft plastic lures! best. There’s still big mullet around, but they are starting spread out. The pinkie snapper and dusky flathead will now start waking up ready for the warmer months ahead. There’s a lot to look forward to over the next month, and I’ve got plenty of tips on where to start looking. First up, I want to share with you a terrific story and a few pictures sent to me by a very keen husband and wife angling team. BIG BREAM SCHOOLED UP Here’s a ripper bream report from Blair and Nikki Bryant. Here’s the report they sent to me. Take note of their

there all morning and hadn’t turned a reel on sandworm and spider crab. First cast with a Hurricane Vibz 37 in the ever reliable black magic and Nikki was on with a 29cm bream. It wasn’t a fish a cast, but we managed to catch a nice number of fish all around that size. The technique we used was either to leave the blade on the bottom and they would pick it up, or burn it through the school and get that reaction bite. We decided to head back to the Nicho at about 4:30pm where we had launched earlier that day. We headed upstream working the edges with a 2.5” ZMan GrubZ in motor

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Nikki Bryant with two superb Gippy Lakes bream from the Nicholson River.

BEMM RIVER

Robyn Sturgess

Spring is always a great time to head to Bemm River and enjoy some productive fishing and relaxation time. The bream have been active at the river mouth and also near the entrance

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lakes will be thick with piles of juvenile snapper as the water warms up. As usual, they will turn up around the Nungurner and Metung area and most of them will probably be around 25cm, but last summer we found schools of much bigger pinkies to 50cm and they make a welcome addition to the days tally and the dinner plate at home. For those keen to try for even bigger snapper to 65cm and over, anchor up down near Kalimna and work large baits an hour each side of the tide changes. A few locals get the biggest snapper there at night time, and not many people are aware of just how good of a snapper fishery the eastern area of the lakes can be.

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how huge flathead will totally ignore smaller plastics, hardbodies or blades, but when you fish the same area with much bigger lures they wake up and attack aggressively. You will also be shocked at how even small flathead around 40cm will take on big lures. Live baits like mullet, garfish or even small tailor are also very deadly on big flathead, so if you have always wanted to explore this sort of fishing for monster dusky flathead, it’s now time to get serious! The great thing about using live fish for bait at this time of year is that you could also hook a surprise mulloway or kingfish. PINKIE SNAPPER I’m pretty sure that once again the lower section of the

to Mud Lake. The preferred bait is sandworm and, as the entrance remains closed, local sandworm is readily available at the bait and tackle shop. The status of the entrance has been changing regularly, so it would always be recommended to phone your accommodation provider or the bait and tackle store to gain the precise information, especially if you want to use sandworm. Land-based anglers have enjoyed good fishing along the river at the fishing platforms by catching quality bream around the 32cm mark. Please be vigilant for snakes in these areas. The water level is rising, so most of your favourite locations will be easily accessible by boat. The channel seems to be a

preferred location for a lot of anglers who are targeting flathead and luderick. The surf is still producing nice salmon and tailor. • For on the spot and up to date fishing reports check out Robyn’s website: www.

bemmaccommodation. com.au or ‘like’ us on Facebook – Bemm River Holiday Accommodation Phone: (03) 5158 4233/ Mob. 0427 584 233 Email: bemmaccomm@ bigpond.com.

Some good catches of bream have been reported.

Let’s go get some gummy MARLO

Jim McClymont mcclymont@net-tech.com.au

The trout season opened last month and for some local anglers it was a very successful opening. Local angler Ned Rickard caught two brown trout, both weighing over 1.8kg, while fishing the Brodribb River. Another local angler, Bluey Cummins, caught a beauty weighing over 3.5kg also fishing the Brodribb on opening morning. Anglers fishing the tidal part of the rivers have had mixed fortunes, with some anglers getting good-size bream, while other are finding the fishing very slow. There

Offshore is heating up with gummy sharks. have been other reports of anglers getting good captures of estuary perch fishing the structures in the Brodribb

River, either using lures or drifting unweighted sandworm down with the current. There are a few reports

of luderick being taken from the rock groins that surround the islands and along the riverbanks using sandworm. Salmon and tailor are still being caught down towards the entrance while it remains open. Along with salmon and tailor, many good catches of yellow-eye mullet have been taken from the entrance all the way up to Lake Corringle and Lake Curlip, caught mostly on sandworm. As always, the surf beaches are fishing well with plenty of salmon, tailor and flathead. Anglers have reported gummy shark beginning to show up in good numbers, making it an exciting time for the anglers prepared to go out in the evening to fish for them. Fishing offshore from Cape

A haul of flathead with a gummy mixed in. Conran has resulted in some great captures of flathead and gummy shark as well as other

species like salmon, pinkie snapper, morwong, gurnard, barracouta and shark.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Creating a Gippsland Lakes Recreational Fishing Reserve The Gippsland Lakes is the largest estuary in Australia and covers an area of 384m2 consisting of temperate lakes, lagoons and Ramsar Internationally listed wetlands. Standing on the top of the Lakes Entrance Lookout any observer would think it should be a fishing paradise. It was once, but not anymore. The Gippsland Lakes fishery has been a source of conflict between commercial and recreational fishers since the 1860s. The abundance of the fishery, which included estuary perch, luderick up to 2.25kg, Australian bass and dusky flathead did however enable commercial harvesting to co-exist with the recreational sector, for a time. However as fish stocks declined many commercial netting licences were given up or bought back during voluntary acquisition schemes. The decline became more evident at the beginning of this century, in particular for the highly valued black bream. Estuary perch and Australian bass are now rarely seen and the commercial catch of dusky flathead has flatlined. In 1984-85, the commercial catch of black bream was 484 tonnes, since then there has been a steady decline to an all time low in 2017-18 of only 13 tonnes. The decline in the commercial black bream catch has been partially attributed to a decline in catch per unit effort (CPUE) from a reduction in commercial licences from 38 in 1987 to the current 10 in 2012. However, since 2010-11 the CPUE of black bream in the Gippsland Lakes fishery has declined from 8kg per kilometre of

net per hour (kg/km/hr) to 1kg/ km/hr. The recreational catch for the same period (Angler Diary Program) is about 1 legal fish every 5 hours. Lake Tyers by comparison has a rate of 3 legal fish per hour. The 2017 Victorian fish stock report still classified black bream stocks in the Gippsland Lakes as “low but sustainable.” In 1995-96 when the commercial catch of black bream dropped from 130 tonnes to 89 tonnes the government of the day declared it a “crisis” with temporary changes to legal size and an introduction of quotas and recreational bag limits. We now have a commercial catch averaging around 40 tonnes over the past 15 years with no significant action from Victorian Fisheries management. There is a generation of anglers who have only known the Gippsland Lakes black bream fishery to be ‘sustainably low’. Black bream are a slow growing fish and major recruitments are no longer as frequent in these waters. Since the permanent opening of the Entrance in 1889 (with further deepening in 2008) tidal flows have increased into the Lakes with correspondingly reduced freshwater inflows. Black bream, which once would have spawned throughout the Lakes, now migrate up the Mitchell, Tambo and Nicholson River, following the salt wedge to find the right conditions to spawn. Larvae then need to have sufficient food sources and protection from predators to survive. Our campaign to end commercial netting in the Gippsland Lakes is a starting point to restore the Gippsland Lakes fishery to some semblance of the abundance seen in the 1980s and 90s with a flow-on benefit to the many towns that surround

this large body of water. What started as a grass roots campaign now has the support of VR Fish and the FutureFish Foundation. Save Our Lakes, No Nets Gippy Lakes and the Gippsland Angling Clubs Association, have formed the Gippsland Lakes Recreational Fishing Alliance. The Alliance is advocating cancellation of the 10 remaining commercial licences with fair compensation, a reduction in recreational anglers bag/ possession limits to 5 black bream, a review to slot limits to protect larger breeding females and mandatory catch and release for all tournaments and promotions for club competitions. The Lakes should get the benefit of aggressive restocking programs occurring in other areas of Victoria under ‘Target One Million’, especially for iconic species, black bream, estuary perch, Australian bass and dusky flathead. We need more enforcement officers and education through programs such as Fishcare. We have asked both sides of government to consider re-establishing the Bullock Island hatchery, both to grow fish for the Lakes and to create jobs. The Gippsland Lakes needs a holistic, whole of system, independent ecological review (last conducted in 1998 by the CSIRO). One governing body should then be established to enact recommendations from such a review and monitor outcomes. There should be a continued commitment to research into the health of the Lakes and all the species that depend on them for survival, including our native fish. Commercial netting by itself cannot be held responsible for the decline in this fishery, it cannot however continue if stocks

of black bream, estuary perch, Australian bass and dusky flathead are to recover significantly, especially if this is assisted by restocking. HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT THE CAMPAIGN? We have a petition on change.org.au and a

MILDURA LUCKNOW WARRNAMBOOL BENDIGO SHEPPARTON TRARALGON WILLIAMSTOWN WODONGA -

Facebook presence to keep people up to date. Just google, It’s time to end commercialnetting in the Gippsland Lakes or you can donate (details on the Facebook site).On November 4th we will be holding a family friendly rally on the foreshore at Paynesville from

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NOVEMBER 2018

Bottom bouncing brigade really benefiting MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson

Merimbula has received some much-needed rain over recent weeks, which has been handy, but we do require a lot more before summer sets in. The

has really peaked with some big flathead upwards of 83cm being caught. These bigger fish have succumbed to larger soft plastics fished in the deeper water of 6-8m, with the southern part of the lake fishing best. Look for the points that have ribbon weed on them and

With summer coming along it’s time to take the family fishing once again. local estuaries are crystal clear and still quite cold at present, so some run-off from the rain will certainly help and put some colour back into the water. The top lake at Merimbula

concentrate your efforts in these same areas. With the water still quite cool at 16°C, make sure you slow your presentation down and be prepared for a lot of the bites when you lift the lure

up. You will feel weight here or the slightest resistance, if you do, just strike to set the hook. You will be pleasantly surprised as to how many flathead bite like this in coldish water. Other species that can be expected include trevally, bream, legal snapper and flounder, particularly when using smaller softies or even blades. Closer to the entrance in the main channel, on the eastern side of the bridge, there are plenty of blackfish, trevally, mullet and even some nice flatties to be had. Anglers using soft plastics have fared best, but the bait crew have also done okay on Hawkesbury prawns and striped tuna cubes. I’d expect the action to only get better as we head into summer. Offshore, the new artificial reef is now in place. It is almost due southeast off Long Point, or about 1.6km from the point. I haven’t got the marks yet, but when I do I will let you know. This will be great in the long run, especially for the bottom bouncing brigade with snapper, morwong and hopefully big kingfish making it home. The kings is what everyone is hoping for, as it will hold these fish as

they move around from Long Point to Haycock and even down to Eden. It will hold plenty of bait and I expect the new reef to be a huge success over time. For those after a feed, the last few weeks has been tougher for flatties, the fish that have been caught were deeper in 50m and more. What is good at the moment is the amount of snapper getting caught, not big fish but plenty of eaters around the 1kg mark. Anglers using bait and micro jigs have fared best with Lennards Island, Haycock and White-Cliffs north of us all producing at times. Further offshore it has

A solid snapper that is above average for this neck of the woods. been tough, the water is around 18°C with not much life in it. There has been the odd albacore and mako about, but no yellowfin and

A cracking 49cm bream. They don’t get much bigger than that. This one was released in great condition.

certainly too cold for marlin this early in the season. Hopefully it will change and we have better news next month. Off the stones there have been plenty of sharks caught, with a mate of mine getting three in the middle of the day. They were all bronze whalers with the best at an estimate of 150kg, and they were all released. The boys paddled their baits out a couple hundred meters and said they lost a few. These sharks are always there you just have to fish for them to get the results. The ledge at Tura Head has seen some big salmon taken on shiners with a

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NOVEMBER 2018

To page 45

NSW South Coast

Fantastic flathead fishing leading up to summer NAROOMA

Stuart Hindson

We have finally seen some rain over the last few weeks, which is great to see, but it would be beneficial for the estuaries to get another 250-300mm over a short

imitation soft plastics fished tight amongst the structure. Not every snag has fish on it, so moving about until you locate feeding fish is certainly the go. The fish are averaging 33-34cm, not huge but still a lot of fun, with the odd better model upwards of 42cm. You can expect a few

will be eager to feed. The main problem you’ll have is getting to them. It is shallow, so care must be taken and you will have to work with the tides or you will be stranded. Further downstream the river section below the highway bridge has seen some good whiting taken

This flatty was released in super condition. period and give them the proper flush out that they desperately need. The upper reaches of the Tuross River has fished quite well of late, with the snags producing some solid EP, mainly on smaller prawn From page 44

few rat kings around the 70cm mark. I know a few anglers have seen bigger kings on the surface, but they haven’t been feeding and are very hard to entice. Maybe a few more degrees of water temp might make the difference. Only time will tell. For the eaters there are plenty of drummer about, with Short Point being the pick. Better baits are cunjevoi and cabbage weed, with a few of the blacks pushing 2kg, solid fish and great eating.

black bream mixed in with them and if you can get your boat above snake flat then bass certainly become an option. November is a great month to target them and with plenty of hatches already happening they On the beaches there are plenty of salmon about, though they’re not big with the average at 1kg or slightly better. They’re responding well to poppers and smaller metal shiners, with Tura Main certainly as the pick of the beaches at the minute. The northern end has some cracking gutters close to shore that are worth a look. On Merimbula Main more whiting are about with a few bream too. Anglers using worms and pipi are getting a feed, with the flooding tide in the afternoons being prime time.

by anglers fishing live worms and nippers. Some of these fish are elbow slappers with fish to 43cm, which are crackers for this neck of the woods. With the weather warming up surface presentations like walk baits and poppers will come into their own and this section of river near the island is a gun place to start early in the season. If you’re after some flatties look for the slightly deeper depressions and concentrate your efforts here with mid-range fish style soft plastics catching plenty. There are always fish to be caught along the river early in the season. Down in the main basin the deeper sections near the boatshed will see some mulloway and bigger flathead play the game. I’d be concentrating in that 6-8m range, with bigger

lures fished slow on the draining tide for best results. Wagonga Inlet this month is the start of it all with the main basin as the best area to fish. Look for the whitebait schools and fish around them accordingly, if you don’t have any luck in a few casts move to the next, there’s plenty of bait in there at present. It’s a good month for mulloway, with big flatties also on the cards. If using smaller presentations then trevally, bream and snapper are all viable options under the bait schools, and if tailor are present than all the better as well. Off the beaches salmon are still plentiful on most local beaches with Narooma Main, 1080 and Tilba as the best beaches to the south. All methods are working for the salmon, with anglers casting chrome lures having a ball on fish to 2kg. Expect some good whiting and bream to turn up this month too, with live beach worms, pipi and mussels working best. Fishing the flooding tide in the late afternoon is best. November usually sees a few gummy sharks and the odd mulloway caught too. If you’re after the bigger prey, than the southern end of Blackfellows Beach near Tuross is your best

bet at catching one. Casting fresh strips of tailor is good, as are live bunches of beachworms, especially for mulloway. The rocks have slowed considerably due to the calmer seas at present. When the swell increases the blackfish and drummer should play the game again. Kingies are a real possibility this month, especially at the golf course rocks and Mystery Bay. Live bait, lures and whole ganged pilchards is the best way to tempt one. Expect some cracking bonito to turn up top. There has already been some solid speedsters to 3kg, they are great fun on lighter tackle and not bad on the plate if looked after. Salmon are still about, even with the calm conditions; they will get better and more consistent once the conditions are a little more to their liking. At Montague Island the kingfish have been sporadic to say the least; great one day, slow the next. When they do decide to chew, the action is fast and furious, with jigs and live baits working well. The north and western sides of the island are where most of the action is. The fish, when they do chew, are nice ones averaging 65-70cm, a great

size for the plate. There is still the odd bigger fish too, these have mainly been caught on live bait fished hard on the bottom. When they’re like this they can be hard to tempt, but persistence should pay you the rewards. Further offshore the game fishing is slow. A few crews have got the odd albacore with a few decent mako sharks about, but overall it’s pretty non-existent. This will change though, as they’re getting some decent yellowfin north of us. All we need is the current to push further south, the water temperature to pick up and we should be in business. That is the thing with these pelagic species, they can travel big distances, all we need is the right conditions with the bait there and it should happen. Closer to shore the snapper have still been good. The size of the fish has dropped but the numbers have increased. Most fish are 1kg or so with the odd better one. You can expect plenty of mowies and a few John Dory on the same grounds, with the northern reefs up at Potato Point definitely the pick of them. The 52-55m mark has seen plenty of action.

The Tuross Lake system should start to see plenty more of these fellas over the coming weeks.

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NOVEMBER 2018

There are plenty of options despite dry weather BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

November for me heralds the start of yet another season, with the warm weather angling now getting into full swing, especially the estuaries and sweetwater. A lot of the rivers and lakes along our coast are closed to the ocean at present; so what does this mean for the angling and how do we go about fishing them? Firstly, not all systems are closed, there are ones you can concentrate on where fresh fish stocks will be entering from the ocean regularly. Keeping this in mind, fish migrate up and down the coast looking for those estuaries that are open to the ocean, so the ones that are open will receive a greater share of the migrating fish. The Bermagui River is one such place that will always be open and it is right on your doorstep. All the regular species are on the chew with the usual favourites like flathead, bream, whiting and luderick on offer, while around the entrance there are quite a few tailor and salmon to be found. With Wallaga Lake and Cuttaggee being closed to the sea a different approach is needed. Look in the shallows or shoreline fringes, as fish will come up here looking for warmth or food. This can provide some very interesting

Flyfishing takes fishing the flats of Wallaga to a new level. shallow water sight fishing, especially for the lure or fly enthusiast. Out around the rock platforms, especially near the Blue Pools, there are plenty of drummer and luderick to be found, mostly being taken on cabbage weed or cunjevoi, with the rocks further south towards Cuttaggee also containing good numbers of these fish. All along our rocky foreshores will attract a variety of fish in the likes of salmon, tailor, bream and silver trevally. For those who wish for a little bit more excitement, try fishing some red crabs for blue groper, as there are some exceptionally large fish in this area.

Out on the ocean, around these same rocky platforms south of Bermagui and down to the Three Brothers or even as far south as Goalen Head, have had reasonable numbers of kingfish patrolling these areas, with some of the fish being of exceptional size. Trolling lures has produced good captures, when the fish come to the surface feeding on the bait schools, casting popper style lures can provide some exciting angling. For those who like bottom fishing on the reefs things have really fired up. Tiger flathead are the predominant catch at this time of year with the grounds east and south of

Bermagui proving the best. Once out at sea start in around 40m of water and, depending on conditions, venture deeper where the larger fish will lurk. If conditions are really good, try out around the Twelve Mile Reef where these flathead may regularly exceed 70cm in length. There are also plenty of sand flathead to be found on the closer to shore grounds up off Tilba to the north or out from Cuttaggee or the Murrah South. The reefs are producing a lot of morwong, with the blues seemingly preferring the inshore reefs while the jackass will be found in the deeper water as far east as the Twelve Mile Reef. If you are fishing out there expect to also

Flathead on lures is always popular at the start of a new season.

find some exceptionally large ocean perch, the odd good snapper, some big leatherjacket and the occasional tasty Tassie Trumpeter. Out in the deeper waters it is time to experiment with gamefish. There are quite a few school-sized yellowfin tuna already appearing, along with striped and albacore, with the occasional bluefin also showing up. With the water warming up it would not be surprising to see an early season billfish starting to show and the scene is set for a good up and coming game season. It is also a known fact that where a lot of small tuna are occurring there is the likelihood of sharks following, with makos, blues, hammerheads and whalers being close on the tail of these tuna. So a well-laid berley trail may be all it takes to fire up these sharks and provide some entertaining angling. BROGO DAM Brogo Dam is also starting to fire for bass, and even though water levels are down there is plenty to be found. Remember estuary perch were released last season and may now be of catchable size. The Far South Coast Bass Stocking Association is also holding its annual comp in December and it would be great to see you there. For information contact Jan on 0427 934 857.

Inshore fishing is firing up MALLACOOTA/EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

Like everywhere else, the Far South Coast and east Gippsland needs rain and the rivers need a good flush to fire up the fishing. The past month

in Mallacoota there have been a few boats venturing offshore chasing a feed of tiger flathead, the fish have been caught in around 40m with some sand flathead caught in closer in around 20m. The fishing will only improve as we head into summer. The windy

Flathead are starting to wake up after a cold winter. 46

NOVEMBER 2018

conditions have limited the number of days spent offshore fishing. With the water temperature around 14-17°C, offshore things really need to warm up before the fishing follows suit. The fishing on the local beaches has been slow. The salmon have moved on and we are waiting for the water to warm up and then we will see the sand whiting and yellowfin bream make an appearance. Fishing in the lake has been pretty ordinary. There has been black bream upstream and the best area has been upstream from Gypsy Point. The fish are not easy to catch, which is usual for this time of year as this is their spawning time. Plenty of tailor are in the lake, and with the lake closed they are trapped. So they are only getting bigger, and wherever the bait is they won’t be far behind. The flathead are starting to wake up, but the coming

months will see things improve as fish start to liven up with the warmer weather. The Eden area sees the water temperature a little warmer closer to shore, with the temperature out wide the same as off Mallacoota around that 17°C. The inshore reefs around South Head and down towards Green Cape have seen some good fishing for pinkie snapper. The fish haven’t been big, only around 1-2kg in size, but there are plentiful. With the water temperature at 17°C out on the shelf, it needs to get warmer before you can really expect to see the fishing improve this year. This year saw colder water temperatures along the coast than the temperatures seen over the past few years. The coming weeks should see the water temperature start to rise and it shouldn’t be long before the yellowfin tuna make an appearance. As we

Tailor are on the go. Find the bait and they won’t be far away. head towards Christmas the warmer weather will see the visitors turn up once again, and by then the fishing will have fired up. Fishing the beaches has been slow and inconsistent, with the salmon here one day and gone the next. Fishing wise this time of year is a transition period where all forms of fishing (beach, river and offshore) are about to fire up.

The estuaries around Eden have been fishing well for tailor with some good-size fish being caught. Black bream are being caught upstream with yellowfin bream coming from the entrance area along with silver trevally. The bass fishing is about to fire up, but to get the fish on the move good rain is needed as the rivers have all but stopped flowing.

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3 Satu Way, Mornington Phone: (03) 5976 4622 | Fax: (03) 5976 4633 Website: wesfrostmarine.com NOVEMBER 2018

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Terrific times trolling in Tassie TASMANIA

Kelly Hunt

The sun has come out in amazing abundance and as predicted the fishing has come on hard. October fished well and when daylight savings came on in the first weekend everyone woke up. Yes, woke up to what a great season we had last year and what a bit of good weather and daylight

promises for this year. November is the month in Tasmania when the winter sports are finally laid to rest. The footy is long forgotten and the great race of Bathurst has been run and won. Now, it is all about that fishing. Let’s have a look at what we can get our teeth into fishing wise around this great island state of ours. First, let’s talk about what you want to target,

when and where. A lot of people will tell you it is too early for mako or it is too early for snapper. There can be some rhyme and reason to this advice, as seasons in the past shape what we have in our heads. The seasons of late have also shown us that the fish swimming around our shores have very little interest in our pre-conceived ideas. I have picked these two species to highlight as it is usually considered ‘too early’

in November to target them. However, if you have the time, enthusiasm and inclination then get out and give it a go. All you need is a weather window and a couple of mates and you are away. We will talk more about mako shark next month as people will be getting really itchy feet by then. Snapper are a different story. Snapper have been popping up everywhere and at odd times all year.

RED GOLD Snapper for me and many other anglers are like treasure. It’s awesome to have a hit that is a bit weird, and after a distinctive fight you hope it’s a snapper, but don’t dare say anything for fear of jinxing it. Then you see a flash of colour as the fish comes towards the surface, and finally you see those beautiful iridescent spots. Snapper! It is an amazing experience when it happens out of the blue, but something altogether different when you have gone to the effort to target them. I love fishing for snapper for a number of reasons. Snapper are a relatively new species to Tasmania for most fishers. They hit baits with pace, put up a good fight and they can grow to be quite large fish. The massive bonus is that they are really great to eat and yield a lot of flesh from their frames. The ones I have caught have always cooked up magnificently, and I think the key is good post-catch care and obviously not over-cooking. So what’s the best way to catch snapper in Tasmania? There are a number of ways to approach this, but the technique that yields high percentage results is the berley at anchor method. I know I go on about it all the time, but it simply works and is fun when you get it going. Like all things fishing, it is a process. You can approach fishing in an impulsive manner and yes you will get the occasional result, but your catches won’t have any rhyme or reason. Having a structured approach and a system will yield far better results, and also help you learn – and that can be taken forward for better success in the future. So you need five rods, all around the 7ft range and holding 30lb braided line on a 3000-4000 size reel. I say five because if you have two anglers in the boat and are fishing at anchor you can fish five rods with ease. If you are at anchor with little swing your lines 48

NOVEMBER 2018

remain trouble and tangle free. You have one out each side of the boat at 90°, and starting from the starboard side stern cast one 45° to your left, one straight out over the engine cowl and the last 45° to your right off the port stern corner. But hang on, before we get the rods out we have to set the anchor and get some berley in the water. When approaching your chosen spot do not roar up at 40 knots, come off the plane and drop the anchor. You will have to berley for two hours just to get the fish back that took off from all the noise. Sneak up to your spot slowly and drop the anchor as quietly as you possibly can. Stealth is of great importance, and even more so if your spot is in shallow water. Now it is time to get some fine berley going into the water column. I am a huge believer in having super fine berley when snapper fishing. The particles I like to put into the water are tiny, and what I want is a flume drifting to the bottom but taking ages to do so. I have the picture in my mind of smoke from a fire that has only just started. This creates a much larger area that you have covered with the scent and hopefully got the fish’s attention. In the early stages you also hope that some tiny baitfish will find the berley and start to congregate at the rear of the boat. Sometimes this attracts a mullet on the surface or some mackerel further down. This is great news, as this bait activity is excellent for snapper fishing success. In the same way that a duck hunter uses decoys, these baitfish can work in your favour and draw in the snapper looking for a feed or just wondering what the excitement is. Rigs and baits we have spoken about before. I like simple snapper catcher rigs on the two rods out at 90°. Normally I use a bit of squid strip on one set of hooks and some couta chunks on the other. The other rods run strayline rigs with varying sinker weights. These I like to bait with whole pilchards or fresh couta strips. LIVE BAIT This is my new season tip to help you catch those

Jack Guard managed to find a good snapper in the Derwent, and November is a great time to try for yourself. monster snapper – get a live bait into the mix. The fishing I have been doing at Hervey Bay in Queensland has really opened my eyes to the effectiveness of live bait. I’ve had some great days off Fraser Island and also some tough days. On those tough days live bait will always bring them undone. It also seems to be a good technique to find the bigger fish. The trick is getting live baits and keeping them alive. There are a number of aftermarket options available for live bait tanks. In a pinch a decent bucket and a scoop to refresh the water occasionally will do. The rig here is very simple, as I have explained in previous articles: braided line down to a leader of your choice. You have to use an FG knot to allow your free running ball sinker to run down to the hook and away again. This is crucial in allowing the bait with your 4/0 or 5/0 circle hook to be taken down once a fish has hit the bait. The technique here is to pin your livie with the hook carefully and then lower him down to the bottom gently. Drop the bail arm and lower the whole show by slipping line between your thumb and forefinger. You will feel the bait and sinker hit the bottom. Now, let the line continue to pull slowly from your fingertips as the baitfish swims off a little from the sinker lodged on the bottom. When you have let the fish have a metre or

so of line, clamp your fingers off and pinch the line and wait. You will feel through the braid the fish swimming and jerking about. All the while he is causing a bit of commotion and looking panicked. Hopefully this attracts a big snapper to come over and investigate. This is where it gets exciting because you’ll often feel the bait get agitated and that tells you something is about to transpire. What we want is for the baitfish to get inhaled, and line start spooling off the reel – and you wait. Yes wait, it will take a little time for the snapper to gobble down that baitfish and hopefully as you slowly bring tension up and drop the bail arm you’ll have a hook up! WHERE TO TRY Simple answer seems to be anywhere and that is very exciting. Sandy and shale sections close to where squid spawn seem to be a good start. Reef sections that have a bit of current flow on a tide change are good spots to target as well. As you can see, that’s heaps of territory so you can get busy and start planning. Stanley off the Nut and ground to the west is a good spot and is a proven snapper ground, as is the entire coast through to Wynyard. The waters off Table Cape and the reefs to the east of the Inglis River have all given up snapper on occasion. Ulverstone and the waters off Lillico Strait have the bottom you need to find. The

They are not all 10lb. This fish is super pretty and released to grow bigger. coast line is littered with reef sections that have sand and shale all the way through to the Tamar River. The area off Devonport has great starting grounds to the west towards the Bluff and Don Heads. Devonport is also the launch area for Wrights Island. Wrights Island is the general term for the low lying rocky escarpments that are known as Egg and Wrights Island. The snapper ground here is quickly becoming a tiny version of Port Phillip Bay. Boats are starting to head out on the ground to the west and seaward side of Egg Island and sounding the area. This is a systematic approach to locating a spot where you have caught snapper before, and slowly traversing trying to pick them up again on the sounder. Once located you can head up-drift, lower the anchor and swing back on the fish, maximizing your chances of boating them. The east coast has many varied locations to have a try. St Helens gives up snapper each year in the bay and out to sea. Ansons Bay and the area seaward to the north have some fabulous fishing areas to find snapper and

are always worth at least one trip a year. Schouten Island and the crags and drop-offs scream snapper and there have been some good-sized specimens come off these rocks over the last few seasons. Down south is not to be left out either; they too have plenty of sand and shale areas leading into healthy reef systems holding squid and small baitfish. It makes for a fabulous habitat for schools of snapper to move in and around, bullying bait and eating when it suits them. The lower parts of the channel from Bruny Island and across to the Iron Pot have given up snapper quite regularly, and often outside predicted timeframes. The same can be said for the ground in and around Betsy Island. So, as you can see we are spoilt for choice and there is an area somewhere in Tasmania waiting for you to have a go. Get organised and grab some mates and get the job done. November is the time to get your snapper on. October was good but it should really fire this month.

Jonah taking down blue grenadier four at a time.

Go Behind the Scenery THE KAY GEE DUBYA The King George whiting are a much talked about species at this time of year. There are a number of areas around the state that seem to get all the chat: Montague in the northwest, the mouth of the Tamar River around Kelso and Georges Bay on the east coast. We have missed a couple of places that have been growing as King George hot spots and we can fill in the gaps. Wynyard is also a good spot to try in the northwest area. Not so far to travel

along the coast and it has some exceptional areas in between the sand bookended with the weed bed fingers. In the north the Port Sorrel area has been fishing well. This area fishes well out the front north of the Carbuncle and also in the river itself. The river has many areas of interest and the tide on the shallow weed areas can provide some great fishing. I also heard as you head east that Ansons Bay has always been good for a few decent sized King George whiting.

Tasmania

This is of no surprise as it’s a great fishery for most other species as well. The best method for setting up to catch these fish is at anchor. The process to catch King George whiting is very similar to setting up for snapper, except that everything is a little lighter. Rods are lighter at 2-4kg, but of similar length at 7ft. The actions of whiting rods in the past were slow with soft nibble tips. There is a growing trend when fishing circle hooks for these fish sitting in rod racks to be of a faster action in the tip. You can choose a nice 7’-7’6” rod

Bryce Purton with a stonking Tassie King George whiting.

Jarvis Wall with a very tasty looking King George whiting. SQUID ARE BACK BABY This month we see November open the entire state for squid fishing and it is a month where there are plenty about. The fishing was strong around the state and there were a few squid about in September before the closing of the entire Bass Strait region and the upper southeast coast waters. Bass Strait is open again, but be mindful that the east coast does not open again until 14 November. This includes upper southeast coast waters. Now we can go at the squid hard and get a few good feeds. These cephalopods are a favourite of mine at this time of year.

When targeting squid search for good weed beds. If you are really serious and want to get a good idea of what the bottom looks like and find the right seagrass, here is a tip: get an old bigger squid jig in a size 4 and tie it on straight to a heavy braid or heavy leader. What you are going to do is send it down and snag the bottom so you don’t want it busting off. When you hook the bottom, break it away and wind it up. When it gets to the top, grab it and inspect the weed on the hook pins. If it is brown and orangey in colour it’s not the right weed. What you are looking

for is a bright green slender shaped weed that looks like a thin ribbon. Once you find some of that, mark it on your sounder and get some jigs out. Sunset and sunrise provide the best fishing for squid as this is their most common feeding time. You can literally have a go for squid anywhere you pull up and decide to fish. Even when not targeting squid you can cast a squid jig out the back and prospect for a squid. You never know where they will turn up. Remember that the jig is out there as you continue to fish for other species. If you forget about it, 20m of braid is going to get around your prop.

a lot of the ocean area with your lures. A reel to around the 5000 size will have 20lb braid coiling off nicely for long casts. Lures can be bigger metal slices or soft plastics on a heavier jighead. The Berkley Nemesis with its super fine tail is deadly on salmon. You can slow roll it and it works beautifully on the drop. You can also give it some speed and get it moving fast without issue.

Ulverstone can be a good spot spinning for salmon on the west and east breakwaters. I find half tide incoming is best, and the start of the run-out. The blue seawater filling the river will slow the river’s natural outgoing current and the salmon will be looking to feed. A longer rod of 2m or more is best with lighter braid or mono to 10kg. This will allow you to cast a long way, but also be in the game should something better grab your slice or soft plastic. Covering

AUSTRALIAN SALMON The humble yet very popular Australian salmon will be found off the shores and in rivers around Tasmania in November. You don’t always have to be in a boat to find salmon and there are plenty of points and river mouths to try your luck from the stones. Landbased, you are going to need a longer rod for getting a good long cast; 8ft and even 9ft rods will have you covering

that will do your trout, squid and whiting work. The reels can also be used for all three species of sizes 2000 through to 3500 spooled in 12lb braid. The modern trend is to use Owner Mutu circles in no. 6 size and fish out of rod holders. The rig that has been bringing the bigger sized King George undone is tied very simply. The braid runs down to a leader knot or you can attach your leader with a double uni if you like. You then tie a

small dropper loop just after that and you use this to place your sinker and it is easy to adjust the weight given your depth and tide. Leave about 1m or slightly more and then tie on your circle hook with your favoured knot of choice. This rig allows the sinker to go down and sit on the bottom. The bait then lays out along the seabed in the current and wafts tantalisingly. There is less tension on the bait and it all looks very natural and free. The bait is of course

the mashed squid strip. You don’t have to mash it too hard, just a little to soften up along the little strip, and don’t do the section you attach to the hook. Whiting on soft plastics are also becoming more and more prevalent, and the plastics with a wormlike profile and a finesse tail seem to do well. Top water fishing for whiting in the shallows is a new passion for some and while I have never had a go myself, I could see the attraction.

Bryce Purton knows that Georges Bay is the place to be in November. some ground with your lure is the key, and starting up against the bank and working around at 20° increments until you are up against the other shore. Varying your rod tip height will allow you to work the deeper water when down low and avoid snags when working shallower water. Change your retrieve speed from time to time and vary between a slow roll wobble and a quicker fleeing bait speed. Surf fishing for these speedy and powerful fish is

good to go anywhere you can get a line in. There are some real monsters to be had down the west coast, and casting from rocky points into the white water and just beyond can lead to a great day’s fishing. Just make sure with all rock fishing on coasts that get a lot of swell that you are very careful and never turn your back to the ocean. A magnificent spot for this is Sinking Rock near Marrawah and the rocky point right where you park,

if you find Periwinkle Beach Road and park at the spot at the very end. There is a rocky outcrop there that can be worth a look in the right sea conditions. If you are feeling fit you can head along to the end of the beach to the right and head north. This short walk along the beach and over the top of some low level scrub will have you at Sinking Rock. It’s a small ledge that juts out a little and you can fire casts off in all directions looking for some big Australian salmon. NOVEMBER 2018

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania TROUT ARE BACK Salmo trutta are back on the cool list. It has taken a couple of years to come on but trout fishing is experiencing a comeback. Tasmania is really

showcasing its great trout fishery. The chance for a genuine once in a lifetime fish is readily available in the waters of Tasmania. There are big trophy browns in

Jacob Beamish found a nice fish in the Leven River. OFFSHORE DAYS Recently, after weeks of windy, inclement weather Jonah Yick put a crew together on a one day weather window. Jonah made a call and teamed up with Peter ‘Bottom Sniffer’ Huskins. The gear was going to

involve equipment for an exploratory deep drop mission, despite there being no reports from the deep out of Eaglehawk Neck. They planned to hit up some bottom that had yielded well in the past. There have been a few

Lake Crescent, and strong powerful sea runners in all rivers around the state. Then you have the amazing fish in the west coast river headwaters and hydro spillways. These fish are brutes and have a look all of their own. The rivers are fishing so well this year. All rivers and it is hard to single any one area or river out. The Derwent River has fished well for resident brown trout and has been really giving up some silver sea runners of late. These have been taken mostly during the day on high or rising tides. Lures get the job done here, specifically lures that mimic the many baitfish that can be found in the Derwent. The collective rivers of the North West have all fired and will continue to do so this month. The Mersey and the Forth had a late start of whitebait and the river flows have been well up. These rivers really came on in late October and the trout fishing built on the great start in September. Look to throw bibbed lures and plastics in any deep hole or back current that looks to hold a feeding trout. Throwing a soft plastic into a river is my preferred method and

defaulting to fishing deep and slow. Berkley T-tail and minnow profiles have tails that work at the slowest turn of the handle. It is of great importance that your soft bait looks alive and life like at the slowest of speeds. The rivers towards Burnie have also been fishing really nicely. The Blyth, the Emu and the Cam rivers all have great reputation for trout at this time of year. You can use lures or baitfish on these with

equally successful result. The lower reaches of these rivers fish very well at dusk and dawn with maximums of tide. Dead low or top of the high will see searun trout trying to push bait hard into the bank and take out the one direction they can flee. Just sitting back for a while and watching a stretch of water will pay huge dividends. You will see the big trout bow waving and pushing bait around, quite often causing

them and the bait to break out from the surface as the bait flees for its life. This is where a very light and small soft plastic profile can be cast over the back of the hungry fish and slowly enticed to bite with a slow and erratic retrieve. If the first couple of casts don’t work, cast again and keep the rod tip very high and slowly hop the rod tip up keeping the soft plastic close to the surface as it comes into the fish’s zone.

successful trips in this zone and it was well worth having another look out there. Shooting straight out to the shelf and hitting the edge east of the Hippolyte Rock, the first drop proved the boys correct. This drop resulted in a lovely 7kg blue-eye trevalla. The lads continued to work the

bottom and drifts and were rewarded with a couple of gemfish, a swag of big blue grenadier, and unusually one lone Rays bream. Rays bream are traditionally more of a summer species when water temps are up above 16°C, so this was a welcome surprise. The bream hit the bait on the

drop 250m down, resulting in slack line, despite being in 550m. If looking for a feed of Rays bream, and that is advised as they eat very well and are a firm fleshed fish you can do a lot with, a trick is to just hover at the 250-300m mark as you lower your baits. If using an electric you can

just slow the line to a stop with the use of your hand. Leave it there for a few seconds and drop it 10m and repeat. Continue this for about 100m or so. Come up slow and be gentle at the boat as these fish often fall off when on the surface so have your gaff ready.

Jarvis with a Lake Crescent fish. These fish are hard work, and boating one brings miles of smiles.

INLAND FISHERIES SERVICE

Tassie trout tagging, tracking and targeting IFS

Tim Farrell

Recently, local New Norfolk angler, Jason Harrison, caught an amazing brown trout in the Derwent River. The fish not only weighed over 4.5kg (10lb) but also happened to be a tagged fish from a study conducted almost exactly 10 years ago! Jason was fishing on the banks of the River Derwent in New Norfolk last week when at approximately 1:30am a large fish ate the dead sandy he was casting and retrieving. After a heated battled, Jason landed a magnificent searun brown trout. The fish weighed 4.64kg and measured 770mm. When Jason got the fish home he discovered there was a small tag sticking out 50

NOVEMBER 2018

of the fish’s back. Jason contacted the IFS and gave the tag details to the officers. They were able to look up the history of the fish. On 3 September 2008 this fish became part of a study conducted by the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) in collaboration with the IFS. The study was looking at the movement of recreational fish species in southeast Tasmania. In 2008, this fish measured 400mm. It was tagged, implanted with an acoustic transmitter that had a battery life of approximately one year and released in the Boyer region of the River Derwent. Within two days of release, the fish travelled from Boyer up to New Norfolk. It stayed in New Norfolk for nearly six weeks. It was last detected on 10 October 2008. This fish would have been over 14yo. What an amazing story.

Tagged monster brown trout recaptured in the Derwent River. For more details on the 2008 study, read the findings published in Understanding Movement Patterns of Key Recreational Fish Species In Southeast Tasmania. CARP MANAGEMENT The Carp Management Program Annual Report

2017-18 is complete and available on the IFS website. Find out all about the 2017-18 season and how the battle with carp in Lake Sorell is going. The 2017-18 season saw 107 carp removed from Lake Sorell. Over the years the IFS

have removed 41,452 carp and they believe less than 50 now remain. The biggest carp for the season was a female weighing 2229g with a gonad weight of 401g (GSI: 18%). This was the only large carp caught all season. No other fish was bigger than 1500g. The average size caught was less than 1000g. This is odd given this cohort of fish is now 9yo! To read more about how the carp season unfolded over 2017-18, read the Carp Management Program Annual Report 2017-18 available at www.ifs. tas.gov.au. RAINBOWS ARE RUNNING Rainbow trout have been running up Liawenee Canal for the past couple of weeks (of September) to spawn. The IFS use a trap on the canal to observe the spawning run. They weigh

and measure some fish as part of their long-term monitoring program. They sort the fish and place them into channels. This assists them to spawn naturally, away from where the brown trout spawned over winter. This gives the newly hatched rainbow fry the best chance to grow without competition from the more advanced brown trout. This year’s spawning rainbows are in excellent condition. So far, 418 fish have passed through the trap, 314 were male and 104 were female. The males typically run first and wait for the females to arrive! The largest fish so far weighed 2160g, which was one of three fish over 2000g. Canal Bay on Yingina/ Great Lake remains closed until Saturday 1 December to help protect these rainbow trout.

Go Behind the Scenery STRIPEYS ARE BACK ON Squid are not the only species to have been closed recently but the good news is the striped trumpeter season is back open after they had a closed season over September and October while they spawned. Anglers

looking to target them do well with 3-hook heavyduty bottom rigs with some quality bait. I am a huge fan of fresh squid as bait. It stays on the hook really well, which is important if you are getting some pesky gurnard

bites. Fresh gurnard strips are also great bait, but be careful with them as if you get spiked you will not be happy. Look for these fish on reef sections from 50-150m and make sure you have a play with your sounder as you search for them. You will need a good outfit to pull these fish from

A solid blue-eye coming up from the deep always gets a smile.

the deeper water. Big egg beater or spinning reels seem to be of favour. The outfit needs to be suited to task and robust enough to last a few good years. You will know if you have found a patch of striped trumpeter because they are not shy at gulping down your wonderfully-presented bait and heading for home. They put up a good tussle and if you are using multiple hook rigs, three at a time is not uncommon. If on a search mission across an area look for some ground that should be holding fish a big soft plastic can bring them undone. I recommend a large soft plastic, and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll need a big jighead as you will be in a fair depth. Lumo colours are great as they get a lot of attention. Once you hit the bottom with your big soft plastic give it some high and quick rod lifts and drop it back to the bottom. Then give it a couple of smaller quick hops and then leave it on the bottom for 30

Tasmania

Jarvis Wall with a solid bream you can find in Tasmania this month. seconds. A lot of the time a fish will hit the lure when it is still on the bottom. It is a technique you can use for all species of fish. Once you have waited that 30 seconds

SILVER TREVALLY Here is another species that has come on in leaps and bounds over the last few years. The silver trevally, or Pseudocaranx dentex as the scientists like to call it, are a sensational sportfish is a lot of fun to catch on lighter gear. These fish are deepbodied fish and they use this to great effect when fighting. They get side on and in current can be quite stubborn. They are a quick powerful fish for their size. The smaller fish to 60cm like to hang out on the sandy shallow areas with the bigger fish quite common offshore. We are seeing much improved numbers of these fish in the shallows

around Tasmania. They are an inshore schooling species, juvenile trevally are found in shallow sandy areas with larger individuals more common in offshore waters. These fish can be caught using light tackle and a variety of lures and baits including soft plastics, flies and baits such as raw chicken meat or prawns. They can grow up to 75cm and weigh up to 6kg. The minimum size is 20cm here in Tasmania with a bag limit of 10 and a possession limit of 20. These are a fish well worth your attention and you will be richly-rewarded when you find some. Good places to start are the rivers and estuaries of the North West and

Jonah Yick with his one lonely Rays bream.

then repeat three times. If there is anything within 20m of the bait you are sure to get its interest. We have fished these jigheads with good success to 70m+. North Coast on the mid and incoming tide. When the tide is near the top of the run-in they get in the deeper holes looking for the bait moving in to them. They will also get up on a sand flat that has interspersed covering of rocks and oysters. Fishing them up on here is great fun. Georges Bay is a ripper spot to come across them and there are many areas here to try your luck. There you have it and all in all the month of November is a good one. Everything has been coming on slowly and this month it really fires up. The weather and the feel of the season has you thinking summer is well and truly on the way. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to get fishing and get some trips done or planned.

HYDRO TASMANIA WATER STORAGE INFORMATION Water Storage Information as at 12th October 2018 Lake/Lagoon

Metres from full

Comment

Trevallyn Pond..................................1.10................................................................... Lake Mackenzie................................4.27................................................................... Lake Rowallan..................................3.35................................................................... Lake Parangana................................0.89................................................................... Lake Cethana....................................3.83................................................................... Lake Barrington................................1.57................................................................... Lake Gairdner...................................7.65................................................................... Lake Paloona....................................1.36................................................................... Lake Augusta....................................3.47................................................................... Arthurs Lake.....................................1.00................................................................... Great Lake........................................12.24................................................................. Little Pine Lagoon.............................0.89................................................................... Shannon Lagoon...............................0.16................................................................... Penstock Lagoon..............................0.05................................................................... Woods Lake......................................0.41................................................................... Lake St Clair.....................................1.56................................................................... Lake King William.............................0.31................................................................... Lake Echo.........................................3.94...................................................................

Dee Lagoon.......................................0.00.......................................................Spilling Pine Tier Lagoon...............................2.11................................................................... Bronte Lagoon..................................0.97................................................................... Bradys/Binneys/Tungatinah..............2.53................................................................... Laughing Jack Lagoon.....................0.33................................................................... Lake Liapootah.................................1.05................................................................... Wayatinah Lagoon............................0.23................................................................... Lake Catagunya................................0.97................................................................... Lake Repulse....................................0.00.......................................................Spilling Cluny Lagoon....................................0.30................................................................... Meadowbank Lake...........................0.23................................................................... Lake Burbury....................................3.47................................................................... Lake Margaret..................................0.77................................................................... Whitespur Pond................................7.69................................................................... Lake Newton.....................................4.65................................................................... Lake Plimsoll....................................3.55................................................................... Lake Murchison................................14.98................................................................. Lake Mackintosh..............................3.57................................................................... Lake Rosebery..................................0.45................................................................... Lake Pieman.....................................2.16................................................................... Lake Pedder......................................0.73................................................................... Lake Gordon.....................................22.42.................................................................

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 NOVEMBER 2018

BLACK MAGIC

MASTER CLASS

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

Black Magic bottom bashing When it comes to putting food on the table, good old fashion bottom bouncing is still pretty hard to beat. It’s probably safe to say that drifting around with a paternoster rig has accounted for more snapper, flathead, nannygai, morwong, pearl perch and a host of other tasty species than any other method of fishing out there. While simple and extremely effective, it still

sinkers and fishing virtually underneath the boat in waters less the 15m is not too far short of a waste of time. The most effective depths for bottom bashing are from 40-200m as boat presence to bottom feeding fish is not usually an issue. Breaking it down further inside this window of ideal depths, each species will have its own ideal range and bottom territory it prefers. For instance, flathead will be found over sandy muddy

Work out which way the wind and current are going then move in the opposite direction until you’re just off the reef to give you maximum drift coverage back over it. Plot your start point on your GPS and as soon as you finish your drift go back and

sinker you should be using, which should be the lightest possible that easily finds the bottom. A sea anchor can also be a handy tool to slow your drift down, especially on days with a lot of current or wind. While bottom fishing

The Black Magic Snapper Snatcher rig can out-fish other rigs 5-1.

Snapper are going to love the new Black Magic Snapper Snacks. needs to be done in the right way and in the right areas to have success. Probably the biggest mistake anglers make with this style of fishing is trying to do it in waters that are way too shallow and more suited to anchoring up and casting lightly-weighted baits away from the boat. Fish, especially snapper, are very wary and will quickly spook in shallow water when there’s a boat drifting over the top of them. This is why drifting around with big

bottoms in 40-80m of water while fish like long-fin perch prefer the deeper reefs around 100-200m. Then you have snapper and morwong that cover the whole range up to 200m of water and other fish that cross over in between like pearl perch and nannygai. This is why bottom fishing when done right can produce a real mixed bag of species. Getting your drift right is a really important factor that will greatly increase your catch.

An armful of long-fin perch. 52

NOVEMBER 2018

Long-fin perch are the coral trout of the south. The new Black Magic snapper snacks work a treat for them. move a short distance away either side to give yourself a different line to go over new territory. If, however, you find a patch of fish on the first drift, be sure to mark it on your GPS and then try to do a re-run over it. Drift speed as well as water depth will dictate what size

gear can be either overhead or spin set up, the most important thing is braided line, as the zero stretch makes bite detection and setting of hooks instant. Braid also cuts through the water much better then mono, which is a big advantage when fishing in this manner especially in the deeper water or when you have current. I use Black Magic rainbow braid in 30 or 50lb as it’s colour coded every 10m. The best benefit of this is you can count your colours going down knowing exactly where in the water column you are and this can be particularly handy if you mark a patch of fish say in 70-100m of water. The paternoster rig is by far the best way to set up for bottom fishing and is just basically a 2m piece of mono leader with a loop on the bottom for a sinker and two short lengths of line off the sides about 60cm apart. While you can easily tie these yourself, Black Magic tackle has a range of pre-made flasher rigs that are hugely popular and lethal for this type of fishing. My first experience with these was fishing with

a paternoster rig I had tied next to a mate using a Black Magic Snapper Snatcher rig and was pulling in snapper at a rate of five to my one. Ever since that day I’ve used the premade flasher rigs and never looked back. Another reason they work so well is you can bait them up and when you do unknowingly lose your bait, or after a missed bite, the flasher rig alone will usually still get nailed, meaning you never waste your time in the water. The Black Magic range is always growing with a huge expanse of colours and sizes, now with 1/0 to 8/0 available in suicide

and circle hook patterns. Personally, I prefer the ones rigged on the KL circle hooks as the fish tend to hook themselves with a slow lift on the rod all that’s needed. I’ve also been testing a new product by Black Magic, which is going to be deadly. While they are the same concept these don’t use the flasher type material but rather thin small plastic and this gives more movement than traditional flasher rigs teasing shutdown fish into a bite. These went on the market in October, so keep your eyes peeled.

You are better off trying to target snapper in deeper waters.

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NOVEMBER 2018

DIY Lure Making: Hardbody jig clip Crabapillar FMG

Michael Thompson

For decades fishos have searched for that fair dinkum fishing lure hidden in every beer can. Many have tried, some have come close, but now we can say it has been found – Crabapillar! Crabapillar is a new and

innovative lure that can easily be made from a beer can. The commercially available hard and soft body lures are typically constructed from moulded plastic or timber. However, the hardbody jig clips are made from aluminium so they have all the strength and flexibility you would expect of a space age metal alloy added with the lightness and physical

characteristics of paper. The size and weight is up to your jig choice, from incredibly small to extra large, from feather light surface fishing, to heavy surf beach fishing. The big surprise is in how simple they are to make. It only takes a few minutes and they can target bream on rock walls, or whiting and flathead on the sand flats. All it takes is to cut

a piece out of a can and shape it into a 3 dimensional creature using the following method. In fact it’s so easy to make, I won’t put an age limit on it – we’ll just say that if you’re old enough to be competent with scissors, a kebab skewer, a hammer and nail and you should have no problem making one of these amazing lures. The lure designs have

undergone rigorous fieldtesting in some of the most arduous conditions Australia can offer, from the windswept beaches of Victoria to the crocodile-infested waters of the Territory. The more stressed and dinged they get the more realistic they look. FISHING WITH CRABAPILLAR The Crabapillar works

best with a 1/8oz jig and light rig of 30cm 4-6lb test fluorocarbon leader line and a good 9ft estuary rod with a light workable tip. It is ideal for gently hopping near some rock or reef when timed with the wave or current action. Tight little twitches of about 4-6cm, making full use of the rod tip action, will mimic the natural bait that often get washed

WHAT YOU’LL NEED: Beer can, Scissors, kebab skewer, small hammer and nail, texture, wire, two beads for eyes and jig of size and weight of your choice. Optional materials are: O ring, fingernail polish and fishing lure holographic decal for dressing up. Start by cutting out the body of a beer can. Lay it out flat, use the top of the can, trace a 5.5cm diameter circle and cut it out. This is known as the blank.

Use a 3mm kebab skewer and bend the blank in half. This bend will create the ‘spine’ and provide the rigidity in the blank to maintain strength and integrity.

Using that measurement, in this case 27mm, mark the points where you will clip your jig in the centre. 54

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Measure the jig from the tie eye to about 10mm from the end of the hook. Ensure the choice of jig suits the 5.5cm blank. Larger jigs will need larger blanks.

Use the hammer and nail to gently tap through the material, but not too much.

off the rocks and suspended into the water column where opportunist predators are waiting. Drifting over the sand flats on the change of the tide has its own rewards because of the realistic resemblance to the creatures that live there, the legs scraping on the bottom make a racket. Use it in the manner you would use any jig is a good place to start –

the book is still being written on these fantastic new DIY beer can lures. I’ve had some success with jigging over the top of a solitary weed patch on the high tide for trevally. And remember you don’t have to limit yourself, you can experiment using larger, heavier jigs and DIY jig clips in deeper water. BEER CAN INGENUITY The aluminium alloy from

a beer can is strong, malleable and corrosion-resistant. The density of the material allows you to cut so fine that it takes almost no effort to make little legs or antennas, and even better, feathers which should pique the interest fly fishos. With a little direction from www.milkshakesuds.com and some practice you’ll be making all sorts of different lures for fresh and saltwater.

Draw an 8 pointed star/compass on the blank, making sure 2 points run up and down the spine getting the 2 jig clip holes inside the star/compass shape.

String a piece of wire through 2 beads and thread through the holes you just poked and twist.

DRESSING UP YOUR CRABAPILLAR There are a few ways to dress up your new creation. The easiest is to just pick a beer can already painted in your preferred colours. However, when this is not enough, holographic decal adheres to the aluminium very well and then a coat of clear acrylic nail polish to seal. You can also paint with nail polish, which

works very well. I rummage through the bargain bins, and I find some really cool colours. Wire and beads are a must for the eyes. It really set these lures off and it’s just so easy to do. Use a little bit larger than usual eyes and don’t tighten the wire too much and the realism is undeniable. Good luck on making your DIY Hardbody Jig Clip Crabapillar.

VIDEO

For more information go to www.milkshakesuds.com for extra tips and other beer can lure designs.

Once finished, cut out the star shape. You should start to have the beginning shape of the Crabapillar.

Take your hammer and nail, 5mm back from the tie eye hole on the blank, and tap a hole evenly on either side of the spine.

Slip through the jig hook on the tail of your blank and swing the other end around poking the tie eye up and through. You should hear a little click. If not, you may have poked the hole to big, so try again.

Using the scissors cut up the star points into bendable little crab legs. Don’t forget to do the nose and tail for antennae and a stinger.

And there you have it – you’re ready to take it out on the water! Use some holographic decal or nail polish to dress it up or just go plain. Sling a treble or assist hook underneath to increase your chances. NOVEMBER 2018

WHAT’S NEW FISHING SAMAKI BIG GRIP DIGITAL SCALE

NEW SUGAPEN COLOURS

The Samaki Big Grip Digital Scale has so many features that it’s hard to name them all. For starters, the ergonomic big grip handle is ideal for weighing big fish, with the scale catering up to 50kg or 100lb. It’s very comfortable to hold in the hand while you ready your catch for the weighing process. The casing is completely waterproof and holds a 100cm measuring tape for you to document your catch with ease. The Samaki Big Grip Digital Scale also has a backlit LED screen to give you readings in low light environments, plus a built-in thermometer in both Celsius and Fahrenheit. For more information and stockists just visit the Samaki website, or you can follow them on Instagram (@samakifishing) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/samakifishing). www.samaki.com.au

The Sugapen is one of the most popular surface lures on the market today, and it comes in sizes that cater for both estuary and offshore fishing. Now the range has recently been expanded to include sizes from 58mm through to 120mm, which gives the lure enormous versatility. Bassday has also expanded the colour range, and now two new variations have been added. The current Sugapen colours remain, with the two completely new Australia-only additions being a red tiger-striped clear and gold tiger-striped clear with a pink head. For more information on this and other new releases from Bassday, visit their website or look them up on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BassdayAus. www.bassday.com.au

SUFIX 131 G-CORE

HALCO MAX 220

The new Sufix 131 G-CORE is a 12-carrier braided line with an additional GORE Performance Fiber.These 13 fibres combine to guarantee a strong construction with no weak points, delivering reliability during casting, strikes and fighting action. The single strand of GORE Performance Fiber is surrounded by 12 precision braided HMPE fibres, and this results in a super-round line that is smoother, quieter and casts more accurately and further than other lines. Sufix 131’s non-hollow construction does not absorb water, thus preventing the line from getting heavier and reducing casting distance. Its solid structure also avoids conventional braid flattening, while the Gore centre fibre also protects the line from internal fraying. This new line is currently available in 4lb to 50lb in 150 yard neon chartreuse spools, and 10lb to 100lb in 300 yard neon chartreuse. Keep an eye out for it in leading tackle stores. www.rapala.com.au/sufix

DAIWA HRF SONIC SPEED 9.1R-TW

Dressed in red and ready to tear up the water, Daiwa releases its fastest HRF baitcaster ever, the HRF Sonic Speed 9.1R-TW. The super car of the HRF line-up features the designs, strength and performance that has made the HRF famous, with the revolutionary T-Wing System (TWS), Hyper Digigear, Super Metal body, Magforce Z, Magseal, Speed Shaft and corrosion resistant ball bearings (CRBB) combining to make this reel a must-have for saltwater baitcaster fans. Stopping power is at your fingertips with Daiwa’s UTD, giving you the muscle to stop fish in their tracks, while a 100mm swept handle and large EVA knobs offer added comfort and ultimate handle control. Loaded with features and with a spec sheet to impress, the new super-charged HRF Sonic Speed 9.1R-TW is a baitcaster that’s designed to amaze its users and is impossible to forget. www.daiwafishing.com.au 56

NOVEMBER 2018

PRODUCT GUIDE 2 1

If you love the sound of a reel screaming in agony as line pours off the spool, then Halco Tackle has developed the perfect lure for you in the Max 220. Halco has developed an ultra tough, sinking, bibless minnow that will get the attention of any XOS Wahoo and Mackerel, huge Tuna and other massive predators that lurk out in the deep blue. Capable of being trolled at very high speed (up to 20kt) like its smaller brothers, the lure features heavily reinforced side walls to resist punctures by the toothy brigade and able to withstand the incredible crushing pressure inflicted by the jaws of its intended victims. Halco rounded out the package by included their legendary ultra tough 7xx fish rings and Mustad 9/0 inline singles for great hook sets and the ultimate in holding potential. The lure is 220mm long, weighs 175g, and is designed for heavy trolling and jigging applications. If you are into fishing for the brutes of the ocean, look for the all new Max 220 at all good tackle outlets. www.halcotackle.com

BLACK MAGIC PINK 6 SHOCK LEADER Pink leader has been popular for some time, given that it is seen as less visible in certain water conditions. Although fluorocarbon options are common, Black Magic’s Pink Shock Leader is produced as a copolymer trace. This provides great value for money but still gives robust performance under stress. It retains the high performance in abrasion resistance and knot strength seen in Black Magic tough and supple trace. It’s coloured pink to provide less visibility, particularly when water conditions are a little murkier, and provides a more affordable option to anglers than fluorocarbon. Current breaking strains are 20lb, 40lb, 60lb, 80lb and 100lb. www.blackmagictackle.com

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PRODUCT GUIDE

WHAT’S NEW FISHING DAIWA ELIMINATOR

Stunning in looks and flawless in design and performance, the new Eliminator delivers anglers one of their newest and most durable and reliable light to offshore tackle reels for some time. Designed to excel and built to perform, the Eliminator integrates many of Daiwa’s most innovative designs and technologies including Real Four, Digigear and Air Rotor, and blends them with proven designs and features to create a reel that has few peers. It features Daiwa’s famous ABS spool design, with the reverse taper spool enabling greater line control and increased casting distance. Daiwa’s ATD gives the Eliminator fingertip drag control and unrelenting stopping power. The Eliminator will never see you under gunned in the heat of battle. Dark in looks yet bright and bold in design and performance, the new Eliminator spin reel opens the door to a new age in light and offshore tackle durability and reliability. www.daiwafishing.com.au

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WILSON PLATINUM FISHING CHAIR

The new Wilson Platinum Fishing Chair is rated to 150kg and built with a wider base to ensure anyone can comfortably sit in it. This folding chair also has some clever additions for anglers. For starters there is a rod holder that can be easily attached to the left hand side of the chair on the legs, setting your rod at an easy angle. If you plan on getting up from your chair, the designers have included a peg for the leg to ensure the chair is secured to the ground, and a massive strike won’t tip the chair over. There is also a drink holder and a lined cooler bag in the arms, and a small bottle opener attached to the arm on a lanyard. On the right arm there is also a mobile phone holder pouch, to ensure your phone doesn’t get damaged when the action heats up. The comfy and strong Platinum Fishing Chair is available now in your choice of blue or purple. www.wilsonfishing.com

MAPSO SAJA #3

Mapso lures in recent years have become the go-to lures for the serious trout angler. Mapso is the Lukris house brand, which is known for their innovative ability and superior quality, and they offer 100% perfect spinning action every time. Lukris have been responsible for producing some of the world’s best known and most trusted brands. Now Lukris have released a couple of new colours in their popular Saja range of spinners in all four sizes. They have also released a larger Size 3 model that is 60mm long, weighs 7g and comes in twin packs. These will certainly be great for anglers wanting a bigger spinner for lake shore fishing, and anglers wanting a heavier lure for further casting distance. The new Size 3 size will also be suitable for a number of other species, including yellowbelly,

silver perch and bass. It is available in all 14 colours. To find out more visit the Juro Oz Pro Tackle website, or for the latest news and catch photos check them out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JuroOzProTackle. www.jurofishing.com

MARIA RERISE

Maria have an extensive range of floating and sinking stickbaits, but the new Rerise adds another dimension to the line-up. This new concept lure measures 130mm long, weighs 70g and can search deep areas normal minnows can’t reach. It sinks at one second per metre, allowing the angler to fish any level of the water column with the appeal of a tuned Japanese stickbait. The heavy weight enables lets you drop the lure to the bottom, and the swimming action imitates a wound baitfish, resulting in explosive strikes. Fitted with Owner ST-66 trebles and a strong wire through construction, the Rerise is ready to battle any pelagic you can target. It is available now in eight colours. www.ejtodd.com.au

HOBIE PET PFD

Why leave your pet at home while you enjoy a day on the water? You can now take your fur friend with you safely and in Hobie style, with the Hobie Pet PFD. Features include added flotation as a swim assist, grab handles, adjustable fit, leash attachment, side pockets, grab handles and soft foam undercarriage support. Happy days for furry friends! The Hobie Pet PFD is available in the following sizing: XS (12lb, 8’-12’ collar, 13’17’ body girth); S (12lb-24lb, 10’-14’ collar, 15’-21’ body girth); M (24lb-60lb, 13’-19’ collar, 18’-30’ body girth); L (60lb-90lb, 18’26’ collar, 24’-36’ body girth); XL (90lb-120lb, 22’-30’ collar, 30’-42’ body girth). Price: SRP $59 www.hobie.com

SHIMANO CATANA FD

The Catana has been revamped for 2018 and is perfect for anglers who are looking for a high quality reel at a reasonable cost. There are four reels in the re-launched Catana range, from 1000-4000 size, with the C2500, 3000, and 4000 HG having high retrieve ratios from 5.8-6.2:1 thanks to the presence of zinc DC gears. Perfect for freshwater, estuary and light offshore applications, the larger reels are capable of producing up to 8.5kg of drag power, so for relatively small reels this new range really packs a punch! The AR-C spool lip design increases casting distance, controls the development of wind knots, and creates less slap on the stripping guide. What more could you want from a spinning reel? They come with two SUS ball bearings, plus one roller bearing, so it’s smooth sailing all the way with these value packed reels. www.shimanofish.com.au

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au NOVEMBER 2018

WHAT’S NEW FISHING ZEREK TANGO SHAD 13 1M DIVER The Zerek 50mm Tango Shad 1m diver comes in floating only, and is ideal for all manner of estuary and freshwater fishing situations. There are 10 colours in the range, covering both natural and attractor patterns, including UV colours for maximum attraction. The 50mm Floating Tango Shad 1m diver has been an amazing success story in testing on a host of estuary and freshwater species. From flathead to bream and trout to redfin, this floating lure tested incredibly with some amazing captures. Attractor colours for dirty water, natural colours for clear water and UV colours to take advantage of the latest theories on fish’s vision see these lures cover every conceivable situation in terms of water conditions. To see the full range of colours, as well as other models in the Tango Shad series, visit the Wilson Fishing website. www.wilsonfishing.com

OKUMA KOMODO SS

The Okuma Komodo SS features stainless steel main gear, pinion gear and drive shafts, along with a multi-disc, high output Carbonite drag system, giving it a level of power and durability that is the best in its class. Drag output levels include 11kg maximum drag on the 350 size and 14kg maximum drag on the larger 450 size. The high quality build includes ALC: rigid diecast frame and sideplates with CRC (Corrosion-Resistant Coating process) and A6061-T6 machined aluminium anodized spool. A micro-click drag star allows precise drag settings, and Japanese ABEC-5 spool bearings and 6-pin Velocity Control casting system allow long, smooth casts. The 350 size is fitted with 6HPB+1RB SS bearings, while the 450 size boasts 7HPB+1RB. Other features include a synchronized levelwind, optimized for braid; zirconium line guide inserts for use with braid; dual antireverse and an on/off clicker. This big fish stopper is available in a 350 and 450 size in both a left and right hand model and a 350 size in a Power Handle version. A Power Handle is also available separately for the 450 size. Price: SRP $379-$399 www.okuma.com.au

OKUMA CERROS SPIN PODS

Designed in Australia to suit Australian species and techniques, the Cerros family of spin rods from Okuma are built on quality 30T Toray carbon blanks and are finished with SeaGuide Hero Hi-Grade 316 stainless steel, anti-tangle guides and Fuji reel seats. There are five 7’ models in the range, L, ML, M, H and XH, covering everything from bream and bass to snapper, barra and pelagic species. Cerros rods feature a stylish design, classic two-tone anodized metal components and crisp actions, and they are also excellent value for money. This new rod range is perfect for those anglers wanting to get into lure fishing, and are also deadly in the hands of experienced lure fishers. A selection of Cerros baitcast models are also available. For more information on the Cerros range and on other new releases, visit the Okuma website or like them on Facebook 58

NOVEMBER 2018

PRODUCT GUIDE

at www.facebook.com/okuma.australia. Price: SRP $119.90 www.okuma.com.au

WILDFISH SMOKER DUST

13 16

The Wildfish Smoker dust and chips are perfect for hot smoking fish, poultry and other meats. They are the perfect addition to the Wildfish range of smokers. There are five flavours available: apple, hickory, peach, sheoak and wine. The wine flavour comes in a 200g bag of wood chips. All the other flavours are sawdust, and are available in 500g bags. The Wildfish Smoker cooker is constructed from long life stainless steel. It contains two smoking racks, a stainless steel drip tray and is supported on an elevated stand which houses two spirit burners for even cooking. Wildfish products are distributed by JM Gillies. For more information on the smokers and other products in the Wildfish range, visit the JM Gillies website. You can also find them on Facebook (www.facebook.com/jm.gillies) and Instagram (@jm.gillies) www.jmgillies.com.au

GULP TWIN TAIL

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New for 2018 is the Berkley Gulp Twin Tail. The Twin Tail has more moves than a bowl of worms! A minnow profile with a set of twin tails that flutter and swim at any speed. Based on the crazy legs jerkshad, the designers have downsized this deadly concept to bite-sized 3” and 4” models. With 400X more scent dispersion that a plastic bait the Twin Tail is packed with Gulp scent to trigger more strikes. These new soft baits are currently available in either colours, including both natural and hivis variations, so you can match the hatch and the conditions. For more information, or to find your nearest stockiest, head over to the Berkley Australia website. For all the latest news, catch photos, videos, tips and tricks, check them out on Facebook at www.facebook. com/BerkleyFishingANZ. berkley-fishing.com.au

STRIKE PRO GUPPIE 18 NEW COLOURS Strike Pro has released two new colours in its popular Guppie swimbait lures and spare tails. There are three crltails and one Paddletail in five colours to match the Guppie lures. The TrueGlide Guppie has been the gold standard for handmade wood glide baits throughout Europe and the USA The paint schemes incorporate using paint or glitter on the inside shell of the bait, in addition to painting the outside shell, layering paint between topcoats for a 3-D effect. It also prolongs the colour of the bait fish after fish. Strike Pro has even replicated the 3-D eyes that TrueGlide are famous for. The Guppies body profile allows the lure to produce an amazing body roll and it slides from side to side in outstanding fashion. The Guppie also features an innovative cork screw at the tail of the bait allowing the angler to fish with either a curtail or paddletail soft plastic tail, creating the ultimate swim bait! The Guppie is a very effective lure that is deadly on barramundi, mulloway, murray cod and pelagic species. www.jurofishing.com

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING

Field-testing Daiwa J-Braid Grand: it’s a J-Braid Grand life! Last year I was lucky enough to be sent a Daiwa Tatula baitcasting rod and reel combo to have a play with, and inside the box was a spool of the original J-Braid x4 line to fill it with. For a 4-ply braid which was certainly at the lower end of retail pricing in tackle stores, I was very impressed. Some 18 months later I’m still using that same spool of line. I have had some torrid battles with threadfin salmon that have put me in and around any number of artificial and natural structures, but the braid has held up beautifully. With that in mind, you can understand my excitement in June this year when we opened an AusPost express bag with four

TESTED

I normally leave the spooling up to the tackle store I buy line from, because they’ve usually got a machine and it’s faster, packs it on tighter and leaves me more time to spend far too much on lures. However, spooling the two reels myself actually gave me a really nice feel of the lines before I’d even wet them. The first thing I noticed from both weight classes was that the new J-Braid Grand is a much smoother profile than both the original 4-ply and 8-ply versions, and also very soft and supple. It had little to no memory coming off the spool, and didn’t lose colour as it ran through my fingers that were keeping tension as it filled the reels. If you’ve ever done this job you’ll know you can end up looking

Squid have great eyes but the 10lb J-Thread Fluorocarbon did the trick and was near impossible for this tiger to see.

Not bad for your first thready. The 30lb J-Braid Grand and J-Thread Leader combo held up well in some very tight country. spools of the new Japanese made Daiwa J-Braid Grand in multi-colour, and an equal amount of J-Thread fluorocarbon leader. I took two spools of braid – 10lb and 30lb – and two spools of leader to match, and headed home to fill some reels and plan my testing missions. The 30lb went on an old Luvias DA Custom 3000 (yes, the one with the tribal tattoos on the side), and the 10lb was wound onto my Emeraldas MX 2508. The heavier set-up would come with me when chasing threadfin on the Brisbane River, and the lighter pairing would be on hand for any estuary fishing that was on the cards.

like you’ve had a fight with a packet of Sharpies. Once both reels were full to capacity it was time to tie a couple of FG knots and a rod length or so of the J-Thread fluorocarbon leader. The bride and I were lucky enough to have a babysitter that night, so we went out for a kid-free dinner and then hit the river for some thready action. The braid cast both light and heavy lures very well, with no signs of wind knots or colour fading, and it wasn’t long before the first of five nice fish were hooked and trying their best to rub through the J-Braid and J-Thread on some pylons.

Having used the old J-Braid for a long time (and enjoyed it) meant it was easy for the author to see just how superior this new version is.

The line held up incredibly well on both wooden and metal structures. The fluorocarbon was scuffed and tattered by the end of the night, but didn’t even look like breaking or rubbing through. I am a notoriously terrible knot tier, but I managed to re-tie new leaders with ease, even with a heavier line class than I normally use. With the heavier combo proving itself so well, I was pretty pumped to get out and try the 10lb versions as soon as possible. Over the last few months they’ve been put to the test on bream, bass and squid. With this set-up the lures I’ve used and the situations I’ve used them has been a lot more varied than with the 30lb combo so while the strength and durability has certainly still been tested, it’s more about performance when casting lures for long periods of time in both fresh and saltwater arenas with topwater, diving and sinking hardbodied

lures, squid jigs and soft plastics. In every situation it has performed like a braid and leader combo that you’d expect to pay twice as much for. Cast after cast it peeled off the reel with no memory, no wind knots and once I was connected to a fish or squid, performed very well under stress. J-Braid Grand is available in both multicolour and island blue in weights from 6lb through to 80lb in 150 yard and 300yd spools with RRP’s starting from only $39.99. J-Thread fluorocarbon leader comes in spools of 100m for the 4lb to 20lb classes and 50m spools for 30lb to 80lb and RRPs from $22.99. If you’re after a high quality Japanese designed and manufactured braided line or fluorocarbon leader without breaking the bank, I would highly recommend asking your local tackle store for J-Braid Grand and J-Thread. - Rupe

Another victim of the J-Thread leader. Even on a bright sunny day the line was undetectable.

NOVEMBER 2018

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to search for some golden perch MILDURA

Rob Oswin

What a month it has been! Finally the warm weather has set in and many people are getting back out and onto the water. The warm weather has brought with it some excellent fishing. Over the last month the fish have been moving

in huge numbers. Reports are coming from all over with many anglers catching fish in large quantities and sizes. Loch 9 has been a massive hotspot for those using vibe style lures as well as soft plastics. There are reports of golden perch being caught everywhere and anywhere, from Ki Bend all the way down to Loch 8. This can be put down to the great weather

we have been having. Bait fishing has been extremely effective with golden perch as well, especially now that the summer weather is nearly upon us. Shrimp and yabbies especially are becoming more and more productive. Lures have also been a huge hit, with vibes and soft plastics being the go-to for many people. There has been reports

Golden perch are turning up in all shapes and sizes. river. Safety is key, especially around this time of year when there are more and more people in and around the

river. Be aware of heavilypopulated areas, shallow waters and areas with a high density of timber. We all

know that accidents happen, but they can be avoided. So, stay safe and have fun on and around the water.

Golden perch fishing is really heating up. of small hardbody lures such as Stump Jumpers and Oar-Gees producing some excellent-sized fish up to 50cm. Over the coming month we can expect more and more great reports of fish being caught, and with cod opening just around the corner on 1 December we can expect many anglers gearing up for opening. It is expected that the cod season is going to be great, with the Darling no doubt producing some amazing fish. Although, with the excellent weather comes many more people using the

Bait fishing has been working on golden perch.

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Increased angling opportunities ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

The warmth of spring marks an increase in angling activities as many different fish species come on the chew. While the Murray cod season is closed in our rivers, several inland impoundments are open to cod fishing providing opportunity for anglers to scratch that ever-present

green fish itch. Copeton, Eildon and this season Blowering dam have no closed Murray cod season and are open to cod fishing all year round. Murray cod of more than a metre in length have been landed at all three locations last month on lures and bait, and the bite will only get better as the water warms. Increased angling opportunities when fishing these impoundments comes in many forms, not least of all the by-catch. All three have giant

golden perch that begin to feed as the water warms. Some of these goldens are of Jurassic like proportions. Then there are the large redfin and some thumping trout, all of which are a bonus should the natives prove difficult. Back home along the Murray and its adjoining rivers we are a little less spoilt for choice, but the fishing has been good none the less. The Murray River at Swan Hill has its own mixed bag with good numbers of golden perch mixed with

Anglers now have year round access to Murray cod fishing in several impoundments, and this chunky Blowering cod is an example of what’s on offer.

the odd thumping carp. It’s refreshing to see a few large freshwater crays climbing on the line this past month, as they have been a rarity in our local waters for some time. If you are lucky enough to wind one of these prickly crustaceans in remember they are fully protected in these waters and must be returned to the river. In our local waters golden perch are on the chew at most locations. While we are in the Swan Hill area the regulator at Flood Lane, where the water runs out of Reidy Lake, has seen good numbers of large golden perch landed on bait. The Wakool River is producing perch to 46cm on worms below the road bridge at Kyalite. Wemen on the Murray River is also producing good numbers of golden perch and some very large carp. Some good-sized silver perch have also been landed at this location, so it pays to be up to speed on the difference between the two perch species. As a protected species all silver perch must be returned to the river regardless of size. Downstream along the Murray River, through Hattah Kulkyne National Park to Mildura and beyond it’s a similar story as good numbers of golden perch

Stella yella are set to fire YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

As usual, knowing where to start this time of year is difficult as we’re dead smack in the middle of a closed cod season and waiting for the traditional run of spring yellas to fire. Mid month you can generally guarantee that the yellas will be up and about somewhere within the lake or further upstream around Bundalong and its backwaters. The Bundalong area has a maze of shallower backwaters, lagoons and creeks that provide some great yella fishing. This time of year also sees a generous amount of yellas school up in the faster running water around the mouth of the main weir near the train bridge and the Mulwala Canal. The best bet while targeting these critters are TN60 Jackalls, hardbodied lures, smaller profiled spinnerbaits or blades. Fishing in Lake Mulwala proved to be a non-event for the beginning of last month. Reports of yellas picked up towards the end with a couple of nice specimen measuring close to 50cm being captured. Fishos should be

aware that Murray cod season is closed in the lake and targeting of these fish is prohibited. Any cod that are encountered must be released immediately. Another important and timely reminder is that through to and including 30 November any fishing whatsoever below the Yarrawonga Weir in the Murray River, downstream through Cobram to the traffic bridge at Tocumwal, is totally closed to all forms of fishing. Planning is in full swing for the iconic Yamaha Cod Classic, Australia’s largest

inland freshwater fishing event. On 1-2 December Lake Mulwala will come alive with around 3000 fishos vying for the $200K+ prizes on offer. Prizes include seven boating packages and a Toyota Hilux Ute if somebody manages to catch ‘Rod the Cod’, the specially tagged Murray cod. You would be crazy to miss what is now not just a fishing competition but a fishing festival! Incredibly, 110 Yamaha/ Quintrex/ Lowrance boating packages have been given

away throughout the 19-year history of the event. For all enquiries visit www. codclassic.com.au. • If you are visiting town, I urge you to call into Lake Mulwala Fish, Camp & Ski (opposite the post office) in Mulwala and say G’day. We are your largest Murray cod-specific shop in Yarrawonga/ Mulwala and specialise in all things ‘green’! For any information on the upcoming events or fishing reports, give us a hoy on (03) 5744 3133.

Neville Plant looks happy with this lunch-sized golden perch. These fish are on the chew at most locations along the Murray River. have started taking bait. If there has been a stand out location the Frenchmans Creek regulator would be it, with most anglers catching their bag limit of perch very quickly. In saying that, it can switch off as quickly as it switches on. Shrimp, small yabbies and worms have been the best

baits with small vibes, soft plastics and hardbodied lures catching fish when the water clarity suits. All up the spring fishing action has been very good and with cod back on the bucket list at several impoundments anglers will make the most of the increased angling opportunities.

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Expect Wimmera gold this spring season HORSHAM

Liam Lannen

Over halfway through spring and the weather is finally heating up and so is the fishing in the Wimmera Region. The warmer weather and longer days have the local native fish proving great fun for local anglers, and the chance of a nice bag of redfin is also on offer. The Wimmera River has been fishing well lately with some solid golden perch while walking the

You can never have too many StumpJumpers in your collection when fishing the Wimmera area. worm, and you’ve got a good chance of snagging a nice silver perch or catfish as well. Taylors Lake, just 10 minutes out of Horsham, is definitely another good option with the golden perch firing with the rising

water temp. Trolling is the best method here when targeting shallow water from 6-12ft. Bright lures is the key due to the poor clarity. For the boats with sounders, always keep an eye out for possible bait schools and underwater timber that could be a good hiding spot for native fish. Bait fishing is also a good option. Tying up to trees and dropping scrub worms or small yabbies has been getting some nice fish. Rocklands is an option if you’re after a feed of redfin. The usual haunts have been producing the goods, from Glendinning, Brodys, Fergusons, Bald Hill and around the wall. Trolling deep divers like size 2 StumpJumpers, Rapala Shads until you find the school, then sitting of top of them dropping minnow style soft plastics,

even metal vibes, has been a good method. Persistence is a must at this reservoir as the sheer size can be daunting. Your day can change very quickly from nothing to getting a nice bag. You have got to cover as much ground as you can. For fishos wanting to

anglers who are putting in the time. I expect this to slow down with rising water temps, as this usually causes the fish to move down into the weed seeking cooler water temps. Over the coming month we should expect to see the native fishing thrive leading

Gage Wright caught this lovely Toolondo brown. Jarrod Potter with a perfect example of what working the snags in the river can produce. banks casting assorted lures like spinnerbaits, twin arm and single arm, with gold blades being the stand out in the dirty water. Diving hardbodies in 50-80mm like the AC Invader are producing, or one of my personal favourites is the size 3 StumpJumper in an array of colours from fluoro to near on black will be well worth while.

Fishing the timber tight is definitely the key; don’t be scared to throw 20-30 casts into a snag, as sometimes the fish take a bit to stir up. First and last light have been the best times, with early morning fishing out of the shade and the late arvos targeting the shaded banks. Bait fishers have been doing well on small yabbies and scrub

Gage Wright with a beautiful golden perch caught on a Spinwright spinnerbait.

chase some trout, Lake Wallace has been providing some beautiful brown trout up to 1.9kg, and the odd redfin up to 750g, but I expect that to slow down soon with the rising water temps. Wartook is another option, with some nice fish falling victim to the humble mudeye drifted from the boat, or when wind prevails, off the wall. Toolondo is staying reasonably consistent with some nice redfin for the

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up to the long awaited cod opening. Redfin should stay on the chew for whoever is willing to put the time and effort in. Most trout fishing will slow right down due to all water temps starting to get high now. As always, local knowledge never hurts. The local tackle store in Horsham Webbcon Marine is always keen to help with any information and what the go to lures and bait are. They are great people who are always willing to help.

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Fish firing with snowmelt Rod Allen

Fishing up here in the Snowies has been consistently producing. One of the hardest decisions you’ll have to make is which of our three amazing lakes to fish. They are all fishing well and offering up plenty of options. Eucumbene is finally on the rise, with the snowmelt making its way down to the lake, as well as the portal from Tantangara feeding the river. It’s a welcome change for the bank anglers and for those launching a boat, as it’s changed from battling through mud to a much firmer footing. Spin fishing over the yabby beds has been producing amazing days at Seven Gates, Rushes

the boulders or tree margins is as good a way to bump into a trout as anything, and once the right bank has been located, there is no need to go

The author and his son headed out to find some trout at Seven Gates. wandering off too far to try to find another fish. Dry flyfishing has been a bit of a sketchy one on the lake of late, but I am always

The author and a fine trout. Bay, Buckenderra Lake and Braemar Bay with soft plastics, Strike Pro Flatz Minnows, bullets and No4 Celtas. Bait fishing has also been very productive, with everyone enjoying great results on scrubworms, Powerbait and grubs. Trolling the ever-reliable Tassie Devil, bullet, or Strike Pro Flatz Minnow will have you seeing first hand the reputation Eucumbene has built as one of the mainland’s finest wild trout fisheries. There are reports of 30-40 quality, well-conditioned and healthy fish in a weekend. It’s great to see all anglers respecting regulations by only taking their bag of five or less and practising catch and release on the rest. Flyfishing has been very rewarding so far this year and it is looking to get even better. Blind fishing large wets like Buggers and Simpsons down and around

midge are abundant enough for the trout to lock in on them. Lastly, I use a Shaving Brush in 16 for the duns. Tantangara rose above

prepared for it just in case. I like to have a few size 18 Klinkhammers in brown. I have found there isn’t much difference in results when I use other colours, but brown is my go-to. I don’t worry about size with the Griffith’s Gnat, and quite often I use it as an indicator to a buzzer, for when the time comes that the

50% before the portal opened and helped the Euc River to raise Eucumbene. Prior to this, Tantangara had a lot of new-grassed ground covered and the fish were strangely a little slow to react. A few fish were taken off the bank, but the boat anglers faired the best if they could locate the start of the submerged old lake edge and grass. As the lake dropped the edge fishing, particularly polaroiding with fly, stepped up to cover any disappointments. Placing a Pheasant Tail nymph to a fish less than 1ft off a steep edge of a huge lake is something I will never get sick off. Night fishing the shallow bays of Tangy with mudeye style imitations is an awesome way to spend a few hours after dinner, and can sometimes be the best way to connect to a mystery of the dark. I consider this lake to be the most reliable still water evening hatch venue in the Snowies. All you need is the Klinkhammer (brown of course), Griffith’s Gnat Red Tag and shaving brush. Bait fishing has been good, with the best times easily as those hours just before and after dawn and dusk. Scrubworms and grubs fished with as little weight as possible, or mudeyes under a running float into deeper areas

during the day and in close at night. Trolling with most lures in white has seemed to be a recent trend and while it is working, go with it! Clown Tassie and white widow Bullets are accounting for their fair share lately but then again, so have Rapala spotted dogs, so you can make the call on that one. Jindabyne has gone from a bit of a hit and miss type of fishery over recent years, to a much more consistent producer. Brown trout have appeared in great numbers and in superb condition throughout the year to all methods, and are continuing to do so. The supplementary stocking of rainbow trout adds to its own wild naturally

All methods are producing when chasing trout.

The author with an Seven Gates trout. occurring population, as well as the annual brook trout and Atlantic salmon stockings. This has produced some exciting and mysterious fishing. It’s a thrill to wonder what you may have on the end of your line and it could be any of the four species. Some like to target the huge Atlantic salmon by trolling big flashy lures or some go the more subtle approach with bullets, Strike Pro Flatz or Tassie Devils in the hope of a Snowies grand slam of all four species in the one day.

Jindabyne’s banks have been just as good of an option with bait and spin fishos doing great with

blades and Celtas around dawn and dusk, with Tassies and bullets better through the day. Bait fishing has been best with scrubworms, grubs, and PowerBait at the main areas of Jindabyne, such as Curiosity Rocks, Hatchery Bay and also over at Kalkite. • The 45th annual Snowy Mountains trout festival will be running from Saturday 3 November to Friday 9 November. For your chance to share in $30,000 worth of prizes or more info go to www. troutfestival.com.au, or call us at Alpine Angler on (02) 6452 5538, find and message us on Facebook or drop in to the shop.

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Melting snowfall is anglers’ saving grace WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

Here in North East Victoria we have a semiexemption from the debilitating drought that is crippling much of the eastern states of Australia. By semi-exemption, I mean that rivers and streams have about the right rate of water flow for this time of year thanks to decent rain and snowfall in the mountains during winter, while the lowland flat country that relies on rain is tinder dry. While this is terrible for farmers, it is not such a bad story for recreational users of water bodies, including fishers. TROUT The trout fishing has started off very slowly this

half of the month dependent on how much spring rainfall the catchment receives. The lower lying rural streams will most likely be low, but worth fishing for trout early in November. By the end of the month, as the weather really starts to warm up, many trout will either move upstream in search of cooler water or lay low in the deeper pools and sulk, waiting for water conditions to improve. At this time, late spring, it is worthwhile heading to the larger and cooler rivers. The Ovens River is a great river to fish for trout late in spring, as it is still quite cold and maintains a decent flow of water well into summer. On the back of some okay trout fishing early this season I am predicting the Ovens River to be okay late

November is the best month of the year to target yellowbelly. only really be worth fishing for trout upstream around the Abeyards area and further up. In the lower reaches closer to Lake Buffalo there may be an odd trout, and also a few small redfin if you are lucky, and the water is not too cold. Wading is very difficult in this area. The King River will be worth fishing for trout upstream of Lake William Hovell, where the water is cooler and the trout numbers are pretty good. Downstream of Lake William Hovell has

stocking were ceased. YELLOWBELLY The Wangaratta area is not a great area to target yellowbelly or golden perch. There have been a few stocked into the Ovens River in recent years. I have not seen or heard of any being caught as yet. Hopefully they start turning up on anglers lines really soon. Lake Sambell and the Eldorado Dredge Hole are stocked with yellowbelly each year. Lake Sambell produces yellowbelly regularly,

can be worth trying for redfin. Lake Sambell produces a few nicer specimens up to and sometimes over 35cm from time to time, although like so many redfin fisheries most of the fish are much smaller. Lake William Hovell and Lake Buffalo are great redfin lakes, however they tend to fish better after Christmas. In saying that, I have caught redfin in both lakes in November on occasion. ALL OTHER FISH Carp are a very underrated species of fish to target. They can be easy to hook and great fun to fight. They are a great species to introduce kids to fishing with, as they offer a lot of excitement. With the high numbers of Murray and trout cod in the Ovens River system these days, European carp are much harder to come by than they once were. Catches of Murray cod and trout cod greatly outnumber catches of carp. The One Mile and Three Mile creeks in Wangaratta can provide great carp fishing, especially for the kids, as there is easy access throughout Wangaratta. Remember that Murray cod season is closed throughout November and it is illegal to even target Murray cod. Anglers casting large lures around under the disguise of ‘fishing for yellowbelly’ risk being fined if compliance officers deem

The trout fishing should still be good in November, although in the second half of the month the larger, colder rivers will likely fish better than the smaller rural streams. spring. I have seen worse starts to the season, but this has been far from perfect. During November, expect to find healthy water flows during the first half of the month with the second

November. Not brilliant, but okay and worth fishing for trout. The Buffalo and Buckland rivers will also be worth fishing for trout throughout November. The

Buckland River should be worth fishing from its junction with the Ovens River at Porpunkah right upstream throughout its entire length. The Buffalo River on the other hand will

Trout season has started off slowly in the Ovens River catchment, however there have been a few trout caught by persistent anglers.

Want to fight? Fight a carp! Carp fishing is great. They fight like mad and you’re doing the environment a favour by removing them from the water. 64

NOVEMBER 2018

deteriorated as a trout fishery to the point that I would feel guilty suggesting it to anybody. It was once a worldclass fishery, but now due to poor spawning habitat and discontinued fish stocking it can at best be considered a poor trout fishery. Around seven or eight years ago it was stocked with 2500 trout per year, which turned it into a fantastic trout fishery, but unfortunately, for reasons I will never understand, these

particularly for boat and kayak anglers. I have only ever seen one yellowbelly caught in the Eldorado Dredge Hole. REDFIN November can be a great time of the year to target redfin in North East Victoria with a number of waterways holding redfin. Finding redfin is easy, but finding decent sized redfin is the greatest challenge. Lake Kerford and Lake Sambell, both in Beechworth,

that they are targeting Murray cod during the closed season. My advice to anybody fishing the Ovens River at all during the spring months is to leave the lures, bardi grubs and cheese at home and bait fish with worms. Be satisfied with catching carp, the possible yellowbelly or small cod and minimizing the negative impact on spawning Murray cod. It won’t hurt you to wait until December to cast your lures around.

Fishing runs hot and cold SHEPPARTON

Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com

In early spring the footy finals were run and won, with fans either excited or disappointed with the results from the local finals, as well as the AFL and NRL deciders. The relevance between fishing and these sporting encounters is that the fishing has been either very exciting or very disappointing in the local region so far this spring. As I write this article we have not yet received any spring rains. We are normally writing about the good fishing conditions with a river rise in the spring months, but it just doesn’t seem to want to happen. There can be environmental flows pushed through the Goulburn, but they still don’t seem to send the fish crazy compared to the natural ones. I hope that the rains come soon, bringing yellowbelly on an almighty chew. There have been some cracking reports of sessions of four or five legal sized yellowbelly being caught and released within an hour or two in the Goulburn and Broken rivers. There have been reports of yellowbelly being caught using worms or a bunch of three to four shrimp on the

hook, concentrating on the areas either side of the sandbars out Raftery Road or Moira Park. There has been fish caught on spinnerbaits and Jackalls in the Broken River around both weirs and all the way down at the Goulburn and Broken junction. SHEPPARTON LAKE There are still plenty of trout on offer in Shepparton Lake, but they are starting to become harder to catch due to the rising temps. They seem to be staying very deep and hard in the weed, so floating baits have not been as productive on the edges. Lightly-weighted worms have worked well if you can get them to drift into the right spot amongst the weed beds. There is usually a big triathlon in November, so don’t be surprised if you see the weed dredging machine at the lake clearing a path for the swimmers. This can be a great little trolling run with shallow diving lures or lipless crankbaits. If you are looking to cast and retrieve around these areas, weedless rigged soft plastics or lipless crankbaits with a single rear hook will work well on the dredged weed edges. GREENS LAKE Now the weather has warmed up, so has the fishing at Greens Lake. This spring has been reasonably consistent with reports of good sized yellowbelly, redfin and huge

carp being caught regularly. The lake will see a lot more traffic as the days warm up, but the fishing is normally best early morning or late afternoon so there is no reason to be out there when it’s busy with boaters and swimmers during the day. There have been reports of carp up to 75cm caught on worms and corn cocktail at dark, and yellowbelly are mostly taking shrimp or spinnerbaits. CRAIGMUIR LAKE Casting soft plastics, spinnerbaits and blades just on dark has been the best method in recent times at Craigmuir, with yellowbelly and redfin being caught. Those bait fishing have had some luck using scrub worms, either fishing them under a float or on the bottom. Craigmuir fishes best in November, so I look forward to receiving plenty of texts or emails with reports in coming weeks. LOCAL CHANNELS Just like the rest of the waterways in our region, the channels have been very much hit and miss, for some session you leave with doughnuts and others you leave with an ear-to-ear smile. I have said in the past that I have found if you don’t get a hit on your lure or bait within the first 10-20 minutes you’re best to move on. When the water was still flowing hard in the start of

October there seemed to be a lot more reports of redfin, which is great as the past few years they have almost disappeared from our reports. This may be due to an influx of freshwater from upstream, with the redfin coming down with it and once it settles the cod will likely feast on these fish. The yellowbelly fishing has been good towards Nagambie, and also in the Pine Lodge area with shrimp being the best bait and Jackalls in peacock or HL gold working best for the lure fishers. KIALLA LAKES November is prime time for chasing yellowbelly in Kialla Lakes, with small singled-bladed spinnerbaits and Jackalls working well. Using a slow roll with the odd twitch and pause has been the best technique. Those trolling lures have found spinnerbaits around the Broken River side of the lake have worked well. Even though this lake is smaller than the others in this area, it is producing some big carp out of the weed banks with stale bread, corn or worms being used to catch these fish. I have been starting to have some luck burning Hot Bite Jets Tail Spinners on the sand bars – these lures are a tad on the heavy side but they cast a mile. I just send the lure as far as possible, sometimes I am even able to reach the island

David Savage was very excited about catching a trout in one of the local channels. from the bank. From there I just retrieve fast with a raised rod tip to keep the lure from dragging along the bottom. This method works best with a bit of sunlight still on the lake, so I tend to fish this method for 20-30minutes in the evening and once the light drops I switch to lipless crankbaits with a beetle spin. WARANGA BASIN The poor winter has become a poor spring at Waranga Basin. Yes, there have been reports of 20-30 fish caught in a session on bait, but these redfin have been 10-15cm with the odd one being around the 22cm mark. In recent years we had similar average numbers of

fish but much larger sizes, with average catch sizes being the 25cm mark and up to 40cm. Drifting worms and then ice jigging has been the best method recently and I would expect this to stay the same. The basin was sitting around the 55% mark at the start of October, but hopefully we get some spring rains in and the levels rise, as that will fire up the yellowbelly. If the basin does go on a rise target the Inlet Channel areas and also the freshly-covered banks, as the yellowbelly and redfin move up to these areas. The channels leading into the basin have produced some good fish with one local landing a nice trout last month.

Days are warming, and so are the fishing trips had more success deeper, but I’ve also heard of a few being caught on shallower diving lures. So, it could be worth trying both. Again, it’s time on the water and confidence, these elements mixed together should result in catching a few

ALBURY/WODONGA

Connor Heir

The past month has seen some mixed results. Chasing golden perch has been my main priority, but I’ve also done a bit of trout fishing too. Targeting yellas in the spring can still be hard work, as the water temperatures sometimes aren’t quite high enough for the yellas to fire. This has been the case for the beginning of the month, however it is starting to look promising for the upcoming months. Many hours need to be put into catching some quality fish, but it has been well worth the effort. I’ve been fishing the local waterways, primarily with smaller hardbody lures and vibes, and I have had most of my luck on hardbodies in nice calm pools of water that have a bit of flow coming into them. I’ve found that where a bit of light current is coming into a decent-sized hole, there are usually yellas sitting near the current edges feeding on food sources

fish, and it never hurts to change things up a bit if the bite is a little slow. So I’m going to just keep persisting as always, and just keep having fun doing what I adore. Tight lines!

You can find yellas sitting near the current edges. that come through the current and into the hole. So I like to cast my lures through this to try and imitate something that will provoke a strike. My mate Tom and I went out for a few adventures and both times all fish landed came from this kind of water. There have been a few trips where they have been completely off the chew, and other trips I was getting a lot of fish follow me right up to my

feet, but slowly swimming off back to the depths. Personally, I’ve found that in spring this can happen a lot, but as the warmer weather comes about they usually strike a lot more and tend to get more aggressive. I often mention persistence, and I swear by always persisting and to just keep casting. It only takes one more cast to change your day and your results. I’ve heard some good

reports from Lake Hume of late. The yellas are still a bit far off in there, but a few have still been popping up particularly on the troll. Trout have been the most common catch for anglers willing to spend the hours to target them, and some of the trout caught have been of a very respectable size. Most of these trout have been caught using smaller diving lures, or the old faithful Tassie Devils. Some anglers have

Yellas are hard work this season, but worth the effort. NOVEMBER 2018

Get ready for the reddies this November NAGAMBIE

Daniel Brady

We’re over halfway through the 2018 cod closed season. We just have to give the cod a break for one more month, so for now we need to continue to focus on the smaller freshwater species that can be just as fun to catch. With the cod still out of action, the yellowbelly and redfin are the targets for most anglers. Results are

coming from lures and bait, hours on the water is the key ingredient. MITCHELLSTOWN I have been fishing the Mitchellstown area a lot lately. Mornings and afternoons have been giving me a few reasonable yellowbelly. Throwing smaller Jackall TN vibe in fluoro colours, such as lumo and orange, has seen the best results. I have been fishing either side of the bridge and they seem to be fishing as good as each other. I find at this time of year the river

fishes very steady. The fish are spread all over ready for the warmer weather, which is when they will start to school up. I find at this stage the trees are holding more fish than the deeper logs. It really can change over night in this river, but the trees are the go at the moment! KIRWINS BRIDGE The bridge has been a little slow of late. Reports came through again from good mate and gun bait fisher Benny Lee, who spent two days of the water

for six small yellowbelly and 16 redfin. Ben reported the best redfin was caught on shrimp and the yellas all came on small yabbies. Depth varied between 12-18ft and the morning bite was most productive. He also reported the yellas were all caught in the afternoon. All the fish took him straight to the snags before eventually tiring and coming straight back to the boat. A couple of bait anglers noted quite a few redfin on the reedy shallows around

the bridge. One bait angler had a stonker at 54cm. All fish caught on PowerBait in yellow. LAKE NAGAMBIE The lake is still the pick of the area. Its versatility is second to none, and its abundance of redfin and yellowbelly make for a memorable fishing experience. No area has been better than others. Lure and bait have been yielding great numbers. The local kids have been getting the odd yellowbelly off the boardwalk. Throwing

small hardbodies and vibes has resulted in captures. A few reports have come through from the caravan park with a number of yellowbelly being captured. Bait has been the key here and locations coming from all around the caravan park. The smaller natives will start to get more and more active as the water heats up. The more time you put into this waterway the more chance you have of catching some great fish. So don’t ponder, get out there and fish. Good luck.

FISHING NEWS

Melbourne Marine Centre has secured ‘Premier’ status The effort and investment it took to become a Mercury Premier Service Centre is most certainly paying dividends for Melbourne Marine Centre and its customers. “Having premier status gives us serious credibility with boat owners who might not know anything else about us,” said co-owner Andrew Stephen. “The proof is clear: our Service Centre is noticeably busier now than it was a year ago.” Premier accreditation is the highest recognition that a Mercury Marine Service business can achieve and it is only granted to those dealerships who excel in the areas of presentation, technical training, tooling and diagnostics equipment, along with exceptional levels of customer service.

“Not only are we getting more boats to look after, we’re getting bigger boats, because people know we have technicians who are fully trained in the latest Mercury technologies, we have the equipment and all the systems to do an excellent job on their engines,” Andrew said. “They know we’re a Mercury Premier Service Centre, so they are comfortable entrusting their boat with us.” Situated in Hallam, just

half an hour from both Port Phillip Bay and Western Port Bay, Melbourne Marine Centre has only been open for four years, but Andrew and his team still went through a long process to reach the standard required to become a Mercury Premier Service Centre. “Mercury set strict criteria across the whole business, so we went through and ticked the boxes one after another until we crossed the line,” he said.

Melbourne Marine Centre caters for boats of all shapes and sizes with an extensive range of equipment and expert technicians.

More and more customers are entrusting Melbourne Marine Centre with their prized boats.

To make it, Andrew and his partner Rob Cuming (the man behind Northbank Fibreglass Boats) had to invest in additional tools, as well as redesign sections of the workshop and develop new administration systems among other changes. “Thankfully we had a good computer system already in place and that

Nagambie Fishing Tip

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boating shop from new or used boats, fishing tackle, boating accessories, finance and insurance. We try to meet everyone’s requirements,” Andrew said. “We started from scratch but the research we did beforehand showed there was definite room for growth in this area and we’ve managed to secure that. “The fact is we outgrew this site in the first two years. We’ve knocked down walls and done what we can, but

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

Aug Sept Oct

Cairn Curran

Lauriston 79 92 96 Mulwala (Yarrawonga) 81 94 92 Newlyn 62 87 87 Nillahcootie 55 61 60 Rocklands 33 36 35 Tantangara 36 53 45 Taylors 49 54 58 Tullaroop 51 52 51 Waranga 35 44 44 Wartook 53 67 68 William Hovell 102 101 100

55 51

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now we’re trying to figure out the best way to expand. We’ve got more customers and more stock and it all has to go somewhere. “We are thankful to have great customer relationships, we appreciate their loyalty and they know they’re welcome to drop by for advice or just come in for a coffee.” To contact Andrew and his team, go to www. melbournemarine.com.au or call (03) 9703 2003.

DAM LEVELS Eppalock 60 62 55

www.boatsandmore.com.au

NOVEMBER 2018

now plays a major role in tracking what we’re doing and communicating with our customers,” Andrew said. Since opening its doors in January 2015, Melbourne Marine Centre has definitely been giving customers what they want with the dealership recording constant year-onyear growth. “The servicing and repairs we do in the workshop are a huge part of the business, however we aim to offer our customers a one-stop

Eildon

Fresh bait in the form of worms, shrimp and yabbies are a tried and tested method of catching the full range of species in Lake Nagambie. The ever popular number 2 Stump Jumper is always a safe bet. The Purple Tiger colour is a must have. Spinnerbaits and Mumblers are an effective way of securing redfin, golden perch and Murray cod. We recommend Victorian-made Outlaw Spinnerbaits and Babblers.

Shepparton...

Whether you need tackle, boating accessories or advice on where the fish are biting, Melbourne Marine Centre has it all.

Fyans

71 78 81

Hepburn

53 73 73

Hume

45 52 50

Jindabyne 62 64 71

(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.)

Trout are starting to bite BALLARAT

Shane Stevens

Fishing in the Ballarat district hasn’t reached the lofty heights I expected this month. I had high expectations that all of our district waters would really be firing up by now, but it has proven to be a slow start to our much-anticipated trout fishing season. There may be a few reasons for this – it could be the unsettled weather. We have had some good days, heaps of windy days, then out of the blue a dump of snow. I believe this has unsettled the insect hatches that we are waiting on to bring the trout on the bite in our waters. I’m sure as we move into some more stable weather patterns the insects will have a spring in their steps, you could say, and the trout will feed on them with gusto. Lake Wendouree has turned out to be the star performer over the past month, with plenty of trout being caught. Victorian Fishing Authority released some grown triploid rainbow

these brood fish up to 4lb on worms, Powerbait, lures, mudeyes and fly. It’s great to see some of the photos that have been posted on social

ambush anything that swims into their feeding zone. I have been out on Wendouree myself casting surface lures like bent minnow patterns.

Steve Angee caught another nice Wendouree brown casting a bent minnow lure out of a drifting boat prior to release.

Damien Keirl snagged this lovely brown trout from Lake Wendouree on a mudeye fished under a bubble float. Photo courtesy of Damien Keirl. media platforms of young kids catching trout with assistance from their parents. It is very rewarding for both parties, and also for Fisheries to see anglers of all ages

Trout on Wendouree seem to find them irresistible and every time I head out on the water I have success. Wayne Rigg has also been catching some lovely brown trout using the same method. Casting bents out of a drifting boat on overcast days is the most rewarding. Lake Wendouree will continue to fish well over the coming months, especially when the much-anticipated mayfly hatches occur at the start of October right through until the end of November, weather pending. Last year we were robbed due to the bright sunny days, as the mayflies do not hatch through these periods. We then have to wait until autumn for the water to cool down and the hatches to start again. You may think that when I talk about mayfly hatches that it is only targeted towards the flyfishers, and yes it could be seen that way. What does happen, is when the mayfly are up hatching the fish are in that feeding mode and they will eat whatever is in their path. My theory? Food up, fish up and about. When these hatches occur the mudeyes and damselflies in

our waterways start the whole food chain again and the fish will be in feeding mode. Newlyn Reservoir has seen plenty of angler activity over the past month, with a lot of brown trout around the 1kg mark. Geoff Cramer has been catching some of these brown trout flyfishing with the ever reliable Tom Jones fly pattern accounting for a few. Lunchtime and evening session have been the best for Geoff. Ballarat Fly Fishers recently had a competition against the Ballarat Anglers Club fishing Newlyn Reservoir and nearby Hepburn Lagoon – both waters produced fish on the day around the 1kg mark. Brian Rogers from the Anglers Club caught the winning fish with a 1.146kg brown trout on mudeye, fished under a bubble float from Newlyn Reservoir. Shane Jeffreys has been flyfishing Hepburn Lagoon during the evening with some good results. Shane has caught some very healthy brown trout on an Olive Woolly Bugger fly pattern. Hepburn Lagoon is not full at the moment, and I don’t think it will fill unless we receive some late spring rains. The water level is okay to fish at the moment for all angling methods, I suggest this will only last until the weed grows back and makes Hepburn’s access to fishable water limited. My suggestion is to fish the water as much as you can over the next month

A lovely Hepburn Lagoon brown trout prior to release – caught by Shane Jeffrey on an Olive Woolly Bugger fly pattern. Photo courtesy of Shane Jeffrey. trout, as well as some larger brood fish for the recent Trout Fishing Festival. They have now started to show up in catches as well as some of the resident brown trout from last year’s releases. Anglers fishing from boats and the shore have been catching plenty of

catching fish. Damien Keirl is one of a number of experienced anglers that have been catching some lovely brown trout up to 2.5kg on mudeye. Damien anchors his boat out from the weed beds then drifts his baits back into them, where the fish are waiting to

Ballarat Angling Club members Brian and Barry Rogers with a couple of brown trout from Newlyn Reservoir during a recent competition against the Ballarat Fly Fishers Club.

for the best results. Mudeyes fished under bubble floats will result in some excellent catches. For the flyfishers, target the mayfly feeders on the overcast days, or wait until evening when the trout venture into the shallows

fly pattern with a little nymph fished on a dropper under the Shaving Brush, if the mayfly feeder doesn’t grab the brush they grab the nymph. This set up works on all waters where the trout feed on mayfly. The rainbow trout are still

Wayne Rigg nailed another Wendouree brown trout casting a bent minnow surface lure. Photo courtesy of Ben Young. to feed on midge, caddis or mudeyes. Moorabool Reservoir has been a bit quiet over the past month like many of the waters, and certainly angler numbers are down according to a local resident I spoke to the other day. He said the fish are not on the bite at the moment so not many anglers are fishing. Geoff Cramer was weaving his magic at Moorabool with his little Tom Jones fly pattern recently, catching a couple of lovely browns. The fish moved into the shallows to feed and Geoff cast his fly in front of the feeding fish and they went for it with gusto. Geoff likes to fish Moorabool over the next month when the mayfly hatches occur out there as well. He uses a Shaving Brush

biting down at Lake Bolac, with patience being required to catch some of the fish. They are varying in size with some recent notable catches of rainbow trout up to 3.5kg recorded. Dean Hodge on a recent trip with the Ballan Anglers Club landed some lovely rainbows on scrub worms fished on the bottom. Others have been caught on Powerbait, salted white or blue bait or pilchard fillets. At Tullaroop Reservoir the reports have been a bit on the quiet side over the past month. I have high expectations from Tullaroop, especially given the excellent winter fishing it produced. Over the next month we should see, once again, anglers reporting excellent catches of rainbow and brown trout using bait, lures and fly. NOVEMBER 2018

Reddies and trout are awake at Crater Lakes CRATER LAKES

Rod Shepherd

The wintery weather is still having a somewhat imposing impact on us, even though the days are finally moving into more springlike conditions. I find spring to be a wonderful time to wet a line, but of course, it can also be quite windy. I know we have seen more than enough wind over the season to last us a lifetime, but it is unfortunately a part of spring. Just recently I’ve heard reports of the redfin population at Lake Purrumbete finally waking up from their winter slumber and coming back on the chew. If this is the case, then it won’t be long before boaters are back out probing the depths with bait and soft plastic jigs in search of those tasty freshwater morsels. There are plenty of trout around 2lb or so in weight taking lures cast towards the weed banks. Just recently some excellent fish from 5-7lb

have been taken on the troll. Browns and rainbows along with the odd brook are responding to medium

cast in the same areas and worked back to the boat with a steady retrieve. We may see some tiger

brook and a female brown. They are reputed to be a very ferocious fighting fish when hooked.

A quality redfin caught recently in this region. diving minnow lures worked in close, as well as minnow style soft plastics

trout released here in time. These fish are a sterile hybrid between a male

Lake Elingamite has brown, rainbow to 900g and thrown into the mix

are some larger specimens approaching 2kg. The redfin population has begun to kick into gear big time with fish to 1.4kg chasing lures cast out for trout. There is certainly no shortage of thumpers available to those who love to chase them, like myself. For such a small lake, you’d think that they might get overfished, but that’s certainly not the case. However, there is a significant shortage of the tiny ones. I’ve fished this lake many hundreds of times, as it’s only minutes from home, yet I’ve never caught more than three undersized fish in a session. And that’s over thirty years of fishing. I, like many, keep a fishing diary so I can always access previous trips. Trolling minnow lures is the number one method here, followed closely by static casting from a drifting boat. A few flyfishers have been travelling down from central Victoria and coming up trumps by mainly using a sinking line and stripping the fly back at a rapid rate of knots.

The depth here is quite suitable for boats up to 4m to access the lake. Bolac is still fishing extremely well with big ‘bows’ in two classes being taken. The first lot are averaging around 1.5kg, while a few more are weighing in at well over 1kg and are being caught mostly by bank anglers. Fishing from a boat will open up more ground in which to explore and fish, but those fishing from the shore are fairing better. A variety of baits are working here including PowerBait and a local minnow called galaxia, which is apparently easy to net in the shallows. Pinning the hook through the minnow’s upper jaw and allowing the bait to swim on the bottom unweighted is a popular method to employ. Placing the rod in a holder and sitting back in an easy chair at the water’s edge and maybe sipping on a coldy while waiting for a strike, sounds like a great plan. Many use cowbells attached to the rod, even during the day, perhaps this is in case the anglers nod off.

Drought conditions continue in Bendigo BENDIGO

Roger Miles codhuntertours@bigpond.com

Below average rainfall continues to be the trend for the Bendigo region. Water levels are now falling in our local impoundments. This is not a good situation, as during the spring months is usually when our impoundments receive their best inflows and the water levels in turn increase. The lack of rainfall over recent weeks has seen the catchments starting to dry out. The drying catchments will reduce the chance of our impoundments receiving good inflows. The region needs to receive a couple of significant rainfall events if this is going to occur. LAKE EPPALOCK Water levels have been dropping in Lake Eppalock over the past couple of weeks. It is concerning to see the drop in water levels at this time of the season, when normally this is when the lake is getting good inflows. The fishing has slowly started to improve over the last couple of weeks. Water temperatures are increasing slowly, which 68

NOVEMBER 2018

is a positive. At this stage we have still had cold temperatures over several nights each week, which is slowing the rate at which water temperatures are increasing. Redfin are still making up the majority of anglers’ captures. At this stage the best concentrations of redfin can still be found in deep water with the depth ranges between 10-15m. Bait fishing with worms and small yabbies has been the best option for those anglers fishing with bait. Anglers targeting redfin with lures, casting soft plastics and jigging with ice jigs and soft plastics have been the most productive options. With the water temperatures increasing we should see more redfin start to move in shallower water over the next couple of months. On a positive note, we have started to see small numbers of golden perch being caught again. Anglers fishing off the bank at night with worms and yabbies have had the best results. Anglers casting the shorelines and chasing golden perch have had low results. There has been better luck for anglers targeting the timbered sections in the lake, with small numbers of golden being caught. We should see a good increase in the numbers of golden perch

being caught over the next couple of months. CAMPASPE RIVER Water clarity is still good in the Campaspe River. The fishing in the Campaspe River has been slow over the last few weeks. The main

to reduce during the past week. If this trend does continue we should see the productivity improve again shortly. Over the last month small numbers of golden perch were being caught. The most

Unfortunately, water inflows have been small and water levels are dropping. If this trend continues it will have a negative effect on the fishing productivity. Redfin have been making up the majority of anglers

The number of golden perch being caught at Lake Eppalock is slowly improving. reason for the reduction in the fishing productivity has been because of the increased flows that have been released out of Lake Eppalock. These increased flows are of cold water, which has a negative effect on anglers catch rates. The flows have started

productive lure options for the golden perch have been suspending hardbody lures and lipless crankbaits. Small numbers of redfin have also been landed in the Campaspe River. CAIRN CURRAN Water clarity is still poor at this location.

captures. The majority of redfin being caught at this location have been small. With the water temperatures increasing we will hopefully see the productivity in redfin fishing improve. Small numbers of golden perch are starting to be caught

at this location. Fishing around the rocky shorelines has been producing a few golden perch, and small numbers have been caught around the edges of the standing timber. The numbers of golden perch being caught has been low, but should continue to improve during this month. LODDON RIVER The fishing in the Loddon River has slowly started to improve over the last month. Some reasonable captures of golden perch have occured below Cairn Curran and Laanecoorie. In these sections of the Loddon River bait fishing has been the most productive option due to the poor water clarity. Further downstream in the Newbridge area the fishing continues to be slow for those anglers fishing with lures. The productivity in the fishing has slowly started to improve in the section of the Loddon River at Bridgewater and Serpentine. Water clarity is currently average in these areas and continues to be patchy depending on the volumes of water that are being released from Cairn Curran and Laanecoorie. When the volumes are less, water clarity improves and therefore conditions improve for those anglers who are lure fishing.

Hatches to catches WST/STH GIPPSLAND

Steve Haughton steve@habitatcreations.com.au

Freshwater fishing starts to heat up in November as the longer warmer daytime air starts a chain reaction; insects begin to emerge exciting the feeding stream trout and Blue Rock Lake bass anglers. The main streams are flowing well, but a dry winter will mean flows will slow right down through summer. A good snow season at Mt Baw Baw, however, will keep the Tanjil and Tyer rivers flowing well into summer. Blue Rock Lake, fed by the Tanjil River, is slowly approaching 100% capacity. The Toorongo, Loch, Latrobe and Tarago rivers will also benefit with snowmelt topping up the catchment, but little rainfall over winter means good flows will be short-lived. It will be interesting to see how the wild stream trout

population responds to low rainfall over the spawning season, coming off the back of poor rainfall in 2017 too. With snowmelt and any late spring downpours of rain, fishing the streams with strong flows can be challenging when using lures, baits and beaded nymphs. After a good spring rainfall, the stronger flows might be brief, but this is the best time to get amongst the action. A lot of food will travel through the system, so trout will be actively feeding. In order to catch a trout in stronger flows, you’ll have to think like a trout. Stream trout prefer to position themselves out of strong current to conserve energy. They’ll sit right outside the flow in an eddy, backwater or at the end of rapids where the flow peters out, allowing food to go to the trout rather than the trout going to the food. Trout will often be found behind large rocks or fallen logs blocking the stream flow, which gives them protection and slower water. During

flooding or very high flow events, stream trout will often be found tucked up against a bank cutting where there are reverse currents. Spotting trout is difficult after a system flush out, so it’s a matter of understanding trout feeding behaviour. Knowing where the fish are hiding allows you to approach the feeding zones, reducing the risk of spooking them. Casting a lure, unweighted bait or beaded nymph and letting the strong flows push the lure into the backwater allows you to naturally enter the strike zone. Retrieve the lure slowly to give it enough action to entice a trout out of its comfort zone. There has been plenty of trout action at Blue Rock over spring, many being caught trolling or flicking lures from the bank. Bass action heats up this month as the water temperature starts to increase. Bait balls of fish and shrimp along with hatching insects will start to see bass coming up to the surface to feed. Bass

Regular contributor Dan Moore enjoyed the start of the trout opening season in West Gippsland with a nice looking brown trout caught and released in one of the local rivers. will be best targeted using soft plastic lures or small crankbait lures cast at the banks in amongst the snags. Gently roll the lure back to the boat or kayak. Being an aggressive feeder, bass will typically strike at the first cast if they are hiding up where you cast. If there’s no action, simply keep moving on until you find them. If you know the fish are there but

Fishing weather warming up MELBOURNE METRO

Dylan Brennan

As the warmer months of 2018 approach we should see virtually all of our local freshwater species on offer. Although it seems like it will be a long, dry summer, many of the local creeks and lakes have good water clarity and this can make for some exciting visual fishing. Sugarloaf Reservoir in Christmas Hills is running excellent clarity around the rocky wall sections and has seen a few school-sized golden perch caught by anglers casting lures from around the southwestern shoreline. The majority of fish coming here at the moment are around 37cm in size, and fighting fit. Many lures styles are working well on the yellas here at the moment, with lipless vibration baits a common starting point, but small chatterbaits and soft plastics also catching a few. If you plan on fishing around the

Harry Butler with one of the rainbow trout he caught from Karkarook recently. Photo courtesy of Sarah Butler.

standing timber here, make sure to pack a few extra lures as the spindly branches claim a few. Also make sure you are working the lure all the way back to your feet, as yellowbelly are notorious for following all the way back to the shore and striking at the rod tip. On the Mornington Peninsula, Devilbend Reservoir has been somewhat patchy. Patchy in the sense that there have been a lot of

frustrated anglers heading home without any luck at all, while other anglers have been passing on reports of success. Devilbend is a fickle system in which ‘dangling’ doesn’t really pay off in most instances. I still hear from many people who fish too big a hook and simply cast into the thick weed. For success in this lake you have to find the small clear pockets and gaps in the weed and coax the fish into them. Fishing lightly-weighted baits under

small sensitive floats is one way to go. Some anglers have been catching trout and redfin using weedless soft plastics, so there is always more than one way to catch a fish. Some of the suburban lakes have been producing trout for local anglers lately. Karkarook Park in Moorabbin is one such location, where there have been rainbow trout from the last school holiday’s stocking on the chew. Most of the trout caught here have been taken on PowerBait or maggots, with the occasional fish taking worms or small freshwater yabbies. Keen young angler Harry has been down there tackling the trout on PowerBait, and is now well and truly hooked on trout fishing. • For any of the latest metro reports and information, pop into Compleat Angler Dandenong at 241243 Princes Highway, Dandenong, give us a call on 03 9794 9397 or jump on to the ‘Melbourne Metro Freshwater Fishing’ page on Facebook.

they’re not biting, change lure pattern or type. Keep some surface lures in the tackle box just in case you’re out and notice the bass are feeding off the surface, especially if you find yourself in the middle of an insect hatch. Poppers, walkers, cicadas, bent minnows and stickbaits are all good options and you should have at least one of each kind in the tackle box. Land-based anglers

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can certainly get involved in the bass action over the month. Much of the western shoreline near both boat ramps is accessible by foot. While the shoreline has little structure in the water, bass do frequent these open banks to round up redfin and shrimp. Feel free to send me a report or photo, particularly if you have any success stories from the start of the trout season and please email me any questions.

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Get a cod on your rod EILDON

Daniel Piazza

As the warmer months approach us the lake is going to start getting busy. Remember to respect everyone’s space; there is plenty of lake for everyone to enjoy a day out on the water. In the past few months the lake has seen some steady catches by a vast variety of anglers flat lining for trout. Riley from Healesville caught a pretty chunky Eildon yellowbelly. Riley

and his father target this area frequently and they are avid fishers, with dad teaching his young eagle how to find fish. As they frequent Boonie Doon areas in search of trout in the colder months, they thought to head up Big River way in search of the remaining resident post spawn browns making their way back into the lake after their annual reproductions run. A Frog Pattern Tassie Devil did the job on this occasion. Remember, Ford Inlet and the Delatite Arm are not the only yellowbelly spawning

Riley from Healesville with a decent Eildon yellowbelly.

areas. All fish are different, as like humans they choose different areas usually around their place of birth and consume only what they have been known to frequently eat. Obviously, if there is a shift in food or habitat they will move and this is subject to us humans catching them. Cod, on the other hand, are everywhere and are lazy opportunistic freight trains. As you all know winter is the time to catch the big cod, and they have been a little patchy leading up to Melbourne Cup long weekend. If you have a good scan sounder you might often see two big fish sitting side by side or a big fish either side of a large snag or a big log that cod will nest on in the months of September, October, November and December. If you do catch them, be gentle regardless of the time of year. Try not to take them out of the water, if you want a photo be prepared and be quick. Because cod don’t have the biological support from the lake to aid the small fry to grow, they will not usually last more than 48 hours, but the cod are programed to carry out their spawning program every year. They will have big guts on them and they

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but then we make the effort to get out there and it just disappoints us. Personally, I recommend summarising these posts and taking key points – maybe your jighead

is too heavy and too un-life like, or your leader is too visible. If your leader is 10lb drop down to 6lb. Find the happy medium that works for you on the day.

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are still carrying eggs, so just respect them. As the trout start to dive deeper in the lakes and riverbeds, the new warmer seasons brings redfin, yellas and cod. Around Fraser is a great area to start your search for fish. I have done quite a few trips of late and some have been successful and some not as much. But, Collier Bay has been holding a lot of bait balls and many big schools of redfin and yellowbelly on the adjacent side to the boat ramps. I witnessed an angler in a kayak smacking redfin and yellowbelly all day, which was great to see. He is also a reader that finds these monthly articles a great starting point for his sessions. Remember this, we see many photos on social media and hear about all the reports of the locations of where the fish were caught,

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This time of year brings out the exciting times at Eildon. Frosty still mornings, sunny blue skies and the chance of catching a cracking fish. What more could you ask for. The water temperature is right down and this has bought the trout right up on the bite. The northern end of the lake is now sitting around the 11°C mark and is expected to slowly rise as the sun comes out. The talk on the water is all about that yella bite. So, let’s get into it! NO CLOSE FOR EILDON! As many of you are aware, Eildon is still available as one of the best cod fisheries in Victoria. Eildon is exempt from the Victorian annual closure for cod, meaning you can fish for the mighty Murray cod 24/7, 365 days a year! Now is the perfect time to start to focus your attention on these pre-historic fish. Start looking and focusing your attention on the steep

rock walls of the lake and results will start to come. As the water starts to heat up the number of fish will start to increase. The more you put in the more you will get back punters. DELATITE ARM The word on the water is all about the Delatite, with trout and Murray cod as the primary focus for many. Word has spread that a few very nice yellowbelly have been caught around the traps. These whispers should increase with the warmer weather. The steep rock walls around the entrance of the arm have been producing some cracking results. Reports have been coming through from many anglers that the trout have been on fire early morning and late afternoon. Slow trolling Tassie Devils in lumo green, hot pink and white has seen the most captures. Recently on the water I caught up with a couple of local kids who has been caching some great fish over the last couple of weeks. Slow trolling Rapala lures in brown dog has been catching all their fish. The lads had four rods and all of them had a brown

dog. The lads also noted the best captures have been caught less then 10ft behind the boat. FORD INLET I have reported this a couple of times, but I’m still getting feedback from a couple of guys that fishing right up the back of the inlet is getting some fantastic results. The water level has been on a sudden rise and the fish have loved it. Using light spin outfits the boys caught numerous trout on small grubs and caught a few redfin mixed in with the trout. With the moons being against lure fishers, best results have been on the humble worm. This has been when they are fished lightly-weighted and been left to slowly drift down – the trout have really loved this presentation. MAIN ARM I fished the main arm for a full day last week and I didn’t get a rattle. I still believe things will start to really fire up soon. This was an exploratory session more than anything. Using my To page 71

Chasing that solid rainbow connection EILDON RIVERS

Gary Constantine

The Goulburn River was stocked with nearly 7 tonne of ex-brood stock rainbow trout by Victorian Fisheries recently, and many anglers enjoyed landing either their first trout, their first for the season, or their best ever catch. It has seriously been fishing its head off between Eildon and Yea. Anglers have had success using a wide variety of techniques such as drifting scrubbies or maggots, spinning Celta or bladed type lures, and casting small hardbodies like Rapalas, Tassie Devils and soft plastics. Using Caddis, Midge, Ant, Beetle and Small Moth pattern flies has also worked for the flyfishers. With these trout being new releases the Goulburn River has seen the PowerBait salmon egg, pink,

Nathan with a nice rainbow he picked up near Thornton in the Goulburn River on a Gold Kroc lure.

has been producing Murray cod between 70-110cm on yabbies. This was prior to the Murray cod closed season. Lake Eildon stays open during the closed season if you’re keen on chasing these guys. Eildon Pondage has also been stocked with some thumping ex-brood stock, and as you would expect the PowerBait and local dough has been working best, but scrubbies and maggots have caught a few as well. One 8lb brown trout was taken on scrubbies under a float near Cemetery Point. Other areas showing good results have been Bourke Street, the footy oval and the Eildon caravan park. The new Tassie Devil 132 certainly made its mark on its debut in the pondage, landing a 5.5kg rainbow.

Rob with the thumper rainbow trout he caught in the Eildon Pondage on a soft plastic.

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Ian Thompson with a 5kg rainbow trout. orange and rainbow working exceptionally well. However, things are going to change a little with environmental flows fluctuating back up to 8500ML. This means anglers will need to target the shallows and the newlycovered grassy areas. There have been several reports of very healthy brown trout up to 6lb being caught in the Goulburn River on scrubbies, hardbodies and soft plastics as well. The smaller rivers such as the Rubicon, Acheron, Steavenson, Little, Big and Jamieson are all doing quite well for healthy and occasionally large brown and rainbow trout, using From page 70

sounder, I slowly worked my way around all the points and bays marking fish, logs, holes and rocky points. I find when the fishing is real tough, it is the perfect time to prepare for the next trip. I found heaps of bait in a couple of bays, and I dare say as the water

Ray with a 7.5kg rainbow he caught in the Eildon Pondage on salmon egg PowerBait. Other Tassies, such as the number 16 and the fluoro pink, have also done well. Just a word of warning, with environmental and irrigation flows ramping up, expect the pondage to be up and down quite regularly. With this in mind, when it’s filling, using lures will be the best way to target Riverside Drive. If you try to use baits when it’s filling and you cast too far out weed will be a problem, so fish close to the bank or over the opposite side of the pondage.

Paul Cameron Junior with his thumper rainbow trout, also taken from the Eildon Pondage. warms up the fish will move up in the bays and start to feed. Sometimes a fishless day can set up for a memorable following trip. COD AND YELLOWBELLY Now the rivers are closed the cod fishing will start to heat up. Lake Eildon is a cod fishery all year round, meaning the

Victorian closed season doesn’t apply to this lake. I dare say the fishing will start to heat up with some warm weather on the way. As the warm weather starts, so will the yellowbelly. We might still be a month or two off, but the odd fish will start to filter through. Get out there and have a crack! Tight lines!

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A new approach to big questions SUNTAG

Stefan Sawynok

Questions of philosophy are not covered very often in fishing magazines, but we at Infofish are at a point where we need to lay down the philosophical differences between us and traditional fishing establishment. This topic impacts every reader directly – from job choices, to how companies work to how services are delivered. This is not just about fishing, it’s about the world that the internet is forcing us to deal with. Feel free to skip over this article if it’s not your jam. I have a deep dive into some high-resolution mapping data coming next month. For the past three years I have struggled to articulate exactly how we are doing things differently. Almost every conversation I have about the things we do, ends up in a conversation about stocks. I get that, we have been obsessed since the ‘70s with how many fish there are and how many is it safe to keep. However, it frustrates me at times because not every problem in fishing has a ‘number of fish’ solution. The question of stocks is reflective of the difference between classical science and diverging modern practices. Technology has created a difference in world view among people who use data. At first, I thought my noticing this trend was just me spending too long looking at numbers. Over the past three years though

I have connected with people in other industries who are seeing the same thing. This is going to be my best attempt at explaining what is going on. First to classical science and statistics. Much of modern science is based on classical statistics, which use sampling of a population to extrapolate and provide a representation of a larger population. (Here I insert the ‘not all’ disclaimer for the scientists preparing bricks. I recognise that science is a methodology for exploring important questions.) In fishing terms, this is a classical stock assessment problem, using catch and other sampling data to provide a prediction of total stocks, albeit with some complex mathematical modelling. In classical statistics, the better designed the model and sampling regime, the better the outcomes. Classical science is robust, the peer review system ensures quality and methodology is rarely accepted unless results have been validated in more than one study. Classic science is the go-to for big predictive questions. Nonetheless, it’s a very slow process. Classical science is not quite as good at predicting much smaller things, such as will you – the reader – go fishing at 6am or 10am. There have been some good attempts at population-wide stuff, so a given ‘group’ of people will be more likely to go fishing early, but that doesn’t really tell us what a specific individual is going to do on a given day. Let’s say the hypothetical you is a T20 Avid fisher, and the optimal tide/fishing time

is 6am. Sweet – you are going to fish at 6am right? Maybe that’s true, but maybe you need to take your son to soccer training first and can’t get out until 10am. In other words, your primary driver isn’t always the basis of decisions. There are exceptions, even if one could argue misplaced priorities. Now the classical science view is – really who cares if on a given Saturday you had to take your son to soccer. That’s all just noise, the real data we need is how long were you on the water, and how many fish did you take. Up until three years ago I agreed, but that approach kept failing me in solving the problems I was presented with. SOCIAL SCIENCE VS BIG DATA There is a strong ideological view among left-leaning social scientists that classical statistics fails us. This failure manifests because population-wide averages do not correlate well to lived experiences. In essence, the washing out of the details through statistical models results in systems that are less responsive to individual needs and are overly oppressive. In a world which does appear to be fracturing into smaller subgroups, there is a validity to that notion. Again, before I have social scientists throwing bricks, I understand there are different groups of thinking in all sciences, and I don’t want to embark on that debate. I do want to point out there is a different group who have looked at the same problem from a different perspective. I am one of them.

Figure 1 – Sound reflection off a fish. This difference in thinking goes back to the 6am/10am example above. If we had more datapoints on the individual, e.g. that they had a son that plays soccer on Saturday morning, that might have been factored

Figure 4 – Map of underwater habitat and fish based on echosounder data 74

NOVEMBER 2018

into our prediction. Is that a useful thing to do? If you want to better tailor services to that individual, yes – companies like Amazon have gone to crazy lengths to get more datapoints on their customers to better target services and products. For years we have discarded data due to irrelevance to the problem at hand, lack of funding, storage or ability to share. We have also discarded data because we didn’t really think it was data at all. Is your preference (or non-preference) for the colour red really data? Is your predilection for ending every sentence with “ay?” data? In my world, yes it is. The internet has changed how we think about data by brute force, because digitising things has become so simple. Within a few short years of the creation of the internet, the growth of data had outstripped our ability to analyse that data. Equally, the complexity of data grew beyond classical statistical models. In fact, classical statistical models have themselves become inputs as much as they were once outputs. This is the world of big data. Please leave your conventional thinking with your shoes by the door if you

are entering this world. Big data is too hard for conventional tools to manage due to volume and complexity. Not only that, but in the big data world, noise matters. When Google first developed a translation engine, they worked with good clean data, prepared in the way all good scientists would recommend. The project was a disaster. Things didn’t start to work until they started adding in all sorts of things, like misspelled words, completely wrong contexts, and broken sentence structures to their source datasets. In other words, until you allowed for the fact that people aren’t perfect, systems will only be able to deal with a smaller subset of circumstances. Shock, horror! The real world is far more messy than conventional science likes. Enter machine learning. Where new complex algorithms addressed part of the big data problem, another branch of computing was starting to come into its own. Machine learning replicates the basic decision/learning processes that humans apply but through some very clever maths. This gives computers a more ‘organic’ way of learning complex tasks. The

tech giants were the first to go down this road; almost every decision on YouTube is driven by machine learning. Humans are only there to deal with disputes. My current favourite though is a robot that taught itself to flip pancakes using a technique called reinforcement learning. That is real progress and the basis for self-driving cars. I don’t want to dive too far into the big data world, but I do want to point out the fundamental difference to classical statistics. Classical statistics uses data to tell us something about a larger population. Big data uses data to tell us a lot more about the individual, and the world that individual inhabits. In a real sense, most of the big data applications are the opposite to classical approaches. Where classical statistics washes out the detail, big data embraces the detail and accepts that it’s messy. ECHOSOUNDERS, BIG DATA AND OUR APPROACH TO THE FUTURE This is the divergence I took three years ago. In a complex world, ‘one size fits all’ statistical approaches that drive services delivery and decision making will continue to lack flexibility to deal with local circumstances. Globally, the disconnect between larger institutions and local communities is widening. I don’t feel like that is a controversial statement, as big institutions are still the best way to deliver services, but their rules-driven processes drive people mad. The electoral volatility around the world is strong evidence of that disconnect. With this in mind, everything Infofish does is about expanding the datapoints we collect and expanding the definition of ‘data’. In our world, individual fish now matter – a lot! The better the resolution of the picture we have of a local fishery, the better we can help people achieve their goals. Enter Biosonics Echosounder as one example of our expanding approach to data collection. Let’s take a look at the classical science. Echosounders have been used to assess fish data since the late 1960s, and I recommend reading the first of Richard H Loves’ papers that provided the foundational methodology for measuring fish with echosounders. This paper is a great piece of history and explains much of how echosounders work. Figure 1 gives a pretty good picture of how echo sounders see fish, but what that amounts to is an equation: T=24.1 log L-4.1 log λ -33.2 Where T = Target Strength,

L= Length of the fish in inches and λ is the acoustic wavelength in feet. There have been many studies that have since confirmed and updated the technique, we are using an equation derived for Nile perch for barramundi while we are gathering samples to develop a localised equation. Is that reliable? Here is a comparison of catch records and calculated lengths for Lake Awoonga, comparing regular catches with a survey of a bay area. So how is Biosonics a big data problem? 58 barramundi in a survey is not a lot, right? In side facing surveys, we get around 1GB of data per km. After applying the AutoTrack software that provides a list of candidate targets, that corresponds to around 30,000 objects per km. There is a section in each survey where the sounder starts hitting bottom that is noisy. For the moment we are excluding that though soon we will be mining that data for additional targets. When all is said and done, we end up with around 5000-6000 targets per km. That includes trees, small fish, bait balls, target fish and so on. For the record, we collect between 1200 and 1500 datapoints on each object. Compare that with 3-4 for a net-caught fish. In the original round of surveys, we assessed those signals by hand. This was very time consuming but also very educational. Over time we have improved detection in simple environments, but an environment like Awoonga is very complex. We have a set of rules we use to sort out most objects, but sometimes you get a piece of timber that provides the same sort of data profile as a fish. In response we have used sidescan data, and this has helped but we still end up with a lot of manual work because we need to be able to interpret visualisation of the data. This is where machine learning comes in. As we build up datasets we are generating thousands of visualisations of the scan data from different perspectives that we are feeding to machine learning. It turns out that it is really good at looking at a 75cm x 75cm slice of the echosounder image and determining whether the target is wood, fish or something else we need to check. Over time we are whittling down the impossible task of checking echo scans. Do I believe we make errors? We err on the side of caution, only accepting the best signals, but still it’s quite possible. Can we be 100% be sure that we are right 100% of the time? No, but as with all big data projects to date, there is a slower start with

higher uncertainty. The more survey data we collect, the more datapoints we collect and the better off we will be. I am very confident on many things, like structure and wood as we have sidescan corroboration. Sidescan has also helped resolve many fish identification issues as well. Using the Biosonics, covering large survey areas is possible in a fraction of the time that it takes to do electrofishing or creel surveys. More to the point, we get a lot more data about baitfish, habitat, vegetation and bottom structure. Figure 6 is an example of a test survey we do in Lake Awoonga; you be the judge as to whether it’s useful. Extrapolate to the entire impoundment – that is the goal. For the record, we don’t plan to publish maps like this but in order to get the concept across we need to provide an idea of what can be achieved. I believe statistical robustness matters. More and more we apply better sampling and statistical techniques, but statistics is a tool, not a religion. I accept we have to do the validation work and convince the scientists, but I am not about to stop surveys in the meantime as the data we are extracting is solid and useful. This has been the challenge for most big data projects. They aren’t following conventions and aren’t trying to solve the same problems. Most have just accepted they can’t be easily validated and instead have focused on making the techniques successful in dealing with real world problems. We can use raw numbers as a baseline, as we can survey an entire region, not just a small area. There are established survey methods. There are a number of ways to ground truth results. If we can provide good data for decision making, I will accept that fact that in the short-term chances are there will be skeptics. WHERE ARE WE HEADED? Do I have a clear vision of where we are headed? Not yet. We have only just started to get the techniques to manage this large-scale data right. What I do know is that the picture we get from these datasets is far more detailed and faster to generate than was ever possible before. Decisions made on this approach are more responsive to changes in circumstance and in the long run they’re cheaper to produce. Can we address stock questions using this new approach? Yes, but I think that is such limited thinking. Rather than addressing the question of stocks, I think it’s far more important to address

Figure 2 – Catch records of barramundi in Awoonga in 2018. the needs of members of the fishing community in a way that reduces the pressure on stocks overall. To do that we need to better understand the world that fish inhabit, and then provide much more tailored fishing products that allow fishers to get the most from their fishing experience, be that for fun or harvest. The real question for me is this: can we help fishers

be much more successful in achieving their goals while reducing their collective impact? Can we make sure that fishing is around forever? The early signs are very positive. Taking this path has been a huge risk, both financially and technically. The fishing establishment has no idea how to deal with us, and I don’t blame

them. Any new process has to prove itself in the real world, and in some cases never gains acceptance from the establishment. Do I think it will pay off? Absolutely. There is no turning back the clock. The faster we embrace new ways of addressing the complexities of the world and the needs of the individual, the faster we all reap the benefits.

Figure 3 – Survey of Grevillea Creek. NOVEMBER 2018

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All you need to worry about are the fish

CUSTOMISED MAINTENANCE & SERVICE to meet your individual boating needs

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www.anchorright.com.au | 03 5968 5014

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

KRIS OAKLEY MARINE SERVICES

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

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

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

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

This section in V&TFM Fishing Monthly consolidates the trades and services in your area that are relevant to your fishing and boating. Whether you’re a local looking for more options or a travelling angler fishing around the state, this guide will direct you to reputable businesses in the area you’re searching. 76

NOVEMBER 2018

EAST COAST

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Able Fishing & Charters, Williamstown (03) 9502 3777

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

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O’Brien Charter Service, Bermagui 0407 214 124

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

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

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

CHANDLERY & ACCESSORIES

CENTRAL

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Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call (07) 3387 0800 or email pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au NOVEMBER 2018

FUN PAGE AND COMPETITIONS FILMS ABOUT FISH

SHARK TALE GONE FISHIN THE MEG BIG FISH THE PERFECT STORM BAIT SHOP ONDINE DEEP BLUE SEA LIFE OF PI

DTD - REAL FISH OITA

SHARKNADO ALAMO BAY JAWS FINDING NEMO PIRANHA SOUL SURFER LITTLE MERMAID A FISH CALLED WANDA ANDRE

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 NOVEMBER 2018

Phone (day):

FINS SCALES & TALES by A. Both

The ‘Real Fish Oita’ is an incredible, award winning squid jig manufactured in Europe by leading Croatian company - DTD. Taking out the coveted ‘best new product’ in its class at the EFTTEX 2015 Expo in Warsaw, this wonderful range is now available in Australia through Dogtooth Distribution. The product imitates real fish species. This coupled with DTD’s use of only the highest grade materials available, ensures great balance and results in superior catching ability. With the unique ‘fish parasite’ feature, aimed at luring predators in for an ‘easy kill’, these truly unique jigs are set to explode into the Australian market. FEATURES - Double weight system with inner weight designed to produce sound while squid jig is in action. COLOURS - 7 different designs representing popular fish species. ADDITIONAL - Luminous body, fish parasite, great balance, sound effect, quality stainless steel hooks SIZES - 5 Sizes available www.dogtoothdistribution.com.au

SPOT THE

10 DIFFERENCES

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

ORIGINAL

FIND-A-WORD

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

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE

The subscriber prize winners for September are R Graham of Penguin, M Gristwood of Eildon and M Evans of Magra who won a AccuMat fish measuring mat valued at $99. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – V&TFM

of Smythes Creek, W Johnson of Morwell, K Tripp of Glenroy, P Cobb of Berrigan, J Wilson of Boronia, F Hutchins of Sunbury, J Laszczyk of Newborough, D Robinson of Carisbrook, J Albrecht of Torquay, P Hadlow of Highton, T Curran of Ararat, J Killian of Paynesville, P Hurd of Toolamba, D Dunn of Warrnambool, M Adams of Grahamvale, A Martin of Monbulk, P Stevens of Capel Sound, F Weber of

Gorack East, A Strange of Cardigan, R Waters of Temora, T Crawford of Wy Yung, F Saunders of Rosanna, M Stacey of Portland, T Darker of Daylesford, P Reed of Wangaratta, I Doughty of Talbot, K Hartley of Coburg North, J Smith of Carranballac, N Foot of Lara, G Parker of North Byaduk. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – V&TFM

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS

FIND THE DAIWA LOGO

GUESS THE FISH?

The answers to Find the Daiwa Logo for September were: 9, 18, 20, 27, 33, 37, 39, 47, 78, 80, 81, 82, 86, 87, 100. – V&TFM

NOVEMBER 2018

This month’s Guess the Fish Answer: Yellowfin Bream

The Find the Daiwa Logo prize winners for September were: C Smith of Traralgon, G Bannister of Lorne, W Tippet of Murrabiel, D Fitzgerald of Coldstream, R Crossman of Echuca, D Hedley of Hamilton, N Sanders of Irymple, F Healey of Traralgon, A Pollard of Darley, R Morgan of Dingley, M Collier

Answer:

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.

82 New from Lowrance Check out what’s new in the wonderful of Lowrance fish finding technology!

84 Abandon ship!

Justin Willmer explores the joys of caching the kayak and fishing on foot!

86 Planning a boating trip Wayne Kampe looks at the very basics of what goes into planning a boating trip. It’s a bit more complicated than you might think!

This month...

Editor Steve Morgan has a run in the Whittley SL25 HT on Port Phillip Bay. Check it out on page 88!

NOVEMBER 2018

WHAT’S NEW BOATING YAMAHA SUMMER SALE

Say hello to summer with Yamaha’s outboard sale, and take advantage of this special deal: $15 per hp off all 2.5-130hp Yamaha 4-stroke outboards. This offer provides significant savings of up to $1950. Whether you are repowering or buying a new boat, Yamaha is giving boaties this summer the perfect opportunity to pick up a new outboard for less. From the revolutionary F25 and F75 to the next generation F90, Yamaha outboards have been fuelling the summers of Australian boaties for many years. With one of the most extensive ranges of outboard engines in the market, Yamaha has reliable engine options for every boat, large or small. This special limited offer is available to recreational customers until 30 November. Visit your local Yamaha dealer to learn more, or visit the Yamaha Marine website. You can also check them out on Facebook at www. facebook.com/YamahaOutboardsAustralia. www.yamaha-motor.com.au/outboard

AUGMENTED REALITY FROM RAYMARINE 2 Raymarine ClearCruise AR (Augmented Reality) brings enhanced on water awareness to Raymarine’s Axiom multifunction displays (MFDs). There is also a new video stabilisation module, the Raymarine AR200, which integrates with ClearCruise. ClearCruise AR video imagery is supported by Raymarine CAM210 HD marine cameras to provide an augmented reality view from any camera position on the vessel. The video stabilisation module includes a precision GPS/GNSS sensor and the same attitude heading reference sensor (AHRS) technology used in Raymarine’s award-winning Evolution autopilots. ClearCruise AR accurately displays nearby navigation markers, automatic identification system (AIS) traffic, objects, and waypoints in sync with real-world imagery, which is ideal for complex navigation and high traffic situations. ClearCruise AR for Raymarine Axiom, Axiom Pro, and Axiom XL is compatible with the upcoming LightHouse 3.7 OS update. Price: SRP $999 (camera), $899 (video stabilisation module) www.raymarine.com/clearcruise

SIMRAD HALO24

Simrad’s HALO24 combines the performance and reliability of Simrad’s radars with the advantages of innovative technology and a lightweight design. It boasts 60rpm high-speed rotation at distances up to 2nm. Offering high quality short, mid, and long-range detection, up to 48nm, HALO24 processes multiple ranges simultaneously for instantaneous Dual Range performance. VelocityTrack Doppler technology provides instant visual feedback on the motion of radar targets in relation to the boat – colourcoding approaching vessels, as well as MARPA functionality, decreasing the risk of collision. The lightest 24” Pulse Compression radar dome on the market, the low profile Halo dome offers different power-level options. In a matter of seconds, the radar will boot from low-power standby to full functionality in any mode—harbour, offshore, weather, and bird. This easy-to-use radar optimizes up to 18 parameters for each pre-defined mode. Price: SRP $3599 www.simrad-yachting.com 80

NOVEMBER 2018

MERCURY FOURSTROKE SALE

Big savings of up to $1150 are now available on selected 2.5-115hp Mercury FourStroke outboards. By acting quickly, boat owners can also take advantage of Mercury Finance’s very competitive loan rate of just 3.99% (comparison rate) for 40-150hp repowers**. The Mercury FourStroke Revolution savings offer is available to recreational and commercial customers until 23 November. Mercury FourStrokes deliver reliable starting, excellent fuel efficiency, smooth operation, electronic fuel injection (EFI models), tougher components, corrosion protection, and the availability of SmartCraft digital monitoring on selected models. *All new 15 and 20hp FourStroke models excluded. **For recreational customers. Fees, terms, conditions and credit criteria apply. www.mercurymarine.com.au

RAYMARINE RVX1000

The RVX1000 3D CHIRP Sonar brings RealVision 3D high-powered CHIRP Sonar to Raymarine’s Axiom XL MFDs (available in 16”, 19”, 22” and 24”). The RVX1000 can be customised to fit any boat with a wide range of available transducer options. There are dual transducer ports; Port 1 supports a Raymarine RealVision 3D transducer system while port 2 supports a range of AIRMAR broadband CHIRP transducers. Supported channels include: RealVision 3D, which shows you in 3D space the exact position of fish and structure (you can rotate the image and view it from any angle); CHIRP DownVision, which gives you a high definition, 2D photo-like view of underwater structure and fish as deep as 180m; CHIRP SideVision, which can see out to 90m on both sides in water as shallow as 1ft, and produces photolike images; High Frequency CHIRP, used for spotting gamefish and bait balls to depths of 270m; and 1kW CHIRP, which delivers excellent performance in depths up to 1500m. Owners of Raymarine eS and gS Series systems can also use RVX1000 sonar. www.raymarine.com.au

SUZUKI DF175A AND DF150A

PRODUCT GUIDE

The new Suzuki DF175A and DF150A deliver outstanding power and performance together with superior fuel efficiency – all from a super compact and lightweight unit. Osawa Yasuharu, Executive General Manager, Global Marine Products Operation, said the DF175A and DF150A both benefit from Suzuki’s Lean Burn Control System, which is designed to save fuel both at low speed and up into the cruising range. “The new DF175A and the DF150A are packed with the very latest Suzuki’s technologies,” he said. The new outboards are equipped with a Semi-Direct Air Intake System for a cooler flow of air, O2 Sensor to optimise combustion, and a knock sensor for superior reliability. Suzuki has also utilised its pioneering offset driveshaft to move the outboard’s centre of gravity forward, to improve balance and reduce vibration on the transom whilst contributing to the outboard’s overall compactness. The DF175A and DF150A will be available in early 2019. www.suzukimarine.com.au

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NOVEMBER 2018

Product Profile

Lowrance goes LIVE with new flagship fishfinders

The new Lowrance HDS Live fishfinder/chartplotters deliver powerful realtime sonar, charting and connectivity features. Lowrance held a media day in Sydney to give the Aussie media an advanced look at the Live units – and everyone was mightily impressed. Scan the QR Code hereby to watch the full launch video – or visit the Fishing Monthly Magazine channel on YouTube. The following is Lowrance’s release about the new units’ features, and you can expect a full review in a future issue of Fishing Monthly. ACTIVE IMAGING SONAR Active Imaging displays structure and cover with a new level of refined detail, and at a range unmatched by any other structure imaging technology. Offering superb clarity without sacrificing range, it delivers unmatched image quality of structure, fish and bottom composition. Active Imaging 3-in-1 sonar combines Lowrance CHIRP with SideScan and DownScan Imaging, allowing you to quickly search fishholding structure, and enhances FishReveal with

VIDEO

Scan QR code to see Steve Morgan’s ‘Launched’ video.

higher-level clarity and target separation. Active Imaging 2-in-1 sonar includes Side and DownScan Imaging, and is perfect for use with a separate traditional sonar transducer. Simple to use without the need to change frequencies while fishing in most conditions, Active Imaging 800kHz provides crystal-clear detail with uncompromised range. If you need to see further than 120ft, Active Imaging can also operate at 455kHz. Active Imaging enhancements are coming to existing StructureScan 3D modules via a free software update. LIVESIGHT SONAR Livesight sonar delivers

the most detailed views of fish as they swim in and around cover. You’ll be fishing in real-time as you watch fish react to your lure, and see how

they are relating to structure. Mount the transducer in a front-facing position to cast toward the fish, or mount it in a down-facing position to do

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some vertical jigging. When using LiveSight forward in conjunction with the Lowrance Point-1 GPS antenna, an on-chart indicator shows the direction the transducer is pointed, allowing anglers to line up on a waypoint or pinpoint the structure they are trying to fish. GENESIS LIVE CHARTING Delivering real-time,

custom-mapping capabilities, HDS Live harnesses the power of Genesis Live charting, which uses digital depth to create depth-contour overlays

on charts. Users can control contour transparency, density of contours drawn on the screen up to unprecedented 30cm intervals, depth and safety shading colour palettes, and more. Charts can easily be saved to an SD card. LIVECAST SMARTPHONE INTEGRATION HDS Live lets you display fishing information and entertainment from their smartphones on their 12” and 16” sunlight viewable displays. Users can view their phone in full-screen or splitscreen windows via HDMI connection, allowing them to stream video, view Google Maps and fishing data. HDS LIVE features a low-profile design with edgeto-edge glass; a SolarMAX HD screen; bracket, flush and rear mounting options; user-programmable keys; and an optional fullyprogrammable Bluetooth remote. The available sizes are 7” ($1549), 9” ($3249), 12” ($4649) and 16” ($6299). LiveSight TDX is $1145, and Active Imaging TDX is $275. For more information or to locate an authorized dealer, visit www. lowrance.com. - FM

AUSTRALIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NUMBER ONE FISHFINDER.

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Abandon ship! BRISBANE

Justin Willmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

What a month… wind, rain and weed! I’m grateful to see November roll around and hopefully bring with it some good weather, hot bites and the end of the annual seasonal slime weed that invades the systems I fish. Hopefully you have all been finding a few fish. For me it has been a few short sessions on the

up my latest adventure, here’s how I generally approach a new creek system and the key structure that I look for. ARTIFICIAL STRUCTURE Artificial structure is always worth a cast and this can be in the form of pontoons, moored boats, rock walls, stormwater drains and even a shopping trolley in a creek. Structure attracts bait, offers a break from the current, protection from predators and an ambush point.

your lure under or tight along the side of the boat. Finally, a mooring line or anchor rope, along with the mooring or anchor can be enough to hold bait or fish. Stormwater drains are another favourite, especially when releasing water into the system as fish love to feed on the morsels being home delivered to them. Casting your lure hard against the outlet and allowing it to drift naturally with the flow will see strikes, as will casting along each side of the pipes

A handful of flathead caught casting lures from the bank. of the wall and hopefully attracting the attention of fish foraging in the rocks. Alternatively, fishing along the rock wall and working your lure right along the base of the rock wall can produce larger predatory species that are patrolling the base of the wall. Don’t disregard any artificial structure as I remember a night kayak

fishing under a wharf precinct and shopping centre, catching bream, cod, flathead and trevally off pylons, rocks and pipes, with some of our best fish coming off shopping trolleys that had been dumped in the creek – just like artificial reefs, but in the suburbs. When fishing this structure, I generally just drift and cast, however, if you

find a productive area you can deploy an anchor, drag anchor or even use a grab anchor made up of a spring clamp and length of cord to hold position. This will allow you to concentrate your casts in the area and work the area more effectively with your lure or position your bait exactly where you want it. NATURAL STRUCTURE When I enter a new creek

Weedless rigged soft plastics are a great option when the structure gets snaggier. SUP and kayak, hiding from the wind and fishing the creeks. Creeks are a great place to escape the wind,

When fishing pontoons target the back corners, any shady pockets, swim your lures along the front and even allow your lure to

or concrete structure. Bridges are always worth a cast and I generally cast past the pylons and swim the lure back naturally with the current, varying the depth of the retrieve by casting further past the pylon, allowing a longer sink or varying the retrieve speed. Targeting the pressure point in front of the pylons and the eddy behind the pylons will also produce results on species such as bream, flathead, mangrove jack and bass in the upper reaches. Rock walls also hold fish and I generally fish the lure down the face of the wall, following the slope

A land-based flathead caught on the ZMan 3” MinnowZ accessed via kayak.

Artificial structure includes moored boats, bridges, pontoons and rock walls. with the bends of the creek offering sheltered areas to fish and plenty of new water to explore. Google Maps or the internet are great places to start looking for access points to launch, be it boat ramps, parks or even the clear areas left during the construction of bridges. When fishing new water keep an eye out for active bait as a signal that fish are feeding in the area and target available structure, as fish love structure. Before I wrap 84

NOVEMBER 2018

drift in under the pontoon. Lightly weighted soft plastics are a favourite for me, rigged on 1/28oz, 1/20oz or 1/16oz jigheads. Moored boats have also produced plenty of fish, including bream, mangrove jack and trevally. Targeting any feature of the boat that creates a break from the current is effective, including motors and keels. Shady sections also hold fish, including duckboards and the shadow of the boat, so run

Flathead are an excellent land-based target, feeding along the drop-offs and channel edges.

system the first thing I do is make note of any structure and artificial structure can often be more obvious, while natural structure can blend into the scenery more and will initially be less noticeable. Natural structure can be as major as a rock bar, fallen timber or sand bank, or as subtle as a slight depression in the bottom, weed edge or mangrove point. A single stick poking out of the water can signal more structure below and I have landed a stack of different species casting to a single visible twig. Natural structure can often be messier and more snaggy than more defined artificial structure and if I am snagging and fouling lures I will generally switch to a weedless rigged soft plastic presentation, as this allows me to drive the lure

deep in amongst the timber, lilies, weed and other natural structure. Mangrove edges are always worth a cast, paying particular attention to changes in the mangrove line, such as points, pockets,

including drop-offs, channel edges, deeper holes and even deeper sections on the flats. I often get out of my kayak on the lower stages of the tide and walk the creek flats and sand banks looking for flathead lies, small holes

to fish, due to the weather and other commitments, my wife and I were keeping an eye on the tides and the weather forecast to lock in an afternoon fish. Perfect, a 3:30pm low tide and 4-6 knot winds, we were in for a

The author’s basic setup for the windy afternoon session.

Getting out of the kayak can sometimes make fishing easier. drains and fallen limbs, as these will often be the most productive sections. Weed beds are a favourite for me when targeting new systems, be it rolling plastics across the top of them on higher tides or hopping weedless rigged plastics among the pockets of sand and rubble, or even along the weed face. Weed beds hold plenty of food, along with shelter and an ambush point. Rock bars are gold. Find a rock bar in a creek system and you have often found one of the most consistent produces in that system. Rock bars create pressure points, eddies, and ambush points, they also attract crustaceans and baitfish that in turn attract predators. Changes in depth are also worth noting and fishing,

in the bottom where fish have been feeding, crabs, yabby holes and other signs that fish may be attracted to different sections of the flats and banks when the tide starts flooding again. Working the channel edges and drop-offs, especially in a system without significant natural or artificial structure, is also a winning technique, as fish will travel along these edges when feeding and when moving in and out with the tide. Baitfish will be holding tight to these edges as they move with the tide also, so keep an eye out for nervous water, rippling and changing water caused by nervous bait, along with any bait splashing or fleeing and get a cast in there. ABANDON SHIP With little opportunity

gusts, thanks to some storm activity in the area. But we had waited long enough for a fish, so we rigged and readied our gear and decided to push on anyway. Five minutes in and we realised our decision was a poor one, as the wind gusts kept pushing us back into the bank before we could even make a couple of casts. It

along the bank to the next suitable section for landbased fishing. A massive shout out to Sea to Summit at this point in time, as they saved us the loss of my wife Sheri’s good camera. We normally carry waterproof cameras in the kayaks, however, on this occasion Sheri had opted to bring her larger camera. We

Abandon ship. Working lures from the comfort of the bank. flathead fest drifting a weedy channel edge. Come game day, we launched our kayaks and were faced with weedy conditions and 20 knot wind

Tough work, but one that made the grade for dinner.

was uncomfortable, virtually impossible to fish and hopes of catching a few fish for my parents who were coming to visit were fading fast. Instead of pulling the pin we made a change of plan and decided to paddle a few hundred metres to a section of bank that dropped off more steeply, allowing us to beach our kayaks and work the bank land-based. Not really kayak fishing, but without the kayak we would not have been able to access this area to fish. Keep this in mind in terms of your local creek systems, as even though the wind may be blowing, the kayak may allow you to access a bank, sand bank or flat that you can fish effectively land-based. Once out of our craft we could comfortably fish from the sand, mud or weed, fanning casts up current and bouncing our 2.5” and 3” paddle-tail plastics back with the current. Even though it was blowing we could still effectively fish the area and then slide our kayaks back in and move further

always store gear in Sea to Summit dry bags and roll them up with enough air trapped inside to float the bag and contents. After moving along the bank further Sheri went to grab her camera and it was gone. So, after some stress and almost a few tears, we slid the kayaks back in and back tracked. The wind was blowing in our faces and the tide was still dropping, so we hoped

the bag had floated and been blown back into the shore. We fast paddled about 50m and felt relief, as there up on the weed bed was a bright blue dry bag. Sheri retrieved the bag, opened it and there was the camera in its case, safe and dry. A lesson to us all, dry bags, leashes and safety first. Conditions were still testing with wind, weed and some stormy weather looming, however, we were having fun, sharing a few stories and laughs, and making plenty of casts. We ground it out and managed a few small flathead on the 3” paddle-tails and a few bream on the 2.5” paddle-tails. It was their unlucky day, as they would normally have been released, however, they were instead dispatched into the icebox for a fish dinner for my folks. We had made the most of what we were presented with and had the survival story of Sheri’s camera to tell for our day on the water, along with a feed of fresh fish for my folks. If you find yourself confronted with average weather when you have some available fishing time, make sure you check out the creeks in your area and make note of any structure that may be holding fish. Alternatively, you can always abandon ship like we did, using your kayak to access suitable areas for land-based fishing. See you on the water.

The kayak slid up on a point with a steep drop-off. Perfect for working plastics. NOVEMBER 2018

Planning a boating trip PART 1 BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Owning a boat definitely widens your fishing horizons, but there’s more to going fishing than just going fishing. Many years ago I often

of any the boating set-up so it needs a once-over. The first thing to do when you get home is to check all lighting and indicator functions. If something isn’t working, a spray with an electrical contact enhancer might just bring to life the offending contact or contacts. Wait a short time after the application of spray,

getting annoyed as work progresses on the offending shackle. It’s not a good way to start a trip. The launch itself is worth thinking about as well. You should never ever simply undo the chain and let her go! If the boat races back too quickly and kisses the concrete there’s a big chance of damaging a

Let’s have a cast! Planning the trip carefully and checking out all aspects of the rig to avoid problems will give you peace of mind.

The safety chain shackle should be carefully maintained to avoid issues with jamming on the ramp. fished on mates’ boats, and they weren’t always maintained correctly, so we were sometimes involved in what you might call ‘issues’. Have you ever seen a tinny come off a box trailer at 100km/h on the M1? Enough said, I’m not going there. While there was always lots of fishing and boating, sometimes things happened that made a trip memorable for the wrong reasons, and the memory of these events is why I’ve decided to write this article. Why should any of us suffer through misfortunes when they can easily be avoided? Whether the proposed excursion is to a local hotspot or you have to make a long drive to a distant ramp, it’s worth considering things that might throw a spanner in the works. First, the trailer. Why the trailer? Well, it’s generally a major part

and gently jiggle the trailer’s plug into the car’s socket. This will either bring a smile to the dial or confirm that there is a wiring problem which needs attention. Sorry about that! It’s good to put some lubricant on the winch gears and axle and then closely examine the strap (if you don’t have a cable) to look for any nicks or small tears. These little flaws can widen dramatically when you’re retrieving a boat and they’re under serious strain. LAUNCH LESSONS The D shackle that links the boat and safety chain is a definite risk management site. How often have you seen a boat backed down a ramp, a member of the launch team trying in vain to undo a seized shackle, and then frantically searching for a tool? Meanwhile other people are waiting to launch and

FLUSH YOUR ENGINE WITH

wiring and accessories are already in place. Next comes the winch handle. Many trailers have a removable handle, and these are notorious for being left on the winch when the boat is retrieved, and they then get lost on the drive home. You should always keep a spare winch handle under the car seat. BOAT BITS Now let’s turn our attention to the boat itself. Regular checks and maintenance are important, particularly if you’re

planning a trip far afield, a long way from your local marine/chandlery outlets. It’s easy to fire up the engine at home to assess battery performance and ease of start-up, and while the engine is running you can have a quick look at the engine gauges to check that all’s well. Next is the bilge pump. You never know when a bilge pump will be required, but unfortunately it’s very hard to assess what is down in the bilge sump area that might inhibit the bilge pump

It’s a good idea to clean out the bilge sump occasionally. This lot came from the author’s boat’s bilge area, and he thought he’d kept the craft very clean!

with its busy little impeller. If possible, try to get a ‘feel’ for things by having a poke around the bilge sump and pump. If it’s difficult to physically access the bilge area – as will be the case with some craft – there’s nothing wrong with running a hose into the bilge area and giving it a good top up to test the pump’s ability. Then, with the pump turned off, remove the bung to totally flush the bilge to wash out foreign material. As sure as night follows day, this stuff will accumulate over time. Now to seating. Pedestal seats are deservedly popular these days, but it’s a good idea to up end a seat now and again to ensure that none of the screws or other fittings holding the seat onto the base are loose, or even missing. You should also look for unwanted material in tote tanks. Tote tanks in smaller boats are conveniently portable so it’s easy to check for cleanliness and possible intrusion of unwanted material. And on the topic of fuel tanks… FILL HER UP! Fuel issues in outboard engines are legendary because our modern unleaded 91 RON petrol does not remain in good condition in hot weather. If the fuel in the boat’s tank is months

valuable and hard to replace transducer. Trying to feed a new transducer plus cabling back through the boat to connect to a sounder can be a nightmare when other

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NOVEMBER 2018

The author with a Tinaroo Dam barra. Your boat and trailer need to be in tip-top condition when you go fishing far from home.

old it can degrade in as little as a month during a hot summer. With this in mind, it’s wise to think about the fuel prior to hooking the boat up. Old, stale fuel can cause filter issues, pre ignition, and other problems. Adding a stabilizer (always

its way out of the filler neck (which of course doesn’t have a lockable cap like a car does). Another thing you can do if the tank has been left somewhat depleted, but certainly not for a

It’s best to remove it and start again. TRANSDUCER ISSUES This paragraph might be of particular interest to people who have recently bought a boat. We all understand that a transducer

The author’s Galeforce had its maiden run without a spray deflector, and you can see the displaced water it created to starboard of the E-Tec. into fresh fuel of course) when a boat is going to be idle for an extended period is a handy safeguard. Likewise, it’s a good idea to leave the fuel tank almost full prior to the next use as it will prevent unwanted air intrusion into the tank. Because there’s moisture in the air, when the temperature drops, it can cause condensation. Don’t fill it right to the top though, because in hot weather fuel will expand and then find

very extended period, is to add higher octane fuel to top it up. A last word on fuel: its smell can tell you whether it’s stale or not. It may not be possible to check the fuel smell in an underfloor tank, but with a tote tank you can. When the petrol has degraded due to aging it will smell like rotten eggs. Don’t be tempted to merely top it up with 95 RON as it will still be degraded and can cause engine damage.

Pedestal seats rely on screws to connect the seat to the base framework, so it’s best to ensure that they are all tight!

A $25 spray deflector will keep displaced water from a transducer from finding its way to the engine’s intake.

must be right in line with the bottom of the hull to be most effective, but said transducer can also be responsible for a lot of spray coming up onto the engine when travelling at speed. Even freshwater spray, if it’s up around the engine’s air intake, can shorten an engine’s useful life, so a spray deflector set onto the transom just above the transducer puts that worry to bed. My own Galeforce 4.5 centre console had its

maiden run in Somerset Dam without a deflector over the transducer. The accompanying image shows the extent of spray deflection which I fortunately picked up on immediately. I restricted my speed to less than planing pace that day, and fitted a deflector immediately after the craft came home. That’s it for this issue. Check out the December issue for more tips on how to prevent unwelcome issues from cropping up.

NOVEMBER 2018

Whittley SL25HT with 200hp Volvo Penta inboard - SC

TENT -

RE ONLINE MO

Whittley, “ but this 25 is a very popular rig for both anglers and families. “Also, it’s the deepest-vee 25 footer in its class. The low centre of gravity from the sterndrive offsets the high weight of the glass hard top, and gives this hull a great ride when the water is rough.” Not that we could assess that on the test day at Queenscliff; it was the kind of glassed-out day where every hull rides as smooth as a hovercraft. What we could test, though, was performance. This rig jumps out of the hole and onto the plane, but what about the most economical speed? As it happened, 3500rpm delivered 35km/h at 25L per hour, equating to 1.4km/L. Handy indeed for a 25 footer. Put the hammers down and you’ll reach 64km/h at 6450rpm, but your efficiency will

PERFORMANCE RPM......Speed.(km/h). Economy.(km/L) 650 ........................ 5.3 ....................... 2.1 1000 .........................8 ....................... 1.9 2000.................... 13.7 ....................... 1.3 3000....................... 24 ....................... 1.0 3500 ....................... 35 ....................... 1.4 4000....................... 41 ....................... 1.2 5000....................... 55 ....................... 1.1 5650 ....................... 64 ....................... 0.9 88

NOVEMBER 2018

DE FOR EX

Every time I get into a boat that’s powered by a 240hp Volvo Duoprop, it brings a smile to my face. Plenty of power from the V6 block is readily translated to the water through the six blades of the counter-rotating propellers, and the result is super mid-range torque and a fun boat to drive. Most recently I test drove a Whittley SL25HT, so named because it’s in the Sea Legend range (SL) with a hard top (HT). While I was throwing it into turns and checking out the hole shot, I had to remind myself that it was a 25ft boat. Whittleys are built in Melbourne, and we have tested plenty of them over the years, from their diminutive CW1650 through to the trailerable 28ft cruisers. This rig sits at the upper end of the Whittley range, but in the middle of the SL sizes.

Marine Director of Sales and Marketing Alan

s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

wide in the morning and then in the estuary later on in this boat,” Whittley said. “That’s what it’s designed to do.” Indeed, if you’re

“There’s a 20 and 22SL under it, and a 26 and 28SL above it,” said Whittley

Steve Morgan

CON

AN THE

FMG

test boat with all of its options checked out at a tad under $160,000. For more information visit www. whittleymarinegroup.com.

SPECIFICATIONS

Main: Whittley’s Hard Top 25-footer in the Sea Legend range totes a sterndrive, which is why the model is called the SL25HTSD. It has plenty of torque when you put the hammers down. Above: The rear duckboard is a spacious casting platform. There’s plenty of potential here to cover it in squid ink. plummet, yielding 900m per litre of fuel burned. The hard top itself is very handy, with twin layered glass with magnificent visibility to nearly every quarter. The air flow is good for more humid climates, with sliding side windows and a sliding, lockable cabin door in the bulkhead to help secure your gear while you’re docked or travelling. The routed SeaDek inside is virtually mandatory nowadays for a boat of this class, and Whittley does it well. The rig can’t escape its cruiser heritage either, with a sink and sliding fridge cleverly inbuilt. The transom duckboard adds family flexibility to the unit, with easy access

for kids or other swimmers on either side. “And there are no problems fishing out

Length.overall ............................................7.7m Length.on.trailer .....................................8.45m Height.on.trailer ........................................3.3m Beam........................................................2.49m Transom.deadrise ....................................... 23° Fuel ............................................................240L Water............................................................20L Dry.tow.weight ............................................2.8t Max.hp .........................................................300 Capacity ............................................ 8 persons looking for a versatile boat that’s half fishing and half cruiser, the SL25HT is well worth adding to the list. This model is priced from the mid-$130,000s, and the

au, or like Whittley on Facebook for their latest updates. You can also scan the QR code hereby to see this boat in action on the test day.

The SL25HT has been designed from the hull up to accommodate the hard top. Just dropping a heavy top that high can be problematic on some hulls.

The 25 carries its 23° of transom deadrise well – probably due to the low centre of gravity afforded by the sterndrive installation.

The stern duckboard is suitable for fishing, swimming or BBQing.

Advances in synthetic decking mean that now you can expect quality, durable, washable decking in a boat like this. Whittley do theirs well.

Supplied on a duel axle trailer, the SL25HT is not only impressive on the water, but great to tow as well.

Yep, that’s a TV up front near the access hatch. The SL25HT features a quite luxurious cabin that will keep the family happy.

The grab bar that runs lengthways along the hard top is a neat and practical idea.

At Fishing Monthly we love a good flushmounted sounder fit-out. The SL25’s dash holds a large display with ease. Big tick for the waterproof switch panels, too.

The all-round visibility of the windscreens is impressive.

See the slide-out drawer under the seat base? That’s a fridge.

Underfloor wet storage for swimming gear or fish is incredibly practical.

A dozen livies will survive in here… until you send them to their doom.

Combining stainless rocket launchers with deck lighting is neat. NOVEMBER 2018

Victorian Tide Times

2018 2018

JANUARY Time Time mSEPTEMBER 0416 1046 MO 1645 SA

1 1 2 0022 0534 2

TU 1157 SU 1757

3 0124 0645 3

WE 1304 MO 1902

4 0220 0746 4

TH 1405 TU 2001 0313 0842 FR 1500 WE 2056

Time 0.81 0332 1.32 0916 0.26 1547 2141 1.51 0412 0.79 0954 1.35 1621 0.20 2215 1.61 0454 0.73 1032 1.40 1656 0.14 2252 1.69 0540 0.64 1113 1.46 1733 0.10 2331 1.74 0631 0.55 1156 1.50 1817 0.11

POINT LONSDALE – VICTORIA 3 q Australian Made Boat & Trailer POINT LONSDALE – 144° VICTORIA LAT 38° 18’ LONG 37’ LATHeights 38° 18’ of High LONG 144° 37’ Times and and Low Waters q Local Time 3 Full Camper Covers Times and Heights of High and Low Waters MARCH FEBRUARY 3 OCTOBER NOVEMBER Time Time m Time mq Time m

m Time m 0033 1.38 05450436 0.831.63 11521001 1.220.49 1813 0.381.55 SU 1627 2228 0.26 0123 1.43 06490520 0.791.56 12461041 1.240.55 MO 1703 1904 0.341.48 2307 0.31 0206 1.48 07420604 0.721.48 13361119 1.270.61 TU 1742 1949 0.311.41 2345 0.37 0244 1.53 08250650 0.661.41 14221200 1.310.68 WE 1822 2030 0.301.33

Time m 0102 1.52 0356 1.63 0621 0.72 09371.37 0.52 TH 1246 15550.20 1.50 1849 MO 2148 0.24 0201 1.59 04370.62 1.60 0730 10161.44 0.56 FR 1352 16320.18 1.46 TU 1952 2228 0.25 0255 1.65 05220.50 1.55 0830 10571.50 0.60 SA 1451 17130.18 1.42 WE 2046 2310 0.27 0343 1.69 06120.40 1.49 0923 11401.54 0.65 SU 1546 18000.21 1.37 TH 2137 2357 0.32 0318 1.57 0427 1.69 07100.32 1.42 09050026 0.590.43 1013 12291.55 0.69 15050741 1.351.34 MO 1639 18580.27 1.33 TH 1244 FR 2107 0.300.74 2223 1911 1.27 0352 1.59 0508 1.66 0112 0.49 0051 0.39 0942 0.54 1059 0.27 0836 1.29 0818 1.37 15451335 1.380.80 TU 1730 1.53 1329 0.71 FR SA 2141 0.31 2305 2008 1.21 20130.34 1.29

Time 0131 0545 0715 1115 FR 1311 1729 TU1927 2330 0213 0621 0802 1152 SA 1402 1806 WE2011

16 16

17 17

18 18

0250 1.50 0008 0.56 0.37 18 180843 0700 1.37 1.44 SU 1448

1.54 0.52 WE 1.55 0.35

1.53 0.57 TH 1.51 0.33

SA 1319 1942 1955 0230 0138 0815 1445 SU 0855 SU 1421 2036 2118 0317 0245 0906 1001 MO 1538 MO 1539 2123 2243 0400 0406 0952 1104 1628 TU 1658 TU 2206 2355

04260208 1.600.55 0545 03001.61 0.4522 0508 0316 1.56 0.65 22 22 10170935 0.491.27 7 7 1142 10300.25 1.37 221102 1033 0.29 1.25 1734 1.51 1626 1.40 1820 1.49 TH WE

0437 7 0529 1033 7 1203 WE 1714

19 19

1.75 0016 0.33 6 0401 0934 0.47 21 21 6 0732 1.42

21 21

8 8

0.63 0.36 1.29 1.54 0.44 0.48 1.37 1.43 0.68 0.36 1.23 1.57 0.51 0.41 1.31 1.47 0.72 0.37 1.18 1.57 0.58 0.34 1.27 1.50 0.74 0.40 1.16

1.50 0.64 FR 1.46 0.32

1230 TH2048 1846 0326 0045 0919 0745 MO 1531 1311 FR2124 1933 0400 0127 0954 0835 TU 1613 1359 SA2159 2031 0434 0215 1028 0933 1653 WE 1457 SU2236 2143

20 20

7 7

0138 0043 3 3 0715 1345 SA 0751

1.52 SA 1554 TH 1245 2147 0.15 1911 0447 0109 1.73 1026 0842 0.40 1.51 SU 1646 1344 FR 0.22 2236 2017 0531 0215 1.69 1115 0956 0.35 MO 1740 1500 SA 1.48 2322 2140 0.31

Time 0440 0608 1118 1718 TH 1143 TH 1759 2354 0038 0656 0604 1237 FR 1228 FR 1851 1838

16 16

1.53 0.48 TU 1.57 0.38

20 20

5 5

m 1.38 1.60 0.73 0.54 1.23 1.42 0.39 0.30 1.44 1.52 0.65 0.59 1.30 1.36 0.37

1.46 0.70 SA 1.42

SU 0.76 1.37

0.35 1.40 MO 0.80 1.34

0.83 1547 0.69 MO 1612 SA 1443 SU 2314 2214 0.341.19 2345 2116 22410.42 1.32 2259 04590321 1.590.58 0622 1.54 0542 0425 0.49 0438 10511034 0.441.28 1222 1138 11360.26 1.39 1131 1705 1.400.80 THMO 1911 17131.43 0.60 FR 1733 SU 1607 TU1817 22472228 0.381.21 2354

23 23

0.38 1.41 TU 0.80 1.34

23 23

0.72 0.45 1.20 1.53 0.68 0.26 1.27 1.50 0.64 0.50

1.570.58 1.63 0.39 05320441 0025 0618 0338 0007 1.49 1.28 00000.51 1.40 24 24 9 0614 11241129 0.401.32 9 9 1202 0.33 1.45 0659 1216 24 9 1104 0602 0.24 0.67 05491.47 0.4924 TU 1837 1.43 WE 1746 1.40 FR 1300 0.29 SA 1905 1.47 SU 1623 0.73 MO 1721 0.72 0.431.27 2301 1.39 23252331

TU 1236 1.44 2000 18241.38 0.48

WE 1223 1.31 1830 0.54

44 55 66

WE 1803 2245

Local Time APRIL DECEMBER Time Time m

Toughened Glass Windscreen Time m 0540 3 16 1 16 q Pressurized Shower & Sink 0629 1219 1.49 1 16 1219 16 0.55 MO 1807 1837 1.26 3 q Full Length Bunks & Chemical Toilet 0030 2 17 17 0015 0.51 3 0624 q17 Fresh Water Cooled 2 Volvo Engine 17 0706 1.43 TU 1311 1257 1854 0.54 3 Premium Cabin Headlining 1928 1.23 q 0115 0057 0705 0.60 3 18 18 3 q18 Fusion Stereo & 3Garmin VHF 18 0748 1.38 WE 1358 1338 1937 0.52 2030 1.23 3 q Garmin GPS/FF 0157 0145 0746 0.69 4 19 19 4 19 0835 1.33 319 q Privacy Cabin Divider TH 1443 1425 2019 0.50

m Time m m Time m 0521 0.80 0109 1.47 0.75 0622 1.49 06440559 1.57 0.49 1.60 1139 1.18 1.30 1204 12211238 0.49 1.50 0.57 17500.60 0.55 0.34 FR SU 1.37 0.49 1.40 FR 1816 1.28 SA 18481828 SU 0.27 0101 1.52 1.44 0045 1.32 0010 00330654 0.39 0.39 1.52 0.67 06380.44 0.72 0701 07341335 1.50 1.59 0.58 1.36 SA 12461.43 1.24 MO 0.48 0.48 1.35 MO 0.33 SA 1244 18570.62 0.53 SU 13151919 1902 1.23 1959 1.33 0146 1.55 1.51 0132 1.39 01270740 0.51 0.31 0047 0.36 0.55 07300.52 0.62 0830 1.43 1.66 0745 1.45 1.45 SU 13431.37 1.34 TU 1426 0.47 0.48 0.60 TU 0.31 SU 1326 19450.64 0.50 MO 14152004 1.30 2121 1.32 1958 1.19 0227 1.56 1.57 0215 1.45 02280822 0.62 0.26 0131 0.45 0.43 08100.60 0.52 09291511 1.38 1.68 0834 1.39 1.53 MO 14311.32 1.44 WE 0.44 0.49 0.60 WE 0.30 MO 1415 20250.64 0.47 TU 15222045 2106 1.18 1.29 2235 1.36 0303 1.55 1.61 0253 1.50 0225 03380901 0.71 0.25 0.55 0.33 08460.69 0.42 0930 10281550 1.35 1.67 1.36 1.59 TU 15161.28 1.53 TH 0.39 0.52 0.56 TH 0.32 TU 1513 21030.62 0.46 WE 16322121 2222 1.21 2342 1.43 1.33 0337 1.52 1.62 0330 1.54 0456 0.75 0330 0.76 0.62 0939 0.26 0.26 0922 0.33 1127 1.34 1027 1.27 1.37 1627 1.64 1.61 WE 1559 1.59 FR 1735 0.34 FR 1620 0.56 0.48 WE 2157 0.55 0.36 21411.30 0.46 TH 2332 1.43 1.60 04070.78 1.55 0451 0.63 00430411 1.52 1.48 0.23 09591.28 0.27 1125 1.39 06091015 0.74 0.29 1701 1.60 TH 16400.47 1.63 SA 1726 0.38 1222 1.35 1.59 SA 0.41 TH 2220 0.47 FR 18302232 0.28 0.58

2139 1.25 0238 0243 0829 0.77 0928 1526 1.29 FR 1520 2100 0.46 2249 1.32 0317 0352 0.83 0912 1026 1.28 SA 1609 1623 0.39 2356 2143 1.42

m 0.59 1.42 0.66 1.43 0.47 1.54 0.63 1.48 0.37 1.65 0.60 1.52 0.29 1.72 0.58

20 20

1.54 0.23 1.75 0.58

21 21

1.54 0.21 1.74 0.58

22 22

0509 0.84 22 22 1129 0956 1.29 SU 1653

0359 1.53 0.22 1728 0.31 1.70 2226 0.60

0513 1.54 1.56 04431.42 1.54 01370445 1.60 1.44 0057 0441 1.52 8 0059 230033 8 1049 23 1113 0.62 0.2223 10370.76 0.22 8 0708 8 23 0.71 0.33 0638 0609 0621 1040 0.81 TH 1756 1.56 FR 1721 1.63 SU 1736 1.53 MO 1739

1.50 0.26 1.63 1313 1.37 1257 1.42 1220 1.32 1231 1.32 SA TH FR SU 2322 0.28 0.47 23000.36 0.50 19172309 0.24 0.63 1829 2310 1857 1819 0.23 0.62 05191.54 1.52 0546 1.63 1.51 02250521 1.65 1.38 0151 0528 1.62 240126 9 1124 24 9 0154 11160.72 0.21 9 0755 1149 0.59 0.2524 9 24 0.66 0.38 0732 0705 0719 1126 0.74 FR 1837 1.50 SA 1804 1.60 MO 1814 1.46 TU 1830

1.45 0.33 1.56 1359 1.38 1345 1.45 1313 1.36 1330 1.37 SU FR SA MO 23410.26 0.54 2359 0.22 0.53 20012346 0.22 0.68 1924 2358 1944 1906 0.16 0.65

0104 0036 0.41 0.37 06060543 1.530.55 0620 1.70 1.45 05581.65 1.49 03060600 1.68 1.32 0242 0623 1.70 0500 01070.60 1.51 0103 0.57 1.39 10 0243 25 10 0006 25 25 250215 0735 0658 0655 1.56 1.52 11591215 0.361.3810 1225 0.56 0.2925 11570.67 0.221010 10 25 10 25 0818 0751 08371200 0.63 0.45 0811 1215 0.66 1205 06561.39 0.4725 0659 1.44 0.64 10 1340 0.34 1257 0.24 1857 1.40 1930 1248 0.33 1831 1.39 1917 1.44 1851 1.55 WE

TH TU 1812 0.62 SAWE 1330 1.50 SU MO 1737 0.61 TH 1310 1.37 2052 2000 1938 1.38 19201.32 0.35 1910 1.43 0.43

SA 1429 1.47 SA 2026 0.19

1401 1.41 SU SU 1951 0.19

1.39 TU MO 1440 2042 0.22

1.40 0.42 WE 1.43 1.49 TU 1425 2016 0.12

0.52 1.48 00050026 0036 1.73 0.59 0.501.36 00221.72 0.59 03430026 1.67 0.73 0330 0051 02060.68 1.61 1.74 0152 0.65 1.51 11 0050 26 26 11 0327 260300 26 26 110147 11 0012 260121 0737 1.48 0.35 0816 0744 0656 0.55 1.3826 06420630 1.490.5211 06400.62 1.441111 09160645 0.59 1.26 07501.31 0.4526 0859 0835 0900 0732 0.58 0608 0742 1.39 0.60 11 1333 0.35 1423 0.38 1344 0.26 1300 0.34 1238 0.51 1312 1236 0.32 1240 0.25 TH

FR WE 1255 1.43 SU TH 1417 1.54 MO TU 1300 1.58 FR 1353 1.42 2039 1839 1.34 0.48 19231851 1.380.52 2146 2104 20091.29 0.26 1947 1.39 0.33

0.67 1.35 1519 1.39 WE 1516 1447 1.45 SU 1509 1.47 MO TH 1.47 0.52 MO TU WE SU 2000 0.19 1.37 19430.14 1.49 21211947 0.24 1.34 2107 2033 2106 2036 0.11 1.44

0405 0345 04160112 1.65 0.77 0416 0200 1.74 02590.76 1.69 0236 0.72 1.61 0.62 1.58 00490114 0.581.45 0115 1.72 0.66 01071.76 0.65 27 27 12 0114 27 120237 270213 12 0134 12 27 27 0937 0918 09540741 0.57 1.22 0948 0857 0.51 08371.24 0.4527 0820 1.33 0.57 12 0704 0820 1.39 0.34 0734 0.54 1.3127 0904 0841 07220709 1.440.5012 07300.58 1.391212 1545 1.45 1532 1.47 1558 1.38 1606 1.49 1500 1.56 1434 1.46 1347 1.63 1332 1.48

1515 0.43 TU 0.30 SA1441 0.29 WE 0.37 TH MO FR FR 1420 SA 1317 20531.27 0.20 2025 1.37 0.25 2138 1932 1.32 0.36 20221927 1.370.43 2245 2217

0.67 1.34 MO TH FR 1421 0.61 MO 1339 0.40 TUTU 1327 0.31 WE TH 1325 0.59 2145 2122 21582045 0.27 1.31 2158 2137 0.15 1.42 2048 0.21 1.32 20450.13 1.43

04480208 1.62 0.79 0501 0319 0440 0429 1.72 03450.82 1.72 0319 0.76 1.68 0.72 1.65 01380156 0.661.53 0159 1.68 0.73 01591.75 0.70 130337 28 28 13 0210 28 280318 13 0224 28 13 28 10310849 0.56 1.19 1014 1002 1036 1015 0.45 09191.19 0.4628 0900 1.30 0.55 13 0754 1001 0953 0907 1.32 0.35 08090745 1.390.4813 0819 0.54 1.2428 08300.54 1.331313 1635 1.36 1622 1.42 1616 1.47 1656 1.48 1540 1.55 1515 1.48 1431 1.65 1408 1.52

1618 0.45 WE 0.28 SU1553 0.33 TH 0.40 SU 1406 FR TU SA SA 1513 21351.28 0.18 2103 1.39 0.20 2345 2331 2237 2020 1.31 0.28 21302000 1.370.35

0.63 1.38 TU FR SA 1543 0.67 TU 1422 0.46 WE WE 1423 0.39 TH FR 1423 0.65 22332148 0.32 1.30 2246 2239 2222 2208 0.21 1.43 2144 0.25 1.27 21550.15 1.39

04290.84 1.71 0400 0.80 1.68 02340237 0.741.60 14 0301 29 140452 09591.17 0.48 29 0939 0839 14 0322 29 1107 0959 1.26 0.39 09040821 1.340.4814 SU 1616 1.52 MO 1554 FR 1512 1.64 SA 1444 1.53

05210319 1.58 0.77 0545 0433 0514 0513 1.67 0250 1.62 0.79 03041.70 0.72 14 29 29 11071007 0.55 1.22 1051 1046 1126 1125 0.40 14 29 0915 0.55 1.1929 09500.52 1.301414 FR 1713 1.33 SA 1749 1.46 WE 1659 1.38 TH 1702 1.45

05081.32 1.66 0442 0.84 1.67 03430316 0.801.63 150042 15 0350 30 10370.81 0.51 30 1019 0921 15 0432 30 0611 1055 1.22 0.43 10120859 1.310.4915 MO 1652 1.48 TU 1633 SA 1550 1.60 SU 1519 1.52

0547 0557 05540440 1.54 0.69 0629 0535 1.61 0357 1.56 0.82 04281.64 0.69 15 30 30 1128 1132 11431118 0.55 1.30 1215 1228 0.36 15 30 1025 0.57 1.1630 11160.50 1.321515 TH 1736 1.34 FR 1752 1.41 SA 1753 1.30 SU 1849 1.41

WE 1730 0.45 SU 1611 0.41 MO 1504 0.27 2215 0.20 2336 2105 1.34 0.24 22442034 1.390.30

TH 1212 1.19 MO 1714 0.41 TU 1615 0.27 22530.43 0.24 2147 0.23 23572111 1834 1.440.26

31 0502 1130

0.79 1.32 WE 1735 0.24

1.72 0.53 1.48 2144 0.17

1.71 0.54 1.47 2225 0.18

31 0524 1100

1.67 0.55 WE 1715 1.44 2308 0.21

WE 1516 0.51 2259 2245 0.31 1.26

TH 1627 0.55 2334 2348 0.37 1.28

TH 1536 0.46 2255 23050.21 1.38

FR 1703 0.50 2344 0.29

31 0011 0551

1.42 0.61 SA 1231 1.40 1823 0.50

0.55 1.46 SA 1537 0.69 SU 1701 0.69 23072248 0.37 1.33 2335 2335 0.30 1.45

SU 1702 0.69 23402343 0.44 1.37

0.46 1.56 MO 1806 0.68

31 0024 0714

0.41 1.54 MO 1306 0.35 1959 1.38

 Copyright Commonwealth of Australia2016, 2016,Bureau Bureau of of Meteorology Meteorology  Copyright Commonwealth of Australia Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide are in local standard time (UTC +10:00)orordaylight daylight savings savings time when in effect TimesTimes are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) time(UTC (UTC+11:00) +11:00) when in effect Moon Phase Symbols New Moon First Quarter Full Moon LastLast Quarter New Moon First Quarter Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon Tide predictions for Port Phillip Heads have been formatted by the National Tidal Centre, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Copyright reserved. All material is supplied in good faith and is believed to be correct. It is supplied on the condition that no warranty is given in relation thereto, that no responsibility or liability for errors or omissions is, or will be, accepted and that the recipient will hold MHL and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Australia free from all such responsibility or liability and from all loss or damage incurred as a consequence of any error or omission. Predictions should not be used for navigational purposes. Use of these tide predictions will be deemed to include acceptance of the above conditions. 90

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