Victoria and Tasmania Fishing Monthly September 2019 by Fishing Monthly

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Features

Trout tactics for open season • 8 reasons for rec fishing survey • Spring prospects •

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Boating & Kayaking To SUP or kayak? • Buying a used boat •

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September 2019, Vol. 14 No.11

Contents WEST COAST West Coast

Warrnambool 16 Apollo Bay

Cobden 16

CENTRAL Geelong 20 Port Phillip West

Port Phillip North East

Mornington Peninsula

Victorian Game Fishing

Port Phillip Bay Offshore

Western Port North

Western Port South

Phillip Island

EAST COAST Bemm River

Corner Inlet

Gippsland Lakes

Marlo 36 Lakes Entrance

NSW SOUTH COAST Merimbula 40 Narooma 41 Bermagui 42 Mallacoota/Eden 42

VICTORIAN FRESHWATER Wagga Wagga

Albury/Wodonga 52

From the Editor’s Desk... I don’t need to remind you that this is the time of year that we’re all waiting for – a warming trend, season openings and an influx of snapper! Nearly every writer from here onwards is talking about it, so instead let’s jump to some boating news just released by the government and BIAVic (Boating Industry of Australia) before this hits the press. The BIAV press release announced, “Sunday morning was an amazing event for boating with the Premier, the Boating Minister and the Ports Minister all in attendance at the Warmies Boat Ramp for a key election outcome announcement. In recent months we’ve seen the announcement of a firstever Minister for Boating. We’ve seen the establishment of Better Boating Victoria. We’ve seen a massive $45m dedicated to boating in the 19/20 state budget. And

now this trio, at a prominent boat ramp, announcing the abolition of launching and parking fees. “At the same time, the Premier, Daniel Andrews, reiterated the government’s intent to use every dollar generated through boat registrations and marine licences, to boating facilities and infrastructure. Our number one wish for a long time. The Boating Minister Jaala Pulford added that work was also progressing with regard to improved management and governance models, and toward the strategic approach to directing the funds toward the best boating outcomes. We will stay close to the government as this further unfolds and, as we’ve said all along, we remain highly expectant that all election related commitments will be followed through. The Premier was very clear in affirming that on Sunday.” In summary, it looks like

the Andrews’ government is coming good on its election promises. Hopefully they’re all be sorted by the time the snapper are in full swing. We know that if they’re not, the backlash from the boating and fishing public will be severe.

GOODIES FROM THE AFTA SHOW Stay tuned next month for a bumper selection of new products from the AFTA Show. Because it’s held on the Gold Coast, we know not many of you can make it up to see all the new gear (and

there is a public viewing day this year) so we’ll bring it to you in our next edition. AUSTRALIA HAS A NEW WORLD CHAMPION A final shout out to Aussie angler, Andrew Death from NSW (pronounced DEETH, even though his nickname is ‘The Reaper’). He won the 8th iteration of the Hobie (kayak) Fishing Worlds on the Gold Coast. Being the best in the world is no mean feat, even though it is held in your own country on a species you have plenty of experience with. So congratulations Andrew, you were a great and humble winner and did your country proud. If you want to see the extensive coverage, Like the “International Hobie Fishing Worlds Association” on Facebook or visit www. hobiefishingworlds.com.

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West/South Gippsland

Wangaratta 55 Shepparton 56 Eildon 56 Bendigo 57 Nagambie 58

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Jarrod Day wades up a Victorian trout stream, searching for that next trophy fish.

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Tactics for trout opening WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

The last three months of the trout closed season have allowed fish the opportunity to complete

back in May and June are well and truly spent. Although they will still show signs of aggression, most of these fish will be out of condition, skinny and quite lethargic when it comes to battle. It is still rewarding

models in the 1-3lb range, and they will still give a nice fight on light tackle. These fish are abundant, but catching them is not always as simple as it sounds. MAKING THE RIGHT CAST There is no doubt that

Undoubtedly the number one trout bait is the humble mudeye, pinned behind the wings.

When selecting a lure, consider the water being fished and choose accordingly. In most cases, sinking shallow diving lures are ideal for shallow rivers and streams, and one was used to land this little beauty. their spawning cycle without added fishing pressure. Large spawning trout that we had so much fun catching and releasing

when you have connected to a post-spawn brown or rainbow, but in spring it is more productive to be targeting the more energetic

trout can be quite selective in what offering they respond to and in spring they are no different. In saying that, spring is a good time for

insect activity and trout know all too well where and when to go in search of a meal. Early morning and late evenings are when insects begin to hatch and swarm over sections of the rivers and streams, and it is these times that trout can often be seen sipping the unlucky ones from the water’s surface. Trout are extremely in tune with their environment and know where and when to go looking for food. By figuring out their habits, you can pinpoint your casts to locations where they should be holding, looking for a potential meal. Given that rivers and streams are similarly formatted no

Some rivers have been stocked with XL brood stock from the Snobs Creek trout hatchery thanks to Victorian Fisheries Authority. Despite the fish being stocked, they are still not always that easy to catch.

When fishing a deep pool you want to work the bottom of the water, so a deep diving lure was required to land this solid model. A trout’s mouth is quite soft, however, they still know how to rid a hook during battle. Ensure your hooks are sharp at all times.

matter where you’re fishing, casting accurately into these trout holding locations is extremely important. Finding these features can be done with the use of polarised sunglasses. These will remove the water’s surface glare, allowing you to see obstacles such as fallen timber and large boulders that trout hide under or behind. Doing this keeps them from being seen by humans and birds that might prey on them, as well as keep them out of the main current where they can dart out and grab a potential meal as it comes down the river’s

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The author had great success casting to shadows in the rivers.

Trout flow. Making casts well in front of such obstacles is vital in encouraging a fish to take what you have cast. It’s not just boulders and timber that can be casting

riverbank or in the shadow of a tree, and it is important that you look for these specific locations before just lobbing a lure anywhere in the river. Learning stream craft

THE TROUT LURE BOX Hardbody (shallow diving): Megabass Great Hunting 70 Flat Side, Yakamito Slim Minnow 60, Zerek Stream X Hardbody (deep diving): Megabass Great Hunting 48 Dive, Yakamito SXY Shad, Zerek Tango Shad Spinner: Wordens 309 and 310 Rooster Tail Soft Plastic: Zerek Live Flash Minnow Wiggly 90mm Spoon: Yakamito 5 and 10g Spoon, Nories Metal Wasaby 12g points. Trout are quite shy when the sun is high, and they tend to move into the shadows for cover. This could be hard up against the

is an art. Before any cast is made, it pays to sit and watch the river for a good ten minutes to understand the current and flow, so that Looking from above, you can clearly see where trout would be hiding. To the right of the angler, there is a log alongside a deep pool – the perfect hidey-hole for a bruiser.

When fishing with mudeyes, a bubble float will suspend them perfectly. However, you’ll have to adjust the depth according to the river.

when the cast is made it is right on target. Wayward casts can potentially spook a fish and then they’ll be unlikely to strike a lure on the following casts. LURE CHOICE Lure choice can be critical when targeting trout and while you may have your go-to models, it does pay to be versatile. This means covering all bases by having a selection of soft plastics, spinners, and floating,

sinking and suspending hardbodied lures. When traditionally choosing hardbodies, it is a natural instinct to purchase trout colours such as brown trout, rainbow trout and redfin style patterns. While these colours are a must have, they do tend to work best during spawning time when fish are much more aggressive and likely to fight off small trout to lure a female. In spring, natural

colours tend to get more attention, especially those with a more translucent body colour, but don’t shy from tossing a black or white coloured lure about either. Soft plastics and spinners should be in similar colours, with more focus on browns and blacks to resemble mudeyes, snails and other freshwater insects and crustaceans that trout feed on. When flicking soft plastics, keep in mind that in some rivers and streams there could be quite a strong current flow, so you’ll require a range of jigheads from 3-5g. Choosing the correct weight is imperative, as the plastic should be worked near the bottom where you can hop it around and over any debris. Spinners are a top to mid-water lure and with a constant wind will To page 10

There are many places a trout can hide in a river. Casting to the banks, shadows and overhanging trees is where you’ll encounter most fish.

SEPTEMBER 2019

Trout From page 9

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keep them at the same depth. Spinners tend to work best late in the afternoon when trout are a little more active, but keep them small in size so that even the shyest fish won’t hesitate to grab them. Another lure that has become popular again in recent years is the humble spoon. While many would remember the Wonder Wobbler or more recently, the Nories Metal Wasaby, smaller spoons have entered the market. These micro spoons, such as the Yakamito 5g Spoon, are designed for giving an erratic action that works for slow and fast water and while only 5g, can be cast a fair distance while being retrieved just below

Victoria’s rivers are full of trout of all sizes. Fish of this calibre are the standard catch for most of the season.

5 year warranty Interest free payment plans 40 yrs experience Worms are particularly good baits, especially after rain when the river silts up a little. Fishing worms with a few split shot and casting into the heads of deep pools can be very effective.

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the surface. Although they do need to be retrieved at speed, this action is what encourages trout to chase them down. No matter what lure is used it is all in the cast, so ensure you’re hitting the points where fish should be holding. BAIT OPTIONS While catching a trout on a lure is rewarding, bait fishing is just as effective. Even though tackle stores have countless lures covering their walls, the humble garden worm wriggling away on the rubble bottom of a river can often be more enticing to fish. The only negative to bait fishing is that you tend to sit in one location, while

with lure angling you cover a lot more river. An effective technique when fishing worms is to use them after any rain. Trout are quite in tune with rain events and with excess water run-off in the rivers worms, insects and other tasty morsels are washed in. Worms fished using two BB split shot sinkers can be cast into the washes and heads of pools, allowing them to wash with the current. This is a highly effective technique. However, when bait fishing, it is not just worms that can be used. Don’t get me wrong, worms certainly do have their place when fished under a float or on a running

Pulled straight from under a submerged log, this impressive brownie couldn’t resist a 5g spoon worked in a deep pool.

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sinker rig, but when it comes to trout fishing mudeyes are undoubtedly the number one bait choice. Mudeyes can be fished in numerous ways, with the most productive being suspended under a float. This method lets you cast to the beginning of a pool, allowing the mudeye to float into the pool with the slow current. Any trout waiting for something to flow into the pool will be quick to take the bait. Artificial baits such as Berkley PowerBait are also good, however this type of bait floats, so it is recommended that it be fished on a running sinker rig. After being cast out into the river,

Cast to the shadows, as that’s where the trout will be.

the sinker will find its resting place with the bait sitting high in the current. Of course, its scent will attract the fish and it will be eaten. Due to the force of the river flow, a ball shaped sinker will be pushed along the bottom and can become snagged. Ideally, a bean sinker is a better option, as its low-profile shape will stay put once it settles. There are many other methods for targeting trout during the season opening but there is no point in getting too technical. Simply watch and work out the river flow, and pinpoint your casts accordingly for great rewards.

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Eight reasons to conduct a rec fishing survey GEELONG

Ross Winstanley

Victoria’s only estimate of statewide recreational fish catches dates back to the 2000/01 National Recreational and Indigenous Fishing Survey. Every state and territory – except Victoria – has since applied the survey methods developed for that study to estimate their recreational catches. During the past 18 years, all other jurisdictions have tailored their surveys to meet their state’s particular needs. In contrast, Victoria has continued to rely on the 2000/01 results. However, apart from being out-dated, those results were designed to provided a broad national overview and, therefore, have been of limited value for Victoria’s fisheries management and planning purposes. Despite this, in recent years Victoria has invested more than other jurisdictions in developing and promoting recreational fishing. How effective has this been in terms of increased catches and participation – who knows? Surely it’s time to address the shortcoming that Victoria faces due to the lack of current and reliable catch information, both statewide and for each of our significant recreational fisheries. Here are eight of the reasons why we need this information. 1. PREMIER DANIEL ANDREWS PROMISED IT In 2015, the Victorian Government declared, “We will undertake a statewide recreational catch survey,” as part of its Target One Million policy commitment. That promise recognised that detailed recreational catch information for all species taken, statewide and in major waters, is a basic requirement for sound fisheries management and planning. With this, along with information on where anglers are fishing, how many there are and their preferences, fisheries managers can match their fish stocking and facilities development programs. Importantly, as successive governments have closed or scaled back commercial fisheries, stock assessments and fisheries management decisions have become increasingly dependent on recreational fishing information. During 2017, the Victorian Fisheries Authority released a Target One Million progress score card. All 16 policy promises were marked with ticks, indicating the Government’s achievements. This included, “Undertake a 12

SEPTEMBER 2019

recreational fishing survey”. Now it is fair to say that the VFA has ‘undertaken recreational fishing surveys’ targeting Recreational Fishing Licence-holders’ opinions, and boat ramp creel interviews since 2015 but that comes nowhere close to the promised statewide catch survey. What has been delivered cannot achieve what the Government apparently saw as being necessary for fisheries management and planning purposes three years earlier. 2. WHAT’S REALLY HAPPENING IN VICTORIA? All around Australia, recreational fisher numbers and the numbers of fish they catch are declining. For example, a NSW statewide survey shows that, along with declining fisher numbers, between 2000/01 and 2012/13, the numbers of every targeted scalefish decreased. These included snapper (down by 27%), flathead (-43%), bream (-59%) and whiting (-73%). Even catches of stocked species decreased substantially: Murray cod (-49%), golden perch (-78%) and trout (-39. Recreational fishing licence sales numbers have been declining since 2012/13. In Tasmania, across three surveys between 2000/01 and 2012/13, participation fell by 22% and the total number of fish caught fell by 35%. Both NSW and Tasmania are currently completing fresh statewide surveys. In creating wonderful fishing opportunities, Victoria is closing commercial fisheries and pouring millions of stocked fish into our inland waters but, since 2000/01, we have no idea of what’s happening in terms of fish catches and fishing participation. In 2014, Fisheries Victoria released a report, Estimating the Recreational Catch of Key Species in Victoria Survey Design. The opening sentence stated, “Statistically robust estimates of total recreational catch [are] crucial to the sustainable management of fisheries”. The purpose of the study was to design and cost a survey to estimate recreational catches of five saltwater species to aid management plans, harvest strategies and decision making. Those key species were snapper, whiting, bream, rock lobster and abalone. Today, Victoria continues to manage without this ‘crucial’ information. 3. EVERY OTHER JURISDICTION RELIES ON CATCH SURVEYS Since the 2000-01 national survey, every state and territory – except Victoria – has conducted two

or more surveys of catch, effort, participation, etc. Queensland, for example, has been conducting comprehensive statewide surveys every five years since the 1990s and South Australia now also conducts five-yearly surveys. After previously conducting statewide surveys at irregular intervals, Western Australia has completed surveys every two years since 2011. Why do they do this? These comprehensive surveys are very expensive because of the high costs of including phone-based and on-site (eg boat ramp, jetty) survey estimates of total catches. Typically, for the larger states the cost can be between $1.0 million and $1.4 million, so these commitments are not entered into lightly. Every other state and territory has judged the need for and value of recreational catch and participation data to be justified in terms of their contribution to effective fisheries management and planning. Premier Andrews thought so too in 2015. 4. VICTORIA STANDS IN THE WAY OF A COMPREHENSIVE NATIONAL SURVEY The 2000-01 National Recreational Fishing Survey provided a detailed picture of recreational fishing effort, catches, participation, expenditure and attitudes across all Australian states and territories. It was the result of collaboration and co-investment by all states, territories and the Australia government. Over the following years, Victoria made full use of this information but the current Government’s unwillingness to participate has been a barrier to recent attempts to conduct a follow-up national survey. Every other jurisdiction is currently conducting or planning their own comprehensive surveys, the results of which will be aggregated into a national survey. As Victoria has ‘declined’ to join this effort, a Commonwealth-funded contract is being considered to fill in the Victorian details in order to complete the national picture. But, because recreational catches can’t be estimated without Victoria’s participation, the national survey will be confined to social and economic aspects of recreational fishing. 5. THE VFA HAS THE NECESSARY SKILLS AND FUNDS VFA researchers played an important role in developing the phonediary survey method which has become the standard nationwide. The 2014 report mentioned above

Statistically robust estimates of total recreational catch are crucial to the sustainable management of fisheries. Fisheries Victoria report, April 2014 outlined a detailed analysis of the use of that method, and the associated costs, of estimating recreational catches of key species. Since then, all that’s been lacking is a decision to proceed. Further emphasising the VFA’s survey capabilities, during 2014, the South Australian Government contracted VFA researchers to conduct a comprehensive survey of recreational fishing in SA using the same methods as the 2000-01 national survey. The report was published only months after the Andrews Government had promised to conduct a similar survey of recreational fishing in Victoria. To this day, the VFA retains the skills necessary for such surveys. Funding a comprehensive survey is not an issue for Victoria: the annual income from our Recreational Fishing Licence now exceeds $8 million. A detailed and comprehensive survey of recreational fishing in the state would cost up to $1.4 million and could be spread across two financial years. 6. HOW ELSE CAN WE MEASURE THE SUCCESS OF T1M? The Government has spent $46 Million on the Target One Million Program and yet it has no apparent system in place to measure how effective this has been in terms of increases in: • recreational catches from Port Phillip Bay; • catches resulting from the marine stocking program; • fisher numbers and catches resulting from a huge boost to inland stocking; • adult fisher numbers towards the one million target. The only credible measure of adult fisher numbers is the annual number of RFLs sold, which peaked at 294,000 in 2015/16, before falling by 27% through the Andrews Government’s first term. As the Government strives for a target of one million adult fishers by 2020, we need solid data to show if there’s a

plausible explanation for the fall in RFL sales. 7. VICTORIA’S EXPORT FISHERIES Since 2000, Victoria’s export fisheries have depended on Commonwealth Government export permits. In turn, these depend on the responsible Minister’s approval, based on assessments of whether the fisheries management arrangements comply with the Commonwealth’s Guidelines for the Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries. An important element of the assessments is whether or not the management regime in place is, “capable of controlling the level of harvest in the fishery using input and/or output controls.” Controlling harvest levels clearly depend on the ability to measure the harvest, including the recreational catch. Principle 1 of the Guidelines states that, “A fishery must be conducted in a manner that does not lead to over-fishing.” For Victorian fisheries to comply, the VFA must have ‘reliable estimates of all removals’ of target species by commercial, recreational and other forms of fishing. These should be current and factored into stock assessments. In fact, there are no recent recreational catch estimates for any of Victoria’s fisheries that have export components, including the rock lobster, abalone, eel and scallop dive fisheries. After 18 years of successive governments’ commitments to produce recreational catch estimates for rock lobster, Victoria is only now close to doing so, thanks to an innovative compulsory catch-tag trial. Otherwise, there has been no apparent progress towards measuring recreational catches in these fisheries. Victoria’s current (2015) abalone fisheries management plan refers to the 2000/01 national survey as the only credible estimate

of recreational catches, but makes the commitment to “subject to available funding ... undertake a rigorous estimate of recreational abalone harvest.” As outlined in Point 5 above, funding should not be a barrier to overcoming this longstanding need. 8. PLANNING FISH STOCKING NEEDS After 10 years of stocking an average of 2.3 million trout and native fish, in the year to April 2018, the Government exceeded its arbitrary five million target, releasing more than six million fish. In doing so it boosted annual expenditure from a 5-year average of $800,000 to an average of $2.8 million over 2015-2019. Without any monitoring and assessment to establish the added value in terms of angler numbers and catches, the Government now says it needs to invest in a warm-water hatchery to increase native fish production capacity. Before investing in an additional hatchery, how about determining how many anglers are targeting river blackfish, trout cod, Macquarie perch and catfish? It’s one thing for anglers to say ‘yes please’ when asked ‘who’s interested in new stocked fisheries? But the real level of demand is another thing altogether. From the real world, the VFA’s Recreational Fishing Survey 2018 reported that fewer than 3% of inland anglers list these four species as their ‘favourite fish to catch’. A measure of how many anglers are targeting these native fish and what they’re catching would be a good baseline for measuring the uptake under a new stocking program. All these points considered, it seems that only a government and a fisheries agency uninterested in how many Victorians are fishing and how much they catch would not conduct a thorough survey. These points address just some of the areas where Victoria’s fisheries management and investment planning capabilities are suffering from the lack of credible and current information on our recreational fisheries. In November 2018, apathy shown over the previous 18 years continued when Victoria’s major parties, again, made no mention of a statewide catch survey among their pre-election commitments. • This is an amended version of an article published in November 2018 on the South East Trawl Fishing Industry Association web site setfia.org.au

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Springtime prospects NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.fishotopia.com

Right across the country, but especially down south, anglers keenly await the better weather and improved fishing prospects that typically accompany springtime. “Spring has sprung, the grass has ris’… I wonder

spring often took a little longer to really take hold than we might have hoped. The lawn had indeed begun to grow once again, after lying dormant for several months, but very often those promising flower buds remained stubbornly closed for at least another week or two. These days, most people in the southern hemisphere regard 1 September as

hours apiece). The precise timing of the vernal equinox can vary by a day or two from year to year, typically falling somewhere between 19 and 23 September. In 2019, that all-important equinox doesn’t occur until 23 September. But personally, I’m more than happy to count 1 September as spring’s official kick-off… After all, it already seems

Spring is a great time to get back to basics, chasing a few rock wall bream on bait. far more active and many rainbows are actively seeking gravel beds in an effort to spawn. The trout season in streams and rivers is already open in Tasmania and is about to reopen in Victoria, although those of us in NSW have to wait another month, which hardly seems fair! Meanwhile, over

to the Gippsland Lakes, dusky flathead are shaking off their winter lethargy and beginning to bite much more freely, as are yellowfin or sand whiting, while offshore it can be a great time for snapper and even an early run of kingfish in some areas. Surveys and anecdotal

you have reels that need topping up or re-spooling with line? And what’s going on inside closed tackle boxes that might not have seen daylight since May? Are your hooks a corroded mess? Are you running short of sinkers in the sizes you most commonly use? Do your lures need a sort

You’ve got to love a springtime mulloway, even the small ones! You might still need to slip on the hoodie for an early or late session, but the fishing is definitely warming up. where the flowers is?” I can clearly remember my father reciting that quaint little ditty at this time of year. As a kid, I was never quite sure what it meant, but over the years I came to understand that it was a humorous acknowledgement that the lengthening days and gradually warming weather we typically associate with

signalling the official end of winter and the welcome beginning of spring. However, some would argue that spring doesn’t actually start until what’s known as the ‘vernal equinox’: that moment when the sun crosses the earth’s celestial equator and our days and nights become roughly equal in length (at around 12

as if winter has hung around for far too long, and I’m just about ready to see the back end of it! Overall, spring is a wonderful time for all sorts of fishing. In NSW and Victoria, the bass and estuary perch season reopens on 1 September, while in the cooler and higher country, trout are now becoming

Spring is a wonderful time of year to be on the water, regardless of where you choose to fish and what you chase.

The next few weeks can be a great time to begin seriously targeting snapper of all sizes in our offshore waters. Make sure your reels are well topped up with fresh line first! 14

SEPTEMBER 2019

in WA, the South Western trout season is year ’round these days. Of course, it’s not all about seasons opening. This is also the time of year when the Murray cod season closes in all but a handful of impoundments, in order to help protect these highly-prized native fish during their spawning period. Anglers should leave river cod well alone to get on with that important job for the next three months. Luckily, there are plenty of other options: in both the fresh and salt. Right along the eastern seaboard, from Hervey Bay

observations consistently indicate that the number of anglers hitting our waterways ramps up dramatically from about early September onwards. In particular, the two big footy grand finals (AFL and NRL) staged later in the month tend to mark a sort of unofficial kick-off for what many southerners regard as the serious fishing season. Time to dust off dormant gear and get out there! But before you hit the water, it can really pay to pause for a moment and give your gear the once over. In particular, how are those line loads? Do

out, a clean-up and quick re-sharpening of their treble hook points? If so, now is definitely the time to do it! I actually find it quite therapeutic to pull all my gear out at the beginning of spring and check it over. Go through it and see what needs servicing, upgrading or replacing. Jot down a list of the top-ups you might need and then hit the local tackle shop for a bit of retail therapy. Apart from anything else, it’ll really put you in the right frame of mind for some new season fishing action! Anyway, happy spring and tight lines!

What a relief winter is over WEST COAST

Brett Carson

Winter smashed us with a vengeance. After taking forever to get here, it’s fair to say it reminded us what we were missing pretty quickly – thank god for spring! The wind has made it hard to get amongst it and at times

of a big swell behind it, the saltwater wedge down low will be clearer than you think. I’ve fished dark then swapped to a lighter vibe for more success as the seawater has rolled through under me. Gold colours can work well in that tannin coloured water and are generally great all-rounders. Some guys will fish little livies around the shacks in

pipi and glassies. Crabs still work but cut them in half or at least crush them to let the juice and scent out. The fish will be away from the edge, so fish areas accordingly with just enough weight to hold the bottom. Like with perch, do the right thing and take only what you need so the next generation can get underway. Mulloway have been

Laney caught this quality 13lb mulloway from Donovans. the fishing has been slow, but the fish are still about. Of course, with the cold comes the slower bite periods but at least the fish are sticking to the standard plan for the season. Freshwater inflows have influenced the river’s salinity, pushing the salt back towards the mouth that in the peak of summer can be 50km up, and as far up as Moleside Landing. Perch are schooled in the lower reaches from Donovans down to a stone’s throw from the sea. Vibes are the best bet by a mile when they are breeding. I prefer dark colours from greens to black to match the dirty water. Keep in mind that as the tide comes in, especially with the push

Nelson and snags back up higher. The last and first light is ideal timed with a week each side of the moon. You’ll find the bridge lights, just like the moon, can help the perch pick up the profile of baitfish and surface lures. They hit quick, so be ready. The big breeding bream are still way up the system doing their thing and knowledgeable fishos are in hot pursuit. Lure fishing for bream can frustrate the hell out of the very best anglers during the spawn, so don’t feel like it’s just you. Plenty have swapped to bait so they can feel the run of the drag. Podworms will produce the best results, along with other soft baits like

consistent. Target them below the caves area, with the best numbers usually coming from the ski zone down. Livies are hard work, but like perch and bream, vibes will bring them unstuck. Flog through the slow patches and figure out what part of the tide they are biting on. When you figure out a pattern, you can lessen the effort for similar reward. Try logical stuff like tops of the tide, dawn and dusk and take note of the moon phase, as these are all important things. There are other variables but the best fishos are constantly learning. When you nail it the bite period will be isolated, but when it happens the bite can go nuts.

Steep beaches from the winter cycle have made for awesome gutters that school and gummy sharks roll into at night. Those who brave the cold are finding fish when they dodge the weed stirred up from the large swells. At this time of year, I’ve been in the water and had numerous salmon plough into me as they belt through the shallows. Metal slices are effective when cast into the gutters on day tides and if bled quickly, the fish are okay to eat. I love them smoked as a snack and being a bit oily, they are probably better eating health wise for us than the more pleasant tasting fish we love. I know a fillet ripped off of them brings plenty of schoolies and gummies unstuck, so they can’t be all bad. • Good luck and feel free to come and see us at Nelson Boat Hire for the latest info. We have the local ‘live bait licence’ meaning we stock live mullet, crabs and podworms along with all the frozen bait, tackle and lures you need for the area. We’ll do our best to give you some local knowledge and get you on the fish quicker. Remember you can hire any of our boats without a boat licence, including our very popular houseboat.

As soon as Laney left his good mate Spongy behind, the fishing suddenly improved and he landed this ripper 39cm bream – go figure!

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Christopher Preston and his mates bagged out on snapper on a trip in Western Port Bay. They were fishing fresh baits of squid and yakka at the end of the run-out and the start of the run-in tides.

www.alvey.com.au SEPTEMBER 2019

Let spring begin! WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

Cold, strong and persistent winds have kept most angling options fairly quiet in the past few months, so anglers are looking forward to September bringing some improved conditions and hopefully leaving winter well behind them. Bream fishing in the estuaries has been very hit-and-miss, as is usually the case during the cold months. Occasionally, anglers will stumble across a school of big fish willing to bite and make some exceptional captures, but most of the time you end up looking at massed schools on your sounder and wondering what you are doing wrong. September can bring on some warmer weather and bring fish back on the bite in the shallows, particularly towards the end of the month. However, if the river is still running

high, dirty and cold, fishing deep and slow is the only way to go. Places like the Moyne River on high tide, inshore at Port Fairy, Lady Bay and Killarney can start to turn up some good fishing for silver trevally towards the end of September if conditions become a little more springlike. Thankfully over winter, the two main local trout rivers, Hopkins and Merri, remain open to angling, as there is often little else to enthuse about when the weather is as bad as it has been recently. Even in the strongest winds you can still find a place to fish, and the dirty water from heavy rains actually gives the fish a bit of cover and leads them to feed more freely during gentlemen’s hours. Come September though, there are still enough kilometres of good trout water that have been closed over the winter to get keen trout anglers excited about opening day. The upper Moyne and Emu Creek are still good producers

of quality trout. This year, trout opening is set down for midnight on Saturday 7 September. September and spring in general can be a great time to try some of the local smaller lakes like Gillear, Elingamite and Aringa, as water levels are often at their best for the season. Trout and redfin are best targeted by cast or trolled lures from small boats or kayaks in these locations. Lake Pertobe receives a stocking of rainbow trout every year and these fish are very fun for young anglers. In the very few windows of opportunity for offshore anglers, gummy shark fishing has still been productive. Barrel and school-sized tuna continue to be present in the Portland region between Lawrence Rock and Cape Bridgewater, as they have been for most of winter. Whether this bite continues to September is anyone’s guess, but if the bait remains it seems the fish will too.

The possibility of catching river trout like this keeps anglers motivated during the cold and wet months.

Flooded with bream throughout the rivers COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

Inclement weather is keeping all but the hardiest fishers off the water and in front of the heater. Although typical this time of year, one has to look on the bright side and think of good times ahead. The Curdies River is in full flood, with broken banks in and around Cobden as well as further downstream. This means a massive influx

of dirty, contaminated water containing unwanted nutrients such as livestock manure and artificial fertilizers. Thank the fishing gods – and the local catchment authority – that the mouth at Peterborough reached its critical point in late July and was manually opened. Still, in the short term I’d avoid the estuary until the flows slow down and the tidal surge takes the polluted water far out to sea. Bream will continue to reside in the lower reaches of Peterborough Lake,

staying well out of the fast flowing, energy sapping current and ambushing prey from the shallow edges of the main channel. They’ll stay there until September at least, and then head back upstream for spawning. Bait is the best option, such as large cut crab, scrub and kelp worm and small, bait-sized yabbies. Shrimp and the local whitebait, greyback, are off the menu and impossible to source. A similar occurrence is underway at the Hopkins River, with a massive wall of discoloured water

cascading over the falls further upstream. If you happen to be in the vicinity, it’s just a slight detour to witness the sheer amount of liquid bursting over the

the many supporting pylons. This can make for exciting fishing, with many bream being literally ‘skull dragged’ out from underneath. The next

fronts. However, with that the north wind has begun to blow again, putting a dampener on fishing. In the meantime, maybe spend some time

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falls and it’s quite a sight to behold. Bream are being taken close to the mouth and are sitting well out of the main current. A good spot to wet a line is underneath Proudfoots cafe and restaurant. Bream are congregating in the calmer water here and can be found in and around

best place is in close to the danger board near the mouth, as this bend holds slower moving water and is adjacent to the main channel. Cut crab has been a top bait fished unweighted. Signs of spring are already appearing, with the odd sunny, almost warm day occurring between the cold

in front of the heater, servicing your fishing gear in anticipation of better weather to come. Remember that things like fishing line don’t last forever. If in doubt, pop down to your local tackle store and renew your line. No one wants to lose the big one!

Fishing after flush out APOLLO BAY

Craig Rippon

The weather has been all over the place and very unpredictable. The water

is very dirty after the rain flushed all the rivers and creeks into the sea. Bluefin tuna have been slow with no good reports as of yet, but I expect the fishing will pick up when the water

Bruce Flack caught this solid school shark off Cape Otway.

clears up a bit. There have been some sightings of tuna schools along the coast, but getting out has been hard with all the wind we have had. Off the beach has been average, with salmon being your best bet. They disappeared for a while but are now back in, with the big swells making gutters along the coast. There have been a few whiting about in close when weather permits but not in big numbers. The fish are pushing 44cm, so it’s still worth a go when you can. Fresh pipis have been effective on what whiting are there. There have been some quality flathead close to shore in 28-35m of water, and squid and salmon have been the best bait options. Around this time of year, we seem to start getting a good run of snapper on our local reefs. We should see the water temperature increase as the days get longer and warmer. The pinks seem to show up in slightly shallower water at this time of year around the Blanket Bay area and Bald Hill. Gummies have been great this year. There’s always a chance to pick one up while snapper fishing, so having a big fresh bait sitting on the bottom is always a good option. I have found you have a much greater

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The ongoing upgrades to the local ramp and car park will make a huge difference to parking at the Apollo Bay boat ramp. chance of catching gummies with a berley cage on your anchor on the bottom. We have had great success with this technique using fresh bait. The only problem is that it makes the anchor a bit heavier to pull up when you don’t have an electric anchor, so I make sure to choose fishing partners who can pull their weight (literally!) when I do this, especially anchoring in 50m+ of water. The trout season opens this month. We have had a very wet winter with a lot of rain so all the rivers and creeks have

had a good flush out. There have been some decent bream caught locally on unweighted scrubworms cast upstream and allowed to float down with the current. If the water is running too fast, use a light sinker to get it down to the bottom. At the moment, the boat ramp and parking area is having a makeover! Those who have fished here know the current setup isn’t ideal and we are getting major works to seal the complete area, which will make a huge difference. The ramp gets very busy and can be

full at different stages of the year, so it is fantastic it’s getting upgraded. Hopefully the next time you visit it will be finished! There have been some hold ups, but so far the works are going well. I’m always looking for more photos so please send shots of your great catches to snagga02@gmail.com. • If you’re coming to Apollo Bay for a fish, be sure to pop in to Surf N Fish to get all your bait and tackle needs, as well as an up to date report, or call us on (03) 5237 6426.

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Get a start on squid this season Squid are an extremely popular target all around the coast of Australia, and it’s easy to see why as they are great fun to catch, fantastic on the plate and a top bait. Often referred to as ‘egiing’ by enthusiasts, fishing for squid has really boomed in Australia over the past decade. These days, entire walls of some tackle stores are filled to the brim with squid jigs of every size, shape and colour combination imaginable, as well as scents and special tools for killing and cleaning. There are also ranges of squid fishing rods and reels designed solely for targeting squid, and even braided lines just for squid. Expanding even further, much of what we see on the walls here is still only a small portion of what’s actually out there and what’s coming, especially from the squid fanatical Japanese market, which is constantly coming up with new and exciting technology for the world of squidding. With all this going on, it’s easy to get lost and confused in the squidding world and forgot the basics fundamentals that make up the bulk of squid fishing success.

Any squid around 30cm in the hood is a beauty. Perhaps the most important choice to make is what size jig you be should using. The depth you’re

The author took these two monstrous squid fishing out of the boat. 18

SEPTEMBER 2019

fishing should determine this, and to a lesser extent, the size of the squid you’re targeting. The larger the jig will usually mean it’s heavier and sinks quicker. Squid jigs come in a variety of sizes starting from around 1.5 up to a 6.0. Smaller jigs from 1.5-2.0 will sink pretty slow and work well in shallow water less then 1m in depth. I use this size jigs when fishing the shallows at nighttime under around areas that are illuminated by a nearby light. Baitfish are attracted to these sorts of places and squid will move right against the shoreline to feed on them. You can also use these smaller jigs on a paternoster rig when fishing deeper water to get them down. This is sometimes a good idea when there are smaller squid around that are reluctant to hit the bigger jigs, or when you’re in areas where arrow squid are the main target. Size 2.5 jigs are my favourite size to use when casting in waters less than 5m over seagrass beds, which will typically be the best areas to find squid inside estuary. For deeper environments you could again drift with a paternoster rig or up your jig size to a 3.0 The 3.0-4.0 jigs are best suited for those fishing ocean

rocks or boat fishing offshore around the protected bays and coves with kelpy bottoms where big squid like to hang. The 4.5 and larger size jigs are good for getting down to deeper offshore reefs in less then 30m of water, where extra large calamari can sometimes congregate, and there is always the chance of picking up a monster cuttlefish when fishing theses parts too. GEAR While you could go all out and use a dedicated squid outfit, you probably won’t see the benefits unless you are very serious about your squidding. A 2-5kg 7ft graphite rod and 2500 size reel spooled with 6lb braid will certainly still do the job and cover you for just about any form of squid fishing you do, with the exception of the big jigs over 4.0. Also, if you’re land-based fishing the ocean rocks, you should up your rod length to a stick around 8-9ft. I like to use about 1m of 12lb Black Magic Pink Leader on my squid jigs. While some might call this overkill, it will save your jig if you get a tip wrap mid-cast, as it won’t bust off and fly into the drink. BEST JIGS There are so many jigs on the market these days, and they range from dirt cheap to $40 a pop, but the best value for money quality jigs around that I’ve come

The author with a cracker squid that took a fancy to the Black Magic Squid Snatcher in ghost glow colour. natural baitfish patterns when the sun’s out and the waters clear. Pinks, oranges, greens, and whites that have a bit of lumo are better for late afternoon or early morning. The new colour ‘fire glow’ in the Black Magic Squid Snatchers has been my go-to of late and

you make sure you’re letting the lure sink and stay in this zone as long as possible. Once it’s in the zone, a double flick of the rod tip to give it some action on the retrieve will help attract squid to your jig. Try not to allow too much slack line in your

A good selection of jigs to cover all situations will pay off. across are the Black Magic Squid Snatcher range. They represent excellent value for money, with a great colour range for sizes 2.0-4.0, which virtually covers everything you’re ever going to need. When it comes to colour choice, everyone has their favourites, but I like to use

out-fishing everything else. Black also has its place and is an excellent choice when fishing on a moon lit night or around areas of water that are lit up in the evening. TECHNIQUE Most of the time squid will be located in the bottom two thirds of the water column, so it’s important

retrieve, as squid jigs have no barbs, meaning unless there is resistance pulling the other way a squid can easily push forward and disconnect itself from the jig. Another tip is to have your drag set quite loose, as the heaver drag can often rip the tentacles of a squid clean off.

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Fish are waking from their winter slumber GEELONG

Neil Slater slaterfish@gmail.com

September is the time of year when the region begins to wipe the sleep from their eyes and emerge from a winter slumber. Having said that, this past winter was anything but a snooze, with fish biting like

mozzies at a barbeque. FRESHWATER VFA will stock St Augustines Water Hole on South Valley Road with 750 ready-to-catch rainbow trout for the September school holidays. These are great fun and relatively easy to catch for kids and those learning to fish. Using a running sinker rig baited with artificial bait or worms, small soft

Nguyen made the decision to slip on over to Stony Creek Reservoir near Ballan and have a go there. It turned out to be a winning move, as Tom nailed three monster redfin on a ZMan 3â&#x20AC;? Slim SwimZ in calico candy rigged with a 3/8oz jighead. The biggest redfin measured 48cm, while the other two were 42 and

pause and slow retrieve. CORIO BAY Snapper have been more prevalent than past years, which bodes well for the upcoming season. Anglers flicking soft plastics around structure in the inner harbour have been catching good numbers of quality snapper. The Geelong waterfront

Christian found Torquay salmon in close.

Amelia and her dad Dean bagged out on calamari and whiting off St Leonards.

plastics, or bladed spinners will get the fish excited. Wurdee Boluc and Stony Creek reservoirs have been producing the odd big redfin for those anglers prepared to put in the effort. Ricky Maes fished Wurdee Boluc Reservoir near Moriac last month, and landed a 1.5kg brown trout using a Daiwa TD minnow in less than 60cm of water. Michael Evans from Victorian Inland Charters

also reported that he picked up some decent fish from Wurdee Boluc. Michael says that casting small hardbodied minnow pattern lures or metal spoons around the shallow margins in the early morning and late afternoon has been the best way to find some fish moving about. You can sometimes spot them in the shallows chasing small baitfish. After a nibble-less effort around Port Melbourne, Tom

Tom caught three whopping redfin at Stony Creek Reservoir after a doughnut session at Port Melbourne. 40cm. Tom says the big jighead helped him cast past the rocks and weed into deeper waters. The successful retrieve was a slow lift of the rod tip,

ACTIVE TRANSOM

SEPTEMBER 2019

had schools of snotty trevally, Australian salmon and flathead available for boat and landbased anglers. Paul Mayer reported that flathead have been

TRUE SELFDRAINING DECKS

a bit smaller of late, salmon are a little hard to predict, and trevally are thinning out as the water warms. Paul has also caught a few bream casting soft plastics around structure inside Corio Bay. Working it slow and deep is the key for bream, as they can be as fussy as a tired toddler. Paul and John Didge have been finding a few schools of hungry snapper hugging structure inside Corio Bay. Paul said that in one particularly epic session they caught five over 60cm and a stack over 50cm. They were using Munroe’s soft plastics and Berkley Gulp Turtleback worms on JigMan jigheads. Paul shared that some of the larger fish were too powerful for his light soft plastic set up and had him into structure where they often broke him

Emma was pretty pumped to catch her first calamari.

Michael with a brace of big Wurdee reddies. off – exciting fishing! Whiting and calamari have also made a good show from Clifton Springs to Point Henry. Twelve-year-old Emma Robinson fished off Clifton Springs with her father Dean recently. Using an orange Yamashita size 3.0 squid jig, Emma latched onto her first calamari! BELLARINE PENINSULA The talk of the Bellarine has been the XXL whiting biting! Some of these fish have nudged 50cm, and fish over 40cm have been relatively common. It’s been busy, so patience at the ramp is essential. Keep moving until you locate a school. The best times have been dawn and dusk but they can be located during the day. Big 50cm fish have been caught after dark, while the day fish have been from legal length to around 40cm. Twelve-year-old Amelia Dangaard headed out from St Leonards with her father Gary last month in search of squid and whiting. After getting a bag capture of calamari, they located a school of whiting in 4m of water. The Dangaard family ate well that night! SURF COAST The Surf Coast

traditionally gets the first run of big snapper around late September. These fish are beautifully marked with blue tipped fins and very clean looking. Find some reef in water from 10-30m and send down some big baits

like squid, pilchards or silver whiting. The only issue will be the draughtboard sharks, which can literally carpet the sea floor this time of year. Christian Monahan fished Torquay Foreshore last month where he got onto a few decent salmon. After trying whitebait and squid for a while and getting nothing, he changed to pipis and got a few solid fish straight away, only about 25m out from the shore break. FISH HARD – DIE HAPPY! Caught a few around Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula or Surf Coast to Lorne recently? Send in a report to slaterfish@gmail.com with ‘VFM’ in the subject field or give me a call on 0408 997 348. Please include where (without giving away your secret spot!), when, what on and who caught the fish. Pictures are always great, but please make sure they are at least 1MB (file size). Thanks to all those that have sent reports in – please note that I’ve updated my email address.

Ricky landed this feisty trout working the shallows of Wurdee. SEPTEMBER 2019

Get the spring back in your step this season PORT PHILLIP BAY WEST

Alan Bonnici alan@fishingmad.com.au

After struggling through a cold and miserable winter, spring is finally here. Hopefully the change of seasons will bring improved weather conditions and more fishing opportunities. Over the last month, local anglers have been doing it tough as even our most dependable bread and butter species have gone off the chew. The combination of calm, cold and foggy conditions seem to have the fishing action a little quiet. Venturing out on the boat for a feed of whiting, flathead or squid has needed patience, hard work and many hours just to scramble together a few. Thankfully, things are starting to pick up and my last few ventures out have been quite action-packed, with the more reliable fish

The local rivers have been fishing very well lately, with plenty of bream available.

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species slowly coming back on the bite. Last month, I wrote about how you should consider targeting bream in our local river systems during tough weather conditions. Locally, this includes the Yarra, Maribyrnong and Werribee rivers, which can provide a great alternative fishing option instead of the bay. Following that article, I received several messages from readers asking for some video demonstrations on the basics of bream fishing to help get them started. I created several videos walking through the step-by-step guide to success. You can view these videos on my YouTube channel mentioned at the end of this article. When we strip things back to absolute basics, there are four key areas that anglers should note: using gear suitable for target species, rigging up correctly, bait presentation and giving thought to where fish are residing. Ultra light spin outfits built for finesse are ideal for targeting bream. You want something with 1-3 or 2-4kg capacity with a small reel and thin line. For your rig setups, you want the bait to look natural and tempting to entice finicky fish. It’s all about experimenting with different bait options and ensuring they are hooked and presented properly. These are basic fishing tips that I use even when fishing with my own kids to catch bream. Anyone can be successful when you get these fundamentals right. The term three school holiday break will commence towards the end of the month. With the conditions still quite cold, this is a great time to take your kids out and target some stocked trout. Victorian Fisheries Authority do an amazing

job stocking many of our freshwater systems. They have ramped up their trout stocking as part of the Target One Million plan. Make sure you check which lakes have been stocked with trout. Some popular places close to Melbourne are the Karkarook, Lilydale and Albert Park lakes. Stocking of native fish species will go from strength to strength in coming years. If you do plan on taking your kids fishing, then make sure you brush up on some basic rigs. Baits including earth or scrubworms and PowerBait either suspended from a float or on a basic running sinker rig with a very small sinker are very effective and a great way to get kids onto a couple of stocked trout. They may not be big, but they are lots of

Rainbow trout will be stocked in many of the lakes these school holidays. fun for kids and beginners to catch. Also remember to practice catch and release, as kids love releasing fish and seeing them swim away just as much as catching them. Six months ago, I had morning tea with the Minister for Fishing and Boating. We spent some time discussing local boat ramps and the state government’s plan to abolish boat launching fees. Like many readers, I was incredibly keen to find out

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( 22

SEPTEMBER 2019

when key launching areas close to me such as Werribee and Altona would have fees removed and some needed renovations scheduled. During the conversation, I was surprised at the complexity of what seemed like a quite simple task – the many auditing requirements, liability checks, and the negotiation and approvals process with local councils. In recent weeks, we have seen some activity and press releases in this area, some of which is still quite confusing. A video was released from Altona this month suggesting they are in the process of removing fees, and then weeks later the old pay stations were replaced by EasyPark pay stations controlled by a smart phone app. In doing so, I believe the rates also

This beautiful winter trout fell to a shallow diving hardbodied lure.

increased slightly up to $22. I will be watching this space closely in the coming weeks, and hopefully we’ll see some activity before snapper season starts. On that note, it seems like we have waited forever but snapper season is nearly here and I can’t wait for it to arrive. We’re getting close now and generally in Port Phillip Bay, the season starts in October and goes through to March, with some peak times throughout. It’s usually about this time of year that snapper rod combos and rig sales increase and boat servicing is in high demand, and for good reason too. Snapper fishing around Melbourne is improving along with our regulations and ecosystem yearly. I’m optimistic that this is going to be a great season ahead of us. I can already picture it: warm weather and big reds… what could be better? Finally, I highly commend the work of Victorian Fishing Authorities and the state government who have confirmed that Lauriston, Upper Coliban, and Malmsbury reservoirs and Hepburn Lagoon will

be open to kayaks and non-powered vessels starting 1 August. I’m excited about the news and very keen to get my kayak back on the water and explore some of my favourite systems. This has been in discussion for several years and it’s brilliant to see these promises being delivered. Kayak fishing is growing

month. Don’t forget to contact me directly if you would like to share your recent fishing experiences around Melbourne and Port Phillip Bay from Werribee through to Port Melbourne, so they can be added to next month’s article. You can contact me via email at alan@fishingmad.com. au, check out my website

Bream are still active despite the average weather. in popularity in Melbourne and hopefully there’ll be more systems opened in the future. Don’t forget to send me photos of your kayaking ventures around Melbourne! That’s all from me this

at www.fishingmad.com.au, or look me up on Facebook (facebook.com/fishingmad. com.au), YouTube (youtube. com/c/fishingmad) and Instagram (instagram.com/ fishingmad.com.au).

FISHING NEWS

Water opening for boaters and kayakers Four more lakes in central Victoria are now open to recreational fishers in canoes, kayaks and boats with electric motors, thanks to the Andrews Labor Government’s plan to get more people fishing, more often. Minister for Fishing and

Minister Pulford said. The opening of these four waters by Coliban Water and Goulburn Murray Water complements similar on-water access expansion at Barkers Creek and Tullaroop reservoirs in April and May this year. For decades, Hepburn Lagoon and the three Kyneton

Boating Jaala Pulford joined fishers, paddlers and small boat owners near Kyneton to open on-water access for the first time to Upper Coliban, Malmsbury and Lauriston reservoirs, and Hepburn Lagoon. “We promised to expand on-water access to six central Victorian lakes and that’s exactly what we’ve done – making it easier for more people to get out on the water and enjoy the great outdoors,”

reservoirs have been stocked with trout for freshwater fishers, supported by their fishing licence fees. Minister for Water Lisa Neville said, “Opening up access to these reservoirs is a great way to get the most out of the social and recreational values of our waterways and water storages”. All three Kyneton reservoirs were stocked with nearly 110,000 native fish fingerlings last summer to

encourage more people to get out and cast a line. Upper Coliban Reservoir received 25,000 golden perch fingerlings and Malmsbury 30,000 last summer, in addition to annual releases of trout grown at Fisheries’ Snobs Creek hatchery, near Eildon. Lauriston Reservoir received 25,000 golden perch and nearly 30,000 Murray cod whilst Hepburn Lagoon

will remain a stocked trout fishery given its fantastic reputation as a productive cool-water destination. Plans are also underway to build boat ramps at Upper Coliban and Lauriston reservoirs over the next 12 months, making it even easier to enjoy a great day on the water. Learn more at vfa.vic. gov.au/targetonemillion2. – Victoria Fisheries

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New season brings sweet success PORT PHILLIP NE

Wayne Friebe wfriebe@bigpond.net.au

The wet and windy conditions lasted for most of winter, providing limited fishing opportunities and small windows of calmer weather. While the footy finals will be the focus for many of the bay’s anglers until the end of the month, there have been plenty of shore-based opportunities for bread and butter species on the clearer days for those still keen to have a crack. Unlike the same time last year when we experienced a prolonged period without

any substantial rain, this winter we have had plenty of consistent rain. Although this can be annoying when you’d rather be fishing, the rain does wonders for the bay’s food chain and is especially important for the yearly snapper migration into the bay, so fingers crossed that it continues over the coming months as well. During the late autumn and early winter months, we enjoyed a prolonged late run of snapper out from the wider marks around Mornington and Mount Martha, which normally occurs around the change of seasons in late autumn. While most anglers have changed focus, there have been enough

resident reds around to keep dedicated fishers interested. There have also been plenty of nice gummies and other sharks around the shipping channels and further south in the bay. By the time you are reading this, some of the bay’s snapper diehards will already be in full swing out on the water looking for an early season red, but the majority of fishers will start when the footy season is finished at the end of the month. Land-based anglers also tend to get amongst the action earlier than the boatbased anglers. Many have predicted that the coming snapper season will be the

best for some time due to strong recruitment in past seasons, so there’s plenty to look forward to as the days get longer and warmer towards the end of the year. The most consistent fishing over the past month has been the exceptional run of garfish, especially at Mornington Pier. Going through some past reports, I noticed that the same great fishing for gars on the pier was happening this time last year as well. Consistent northerly and northwesterly winds have kept the resident schools and bait inside the harbour and anglers have been really cashing in, collecting bait for the season

Timeout Fishing Charters September is the start of snapper time for many of the bay’s anglers, with fish like this pair taken by Chris Garnar on offer.

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Over the past month, Patterson Lakes has produced some great late winter bream for anglers fishing the main river system with bait, and throughout the canal system on lures. Photo courtesy of Brendan at IFISH.

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ahead and getting amongst some great table fish. Squid fishing has been very good after a slower start, but it has been confined to the sheltered and protected bays closer to shore due to consistent wind. Periods of rain kept things pretty quiet for a while, especially as

this affects water clarity, but fishing deeper and slower during these times generally gets results. Mornington Pier and the surrounding reef areas have been the most reliable spots. Big schools of salmon have been around our part of the bay all year, but have been feeding closer to shore and in the protected areas due to the persistent onshore winds. Mornington and Frankston piers have been very consistent, as well as the mouth of the Patterson River. When the weather’s permitted, boating anglers have reported some great sessions on massive schools, casting lures and plastics into the feeding fish. The lack of recent boat traffic means that these schools will often feed on the surface for much longer periods of time, much to the delight of fishers.

The Patterson River has once again been the saviour for many local lure and bait fishers and has really produced over the past month. Lure anglers have been successful throughout the canal system and have been getting plenty of bream. Small vibes and soft plastics have been the best options. Heaps of perch have been reported, with many of them small models from recent stockings, but lure anglers have also taken some larger fish. Bait fishers have been doing very well, accounting for most of the larger bream in the main river when the water has been discoloured. During these times, scrubworms are very productive bream bait. There has also been plenty of mullet in the river, and schools of smaller salmon near the mouth in the rougher weather.

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Larger bream have been caught on scrubworms at the Patterson River lately. Photo courtesy of Brendan at IFISH.

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Spoils of squid season MORNINGTON PENINSULA

Julian Frank

It’s kind of hard to believe that the year has gone so quickly and that we are

already back in snapper season again. Hopefully from here on out, the fish really fire up on the southern end of the bay. As the weather hasn’t been too bad the last

Michelle has caught a lot of decent squid from Rye.

couple months, it seems reasonable that September will follow suit and produce some excellent fishing opportunities. MOUNT MARTHA This month, it will be worthwhile to be out deep in the mud looking for your first season red, as there should be plenty of decent size fish either side of the Fairway lane, especially towards the top of the spoil ground. The top baits for this time of year are fresh calamari and pilchards. We have had reports of a few fish caught from land, and Mornington Pier would be your best bet. DROMANA TO ROSEBUD Good squid and flathead can be taken on a regular basis within 1km of the shore. All the weed beds straight off Rosebud are particularly good grounds for numbers of squid, fishing anywhere up to 6m of water. Whiting are another popular target in this area. Look around the 6-8m mark and sound for patches of rocky, weedy bottom amongst the sand. RYE Fishing from the pier has been successful for anglers chasing squid and salmon in the early morning and afternoon. The usual ground around the White Lady has been fishing well for numbers of squid, with white and red jigs doing the job. Camerons Bight is another great place to chase squid and whiting, and you can even set a couple of

Locals Matt, Ben and Brady with a nice haul of whiting. trolling lures up to chase some bigger flathead. BLAIRGOWRIE TO PORTSEA For land-based anglers, you’ll find a number of salmon kicking about along the shoreline and from the marina at Blairgowrie. Soft plastics and small to medium size stickbaits have been working well. The Moorings to the left of the wall and alongside the Sisters should produce some good size whiting. Afternoons and early mornings are usually the go, with fresh squid

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A nice gummy ready for the table.

the best bait option this time of year. Portsea is still showing signs of big squid from the pier, while boaters have been getting into some cracker whiting between the moorings and all the way down towards Point Nepean. The back beaches are flat out, with heaps of salmon caught from

Portsea Back Beach, Rye and Gunnamatta. Baits have been very successful on surf snatcher rigs, and larger metal slugs to reach fish further out have been the go. There have also been a few gummies caught of late. A few keen anglers have even been getting their yaks out on really good days.

Fishing fit for a king GAME FISHING

Lee Rayner info@fishingfever.com.au

Spring is finally here and brings with it an increase in water temperatures and longer days. It heralds the start of a new fishing season, and while it’s the annual run of snapper into local Victorian waters that gets thousands of anglers excited, it’s also that turn in water temperature that sees some of the bigger species become a real possibility over the coming

weeks and months. The only real drawback with September is that with the warming of the ocean and land it also generates lots of wind, which can in turn makes it difficult to get many days out on the water. WEST COAST A lot of anglers think that tuna season is well and truly over, especially for the bigger fish, but the reality is that over the past years some of the best jumbo tuna fishing has been through September and October. There should be numbers of big tuna on offer even though anglers are

If they’re lucky, determined anglers in Gippsland could catch a huge early season kingfish this month.

focusing on other species, such as snapper. Often the great thing about chasing tuna this time of year is the lack of boats working the patches of fish, as it allows anglers more opportunity to get a big bite. As an added bonus, you can often find some decent school tuna out a bit wider and some of these fish are in the 15-20kg bracket, which makes them loads of fun on light tackle. On the shelf, the slight increase in water temperatures will see some of the deepwater bottom fish begin to feed quite well so there should be good hauls of blue eye, ling and other species. APOLLO BAY TO MELBOURNE In seasons past, the Apollo Bay area has produced some wild big tuna fishing during September and October, with locations such as Big, Nine Mile, and other reef areas producing lots of huge tuna for fishers. When this happens, it’s often only a matter of time until the fish push to the east and anglers find them off locations such as Lorne, Barwon Heads and ‘The Rip’. In this part of the world when tuna turn up they are often following whales, which makes for very exciting fishing. Anglers try to get lures as close to the feeding whales as possible because tuna appear to sit under or in very close proximity to the whales. So, if you’re offshore in these areas chasing snapper or gummy sharks over the next two months, make sure you have a few big outfits stored in the cabin. If you find the bait and whales, you might see yourself hooked up to some very big tuna.

Gippsland local Bob Hirs loves chasing the resident makos! EAST COAST Spring is a real lottery down in the Gippsland area, and while the big offshore snapper gets everyone keen, anglers looking for bigger fish can travel out to the shelf wide of Lakes Entrance all the way up to Mallacoota. At this time of year, there are often big bluefin tuna and even some solid yellowfin tuna feeding on bait in the canyons. Swordfish can be found if fishers go looking for the solid feed layers.

One of the really good options during September is the chance to go and tangle with numbers of solid mako sharks, especially if you find the areas where good numbers of bottom fish such as gemfish and frostfish are holding, as they are very popular food sources for makos. Back in closer to shore, locations like Tamboon Reef and the Star Banks off Mallacoota can hold some very big early season

kingfish. To land these huge fish, you’ll need to find some big live bait, with my favourite being the arrow squid. While you might not get a lot of bites, there is a fair chance that the ones you do get will be very big kings. So there we have it, spring is here and so is what’s sure to be a very exciting bluewater season in Victoria. I can’t wait to see what exciting stuff is coming our way!

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Warm up into shark season PPB OFFSHORE

Gerry Morsman

What an amazing month of offshore fishing we have had down here in

Melbourne! With countless highly respectable captures, it’s not hard to tell we are blessed with a fishery that seems to only be getting better. One great thing I have

School sharks are always a welcome bycatch to gummy shark fishers, as you can tell from the smile on Gawaine Blake.

noticed recently is that there is a lot of information being shared between recreational fishers and local tackle shops to help each other have a day to remember. This is a great thing to see, especially offshore, as when you get out there it can be quite daunting to navigate the area and find the right reef or gutters for whatever species you may be chasing. Once again, the standout species has been gummy sharks. There just seems to be a carpet of them out there right now and I am the last person you will hear complaining! Anglers just can’t seem to get enough of them at the moment, and the only thing stopping most of us has been Mother Nature. Usually through this time of year we are blessed with calm seas, giving us the best opportunity to get out there and target whatever species may be on our radar, but the last couple of months have only been giving us small windows. Despite this, these small windows have been more than enough to keep most of us happy because the fishing has been so good. CALAMARI SQUID Targeting calamari isn’t always on a lot of anglers’

minds when fishing offshore, but it is something that I would highly recommend. You rarely get squid under the 1kg mark and it is not unusual to see them up to 3kg, which is huge by anyone’s standard. Here in Melbourne, we are lucky enough to have one of the best calamari fisheries in the world and offshore is one of the best places to catch big squid consistently. The methods of catching them are a lot different to those used in bays. Usually you would be using either baited jigs or just casting a squid jig around in waters ranging from 2-10m, but offshore you have a much better chance of hooking them in waters of up to 45m. I know that might seem hard to believe, but the reports are there to prove that this is a very effective depth to target them. I have heard reports all the way from Barwon Heads to Kilcunda, with anglers fishing over reefy ground, dropping down a squid jig on a paternoster style rig with a sinker and leaving it to bob up and down with the motion of the boat. As the tidal flow is not that great while fishing offshore, you only need a sinker of around 2oz.

Impressive captures like this are a great reason to get your mates together and head offshore. GUMMY SHARK By far the standout area has been Cape Schanck for consistent captures. One of the main reasons is that this area is one of the most tidal places out of all offshore Melbourne waters. Tide helps a lot with sharks

because of their amazing ability to sniff blood and bait out from a very far distance. The tide will carry these scents at a fast rate, capturing the attention of predatory species such as gummy sharks into this trail. They will follow the trail

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until they reach their desired target, which is hopefully your presented bait. There are huge amounts of reef in around 30m of water off Cape Schanck and pretty much all of this area presents a great feeding ground for gummy sharks. Although gummy sharks don’t have teeth, they still have quite a powerful bite and as a shark they are incredible hunters. Some of their favourite species to target are parrotfish and barber perch, which are quite prolific over most offshore reefs. Using these as fresh bait has been a very effective way of targeting gummy sharks, as regular offshore anglers have found that using squid or oily baits such as salmon or trevally just attracts the reef fish, which can be quite frustrating. Barwon Heads has also been a fairly consistent area, fishing a little bit deeper in around 45m of water and using the same methods as around Cape Schanck. The reefs around Barwon Heads

Julian Rennie with one of many sharks landed offshore this month.

Big squid are common when fishing the deeper water reefs.

hold big numbers of snapper as well, especially around this time of year, so make sure to zoom in on your sounder and see if there are any schools bunched up on your travels. FLATHEAD If you ask anyone what their favourite local eating fish is, it’s very rare that flathead doesn’t come up in the conversation. One of the best things about fishing offshore is that flatties are one of the easiest fish to target. You can basically drive out to any sandy area and start drifting with either a paternoster or sliding sinker styled rig. A size 1/0 bait holder hook with a long squid strip that flaps in the water while drifting is dynamite! Flathead can’t help but get sucked into your trap. Fishing straight out from Seal Rocks in around 50m of water has had great reports, but you can’t beat fishing out from Cape Woolamai in around 25-30m of water.

This shows a simple but very effective rig to target deep-water calamari. SEPTEMBER 2019

Wild weather on the Port WESTERN PORT NTH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

It’s not often I begin writing a fishing report with the knowledge that the last four weeks have been a total blow out! Never in my over three decades of fishing in Victoria can I remember a time when the wind has been this relentless. One huge plus for Western Port is that it can be fished in practically any weather condition (within reason). If you’re familiar with Western Port then you’ll already know this, but there is a huge island in the middle of the Port called French Island, which provides a safe haven for anglers to fish in depending on the direction of the wind.

In saying that, with the spout of wind we have just experienced many anglers still didn’t head out. I get it – why fish in unfavourable conditions if you don’t have to? I mean, when I was younger I certainly made the most of fishing no matter the conditions, but I guess I have become a little more soft as the years have gone on… plus it’s hard to take nice photos of fish when the boat is rocking around. With the lack of fishing for many anglers in August, it has been difficult for me to get the heads up on the early run of reds into the Top End. Traditionally, the season kicks off with anglers hooking into barracouta in the North Arm. Now I can only speculate here but I am sure, as the last decade has proven, that those barracouta

are about and behind them is a flurry of hungry reds all making their way to the top end of the Port. Anglers looking for an early season red should really focus on specific locations in the Top End. Remember, it is fact that early season reds tend to be larger than those caught throughout mid-November onwards. Past years have seen numerous big snapper caught in September and October, and many of those were caught in Boulton Channel, Bouchier around Joes Island and of course, off Lysaghts. Lysaghts is an extremely productive location to catch early reds and these days is more commonly referred to as the ‘North Arm’. In fact, while the North Arm encompasses the whole area from Yaringa to Hanns Inlet,

Snapper are around now but are still challenging to catch. If you are going to have a crack at an early season red, you might only get one striking chance, so ensure your tackle is up to spec to drive the hooks in. Lysaghts is more specifically the area out from the ‘BlueScope Steel’ terminal, which averages a depth around 17m. Of course, if you are going to fish within this area there is an exclusion zone marked by Buoys 33 and 35, so don’t fish inside these. Otherwise, fishing out in the deeper areas is where you’ll encounter some very good fish. When targeting reds in this area, the bottom can be quite reefy, so a running sinker rig is worth using. Always ensure your sinker is tied to a 30cm dropper off your Ezy Rig sinker clip. This is so if you do snag up, the sinker busts off and not your entire rig. Aside from catching early season snapper, now is the time to be stocking up on fresh bait for the season. While many anglers are champing at the bit to head out and get that first run on the board, others have been finding plenty of bait fishing opportunities. Calamari are still prolific along the edges of the weedy banks and

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while battling the wind has been challenging, once you have launched from either Warneet or Hastings, you can work the channel bank edges quite comfortably and with good success. The Quail and Tyabb banks have been prime calamari hotspots of late, mainly because they are easy to access due to the high winds. Despite the conditions, these banks average 2-3m deep and can still be fished in most wind directions. In saying that, if it does get a little nasty you can always sneak inside the confines of the Watson Inlet (just keep in mind the GPS co-ordinates of the marine park) and work the edges, as well as inside and up in the Warneet Channel. Garfish are also about in fair numbers but gaining access has been challenging unless you’re land-based. Land-based fishing for garfish has been very productive from Hastings Pier as well as a few ‘off the beaten track’ locations. While a few gars have been

frequenting Hastings Pier on a high tide, anglers fishing from the shore at Woolleys Beach Reserve have also caught some. This area is very shallow, allowing only a 20-30cm drop from a float, but it has still been rewarding fishers with a good 6-8 gars a session. If you’re up for some solid gars and bigger numbers of them, fishing from the Stony Point jetty has been excellent. To be successful, you want a westerly wind in conjunction with the top of the high tide. With a little berley and a float setup, the flow will cause a surface berley trail to be created and gars will move within casting range. To keep the berley trail constant, it pays to use a berley bag so it floats on the surface and fish the float setup within the trail. It is fair to say that snapper season is now upon us and will only get better over the next few weeks. There’s no point whinging about the weather now – it’s fishing time!

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The top of the Middle Spit is prime calamari territory. Just drift amongst the weed using 2.5 and 3.0 sized jigs.

Fish about but hard to find WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

Relentless wild winds have really put a hold on fishing for the boat angling community in recent weeks. However, surf fishing has been extremely productive, with salmon spread right along the coast. Phillip Islands beaches have been producing salmon ranging 300g-1.5kg on the top of the high tides and have been responding

well to a range of baits including pipi, bluebait and whitebait. Berley has been effective in attracting fish to gutters and they have been coming on the bite quite quickly. Of all the beaches, Cape Woolamai, Smiths Beach, Berrys Beach and Cats Bay have been the most productive. Inside the Port, things have been quite different, with most of the fishing masked by the wicked winds throughout July and August. The winds have finally abated, allowing anglers to head out and begin their

hunt for an early season red. From the reports that have slowly filtered through, Corinella is the place to try. Between Snapper Rock and Spit Point, there have been a few snapper encounters with fish ranging 3-4kg. Further up near Spit Point and the muddy shallow channels above are really productive locations for snapper. Early reds push right up here searching for food and there is no better place to catch them in shallow water. Snapper will move with the tide, so it pays to fish the last

Although it is a good time to go searching for early season snapper, the banks are still lined with good size whiting.

few hours of the run-in and the first few hours of the run-out as they are working their way along the edges of the channels. During this time of year, land-based anglers can also try their luck from Stockyard Point, Lang Lang, Tenby Point and Settlement Point. I prefer Settlement Point during a low tide, as it puts you within casting distance of the main channel. With the water rushing through between Settlement and Snapper Rock, snapper will move through this area with the tides. Other locations worth trying for snapper during the early season are around Buoy 15 and the SP Buoy. As fish filter in through the Western Entrance, they pass by these areas. By the end of September, you’ll find decent fish working the drop-off near Elizabeth Island, but for the most part I’d stay working the Corinella and Spit Point areas. September is a good time to target calamari amongst the weed beds from Coronet Bay through to Dickies Bay. What is best about this location is that if you get a day with no wind, you can drift with the tide at casting distance from the weed beds. Calamari are abundant throughout this area and with snapper not in full bloom just yet, gathering some fresh bait for the season is valuable. Dickies Bay is a wellknown garfish location, especially just below the police station. It’s a matter of fishing the high tide and using berley to bring them into your fishing area. If you use a float setup with small pieces of silverfish for bait, you’ll be into them in no time. September is a good month to be exploring the Western Entrance, with Ventnor and McHaffies Reef areas top locations

Justin Blythe has been nailing some ripper gummy sharks from the beaches of late. Photo courtesy of Justin Blythe. in calm weather. Although you can still catch a few calamari and whiting at this time of year, there are also plenty of resident pinkie snapper lurking about. The most effective technique is to drift with the tides while fishing a paternoster rig and two baits. It can be a challenging area to fish and is very reefy, so it pays to fish this area an hour either side of a tide change. Land-based fishing can be productive at Ventnor, especially around the new and full moons. Calamari are highly prized here and are targeted using a baited jig fished under a float. If you are keen on land-based calamari and situated on the

northern side of the Port, Flinders Pier rarely lets anglers down. This pier is well known for its calamari population. In saying that you do need to pick your fishing times, with high tide a must. It does tend to fish better during the night and anglers have been yielding good catches using a baited jig under a float. I love fishing at this time of year, mainly because I know snapper are in the Port and it’s just a matter of time before they start actively feeding. There is no better feeling than catching that first red for the season and for me, it is just a matter of days before one takes my bait offering.

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Craig Edmonds

After emerging from one of the strangest winters in memory, the blossom is out and birds are nesting, which is a sure sign of spring. We have had some of the best winter weather in years – even on weekends, which is unusual compared with the last few years. We also had some of the coldest and windiest weather, so it’s anybody’s guess what spring will bring. The fishing seemed to follow the weather and we had some of the best and some of the worst. We have been in the shop for over ten years now and when we started winters were a very lonely time. They can be so now,

have also seen a lot of people standing on the beaches this year. The salmon didn’t play the game size wise though and apart from a handful of bigger ones, the best a 3kg model, they were mostly under the 1kg mark. The numbers were okay and if you got one, you usually bagged a few. We have seen a few fish that we normally don’t see off the beach over the last month or so, such as flathead, a few pinkies, trevally, and gummies. The best catch was an 800g King George whiting, caught on a surf rod using a whole bluebait. Right through winter calamari were very good in size and quantity, and this should continue now we are in the more traditional calamari season. In the last few weeks there has been a lot of fine weed in the water,

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but when the sun is shining even on the coldest of days, someone is going fishing. While there is nowhere near the same amount of fishers as there is in summer, many of the reports we get are every bit as good. One thing we have noticed over the last few years is that more people are starting to fish offshore over winter and it’s like they have discovered a whole new fishery! It’s always been there, but what surprises people the most is the variety of fish you catch offshore this time of year. There are the usual gummies, flathead, salmon and ’couta but you can also see nannygai, snapper of all sizes, morwong, sergeant bakers and, if the conditions allow, you will find King George whiting in close. This year’s reports have added a couple of makos, bronze whalers, school shark, and rat kingfish to the list. The whales came in very close to shore and were easily spotted when on a flatty bash, so keep it in mind for next winter when the sun’s out and it’s just too good to sit on the couch all day. Because of the more favourable conditions, we

making it difficult to keep jigs clean. The slightest or smallest piece of weed seems to be enough to keep calamari from taking your jig. The weed has mostly affected land-based anglers, with those in boats or kayaks not having too many problems. The only thing you can do if fishing off the land is wait, because you will get a period through the

Peter landed this solid winter calamari. tide that the weed clears up. The advantage of boating is that the weed will follow a line with the run of the tide, so you can just sit beside it and fish the clean side. The reports we have been getting lately are coming from all areas and it is a pattern that has continued from the last few months. It’s a sign that the numbers of calamari are very good in the bay but more importantly, that the condition of the bay has improved, giving them more protection in the area. Many of my customers now include their squid gear no matter where they are fishing, and at minimum always have a jig, either directly under the boat on a paternoster weighed down or under a float sitting right out the back, out during their session. Because calamari have been caught all around the bay we have also been seeing whiting caught in a lot of new areas, as they both tend to be found on

Coming into spring, there should be plenty of quality calamari around the bay.

the same type of grounds. Like the calamari, the best reports are still coming from the more common areas, but anglers are starting to target fish like whiting and calamari in not-so-common areas. Some of the best bags of whiting over winter came from a customer that fishes for his whiting on the southern side of the corals, in what most would call ‘no man’s land’. He told me he found a spot by accident one day while looking for pinkie snapper, and all he caught was whiting. He said he has caught whiting the few times he has returned to that spot. Overall, the whiting reports were a little inconsistent all winter and haven’t picked up yet. After the reports we were getting through the late summer and early autumn of very small undersize fish, you would expect they have all grown up by now, so when the season starts up there should be plenty to go around. All the recent reports we have had are of quality whiting in very good condition, despite not measuring very long. There has been the odd sign of snapper already, but it will possibly be a later season this year as the last part of winter has been ordinary. The fish seen have typically been early season models, around 5kg, and coming from the top end of the bay around Spit Point. On the days when it was possible to get offshore, there were some good pinkies between 40-45cm, just not many of the bigger snapper like last year. With cold nights and strong winds arriving around the time of the moon changes over the last month, nobody has spent the night in the bay chasing gummies, which is where resident snapper reports usually come from.

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POINT COOK

Situated just outside of the township of Bega, Brogo Dam is one of the most picturesque dams in the country. Surrounded by forest, the crystal clear water holds excellent populations an Aussie icon, the Australian bass. It is a place that you can go to, catch nothing and hardly wait to come back to! PRIME TIME The warmer months are by far the best time to target bass in the dam. At this time of year they tune into surface lures, especially cicadas and other small walkers. Bass go deeper and tend to shut down as the water cools right off in winter. However, using the sounder can allow you to still catch fish if you drop jigs and plastics down to them. THE GEAR For lure anglers, 2-4kg graphite spin rods and 20002500 sized reels loaded up with 10lb braid will be more than enough for fishing the dam. There are some good size bass in the lake pushing upwards of 45cm, but most are in that next size bracket down, measuring 40cm or less. THE RIG Casting lures for bass is no different here than it is anywhere else. A rod length of 8-12lb leader is perfect

Who said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Jacob caught this bass on a Soft Shell Cicada. for the dam. If you are fishing deeper into timber and weed, you can bump it up slightly. BAIT AND LURES Summer and topwater lures go hand in hand when talking about bass, and we all know they can’t resist a cicada. Tiemco Soft Shell Cicadas are by far the best

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A better than average bass taken on a Soft Shell Cicada from Brogo.

imitation you can get and are a personal favourite. Lucky Craft Sammys are also productive and offer a more subtle approach. One of the most effective ways to catch fish here though is to use a Molix RT or RA Shad on a jig spin. This combination is deadly and when things are tough, it often gets the bites when a lot of other methods fail. BEST METHOD Early morning surface lure fishing is definitely one of the best methods. Casting into the weed banks and lilypads and watching your lure come towards you, with the anticipation of it getting smashed on its way back, is enough to make any angler’s hairs stand up on the back of their neck! As the day goes on and the sun moves higher in the sky, move out off the banks and fish deeper. Lipless crankbaits, jigs and plastics are all good options and fish will respond to all of these on certain days. MOTHER NATURE In most people’s eyes, bass are seen as a sportfish and are generally not killed for a feed. Why would you want to take one out of such a pretty place? You’ll understand it when you come here. HOT TIP Be careful when driving into the dam off the main road, especially at night. The wombat population is high and you’ll find yourself on the lookout every couple of metres. The last thing you want is to hit one of them at speed. SEPTEMBER 2019

Bream are firing up after rain GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

The sound of constant rain has been almost shocking! Some areas got over 60mm during a recent cold, wet and windy weekend

it’s a pleasant surprise to see green grass again. It’s no drought breaker, but it’s a start, and the flowing rivers have really fired up the bream. HARDBODIED LURES FOR BREAM Early spring is historically all about deep

open river edges. I’ve heard anglers are using traditional lures like the Ecogear SX40 and micro vibes, as well as newer lures like the Hurricane Twitch 50 and Stik 40. I’ve found that moderate sinking lures are best, with a slow retrieve getting more hits.

Nikki Bryant with a dazzling 42cm Mitchell River bream. This was one of many that she caught on soft plastic grubs. that had all of us here in Gippsland jumping with joy, and more so relief. We’ve also had a few days of nice follow-up rain and

blading for schooling bream. However, over the last few weeks a lot of anglers have been having more fun with hardbodies in snags and

Most anglers would agree that your first cast into any snag or along a river edge will be your best. In other words, don’t waste

Decent fishing in dry MARLO

Jim McClymont mcclymont@net-tech.com.au

We’re still waiting for rain that never seems to come. We all know it will happen, but hopefully when it does, it will not come all at once and flood and devastate everything. With little heat in the sun this time of year and the cold winds blowing off the snowy peaks, anglers are hesitant to venture out along the river systems, and reports have been minimal. From what little I have heard, some luderick have been taken

around the rock groynes that surround the islands and riverbanks. Other reports have been of a few bream taken in the Snowy and Brodribb rivers, as well as the occasional estuary perch taken from snags and other structure. Along the sand flats that run from the Marlo Jetty all the way down to French Narrows, anglers have reported capturing big dusky flathead on lures. In the same area, salmon and tailor have been coming in with the tide and giving lure anglers plenty of sport. As usual, the surf beaches are fishing well. Anglers have been reporting plenty of salmon

and tailor caught either with surf rods and bait fishing (accompanied with a popper) or light spin gear and metal lures. Offshore is also fishing well when the weather allows, with reports of fishers getting good mixed bins of flathead, salmon, morwong, gurnard, barracouta, pinkie snapper and gummy sharks. With the strong winds and huge seas, small boats have been unable to go out to the continental shelf to fish for big broadbill. Anglers will now have to wait for the warm currents to come down the coast and into Bass Strait once more to start the gamefishing season again.

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After a nasty scuffle with white knuckles and a locked up drag, Anthony Havers wrestled this cracking 45cm perch from deep snags. bream fired right up over the next few months. Peter Nord told me that tricking these bream on plastics requires a real finesse twitch and tweak. There are only a few anglers getting the method right and the trick is to use light jigheads and extra slow retrieves with plenty of pauses mixed in. Nordy sounded up massive schools of bream in the Mitchell but said they were far from easy to hook. Nikki Bryant got the bream sorted by using soft plastic grubs. She netted countless fish up to 30cm, with the best three bream, between 40-42cm, caught by fishing the edges of

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time with repeated casts into the same spot and you’ll end up with a better tally by searching much more water. This also tends to get you bigger bream and you may find a few thumping estuary perch as well, which can be hard to locate. The Mitchell River has been the busiest area of late, including the backwater right in town at Bairnsdale, shallow snags around The Cut and down the bottom end of the Silt Jetties. The Nicholson River is another must-try area for lure and bait anglers, especially the lower rock walls and the snags way upstream. BREAM TAKING BAIT Frozen prawn has been very effective on bream. One family have made a habit of return trips to Marlay Point and fishing the shallows of Lake Wellington on weekends. They simply fish from the bank and have caught a lot of quality fish around 30cm. I bet that they would hardly see another soul and would have the huge lake to themselves. It’s nice to see a few anglers becoming aware of this untapped area that is full of bream, mullet and flathead. SOFT PLASTIC TECHNIQUE Using soft plastics on bream has been very rewarding. Usually we all are using blade lures in September, but this has changed over the last few years. Plastic lures are out-fishing blades in early spring. The Mitchell is once again a hotspot and is now flowing with coloured and freshwater that will keep the

This toothy 44.5cm bream nearly choked on a sinking hardbodied lure. At 1.55kg, this fish is a typical Lake Wellington lunker.

the Mitchell above the Grassy Banks. OZFISH OzFish Unlimited is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to helping the recreational fishers take control of the health of their rivers, lakes and estuaries. They work with anglers and the broader community to invest time and money into the protection and restoration of our waterways, counteracting decades of degradation. During the recent Twin Rivers Classic held on the Gippsland Lakes, OzFish volunteers put in many hours collecting rubbish from the area and they deserve a big pat on the back. Not only do they stop our precious waterways from being poisoned with plastics, but they also encourage others to look after our beautiful environment. We all need to give something back. If the Gippy Lakes are good enough to provide fish for our much loved sport, then surely all of us can go out of our way to put a stop to careless polluting. Don’t let empty drink bottles or plastic bags blow out the back of a moving boat or from the bank into the river on a windy day. Never leave fishing line behind for birds, pets or even anglers to get caught on. My all time pet peeve is those anglers I’ve seen ignorantly throwing their used soft plastic lures into the water instead of the bin! Microplastics take such a long time to degrade. A small effort from all anglers is hugely beneficial. Picking up three bits of rubbish every time you go fishing is a honourable gesture. Stop the boat once a day and pick up floating bags, or go for a walk and spend two minutes putting rubbish in the bin. It will benefit not just the fish but also our kids into the future.

Blissful times at the Bemm have produced BEMM RIVER

Robyn Sturgess

The Bemm experienced a beautifully mild winter with excellent fishing, especially in the river and the channel. During this period, we have seen a lot of firsttime visitors to the area that have been rewarded with quality catches. This included a father and son who recently both had a personal best of two bream of 39cm, so neither could claim bragging rights. Perch have been consistent in the river, but be prepared to lose plenty of gear, as these sneaky little fellas know

The weather is perfect and the fish are plentiful if you can make the trip to the Bemm.

Outstanding whiting captures CORNER INLET

have been doing well by casting metal slugs as they walk along the surf. • For more information, contact Will at Allways Angling in Traralgon on 5174 8544. You will get expert advice and great deals on all fishing bait and tackle.

Will Thompson allwaysangling@bigpond.com

As we get older, we start to see patterns in the different fish captures throughout the seasons. Whether it’s a snapper or kingfish, anglers always talk amongst each other about what different species they could potentially encounter after water temperatures have dropped. Whiting definitely don’t seem to fire every winter, so when it happened this year, anglers got very excited. It was probably about three to four years ago when we had the last epic winter whiting season and the inlet seemed to be chock-full of them. So far this year, there have been better catches of King George whiting than we had in summer, and the sizes and quantities of whiting have been impressive, with plenty of anglers getting their bag limit of 20 whiting per person per day and with fish exceeding 40cm in length. Hopefully this

how to outsmart anglers. The Mahoneys Road boat ramp to the western side of Pelican Point has been continually producing quality bream. There’s lots of fun to be had in the channel, with tailor taking almost anything thrown at them. They make for a great day’s sport on light gear. The Pearl Point Road has been upgraded over winter. This has improved it immensely, especially for two-wheel drive vehicles, and allowed better access to the beaches for surf anglers. The surf has fished well with salmon, tailor, trevally and the odd sea bream being taken. At the time of writing, the entrance

remains closed with the water level quite high and all areas accessible. A couple of inches of rain in the high country should see the entrance open in the near future. • So, now is the time to plan your spring fishing trip to Bemm River. Give me a call on 0427 584 233 – the phone is always in my pocket! For on the spot and up-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.

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Whiting are a good size at the moment and will only get better. trend will continue as we head into spring. The best baits have definitely been pipis, with squid also proving effective, and there’s been no reason to pump nippers (Bass yabbies) as whiting have preferred the former. Leatherjackets and flathead have been by-catches. Due to the cold temperatures of the inlet at the moment, which is between 10-11°C, generous amounts of berley have been required to get whiting into feeding mode. The second important factor seems to be the tide. The run-out tide has definitely produced more whiting than the run-in tide around Port Welshpool.

However, anglers fishing Port Albert and Manns Beach claimed that run-in tides have been fishing better for whiting, with good hauls of salmon and trevally as by-catch. The second best species has been calamari. This is not unusual for this time of year and most anglers targeting them have come home with their bag of 10 calamari per person. Size 3.0 and 3.5 jigs have been exceptional for nailing them. Further east, the beaches have been producing good amounts of salmon off the surf. Anglers walking down the beach towards the McLoughlins entrance

A decent haul of King George whiting caught at Port Welshpool. The fish measured up to 42cm and were caught on pipis. SEPTEMBER 2019

Warming up to spring LAKES ENTRANCE

Steven Pryke

Spring is officially here. The Gippy Lakes have begun to switch to early summer patterns, with the sheltered water beginning to warm. There is a good mix of fishing available with cold and warm water species around. LAKES ENTRANCE With the lakes warming, a variety of species have

the lakes are consistently changing, in particular the lower lake around Lakes Entrance. Large schools of luderick and trevally have pushed way upstream in the north arm to water that is only accessible via kayak. Further upstream, Nungurner and Baxter Island have held good numbers of King George whiting and the deeper weed beds in the 2-3m mark have produced consistently. Anglers targeting these

of bream throughout the lower bays to the Nowa Nowa arm. Areas such as Half Moon Bay have good numbers of bream available, along with the odd flathead and tailor jumping in on the action. The best lure option has been small jerkbait style hardbodies, in natural baitfish patterns to match whitebait and small mullet that are found throughout the lake system. Further upstream, the Nowa Nowa arm is

A solid cold water flathead. As the water warms, anglers will have a ball targeting the larger flathead that call Lake Tyers home. flats high in the arm. Large silver trevally have been on the move, especially around the deeper weed beds. These aggressive fish have made for some great light

tackle sportfishing, taking minnow style soft plastics and grubs quickly. HAVE YOU BEEN FISHING? Have you been out for

a fish lately and grabbed a great pic? Please send it to stevenprykefishing@gmail. com with a short description and you could be featured in the next edition.

This smaller silver trevally was a fun catch on light spin gear. been available throughout the lower system. Anglers have been finding numbers of mixed-sized Australian salmon scattered throughout the channels, usually seen early in the morning chasing baitfish along the surface. With less and less rainfall

fish have had good success with peeled prawns or fresh muscle on a paternoster rig fished tight to the edges of weed beds. LAKE TYERS The lake has quickly moved in to its summer patterns, with large amounts

starting to produce flathead consistently. With the water warming steadily, they have begun to put weight back on after the winter months. Small minnow style plastics have been the lure of choice along the deeper point and mud

In winter, you never know when a quality salmon will turn up. This one was taken on 3lb line while chasing bream.

PRODUCT PROFILE

Discover Starlo’s Aussie Anglers’ Almanac

An understanding of fishing’s seasonal patterns and subtle variations is vital knowledge that can only really come with serious time spent on the water. However, there are also online aids that can help you untangle and better understand these all-important seasonal nuances. Fishing Monthly regular, Steve ‘Starlo’ Starling,

Each day the Almanac presents a new image with particular relevance to that date. 38

SEPTEMBER 2019

predictions of what’s likely to be biting best (and where) in five broad regions right across Australia, along with daily diary updates that provide far more specific suggestions on worthwhile fishing routines, maintenance schedules and a

and his wife Jo have put an immense amount of work into creating a very detailed Anglers’ Almanac as part of their Fishotopia.com website. Starlo and Jo report that they are already receiving wonderful feedback on the Almanac from fellow fishers who tell them that it’s making a big difference to their fishing results by helping to optimise time spent on the water: in other words, to fish smarter rather than harder. The Aussie Anglers’ Almanac consists of monthly

daily heads-up on hot patterns for that specific time of the year. Many anglers are finding this information so beneficial that they’re making the Fishotopian Anglers’ Almanac the home screen on their computer or mobile

device. Best of all, it’s completely free! If you haven’t already discovered the Aussie Anglers’ Almanac, go to www.fishotopia.com and check it out today. – fishtopia.com

On every day of the year, the Fishotopian Aussie Anglers’ Almanac offers a suggested daily routine, reminders of seasons and other important information.

10 years in - Samaki has a very bright future The fishing tackle industry has changed significantly in the last 10 years, but one brand that has adapted and thrived in that time is Samaki, they are responsible for a fantastic range of high-quality gear covering everything from rods to clothing and an ever growing stable of reliable, affordable lures! This year, Samaki celebrates 10 years in this very competitive industry, and Josh Lowry, the company owner, couldn’t be prouder. In 10 years Josh has started the company from ground zero, built a team, produced some fantastic Australian designed fishing gear, and rivalled some of the best-selling gear in the country and the world. Josh used his experience in tackle retail to pick a good time to enter the fishing tackle market. “I was working in retail at the time, and when I left there was a massive gap in the market for rods, with only a few rod brands dominating,” he said. “I’d always been into my rod building and lure making, and had a crazy habit for lure collecting, so that’s basically how it begun.”

“

Our motto is Quality first

Australia has produced fishing gear locally for a long time, but when Samaki was starting out as a brand, much of the available Australian gear was low quality or for entrylevel users. “We were trying to create a high quality brand made by an Aussie, and at the start it was also super affordable,” Lowry said. “Our motto is ‘Quality first’, we don’t build it for the price, we build it for performance.” Of course, growing the business hasn’t all been smooth sailing, and there have been a few hurdles and mistakes that the team have had to learn from. “We brought out micro jigs in 2010, and we pushed them because it was a craze overseas, but we had to get rid of them because there was no call for it here yet,” Lowry said. “We ended up bringing them back a few years later when the craze finally

reached Australia.” But outweighing these setbacks by a country mile are the achievements, and Josh is particularly proud of some of the products he and the team have managed to create. The design, finish and fish-catching ability of many products under the Samaki banner is testament to the tireless hard work and determination that went into them. “The most painful ones are probably the ones I’m most proud of,” Lowry said. “Making a product that works from scratch is definitely the winner for me.” “A lot of people probably don’t realise how much effort goes into making a lure from start to finish. We have an extremely successful vibe range, and it took nearly three years to develop!” Josh is always looking to the future, and has big plans for the business in the next few years. He sees Australia’s fishing tackle market as having huge potential still, and wants to be there to give the anglers what they want. “We’re about to release a lot of fresh new products over the next 18 months, expanding into new territories with some exciting gear to come.” Josh’s determination to deliver a quality product that is created by Australians for Australians is the reason they have become such a loved brand in Australia. The future clearly holds a lot for the dedicated team at Samaki, and we’re all very keen to see what’s next for this innovative Aussie favourite. Some of their iconic high end graphite rods Zing, Zing Xtreme, Vamp, C-12, Vanquish and Jig Pro series sit at the forefront of the Samaki name. The world renowned Vibelicious and Pacemaker lures have already been impacting in Australian fishing history as well as on the global market. Samaki are proud to be a part of the Australian fishing tackle industry, passionate about our products and their customers. Bring on the next 10 years!!

A slow start to September MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson

Over the past few weeks the weather has been awesome, with windless days and calm seas making the trip offshore more comfortable, especially if travelling wide in search of tuna.

There have been a few SBT about, but an 80km trek each way is needed to get to where the fish are and even then they’re not guaranteed. Some boats have made the journey east and been rewarded, while others only a few miles away have gotten zip. This is usually the case late in the season. The fish

are extremely patchy and you’ve just got to be lucky enough to drive over them. The last few caught were in the 60-70kg bracket, not huge but still decent, and all were caught on the troll. Interestingly, I’ve heard of a few mahimahi being caught around that 10kg bracket, proving quite common these days in the

Tom Williams caught this solid black bream from an estuary just south of Merimbula.

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colder 16°C water. If you look back 20+ years even catching a mahimahi off Merimbula was a feat in itself, but now it happens regularly and in cold water, so go figure! If the gamefish are slow, deep dropping for blue-eye trevalla, ling, ocean perch and gemfish is certainly worth a look. With the current not strong, you will get to the bottom no problems but having an electric reel is certainly the go. Try doing it without one and you will be wounded after a few drops. Closer to shore, snapper have been going gangbusters. They haven’t been big fish but there are plenty of them holding tight on the bottom, with most reefs holding fish. South Lennards Island and Haycock Point have been the top areas, with the shallows around Hunter also producing. Most methods are working but anglers casting an array of softies and micro jigs are doing well. You can cover the ground and shallower sections doing this and the reds can’t resist a wellpresented artificial. There are reports of

Releasing a 15kg mulloway to fight another day is a pretty cool feeling. big kings on the surface at times but getting one to bite is another story. I’d have a casting rod with a big popper or plastic at the ready, just in case they come into casting range when chasing snapper. You never know when one might make a mistake. The water is cold in the estuaries, around 10°C. The top lake in Merimbula has fished okay despite this, with the colder water species like tailor and

trevally in good numbers. The place is loaded with whitebait, so fish around these bait schools and you will soon be in business. Flathead are dopey at the minute so your best chance at a few is to fish blades slow on the bottom. You may also catch a bream or two with this method. Further downstream on the eastern side of the bridge, trevally are about in good numbers around To page 41

Strike lucky in spring NAROOMA

Stuart Hindson

Spring is finally here but in saying that, have we had a winter at all along the Far South Coast? The weather over the last month has been awesome with cold nights, clear days and calm seas most days. It’s a great recipe to go fishing and a lot of people have been doing just that and reaping the rewards. The water is still cold, especially in estuaries, with closed off systems like Corunna Lake, Mummaga Lake and the upper reaches of the Tuross River all around 10-12°C, but there’s still some quality fish being caught. Corunna Lake has been good for mid-sized flathead, with the majority of fish around that 36-44cm mark. They’re not big fish by any standard but there’s plenty there to be caught. The fish seem to be holding in the deeper pockets, which

aren’t that deep (around 4-5m). Concentrate your efforts here, straight off the rocky points that litter the system. A mixture of small black blades and darker grub style soft plastics fished very slow and hard on the bottom will get you the desired results. You can expect the odd bream and blackfish too if you’re using blades, which is a foolproof method in cold, still water. The same can be said for the upper reaches of Tuross. It’s been a while since we have had any rain and the deeper depressions, a kilometre or so each side of the highway bridge, have seen a lot of the action. You can expect bream and flathead with some thumping big whiting coming from the same areas. I know that sounds weird with the cold water, but the whiting that are there are big. Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean they won’t feed, and you will be surprised what you can achieve. Using the same

method of fishing slow with blades is the go, but small prawn imitations will also work and only get more effective as we head further into September. Wagonga Inlet has been slow by its standards, but if you persist in the main basin around the whitebait schools you will score a few trevally, tailor and the odd flathead and snapper. There have been a few salmon about also but they have been hard to entice at times, which is surprising. Anglers landing them have fished the smallest of metal shiners, 10g and under. Off the rocks, the usual culprits like salmon and tailor have been okay but you do have to work for them. Some days it’s on and others it’s not, and it’s very dependent on swell conditions and how much whitewater there is. If there’s some swell it’s good, but if not the fishing’s not worth it. Effective methods include casting chromes in the 25-40g range and

There have been a few SBT about, like this 40kg fish. However, travelling long distances has been the only way to get results, and even then there’s no guarantees. From page 40

the boat moorings in the channel. Casting slimmer style softies across the current will see hours of fun on this underrated battler. They can get big down here, with 47-48cm fish on the cards, and at that size with current they certainly know how to pull. Off the beaches, salmon have been good but tailor have been slow. I’m not sure why, but the sambos are quite thick on the northern beaches past Tura. North Tura has been great, with shiners and bait working. There are plenty of gutters along the beach, so just pick one and you should be in business.

We should start to see a few more bream and whiting make their presence felt over coming weeks. I’d be looking at the Bar entrance to Merimbula Lake after dark, on the last hour or so of the flooding tide. These two species plus blackfish should be entering the estuary systems now, so try using beach worms or pipis as bait and don’t be surprised if the odd mulloway turns up. They will travel with blackfish schools and every September this lower section is loaded with blackfish. Off the rocks, it’s been slower with the calmer seas, but when there has been swell salmon have been about. The rocks down

at Haycock and Tura Head have been good, with metal shiners the go-to method. I haven’t heard any reports of kingfish but there’s been schools seen off Long Point on the surface. Hopefully they come close enough to shore for anglers to get a few casts into them. In the last four years, there have been some big kings caught off the wharf in September, so let’s hope for the same this year. Over at Short Point, some decent blackfish and drummer have been available. This area can be hard to fish but if you persist, you can score some nice fillets for the pan. Fish lightly-weighted cunjevoi pieces or cabbage for the best results.

Even though the Tuross River is a chilly 12°C, there’s still some nice bream and estuary perch being caught around structure, like timber and rock walls. pilchards on ganged hooks fished deeper. If the bread and butter species are for you, you will be happy. Good quality blackfish and a few black drummer have come from Dalmeny Headland, and the northern ledge at the golf course rocks in town has been okay too. Fresh cabbage and bread has worked well, although berley will help your chances. Offshore has been a lottery, especially with the game crews. It certainly isn’t like it was a few weeks back when big fish were being caught. There have been a few reports of sporadic captures but nothing with any guts to it. If you have travelled wide enough, you might be in luck. The usual trip has consisted of trolling for endless hours, having a 3-4 way hook up on school fish up to 40kg, landing a couple and then that’s it. You just have to be lucky enough

to troll over a patch and the patches are hard to find at the moment. You never know though, we might get a late run of them. Anglers are still getting fish down past the Victorian border and that’s not that far away, so one can only hope. Closer to shore, the kings at Montague Island are there at times and have been pretty good some days. If there is some current running you have a great chance, with a few local crews getting amongst them when the conditions suit. Fish have been responding well to jigs and fresh squid fished on flasher rigs. If you can get live bait then bigger fish are a possibility, but getting bait has been a little tough of late. The majority of action has happened on the western side of the island, but they can turn up anywhere so be prepared to move around. Off the beaches, the bream action has started to

heat up, with the rockier corners around the south end of Narooma Main Beach being quite good. A few anglers have caught decent bags, with beachworms and pipi the preferred baits to use. Surprisingly, the dropping tide has been better, which isn’t usually the case. The fish are solid, with 700-800g the norm, and at that size and being very clean they are great table fish for those that like them. You can expect a few whiting over the coming weeks as they start to head back into the estuaries. If you’re after salmon, you should be smiling – these speedsters should be found on most beaches with a gutter. The better ones to try include Narooma Main, Tilba to the south of Dalmeny and Brou to the north. The latter has been a standout, with a bait/popper combination working a treat.

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Dust off the gear, it’s now time to go fishing! BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

It’s always the way, you go through the winter blues having a fish when you can and wait for the weather to improve. That feeling of warmth in the air as the seasons change is now the indication to dust off the gear and just go fishing, so what is on offer? This is the time things start to move in the estuaries, with fresh stocks of fish moving in from the ocean, regenerating life back into our coastal lakes and rivers, which are now open to the ocean after being landlocked for so long. Some of the more common species to return are flathead, bream, whiting and blackfish, where you will find that they will

The colours of spring flathead are often spectacular.

Winter’s touch lingers MALLACOOTA/EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

The past month has seen typical winter temperatures for the area with cold, clear days the norm and very little rain. July and August are the coldest months of the year, so things should start to warm up this month. The water temperature at Mallacoota is a chilly 14.5°C, with the temperature off the coast at Eden a couple of degrees warmer at around 16°C. We really need rain, as the siltation in the front of the Mallacoota Inlet is unprecedented. The distance from the beach to the first deep water inside the lake is growing each year and unless this system opens without human interference, the first deep water will be out near the John Bull marker. This time of year sees very few visitors in the area as people head further north for the warm weather. Fishing wise, there is enough action to keep locals and keener

travelling fishos happy. There is very little fishing available offshore in Mallacoota this month, with cold water temperatures virtually shutting down the scene. Further to the north at Eden the offshore fishing has slowed down, but with the warmer temperatures there fish have still been caught. Pinkie snapper, morwong and leatherjackets have been around the inshore reefs, with some tiger and sand flathead still being caught from the flathead grounds. The priority for offshore anglers this month is boat, trailer and fishing gear maintenance in preparation for the upcoming season. Winter saw salmon turn up on all the local beaches in numbers, with fish up to 2kg not uncommon, as they love the colder water. Once the water starts warming, a variety of species will again be caught from the local beaches. The best option for fishing has been the lakes and estuaries. Dusky flathead can still be caught despite the colder water, with fish been caught in the Top and Bottom lakes. The key to finding fish

SEASON

when lure angling is to work the lure slowly and be patient, as if you are in the right area the fish will come on the bite and reward your persistence. Silver trevally are in all estuaries year-round but there tends to be bigger sizes and numbers of fish this month. You can also expect to encounter bigger tailor. Luderick (blackfish) have been caught from the front section of the lake with the traditional method: weed fished under a float. This time of year is all about bream fishing. Black bream will be feeding up prior to spawning and the action will be in the top section of the local rivers and creeks, as the fish are heading upstream. Even though the fish are about in numbers, catching them can be tricky. Finding the right lure, light leader etc. is all part of working out how to catch a few fish. Yellowfin bream are at the opposite end of the system, out near the entrance area or in the Bottom Lake. With the warming water bringing more fish from the ocean into the estuaries, there is plenty to look forward to as spring progresses.

IS HERE!

Every Saturday 5.00pm on 42

SEPTEMBER 2019

make their way up into the shallower margins further up the systems where they seek out the warmer water being heated by sun and the land. Lure fishing can be good, and so can bait fishing with live nippers over the flats. It’s also a good time to start looking for prawns, as it is shaping up to be one of the best prawn seasons in many years, and you will

have a multitude of lakes and estuaries to choose from when targeting them. There is also some movement about the beaches, and although not in full swing, anglers are having no trouble finding schools of salmon to keep themselves entertained. It doesn’t matter what you use, lure or bait, just find a decent gutter on any beach and it is likely to hold fish. Mixed in are some lovely bream, tailor a few mullet and for those wanting to brave the elements of a night, they may be rewarded with the odd mulloway or gummy shark. Still, there is some action from the stones, as those salmon schools are not only patrolling the beaches, and lures are best where you may also encounter a bonito or a stray king that has been feasting on the many pilchard schools along the coast. Drummer are the number one focus on the rocks, with plenty to be found. Cunjevoi or cabbage weed will produce, with the later also accounting for its share of luderick. Out on the briny, reef and bottom fishing is excellent, with plenty to be found. In our area snapper and

morwong are the mainstay around the reefs and there is plenty to be had. South of Bermagui is best, with a multitude of reef complexes to choose from, while up north you have Montague Island, which not only hosts reef fish but also has its share of pelagics! Kingfish, bonito and small tuna will keep anglers entertained. The kings are responding well to jigs, while the bonnies are taking a liking to trolled lures. Everywhere in between the reefs you have sand or mud, and this means flathead, and plenty of them! Spring sees the return of the tiger flathead, where there is plenty to be found, and the deeper you go the bigger they get. Keeping that deep water in mind, try the Twelve Mile Reef, not only for the big flatties – there is a strong likelihood of some nice Tassie trumpeter. If gamefishing is your thing, it is arguably not the best time of year, but if you’re willing to put in the effort it is possible you might come up trumps on a few good fish, most of which are likely to be albacore, the odd blue, yellowfin, stripies or if you can find some decent weather and set a good berley trail, makos.

The rocks adjacent to the boat ramp at the bridge at Bermagui is a popular luderick spot.

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SEPTEMBER 2019

Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

Searun trout now, tuna later HOBART

Andrew Large

With murky waters clearing from the southern estuaries and trout biting well now we’re past the opening of the season, fresh and saltwater anglers are anticipating the calmer, milder weather as spring arrives, bringing with it the first warmer water species for the year. Searun trout have been smashing lures and chasing small amounts of bait in the

soft plastics and hardbodies. These fish have been pushed back downstream by the flush of freshwater fish and have been caught as far down as Hobart CBD. In coming weeks, the population en masse will head back upstream, following schools of whitebait that are also in the process of spawning for the year. Southern bluefin tuna are slow in the SE, mainly due to bad weather and anglers not being able to get out. Further up the East Coast around Bicheno and St Helens, fish numbers

tuna, which were always March to June. Marion, Norfolk and Blackman bays have offered good sand flathead fishing on the right days over winter, and this should only get better as spring kicks in. Storm Bay has produced the odd flathead drifting wide of Cremorne and Betsey Island, and it always fishes well during the lead up to Christmas. Soft plastics such as the Berkley Gulp Nemesis drifted slowly across the bottom have been picking up slightly larger than average fish. Calamari have been in reasonable numbers throughout the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. All other areas have been a little quiet throughout August, probably due to the ground swell keeping fish offshore. As we enter spring, these fish will start to think about spawning and will be found over the many seagrass beds in the Southeast and East coasts. Northwest Tasmania and the mouth of the Tamar River are hotspots at the moment. Yamashita 3.5” jigs and the deeper more heavily-weighted models, with their warm jacket

and LIVE finishes, are my go-to choices. Garfish have been available at Lewisham and Southport. Finding them has been hard but a prolonged berley session has normally attracted fish. Get in quick if you are keen on a feed of these little sportsfish, as the larger winter or sea gars won’t last much longer. Many anglers prefer to chase these in sheltered near-coastal waters from jetties and rock walls but I prefer to fish an ocean coastline or harbour that offers protection from the elements, as fish on a seaward zone tend to be larger, up to nearly 350mm long. Snotty trevally have been responding to berley around many coastal jetties. A boiled mussel or a small piece of cubed squid tentacle seems to do the trick. Be warned, these fish are opportunistic when found. They have been reported recently at Triabunna, Nubeena and Hobart CBD. Trout fishing has been very productive lately with good captures last month. Medium water levels – the results of mediocre winter rains – have seen trout working the edges of

Tasmanians do it tough during spring. Many simply choose to break the ice and fish. Derwent and Huon estuaries. Cradoc seems to be a hotspot for anglers in the Huon, while Store Point in the Derwent has seen its fair share of the action. Small 50-70mm bibbed minnows such as the Black Magic BMax in Maniac have been effective either spun or trolled from a boat. Those chasing estuary trout have also taken bream on

have improved, with numerous fish caught. In recent years, September and October have been heralded as the ‘jumbo fish’ months. As locals, we are left wondering if 100kg+ fish have always frequented our inshore coastline areas but somehow avoided gamefishers trolling lures at that time of year. Instead, we fished the old traditional months for

Some SBT candy – a box full of Zacatak pusher teasers in super redbait.

Fly fishing the Derwent River for searun trout is even more challenging in spring. many highland lakes. Woods and Tooms lakes have shared the opening limelight with other waters such as Great Lake and Bronte Lagoon just beginning to warm slightly, seeing their trout become active in the past few weeks. At this time of year, many of the hundreds of galaxia species begin to spawn close in against the shore, allowing anglers to target quality fish wading or drift spinning from a boat. Lake Crescent sees golden galaxia breeding during September and October, and it’s best to use a larger bibbed lure like the Rapala BX Minnow 10 in rainbow trout or smelt pattern. Trophy fish up to 12kg are available to persistent fishers who choose to fish its murky waters with a larger than normal offering. These trout are all wild fish

in this size range. Up until recent times, Lake Crescent was not stocked by IFS. However, these fish are easily recognised, as they don’t fit the typical trout profile for this water. In short, spring offers some of the best temperate water fishing Tasmania has to offer, with many species from trout to calamari making the most of things before hot summer influxes curb their activity too much. Spring sees the weather settle somewhat and windows of calmness allow many to venture forth after seemingly months of hibernation. Many of our best bread and butter catches such as flathead are to be had early in the season – so dust off, rug up, have the sunscreen at least ready and get out to make the most of the new warmth in the air.

HYDRO TASMANIA WATER STORAGE INFORMATION Water Storage Information as at 8th August 2019 Lake/Lagoon

Metres from full

Comment

Trevallyn Pond..................................1.01........................................................Steady Lake Mackenzie................................1.17........................................................Steady Lake Rowallan..................................0.61........................................................Steady Lake Parangana................................0.00.......................................................Spilling Lake Cethana....................................4.06........................................................Steady Lake Barrington................................0.00.......................................................Spilling Lake Gairdner...................................10.26......................................................Steady Lake Paloona....................................1.68........................................................Steady Lake Augusta....................................0.72........................................................Steady Arthurs Lake.....................................1.54........................................................Steady Great Lake........................................13.43......................................................Steady Little Pine Lagoon.............................0.45........................................................Steady Shannon Lagoon...............................0.10........................................................Steady Penstock Lagoon..............................0.01........................................................Steady Woods Lake......................................1.25........................................................Steady Lake St Clair.....................................1.45........................................................Steady Lake King William.............................2.54........................................................Steady Lake Echo.........................................6.53........................................................Steady

Dee Lagoon.......................................0.00.......................................................Spilling Pine Tier Lagoon...............................1.40........................................................Steady Bronte Lagoon..................................1.28........................................................Steady Bradys/Binneys/Tungatinah..............1.55........................................................Steady Laughing Jack Lagoon.....................2.84........................................................Steady Lake Liapootah.................................2.53........................................................Steady Wayatinah Lagoon............................0.01........................................................Steady Lake Catagunya................................0.77........................................................Steady Lake Repulse....................................0.00.......................................................Spilling Cluny Lagoon....................................0.96........................................................Steady Meadowbank Lake...........................0.33........................................................Steady Lake Burbury....................................2.47........................................................Steady Lake Margaret..................................0.04........................................................Steady Whitespur Pond................................5.75........................................................Steady Lake Newton.....................................2.59........................................................Steady Lake Plimsoll....................................5.44........................................................Steady Lake Murchison................................7.56........................................................Steady Lake Mackintosh..............................0.79........................................................Steady Lake Rosebery..................................0.45........................................................Steady Lake Pieman.....................................2.74........................................................Steady Lake Pedder......................................0.48........................................................Steady Lake Gordon.....................................24.51......................................................Steady

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

SEPTEMBER 2019

Inland Fisheries Service

Boat ramps to be upgraded at inland waters IFS

Tim Farrell

MAST have announced successful applications to the Recreational Boating Fund for 2019. Four inland projects that have been funded in this round: • Darwin Dam Lake Burbury – rebuild the launching area. • Wilmot (Lake Barrington) – new pontoons at boat ramp. • Lake Leake boat ramp – new pontoon. • Millbrook Rise (River Derwent) – pontoon extension. These projects represent a significant investment towards improving boating facilities at inland waters and are supported by Hydro Tasmania, Kentish and Northern Midlands Councils. CORRECTION TO THE TAS INLAND FISHING CODE 2019-20 There is a mistake in the printed version of the Tasmanian Inland Fishing Code 2019-20. On page 27 – it says, under ‘Lake fisheries rules’, a minimum size limit of 300mm, a daily

bag limit of 12 fish, open to all fishing methods, and a season of 3/8/193/5/20. Examples: Arthurs Lake, Bronte Lagoon, Lake Echo, Laughing Jack Lagoon, Meadowbank Lake, Pine Tier Lagoon,

Wayatinah Lagoon. Bronte Lagoon and Meadowbank Lake should not be in the list of examples. They have different rules. Bronte Lagoon is not open to all fishing methods,

but is fly and artificial lure only (all the other rules are right). Meadowbank Lake has a minimum size of 300mm (with only 2 over 500mm), is open to all fishing methods, is open all year

The new bridge over Tumbledown Creek (Arthurs Lake) restores access to Gunns and Little Lake.

and a daily bag limit of five fish. Meadowbank Lake is listed again, and correctly, in the River and Lake Fishery Exceptions table on page 31. Bronte Lagoon is not listed again in the table. We have corrected the mistake in the electronic version available for download from the website, sorry for any confusion. NATIVE TREES PLANTED ON THE TYENNA RIVER With fantastic weather and a great crew, the Willow Warriors planted 700 native rushes, shrubs and trees along a stretch of the Tyenna River replacing recently removed willows. The willows, removed by the landholders at the Westerway Raspberry Farm, had been restricting access to the river and affecting fish habitat. As they grow, our native plantings will help to shade the river, stabilise the banks (as the willow roots break down) and improve river health. There were both new faces and seasoned Willow Warriors at the working bee and the many hands made light work of a big job.

Participants had a chance to give back to one of Tasmania’s premier trout fishing rivers and the landholders that provide access to it. If you are interested in joining the next Willow Warriors event or hearing more about our 10-year plan to eradicate willows from the Tyenna River get in touch with Magali from the Derwent Catchment Project (megali@ derwentcatchment.or or 0424 277 226) or Neil from the Inland Fisheries Service (0438 279 421 or Neil.Morrow@ifs. tas.gov.au). A NEW BRIDGE AT TUMBLEDOWN CREEK Tumbledown Creek bridge was closed in 2018 due to structural deterioration. This closure has prevented access to Little Lake and Gunns Lake. We are pleased to inform you that Hydro Tasmania and TasNetworks have now replaced the bridge, and the public can now use it. The road remains as a 4wd track, so please drive to the conditions.

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Go Behind the Scenery

Tasmania

NW Tassie’s bream is firing on all cylinders BURNIE

Damien Turner

The Inglis River is the most westerly river in Tasmania that holds bream, and it is quite underrated. It isn’t an overly big system, but it does hold a good head of fish. The most common method here is bait fishing from the banks, piers and wharf, and many other species are caught while doing this. It can be fished by boat on the high tides as well. The humble old garden worm is a hard one to beat, as are crabs. The Inglis River also has nippers in the system, and these are a great bait for bream and a whole host of other estuary species. Soft plastics are another great option, and at this time of year there are plenty of sea run trout around as well that will eat a plastic. The dead stick technique is a good way to fish for bream, as they love a long pause. Bio-Tough Squidgy Wrigglers in 100mm are a great option and very hardy, and Berkley Gulp Turtle

The author with a 45cm fork length black bream caught on the flats. This fish was released to fight another day, and was caught on a Jackson Athlete 7sp. that weighed 8kg. The train bridge on the Emu is a popular spot for the bream, where they can be found congregating around the pylons and the deeper sections of river near them. Bream can often be spotted while walking the banks. Prawns and crabs are great baits, but I like to swim

these areas works a treat. Gulp Green Fry, Gulp Turtle Back Worms and Squidgy Pro Range Prawns are the preferred plastics. Fishing the mud and sand flats at high tide with small hardbodies can work well too. Daiwa Presso Minnows in the lazer ayu colour and Jackson Athlete 7sp in colour GWK are a couple that work well. Bells Parade at Latrobe are great places to try for a bream. Worms, prawns and crabs are the preferred baits for those that way inclined. Sitting on the bank with the family having a fish is a great day out this way. Schools of yearling and adult bream frequently swim along the banks, keeping you excited and

plenty of opportunity for the land-based fisher on the higher tides, and fishing the flats along the river around the channels close to the banks that are highways yields some great bream. The Franklin River flows into the Rubicon around 4-6km from the Port Sorrell boat ramp. This river also has some very big bream in it. There are oyster racks up this system and its pretty much just one deeper channel all the way up it. The water is dirty, so sight casting is nearly non-existent. Cranka Crabs, deeper crankbaits and plastics are the go, along with bait. The Rubicon is fantastic for sight casting

has great sand flats when the tide comes in. There is some great ground in between the train bridge and the highway bridge, and it’s also worth a look around the area where the Gawler River runs into it. MERSEY RIVER The Mersey is a betterknown bream fishery than the others mentioned.

The Bio-Tough Squidgy Wriggler doing its job on a big blue nosed bream.

A smaller bream caught in the Inglis River. Back Worms are another fantastic plastic, but if there are a few undesirable fish around like pufferfish and leatherjackets they can quite easily destroy your plastic. Popular areas to try are the foreshore on the western side near the golf course, the wharf on the eastern side closer to the mouth and the picnic area that is off Table Cape Road. EMU RIVER AT BURNIE This is a small system that many people wouldn’t even know has bream in it! It’s a shore-based river that you can launch a kayak on and fish no worries. Casting towards the shore out of a kayak and working your lures back works well. This little system has a good head of trout in it as well! We have a mount of a trout that was caught in this system in 1993 46

SEPTEMBER 2019

hardbodies and plastics. The Lucky Craft Flash Minnow 65sp in ghost blue gill is a cracker and works well in most of our northern systems here in Tasmania. LEVEN RIVER Also not well known for its bream population is this river, which once had a big head of bream. I remember stalking a sea run trout one evening, only to come across a school of around 50 big blue-nosed bream. These bream were hard in the snags and were very fussy. Because they were so big it was nearly impossible to pull one out of there as they would just dust you off you every time. After some floods a few years back they have been scarcer, as the river has changed quite a bit. The Leven has good rocky banks with oysters and crabs. It also

Fantastic rocky banks with heaps of food provide great habitat for well-conditioned bream. Fishing from a boat or kayak is great way to go, as there are some great rock islands amongst the sand flats that hold some good fish at times. Fishing soft plastics slowly around

keen. Bait fishing is also popular at the Horse Head Creek Boat Ramp pontoon and rocky foreshore. RUBICON RIVER This is a fantastic fishery with massive sand flats and deep channels. There are some massive bream in this river. There’s

Riley-Jay Steele took this 43.5cm fork length 4.3lb black bream out of the Rubicon.

on the high tide. One of the keys is to look for stingrays or stingray holes. The holes are easy to see, as they are black mud holes. The bream love to feed in these during and after the ray has been there feeding. Super long casts are also a must, and an electric motor is a great help. Small hardbody lures that only dive to around 0.5m work great some of the abovementioned lure work very well. Super thin braid and light leaders aid in getting the most out of your cast, and a rod over 7ft will help too. This sort of fishing is very addictive and great fun. Chunky 45cm bream on super light gear like this give you one hell of a workout! • For all the latest info on what’s biting and where, drop into Tackle World and Outdoors at 37 Wilson St, Burnie, or call them on (03) 6431 6500. You can also check out their Facebook page at www.facebook. com/tassietackle, which is regularly updated with product news, catch photos, videos and fishing tips.

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Make ‘em, chuck ‘em CANBERRA

Richard Barnsley

One of the most attractive aspects of the fly fishing sport is the creation and construction of unique fly patterns. Although lure anglers do and indeed can make their own lures, it is seldom a dominant aspect of their recreation. However, for the fly fisher the ease and ready construction of fly patterns is a major contributor to their enjoyment. Traditional patterns around the world are readily available and mostly successful. However to imagine, construct and then outwit a fish with something created on your kitchen table is a novel achievement. The how, when and why of fly tying can be kept relatively simple. The internet is full

of ‘how-to’ videos, but once you have learnt how to start a thread, wrap hackle and stack deer hair, you’re pretty much ready to go. I’ll let you explore those areas in your own time. If you are going to spend a bit of money, put it into your vice. I prefer a vice that has a stand rather than one that clamps to a table. The jaw mechanisms in cheaper vice just won’t cut the mustard when trying to handle fine trout dry fly hooks or lock up tight on a 4/0 cod steel. Tools can also be inexpensive and kept to a minimum. A couple of bobbins for threads, sharp scissors and a pair of hackle pliers is sufficient. Fingernail varnish makes reliable head cement, or you can purchase a commercial alternative. For this exercise I’ll focus on the simple way to design and consistently tie effective flies. The same rules apply

This nice backcountry cod fell to a simple foam head popper.

to a wide variety of target species from finicky, hatch driven trout to explosive barra and cod. Saltwater patterns are even simpler in their range. Before designing and tying a fly you should be asking yourself why a fish wants to eat it. If mayflies are big on your local trout stream and regularly hatch then you’ll be wanting to closely copy them. Dirty water cod on the other hand have a wide diet and are often drawn to anything that creates surface or subsurface disturbance. Patterns generally fall into two categories – imitation or attractants. Imitative patterns as the name suggests are an attempt to closely copy the natural. Attractants use colour, size, mobility and silhouette to draw a fish, despite having no close likeness to the natural. Once you’ve decided the type of imitation then the next consideration is size. Many saltwater species, tuna in particular, regularly lock onto baitfish of a particular size. Likewise trout, especially where hatches are consistent will likewise hit patterns similar in size and silhouette to the natural. Alternatively the cod fly is generally designed to move water and often bigger is better. However, there are limitations on how large a fly can be regularly cast. Once you’ve decided upon size and type of pattern, then the method of construction becomes paramount. Here the tyro should keep it simple. Initially, I’d suggest you focus on imitative designs. These allow a little more latitude in construction style. Good examples of such flies are something like the Gurgler series for warm water and saltwater fish. A rough body and simple foam sheet

Trout can be notoriously fickle, but simple patterns still work. overlay produces one of the world’s best surface patterns for big fish. The traditional Red Tag will catch trout all day on most smooth water trout streams and a very simple to tie. Subsurface patterns such as the deer hair Clousers are wonderful in the salt and the larger synthetic streamers will bust cod all day long. For trout and bass a standard Woolly Bugger takes only moderate skill. Once you’ve assembled your materials get in the habit of working on a clear bench top. Lay out the items in a logical sequence from starting the fly to finishing it. Packaging in ziplock bags is a terrific way to keep things sorted. Find a large piece of white backing around 30cm square; old corflute signs can be cut up. Screwed to a piece of 4x2 pine block they will stand upright behind your vice.

This gives a clear, uncluttered background against which to observe and neatly construct your pattern. I previously mentioned that size is an important consideration. Equally so is the concept of proportions. Size refers to the overall dimensions, proportion defines the relationship of the individual components. For instance a streamer may be 10cm in length. But the underwing may only be 5cm, the main wing full length at 8cm and the head 2cm. An 8cm head and 2cm wing would produce a ridiculous looking baitfish pattern. An easy way to maintain consistent proportion is to measure material length against your hook. For example, the overwing may be two lengths of the hook shank or the hackle the width of the hook gape. The concept of proportion should always be considered especially when

tying any patterns. Once you are ready to start tying pick a single pattern and tie a dozen. Measure your materials and maintain the concept of proportions. Try to tie consistently, with an emphasis on plenty of thread, cement and pressure to ensure they remain durable. Don’t try to tie a variety of imitations until you’ve competently mastered one. Opening a fly box of patterns you’ve tied yourself and then hooking a fish on one is surely the pinnacle of your fly fishing evolution. While beauty isn’t always necessary for success, the ability to tie attractive, measured patterns will put a smile on your dial whenever you hit the water. Starting next month we will gradually begin to explore the world of fish catching fly patterns. I hope you’re prepared to come along on the adventure!

READER’S STORY

Fortune favours the cold

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

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

June July August Mulwala (Yarrawonga) 94 90 93 Newlyn 38 87 101 Nillahcootie 24 26 29 Rocklands 23 24 25 Tantangara 19 18 22 Taylors 25 21 33 Tullaroop 33 38 55 Waranga 14 21 28 Wartook 29 36 47 William Hovell 59 99 100

June July August

Cairn Curran

38 43

Dartmouth 64 63 61 Eildon

35 36 39

Eppalock

36 37 37

Eucumbene 24 24 25 Fyans

66 69 72

Hepburn

30 68 100

Hume

18 25 36

Jindabyne 71 69 67 Lauriston

80 81 82

(All levels correct at time of going to press. Dam levels can change at any time, so please check with local authorities to ensure safe boating and fishing.) 48

SEPTEMBER 2019

Mitchell from Victoria, went fishing in the far north of Finland, known as Lapland, chasing the elusive Atlantic salmon. After a week of tireless rowing and watching the salmon jumping every which way except past their lures, Mitch had started to lose hope. After a sauna and few grilled sausages, Mitchell went down

to the river for one last attempt at throwing the fly. A fish jumped in front of him. The fish didn’t hook-up, and Mitch couldn’t believe his bad luck. Fractions of a second later it turned 90° and jumped again, this time tail smacking back and forth. It took Mitch a few seconds to realise the line draining from his reel!

After 15 minutes toing and froing Mitch managed to land the fish. After he got his breath back Mitch and his onlookers all had a laugh at his choice of footwear and started to appreciate what a special fish he’d just caught. The fish measured 112cm and 16.2kg, and will be remembered for a long time! - FMG

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Still chasing cod and goldens at Blowering WAGGA WAGGA

Rhys Creed

September used to be one of the in between months where we transitioned from chasing giant winter cod to the smaller golden perch. As goldens would just start warming up in September, it used to mean slow fishing until the end of the month, but as of last year this all changed. With Blowering now open year-round to chase Murray cod, we have some super exciting opportunities in the dam! BLOWERING DAM The weather is starting to warm up now. September brings some beautiful weather with cool mornings and warm days, and we usually get a few weeks before the winds begin to pick up again. On a nice clear day you can expect

Mud Guts Mumbler Pro 1oz at this time of year. The fish will be holding anywhere from 2-9m, so mix it up when you’re up there. If you do troll, pick lures in the 100-150mm range, such as AC Invaders in 90mm and 120mm. If you’re going to be chasing cod, you still want to be fishing in the dark and low light periods because during the day can be very tough going. If you’re keen on chasing golden perch, then leave it until the end of September and use a range of small subtle lures. I like to fish the standing twiggy trees and the shallow flats in the back of the bays, as this is where will be warming up. MURRUMBIDGEE RIVER Water will be running out of the dam now, which means higher flows through the river. This will switch

Adam Smith with a solid river golden perch taken in the afternoon.

of active golden perch getting about. In the bottom reaches of the creek, the water will be warmer and that’s where you want to fish early on in spring. Small lures cast across the creek and into timber will be effective and if you’re a bait angler, shrimp and worms should work well. The best thing about Old Man Creek is that you can walk the bank to easily catch plenty of fish, or you can float around in a kayak or small tinny. If I were to pick one spot to fish this month, it would be hard to go past Blowering. It will become the go-to place for cod now

the yellas on and they will be worth fishing with lures and bait. Goldens can be found fishing the spindly timber and willows. Small hardbodied lures between 50-80mm, small

Tallis Cotterill caught this metre Murray cod working a mumbler on a rocky point at night.

Spinnerbaits are a great lure choice for rivers with rising water, as they can be cast tight in against the bank. glassy conditions on Blowering, which makes for an enjoyable day out. If you’re chasing cod, it’s a great time to do it because water temperatures are beginning to climb and cod are becoming more active, including the smaller models that have been hiding for the past few months. Casting medium to large size lures and trolling along the rocky banks should be productive. The dam wall end of the lake would be my pick of the spots. If you’re chasing trophy fish, stick to large lures over the 200mm mark, but if you’re keen on anything I’d use something between 150-180mm. Chatterbaits are the go during spring because the fish are looking for something giving off a lot of vibration. They are easy to fish, sink quickly and work really well. I love to use the 50

SEPTEMBER 2019

3/8oz spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits are the best options. Colour wise, I love using hot orange or yellow, as golden perch can’t resist a bright tip on the end of your lure.

This small Blowering cod was taken on an Ignite Cod Fury rigged with a chatterbait blade.

Golden perch in the Murrumbidgee River are a fun catch this time of year.

OLD MAN CREEK Over the next three months, this will be the place to visit with plenty

that they can be year-round. Since weather is gone, there and give it a

targeted the cold get out shot!

STONKERS RETURN TO GOULBURN FOR OPENING CATCH A TROPHY TROUT From Saturday 7 September 2019 The Goulburn River and Eildon Pondage will share in 2,000 massive ‘stonker’ rainbow trout to 4kg, to be stocked at 11 sites for trout opening. Like last year, they’ll have a combined weight of 7 tonnes, guaranteed to create lifelong memories for lots of fishers and their families. Come celebrate trout opening, get amongst the action and swing by the FREE Goulburn Fishing Festival or Ballarat Fishing Festival on that day too from 10am till 2pm. www.vfa.vic.gov.au/fishfest

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Time to strike for goldens ALBURY/WODONGA

Connor Heir

Cod season is done and dusted, so it’s time to pull the spin gear out for a few months! September marks the end of the Murray cod season, but this doesn’t mean us keen fishos have to stop fishing. We can target cod in year-round fisheries, or we can get the light gear out, back the drag off and have some fun chasing a few different species!

I love to target golden perch in the cod off-season but I’m not going to sugar coat it. The start of September can be incredibly difficult to catch numbers of golden perch, as they are very shut down in most fisheries. Of course, the possibility of catching them is always there, as they don’t just disappear when it’s cooler, and fish must eat to survive. However, finding this bite can be hard so time and effort is required. This is a good perspective to have on catching any fish species.

After all, you won’t catch fish at home on the couch! I find that golden perch tend to start firing again more so in mid-October, but that is based on my personal experience and the particular waterways I fish. It certainly varies depending on the location, so doing some homework before going out can be the difference between doughnuts and success. On the other hand, trout are usually a fairly popular species to target in the region. Lake Hume, Khancoban and Dartmouth Dam are popular

destinations at this time of year. Keep in mind that trout season is closed for the rivers and streams for another month still. With cod and trout seasons closed at the moment, it can make it hard and confusing to understand where you can and can’t go. If you are unsure, always do your research or ask your local tackle store. During September, tips for catching trout and golden perch vary between anglers. I recommend fishing lightly, using between 4-10lb line for

Golden perch are a little harder to catch this month, but they’re worth the effort. trout and yellowbelly. Many people often ask why I suggest going so light for targeting these fish, and my biggest reason is because it ensures maximum action and performance from smaller lures. This leads me into my second tip – you shouldn’t be using overly big lures during this time of year as cod season is over (unless you are cod fishing in a year-round fishery). Lure size, colour, brand and presentation are personal to all anglers, but a little rule of thumb I’ve always followed is not using lures bigger than 75mm for the cod off-season. Each to their own, but I’ve stuck

tow point ensures the best action. For example, a loop knot and a blood knot are two common knots for tying on lures. For smaller lures, particularly minnow style ones, a loop knot is the way to go to ensure a nice swinging action. Always research whatever lures you choose to use. YouTube and lure brand websites usually have good tips on how to use/ rig their lures. In the end, you should use what you’re confident with; after all, we all have a favourite lure and colour for a reason. I won’t lie and say it’s easy going on golden perch for the next few weeks,

There’s some excellent trout fishing to be had in the lakes and dams. to this rule and seen good results using smaller lures. Small vibes on golden perch are deadly, and soft plastics are always popular for chasing golden perch and trout. I also believe that the right knot to your lure’s 52

SEPTEMBER 2019

but if you really want to snag one you’ll just have to work at it. Trout fishing is more popular this time of year, it just comes down to what you want to chase. No matter what you choose, have fun and enjoy it. Tight lines and good luck!

Big flows provide extra fun for freshwater ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

As spring rolls across the land, farmers rejoice in the heaven-sent bounty of good rains that will ensure thirsty crops continue to grow. Our rivers and lakes are affected by these rains, with water clarity and flow quickly changing. Heavy rains usually provide dirty water conditions where a turn from lure to bait is the best option. Many natural food items like worms and other bugs and crawlies are flushed free from their underground sanctuaries after a good rain. Regardless of where you fish, a good flush brings angling opportunities. When the water rises, the native fish will look to the slack water for an easy meal. We have landed

A few nice cod are still taking lures in the less than perfect conditions. This one scoffed a StumpJumper lure. and cold this past month, the fishing has continued to be quite good in local waters. Environmental flows have

seen the Murray rise quite substantially, and while the rest of the country is in drought, the river runs full. Swan Hill tackle proprietor Jim Credlin reports some good-sized Murray cod have been landed locally in the Murray, with one lucky angler landing a trio of Murray cod measuring in at 90, 81 and 70cm. That’s not a bad session at all, and they were landed on fillets of fresh chicken. Several more reports boasting good catches have ensured numerous anglers are wetting a line in the Swan Hill area. In the Wakool River, reports of Murray cod on lures and bait is good news for anglers. The biggest cod recently was a 75cm fish taken on scrubworms. It’s a similar story as you travel down the Murray, with most anglers having found a cod or two on bait. Boundary Bend has seen cod to 70cm biting, with cheese working well. Kym Sykes from Mildura Outdoors says anglers fishing bait in the Murray

River at Apex Park are catching a few good-sized golden perch. While the bite is not full on, persistence and time will usually put a bend in the rod. The best reports of larger cod have come in from around lock 8, with several Murray cod up to a metre landed on bait and lures. Once again, the bait caught cod are feeding in the calm pockets out of the flow. The Frenchman Creek regulator also has good numbers of perch on bait and a few smaller cod up to 65cm. As we roll into the close of the cod season, a few pre-spring days have upped the tempo of the bite. Golden perch should begin to feed more freely. Overall, the fishing has been quite good in most local waters considering the time of year. Please remember that Murray cod season in NSW and Victoria is now closed, and it is illegal to target them until 1 December. In the meantime, perch should be coming on the bite for those wanting to scratch the itch.

The odd Murray cod will smash a surface lure, and this one ate the new Bassman Aussie Crawler. numerous golden perch many times from a single snag in the shallows where the calm meets the flow.

It’s a drop-off point for anything that gets washed in, where a hungry fish can wait for the meal to arrive.

So, don’t forget to fish the shallows next time you head to the river. While it has been wet

While most perch are taking bait, Jenny Clark caught this nice one on a Tubby Native Minnow lure.

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A sunny September ahead SNOWY MOUNTAINS

Anthony Bentley

The coldest part of winter has finally subsided and we have been seeing a few brighter days. There has been some fantastic polaroiding the past couple of weeks and it looks like

it’s just going to get better as the weather warms. Things are really starting to pick up! The edges of Lake Jindabyne have been very productive, with everyone from bait fishers to fly fishers getting in on the action. The sunnier warmer days are definitely the best time to get

out and look for fish. The lake levels on both Eucumbene and Jindabyne are still very low, but don’t let that dissuade you – it just means less water between you and the fish! As I have said previously around this time of year, a slow and careful approach when walking the edges will ensure that you are less likely

Trout fishing will fire up this month!

to spook the fish. A small unweighted black or brown nymph around the #12-16 sizes carefully placed into a feeding trout’s path will convert to a capture just about every time. When casting lures (small Celtas and hardbodies) make sure that you cast into an ambush style situation so as to not scare the oncoming trout with a splash. It pays to watch the feeding activity of the fish and cast to where the trout will be next, and then start a slow constant retrieve once the fish comes within sight of the lure. Bait fishing is far more productive during the evening, however if you’re restricted to daytime hours it will pay off if you fish deeper water around structure. For the dry fly fisher, there have been some sporadic midge hatches with some smaller fish feeding off the surface, but I think in a few more weeks as the temperature rises we’ll start to see some bigger fish

A stealthier approach will net you a quality catch. eating off the surface. We are definitely seeing some warmer weather and the fishing should start to fire up! September is traditionally a great month for fishing Jindabyne and Eucumbene and it looks like that trend should continue for the upcoming months! • High Country Outfitters has the largest range of fly fishing gear in the Snowy Mountains, with something for every skill level and budget. Brands include Sage, Rio, Redington, Scott, Simms,

Patagonia, Loop, TFO, Vision, Hardy, Riverworks, Scientific Anglers, Airflo and McLean nets. There’s also a big range of flies from Manic, Stu Tripney, Mick Hall and Pisces, as well as waders, boots, vests and outdoor apparel. For all the latest information on what’s biting and where, drop into the store at Nuggets Crossing Shopping Centre, Jindabyne. You can also call them on (02) 6456 2989, like them on Facebook or check out their website at highfly.com.au.

Big trout dreams for anglers at local streams WST/STH GIPPSLAND

Steve Haughton steve@habitatcreations.com.au

Saturday 7 September sees the beginning of the stream trout season for the West and South Gippsland regions. This should see a burst of angler activity on the streams throughout the region. A bit of much needed rainfall came over winter to lift stream flows and restore angler confidence. Rainfall was below average, meaning there’ll still be pressure on the catchments over spring and into summer. For now, we’ll take what we can get. It is vital that anglers catch and release for the longevity of trout populations, as these streams are not stocked waterways. Blue Rock Lake

n Trout Hatchery e d a G

Cate braved the elements to land and release a few Blue Rock Lake brown trout. During winter, trout start to lose condition and become quite scrawny, but come September they’ll start stacking the weight back on.

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levels are slowly rising, and we should see an extra top up from a decent snow season up on the Mt Baw Baw ranges. Blue Rock is predominantly fed by the Tanjil River, which begins below Mt Baw Baw. Despite the lack of rainfall, streams will still be abuzz with aquatic and terrestrial bug life as the water and air temperatures warm up with longer daylight hours further into spring. Barometer changes will indicate insect hatchings, so it’s important to monitor the weather closely for improved fishing conditions and to have a tackle box with an assortment of flies and nymphs to match the hatch. Bead head nymphs are a musthave and work well in spring. Use a dry fly strike indicator

to increase your chances if you notice surface action. When approaching a potential feed zone, hang back and study the water. Stream trout are delicate surface feeders when there is a surface hatching, so look for little ripples, study the stream flow and look for safe access and entry points. Being well prepared will ensure a more productive outing. Toorongo River is a popular fly fishing destination and will see plenty of action over the coming months. Most anglers are practising catch and release, so despite it being well traversed there is still plenty of trout fun to be had. The Toorongo typically holds small brown trout up to 30cm, but there are rainbow trout about too. It’s an ideal fly fishing river because of the open water meandering through farmland for the most part, featuring lots of good pools and slow runs where trout will be feeding. Noojee has other streams to explore close to the Toorongo River, such as Loch Creek and Latrobe River, so you’ll always be able to find a quiet stretch of water to fish. Lure anglers will also have a lot of fun chasing stream trout. The most popular lures for targeting trout in the Latrobe, Tanjil, Tarago, Bunyip and Lang Lang rivers are small spinnerbait blades, <50mm floating minnow hardbodies and <70mm wriggler tail soft plastics on a light jighead. Different lures suit different applications, so it’s worth having a selection in your tackle box. Even a few small hooks and split shot to drift worms can be useful in

those harder to cast areas. The odd worm can be easily sourced locally under logs and decaying leaves. Waders are not a necessity when fishing most of these streams, but it can be advantageous for some fishing techniques and for areas where bank access is exposed, limited or non-existent. It’s very much a case of exploring and seeing how far you can get on the bank, so having waders will open up more fishing ground and allow you to reach some of those locations that might hold bigger fish. Blue Rock in September is worth a visit for boat, kayak and land-based anglers. The water is still cool and trout are actively feeding off the surface. Look for water windrows, which have created bait trails of hatched beetles and other insects in a natural oily slick. Troll alongside the windrows using winged lures, spinnerbait blades and minnow style lures. Fly anglers can also have a bit of fun casting in to these windrows from a sturdy vessel. Among the trout feeding on the surface will be the distinguishable orange lips of carp, which can be a lot of fun on light gear in deep water. Please remember the river blackfish season closes on 1 September until 31 December. If you have any reports, questions or photos from the opening of the stream trout season, please don’t hesitate to email me.

Trick the first spring trout WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

Finally, September has arrived. It’s one of my favourite months of the year – the weather is still cold and hopefully wet but it begins getting warmer, the fishing starts to improve and best of all, the Victorian trout season opens. TROUT This year the Victorian trout season does not open until 7 September, the latest date possible on the calendar. I’d be a fool to try and predict which rivers will be fishing best when the season opens. I have learnt in the past that streams that fish well in May do not necessarily still fish well in September when the trout season reopens. Instead of suggesting locations, I will focus more on current conditions and techniques that usually work well in early September. As I write, the trout streams are all in fantastic

A few small hooks and split shot sinkers are all you need when drifting worms in streams for trout. A lot of anglers prefer to fish their worms unweighted, but I prefer a small weight to help sink the bait slightly. There seemed to be a lot of small trout in some of the streams in northeast Victoria last year. Hopefully they survived the extreme heat of last summer and have grown a little in time for the new season. is dependent on how much rain we get leading up to opening day. Too much rain could see the water really dirty up, making lure fishing difficult. Even

redfin fishing in April/May when Lake Sambell tends to fish quite poorly. So this September, Lake

just starting to bite, so fishless trips are a very real possibility. Towards the end of September

in the waterways when things start to warm up. One thing that fascinates me a lot about redfin is how much they vary from one waterway to another.

Victorian trout opening is on Saturday 7 September this year and the author cannot wait to get back into the hills and wade the streams again.

A nice small brown trout caught early last season on a Wildbait Minnow in a small rural stream. shape thanks to some decent June and early July rainfall. We almost had enough rainfall to flood the rivers. Almost! Sadly the rain seems to have stopped. We have hardly had a drop in over a fortnight and there’s none in the forecast, which is concerning. However, even if we get no more rain, there will still be a healthy amount of water in the trout streams when they open in September. At this stage, I am predicting that drifting a bunch of worms into a quiet backwater in any of the streams that hold trout will be a great way to pick up a fish. Worms are almost a certainty at this stage, but what about lures? They are a bit harder to predict, as it

when the water is very high, if it is clear lures will still work, and early in the season I find metallic bladed spinners such as Super Vibrax, Celta, Rooster Tail etc. to all work very well. Gold, copper or silver blades all seem to work, as the shiny blade tends to reflect the light in the clear water and attract the trout’s attention. Small minnows can also work very well in September, but that will be determined by the amount of water flowing down the streams. So on trout opening, expect a decent flow of water, take worms and bladed spinners and you should have all your bases covered. REDFIN Redfin tend to start moving

Lake William Hovell rarely produces redfin in September, yet Lake Sambell in Beechworth fishes really well. In contrast, Lake William Hovell can offer great

Sambell and Allans Flat Waterhole (near Yackandandah) will be worth trying for redfin. Be advised though, this is not the best time to target redfin but it’s when they’re

Redfin may be worth targeting in some areas in September, especially if we get a few warm days. Later in the month will probably be your best bet.

will be your best bet if targeting redfin. YELLOWBELLY Similar to redfin, yellowbelly are often just starting to bite towards the end of September, making them a viable target species in some waterways. Lake Sambell in Beechworth is probably the most established yellowbelly hotspot in the Ovens River catchment and September is when people start fishing for them in there. I prefer to sneak over to the Broken River catchment and target yellowbelly in Lake Nillahcootie, and I usually start making my way over there as things start to warm up. MURRAY COD This is a reminder that Murray cod season is closed through all spring months. It is an offence in Victoria to target Murray cod in spring with the only exception being Lake Eildon, which is a yearround fishery. SEPTEMBER 2019

Shepparton is flush with fish this spring SHEPPARTON

Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com

The wattle trees are in bloom and that means it’s time to switch our focus from cod to yellowbelly. Spring can be one of the most active times here, with the fish really reacting to the change in weather and water temperatures. Success in the the Broken River is all based on getting a good spring flush of water so if we do, make sure you get out and hit your favourite spot, as yellowbelly go nuts in the flowing water. We have not had many high river flows in recent years and it’s really affected the fish activity, so fingers crossed for the farmers and fishers that we get some rain at the right times to maximise yellowbelly fishing. The Goulburn seems to always have a flow in it and leading into the end of cod season the river was pumping nice and hard, affecting a lot of plans to chase cod one last time or get some cray pots in. Our favourite banks and sandbars have been washed away with these artificial flows and it’s been frustrating a lot of locals. Hopefully in spring, the only high flows in the Goulburn are natural and yellowbelly react positively and go on the chew. Finding some calmer backwaters in times of flow has been successful, with anywhere from Undera to Murchison being productive.

Casting spinnerbaits or loading a hook up with shrimp or worms is your best option for spring. Just remember that for the next three months cod season is closed, so please don’t send any reports or photos of cod. We must protect them in their breeding period, so make sure you release any cod caught as soon as possible. SHEPPARTON LAKE There were plenty of trout reports throughout winter and this trend should continue into spring. Floating worms has been the best method for bait fishers and lure anglers have used small spinners or smaller hardbodies. The lake has been well stocked with silver perch and trout so catch rates of these should stay high during the spring months, but as the weather warms up, trout will go off the bite. Relocated yellowbelly will start to fire up later in the month and into October. Finding pockets of weedless bottom is the key, so fish the edges or above these spots, as yellowbelly seem to sit around the edge and ambush smaller lures. With plenty more cod being relocated into the lake you may catch a cod over spring, so make sure you release them promptly. KIALLA LAKES The yellowbelly season will start to heat up in Kialla Lakes and if we get some early warm weather, Kialla will be the go-to location for yellowbelly. Casting spinnerbaits and lipless

crankbaits are the top lure methods and areas to target would be the rocky walls, sand bars or around the trees. You sometimes just have to keep walking around the lake until you find where the fish are holding. If we get some good spring rain I would get out to Kialla just before or after the rain, as fish normally go crazy around storms or rain events in the lakes. CRAIGMUIR LAKE I haven’t written much about Craigmuir in recent months simply because winter is the toughest time to fish the lake. With spring upon us, the lake will start producing some good fish but it’s getting harder to catch them due to the weed. Floating baits or rigging lures weedless works best, and if you can locate some clear water you should have

some success. LOCAL CHANNELS Prior to writing, I had a few sessions fishing the channels while the water was down. I wish I could report good news but I have really struggled to land a fish out of my favourite go-to spots. Hopefully this was just due to dirty water and cold conditions, and with inflows hitting the channels we should see an influx of fish activity. The month after water has been flushed through the system, the catch rates of redfin seem to go through the roof – so if you’re looking to target redfin, this is the best time to do so. Yellowbelly become more prevalent in spring. However, I have found it’s more around late September to early October before you catch numbers of them. There are still some

EILDON

Peter Burtchell

The increased fish activity coincided with the July school holidays and many lucky holidaying school students were able to venture out on the lake to try their luck. Carys spent some of her school holidays travelling from Canberra to Eildon with her father Alex to charter a crayfishing tour with Northern Waters Boat Hire to try her luck drop netting for Murray

Dylan Brennan with his hefty swimbait-eating Murray cod. present around the banks and scores of very large Murray cod could be sounded around the 10m depth as they waited in ambush along most parts of the shallow western banks. The Megabass Vatalions with their lifelike action and colours resembling roach accounted for many of the big fish. Casting towards the shallow banks and retrieving them over the ambushing Murray cod

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what the fish want. With months of very minimal fishing traffic these fish will be seeing lures for the first time in a while, so you just might have one of those days to remember. A good searching lure is the Hot Bite Jets Tail Spinner. As it’s a bit heavier it can cast like a bullet, meaning you cover a lot more water. For trolling, a Codger that dives to 10-15ft of water in pink and yellow is my favourite option at the basin. Look for the points and any structure on the sounder that hold fish. I have caught three yellowbelly off a 3ft tall fence post sitting in 14ft of water in the past, so finding structure is a must if you’re looking to chase yellowbelly in numbers. It is not easy, so read the bank and look for posts or tree lines heading into the water.

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good-sized cod in the system like always in closed season, so ensure they go back straight away. WARANGA BASIN The blue-green algae warnings have finally been lifted after months of waiting. It was a frustrating time because there have been plenty of cracking days over winter where fishing the basin would have been the number one option. Now that the warnings have been lifted, the traffic on the water will grow as the weather warms up. Spring can be a very successful time at the basin but it can also be dangerous, with the wind usually picking up in September and October. If you can get a good day on the water I would cover as much area as possible, throwing different types of lures until you can work out

proved very successful. Jerusalem Creek Bait and Tackle were appointed a Megabass Pro Store during August, and their fishing guides have been busy learning and using the various fishing and rigging methods of the range. Feel free to drop in and discuss the different styles of Murray cod fishing and rigging that have been successful during the winter months at Eildon! The main arm was producing well recently. Craig Lashbrook landed a 124cm Murray cod retrieving a Jackall Gantarel near the surface over 20m of water. His catch struck at a depth of approximately 2m, which is a depth where many of Eildon’s larger predators are active towards the banks that are close to deep water. With the winter fishing coming to a close, we now have one of the busiest times of the year for Lake To page 57

Carys loved the lake action during the mid-winter school holidays. Crayfish, which are a prolific inhabitant of the lake. Carys enjoyed her day on the water catching Crays, site seeing, trolling for Murray cod, practising her boating skills and learning about the history of Lake Eildon. We are sure Carys will treasure the experience for many years to come. Other winter action included Jerusalem Creek’s Marina Manager Heath Lewindon’s catches of brown trout and redfin in the Howqua Arm. Flat lining

clown pattern Tasmanian Devils provided some nice brown trout catches along with multiple redfin hook ups on the same lure, as Heath trolled through a heavily-snagged area on the west bank of the arm. During late July and early August, large Murray cod were still being caught and released around the mud banks on the western sides of the lake, and in particular in the Jerusalem Creek Arm. The large schools of roach were still

Craig Lashbrook with his 124cm fish that ate a Jackall Gantarel swimbait from deeper water in the main arm.

Golden time is coming BENDIGO

Roger Miles codhuntertours@bigpond.com

September is not only a change in season, but also a time of year where many anglers change their target species. A good number of dedicated anglers have braved the coldest months of the year chasing that large Murray cod, hoping for a fish of a lifetime. Some lucky fishers have been successful and have the photos to prove it. Other anglers did not achieve their goals, but hopefully next season will bring about different results. The closed season for Murray cod is now upon us and it will reopen on 1 December. Golden perch will become the main target species for the next three months. While the productivity of golden perch fishing is currently very low, it can change quickly and by the end of September we should start to see the catch rate of golden perch increase in the Bendigo region. LAKE EPPALOCK Whatever rainfall the region receives over the next From page 56

Eildon. Spring will see most Victorian waterways closed to fishing to allow our Murray cod to spawn. With Eildon being an all year round

couple of months will be critical in determining how productive the fishing will be. Water levels are finally starting to rise but only minimally. However, there are some encouraging signs: the catchment for Lake Eppalock is saturated and any significant rainfall is producing good run-off. The Coliban catchment has three reservoirs above Lake Eppalock. If we receive several good rainfall events, we may see these catchments reach capacity. If this occurs, good inflows will run into Lake Eppalock and the rise in water levels will significantly improve fishing. Redfin fishing continues to be hit-and-miss and the majority of anglers are finding it tough. Some anglers have been able to locate a good concentration of redfin. Few golden perch have been caught, but hopefully we will see some good inflows by the end of September. Rising water levels combined with increasing water temperatures should see an improvement in golden perch catch rates. CAMPASPE RIVER Water clarity is currently good at most locations in

the Campaspe River. It can change very quickly during spring, as it’s traditionally when the region receives its largest rainfall. So, if you’re planning a trip to fish the Campaspe River at this time of year, keep an eye on the weather. If the river starts to run dirty, lure fishing will be less effective and bait fishing should be a good alternative. Fishing in the Campaspe River is not very productive at the moment, but by the end of September we should start to see improvement. Small numbers of redfin have been caught with the occasional fish measuring above 40cm. Anglers have also caught some golden perch. The most productive lure options have been silent lipless crankbaits and suspending hardbodied lures. CAIRN CURRAN Water clarity is still not ideal. Water levels have also started to increase at this location over recent weeks, although only in small increments. There is a reasonable amount of vegetation growing around the edges of the lake. This is a good sign and if the

region receives some good rainfall in the catchment over the next couple of months, the resulting good inflows and rise in water levels will improve fishing productivity significantly. Redfin have been making up the majority of captures. Bait fishing with worms and small yabbies has been the most effective method, with anglers fishing soft plastics also landing redfin. While low numbers of golden perch have been caught, by the end of the month we should see these numbers increase. With water levels

the opening of the trout season and has something for everyone. You may want to visit the trade expo where you can check out the latest in fishing tackle or fishing

these activities the little ones will have a chance to win prize draws. To end the day’s festivities there is a fireworks spectacular over the Eildon Pondage from 7pm. The festivities are centred around the Eildon Community Centre, Centre Avenue, Eildon, Victoria 3713. For more information visit the Fish Care Victoria Website. With the great Spring Fishing available many fishing competitions begin. The first of the spring fishing competitions is the Annual Kuttafurra Challenge in the last week of September, where many of Australia’a best lure manufactures congregate at Lake Eildon to put their lures to the test of landing and releasing some of Lake Eildon’s largest Murray cod.

Open to the public fishing tournaments and activities during spring include Lake Eildon Boating and Fishing Show Friday (11-13 October), Lake Eildon Events Big Fish Challenge (19-20 October) and Trelly’s Outdoor Eildon Cod Classic (26-27 October). • Jerusalem Creek Marina & Holiday Park is a friendly, family-orientated caravan park, and makes the perfect home away from home. While there you can opt to hire one of their Boatel floating apartments, hire a boat or book a fishing guide at competitive prices. For more information on all of these services and other attractions in the area, visit jerusalemcreek.com.au, or give them a call on (03) 5774 2585 or email info@jerusalem creekcom.au.

This 91cm Murray cod was successfully seduced by a Megabass Vatalion jointed swimbait at the Jerusalem Creek boat ramp. fishery, you can continue to hone your fishing skills targeting Murray cod and yellowbelly, with both species becoming very active during the spawning runs. During the early spring months, lure colour and depth play a major roll targeting different fish species, as their food source begins to change. Added to the early spring fishing action, Fish Care Victoria’s annual Goulburn Fishing Festival will be in full swing on Saturday 7 September. The annual event celebrates

boats, help stock live trout, take a tour of the Snobs Creek Hatchery or participate in a Guided Fishing Demonstration on Lake Eildon Pondage with bait and tackle provided. There will also be plenty of fishing experts presenting their knowledge of basic fishing methods for trout, redfin and our native species. Cooking your catch is always a popular demonstration, and there is also a range of children’s activities including a jumping castle, face painting and balloon tying, and with all of

Large golden perch like this one will become the target for many anglers over the next few months. rising, it is a great time to target the trout population in Cairn Curran. Bait fishing around the shallow grassy banks with worms, gents and corn should be effective. LODDON RIVER The water clarity continues to be patchy in the Loddon River, with some sections clear

and others dirty. At the time of writing, fishing has been lacklustre. It should improve shortly, as when water temperatures increase so does the feeding activity of golden perch. I usually find that during spring when surface water temperatures are 18°C and above, the bite improves significantly.

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Another fine Eildon cod taken from the rear deck of the boatel at Jerusalem Creek by avid angler Simon Michalski.

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Finesse lands the best NAGAMBIE

Paul Thomas

Challenging conditions have continued throughout the Nagambie Lakes system over the last month. With fluctuating water levels and deteriorating water clarity due to environmental flows and recent rains, most anglers have found landing a fish difficult. Freshwater crayfish have been on most fishers’ radars and good-sized specimens have been caught throughout the system.

scent added to their shell. If you still intend on using lures, bright fluoro coloured lures or lures with loud rattles in them will also work. Spinnerbaits with painted blades in bright orange, white and chartreuse create a strong halo around your lure, which can attract nearby fish. MITCHELLSTOWN Most of the activity in this area has been centred on the spiny freshwater crayfish. High water flows and poor clarity have made angling challenging but those chasing crayfish have had reasonable results. The best baits have

for those wanting carp, with grubs, yabbies, cheese and chicken prime choices for native fish. NAGAMBIE LAKE As with most areas this time of year, productivity around Nagambie Lake has been slow, with very few reported captures. One surprising report that came through was of a 47cm brown trout caught just downstream of the lake on a size 3 StumpJumper, after it was seen attacking baitfish on the surface. It’s not unusual to see trout in the area, but it’s not often that you hear of them actually being landed. Given that the Murray cod season is now closed, if we were to get some clear water over spring then targeting trout in this area could be a viable option. No native fish were reported in the last month, only a few small redfin taken on worms from the weed beds near the boardwalk. KIRWANS BRIDGE I’ve taken three day trips in this area recently and

A solid last catch to mark the end of Murray cod season. From this month on, please make sure you release any Murray cod promptly. they only yielded two small Murray cod and several more missed opportunities. The first day trip was with the Flumen Fishing boys, Bailey and Sunny, and saw two Murray cod at least 50cm landed on swimbaits and three good size cod dropped on hardbodied lures. The second day trip saw no action at all from cast spinnerbaits and hardbodied lures; and the third day trip

You can look forward to catching impressive models of yellowbelly as the weather gets warmer. MAJORS CREEK Due to recent rains, Majors Creek has been quite discoloured and difficult to fish with lures, so bait fishing has been the option for those still willing to brave the tough conditions. Baits with a strong scent to them such as cheese, bardi grubs, worms and marinated chicken will work best in the milky coloured water. My favourite bait to use is yabbies with garlic

proven to be carp frames, liver and for some reason pumpkin. I had not heard of using this as cray bait until this season, but by all accounts it works a treat. Lure fishing for Murray cod and golden perch has been slow, with only the odd report of mostly small specimens caught. Anglers out cray fishing have been bait fishing, looking for some fresh carp for their nets. The best options have been worms and dough

Smaller golden perch, like this one the author caught, are more typical as winter ends and spring begins.

was not much better, with just the one follow and hit from a medium size cod that failed to hook up. One angler managed four small Murray cod over a weekend, fishing with yabbies off the bank close to the Angling Club, and there have been plenty of crays caught in the deep river sections from Kirwans Bridge right down to the weir. The odd redfin has also been caught by casting lures like small hardbodies and lipless crankbaits around the many lilypads that cover the shallow edges along the riverbank. These provide excellent cover and ambush points for predatory fish, and they should never be overlooked when on the water casting as they can often produce quality fish. WRAP UP With the Murray cod and freshwater crayfish season closed on 31 August, all attention will turn to the resident golden perch population. As the water starts to warm up over the

next few months, yellowbelly will become more and more active. Targeting them with small to medium lipless crankbaits like Jackall TN50s and 60s, as well as small to medium hardbodies such as size 2 and 3 StumpJumpers, are good places to start. Small spinnerbaits and soft plastics will also work well. If bait fishing is more your thing then smaller baits, such as worms, shrimp as they become available and small yabbies, are the best way to go. I try to stay away from the large timber snags throughout the system and concentrate my efforts on weed beds, the more spindly snags and around the willow trees. This will reduce the likelihood of hooking a Murray cod during their breeding season. If by chance you do hook a Murray cod over this period, they should be returned to the water as soon as possible with minimal harm. Please remember to ‘limit your catch, not catch your limit’.

Pray to the weather gods CRATER LAKES

Rod Shepherd

If the rain’s not falling sideways, pushed along by yet another stiff southerly bluster, the north wind comes out to play on those all too infrequent fine days.

Sometimes the weather gods laugh in your face and taunt you with inclement weather, regardless of what form it comes in. The Merri and Hopkins rivers and the Mount Emu Creek are in flood and basically are off limits for many, however those who

A pair of ‘bows taken on the troll. It might look warm, but it was freezing, especially early on. 58

SEPTEMBER 2019

persevere out of the main flow and work minnow lures that give a good action when twitched are still catching a few good trout and redfin. The Hopkins and Merri would still have to be the pick of the bunch of the above three spots mentioned. Near the base of the Hopkins Falls some solid browns to 5lb have been taken on lures. In the upper reaches of the Merri, where deeper pools occur, either end of the run is generally where most fish are being picked up. Again, shallow to medium diving minnows twitched across or just under the surface are working. Bank anglers are doing better than those who are persevering in boats and right now is your time to shine. Lake Elingamite’s level has increased to 5cm at the ramp, which means that most standard tinnies should have

no problem with launching and retrieval. As more rain falls, this will no doubt increase. I’ve ventured out on the rare fine days and have caught some excellent brown and rainbow trout on the troll with minnow lures, and as an added bonus I also picked up some solid redfin, which this lake is famous for. I certainly haven’t been the only one to do so. On Lake Bullen Merri, the north shore is well and truly protected from that northerly wind and is allowing those wetting a line to cast baits out for Chinook salmon and rainbows to 2.3kg using scrubworm, locally sourced gudgeon minnow, PowerBait and mudeye (if you can source them). Either presented under a bubble float, or fished lightly and unweighted on the bottom has caught a few. Those who like to play with soft plastics have done well, and allowing the plastic

A brace of Elingamite redfin that responded to trolled lures in quick succession of each other. to sink almost to the bottom before a steady retrieve back to shore has nailed a few. Approximately 3-4” plastics are working well. Those in boats who braved the choppy conditions (to say the least) on the southern side of the lake and headed north also did reasonably well flat line trolling up along the north shore. Of course, the reverse

happens when a southerly change hits the South West but as that means cold, wet and blustery conditions, frankly I’d rather stay at home in front of the heater. More rain would be good, and interspersed with some fine days (without the wind!) would mean some opportunities to get out, so let’s say a quick prayer to the fishing gods!

A new spring begins BALLARAT

Shane Stevens

There is a buzz of anticipation in the air from anglers around the Central Highlands region of Victoria. Another trout season is about to begin, and after receiving some very heavy rainfalls early and late winter, most of the lakes are either full or have risen significantly from previous years.

water catchment to draw from, which makes it one of the last reservoirs to fill up. This is good for anglers, because as the water level slowly rises over the very flat shoreline, trout move into the shallow water to feed. In some lakes and reservoirs where the water levels rise very quickly, trout tend to stay in the deeper water and feed on the flooded ground, and in doing so make it hard to target them.

This is one of Tullaroop Reservoir’s finest redfin caught by Ben Jeffrey on an ice jig lure. Photo courtesy of Shane Jeffrey. With water levels rising over new ground, trout will move in from the deeper waters of the lakes and reservoirs and forage in the shallows, eating grubs, worms, frogs, beetles and the like. They will have finished their winter spawning run and be looking to feed up, given the energy they have exerted and winter’s lean pickings when it comes to food. The fish feed with gusto on this newly found food supply, and this is the opportune time for anglers to catch some of these hungry wily trout. Reports have been slowly trickling in over the past month, as many fishers have gone into hibernation. Those that have not been sitting at home watching the footy or keeping warm have been rewarded for their efforts. Moorabool Reservoir is one of the best performers in the district this time of year, especially when the water level is rising. Moorabool has a very small

Chris Babo likes to fish Moorabool Reservoir despite the hour-long drive. It’s one of his favourite waters to fish and he has had great results there over the past month. Chris is a passionate fly fisher who loves nothing more than to walk the expansive

shorelines of Moorabool, casting a Magoo or Woolly Bugger fly pattern at this time of year when trout are mooching around in the shallows. Recently, Chris has landed fish up to 3.5lb and he mentioned that he cannot wait until there is a little bit of insect activity, as that will really get the fish going. If fly fishing is not your preferred method, you can catch plenty of brown and rainbow trout on lures, worms or PowerBait fished on the bottom, or on a mudeye suspended under a float. In Lake Wendouree, the fishing has been very slow over the past few months, which is to be expected given the time of year. Very few anglers have been fishing from the shore or out of boats. I like to drive around Lake Wendouree most days to see who is fishing and have a quick catch up with them, but lately I have hardly found a soul to talk to. I have had a couple of quick sessions casting soft plastics with no luck. Around this time in past years I have done extremely well, but this year I’ve not had much success as of yet. On the other hand, Ben Young has been sneaking up to Wendouree on his way to work and catching some absolute crackers, including his PB for 2019, a magnificent 65cm brown trout on an Ecogear Power Shad soft plastic. After some happy snaps that were taken by someone on their daily walk around the lake, the fish was released to fight another day. Ben said he likes to target the windward shores early in the morning. Fish use the wind and waves for cover and come in real close, so the bigger the chop the better. Ben showed me some photos of a rainbow trout about 4lb that took him nearly two weeks to nail. The fish

Ben Young nailed his 2019 PB 65cm brown trout from Lake Wendouree. He cast an Ecogear Power Shad from the shore. Photo courtesy of Ben Young.

While fishing Tullaroop Reservoir, Colby Lesko caught this pigeon pair of rainbow trout casting Berkley Powerbait Gotam shads. Photo courtesy of Colby Lesko. had followed his plastics in that many times and hadn’t eaten them, until finally he ate one! Ben also released this fish.

Tullaroop Creek, slowing the fishing down. In some areas of Tullaroop, the water is discoloured due to the sheer amount of water

Chris Babo landed this lovely 3.5lb brown trout from Moorabool Reservoir using a Magoo fly pattern. Photo courtesy of Chris Babo. The fishing in Lake Wendouree will start to improve as we crawl out of the winter slumber. The weed harvesters are in full swing at the moment, and they will start cutting the weed around the shorelines while the lake level is high, giving land-based anglers plenty of shoreline to fish. Over the coming months, all angling methods should be effective at Wendouree, which is one of the best things about this fishery. Tullaroop Reservoir has been the talk of the town all throughout winter, mainly due to boats and other non-powered watercraft recently being allowed on-water. This has opened up a whole new fishery to anglers. We have wanted this as long as I can remember, and it was a long wait but it was worth it. The fishing has been unbelievable, with bags of redfin and some big models being caught. Other fishers who have targeted trout by trolling lures have done extremely well. The waters levels have increased significantly, with plenty of water flowing in from

in the Galloways Bay area and drifted the weed beds, casting Berkley Powerbait Gotam shads with excellent results. He landed a couple of very feisty and wellconditioned rainbow trout, as well as a number of other fish. Shane and Ben Jeffrey have been chasing the redfin at Tullaroop. The reddies have really slowed down and they’ve found it hard to find the schools, even using their Fish Finder. When you do find them, they are willing to eat a bunch of worms or an ice jig bounced along the bottom. Boat and land-based anglers should do very well over the next few months at Tullaroop Reservoir. The humble old garden worm on a lightly-weighted running

Victorian Fishing Authorities released 6,000 rainbow trout into Lake Wendouree. Photo courtesy of Bill Reddick. that has flowed into the reservoir. A few anglers have been catching some wellconditioned rainbow and brown trout, mainly trolling lures or casting soft plastics. Colby Lesko has spent a lot of time on the water and Tullaroop is one of his favourite trout waters in the state. On one of Colby’s most recent trips, he launched his boat

sinker rig will certainly catch some trout as they mooch around feeding on worms and grubs that have been flooded out of the ground. For the fly fishers, I would recommend a Woolly Bugger, Hamill’s Killer or Mrs Simpson fly pattern. Anglers trolling lures out of a boat can rely on Tassie Devils in pink or gold to work well this time of year. SEPTEMBER 2019

WHAT’S NEW FISHING EQUALIZER TWIN PIN PRO

The Black Magic Equalizer has grown a reputation around the world for being the ultimate fish fighting gimbal and harness, and now it’s even better. With the advent of different fishing styles and the growing popularity in bent butt rods, Black Magic has introduced a new Equalizer, called the Twin Pin Pro (patent pending). The change is simple yet significant, offering a great advantage to anglers who use both bent and straight butt rod types. As the name suggests, the Twin Pin Pro has two pins, one in the traditional recessed position, and a new pin in the front of the rod bucket. Now, anglers have maximum leverage whether using a straight butt or a bent butt rod, without the need for an adaptor. Simply choose the best pin for your style of rod and you are fishing without restrictions. Head to the Black Magic website to see more information, photos and a video of the Twin Pin Pro. www.blackmagictackle.com

OKUMA HELIOS SX SPIN RODS

Taking on all comers and reigning supreme in the Best New Rod category at the prestigious 2018 EFFTEX tackle trade show, the eye-catching Okuma Helios SX spinning rod is now available in Australia. There are three models in the range, covering many of our most popular light spin applications. Helios SX rods offer anglers high end components, ultra-light feel, crisp actions and incredible value for money. Features include 30T Toray carbon construction, creating slim blanks and fast actions, Japanese EVA split grip design, comfort grip ergonomic reel seat and Seaguide Gun Smoke SS guide frames with zirconia guide inserts. All up, it delivers classy looks, quality components and proven performance at an affordable price. The range consists of the following models: HSX-S-702L (light action, 7’0”, 2-piece, 1-3kg, 1-8g casting weight), HSX-S-702ML (med light, 7’0”, 2-piece, 2-4kg, 3-15g) and the HSX-S-702M (medium, 7’0”, 2-piece, 3-6kg, 5-20g). Price: SRP $109.95 www.okuma.com.au

STRIKE PRO X-BUSTER

The Strike Pro X-Buster is a deadly swimbait with a superior quality and finish. This jointed swimbait replicates a bony bream to perfection and is deadly on barramundi and Murray cod. It has an outstanding side to side action, and you can crank, rip, twitch, pull, jerk or troll it. Just remember to give it a good pause; it glides deadly to the left or right and it stays in the strike zone. This lure is extremely strong, with a tensile strength of 35-40kg, and it comes fitted with extra strong split rings and trebles so it’s perfect to use straight out of the packet for large species. The X-Buster is 17cm long, weighs 80g and suspends at approximately 4ft. It also features extra loud in-built rattles for added attraction, allowing the fish to home in on the lure in murky waters. The X-Buster is available in four natural baitfish colours and is a must for the serious swimbait angler. www.jurofishing.com 60

SEPTEMBER 2019

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BASSDAY BACKFIRE 4 Bassday’s expertise in the surface lure market is second to none, with the SugaPen one of the deadliest surface lures available. Their newest creation, the Backfire, was originally designed for catching black porgy on Lake Hamana in Shizuoka, but it has proven itself in our local conditions already. And like the SugaPen, it’s sure to be a favourite for keen anglers. The Backfire is 65mm long and through wired, making it strong and dependable. It weighs 7.5g and casts exceptionally well for a small lure. The large cupped face is capable of both dramatic pops, and small subtle, ripple inducing pops, when using a slow and light touch. The slim profile produces little wind resistance. The action is that of a classic popper and will be excellent for bass, bream and other surface feeders. It works best with a ‘pop, pop, pause’ technique. The new model comes in eight colours, and all but one have been designed exclusively for Australia. To find out more visit the Bassday Australia website, or Like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BassdayAus. www.bassday.com.au

DAIWA KIX LT

Combining many of Daiwa’s latest technologies with stylish looks and contemporary design, the Kix LT delivers on both performance and price. The Kix’s impressive design and strength begins with its ultra strong, ultra corrosionresistant alloy body providing a rock solid foundation for the reel’s long list of features. Daiwa’s LT Concept delivers lightness and toughness while Tough Digigear provides flawless internal gearing, with its high-precision cutting technique achieving perfect gear meshing and ultra-smooth performance. MagSeal protects from the elements, while Air Rotor, ATD, LT’s Longcast ABS spool, Perfect Line Stopper, Air Bail and EVA knob combine for superior performance, power and precision. The new Kix LT is available now in six different sizes. www.daiwafishing.com.au

UPGRADED FG WIZZ

The FG knot is the best braid-to-leader knot because it has the slimmest profile of any other knot, allowing you to reel it through your guides and use longer leaders. It’s also stronger than any other braid-to-leader knot. This tool leaves your hands free to tie a slim, uniform and reliable FG knot every time, quickly and easily. There is no need to use your teeth or your rod. The FG Wizz is compact so you can take it anywhere. This Aussie invention is hand-made by angler Ray Fewell. “The original FG Wizz has been selling well, and everyone who has one loves it,” Ray said. “If there has been any criticism at all, it’s the fact that it doesn’t handle heavy braids and leaders as well as the lighter sizes. That’s because the stems get drawn together at a faster rate. “The new version is more versatile, holding heavy leader better in the back bobbin when finishing the knot.” To see how easy it is to use, look up ‘FG Wizz’ on YouTube. Price: SRP $44 www.fgwizz.com.au

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A perfect combination of touch, power and looks It would be the understatement of the millennium to say that product developer/fishing nerd Tommy Slater and the team at Daiwa Australia have been busy in 2019.

some time working out exactly which rods I’d get the most use out of. I initially asked for one of each model (16 total rods), and once the laughter on the other end of the phone stopped we settled on one

WHAT’S NEW FISHING

TESTED

setting means little to nothing once you’ve actually strapped a reel to it, chosen a lure and set off to put a REAL bend in it. As crazy as my old mate Jimmy Reid from ABT can be, he’s got nothing on a wild bass who’s decided your Mazzy Pop looked good for afternoon tea and is heading back to the gnarly snag he calls home. In the three months or so I’ve been fishing the TD Zeros I’ve been most impressed by how well they’ve thrown lures of all different shapes and sizes. Using everything from Bent Minnows and iWavers through to

Throwing jigs into tight cover was easy with the TD Zero baitcaster.

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A wild fish that was extracted from a nasty snag thanks to the abundant low end power.

various bass jigs, crankbaits and vibes, they’ve handled everything asked of them with ease. And when I put those lures in the right spots and actually hooked a fish or tiger squid, the fun really began. Ask any angler or experienced tackle store employee, and they’ll say that previous Daiwa rod ranges had too many versions of the same rods. The livery, cosmetics and price points would all change, but most of the lengths, weights and actions were very similar. This has really started to change in the last 12 to 18 months, and the TD Zeros are a perfect example of that change. The two models I’ve fished with so far (I’m still holding out hope the other 14 models will show up any day now) both have actions that are different from older Daiwa models I’ve got in the rack. If you were to just read the numbers though, you’d assume they’d be very similar to fish with. The spin rod has a light action and a fast taper, making it perfect for light lure work, so I’ve primarily used it for casting surface lures across flats for bream and whiting. The extra rod length means I can cast a long way without a lot of effort and once connected, the fast taper surrenders the tip of the rod without giving away power. This means you are less

FOR EXTR

spin, and one BC option. You can’t knock a bloke for trying right? In the end I settled on the 6102MLB for the baitcaster and the 732LS in the spin, with the bulk of my fishing being done in skinny freshwater and my local estuaries targeting bass, bream, squid, jacks and so on. FIRST IMPRESSIONS Unboxing is always fun, and holding both of these rods in the hand was no exception. Yes, they’re very pretty and everything is styled perfectly from the hook keeper to the ergonomic Daiwa reel seat and EVA grips, but the first thing you notice is just how light they are in the hand. As you all know, the natural thing to do with a new rod is to put a bend in it, and so every person who walked through our office did exactly that and everyone remarked how nice the new tapers were and how much power you could get out of a light set-up. ON-WATER PERFORMANCE Of course, how a rod performs in an office

Constant releases of new ranges of line, accessories, reels and rods has created plenty of work for them, and have given us mere anglers plenty to drool about as new press releases were rolled out and videos of them in action dropped on YouTube. One launch that really took my fancy was the re-vamped TD Zero range. The Zero name has been stickered on Daiwa rods for a long time now, but the 2019 version is the boldest and most ambitious version ever, with a range of spin and baitcast options to suit just about any light tackle angler in the country. Striking colours, unique handle designs, a balanced combination of Fuji stainless steel, titanium and SiC anti-tangle guides and the inclusion of a rod sock make the 2019 model an instant and impressive upgrade from previous offerings. When I was asked if I’d be keen to put them to the test for Fishing Monthly readers I said YES! very quickly. Then I had to spend

Close quarters bassin’ means you better have quality gear on your side.

likely to pull small hooks out of lips, but you can maintain control during the fight. It was matched with an older model 2506 Luvias and felt very well balanced in the hand. The baitcaster has now accompanied me on many boat and kayak trips on dams and skinny bass water, and has been tasked with fishing everything from Soft Shells and Shinmushis in the timber at dawn to spoons, jigs and vibes on schooled fish while the sun blazed above. I paired it with one of the new Tatula 150H reels and it’s been a dream to fish with. BANG FOR YOUR BUCK The RRP on the TD Zero range is $299, which is about the middle of the road in today’s fishing retail market. There are plenty of rods that sit either side of this price point, but there aren’t too many that offer as many options in the range and come packed from tip to butt with so many premium features. The 16 models cover everything from ultra light finesse fishing through to heavy work you’d expect to encounter in far north QLD or the Territory, and if all the models are as well built and thought out as the two I’ve been playing with, they’ll handle it easily. PICK ONE UP As I’ve mentioned, the rods do have particular actions that may be a little different from Daiwa rods you’ve used in the past, so I’d highly recommend getting into your local tackle store and putting a bend in one. A red hot looking rod with a free Daiwa rod sock for under 300 bucks is well worth it. – Rupe Gaden

SEPTEMBER 2019

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Perfect timing for flathead season

The flathead season on Australia’s east coast hits its peak in Southeast Queensland in late September, and the action filters its way south as water temperatures increase in December and January. Anglers all the way to bottom of East Gippsland in Victoria, and the southern coast of Western Australia, head out looking to tussle with a flat fish. Those of you who follow the Tackle Testing Booths in the magazines and the www.tacklejunkie.fish website know I love targeting flathead. When the team at Rapala Australia wanted to do something flatheadrelated, I was on board straight away. Much of what they sent me was newly released in 2019, and I could see that the lures were likely to catch their fair share of flathead. For now though, let’s start with the rod, reel, line and leader.

Rapala Australia’s portfolio of brands cover all the bases for you to catch flathead. The author’s chief product testing assistant, Nicholas Willett, has had a lot of success using paddle tail plastics this season. This flathead took a liking to a 4” 360GT Coastal Mangrove Minnow. The Rapala Maxwell rod that they matched with a Rapala R-Type reel immediately intrigued me. The Maxwell rods are available in nine different spin configurations, two of which are new for 2019. The rod to be tested was the 7’ 2-piece, 2-4kg model (MXS702L). Maxwell rods fit into the finesse spectrum of rods – super lightweight, quality Fuji KR Concept

guides, skeleton reel seat with an EVA foregrip and composite cork rear grip. They are a fast taper configuration. The Rapala R-Type 25 reel they matched it with is a new size within the R-Type Spin range, added in 2019. It and the R-Type 35 have been added to the three other sizes available this year. These reels have 6+1 ball bearings and the new models have a 5.2:1 gear ratio with a 6kg drag rating. A big part of the Rapala Australia portfolio is the Sufix range of lines. I was provided with a 10lb 150yd spool of Sufix 832 Advanced Superline in coastal camo colour to put on the reel, and some Sufix Super 21 fluorocarbon leader to go with it.

Both lines are recognised for their abrasion resistance and sensitivity. The Sufix 832 is an interesting concept. It is an 8-strand line with 32 weaves per inch of line. The line itself is a blend of 7 HMPE fibres and a GORE performance fibre. The GORE fibre assists with abrasion resistance while the HMPE fibres provide the strength and sensitivity. The Sufix Super 21 complements the main line, providing a strong, supple and invisible leader to fish with. VMC COASTAL X JIG HEADS AND STORM 360GT COASTAL SOFT PLASTICS The Coastal X jigheads and 360GT Coastal soft plastics were a new release for 2019, following on from the highly successful Storm 360GT Searchbait range. The VMC Coastal X jigheads range from 7-14g and come in 2/0-4/0 hook sizes. I would call the hook medium heavy, certainly fine enough to get through the top lip of a flathead. Storm 360 Coastal plastics come in a number of profiles and sizes, and you can find more information in the fact box hereabouts. Each style has eight colours. FIRST IMPRESSIONS The combination of the Rapala R-Type

reel and the Maxwell rod is a good one. It is well balanced, and although the reel feels a little heavy compared to some out there, it is spot on for the rod. Initial impressions of the rod where that it is quite soft or very tippy, whichever way you want to say it. I did have concerns that casting a 3/8oz or 1/2oz jighead and plastic may be a challenge, and that the initial power required to set the hook on a larger flathead may not be there. Loading the rod correctly (not the wiggle test) alleviated this concern. As tippy as the rod may be, there is plenty of power from two thirds of the way down the blank to deal with the above lures and to drive that hook home. The VMC Coastal X jigheads are also a little different. Their medium heavy wire covers the best of both worlds – fine enough for quick hook penetration with the strength to give you peace of mind if you need to dictate terms while fighting a fish. I would have loved for the 3/8oz to come in a 4/0 hook (like the 1/2oz) not just 2/0 and 3/0. It just has that hook point a little further back when you are fishing 4” and 5” plastics. I did love the concept of a second eyelet under the head. You can run a blade or add a treble or stinger hook, something that shifts the odds just a little

STORM 360GT COASTAL PLASTICS Type

VMC Coastal X jigheads have a second eyelet so you can add a blade, treble or stinger hook. The author has chosen to add a stinger to the tail of this 4” Storm Coastal Shrimp.

SEPTEMBER 2019

Coastal Shrimp Coastal Mangrove Minnow Coastal Manta Tail Coastal Largo Shad Coastal Trick Tail Minnow

Size

Colours

Plastics per packet

3” and 4” 3” and 4” 4” and 5” 3” and 4” 5”

8 8 8 8 8

7 7 7 7 7

PRODUCT GUIDE more in your favour. The 360GT Coastal plastics range has five styles, of which I selected four, and they are a good variation on traditional proven profiles. The Coastal Shrimp and the Manta Tail were my initial favourites. I also like the colour range, as I have always been a fan of contrast colouring, whether it’s layers or tail contrast. Each model has enough natural and ‘out there’ colours to meet most anglers’ needs. IN THE FIELD It has been an interesting three months testing the gear and plastics on my local flathead. Lower rainfall and longer than expected warm weather has my local haunts fishing a little differently from previous years. Smallish (3-3.5”) baitfish profiles have been the go. I expected the 3” Coastal Shrimp and Mangrove Minnow to be the standouts,

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too many fish that don’t like a feed of prawns. Also coming in 3” and 4” sizes, the larger size seems bigger than it is. I did use a stinger hook set-up with it on those occasions when the fish weren’t in full smash ’em mode. It has proven to be the downfall of plenty of flathead, and has its fair share of bycatch as well.

Flathead haven’t been the only fish to take a liking to the 3” Storm Coastal Shrimp. This nice little snapper smashed one in the new penny colour.

The Rapala Maxwell rod fully loaded during a cast. and I was half right. The Mangrove Minnow paddle tail comes in two sizes (3” and 4”) and is quite a slender profile. What was unexpected was how hard the tail thumps. The feedback through the rod in amazing considering the profile of the plastic. This has translated into some good fish being caught, but not as many as I expected it to. The season has been about finesse, and maybe the Mangrove Minnow was a bit full-on for some of the fish. The Coastal Shrimp, however, has exceeded my expectations. The profile suits any style of retrieve, and I don’t know

The Coastal Manta Tail and Trick Tail Minnow are a jerkshad configuration with different tail set-ups. Flathead love this style of plastic, and this proved to be the case with both lures. The Trick Tail Minnow is a 5” plastic where the Manta Tail is available in either 4” or 5” sizing. Flathead are not afraid of a large plastic, and the Trick Tail Minnow has caught its fair share of fish, but the Manta Tail has been winner between these two plastics. Like the Coastal Shrimp, the Manta Tail has accounted for some fun bycatch as well. The Rapala combo has been ideal for targeting flathead. The reel has a smooth drag and the rod is easily powerful enough. The combination of the Sufix 832 braid and Super 21 leader with the outfit is next level. The feedback through the rod from the line is second to nothing I have tested. You feel everything that is happening at the end of line, which is exactly what you want when you’re fishing plastics. The

No wonder the author is a fan of the New Penny 3” Coastal Shrimp!

Although all the Storm plastics tested caught fish, the author’s favourites were the 3” Coastal Shrimp and this plastic, the 4” Coastal Manta Tail.

This mulloway was a welcome by-catch. It was caught on a 4” Storm 360GT Coastal Manta Tail in the kickin chicken colour.

marketing for the Superline in particular is all about abrasion resistance, and I can’t fault it. More importantly for me, they are great to tie knots with. You can deal with your line being rubbed through, but not your knots giving way. FINAL THOUGHTS As an overall package, Rapala Australia has done a great job, and anybody who likes chasing a flathead or two should check out these products. The standouts for me were the Storm 360GT Coastal Shrimp and the Coastal Manta Tail. The Sufix 832 Superline is amazing too. Although I did like the coastal camo colour that I tested, I would probably steer towards the neon lime colour, as my aging eyes need all the help they can get. You can check out these products in your local tackle store, on their website at www.rapala.com.au or like Rapala on Facebook to get all the updates on their new products. – Peter Jung

The author didn’t expect to catch this on a 360GT Coastal Shrimp.

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The Peninsula Snapper Challenge is on again! Western Port and Port Phillip Bay’s only snapper fishing competition with a catch and release option, the Peninsula Snapper Challenge, is on again in 2019. The innovative format will be held over nine days to give everyone the chance to fish for trophies or have fun with family and friends, with the chance to win some great prizes. Through 2-10 November, Peninsula Snapper Challenge anglers can fish either bay and submit captured snapper using a smartphone photo of the fish placed on a measuring device and displaying the daily code word. Catching a bigger fish

later in the tournament is no problem, as you can send as many entries as you wish during the event window. After the photograph, anglers have the option to release the fish to sustain our snapper stocks. Sunday 10 November will see entrants meet at the Frankston Bombers Football Netball Club, just 15 minutes from Mornington, Frankston, Hastings and Patterson River boat ramps, where trophies will be presented and prizes given away. Entrants will compete for trophies awarded for the longest snapper in each of the Open, Kayak and Junior divisions. Spotters Sunglasses will recognize the ten best anglers, with

a Spotters prize pack to be given to each of the ten longest snapper caught during the event. Each and every entrant, regardless of fishing success, will be in the draw to win one of the great lucky draw prizes. Up for grabs is a $2,500 Tackle World shopping spree, Humminbird Helix Mega Imaging combo unit, BLA drum anchor winch, quality Shimano outfits featuring Stella, Stradic and Saragosa reels matched with Grappler, Revolution and Terez rods, Spotters sunglasses by Karingal Optical and heaps more. In 2017 and 2018, one in five entrants took home prizes. Every Junior Peninsula Snapper

The trophy winners of last year’s Junior division. Challenge entrant at the presentation afternoon will receive a Wilson rod and reel package and Black Magic Snapper Snacks. Whether the fishing is for glory or fun, the Peninsula Snapper Challenge offers the community a fishing competition experience with fun, safe and sustainable fishing. Combine that with the opportunity to win top quality prizes specifically chosen for local angling, and you have Melbourne’s premier snapper fishing event! To keep up to date, follow the Peninsula Snapper Challenge on Facebook or visit peninsulasnapperchallenge. com to register once entries are open in September. – Peninsula Snapper Challenge

A beautifully marked snapper from Melbourne’s bays.

Peninsula Snapper Challenge sees some impressive captures, such as this 75cm red.

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2019

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

7-8 Sep

ABT BREAM Round 7

Gladstone

14-15 Sep

ABT BASS Round 6

Richmond River

20-22 Sep

ABT BREAM Queensland Open

Moreton Bay

12-13 Oct

Victoria Bream Classic Round 5

Marlo

19-20 Oct

ABT BREAM Round 8

Port Stephens

23-24 Oct

ABT BASS Grand Final

Lake St Clair

26-27 Oct

ABT BASS Australian Open

Glenbawn Dam

26-27 Oct

Leigh Martin Marine Mercury Classic

abt.org.au

billhartshorne@hotmail.com

abt.org.au

www.lakehumeclassic.com.au

Lake Hume

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

The state of fishing tournaments At Track My Fish, we have been busy with tournaments pretty much every weekend since January 16, with more than a few weekends requiring a presence in more than one event. While we run some from home base, we get around to a good many of them providing on the ground support to the tournament organisers. Every now and again, someone has the thought that fishing should be an

recognition be it from family, mates or on social media. In other words – now there is a base to work with if you were going to build the sport. I thought this might be a good time to take a step back and have a look at the tournaments we are involved in and where fishing is up to from a sports perspective and where it might go. STANDARDS ARE STILL FEW AND FAR BETWEEN One of the things that defines most sports is the standardisation of the rules and

without one of the variants of bass boats from the US, which is a pretty sizable investment given the dollars on offer. Similarly in the barra circuit, electronics plays a pretty big role in success. At the community event level that is less of an issue, but only because they typically tend towards simpler rules like biggest fish wins. In places like the UK and Europe, peg fishing has provided something of a standard by physically constraining the fishing area of fishers, but that works in the

closest to fishing is martial arts like karate and taekwondo. Both of these martial arts provide a myriad of stylistic and philosophical differences and are every bit as fragmented as fishing. In order to resolve the need for standards and to bring kids through their system, they broke into two systems, traditional and sports. The traditional maintains all the values and variation you would expect, the sports path offers a consistent set of rules. This allows the sport to bring kids into competitions with a clear path of the skills they need to develop in order to compete. Let me say – they didn’t get there on any easy path. It took a lot of compromise. COACHES SHOULD BE A THING Back a couple of years ago, one of the locals that wanted to win the Rocky Barra Bounty turned to Johnny Mitchell, a renowned fishing guide who provides training in fishing skills. The investment paid off with victory. I have often wondered

the next generation. All coaches perform that role slightly differently based on interest but there is one thing that is consistent among all of them – all coaches are focused on progression of their charges. Fishing has kids clinics in varying forms, some commercial, some volunteer but they are simply focused on introducing kids to fishing. Only a small segment of them are focused on taking kids through the gears in terms of skills, and all too often that is left to the invested parent or for the kids to work it out themselves in their teens. Note – that is easier in the rural areas than in the cities but it happens in both. By the way, I see this independent development of skill as being one of the key strengths and appeals of fishing – there is no way to progress other than under your own steam. All the same, this is a limitation in developing fishing as a sport. Is it impossible to set up a coaching clinic system? Not in my view, although it’s

base the equivalent of two states of fishers. The difference is the peak body is able to offer a public face at the highest levels, a spectacle that shows off the best athletes and the public good of co-ordinating the grassroots. Fishing offers none of that. I have great sympathy for the challenges the sponsors have. Increasingly we are being asked to help out with promotion and I can see why. HOBIE WORLDS AND BERKLEY SUPERSERIES Speaking of spectacle, the Hobie Worlds and Berkley Superseries gave us the chance to work closely with Nicholle Smith and Steve Morgan on livestreaming. We developed the plugin content that shows scores and stats during the live feed, which makes it easier to contextualise what is going on. Steve and Nicholle did a brilliant job on the Hobie Worlds, putting on a show that was compelling and enjoyable. I think they not only did themselves proud, but put a professional face to a sport that

Fig.1. Participation in fishing based on Fisheries Queensland surveys. official sport, often as a means of funding something. Personally I think that’s an idea long overdue pursuing, as I have seen first-hand some terrifically skilled fishers that qualify to me under the term athlete. The challenge though is to work through the currently fragmented nature of fishing competitions and consider how you could build a network. Another interesting stat out recently in Queensland was an uptick in the number of fishers. After a decade of serious decline, fishing didn’t just rebound, it’s back to levels not seen since the mid 1990s. I think there is a couple of reasons for that. Firstly, there is a generational change: Gen X was a much smaller group overall so was never going to replenish the stocks of new fishers, while the millennial generation numbers as a group are much closer in numbers to the baby boomers. Second, we have seen the rise of larger retail chains that more visibly promote fishing. Lastly, it is one of the few ‘sports’ left that recognises an angler’s achievements. Even for relatively unskilled fishers, catching a good fish will get

the process by which people come into the sport. Sports like the football codes, athletics, cricket have consistent rules, limitations on equipment and everyone plays on the same pitch. I can speak with expertise on the lack of standards for fishing, as I am the guy who gets to put together the scoring system. Our scoring engine has taken nearly two years to develop and every time I think I have all the bases covered, someone comes up with something new. Overall we have a crazy number of scoring arrangements, including 43 separate scoring algorithms, which breaks out into thousands of combinations once you consider species, fisher class, fishing categories (eg. kayak vs beach) and a range of bonus systems and even ways to resolve ties. THE DUCKWORTHLEWIS SYSTEM HAS NOTHING ON FISHING! Scoring is just the beginning. As we get around to a lot of events we get to see first-hand the variance in vessel capability, electronics and gear. Nobody is going to win bream series like the ABT or Berkley Super Series

VARIANCE IN FISHING COMPETITIONS Total Average no. Class of Event Total of Participants Club 1075 56.6 Community 5355 281.8 High End C&R 4611 164.7 Length Weigh in 222 37 Live Weigh in 1098 91.4 Photo Only 541 60.1 Traditional Weigh in 3684 736.8 66

SEPTEMBER 2019

smaller geography on offer. At this point, I don’t think that fishing could really get much further away from standards. Fishing competitions regularly seek to provide a point of differentiation in attracting competitors, often through their scoring systems – i.e. the chance to win. Rather than providing a progression path to skill, competitions all too often work against each other. One area where standards are both possible and not too far away is the kayak segment. The equipment is relatively standardised, athleticism is rewarded and there is no easy way to gain an advantage other than skill. Having been involved with local kayak events and recently the Hobie Worlds, the level of difference is far less than most sports. IGFA also have a pretty consistent set of rules, though gamefishing is a far less accessible sport. Most sports have addressed this problem by providing a peak body that drives the standards, provides recognition and progression paths. I have been involved with many, and probably the

Fig.2. Comparison of categories by event type. why more don’t turn to coaches. In my experience competing in fishing isn’t just a skill thing, there are tactical elements and psychological elements as well. Fishers play mind games all the time. All high-powered athletes forge their own identity on the field but they don’t do it alone. Nobody is an expert in all areas of preparation and even if they are, nobody has a perfect view of the action. As an athlete, feedback, statistical assessment and a different point of view are important parts of problem solving. That is where coaches come in. At a lower level, coaches form the base for developing

VARIANCE IN FISHING COMPETITIONS Avg. Number of Class of Event Prize Categories Club 4.57894737 Community 7.95 High End C&R 3.67857143 Length Weigh in 2 Live Weigh in 2 Photo Only 2 Traditional Weigh in 25

challenging in some areas in terms of accessing a ‘playing field’. In the long run we have enough people who have the ability, and it’s probably funding that is the issue, which comes back to standards. The only way to get funding through the sports commission is to have a national body and standards. EVENTS NEED TO THINK ABOUT THEIR SPONSORS Another area where fishing probably falls short of other sports is in how they deal with sponsors. The lack of a formal structure and the plethora of fishing event styles means events are not just competing for participants they are competing for sponsorship dollars, often from smaller outlets and local businesses. More organised sports negotiate sponsorships at a peak body level and bring to bear the size of their base. Recent controversies in cricket over the number of participants should be noted by fishers – Cricket Australia has a playing

has been largely amateur in all respects. Steve and Nicholle took the presentation of fishing up a few notches and helped to provide useful insights into the skill and dedication of its participants. Not to mention – they made fishing fun, which is critical to growing an audience. You should check out the Hobie Worlds video on the Hobie Worlds Facebook page. There is still quite a lot of work to do on the waterside of the sport. Events like the Tour de France follow the action throughout the day, which can be done because the leaders all group together, but it’s much harder with fishing because everyone scatters. Then there is the limitations of mobile signals. Nonetheless, these are challenges that have to be overcome to deliver a product that will gain a wider audience. In the long run, audience is what delivers value to sponsors and funding for the sport. I think livestreaming has to be where the content/

g. een. Lift sides price e.

presentation of events is developed because it’s the cheapest medium that you can still create a professional product in. Unlike television, the potential livestreaming audience is not limited in format. WHAT’S THE SCALE OF THE FRAGMENTATION CHALLENGE? I wanted to put some actual data around the variance in fishing competitions. All up we have seven classifications for events we use at present: • High End C&R – competitions like the Barra Nationals that attract top fishers specifically for the prizes/recognition of skill for Catch and Release. • Community – open to general community, can have both high and lower skill fishers but the format is some form of catch and release. • Club – run specifically for members of a fishing club. Tends to have highly skilled fishers but focused on recognition within the club. • Live Weigh In – events like the ABT with fish stored in live wells, weighed at a central point then released. • Length Weigh In – Variant on the live weigh in where fish are measured. • Photo Only – Artistic or Glory photo competition. • Traditional Weigh in. I extracted a sample of the past twelve months of events

from our network that fitted that list. Note in the near future we will be doing offshore and gamefishing events which will add to the list above of variants. BREAKDOWN OF PARTICIPATION As TMF started out in high end events, that has been our staple but over the past six months community and club events have more and more been a part of the mix. We added Traditional Weigh Ins in March, so we have only run a small number of events there, so it has to be noted that the results for that class are likely skewed. It should also be noted that the Traditional Weigh Ins we

have participated in would be considered community events in terms of attendance. Nonetheless as you would expect typically community events are the most well attended, followed by High End. Of the Traditional Weigh Ins we have worked at though, there have been big numbers. This may be due to the fact that this format is dying off and so people rally around the fewer events that are out there. The more important takeaway from my point of view is just how fragmented the tournament scene is and in the long run I don’t think that’s sustainable. EVENT CATEGORIES Another measure we have of these groups is

event categories, i.e. how many prize categories are on offer. This analysis excludes one common category – random draw/ random length as these are essentially raffles by another name. Having said that, I would say on experience that almost all community events, and even many high end events have some form of random prize. As a rule, the more serious the competitions the less categories are on offer, with a greater emphasis on placings and prizes for placings. In my mind that’s a good thing from a sports perspective, though in most sports placings rarely are considered past third from an official perspective.

Fig.3. Comparison of participation in event categories.

The more interesting breakdown comes in how those categories are assessed. While there are an endless variety of systems, the number of fish is the dominant feature of all systems with three common formats: Best Fish (single), Best Bag (fixed number of fish), Open (number of fish). Overwhelmingly single fish categories dominate when considering the number of categories on offer. The one surprising value for me though was that the bag format was more common in high-end events that are unlimited. That is a great example of the mind playing tricks on me, because my perception from on the ground was the complete opposite. The first measure was looking at how many categories are on offer – but how about participation in those categories? As there is more single fish categories on offer, you would expect those to dominate. Against expectation, while they do at the community/traditional weigh in level, they don’t in almost all other event types. That suggests to me that in the more sports events fishers prefer to focus on categories with numbers. The unexpected takeaway is bags dominate in terms of participation at the sports level in events we work with.

MOVING FORWARD If fishing is to move forward we have to pick a set of rules, have a better system for bringing in people, provide a centrepiece for the best fishers and a peak body capable of negotiating not just with government but sponsors as well. The real question though – is it time? My personal answer, almost certainly! The era of the sole amateur is going away in most sports, and having seen the skills of fishers across the country, the time has come for proper official government accredited recognition of that skill. I would be first in line to do the scoring and be part of a national tournament series that takes juniors through the ranks to compete with the best the country has to offer. I have already done that for more than one sport and I would consider it the achievement of a lifetime to do it for fishing. Does that mean the traditional tournaments need to go away? I don’t think they ever will. There will always be a traditional fishery but there should be a choice for competitors on their progression path. What would that national sport look like? That is a question I have been thinking on for some time, but you will have to wait a month for the answer.

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VIC SEPTEMBER 2019

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The subscriber prize winner for July is T Siddle of Tyers, who won a pair of Tonic Tango Sunglasses. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – V&TFM

Clunes, L Milkins of Wonthaggi, B Bell of Wodonga, T Gillett of Portarlington, P Gigliotti of Coburg North, R Shrimpton of Rosebud, G Easterbrook of Tootgarook, D Hill of Cranbourne North, M Miller of Euroa, B Schnitzer of Cooma, J Thomas of Broadford, J Drummond of Moe, R Drendel of Mount Helen, M De Voigt of Moe, D Robinson of Carisbrook, M Stevens of

Alfredton, C Hale of Sorell, R Coombes of Vermont, S Brightwell of Mordialloc, W Johnson of Morwell, G Smith of Stawell, R Price of Mildura, K Dowell of Highton, H Siesmaa of Ferntree Gully, D Biggs of Sale, J Peeters of Colac, G Thomson of North Garlong, G Bell of Mernda, M Koumanidis of Knoxfield. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – V&TFM

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS

FIND THE DAIWA LOGO

SEPTEMBER 2019

GUESS THE FISH?

This month’s Guess the Fish Answer: Chinaman Fish

The answers to Find the Daiwa Logo for July were: 8, 14, 19, 26, 28, 29, 35, 36, 39, 44, 48, 54, 57, 75, 80. – V&TFM The Find the Daiwa Logo prize winners for July were: J McNamara of Goornong, K Tripp of Glenroy, C Smith of Traralgon, J Smith of Carranballac, G Finco of Sunshine West, A Melis of Reservoir, A Pollard of Darley, J Ellis of Reservior, W Henley of Park Orchards, P Cobb of Berrigan, M Pearce of Devonport, J Morrison of

Answer:

boats & kayaks

In the skipperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seat

Inside story...

After WWII, the pace of life changed as a war-ravaged world now craved speed and excitement. This era saw enterprising young businessman Jim Whittley who, along with his brother Ossie, indulged a love of boating. In 1953, Jim produced his first timber boat out of a small shop in the Melbourne suburb of Bulleen. In the late 1960s they made the switch to fibreglass, and have been moving forward ever since.

Made for...

Whittley balances traditional core boating values with constant improvement and delivers on that original promise of quality and innovation.

This month...

Steve Morgan compares two much-loved Whittley hulls now re-powered with Yamaha outboards! Check it out on page 80.

72 To SUP or kayak? Justin Willmer looks at the tough decision of whether to SUP or kayak when you need to scratch the itch!

74 Used boat knowledge

Wayne Kampe draws upon his years of experience, and details some things to look out for when buying a used boat.

78 Aquamaster 530 HC with Suzuki 140hp Editor Steve Morgan takes a ride in this Aussie-built fishing machine on a glorious day!

FEBRUARY 2019

To SUP or kayak? BRISBANE

Justin Willmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

Winter has turned on some fantastic weather for fishing and hopefully you have had an opportunity to get

thoughts and sometimes the solution just pops into your head… once you make some space for it. With this in mind, I keep an eye on the weather and tides and grab any opportunity that I can get my hands on… often despite both the weather

and tides that I’m paying attention to! If it’s glassy I’ll slide the SUP in, and if it’s blowing then I’ll drop the kayak or boat in and if the weather is horrible, I’ll often still have a crack land-based, just to throw a few casts. It’s the SUP that I really

A magic morning for SUP fishing. Calm conditions are perfect for this style of fishing.

The green lantern coloured ZMan 3” MinnowZ getting the bite. out and chase a few. It’s a busy time of year for those of us in the fishing tackle industry, with the ICAST Fishing Tackle Trade Show in the USA and AFTA in Australia, along with new product development and releases, new catalogues and everything else that goes with it. Fishing Monthly is a great place to keep up to date with the latest releases, both in the magazine and via their Facebook page, so stay tuned for more exciting new releases. When we’re busy, many of us will often shelve the fishing for a while, however I find that this is when we most need to get out, relax, defrag and chase a few fish. Even a couple of hours casting can help you get a better perspective on what you’re working on, clear the

SEPTEMBER 2019

easily retrieved and leashed to the deck or additional floatation attached. It’s in weather and tide where I did learn my lessons hence the title of this article. If you want to give SUP fishing a go, you can hire them or borrow one from someone. To get the most out of the experience, add an icebox with rubber feet to the deck in case you wish to sit down, but more importantly, check the weather! My decision on whether to SUP is almost entirely based on weather. I check on Seabreeze and other such weather programs and I am looking for winds under 5 knots for a sustained period, preferably blowing in a direction that will be at my back on the way home. I also make note of the tides and try to use them, rather than battle them for the entire session. Mornings are often the prime time for SUP fishing, before the afternoon sea breezes that commonly blow in many regions. With a glassy morning on the forecast, I readied my gear the night before and launched at sunrise

of drains, I had landed two small flathead, a small bream and an aggressive but small whiting. The session was panning out as I had expected, with little bait and fish action, however the weather was amazing, and so I decided to make the most of it by spending more time stand up paddling than I normally do. I explored a large shallow weed flat, spotting schools of big mullet, paddling and cruising with stingrays, as well as spending time with a couple of small turtles. Talk about unwinding… I was getting a good dose of vitamin sea! My time on the water was limited and I was keen to take home a feed of fresh fish for my wife and I, so I thought of the times previously when I had written ‘eat the bait’, in relation to species such as gar, mullet, squid and in my local waters, yellowtail pike. Yellowtail pike hold over the weed beds where I live, hunting prawns and baitfish through the cooler months. I knew where they would be holding and that I was guaranteed of catching

Just undersize but where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

The kayak is a better option than the SUP in windy conditions. 72

love to get out on though, when the weather is good. There’s a sense of freedom on the SUP, with minimal gear, that sense of floating and gliding, and just standing on the water. You almost just blend into the environment and become a part of it, with fish cruising beneath you, with virtually no noise, no fuel smells, an elevated view to observe wildlife and the environment and when you do hook a fish it’s a unique experience fighting, landing and handling them from a stand up paddleboard. I guess

it’s the sense of freedom that surfers, hikers and other lightweight adventurers seek. There is adrenaline filled moments and then there are those moments where you just feel at peace with the world. I know, it all sounds a bit romantic and I haven’t mentioned falling in, dropping things overboard and battling the wind and tide. Touch wood though, I haven’t fallen in or dropped anything in the water and I always ensure important tools and accessories are either leashed or have an accessory float attached to ensure they will not sink if they find themselves in the water. I always test newly attached accessory floats in the shallows prior to launching so that items can be

Boat hulls are a good producer of bream, trevally, tailor and other species. to beat the boat traffic and make the most of the weather. I was expecting a slow bite, as I was just after the full moon, the tides weren’t great and there hadn’t been a lot of bait around, however it was more about getting out there and making the most of a spectacular morning. After an hour of drifting and casting plastics along the weed edges and into a couple

a dozen for a feed, so a short paddle had me on the spot and casting. These slimy, smelly and toothy critters can’t resist a ZMan 2.5” Slim SwimZ, slow rolled on a 1/8-1/4oz 1/0 jighead. The head weight ensures the paddle-tail swims on the drop and a simple slow roll (slow wind), or slow roll with the occasional pause or a few twitches, will get their

attention. It is often a fish a cast, with half landed and half managing to free themselves or occasionally bite you off. Most of my yellowtail pike fishing is done in a metre or two of water and when landing them I just swing them in, grab them firmly and then store them on ice. I quickly had a dozen in the icebox and decided to head for home, making a few casts at boat hulls on the way back. I have pulled plenty of bream from boat hulls on the Gold Coast, however I had only recently started paying attention to the boat hulls in my local waters. I usually make a cast along the mooring rope and try and trace the rope down to the bottom so that my lure is working the mooring and lower section of rope. The next cast is to the front corner of the boat and swum back along the hull. I’ll then make another cast to the middle of the boat hull, bringing the lure past the back corner of the boat and finally a couple of casts around the outboard and eddies at the

flathead. In the cooler months the flathead fight especially hard, although and I was surprised when a flathead that measured a couple of centimetres under legal was in the net and released. This was quickly followed by another small flathead. Instead of being frustrated, I remembered that the smaller fish often school with bigger fish. Sure enough, a cast right to the weed edge, a couple of hops and I was battling what felt like a better quality

The C-Tug Trolley from Railblaza makes launching and retrieving simple. and lost a powerful fish that may have been a trevally, before moving onto the second hull and pinning a bream, right on the back corner where I tend to hook most fish. It was time to call it and it had been a fantastic day on the water, despite the lack of

fish, however my previous experiences told me to make a call based on the weather and kayak fish instead. It turned out to be a good call, as the wind would have been blowing me away from the bank that I wanted to fish… a much more difficult

Chasing yellowtail pike means scales, slime and smell everywhere, but a feed for dinner. stern of the boat, or around the propeller on inboard motors. It pas to work both sides of the boat, even though the shady side often produces the most fish, and it’s also worth letting the lure hit the bottom in the shadow of the boat, as this has produced plenty of flathead that lay in the shadow and ambush prey. At the first hull I hooked

It took about 20% of the time to drift back as it had to drift down and I managed another legal flathead on the way back, which I kept for my folks, as I wasn’t sure when I would be back on the water again… although I knew I would make a couple of hours somewhere. These two short sessions had been enough to keep me sane and improve my state of mind, focus and productivity. Remember to look after yourself and if your love is

big fish. That night we turned a less popular table fish into some delicious fish cakes and salad, with sweet chilli sauce, before it was back to work, recharged and with a fresh set of eyes. The next window of opportunity that arose saw a less than favourable forecast, with winds to blow up quite early. I had planned to SUP

A solid flatty comes up yakside, ready for the net.

assignment on the SUP. In the kayak I could position my drift angle for casting and so that a few pedals would quickly and easily return me to a cast distance from the edge. With a few hours available this session was to be my classic edge bite session, with a 2.5” paddle-tail on a 1/4oz jighead and a 3” paddletail on a 3/8oz jighead. The lighter jighead was for the slower tapering edges and the heavier jighead was for steeper channel edges and working the lure effectively when the wind picked up. At the end of the day you need to stay in contact with the soft plastic and hop it effectively, so the added weight makes this much easier, especially when targeting flathead, and you want that soft plastic hitting the bottom regularly. The water was clear in the shallows and a green colour deeper, so I opted for a natural, more translucent

green colour, as opposed to a dark silhouette colour or fluoro. Again, the moon and tides weren’t in my favour, but I had the time and was happy to drift and flick, enjoying the serenity and confident that I would bump into at least one legal fish for dinner if I covered enough water and made enough casts. It’s often the same anglers catching the fish or posting a quality capture on social media… remember it’s also often these anglers that are the ones spending time on the water, going the extra mile and making plenty of casts. Regardless of the sport that you take up, be it golf, tennis or football, it’s time on the course, court or field where you learn the most and for us as anglers our arena and training ground is on the water. After a hundred metres of bank I had no fish and not even a bite. Not to worry. The bank structure and depth changes as you move along it and I wasn’t trying to catch cricket scores, rather just trying to enjoy the time on the water and land one for dinner. It wasn’t long before the lure was nailed as it sunk down after a couple of hops, the rod buckled over and I was into what felt like a reasonable

A second quality flathead for the short kayak edge bite session. flathead. It was soon in the net and then onto the lip grips to make handling safer and easier for a photo and dispatched into the icebox. I had my fish for dinner and the tide had begun to turn to carry me back home! The return drift was wind and tide together, creating a fast drift that required the heavier 3/8oz jighead to cast ahead of the drift and effectively control and stay in contact with the soft plastic.

fishing, a few casts off the bank somewhere is better than nothing. The busier that you find yourself, the more important it is to make time, step back and clear your mind, making you happier, more productive and maybe even a better person to be around! I’m no doctor, however I can definitely recommend a solid dose of vitamin sea… or lake… or river. See you on the water.

They’re slimy and smelly but they’re also pretty good smoked or turned into fish cakes. SEPTEMBER 2019

A used boat can make sense BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

A boat provides immense possibilities when it comes to accessing fishable water, so it’s not surprising that so many anglers are keen to either upgrade an existing rig or to bite the bullet and bring home their first boat. This

USED CAR VS USED BOAT To start off with, you should know that there’s a world of difference between buying a used boat and a used car. Used cars don’t carry a legacy of a working life in a very hostile environment, an environment that demands a lot of care and continual appraisal of quite a few different systems to

providing a service manager ’s appraisal of an engine’s hours, compression rating of cylinders and (this is the gold standard) a record of service through the engine’s life is going to do very well when it comes to a sale. If you came across such a craft, it would be well worth considering. Dealers have these sorts of rigs at times,

Once the engine cover is off it’s easy to check for water leaks (the white powder is salt) plus any residue in the bottom of the pan around the block. is particularly true at this time of year, with summer on the horizon! Big boat shows have a huge number of excellent craft on display, which is great, but this can provide a financial reality check if you’re on a strict budget. A decent boat involves a decent amount of money! These days, even so-called ‘cheap and cheerful’ tinnies are no longer exactly cheap thanks to the ban on fitting new carby-based 2-stroke engines. Your choice is restricted to either a 4-stroke engine or one of the direct injection 2-strokes, and both have more impact on the hip pocket than the old 2-strokes. So the question begs asking: does a used boat make sense?

maintain top performance, along with a trouble-free existence. A used boat, of course, might be young enough to attract a maker’s warranty, but the boating industry seems to have different standards regarding warranty provisions when compared to car manufacturers. Cars come with a whole-of-unit warranty, whereas boat warranties are often broken into trailer, engine and hull, with seemingly different factory backing for each component. And when it comes to the used product, log book service records are virtually a prerequisite to selling a car, but don’t seem to be necessary for boats. That said, a seller

SEPTEMBER 2019

Low emission two-stroke outboards, like this 15hp Mercury are great engine options for modern boats. FIND THAT BOAT You can find lots of used boats from private sellers on sites like gumtree.com. au, boatsales.com.au and tournamentboats.com.au.

These springs tell the story of failure to wash down carefully after use. There are fair lashings of grease on the hub, so perhaps the bearings were greased now and then.

This prop has only faint shiny sections on the tips of the blades and the skeg is unmarked. Some very slight wear and tear is evident, but the rig has not been subjected to too much hard work. 74

as will the very occasional private seller. Of course, most boats are offered for sale without service records or expert appraisal, and boats with smaller engines usually come without any indication of engine hours, unlike cars, which have odometers. And sometimes a boat that has already changed hands once might have been fitted with a new hour metre to record the new owner’s use. With all that in mind, how can you ensure that your dollars are wisely spent? Let’s look at a few things to safeguard your investment. CONSIDER WITH CARE The most important task is to narrow the field down to exactly what size and style of boat will best suit your needs. I have written articles on this in the past, and you can find them at wp.fishingmonthly.com.au. When it comes to used boats, you have the option of buying one with a 2-stroke outboard. Existing 2-stroke outboards aren’t illegal, and they’re lighter than equivalent 4-strokes and are very easy on the

transom. Moreover, they require fewer trips to the service department and have that characteristic ‘get up and go’ 2-stroke response right through their power band, making them an excellent power source. True, 4-strokes are certainly quieter at idle. Fuel injected E-Tecs also have great 2-stroke power, the lowest emissions of all, plus a reputation for frugal running. Still, a 2-stroke engine purchased in the last few years which is properly maintained will still represent good value for money, so it’s worth considering.

Then you have the boat yards with their rows of rigs ready to roll. There’s certainly no shortage of options for the potential used boat buyer. As with buying a used car, a visual inspection is a must, and first impressions are very important. If the boat looks highly presentable there’s a good chance it has been well looked after, and would be a worthwhile buy. After that first impression, it’s time to look for all the clues as to how the owner has treated their rig. From the ground up It’s good to start from the trailer and work up.

If the trailer looks good it’s a fair indication that the owner has taken steps to maintain it, and will probably have treated the engine and hull in a same manner. There are plenty of telltale signs as to how well the trailer has been looked after. The rollers or skids should be in good order, and the winch greased and free with a clean strap. If there’s a wire rope on the spindle, there shouldn’t be any rusted sections. In addition to this, the galvanised sections of a trailer are a good indication as to how much TLC a boat has been subjected to. The more exposure to saltwater a trailer gets, the greater the likelihood of discolouration and maybe even corrosion if steps are not taken to wash it off. A trailer that has been washed down soon after use will resist deterioration far better than one which has been shoved into the shed with saltwater still dripping off it. And if the owner has been religiously washing their trailer, it follows that they’d be religiously washing their boat at the same time. Leaf springs on a trailer will show signs of corrosion pretty readily, as will the nearby brake components (if it’s a braked trailer), so either will be worth a look. Next, it might be an idea to check the manufacture dates of the engine and trailer to see if they roughly correspond, which can give you an idea of the over all authenticity of the rig, as presented. All hulls,

engine, and trailers carry identification plates which are displayed prominently, but don’t be too alarmed at seeing a few months difference in manufacture as all engines are imported, which involves transportation times.

to cover a used craft, along with an engine assessment sheet. That mans that a boat in a dealer’s yard, especially if warranty still covers the engine or hull, is a good bet. A reputable dealer will certainly provide after-sales service

as fine white powder from dried salt, or oil leaks. There’s a tray around the base of every engine block which, hopefully, will be clean and free of residue. A bit of clean grease around mobile components and linkages are signs of regular maintenance and will be encouraging. Before start-up, have a feel of the block to see if it’s warm. If so, you know it has been given a bit of a prior rev to ensure that it starts readily. While this is not necessarily bad, it must be remembered that the engine won’t be warm at daylight on the ramp. For this reason, a cold start-up would be far preferable. A look at the engine’s skeg (the lowest part of

Now there’s a prop that has had some polishing on the sand. It’s obvious that this rig has had some hard work in its life.

Those wheel nuts give an insight into the owner’s careless treatment of the rig. Give the engine a onceover Whether the craft is privately sold or in a dealer’s yard, it’s essential to look at the engine. Service history is the gold standard, and some sellers do have them. Dealers will usually have a check sheet

for a rig purchased from them, and won’t simply fob off a service issue that might arise. Whether it’s a private sale or at a boat yard, ask to have the engine cover (cowling) removed. With it off it’s easy to look for water leaks, which show up

I.D. and compliance plates on the trailer, boat and engine should give an accurate assessment of a rig’s age.

the engine) is important. Ploughing through sand removes paint, and while the skeg can be repainted, wear and tear will still tell the story. You can also tell a lot from an alloy prop with some paint off, or shiny bits or small nicks showing through. All of these signs paint a picture of what sort of life the boat has likely had, and this may or may not be consistent with the owner’s story. A bit of colour off a prop is no big deal, but dings or nicks in it are sure signs the engine might have been

force fed some sand in its life, thus promoting possible overheating. With the engine running and cooled by a water source, it’s possible to give it a quick flick in or out of gear to see if the gears mesh correctly. You can expect a small noise at engagement, but be wary of loud jarring sounds or crunches. There you have it – some starting points for assessing a used boat. In my next article I’ll tell you want to look for in the interior of a used boat, both glass and alloy.

Carl Jocumsen Fishing Shirts Now Available • Identical logos to Carl’s 2019 Bassmaster Elite series jersey. • Quality dye-sublimated fishing shirt. • Profits help Carl’s Elite Series campaign. • Shipped locally in Australia via Australia Post.

95 Each

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www.wp.fishingmonthly.com.au SEPTEMBER 2019

WHAT’S NEW BOATING OVERBOARD ALERT 1 SYSTEM

TITAN OUTBOARD LOCK

The new ACR OLAS (Overboard Location Alert System) product range includes the ACR OLAS Tag for attachment on your wrist or lifejacket. The technology works by detecting a break in the ‘virtual tether’ from the mobile device to the OLAS MOB system within eight seconds of someone falling overboard. The phone stores the GPS location, sounds a loud alarm, alerting the crew to the man overboard incident before the OLAS app then aids the recovery with directions to the stored GPS location. The Tag’s universal silicone strap can be used by crew, children and animals, and is ideal for daytime cruising. An alternative option is the OLAS Float-On, a water-activated USB rechargeable torch, which is easy to attach to a lifejacket and is ideal for boating at night. Introducing the latest 5.0 Bluetooth technology, the ACR platform also features the OLAS Core Base Station and OLAS Guardian, a wireless engine kill switch, for boaters who require extended functionality. Keep an eye out for ACR OLAS in selected chandlery outlets later this year. www.acrartex.com

The Titan Outboard Motor Lock has been cast for strength and durability. This lock comes in two sizes, and features an easy-to-use locking system that comes with two keys. It has a brass locking mechanism for long-lasting performance, and easily mounts over the mounting clamp handles for cut-resistant protection. It has been cast from aluminium alloy, and its Marine Grade black paint provides superior rust resistance, withstanding over the 500 hours of salt spray testing. Standard stainless steel cap locks are installed. The smaller model has a 12mm bold, a 14mm slot size and measures (L)280mm x (W)50mm. The larger version has a 16mm bold, a 17.5mm slot size, and measures (L)280mm x (W)50mm. Price: SRP $90-$100 www.titanmarineproducts.com

REPOWER PROMOTION

Mercury is offering a free rigging kit worth up to $1,575 with the purchase of a new 4.5L, 6.2L or 8.2L MerCruiser package. The kit consists of Mechanical SC1000 SmartCraft rigging kit, a single panel control, two control cables and one trim harness. Those wanting the premium experience can use the bonus value and upgrade to Digital Throttle and Shift (DTS) and simply pay the remaining difference. These MerCrusier engines have been designed and built for true customer value, with a proven durable marine design, smooth and quiet boating experience, greater performance with increased power and torque, exceptional fuel economy at cruising speeds, and improved access to maintenance touchpoints. Mercury MerCruiser engines and drive systems are designed, tested, and built exclusively for the marine environment. They have ultra-responsive acceleration, impressive manoeuvrability and superior durability. The large displacement of a Mercury MerCruiser means it will barely break a sweat while it delivers all the well-mannered power you want. The offer runs until 27 September 2019. www.mercurymarine.com

MAGMA KAYAK HOLDER

No more cluttered decks or damage to expensive kayaks and paddleboards from inadequate transport. Magma’s new adjustable, all-angle, rod holder-mounted kayak/SUP rack fits into any standard paired set of rod holders to safety transport your water toys. This convenient storage rack easily attaches to any paired set of standard straight or angled rod holders to crate a strong and reliable rack system. Made of 100% 304 marine stainless steel and 365 hand-anodized aircraft quality aluminium, each arm has two strong welded tie-down loops and is covered with a durable UV-protected polyethylene foam pad to protect your water toys from damage. These racks are designed to hold almost any kayak or one or more SUPs, wakeboards or surfboards. Magma’s LeveLock all-angle adjustable mounting system, along with the Pow’rGrip adjustable quick release rod holder system, allows the racks to be quickly installed and adjusted without tools. Price: SRP $430 www.magmaproducts.com 76

SEPTEMBER 2019

PRODUCT GUIDE

MOTORGUIDE CABLE5 STEER TOUR PRO The MotorGuide Tour Pro is the industry’s first true cable-steer motor with GPS anchor. Tour Pro models combine Pinpoint GPS, the most accurate GPS anchor available, with traditional pull-pull stainless steel cables for smooth, responsive steering. The Tour and Tour Pro motors are both built for tough conditions with a full 360° breakaway mount with integrated bounce buster and a rugged 2-piece shaft with metal outer column and composite inner shaft. Both models include a no-flex metal foot pedal that provides the most solid steering in the market. The new motors will include MotorGuide’s Zero-G lift assist system, which requires half of the effort compared to the competition, as well as the new Katana propeller – a Mercury designed two-blade weedless prop that delivers more power and up to 30% better battery efficiency than previous props. Both models also offer options for MotorGuide’s new HD+ universal sonar with both traditional 2D views and high-definition down-looking views compatible with most major fishfinder brands. The Tour and Tour Pro will be available in the first quarter of 2020. www.mercurymarine.com

NAVIONICS SONARCHART SHADING

Navionics has released SonarChart Shading for its Platinum+ cartography products for Australian waters. Embedded within the satellite overlay content layer, SonarChart Shading provides a detailed rendering of the seafloor. Varying shades of blue reveal changes in depth, highlighting channels, drop-offs, and other structures that give users better situational awareness and clear, visual cues to identify fish-holding structure. SonarChart Shading can be viewed on the same GPS chartplotters that are compatible with Platinum+ satellite overlay and with the same options, including selectable overlay on land, land and shallows or full overlay. Adjustable transparency allows customers to view the new imagery blended with either the SonarChart bathymetry map or the Nautical Chart. At closer zoom levels, SonarChart Shading is replaced by the actual satellite imagery over water, allowing boaters to see a bird’s eye perspective of sandbars, marshes and backwater channels. In addition to SonarChart Shading, Platinum+ will offer updated and optimized high-resolution satellite imagery. www.navionics.com

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

SCAN THE QR CODE!

Victorian Tide Times

2019 2019 Local Time

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

18’ S of High LONG 144° 37’ E TimesLAT and38° Heights and Low Waters Times and Heights of High and Low Waters MARCH JANUARY FEBRUARY NOVEMBER Time m Time Time m Time m Time OCTOBER m Time mSEPTEMBER 0113 0801 TU 1359 2109 SU

1 1 2 0205 0853 2

WE 1455 MO 2215

3 0304 0948 3

TH 1557 TU 2318

4 0414 1046 4

FR 1700 WE

5 0018 0529 5

SA 1145 TH 1800

6 0115 0635 6

SU 1240 FR 1852

Time 0.54 0026 1.48 0617 0.35 1320 1.37 1852 0.65 0128 1.41 0715 0.36 1407 1.38 1945 0.75 0224 1.35 0807 0.36 1451 1.41 2036 0.81 0317 1.30 0855 0.35 1532 2125 1.45 0410 0.82 0942 1.28 1613 0.33 2212 1.50 0501 0.79 1026 1.29 1653 0.30 2257

Time m Time m 0032 0.58 0230 0.73 01191.32 1.65 07120111 1.431.39 0907 07020.36 0.41 13050710 0.410.48 FR 1515 13371.35 1.60 1956 1.311.49 2245 MO 1341 TU 1933 0.52 1923 0.25 0116 0.67 0330 0.80 02141.26 1.74 07520152 1.381.46 1004 07520.39 0.41 13460746 0.390.48 SA 1617 14211.35 1.62 TU 1412 WE 2058 1.311.51 2345 2007 0.45 2012 0.16 0207 0.75 0444 0.84 03051.22 1.77 08400230 1.331.52 1106 08380.40 0.44 14350821 0.360.49 SU 1724 WE 1442 TH 1502 1.62 2205 1.341.53 2058 0.13 2040 0.40 0307 0.83 0045 1.38 03530.82 1.76 09360305 1.291.55 0559 09211.21 0.47 15330854 0.330.51 MO 1208 15430.38 1.59 TH 1514 FR 2317 1.391.53 1825 2143 0.15 2112 0.36 0420 0.86 0138 1.43 04400.76 1.70 10420341 1.281.57 0704 10031.24 0.52 16440929 0.290.54 TU 1305 16230.36 1.53 FR 1545 1.51 SA 1918 2143 0.34 2227 0.20 0026 1.47 0222 1.47 0418 1.57 0626 1.61 0538 0.84 0757 0.69 1003 0.58 1145 0.57 11561618 1.301.48 WE 1356 1.28 1804 1.46 SA SU 17572215 0.240.33 2005 0.34 01280458 1.551.54 0300 00091.51 0.28 06481039 0.760.62 0841 07140.62 1.51 13071653 1.361.44 TH 1441 12271.32 0.62 MO SU 19032247 0.180.33 2046 18480.33 1.38 02230542 1.631.50 0331 1.54 0051 0.37 07481115 0.660.68 0920 08040.55 1.42 1409 1.43 1522 FR 1730 1.39 0.68 MO TU 13101.37 20032324 0.150.34 2123 19380.34 1.29

16 16

1.48 0.32 WE 1.63 0.54

Time 0140 0234 0802 0824 SA 1400 1433 WE2128 2032 0233 0311 0859 0859 SU 1457 1508 TH2241 2105 0341 0346 1008 0932 MO 1608 1543 FR2356 2138 0501 0422 1132 1008 TU 1730 SA 1617 2211 0101 0500 0621 1043 WE 1251 1653 SU1848 2245 0159 0539 0730 1119 1358 TH 1729 MO1953 2320 0250 0621 0828 1157 1458 FR 1809 TU2048

16 16

17 17

18 18

19 19

20 20

21 21

1.58 0.31 TH 1.67 0.41 1.66 0.33 FR 1.69 0.30 1.70 0.38 SA 1.69 0.23

1.69 0.44 SU 1.65 0.21 1.65 0.51 MO 1.60 0.23

m 0.72 1.52 1.34 0.56 0.30 1.44 1.36 0.36 0.79 1.60 1.30 0.55 0.30 1.47 1.36 0.31 0.83 1.64 1.27 0.55 0.31 1.48 1.41 0.28 0.81 1.66 1.29 0.56 0.30 1.47 0.27 1.48 1.65 0.72 0.58 1.36 1.44 0.26 0.27 1.56 1.61 0.59 0.61 1.45 1.40 0.24 0.29

1.55 1.59 7 0203 22 22 0730 0.73 0.58 7 0555 1109

22 22

8 8

0337 0000 1.66 0.32 23 0921 23 0708 0.33 1.48 SA 1553 1.61

1.30 1.52 MO 1330 TU SA 1735 1939 0.28 0.28 2341 0246 0649 1.58 1.51 0816 1152 0.68 0.66 TU 1415 WE 1819 SU 1.33 1.44 2022 0.27

23 23

1.62 1.55 0.45 0.64 1.55 1.36 0.24

WE 1237 0.67 2139 1858 0.26 1.32

1.60 0.35 03140631 1.691.44 0401 0420 0026 01351.56 0.46 0045 1.67 0.37 9 0323 24 24 0859 0.63 1.43 08441156 0.540.73 9 9 0956 1010 9 24 0745 09000.49 1.3424 0802 0.23 1.41 WE 1458 1.35 TH 1505 1.50 SA 1601 1.40 SU 1646 1.64 MO 1238 0.74 TU 1814 1.35 2102 1910 0.28 1.36 2058 0.15

WE 1400 0.74 2157 20380.37 1.22

TH 1325 0.69 2225 1958 0.31 1.28

Time 0113 0348 0741 1345 FR 0918 2105 FR 1533 2130 0158 0433 0829 1431 SA 1000 SA 1615 2201 2215 0250 0515 0924 1528 SU 1042 SU 1655 2301 2257 0359 0557 1030 1639 MO 1122 1736 MO 2337 0003 0638 0520 1203 1138 TU 1819 TU 1753

m 0.63 1.81 1.38 0.52 0.32 1.55 1.37 0.12 0.71 1.78 1.29 0.52 0.39 1.52 1.32 0.16 0.78 1.72 1.22 0.54 0.46 1.47 1.29 0.23 0.82 1.63 1.18 0.56 0.50 1.40 0.31 1.30 1.54 0.82 0.60 1.17 1.33 0.50

Local Time APRIL DECEMBER Time Time m

m Time m Time m 0036 0.65 0215 0.77 0327 04140846 1.75 1.22 06521.70 1.39 0910 09421439 0.57 0.54 12480.62 0.28 SA MO 1.45 1.29 19581.43 1.44 SU 15502210 SA 1515 MO 2107 0.22 2150 0.20 0118 0.71 0316 0.81 0405 04530955 1.70 1.18 07381.71 1.35 0946 1023 0.56 0.61 13330.60 0.30 SU TU 1543 1.42 1.28 SU 1554 TU 20591.43 1.39 MO 16312310 2144 0.22 2231 0.26 0209 0.76 0438 0.80 0445 05301110 1.63 1.18 08371.70 1.30 1024 11031705 0.56 0.64 14300.59 0.35 MO WE MO 1632 22101.42 1.37 TU 1713 1.37 WE 2221 0.23 2311 0.34 0315 0.78 0008 1.30 0524 06060601 1.56 0.74 09531.65 1.28 1102 1143 0.57 1.23 15430.59 0.40 TU TH 1220 1.31 0.64 TU 1714 TH 23251.40 1.38 WE 17551822 2348 0.42 2301 0.27 0437 0.74 0058 1.34 06430659 1.48 0.65 0606 11231.59 1.31 12231318 0.58 1.32 1142 17100.59 0.42 WE FR 1.25 0.62 TH 18401919 FR WE 1758 1.36 2345 0.32 0031 1.44 0140 1.39 0650 1.52 0027 0.51 0600 0.64 0742 0.56 1226 0.59 0720 1.42 12431.33 1.40 1407 1.42 TH SA 1850 1305 0.59 SA TH 1833 0.41 FR 2002 1933 1.21 0.60 01300.41 1.51 0033 01080217 0.60 1.44 07111.46 0.50 0740 08010718 1.35 0.47 13500.57 1.52 1349 FR SU 1315 1351 0.59 1.52 FR 1940 0.40 SA SU 20391940 1.18 0.58 1955 1.30

16 16

Time

0350 16 16 0926 TU 1535 2124

m 0055 1.71 0730 0.62 1313 1.42 2043 0.19 0200 1.71 0852 0.58 1425 1.43 2153 0.21 0322 1.67 1021 0.54 1552 1.42 2258 0.26 0443 1.63 1136 0.49 1715 1.40 2356 0.34 0548 1.57 1241 0.46 1822 1.37

17 17

0431 17 17 1007

18 18

0513 18 18 1049

19 19

0553 19 19 1133

20 20

0635 20 20 1220

0100 1.33 0.40 6 0017 0636 0.76 21 6 0721 1.44 21 1243 1.21 WE

0028 0.44 0643 21 21 0719 1.51 SU 1339

22 22

44 55

WE 1245 1855 1907 0146 0059 0733 0808 1339 TH 1331 TH 1945 2005

0.64 0.48 1.26 1.38 0.49 0.67 1.36 1.27 0.67 0.45 1.19

22 22

WE 1619 2207

TH 1704 2251

FR 1753 2338 SA 1848

m 0.73 1.33 0.46 1.41 0.72 1.32 0.55 1.41 0.67 1.38 0.60 1.44 0.56 1.49 0.60 1.49 0.43 1.61 0.59

0048 1.54 0.32 1.72 1310 0.42 1915 1957 1.35 0.58 0120 0136 0.55 1.57 0809 0731 1.45 0.24 MO 1430 1405 0.39 1.79 2115 2002 1.36 0.58 0218 0219 0.66 1.58 0904 0816 1.40 0.21 TU 1516 1506 0.36 1.80 2230 2045 1.41 0.58

0225 0.59 1.43 02210.51 1.57 01560153 0.70 1.48 8 0145 230129 8 0752 0817 1.30 0.5823 08081.41 0.36 8 0846 8 23 23 0900 1.30 0.39 0837 FR 1426 1.35 SA 1450 1.63 MO 1429 1.60

FR 1426 0.69 SA 1415 0.54 SU 1444 0.58 MO 2028 1.16 0.44 20341.31 0.39 2120 21532015 1.20 0.58 2118

0259 0.67 1.48 03080.61 1.61 02530229 0.79 1.51 0325 0300 0.75 240234 9 0826 24 9 0241 0855 1.26 0.5024 08591.38 0.25 9 0938 9 24 0955 1.27 0.34 1005 0900 1.36 0940 SA 1508 1.42 SU 1545 1.71 TU 1507 1.65 WE 1559

1.57 0.22 SA 1537 0.68 SU 1526 0.48 MO 1545 0.55 TU 1615 0.32 1.77 2104 1.18 0.44 21231.38 0.41 2237 23012051 1.26 0.58 2337 2125 1.47 0.60 2242

1.61 0.43 04000007 1.710.36 0431 0501 0330 0.74 1.51 03510.69 1.63 04040304 0.85 1.51 0443 0338 0.80 0115 02281.56 0.54 0141 1.65 0.44 10 0356 25 25 250351 25 10 0354 0937 0.58 1.37 09360730 0.431.3910 1029 1057 0929 1.25 0.4325 09451.37 0.181010 25 10 10 25 1049 10320900 1.25 0.30 1108 0941 1.35 0843 09580.44 1.2925 0906 0.18 1.37 10 1044 1639 1537 1.36 1600 1.54 1639 1.42 1738 1.63 1546 1.48 1634 1.73 1545 1.67 TH

FR WE 1243 0.77 SU TH 1501 0.77 MO TU 1330 0.80 FR 1425 0.68 2139 2009 0.30 1.29 21491909 0.181.31 2230 2309 21500.40 1.18 2116 0.38 1.28

1.54 0.26 1651 0.49 WE 1722 1641 0.39 TH 0.27 1.71 SU 1657 0.63 MO MO SU TU WE 2204 0.62 2139 1.25 0.45 22071.49 0.44 2127 0.59 2345 2354

1.60 0.49 04450101 1.710.39 04310.71 1.61 0401 0.76 1.53 00010339 1.35 1.50 0039 0416 03341.55 0.61 0249 1.61 0.52 1.55 11 0427 26 26 11 0520 260515 11 0212 110502 260540 26 26 1015 0.54 1.34 10270838 0.341.3611 1100 10301.39 0.161111 1000 1.26 0.3726 1140 1141 05270934 0.86 0.28 0943 10570.39 1.2726 1016 0.17 1.36 11 1145 0559 1019 0.79 1717 1616 1.37 1652 1.55 1717 1.43 1721 1.71 1623 1.67 1624 1.53 1829 1.58 FR

SA TH 1343 0.80 MO FR 1625 0.76 TU WE 1437 0.84 SA 1541 0.63 2214 2115 0.33 1.24 22382021 0.241.28 2303 2350 23040.45 1.19 2246 0.46 1.33

1.49 0.32 1.26 TH 1210 1748 0.29 FR 1.35 1.64 TH MO 1757 0.54 TUTU MO WE 1129 2248 0.48 2212 0.47 17482203 0.42 0.61 1823 2243 0.23 0.65

04561.53 0.64 0413 1.54 0.57 1.62 0042 0057 00540415 1.45 1.48 0136 0455 1.59 0.53 05270210 1.680.43 05101.60 1.57 0433 1.35 1.53 12 0323 120533 270619 27 27 27 12 0458 27 27 12 1044 11520.36 1.2827 1122 0.19 1.38 12 0702 1058 0.74 0629 0628 06321010 0.83 0.28 1050 0.51 1.34 11150951 0.281.3712 1131 11120.70 0.181212 1032 0.74 0.3327 1222 1559 0.84 1459 0.77 1745 0.70 1703 0.52 1307 1.37 1229 1.30 1242 1.42 1224 1.28

1.54 1757 1.43 TH 1.36 SU 1747 FR SA 1654 TU SA 2246 2224 0.38 1.23 23252147 0.331.31 2338 0.50

SU1920 1.51 WE

1.43 0.39 FR SA 1756 1.56 TU WE 1806 1.66 TH FR 1704 1.63 TU 1701 1.55 WE 0.20 0.69 1842 1845 18372241 0.34 0.64 1916 2321 23280.20 0.53 2246 0.45 0.50

00111.49 1.25 0129 0154 01410452 1.56 1.45 0228 0535 1.67 0003 0.54 1.45 1.56 0.53 06070332 0506 1.46 1.51 1.630.46 05471.70 1.51 13 0434 130606 28 28 28 280031 13 0529 13 28 28 1141 06090.33 0.6328 0716 0726 07221047 0.78 0.29 0755 1134 0.69 0539 1.47 0.58 13 1124 0.48 1.36 1103 0.71 0.3028 0659 12021058 0.241.4213 1203 11510.66 0.231313 1714 0.78 1241 1.32 1622 0.67 1313 1.34 1334 1.45 1315 1.32 1400 1.39 1221 1.43

1.50 1840 1.42 TH FR 1.35 MO 1845 SA MO1303 0.25 SU 1733 WESU 1841 0.61 2310 1.40 1813 1.44 0.38 2319 2328 0.44 1.26 2012

1.37 0.46 WE SA SU 1837 1.48 WE 1739 1.55 THTH 1850 1.58 FR SA 1748 1.58 1920 1936 0.15 19202320 0.27 0.68 2005 0.19 2322 0.37 0.54

01070.57 1.33 0110 1.53 0.51 00100457 0.430.44 14 0536 29 140015 1229 07041.44 0.60 29 0650 14 0600 29 1157 0.46 1.41 06481157 1.561.4814 0641 SA 1812 0.69 SU 1733 0.52 MO 1322 1.36 TU 1315

1.69 0210 0245 02250534 1.64 1.41 0314 0001 0539 1.57 1.48 00071.76 0.58 14 29 29 0843 0620 0.64 0757 0815 08041129 0.73 0.33 14 29 1136 0.68 0.2829 06270.62 1.441414 TH 1355 1.38 FR 1423 1.47 SA 1404 1.36 SU 1446 1.40

01540.64 1.43 0208 1.48 1.32 00540018 0.531.53 15 0024 30 150055 0627 07471.39 0.58 30 0745 15 0635 30 1230 0.43 0.49 07300606 1.480.4215 0718 SU 1308 1.45 MO 1249 1.55 TU 1359 1.41 WE 1405

0248 0330 03080003 1.69 0.71 0356 0045 1.68 0614 1.65 1.44 00461.78 0.64 30 30 15 0833 0900 08450625 0.67 1.36 0927 0715 0.59 15 30 1210 0.64 0.2730 07070.59 1.361515 FR 1435 1.41 SA 1508 1.47 SU 1450 1.40 MO 1530 1.40

MO 1815 1.33 2354 0.50

TU 1248 0.24 1945 1.45

TH 1236 0.31 19231.40 0.51 1929

TU 1902 1.32 WE 1333 0.27 FR 1315 0.30 1856 0.60 20451831 20001.37 0.42 1.400.37 2024

31 0140 0816

0.64 1.40 TH 1421 0.31 2144 1.37

1.58 0.56 1.48 1909 0.25

1.71 0.54 1.52 2000 0.16

31 0300 0834

1.78 0.52 TH 1450 1.55 2045 0.11

TH 1820 1.53 1956 2359 0.30 0.59

FR 1905 1.49 2031 0.25

FR 1230 0.30 2023 19340.13 1.49

SA 1309 0.38 2108 20210.15 1.41

31 0128 0752

0.71 1.29 SU 1350 0.46 2113 1.34

0.73 1.30 SU 1837 1.51 MO 1214 0.55 2050 1922 0.21 1.41 2001 0.22

0.76 1.24 TU 1257 0.63 MO 1215 0.39 20431935 0.19 1.45 2132 2012 0.24 1.36 0432 1.65 1008 0.56 TU 1613 1.38 2212 0.29

 Copyright Commonwealth of Australia2018, 2018,Bureau Bureau of of Meteorology Meteorology  Copyright Commonwealth of Australia Datum of Predictions is Lowest AstronomicalTide Tide Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) daylight savings savings time when in effect Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) orordaylight time(UTC (UTC+11:00) +11:00) when in effect 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. SEPTEMBER 2019

Aquamaster 530 Half Cabin with Suzuki 140hp - SC

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PERFORMANCE RPM......Speed (km/h)............ Economy (km/L) 700............................4.................................. 4.0 1000..........................7.................................. 4.2 2000........................ 11.................................. 2.8 3000........................ 23.................................. 2.8 3500........................ 31.................................. 3.1 4000........................ 38.................................. 2.8 4500........................ 46.................................. 2.7 5000........................ 51.................................. 2.3 6000........................ 61.................................. 1.6 6500........................ 66.................................. 1.3 78

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Aquamaster are South East Queensland’s quiet achiever when it comes to aluminium boats. Established nearly 30 years ago, they’ve been quietly going about their business hand-making dependable hulls south of Brisbane. Anyone remembering the start of ABT’s BASS Pro series may remember that the inaugural BASS Angler of the Year (Brett Thomson, 1999, 2000) fished from a custom built Aquamaster punt. It showed that at the time, these guys were willing to listen and that’s what’s kept them in business for so long. The boat we tested here, however, is about as far from a bass punt as you can get. The 5.3m half cab is one of four half cabins in the range that vary from 5-6m in length in the Aquamaster range. With a roomy cabin and plenty of cockpit space, it’s right in the middle of the zone of craft that are great for taking the family cruising, yet still have the ability to do an

bases with inbuilt storage, the cavernous areas under the bunks and the optional transom door, which make it easier for boarding both on

s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

overnighter on the bay with a mate or two. Rod Elliott is Queensland’s only Aquamaster dealer, and he happily took us for a ride on Moreton Bay in the 5.3m version. “Aquamasters feature a fully welded hull, which means that they are basically trouble and warranty free from a dealer point of view,” said Rod when explaining the ethos of the brand. “You’ll also notice the upswept bow, which is a feature that Aquamaster boats have had for years. You’ll see more and more competitive brands agreeing that this is both good looking and practical.” Arriving on a single-axle trailer, the rig will tow behind most family vehicles. You’ll rarely see an Aussie rig more than 1.5 tonnes supplied on a single axle trailer. Fitted with Australian Marine Centre’s own test outboard (a 140hp Suzuki), we set off on a day on Moreton Bay that was way too calm for rough water boat testing. As such, we can report that it rides very nicely on calm water, if a little sensitive

Steve Morgan

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the transom door. Priced from mid to high $40,000s, you can check out this Aquamaster and others in the range by visiting their

SPECIFICATIONS

Main: Aquamaster may not be the most well known brand of boat, but they have been built in South East Queensland for the last 30 years, and their upswept bow design has become popular amongst many of the brands over the last decade. There are several half cab models in their range. Above: Powered by a 140hp Suzuki 4-stroke, the 530 maxed out at 66km/h and 6,500rpm. to internal weight changes. With all crew on one side underway, the hull would lean while at cruising speeds. Performance wise, the Suzuki delivered exactly what we expected – a very economical ride with a real sweet spot at 3,500rpm where several repeats in the test showed a spike in economy to 3.1km/L. At those revs it was cruising at 31km/h. Wide open, expect 66km/h at 6,500rpm at a significantly more thirsty rate. That speed yielded only 1.3km/L. With 100L of underfloor fuel, best economy gives this rig a theoretical range of over 250km. As far as levels of fit-out go, this is a reasonably basic package at a price to match. Noteworthy are the seat

Length.........................................................5.3m Beam...........................................................2.3m Hull weight............................................... 580kg Depth..........................................................1.1m Fuel............................................................. 110L Min HP............................................................70 Max HP......................................................... 140 Bottom sheet.............................................3mm Side sheet...................................................3mm Capacity............................................. 6 persons and off the trailer. The rear lounge is folding and fills two thirds of the transom, leaving a space for boarding through

website at www.aquamaster. com.au. Alternatively, you can like their Facebook page at Aquamaster Alloy Boats and stay up to date.

The guys from Australian Marine Centre checking out the wreck of the Platypus at Peel Island. The 530 is ideal for family cruising around the bay as well as dropping a line.

Left: 140 is the maximum horsepower rating for this boat, and the big Suzuki did the job with ease. It delivered over 3.1km/L at the most economical cruising speed at 3,500rpm. Top Right: Queenslanders love pulling up anchor by hand and the for’ard hatch and built-in anchor well allows this to happen as easily as possible. Below Right: Standard side pockets eat up all of the gear that needs to be easily accessible.

The soft top is long enough to cover the travelling positions for the driver and passenger, and the side clears keep the rest of the weather out.

Left: Both seat bases feature plenty of internal storage. Right: The front hatch is well sealed and will handle some rough weather, even if the family won’t.

There’s plenty of cockpit space in the back with a foldable rear lounge that can be tucked away when the fishing starts.

The shop boat demo motor was well worn in and offered the type of fuel economy that Suzuki owners have come to expect. Its sweet spot was at 3,500rpm.

Under the cabin side bunks there’s a mountain of storage for items that should be kept dry.

The cabin is deceptively large for a 5.3m half-cab boat.

The transom door is a popular option for getting in and out of the boat.

The helm is simple and there’s a lot of room to mount electronics on brackets on top of the dash. SEPTEMBER 2019

Whittley 2080 vs 2180, powered by Yamaha

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Head-to-head tests are pretty popular in Fishing Monthly magazines – whether it’s a Daiwa Exceler versus a Sol or a 15hp 2-stroke versus 4-stroke, these tests often mirror what we all go through when purchasing a product, the costs versus the benefits. In fact our 15hp 2S v 4S video is the most popular we’ve published on YouTube

released versions of their trailerable cruisers to allow that choice. We were lucky enough to be able to do some head-to-head comparisons with the guys from Northside Marine in Brisbane. They’re a Yamaha and long-term Whittley dealer on the north side of town. The models available were the 2080 and 2180. There’s only a foot of difference in length but they’re a world apart in price. Does the price difference really match the features and functionality? The 2080

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2080

2180

Both of these hulls have a maximum hp rating of 150, although the 2080 is usually fitted with a 115 and the 2180 with a 130. This saves a little in original purchase price and running costs. SPECIFICATIONS Model............................................2080. Length.Overall...........................6.60m Beam..........................................2.20m Deadrise .........................................19° Fuel .............................................. 110L Water..............................................40L Max.hp ........................................... 150 Dry.two.weight.......................1,700kg As.tested ................................$68,500

Main: Don’t stress, this is a photoshopped image, but this test pots the Whittley 2080 and 2180 cruisers head-to-head. There’s a big difference in price, but is there a similar difference in features? Above: On the trailer, there’s a quarter-ton difference, but both boats are towable by any twin-cab ute. with nearly 300,000 views at the time of writing. Recently, Whittley boat have embraced the popularity of outboard motors and have

package weighs in at $68,500 while the 2180 takes $91,000 to drive away. Northside’s Dave Choveaux spends his

2080

days selling these boats and helped to explain the differences. “There’s definitely more standard features in the 2180,” Dave says, “but this boat has a higher cabin, bigger beam and more comforts for a bigger family.” Indeed, after a day on the water, my inclination

2180 6.62m 2.35m 19° 110L 40L 150 1,950kg $91,000

was to lean towards the 2080 being a great weekender for a couple and the 2180 being more suited to a family with kids. Both offer the cabin and shade and creature comforts that you need for extended periods on the water and the duckboard setup on both allow for easy access to the

water while at anchor or on the trailer. “Nearly all of the outboard Whittleys we sell don’t fit maximum horsepower,” Dave says. “The 115 is a great match for the 2080 while the 2180 usually rolls out with a 130 Yamaha on the back.” Yamaha’s Will Lee was on hand to offer his take on the outboard selection. “Even though these outboards are built on the same 1.8L block, they’re the right outboards for these boats,” said Will. And the performance numbers back this up. Performance figures mirror these claims. Both rigs are economical, delivering around 2.5km/L at 4,000rpm and cruising in the low 40km/L at these levels.

2180

PERFORMANCE 2080/2180 RPM...........Speed.(km/h)....... Economy.(km/L) ................................2080/2180....................................2080/2180 1000 .....................6.8/6.8........................3.5/3.0 2000................. 11.5/11.3....................... 2.1/2.1 3000.................21.8/20.3........................1.9/1.6 4000.................42.4/41.2........................2.5/2.3 5000.................55.1/54.8........................2.1/1.8 6000................. 68.4/67.5........................1.6/1.4 80

SEPTEMBER 2019

Both cruisers kick along at wide-open throttle and both have best economy in the 4,000rpm range in the low 40km/h.

Despite the differences in horsepower, there’s very similar top end speeds, which are in the high 60s. Couple this with a 110L fuel tank and there’s well over 200km of theoretical range to get out and enjoy the marine environment. On the trailer, there’s a 250kg difference between the rigs, which is not enough to require a different tow vehicle. Both are able to tow with a twin-cab ute or large family car, and offer easy, drive on/off launching for a two-person team. You can see the ease of this on the video we produced on the test day. You can see it on the Fishing

2080

2180

The 2180 is a little beamier and more stable than the 2080. A little bit of beam does equate to more room in the cabin, especially with the higher top deck in the 2180.

2080

2180

Our model @adogg11 reckons that they’re both OK for a bit of cabin-top sunbathing. 2080

2080

2180

Both boats have a 19° transom deadrise, providing a decent balance between soft ride and stability. Unfortunately the test day didn’t test the choppy water abilities of this hull.

The 2080 has a more enclosed cabin with a passenger dash, where the 2180 has a slide-across curtain for privacy. The helm layout is similar for both craft.

Monthly Magazines YouTube channel or by scanning the QR code at the top of this test on your smartphone and it’ll take you straight to the video. Did we get to test the rough water ability of these boats? Nope. The test day was way too calm to do that. We rafted up in the middle of Moreton Bay to shoot the video closers. What we did get to do, though, is spend some quality, good weather time in a pair of boats that offer a great way to experience your local waterways. Is it important to have 25-knot abilities? Maybe not. Not too many families want to go out in those conditions anyway. And if you’re after a serious fishing Whittley, maybe the Sea Legend is a better choice for you. Regardless, what’s our bottom line? We think that the 2080 is the boat for you if you’re on a budget and the 2180 is the boat for you if you appreciate the little luxuries and want a little more space. Remember that the 2180 has a lot of standard inclusions. For more information visit www. whittley marinegroup. com. 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. SEPTEMBER 2019

2080

2180

Both boats feature a deck that smoothly declines into the cabin with no steps. The 2180 cabin is definitely more open and airy.

Both boats feature seating each side of the engine well. Cabin clears are optional on the smaller boat but standard on the 2180. Both feature a fold-out table.

2080

2180

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s definitely more cabin space in the 2180. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a simple function of increased beam and headroom. 82

SEPTEMBER 2019

Both hulls fit the Yamahas nicely with flotation in the duckboards adding extra stability. Both hulls can run a 150hp if needed.

What everyone loves about a Whittley trailerable cruiser is the extras. There are sinks, fresh water and areas for cooking that help to make these rigs the ultimate comfortable weekender.

NEW COAST TOURER EDITIONS NEW MODEL

SL 20

318p/w* Indicative

RELEASES FROM

YAMAHA F 130 MACKAY DUAL AXLE TRAILER

487p/w* Indicative

SL 22

HARD TOP YAMAHA F 150 MACKAY DUAL AXLE TRAILER

674p/w* Indicative

SL 25

HARD TOP

YAMAHA F 200 MACKAY DUAL AXLE TRAILER NEW SLIDING LOCKABLE CABIN DOOR

CALL (03) 8339 1800 OR VISIT THE FACTORY AND SHOWROOM AT 12-14 SOMERTON PARK DRIVE, CAMPBELLFIELD Indicative Interest rate

Comparison Interest rate

7.44% 7.99%

MAKING MEMORIES SINCE 1953 “ Repayment amount shown is the weekly equivalent of the monthly instalment of (a) $1,376 (b) $2,109 (c) $2,919. It is indicative only and is calculated based on an interest rate of 7.44% p.a. (Comparison Rate 7.99% p.a.), Package price of (a) $69,990 (b) $107,990 (c) $149,990, less a deposit of (a) $13,998 (b) $21,598 (c) $29,998 and 48 instalments in arrears with a final balloon payment of $0 and an application fee of $395. Interest rate used is based on an average individual credit rating and meeting mandatory credit criteria. Repayments and interest rate may vary depending on your individual circumstances, financial position, credit rating, information provided, loan amount and loan term. Offer valid until 31/08/2019. Comparison rate is based on a 5-year secured fixed rate consumer loan of $30,000. WARNING: The Comparison Rate is true only for the example given and may not include all fees and charges. Different terms, fees or other loan amounts might result in a different comparison rate. Credit criteria, fees, charges, terms and conditions apply. Yamaha Motor Finance Aust. Pty Ltd. ABN 29 101 928 670. Australian Credit Licence 394553” SEPTEMBER 2019

UNBEATABLE 40–60hp FourStroke

Mercury’s unbeatable 40–60hp FourStroke range. With class leading speed and fuel economy you won’t find a better all round performer.

50HP FOURSTROKE SPEED

50HP FOURSTROKE ECONOMY

HIGHEST

Mercury Honda

Mercury

56.33

Honda

53.27

Suzuki

*Based on Mercury’s 50hp model. Information based on manufacturers’ claimed horsepower.

mercurymarine.com.au SEPTEMBER 2019

KM/L

BEST

4.51 3.87 3.7

Yamaha

THE MERCURY 50HP WILL GET YOU THERE SOONER, ACHIEVING THE HIGHEST TOP SPEED IN ITS HORSEPOWER CLASS.

4.55

Suzuki

50.21

Yamaha KM/H

56.33

3.5

4.5

5.5

MERCURY’S ADVANCED ENGINEERING MEANS THE 50HP DELIVERS PLENTY OF PUNCH, BUT USES THE LEAST AMOUNT OF FUEL COMPARED TO THE COMPETITION.