Victoria and Tasmania Fishing Monthly - June 2014

WIN A POWER-POLE MICRO ANCHOR FROM

24 PAGE Melbourne Boat Show feature

Techniques WIN

Make mine a mullet • Baiting river blackfish • Blue Rock bassin’ • DIY kayak wheels •

iPads See pages 22 · 27

Tried and Tested Ecogearaqua Bream Prawn • Streaker 5700 Commander • Sea Jay 6.8 Pursuit • Larson FX1750 SC •

June, 2014

Features

2014 Melbourne Boat Show • Explore Australia Expo •

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The power to lead, the power to conquer and the power to command are now in your hands with the new Commander series.

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So grab your weapon and grab your flak jacket because it’s time to report to the commander for active duty.

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June 2014, Vol. 11, No. 7

Contents WEST COAST

Horsham 70 Mildura 72 Crater Lakes 72 Bendigo 73 Shepparton 74 Eucha 74 Robinvale 75 Melbourne Metro 75 Ballarat 76 Yarra Valley 76 Eildon 77 Bonnie Doon 77 Yarrawonga 78 Wangaratta 78 Kiewa Valley 79 West/South Gippsland 79 Jindabyne 80

TASMANIA WRAP

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REGULAR FEATURES Back to Basics 64 Boating 92 Chappy’s Hotspot 81 Dam Levels 72 Fun Page 99 Inland Fisheries Service 86 Kayak 90 Spearfishing 81 Tasmanian Lake Levels 88 Tournament News 82 Trade and Services Guide 100 Victorian Tide Times 102 VRFish 34 What’s New Boating 94 What’s New Fishing 66

SPECIAL FEATURES

VICTORIA FISHING MONTHLY Business Office: Unit 3, 11 Knobel Court, Shailer Park, Qld, 4128 Phone: (07) 3387 0800 Fax: (07) 3387 0801 Managing Editor: Stephen Booth sbooth@fishingmonthly.com.au Sub-Editors: Jacqui Thomas, Nicole Penfold Field Editor: Kelly Hunt Publishers: Steve Morgan Matthew Drinkall Advertising: Ph: (07) 3387 0800 Fax: (07) 3387 0801 Copy and materials should be sent direct to: ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

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OUR COVER The first winner of our Front Cover comp was Hayden Bryant with a flathead caught at Lake Tyers on a Squidgy Fish.

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at, so don’t hesitate to pop over, say g’day and have a chat about your fishing.

Just a quick reminder about the trout closed season. The season closes at the end of the June long weekend so after that, turn your attention to the lakes to get your trout fix as they will be firing on all cylinders.

And I must not forget to welcome our new Tassie Field Editor Kelly ‘Hooch’ Hunt to the team. Hooch is going to be a great asset and I am keen to develop his role and give you all some great information on the Tasmanian fishing scene. Hooch loves his fishing so if you have any reports of good fishing on the Apple Isle, get in touch with Hooch and you may just make it into the mag.

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conditions. And I have to say I am so glad we had average conditions as it gave us a real appreciation of the boat and I have to say it was very impressive indeed.

This issue will see the Commander featured in the Melbourne Boat Show feature, a feature that will cover just about everything you’d want to see and do at the show. It’s a massive project that Jacqui and Pete have worked really hard on and will be your best guide to the show his year. Make sure you read it.

And just a little bit on the show, we’ll be there with bells on and Pete and I are really looking forward to catching up with readers and advertisers while we are there. The show really is the place where we get the best feedback on where we are

AUST

Make mine a mullet Explore Australia Expo Blue Rock bassin’ 2014 Melbourne Boat Show Testing Booth Ecogearaqua Bream Prawn Baiting river blackfish

– then this may be the rig for you.

After that great trip we toured around Shepparton preparing for a feature in an upcoming issue and then we were supposed to hit Melbourne to do some water tests with Streaker Boats.

That’s when the fun started, a lazy 30 knots of wind and seas up and over 2.5m had the testing cancelled and a reschedule quickly organised. So we rejiggled our commitments, ended up at Cobram/Barooga and then back at Shepp to finish off the feature organising and then back to Melbourne to do the Streaker tests.

Primarily we wanted to test the Commander 5700 and with the bay still a little angry and the winds abating to 30 knots we hit the water in pretty messy

ION

VICTORIAN FRESHWATER

It was always going to happen, the cold snap with a cracking wind that slows or stops the fishing.

This must mean I am on holidays in Victoria!

I’ve had an awesome two weeks in Vic. A week with Peter Jung working and a week with great mates on the Murray and it’s been a lot of fun.

The week started off brilliantly with a boat testing trip to Mulwala with Simon Ryan from Boats and More. We tested the brilliant Larson FX1750 SC and a couple of other boats and managed to get the Larson on the river for a fish. I’ve got a review in this issue of the mag and if you want a boat that is ideal for a lot of things – primarily going fast and fishing really comfortably

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NEW SOUTH COAST Mallacoota 35 Eden 35 Merimbula 36 Narooma 36 Bermagui 37

From the Editor’s Desk...

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Welshpool 30 Inverloch 30 Ninety-Mile Beach 31 McLoughlins Beach 32 Gippsland Lakes 32 Lakes Entrance 33 Marlo 34 Bemm River 34

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Geelong 14 Port Phillip West 16 Port Phillip East 18 Port Phillip North East 20 Rosebud 22 Western Port North 24 Western Port South 26 Phillip Island 27

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Robe 8 Portland 10 Warrnambool 10 Apollo Bay 12 Cobden 12

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Make mine a mullet WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

Social media has certainly changed the way we hear and see what other anglers have caught; it seems to be a big bragging board of who has the biggest fish nowadays. However, we often forget about the

Although the majority of mullet caught around the state average around 25cm, some fish can exceed that and be up to 50cm.

On light tackle, mullet are a fun fish to catch; smaller models may not pull drag but larger ones can rival the fight of whiting. On the plate they are quite delicious and, for the kids, they are very entertaining.

PRODUCTIVE LOCATIONS Mullet can be caught in a wide range of places from bays and estuaries to ocean surf beaches. Regardless of where they are caught, they tend to always be in quite shallow water.

Throughout Port Phillip Bay, mullet seem to be confined to the rivers that run into the bay. These

Mullet have a small and soft mouth. Small size 10 long shanks or size 6 circle hooks work best.

Mullet are quite a challenge to bring to the boat so ensure you’re using reliable tackle for the job. simple bread and butter species our waters have to offer.

Not everyone owns a boat or can afford to head out on a fishing charter regularly, so on any given Saturday or Sunday, people around the state hit the shoreline in search of a fish.

There is no better feeling than seeing the tip of your rod shake and shudder as a fish chews on the bait. And no matter what the species, catching a fish is just a whole lot of fun!

One species that is an enjoyable target is the yellow eye mullet. They inhabit bays, inlets and estuaries right around the state and are quite a simple species to catch, providing you’re using the right tackle.

When searching for mullet, berley is the essential key to success.

Most of the time mullet can be quite small.

Western Port certainly has some big models available if you know where to look.

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JUNE 2014

include Swan Bay near Queenscliff, Werribee River, Yarra and Maribyrnong rivers, Mordialloc Creek, Patterson River, Balcombe Creek and of course all the smaller streams and rivers.

Western Port is quite different; of course all of the creeks and inlets such as Hastings, Rutherford Inlet, Tooradin and the Bass River produce mullet in abundance, but other areas such as the Tyabb and Quail Banks, Middle Spit, Tortoise Head Bank, Lang Lang, Stony Point and all the shallow flats are also productive.

We have easy access around Port Phillip Bay and Western Port, so mullet are an available catch from all of the local surf beaches.

Catching mullet in the surf is no different to any other location except that they will be more in abundance on the low tides when the waves aren’t as aggressive.

In this case, you’ll find them right in the shore break and they’re often seen in vast numbers amongst the waves with the aid of a little berley.

TALKING TACKLE One of the most attractive advantages of fishing for mullet is that anglers can target them with any old rod and reel.

They won’t necessarily put a big strain on your tackle, so you won’t have to go out and specifically purchase an entire new setup to catch them.

Ideally though, due to

On light tackle, mullet are a fun fish to catch.

Yellow eye mullet are easily distinguished by their bright yellow eyes.

them being quite a small fish, extremely light tackle is recommended. A 7ft rod with small 2500 series reel will do comfortably and if you’re going to use braid, 4lb is more than enough in all locations. The setup for mullet can differ greatly amongst anglers.

In a river or around the mouth of a river a float setup works very well. Floats can be set up using 3lb leader and a few BB split shots to balance it. There is nothing more exciting than watching a float, only to see it disappear under the surface when a fish takes the bait, especially for entertaining the kids.

Aside from float fishing, a simple paternoster rig is also effective. Once again, rig it from very light leader and use the smallest sinker weight the current will allow for. Mullet have quite a small and soft mouth and when hooked, a heavy sinker may cause the hook to pull when striking to set it.

Hooks are another valid talking point. If the wrong hook is used you’ll limit your catch rate. Mullet have a very small mouth for sucking in small baits, which is where a size 6 circle hook or size 10 or 12 long shank hook is vital to get the most secure hook set.

MULLET MEALS I can’t say I have ever met a fussy mullet; in fact they would have to be the least fussy fish, aside from stingrays. They are happy to take anything on offer, however they do have a few favourite delights.

Bait choice should be kept to soft fleshy types, such as slivers of pilchard fillet and small pieces of pipi.

Mullet will approach a bait with a quick sucking/tearing motion to try to tear it into smaller pieces to swallow.

While bait presentation can be disregarded, baits do have to be very small so they can swallow them whole without the need to tear at them.

TECHNIQUES Most mullet fishing tends to be from either a pier

Dave McKenzie - Gamakatsu Pro Angler

or from the bank of a river by land-based anglers. One of the most effective techniques is to use a berley pot loaded with crushed berley pellets. The berley pot can be lowered to the sea floor where the current will disperse the berley, thus attracting the fish. Providing you cast your baits into the trail, you will soon see action.

Although Western Port is quite tidal, understanding the tides and fishing during the right times is vital. An example would be when fishing from Stony Point Jetty. Fishing for mullet is very productive from here but this location fishes its best on the first two hours and last two hours of the run-out tide

Top Far Left: When fishing in estuaries, float fishing is very effective.

Top Middle Left: Live Bass yabbies can also be used if you want to spend the time gathering a few before a trip.

Top Middle Right: Small baits such as slivers of pilchard or pipi are quickly engulfed.

Top Right: Pre-tied rigs or a simple paternoster rig will do the job.

When fishing the surf, stick to using light tackle and fish in the shore break.

after a more delectable fish.

The Middle Spit, Tyabb and Quail banks are the most popular of locations.

There’s no doubting that mullet are fun to catch and if you’re looking for a fish for the kids to tangle with, then look no further. With just a few simple techniques, you too can be entertained to the extreme.

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JUNE 2014

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Barrels are turning up big time ROBE

Daniel Peart

The talk between anglers in the south west recently has been all about tuna.

And fair enough too! There were some remarkable catches through late April to early May. Fish easily budging the 100kg mark were hooked, and some lost, between the border and Port MacDonnell.

PORT MACDONNELL When the weather permits, boat ramps in the south west have been as busy as they get all year. Anglers travel miles to the high seas of the south west for a chance at hooking a once in a life time barrelsized tuna ranging anywhere from 60-115kg. The tuna were turning up in as shallow as 40m a mere couple of kilometres from shore. These big fish don’t usually stick around for long and it wouldn’t surprise me if they were all but shifted on by the time this is printed.

Still great quality and hard fighting tuna in the 10-25kg categories should be readily available for at least the next month or so. Fish have been very spread out this season and have been found anywhere from as little as 40m to right

out past the shelf in some 500m+. As always, keeping an eye out for birds will usually put you onto a patch of fish in no time.

On a slightly smaller scale but equally as tasty, garfish have been fishing really well

for the start of winter and will continue to do so throughout the cooler months. Livingstons and Cape Douglas are as good a spots as any along the coast.

If you want to take the kids somewhere easy and safe the Port Mac jetty can sometimes

Give up on using lures or flies for the mulloway this month, the only ones being caught are on fresh baits.

turn up good numbers of gardies with the use of a slow release berley trail. A mixture of bran and tuna oil and a tub of gents makes a cheap few hours of entertainment for the kids and a delicious treat when served up fresh for dinner.

SALT CREEK As the seasons change so do the fish that you will be likely to encounter at Salt Creek.

Salmon have just started to turn up in the 1-2kg range and will continue in numbers and size as the weather gets rougher and colder. Fishing pilchards presented on a ganged set of 6/0 octopus hooks and star sinkers is the best way to get amongst them. This style of fishing has also been turning up numbers of elephant sharks and present far better on the table than salmon, although the sporting fight isn’t always there on a crashing surf beach.

Between 42 Mile Crossing and Tea Tree Crossing has been producing most of the salmon and elephant action early on in the season. The beach becomes quite steep and soft through winter due to large tides and big swells. Extra care should be taken even for the most experienced at this time of year. Getting stuck in this section of beach can quickly turn your weekend away

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Salmon have just started to turn up and will continue in numbers and size as the weather gets rougher and colder. into a nightmare. Dropping your tyre pressures down to 12-14psi will see you get through without a problem with some momentum and common sense.

Mulloway have been reasonably quiet, as expected at this time of year. The odd fish to 20lb has still been reported

by anglers persisting with fresh baits. Try using slightly larger baits than normal when the salmon are around to avoid pickers knocking off baits in no time. Large squid heads and freshly filleted salmon make gun mulloway baits and tend to hang on the hook better than most baits.

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Rod Shepherd landed this flathead while fishing at Snowy RIver, Marlo, VIC. Rod used Black Magic 8lb Fluorocarbon tippet and a Black Magic 12gm golden grub Spinsect®.

A Black Magic 5/0 Moonglow Moocher rig was used to catch this snapper. Jordan Sanders was fishing from the Portland Breakwater, VIC.

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Stephane Sideroudakis used Black Magic 20lb Tough Trace to take this 14kg jewfish. Stephane was fishing in The Hawkesbury River, NSW.

Ned Jacobs caught this 1kg trevally using a Black Magic KL 5/0 hook. Ned was fishing in the Noosa River, QLD.

A Black Magic 5/0 Snapper Snatcher ‘pinky’ was used by Bogues Jones to catch this 10kg murray cod. Bogues was fishing at Gunbower, VIC.

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YOUR PHOTO COULD APPEAR IN OUR ADS! If we use your photo in our advertising you will receive a FREE BLACK MAGIC CAP AND PRIZE! Include your name, address, fish weight, where you caught it and which Black Magic or Wasabi products were used. Send a high resolution image to: photos@blackmagic.co.nz JUNE 2014

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Bluefin, browns, and bream Warrnambool Offshore & Light Game Fishing Club and Victorian Game Fishing Club, the comp was fished out of Warrnambool and Port Fairy. A total of 87 fish were tagged and released over the 4 days of fishing,

WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

Even though it’s now winter, there are plenty of bluefin, browns and bream around to keep anglers motivated.

The bluefin season is in full swing with plenty of tuna and albaclore being taken.

Currently, all the action is out wide near the shelf with most fish being taken blind trolling. Hopefully come June, some of the schools will have pushed closer inshore as they have a tendency to do at this time of the year.

The South West Alliance Game Fish Challenge 2014 was fished over two weekends (5-6 and 12-13 April). Hosted by

with 6 southern bluefin and 3 albacore weighed in. The Champion Boat was won by Intruder with 45,000 points.

Champion Angler was won by Ashley Dance with 30,000 points and Champion Female Angler was Cindy

Champion Ashley Dance with an estimated 23-25kg SBT tagged.

Dauria with 4,000 points.

The most Meritorious Tuna (heaviest tuna caught on the lightest line) was Peter Goode’s 17.55kg southern bluefin tuna on 8kg line.

The closed season for salmonids in 2014 begins from midnight on Monday 9

June, to midnight on Friday 5 September. Nevertheless, there are still sections of some local rivers open for trout fishing due to their sea-run classification. They are: The Merri River (downstream of the Bromfield Weir) the Hopkins River (downstream of the Hopkins Falls), the Moyne River (downstream of the Toolong Bridge) and the Gellibrand River (downstream of the Great Ocean Road Bridge) How you target the Merri for trout in June will depend on whether there are any significant rain events between now and then. Little rain and fishing natural coloured stick minnow plastics and smelt coloured flies in the deeper areas will work best. Trolling minnow styled lures also work well.

If we get some serious rains then fishing shallow runs and flooded margins will be a better bet. The 7-9cm hardbodies, paddletailed soft plastics and dark large wet flies are the weapons of choice.

The Hopkins River mouth closed over fairly quickly again after opening.

Kevin Mcloughlin with an SBT tagged ready for release.

Fortunately it seems many of the mulloway that were present in the system haven’t all taken off, with the odd fish to 80cm still being encountered. It makes every bream/perch session, whether throwing lures or using cut baits of salmon

and mullet, just that little bit more interesting when there is a sneaky chance of getting a mulloway. Corey McClaren has been catching some nice bream to 1.15kg while Barry Johnston managed an impressive estuary perch over 4lb in the old scale.

Portland caught in tuna frenzy PORTLAND

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Portland is on fire at the moment with huge catches of bluefin tuna and albacore. We have had some reasonable weather and the boat ramp is filled with guys chasing these great fish.

Most fish are in big numbers off the shelf and in decent sizes, with albacore from 10kg up to nearly 30kg.

The bluefin have been good school size fish, up to 30kg, with some 40kg and a couple of 60kg. We have also had some big runs and bust offs from some very big fish.

FISHING

The fish have been going well on both X-Rap hardbodied lures and skirted lures of different colours and sizes.

Other fishing has also been ok with good catches of flathead, whiting and pinkies around the bay. A few guys have been picking up some nice sharks around the north shore area as well.

Bridgewater Bay always produces good flathead, gummies and school sharks in the 50-80m mark. Deep water around the Horse Shoe area has also been going well on deep drops producing blue-eye, knife jaw, blue grenade and sharks.

Breakwater has been a bit quiet but small pinkies have been in good numbers,

and the odd seven-giller has been caught at night.

The beach fishing has also seen some big sevengillers, pinkies, elephant fish and the odd whiting.

Fitzroy and Surrey rivers are producing some good bream on baits and hardbodies and plastic lures.

WHAT’S ON FOR JUNE We should still certainly see decent numbers of tuna, and hopefully a little closer for everyone to access. At this time of the year they tend to come into shallower water from Lawrences Rock to Cape Nelson. The smaller skirt lures are hot items for these fish. This time last year also saw some big barrels caught in these waters, and it’s everyone’s dream to

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Andrew with a very decent albacore. Most of these fish are in big numbers off the shelf.

hook a big 80kg+ fish.

The breakwater should still see sharks at night and hopefully some of the big salmon should start getting around, which are great on salmon lures and plastics.

Generally the north shore area fishes well for school sharks, gummy sharks and gillers in June, right up to the Fitzroy River mouth. Plenty of berley and good baits are the key.

The bay should still see flathead and whiting and the odd shark from the boats. I find drifting for these guys gets you a good mixed bag, but anchoring will also give great results.

Pipis and whitebait are great for the whiting and flatties and big baits for the sharks.

We should also start seeing some great salmon from the beaches, which get stirred up a lot. They are great off the surf and put up a great fight. Light gear makes great fun!

The rivers are a great place to catch bream and also good for shelter fishing as the weather starts to get colder and the wind gets up.

• For all your fishing and weather reports you can contact us at Portland Compleat Angler on 03 5521 1844 or see us at 61 Bentinck street next to the Gordon Hotel.

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JUNE 2014

11

Bang on for bait APOLLO BAY

Daniel Kent apollobaysurfshop@bigpond.com

Tuna fever has hit Apollo Bay with consistent captures of fish coming from south of Cape Otway. Large schools

Schools of southern bluefin tuna are holding off Cape Otway with fish ranging in size from 15-25kg.

of baitfish are attracting the tuna to this area and once you find the bait, the tuna are never far away.

Sometimes you may have to hang around and wait for the tuna to start feeding on the surface before you can locate them, but usually if you can locate the bait then trolling is a good option in between surface bust ups.

Trolling a mix of diving and skirted lures should see you get onto some fish.

If there are not many boats around try casting lures into the bust ups for some more exciting fishing. Metal lures are handy for casting long distances and I have been using 100g knife jigs with good results this season.

The other standout has been 1oz jigheads rigged with 7” soft plastic stick baits. Any colour seems to work and if the fish are actively feeding, and with a well placed cast, you will usually get a strike as soon as the lure hits the water.

The tuna have been ranging in weight from

Casting metal lures into the feeding tuna schools is proving to be a very effective method of targeting these hard fighting fish.

15-25kg, which are the perfect size and great sport on a 10-15kg spin outfit. It does also pay to put in a couple of heavier trolling rods just in case you are lucky enough to encounter any of the 100kg+ models that have been taken from this area in the past.

If you’re thinking that you don’t have a big enough boat, or any boat for that matter, then don’t despair as the local beaches are producing Australian salmon.

Bait and lures can be used when fishing off the beach, and dusk and dawn seem to

be the prime times.

If you do have a boat then trolling out behind the waves will see action right throughout the day.

The average fish is around 1kg but each year salmon over 3kg are caught off Apollo Bay; at this size they put up a great fight.

King George whiting are still being caught around the inshore reefs but are proving hard to locate with some anglers getting good numbers of fish while others are left fishless. The best idea is to keep moving every 10 or so

minutes if you haven’t caught a whiting, eventually you will stumble on a school and then it just seems all too easy.

Trout season closes after the long weekend this month so make sure you get out for a fish before it comes into effect.

This is a great time to fish the Aire River up above the Great Ocean Road Bridge as the fish start moving up into the rapids to spawn. Small hardbodied lures cast along any sunken timber or into the larger pools up around the bush line should get the interest of the resident brown trout.

Clear quality at Curdies COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

Although levels are still low, the water quality in the Curdies River and lake remains high. Bream to 39cm are on offer to anglers using a wide variety of baits and lures.

The mouth of the Curdies River remains closed, so natural baits such as Greyback minnow (whitebait) and shrimp are relatively scarce, so frozen packet baits such as prawn and ‘glassies’ have come into their own.

Many fish are feeding in the lake but unless you own a flat-bottomed bass boat or kayak, much of the lake remains off limits. Even in my bass boat I have to

raise the outboard and put my electric into shallow drive just to navigate about.

Soft plastics are also catching many fish but due to such shallow water the fish spook easily when moving around. A heavier jighead is required just to gain some distance from the boat. At the same time the plastic must be fished fairly quickly to clear any bottom dwelling weed growth. So a ‘slow roll’ must be employed just to clear the weed but at the same time the angler must keep the plastic from breaking the surface; for some unknown reason it tends to spook the bream here, especially when there is a distinct lack of wind to agitate the water’s surface tension.

Unfortunately I still have little to report on the Gellibrand River at Princetown. Last

year’s massive fish kill has apparently taken out the mature stocks of bream and estuary perch. Smaller bream are about, as well as mullet, juvenile salmon and plenty of sea run brown trout, but it’s going to take quite some years for stocks to build up.

Upstream in the freshwater section some excellent native blackfish to 1.8kg have been taken in and around snags on local Chapplevale scrub worm and bait sized yabbies.

Brown trout to 600g have also been taken on spinner type lures cast at the inflows to any open body or pool of slower moving stretch of water.

The tuna season is all go with all roads leading to Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Portland abuzz with vehicles towing huge ocean going craft. Plenty of southern

An average Curdies bream taken on a Strike Tiger curl tail grub. bluefin and albacore to 25kg are being taken in depths from 300-700m.

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Australian border, big barrels to 120kg have been caught out wide while smaller fish from 6-15kg have been taken

much closer inshore in depths as little as 20m. And these fish will inevitably be heading our way!

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Consistency gets catches GEELONG

Neil Slater njbamslater@bigpond.com

I’ve fished up and down the Barwon River a few times since the last report.

I haven’t really set the world on fire but there have seen some fair carp grassed by anglers fishing from the bank near the end of Fyans Street and near Ballyang Sanctuary.

I’ve trapped a few live

gudgeon in the bank side weeds and managed the odd smaller redfin around 400g.

Other anglers have caught some larger redfin to 600g (about 35cm) casting single tailed grubs parallel to the bank up near Queens Park.

Expect the redfin fishing to slow right down over July as the water temperature drops. Big rains will discolour the water and you’re better off heading down to the estuary at Barwon Heads to

try for bream or head out to Wurdee Bulloc Reservoir near Moriac.

CORIO BAY Ross Winstanley has been fishing the area on the northeast edge of the Stingaree Bay spoil grounds over the past month, getting all whiting some days, all pinkies other days but always a good feed. Recently, Ross caught 5 pinkie snapper, 5 whiting and 3 yank flathead, the biggest measured 58cm.

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You never know what you’ll hook off the Surf Coast, like this great looking nannygai.

Ross followed that up the next day with a further 6 pinkie snapper, 5 whiting, 5 yank flatties and a solitary mullet. Ross says that most of his whiting were around 34-37cm and the action is mostly between 6am and 7am. He also added that thankfully the banjo sharks have eased off!

Keener than keen, snapper anglers prepare the beanie and thermos for all night efforts on Corio Bay’s winter resident snapper at this time of year. Top spots where whoppers have been caught include out the

front of the Royal Geelong Yacht Club, Wester Beach and Corio Quay. Pilchards, red rockets and silver whiting seem to be the best winter bait.

Snotty trevally have been reasonably thin the last few years. Traditionally, they used to really turn it on around Cunningham Pier. Let’s hope this year marks their comeback. If you’re reasonably keen to see if there are any kicking about Cunningham Pier this July, try unweighted hooks baited with raw chicken or pilchard fillet

when a high tide is about to run out on dawn.

CLIFTON SPRINGS AND PORTARLINGTON Clifton Springs and Portarlington have slowed somewhat after the water has cooled off. The back end of April saw pinkie snapper still kicking about the Hermsley bank in between Point Henry and Clifton Springs.

Calamari have often saved a fishing trip and thankfully we can still expect a few of these to be kicking around the shallow weed beds this time of year.

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ST LEONARDS TO QUEENSCLIFF Rod Ludlow from Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head says the squid have been going great guns. Rod has had some boats bagging out between Grassy Point and Indented Head. They were on and off throughout the day with the morning and evening best.

Rod says that you need to try in close and also out deep to locate them with natural coloured jigs working best.

Land-based anglers have also been catching them from

Portarlington Pier. After dark they can congregate just on the limit of the lights on the Portarlington Pier. They take some coaxing but are worth a look through July.

Queenscliff does yield quality fish this time of year for those prepared to put in an extra hour here and there.

Silver trevally and calamari can turn up at any time almost all year inside the boat harbour and ‘the Cut’.

BARWON HEADS AND SURF COAST The Barwon River estuary had a good run of

elephant fish late April and into May. Silver trevally should be a prime target this winter. They can be caught from the mouth to the lake and will take most soft baits such as pipis, raw chicken and pilchard fillets.

Anglers with big rods who are keen on mulloway could be keeping a close eye on this estuary since there have been a few either side of legal length (60cm) caught over the warmer months.

Traditionally, the Barwon River estuary was the place for trophy sized mulloway up around the 20kg mark. Last summer saw a couple around 4-6kg landed amongst the smaller fish, so hopefully we’ll see a few larger units boated this July.

Hayden McDonald took his two sons, Hunter and Cooper, out for their new boat’s maiden voyage off the Surf Coast recently.

The McDonald trio did well catching silver trevally plus some Australian salmon,

which were headed for the smoker. They also hit Spring Creek at Torquay where they caught and released a few bream around 28cm.

Mick Allardyce from High Tide Constructions at Anglesea says there have been a few salmon to 1kg caught from the local beaches but when the swell picks up it tends to drive them out of casting range.

Mick has also been offshore where he tangled with all sorts including

nannygai, sergeant baker and morwong.

Catch a few around Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula or Surf Coast to Lorne recently? Send in a report to slaterbunch@ optusnet.com.au with “VFM” in the subject field or give me a call on 0408 997 348. Please include where (without giving away your secret spot!), when, what on and who caught the fish. Pictures are always great, but please make sure they are at least 1mb (file size).

This is a feisty Spring Creek bream just prior to release.

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15

Perk up with a pinkie PORT PHILLIP WEST

Brenton Hodges blhodgey@hotmail.com

The onset of winter generally sees a reduction in angler activity across the western shores of Port Phillip, but that’s not to say it’s all doom and gloom.

In fact, now is prime time

on the inner reefs to tangle with a few pinkie snapper.

Likewise, Australian salmon are expected to be on the prowl this month, while the resident bream and school mulloway should continue to keep the river fishos busy.

WINTER PINKIES During the cooler months, loads of juvenile pinkie snapper, ranging

Now is prime time on the inner reefs to tangle with a few pinkie snapper.

from well below the legal 28cm size limit up to 40cm gather in the shallows. They feed on mussels, scallops, marine worms, crabs and the abundant bait schools, which also seek refuge across the inner reefs at this time of year. Pinkies can offer some entertaining action through winter.

Lurking on the outskirts, the odd larger specimen can also be expected. For those who prefer to fish on the drift with lures and soft plastics, give the Berkley Gulp Turtle Back Worms a whirl. Rigged on a 1/121/8oz jighead and connected to 8lb leader material and 6lb Fireline, it’s tough to beat this combination.

Anglers fishing at anchor also do well at times on small flesh baits presented amongst a berley trail.

Given the right conditions, many of the local piers and jetties offer excellent access for land-based anglers, while pockets of pinkie snapper are also available in the lower to middle reaches of both the Yarra and Maribyrnong rivers, including Victoria Harbour and the Docklands precinct.

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As the last of autumn slides on by, bream can be expected to become less active along the edges and a more viable target down deeper in the water column.

WILLIAMSTOWN TO ALTONA Recent reports indicate there are still quite a few flathead on offer across the inner reefs from Williamstown through to Altona, although pinkie snapper and Australian salmon will feature more prominently as the water temperature continues to drop over the coming month.

Try casting soft plastics on the drift through the early part of the morning or late in the evening, particularly when these times coincide with the change of tide.

Even better still, a slight to moderate chop and overcast conditions are just about perfect. Any sign of birds diving at bait schools is worthy of investigation.

Salmon are usually not too far away, while sneaky scavengers, including pinkie snapper, can often be found mopping up the scraps below.

POINT COOK TO POINT WILSON Southern calamari continue to offer the most consistent sport around at Point Cook with small to medium size jigs in natural tones providing all the action along the 5-6m line.

Although there’s still a few King George whiting on the go, they are gradually making a move further south along the Bellarine Peninsula where they should fire over winter. The outer Corio Bay harbour region has been fishing well of late for pinkie snapper and flathead on worm pattern soft plastics.

Trolling diving minnows and metal slugs has also resulted in plenty of salmon either side of Point Henry and in through Stingaree Bay. For those willing to fish through the night, it won’t be long before the big winter reds arrive in Geelong.

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The combination of overcast skies and relatively choppy conditions, coupled with a tide change, are often the trigger for plenty of action in the shallows.

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JUNE 2014

slides on by, bream can be expected to become less active along the edges of the metropolitan rivers and a more viable target down deep. Top baits include live tube worms, Bass yabbies and fresh mussel, while sinking stick minnows and metal blades are also productive on schooled up winter bream.

Reports of some decent size pinkie snapper have been filtering through with the fish spread throughout the system from the entrance to the Yarra River right through to Docklands, and no doubt well up the Maribyrnong River.

DOCKLANDS John and Joey Regali have been putting in some time on the rivers of late and not without reward either.

After several fruitless hours while fishing for mulloway in the lead up to the new moon, Joey decided to change tack, replacing a live mullet with an unweighted pilchard.

This proved to be a good move when just five minutes later his Baitrunner screamed to the tune of a 4kg Docklands snapper! According to Joe, the big inner city red put up a mean fight and it was a challenge lifting it up onto the jetty. The boys have also encountered a few juvenile mulloway in recent weeks, along with quite a few bust offs and stories of the one that got away…

WERRIBEE RIVER Down at Werribee South, the resident bream have been a little patchy with the odd good fish taken on sinking stick baits and crab imitations amongst the moorings.

Further upriver, live tube worms and Bass yabbies have been producing some reasonable bags around the pines on the incoming tides.

BEEN FISHING? If you would like to see your name and/or photograph published, please forward reports and images to blhodgey@hotmail.com.

You’re certainly not obliged to give away your secret spot, but a please include a general description of when, where, the technique and bait used, and who caught the fish.

JUNE 2014

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Winter warmers are a winner at Port Phillip PORT PHILLIP EAST

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Cold days herald the onset of winter. However, in those smaller windows of good weather, or if you just have to get out of the house for a few hours, then you can have a ball catching some of the species that are biting their heads off at this time of the year.

MORDIALLOC TO BLACK ROCK It’s now mullet season in the creek with each day seeing local anglers having a ball on the big mullet that move into the area during winter. Best of all anyone can get into them in calm conditions. Just call into Fishing Fever and we can set you up with the right stuff to get you into the action.

The past month has seen the pier fish well for a few salmon and pinkies when the weather has been ordinary, which has been a fair bit over the past weeks.

For the bait guys the pinkies have been going well of an afternoon and into the evening with numbers of smaller sized fish on offer in the 28-32cm size. However,

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among the smaller pinkies there have also been some nice fish in the 40-45cm size, with the best baits being pilly tails or small squid strips fished on paternoster rigs.

While the salmon haven’t been overly big they have certainly provided plenty of fun for those anglers casting small metal lures around when the winds are stirring up the water surrounding the pier.

Best lures have definitely been the Samaki Torpedo in blue mackerel and the River2Sea Sea Rock jigs in the oil white finish. Another great lure colour has also been gold, which has really produced the goods when the water has been stirred up. As for size weights, 14-25g have been dynamite.

For the boat anglers there are plenty of options on offer at present. The best news is that you don’t need to go far to find fish with the shallow reefs around the Parkdale Pinnacles and between the Scout Hall Pier and Ricketts Point producing good numbers of pinkie snapper and solid squid to over 1kg.

It’s also worth keeping your eyes peeled as the local salmon population are still around and providing anglers with plenty of action when they stick their heads up.

At Beaumaris Pier the squid are back on and should hopefully continue for the rest of winter. If you are after a good spot to fish, especially in a northerly, then it’s well worth taking a look at this area. And the rocks either side also produce good squid.

Ricketts Point to Black Rock has also seen plenty of pinkie action with some solid specimens to over 2kg being taken. Adding to this have been some solid squid and a good number of snook to 80cm in length for those anglers trolling small diving lures.

SANDRINGHAM TO ST KILDA Out wide you are still a chance of a big snapper in the deeper water but as the water cools it will potentially take a bit of patience to find them and get them biting. On the upside however for whatever reason the anglers fishing the deeper water this month often find a good number of gummy sharks along the edge of the shipping channel, with most of them in the 4-8kg size.

Back inshore the fishing has been good with the rock groynes at Hampton producing squid along with a few pinkies. However, the best run of pinkies that I have heard of for the landbased guys is the Brighton breakwall with plenty of sizable fish on offer, especially when the south or west winds blow. Best of all,

this by all rights should only get better over this month as the pinkies really move into this area in droves to feed on the ample food that is available through this reef system.

Just out a little wider anglers in boats are also reporting some solid flathead on offer in the 6-9m depth.

Working the shallow reef areas between Brighton and St Kilda has also been producing some solid squid for anglers who are prepared to put a bit of effort in. And while they are not in as big numbers as they are further south they are certainly making up for it with their size. Anglers are reporting that the average sized squid is up between 500g and 1.2kg, which is a really solid calamari.

Anglers chasing squid are reporting that working the reef edge where it drops away into deeper water – usually 3-6m deep – is producing the goods, especially with larger 3.5 sized jigs in red, brown or pink colours. The new zebra striped Evergreen jig has also been very effective.

ST KILDA TO PORT MELBOURNE It can be a great time of year up at this end of the bay if we don’t get big floods to stir the water up. The reason this area can produce good fishing is that the water temperature can often be just

a touch warmer. This can produce some solid snapper for those anglers fishing at night over the cunjevoi reefs that run between St Kilda and Station Pier in 5-8m of water.

Adding to this, I have also started to hear of some nice ling being taken in the cooler water, with this area being one of the best to find them in the bay – great eating and well worth targeting!

For the land-based anglers St Kilda pier and breakwall has been producing some small salmon over the past weeks and while there is plenty of white bait in the area you would think the salmon will stick around.

Off Kerford Road and Lagoon Pier there have been salmon and pinkies on offer with each day of late being a bit of a lucky dip as to what will bite best. If heading down that way it may pay to take a few rods or at least different tackle to accommodate whatever is on the bite.

As for Station and Lagoon piers they have been producing pinkies and flathead over the past weeks and will continue to do so this month. However, they should also start to turn up some nice trevally around the pylons this month so try floating a small bait down into the shadows of the pier.

Nick Pascoe caught these cracking flathead on whole pilchards on 3/0 ganged hook.

The rig was a small running sinker stopping approximately 40cm above the hooks. He was fishing in 6m of water off of Long Beach.

Due to the strong southerly winds, this was the only protected fishing area accessible.

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Those anglers who have been waiting for the rewards of the winter months to arrive on the bay have certainly been given an early present!

Although some unusually warm and mild days have occurred over the last month or so, the cold weather trend of crisp early mornings and late evenings on the bay are here to stay, at the very least for the next few months or so.

I really enjoy fishing PPB at this time of year as the water temperatures cool, and the food chain alters along the shoreline areas.

Some species become more regular and achievable encounters, while others require a lot more effort, planning and persistence for success. The good thing for those who put in the time is that the table quality of the species on offer at this time of year is generally better than at other times of the year.

Scattered reports of late run snapper have

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still continued to filter in over the last month, but to be honest I haven’t seen that many anglers on the bay targeting snapper at the moment. No doubt a result of the inconsistency of recent months, many of the bay’s snapper anglers have looked towards the bay next door and west for a tuna as an alternative option over the last month.

Those that have stayed are still getting it done in the shallower marks in 8-12m, particularly on bigger and more substantial baits, much like last month.

Reports have been most consistent in the early mornings and around the high tide change.

Plenty of pinkies and even a few early winter whiting have been around in these areas as well, particularly around Mount Martha and further south towards Dromana.

One of the more interesting turn of events over the past month was the seemingly sudden arrival of big numbers of bream in Mornington Harbour.

Where these fish came from is anyone’s guess, most likely from one of the nearby estuaries after recent heavy rain, but the end result was some frantic sessions with bait and lure anglers getting amongst the action. Bass yabbies were the standout bait, and vibes and noisy deep crankbaits got it done for the lure boys.

The power of social media was in full swing once the word got out, and it was amazing how my local pier had changed into a suddenly productive bream fishery. Some nice bream were landed too, I saw more than a few 40cm models taken.

And in more exciting news, the reports from the Patterson River have been coming in thick and fast as

The bay’s shores and piers around Mornington have produced some lovely bream recently, like this ripper caught by Tooradin local Billy. well. Last season was the beginning of some reliable sports fishing for mulloway in the Patto post-Easter, and this has continued in earnest again this season.

Once again most of the fish have been smaller 60cm models, but some much bigger models have been landed, and lost, as well.

Scott Lovig and the crew from SLH have been doing very well from their Hobies early in the morning in the main river system.

Slim profile minnows and the stealthy approach of the kayaks have produced some nice mulloway to 75cm. I have been told that the mulloway fishing we are currently experiencing both in PPB and in Western Port at the moment are a result of some particularly good recent recruitment in the Coorong, SA. I guess it makes sense.

Land-based anglers have also been getting amongst the action as well with heaps of small to

medium models falling to hardbodied lures and soft plastics, mainly at night. I also saw a photo today of an 18kg brute that was landed under the rail bridge, and took a live mullet at slack tide. It’s worth noting that this is the prime time to fish for mulloway in the river as they become more active during this time, and move higher in the water column to feed. Keep your eyes, and ears peeled for signs of surface feeding, then cast and hang on.

As far as the rest of the usual suspects go, there are still plenty of squid on the inshore reefs, and this will continue into the cooler months, although they will become a little less active. Gars have been a little scarce this autumn, but some good signs further north in the bay might see this change.

Salmon will remain in big numbers, as will the pinkies and flathead in the shallow areas.

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Scott Lovig holds a ripper Patterson River mulloway taken from his Hobie kayak early morning on a shallow diving 80mm minnow.

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There’s little doubt winter is upon us now with plenty of mixed weather, a squall or two and our fair share of rain. However, there is plenty of good fishing to be had amongst the gloom – you just need to seek out the species that are still available in numbers. And it’s a great time to apply the ‘keep it simple’ rule.

SOUTHERN CALAMARI As we headed through late autumn I was really pleased to note the numbers and consistency of the squid fishing right along the peninsula. Time will tell but I believe this certainly puts us in good stead for a really good winter squid fishing period. For most local (and visiting) fishos this is certainly music to their ears as the squid fishing along the peninsula, when good, provides a fantastic staple target through what some would consider the lean winter months.

Areas that have been seeing plenty of action include the moorings around Blairgowrie Marina, drifting around Queenscliff Pier and some of the shallower areas of the Rosebud reef.

Successful jigs have varied this year, there has been no standout seller. Taking a range of good quality jigs such as Harimitsu, Yamashita and Gancraft with brights, naturals and dark coloured jigs will almost certainly see you with a few cephalopods in the boat!

BEACH FISHING The next three months form the core months for

the Victorian winter surf scene. I really love this part of the year, good fun, and while it may take a bit of rugging-up, it is still a great way to spend a morning on the sand.

This year the fishing from our local hotspots, Gunnamatta back beach and Portsea back beach, has already seen some good fishing. Most of the salmon at this stage have been between 500g and 800g but there are always some bigger models mixed in.

Continuing the theme from last year, the number of anglers spinning lures for salmon in the surf seem to be on the increase. I have talked about it a lot the last couple of years and it really comes down to this – if you haven’t tried it, do it! The best aspect of spinning lures

Baz Gorman is still encountering plenty of good frogs as by-catch when whiting fishing.

Let’s hope the King George fire up at St Leonards right through the winter period.

on the back beach is the simplicity. One rod, one reel and maybe a couple of metal lures or slugs. That’s it. No bait, no buckets, no rod holders – it can make the trip quick and easy. Suddenly a 45 minute session down the back beach is a good option.

Back in my bait days, it didn’t seem worth the effort!

Sticking with the beach theme for a minute, while it is not everyone’s cup of tea, there has also been some reasonable beach fishing for sharks at night around Merricks and Shoreham.

Staff Nick and mate Trent North did a few nights around this area early in the month producing a number of gummy sharks and monster seven-gill sharks.

The boys also lost a bronze whaler on the shoreline.

Worth a look if you fancy wrestling a behemoth in from the waves on a cool winter’s night!

Left: Jules Frank with a couple of mid-size calamari taken at Blairgowrie.

Right: Calamari have been fantastic and should continue right through winter. Young Matthew with a ripper taken off Sorrento.

LOOK AHEAD The last two or three seasons, the King George whiting fishing has been outstanding through winter from Queenscliff right up through St Leonards and Port Arlington. There is no reason to think itC will be any different this year!

While the fish throughM this period are not huge, many between 28-35cm, theyY still provide for a quality meal on CM a cool day.

Land-based over the next MY couple of months often sees some good salmon schools CY around the Blairgowrie Marina. Get down thereCMYwith a pack of Berkley Powerbait 3” minnows in watermelon K pearl colour and see what damage you can do!

• For more information feel free to drop in and see the boys at Peninsula Total Tackle, 11 Boneo Road in Rosebud or phone: 03 5981 1994.

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JUNE 2014

23

Cracking calamari come on WST PORT NTH

Adam Ring

It’s getting mighty cold and the calamari have come out to play! It’s the big draw card to winter fishing and, even though there are some really nice calamari around, they are only going to get bigger as the water continues to cool.

THE TOP END I will get to the calamari hot spots in a second, but they are not the only tasty morsels to collect in the port. We will open up with a little bit of land-based action from Stockyard Point.

It has been a little while since receiving some consistent reports from here but it has finally happened.

There are a handful of local

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anglers that have been doing really well fishing the low tide and getting baits right into the channel.

This area is littered with small to just-legal gummy sharks, and thrown in the mix are quite a few small school sharks as well, so don’t be surprised if you encounter the odd bite off.

It is not a complicated task to target and catch these fish, the humble pilchard and/or strip of calamari is all you need.

But the real key is to be there at low tide.

There will also be the odd elephant fish still hanging around too, which can add to the excitement of not knowing what will take your bait next!

Grantville Pier is another little winter delight that land-based fanatics can sneak away to for an afternoon session. Similar to Stockyard, you will find the smaller gummies and schoolies, along with the elephants, that will hang around for a lot longer than what you might think. It

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really is a high tide spot though, as the mud flats are just about exposed on the low tide.

Moving through the top end, the boat-based anglers have been getting amongst a few table sized gummies to 5kg throughout the Bouchiers Channel. Strips of fresh calamari and fresh salmon chunks have been the deadly baits. Tide changes are always best in this area and, if you can, the high change into the run-out tide is preferred.

And now to the calamari! We are heading into our prime time of year for big calamari and the lead up has been nothing short of spectacular. The Quail and Tyabb Banks are both covered in calamari and tossing around a few artificial jigs is the way to get them. Generally speaking the bigger 3.0 and 3.5 sized jigs are the go-to, but we had a few guys come across a patch of squid on the Tyabb Bank that were pretty switched onto smaller prey, so the smaller 2.5 sized jigs really came into their own. This proves that even though the fishing is pretty red-hot, you still need to keep a keen eye on what is happening and pay attention on any given day.

In the colour department white and green jigs have seen the most action.

THE NORTH ARM The calamari have also spread themselves out along the middle spit and there

Jesse couldn’t even wait to cook this bad boy before taking a bite! are some very nice sized specimens among them.

The average size at the moment has been between 30-35cm hood length, but expect that to creep up a little bit during the course of the month. It won’t be too long until we see fairly consistent catches of squid

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A bag of beautiful middle spit whiting.

pushing 50cm in the hood department.

Artificial jigs have again been the best way to get the squid and the bigger jigs have dominated proceedings; jigs up to a size 4 have been getting the job done. The tide does tend to run a little harder through the north arm so being armed with some of the bigger jigs does make a big difference.

The whiting have also been hanging around into the cooler months and will continue to bite through winter. They have thinned out a fair bit but a good feed is still to be had. Working the edges of the spit in 5-7m of water has been the preferred depth and the average size is hovering between 32-35cm. The odd bigger fish has been moving into the low 40s so it is still well worth having a crack.

Mussels have been the bait of choice and a few of the charter boats have been able to get their hands on some fresh cuttlefish, which has been out fishing every other bait. It’s just being lucky enough to get a hold of one, which is the issue!

Now, I know it is getting very cold but the fishing is still very much on fire. The key to winter fishing is to pick your times and put in short and sharp sessions.

Concentrate on tide changes and make every second count. Good luck and keep the reports coming.

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JUNE 2014

25

Land-based fishing fires up WESTERN PORT STH

Jarrod Day jarrodday@iprimus.com.au

Despite the cooler temperatures settling in over the state, Western Port’s winter fishery is about to fire up in a big way.

It is this time of year when many anglers begin to pack up and store their boats for the long winter ahead, but don’t put it all away just

are known to be, especially around the entrances.

Below the bridge at San Remo, the whiting are quite consistent throughout the winter period. Most of the area ranges in depths from 3-5m and consists of thick weed and sand holes.

It is amongst these sand holes where you can find the whiting. In saying that, there is also an abundance of big calamari over these weed beds that can be caught

THE CORALS Although the Corals is a well known location for its snapper and elephants in season, throughout the next few weeks things will begin to slow up.

In saying that, this location always produces small school sharks, snapper and gummy sharks. The majority of them are smaller in size; providing you’re fishing quality baits such as squid,

Pinkie snapper are a common catch from many of the piers.

Stony Point is abundant with them throughout winter. yet, there’s still plenty of good fish on offer if you can withstand the cold.

Many of our regular species have begun leaving for warmer waters but a significant amount still set up residence and stay for the entire year. These include snapper and whiting, which if you know where too look can be caught in relatively good numbers.

Although the whiting may not be as abundant as during the summer months, catching a good half dozen is a decent result. Mind you, these fish won’t be the piddly little ones you’d normally expect; rather you can expect them to be in excess of 40cm if you concentrate on locations where they

from both the beach and from a boat.

When the conditions have allowed anglers to venture out, few anglers have continued on the search of whiting and have found some very nice fish.

One angler, Garry, managed 6 whiting with the largest measuring 48cm using pipi and mussel for bait.

A little north of the bridge at Dickies Bay is another well known whiting fishery.

During the run-out tide, there has been a significant amount of garfish pushing in over the sand flat that have been caught using a float set up.

Those fishing for whiting in the same area have been doing well with some fish exceeding 45cm.

trevally fillet and salmon fillet, gummies to 5kg can be caught.

The schoolies will be quick to find your baits and often bite you off, so tie your rigs from 60-80lb trace and use a 4/0 or 5/0 KL design circle hook to avoid this.

CORINELLA The run of elephants this season was certainly welcomed by many anglers, especially those fishing from the sand.

Corinella is always a great location to fish landbased, whether it’s from the pier or from Settlement Point, elephants, whiting, trevally, salmon, gummy sharks and the odd pinkie snapper can be caught.

The elephants certainly haven’t been a let down and anglers spread from Corinella to Stockyard Point have done very well catching them.

With that said, Stockyard Point was a top spot for the elephants and while they will begin to head offshore for the season, the beach has already been producing quite a noticeable amount of gummy sharks, which is really good for this time of year.

In the past, Stockyard Point has fished extremely well throughout the winter period, but that is only if you can endure the long walk in as well as being able to withstand the cold night temperatures.

This is a low tide fishery only so make sure you get your tide times right.

STONY POINT Stony Point produces some amazing fish from the pier year round, but as the water temperature drops, night fishing for calamari is extremely productive. Most of the action will occur around two hours either side of a high tide change.

Calamari are a sucker for a smelly bait and as effective as artificial jigs can be, bait fishing is often more productive. Silver whiting suspended under a float on a prong is about as simple as the rig can get. Make sure you cast into the direction of the current, so it flows with the force of the tide past the pier.

Some of the calamari caught here can exceed 2kg, so make sure you pack a net to aid in lifting them onto the pier.

THE WESTERN ENTRANCE – BUOY 16-12 It is common knowledge that the Western Entrance is the home of the big gummy shark and, while they are still a possible catch over the next few months, smaller models in the 5-10kg range will be more common. The reason being is that the larger females have already entered the Port and done their thing and have gone again.

Seven-gill sharks can be caught from the beach right around Western Port. Trent happily displays this one just prior to release.

At this time of year, the smaller models tend to be a more popular catch for those fishing this location. Still, if you’re persistent, larger fish are a possible catch.

Fresh baits are the key, including trevally, salmon and calamari. Tackle World Cranbourne customer, Michael Phillips, fished off Buoy 14 recently and managed to catch and release two gummies of an estimated 12-14kg.

BALNARRING If there is one beach to try your luck from during the cold winter nights, Balnarring takes the cake.

During the lead up to the full moons, gummy sharks become more active in their feeding patterns. Fishing two hours either side of the high tide is when you’ll most likely catch them providing you’re using a good selection of baits.

It can be difficult casting big baits out a fair distance, which is where a paternoster rig with extra long droppers work well.

Specifically pre-tied landbased shark rigs are all the rage now. Bite Me rigs are developed for land-based anglers making casting big baits far out, much easier.

The bait hangs onto the sinker when cast and once it hits the water, dislodges and floats upward. The sinker anchors itself as the bait freely floats around with the current.

Using these rigs can allow you a much further cast than if you are using a

paternoster rig or running sinker rig, which are typically used.

MERRICKS I recently hit the sand at Merricks Beach with mates Nick Bailey and Trent one very cold evening. I hadn’t fished in a while and was desperate to wet a line so just decided to join them. It was one of those impromptu trips where everything was the opposite of what I usually fish, especially during a run-out tide, but the end result was worth it.

Trent set the hooks into a solid seven-gill shark that took a tuna head bait and the best part of 30 minutes to land. We estimated it at around 60-70kg and released it a short time later. Around 20 minutes after releasing the fish, Nick hooked into one that was around the same size, except this one took a trevally fillet.

Two nights later, Nick and Trent headed back to Merricks and once again hooked into another giller that they estimated at over 100kg and was also released. Funnily enough, these fish are being caught in only 2-3m of water.

There is so much fishing to be done throughout the next few months and, whether you’re in a boat or fishing from the beach, there are a lot of species that can be targeted. Just remember though, it is going to get very cold and wet so ensure you’re set up for the night with the right tackle, bait and clothing.

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JUNE 2014

There are plenty of productive land-based locations around the Port.

Often, it just takes a short walk and a long cast to find success.

Changing tactics PHILLIP ISLAND

John Dalla-Rosa

It’s that time of year again when the whiting and snapper have moved out of the bays and gone off to warmer waters. It’s now time to put all that gear away until next season and start chasing trout in the lakes and impoundments, bream in the rivers or salmon on the surf beaches.

SURF BEACHES Weather permitting the surf beaches are fishing reasonably well with some big salmon around the 2.5kg

mark being caught. The bigger artificial poppers are producing the larger fish.

It’s all shaping up to be a good salmon season.

SAN REMO AREA Below the Bridge Cleelands Bight is still producing calamari and a few whiting. Outside the Entrance the makos have headed north for warmer waters. There were a few 200kg+ ones caught in early April. There are still some reasonable flathead to be had drifting and the big couta should be starting to show up in numbers.

Above the Bridge A few whiting are still

being caught in Dickies Bay, The Boys Home Channel, Coronet Bay and the Middle Spit.

Some large squid are coming in off the Tyabb Bank.

I managed 5 over 1kg on my last trip.

There have also been some good gars taken out wide of Dickies Bay. The Corals area has been full of small pinkies, most of which are undersize.

FLINDERS SHOREHAM AREA There have been some big whiting in the 600g to 1kg mark being caught off Flinders and out wide off

Ben Cornford with his first gummy caught in Western Port.

Somers. However, the bag numbers have been very small, one or two fish being

the norm. Snook are starting to show up in numbers over the weedy, reefy areas. Trolling

with lead lines, paravanes or deep diving lures will do the trick.

FISHING FILL-ITS

Northern fishers caught red-handed with illegal setlines A report from the community has led to a number of infringement notices for the use of commercial fishing equipment being issued to fishermen on northern waters.

DEPI Regional Fisheries Manager Mike Hosking said: “It is another example of the 13FISH hotline working and providing the public with a means to report illegal

fishing activity.”

“Fisheries officers conducted surveillance following the anonymous tip-off and allegedly witnessed the retrieval and setting of setlines, classified as commercial fishing equipment,” Mr Hosking said.

“Individual infringement notices to the value of $722 were issued relating to the possession and use of commercial fishing equipment.

“The maximum penalty for using commercial fishing equipment without authority is $14,400 or six months imprisonment or both under Section 36 of the Fisheries Act 1995.

“It is also highlighted in the Recreational Fishing Guide that such equipment is not to be used in Victorian waters.

“This equipment is heavily regulated and enforced due to the detrimental effect it can

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have on a wide variety of fish and other non-target species such as tortoise, platypus and a wide variety of water birds.

“It is illegal to use commercial fishing equipment and those caught doing so will be heavily penalised.”

Fisheries officers will continue to be out in force until after the Anzac Day long weekend as part of Operation Radius.

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4wd Advertorial

Explore Australia Expo The all new Explore Australia Expo is set to rock the Australian outdoor show circuit with its first event booked in for Melbourne June 20-22 at the Melbourne Showgrounds. Bringing together Australia’s most prolific 4wd television producer and two of the country’s leading outdoor, Moto and 4x4 event coordinators, the team behind Explore Australia Expo are themselves self-proclaimed outdoor adventure junkies.

Key to this expo is an intrinsic understanding of not only what the relevant communities and industries want but also where these types of expos need to head in order to survive the challenges of motivating, inspiring, engaging, entertaining and educating a far more demanding and well informed consumer.

For too long the needs of the community and the industry have been seen as separate concerns to be compromised on. Our team understands the symbiotic nature of what works best for these types of events and how the needs of each group are actually closely intertwined.

In essence the future and success of our industry as a whole is dependent on such a holistic view,” said Event Coordinator Paul Morgan.

Education will be a core thread though out the Explore Australia Expo. A seminar hub has been created that will offer relevant, informative and professionally delivered workshops and tutorials on topics such as Travelling with kids, Outdoor photography, Navigating, Maintaining bush access, etc.

Simon Christie, one of the event’s key ambassadors stated, “Get set for a fresh new take on the ‘all too old’ 4x4 show style, we are creating a number of educational hot spots around this event.

Selling and entertaining is no longer enough. Information is key to how our impassioned community wants to be informed and educated in an inspiring, open and welcoming manner. We want people to walk away from this event and simply say ‘wow’!”

Outdoor engagement and educational entertainment has been another area of the expos focus with the Adventure Track literally bursting at the seams with informative, inspiring and exciting dynamic vehicle displays. A full schedule of events will see standard, modified and extreme 4wd vehicles performing a range of demonstrations.

Key show partners will provide tutorials on safe winching, diff locks and suspension, how to use a snatch strap and driving techniques.

28

JUNE 2014

The TJM AusTruck event will highlight the amazing local winch challenge scene and Simon Christie’s team of extreme trail rigs will provide informative sessions on basic 4wd techniques and terminology as well as technical 4wdriving skills.

Community involvement will also be an important inclusion for this expo.

A massive Scout City will bring a never before seen involvement from Cubs, Scouts, Venturers and Rovers.

Activities, information and engaging displays will provide an experience

Opposite Lock Club Corner will see numerous clubs offered free display space as well as discounted tickets for club members. Further to this there will be a generous prize of $2000 worth of Opposite Lock 4x4 gear awarded to the club with the best display.

Clubs will be encouraged to engage with the public, sign up new members and promote the benefits of membership and the extensive community work that clubs continue to do.

Further community involvement will see two show ‘n’ shine events run over the weekend of the DETAILS Show Opening Hours: Friday 11am – 6pm Saturday 9am – 6pm Sunday 9am – 5pm Ticket Prices: Adults $17.00 Senior $13.00 Kids Under 15 FREE Adult 2 Day Pass $24

deployed by outdoor adventure specialists for our dynamic group of visitors.

The Scouts over all are one of our major outdoor adventure community groups if not the largest. Their involvement will not only provide a diverse insight into maximising our adventure experiences but it will also generate incredible exposure for the event as well as attracting massive interest and attendance from the extended Scout movement that has around 16,000 current members across the state of Victoria.

4wd clubs will also be a focus with the all new Opposite Lock Club Corner taking shape. Representing another large and diverse aspect of our community, the 4wd clubs have had only a minimal involvement in the past with such events. The

expo. The ARB 4wd Show ‘n’ Shine will feature public entries highlighting the best prepared and presented vehicles the community has to offer whilst the Ironman 4x4 Escape Show ‘n’ Shine will focus on the most

innovative and best presented escape package; a 4x4 vehicle along with an item in tow.

Both Show ‘n’ Shine events will see $2000 worth of ARB and Ironman 4x4 accessories being handed out respectively to the event winners.

TJM have also stepped up their involvement with the TJM Workshop. One lucky 4wdriver will win the opportunity to have their vehicle ‘pimped’ at the expo with a number of accessories being fitted within the TJM Workshop. On the final day of the expo, the set up vehicle will then be driven around the Adventure Track to highlight the improvements and accessories added.

Creating a true outdoor adventure show has seen this expo embrace a diversity of overlapping and multifaceted

pursuits that will provide a unique overall experience for all visitors. Marketing Manager Mark Petersen said, “The scope and need for a 4wd extends far beyond the interest of the common 4wdriver. We want to appeal to a broader group, be more encompassing and entice and welcome new groups and consumers to this show.

They are definitely 4wd and SUV users but they have never before been engaged by the typical 4x4 show.

And yet they are a core component of the growth and support of this sector”. As such, hunting, water sports, mountain biking, camping, bush walking and generally outdoor recreation of any type will all be a focus of the Explore Australia Expo.

But it certainly is not all about the 4wds and 4wdriving. One of the biggest and fastest growing outdoor recreational areas is fishing and boating and the Explore Australia Expo has gone all out in this sector. With over 5000m2 of fishing tackle and accessories, trailer-able boats, kayaks and canoes, boating

accessories and fishing charters and destinations, the Fishing & Marine Pavilion is the one stop shop for all your fishing and boating needs, all under the one roof!

The Channel 31 Fishing Stage will offer non-stop entertainment with a host of C31 fishing lifestyle programs and personalities.

Creating an interactive feel for show visitors, popular programs such as Savage Seas Adventures, Catch & Cook, The Australian Seafood Show, That’s Fishing and The AFN Fishing Show, will offer show visitors the opportunity to interact with the presenters, taste a selection of seafood cooked on stage and get all the tips, techniques and advice from some of the Industry’s leading fishing gurus.

Australian Fishing Adventures is one of the country’s most diverse media platforms and Young Guns Fishing Adventures, another expo organiser, who commands unequalled respect for their fishing clinics, community involvement and industry rapport have both committed their support to this event and along with the attending identities and presenters, all will be featured on the Channel 31 Fishing Stage located centrally within the extensive Fishing and Boating Hall.

Throw in a balanced mix of Monster Trucks, the WOT Hobbies RC track, new vehicle test rides, SxS test rides, quad bike demonstrations and plenty more plus numerous other identities and TV personalities and it is no doubt that the Explore Australia Expo will inspire, motivate and educate. No matter what sort of outdoor adventure you are into, Explore Australia Expo will have something for everyone and plenty to entertain, engage and surprise even the most discerning show visitor.

For more information and to purchase your ticket online, please visit www.

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Welshpool shark shake down WELSHPOOL

Alan McFayden amcsayte@bigpond.net.au

There have been recent reports of mako sharks caught in fairly good numbers out wide from Welshpool.

The best method has been to have a fairly solid bait under a floating balloon and drifting until you get an enquiry. There can be a fair wait and many boaters like to have a smaller temptation thrown out hoping for smaller prey such as flathead, salmon or whatever might come along.

There have been quite good numbers of salmon making an appearance with surface lures and a variety of natural baits doing the job.

George Davidson and a mate decided to give everything a chance so they put out a whole large salmon each under a balloon then some smaller baits out and waited. They endured about an hour of nothing when suddenly there was a

run on the big presentation and the excitement was on!

However, after a couple of minutes the big fish, or whatever it was, just broke free and that was the end of those proceedings. A few minutes later the smaller rod took off and was completely out of control – there was no stopping it! Eventually, there was no line left and it was snapped off with ridiculous ease.

The crew decided to stay put and over the next few hours they bagged quite a few very good size salmon on surface lures and some very nice flathead on fresh salmon fillets, which made up in some small way for missing the big fish earlier.

Even though it has not been a great season in this immediate area as far as whiting are concerned there are reasonable numbers to be had by those who are in the know. A visitor to the area would no doubt notice a concentration of boats at anchor or tied up to the structure known as the Old Jetty. This is where

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the Lewis Channel flows and the whiting have been to the 38cm mark. There has also been a mixture of silvers, flathead and mullet caught on a variety of baits that include Bass yabbies, sand worms, squid and silver fish.

The Franklin Channel has been the favourite spot as far as the 6kg snapper are concerned along with good size flathead.

Gummies are taking baits that include squid, fresh fish fillets and pilchards.

Information from the boat storage is that there have been many bite offs; most likely the work of large toothies. One boat reported that after a long battle with one, a very large white pointer shark came alongside completely unexpected and wondering what a big hook was doing in its mouth. The line was quickly cut and

things returned to normal after the brief encounter by both fishermen and fish.

The jetties at Port Welshpool have been reasonable as far as landbased anglers are concerned.

The best results have been on the run-in tide on the eastern end of the structure.

This is where there are good numbers of flathead, mullet and silvers. The fish should stick around but be careful when the wind gets up as equipment can quickly be picked up and land in the water, never to be seen again.

On the other side of the inlet at Yanakie, Lachie Roberts who has the local caravan park says there have been good numbers of quality whiting taken in the Bennison Channel and around Doughboy Channel.

There have also been quite reasonable numbers

Whiting like these caught by a Wonthaggi angler are in good numbers at Welshpool. of whiting being caught in the same area by boaters on both sides of low water. Even though the water is cooling down, land-based anglers are doing fairly well off the beach

where flathead and salmon are in good numbers, along with gummies. The torpedo fish have been to the 2kg mark and are being caught on whitebait and squid.

Temps drop, fishing soars INVERLOCH

Alan McFayden amcsayte@bigpond.net.au

As we slide past yet another summer, the temperatures drop as expected, the fishing continues to make efforts worthwhile.

In this part of the world boaters and land-based anglers continue to do well with boaters bagging good numbers of big gummies, which is good news.

Many experienced fishers err on the side of caution and will often return big fat gummies to the water as they may well be females in pup.

I was talking to one such person, who did not wish his name to be published, who was with two other mates and went out wide looking for gummies or whatever might come along.

As it turned out there was not much of a wait and in a matter of minutes they had an enquiry.

After a long time he had a very big gummy in the boat which the crew suspected might be a female and it was returned to the water to swim and fight another day. This continued for another hour or more and they actually bagged five more that were all returned to the water until they caught another smaller fish, which was well over size but a male.

They then decided to move to another spot where they had plenty of success. This was a GPS mark, which is just beyond the breakers off Venus Bay and they managed a very nice bag of flathead and pinkies that were well above size and they were happy with their results.

I have received quite a few similar reports of this nature and there was a very good size mako shark caught out wider still. However, only

Visiting anglers from Frankston, Rod Kessells and Frank Van Der Heyden relaxing at the mouth of the Tarwin River at Tarwin Lower. experienced boaters who have the right gear and a big enough boat should tackle these fish.

The reason is that they are very dangerous and great care must be taken. They must not be brought aboard while they are still alive as they can cause great damage.

Wonthaggi angler Dino Tiziani and good mate Craig Amy can often be found out on the water in this area. They have been doing well outside the entrance where the whiting are often to the 45cm mark.

Craig says that Bass yabbies, squid and small strips of pilchards are among the best baits for these prized fish.

They have also been catching very good size silvers and flathead. One of the reasons that they do so well is that they know the area well and have been fishing for many years.

The entrance at Inverloch

is notorious and over the years it has claimed too many lives.

Like many other entrances it is shallow and inexperienced boaters should not cross it.

The best way to learn is to have someone on board who knows what to do, as there is no second chance in the water.

The Tarwin River at this time of year usually begins to give up quite reasonable numbers of perch and this year is no exception. Just before this report I visited the area and came across Tony Hanlon from Morwell who says that he can often be found on the river near the highway bridge.

He had a couple of quite nice perch that would have been around the 33cm mark that were caught on Bass yabbies that he pumped at Inverloch.

While I was there talking to him he had an enquiry and was excited with the weight

of what was on the other end. This quickly turned to despair as the fish turned out to be a huge toadfish that had blown itself up, as they always do. In disgust it was returned to the water and I left Tony wishing him better luck next time.

The fishing platforms that have been constructed along the bank of the Tarwin River have been getting quite a workout, especially when the conditions are favourable.

I visited quite a few of them and even though the conditions were great, the best most anglers could manage was mullet and wrasse, but they were enjoying in spite of the lacklustre fishing.

Down at the stonewall, which is virtually on the entrance, locals and landbased anglers have been trying their luck where there have been a few more perch being bagged along with silvers and mullet. Wrasse, or parrotfish as they are better known, are not much value on the table as far as most fishers are concerned, but they are also being caught.

There are also some fairly big eels being caught.

I came across a couple of visiting anglers from Frankston who were enjoying a relaxing time during the holiday break.

Rod Kessells and Frank Van Der Hayden say that they come down whenever they can as the area is so peaceful and, even though they had not had anything in the bag, they were just happy being there. They reasoned that they won’t catch anything at home, and who can argue with that?

Top time for spinning NINETY MILE BEACH

Will Thompson allwaysangling@bigpond.com

I can’t believe one of my favourite times of year to fish has arrived already.

Yes it’s a bit cold in the mornings, but now is the time if you want to catch one of Victoria’s premier sport fish off the beach on lures; yes I’m talking about the Australian salmon.

One of my favourite forms of fishing on the Ninety Mile Beach is to grab my 9’ graphite spin rod, a small 3000-4000 sized spin reel loaded with 10lb braid, a box of metal slugs and walk the beach spinning. You can have some serious fun!

May and June are the best months if you want the chance of catching some really big salmon.

As I’m writing this, the big salmon of 55cm and over have just arrived in moderate numbers and it’s only going to get better from here on.

I often get asked, where the best place to go is and it’s a hard question to answer as the

salmon move constantly.

However, Woodside gets big salmon at this time of year but you don’t usually get hundreds of them.

Mcloughlins Beach, is good as you can make a day of it and walk all the way to the entrance and fish both the surf and the entrance on the same day.

Further East, Golden Beach is a great beach to get numbers. You can have days where you get big salmon and other days where you get smaller salmon, either way you’ll catch so many you’ll be sick of them.

Loch Sport is another big salmon beach and often this is the place to get your double figure fish.

I haven’t forgotten about you bait anglers either, this time of year is good to throw a paternoster rig on as well.

Over the past week there have still been a few nice 3’ gummy sharks caught at night.

Yes I know it’s cold, and it’s only going to get colder, but it’s still worth a shot. July is the latest I’ve caught a gummy off the surf (or

earliest, whichever way you look at it). However, the draughtboard sharks drive you insane while you’re trying to catch a gummy this time of year, which is usually why I only chase the salmon now.

Night fishing is also good for salmon. I always run a surf popper on the top dropper and a blue bait, pilchard or piece of squid on the bottom. I put a bit of scent on the popper, such as Halco catch scent.

Over the past 2 weeks during the day, the bait anglers have been out fishing the lure boys for salmon. This is only because the salmon numbers haven’t reached large enough numbers yet, but as I said earlier, now is the time.

• For more information, contact Will at Allways Angling in Traralgon on 51748544. You will get expert advice and great deals on fishing bait and tackle. Tune into Rex Hunt and Lee Rayner’s “Off the Hook” on 1242 to hear Will’s report on what’s going on in Gippsland.

Shane caught this big salmon spinning the surf with a 60g slug. He puts the hard yards in and always seems to come up with the goods every year.

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Bream and flatties biting hard Tambo and Nicho rivers are regular hotspots right now and in the Mitchell from the Silt Jetties right up to the highway bridge.

I’d say 90% of the flathead I’ve been catching are about 20-25cm with the odd bigger fish to 54cm.

BREAM ON THE GO There’s no shortage of bream action at the moment and the focus now is all about finding the bigger fish in that 38-45cm bracket. Over the last three months smaller bream between 22-30cm can be caught in their hundreds just about anywhere you wet a line, including all the popular haunts like the Mitchell River above the highway bridge and down near the Cut, the lower Tambo, Paynesville and Metung jetties, Hollands Landing, and the Nicholson River.

Be warned, a box of sandworm will disappear in no time at all with the hordes of small bream making short work of any bait on a hook.

As far as lure fishing goes, it has been amazing with the surface action still a

GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

Winter in Gippsland means two things: frosty mornings and big bream. Back in early April a few rainsoaked cold fronts barrelled across the state and we got some serious Gippsland downpours.

The rain was mostly slow and steady with minimal run-off. In the end we didn’t get major flooding and although many rivers rose with higher flows, most of the Gippsland Lakes remain clean and the area has continued to fish extremely well.

WINTER DUSKIES Flathead have been caught all over the place at the moment from Hollands Landing right down to Metung, with plenty of them now moving into the rivers.

It’s fairly well known that flatties are caught in big numbers during early winter and more are probably landed at this time of year than over all of summer. The lower

standout. The Hurricane lure called a Switch 66 is doing all the damage and it’s a bent minnow surface lure at 66mm long with an action you have to see to believe! This lure drives bream nuts and on one occasion I landed 41 bream on it. And yes it took me half a day to get that tally, and I missed hooking just as many.

I can’t begin to explain just how much fun I have while watching countless bream pouncing on a topwater lure. It is such exciting sport to experience such visual fishing, so get some of these Switch 66 lures and see for yourself. Peter Nord from Bairnsdale took his mate for a spin in the lower Mitchell recently and they managed to boat well over 60 bream for the session on the Switch 66 and other Hurricane hardbody lures.

GET INTO CRABS Mark Ramsay from Traralgon took his home-

made crab lures down to the lower Mitchell River recently and he was joined on the boat by father and son team Scotty and Ryan Findlay. The three boys caught just over 175 bream for the day during a very hot bite on blades.

A few decent flathead to 50cm and tailor to 40cm made it to the net as well.

You can expect this action to continue until the end of June or even July. Jason Deenan joined me a few days later and we searched the same spot of river with the Ramsay Crabs, Hurricane Switch 66 lures, 30mm blades and soft plastics. We got about 40 bream to 38cm each for our efforts and about 8 flathead as well. This sort of action is fairly common at the moment and every so often a few huge trucky bream turn up like the 47cm model I did battle with recently. If I had my digital scales on board I’m sure that fish would have made 2kg.

Dylan Findlay with two lovely Mitchell River bream caught on a 35mm blade lure.

FLATHEAD COMP Just a quick mention of the Austackle Flathead Fishing Classic held recently in the Gippsland Lakes and Lake Tyers estuaries. There were 158 entries, which meant that plenty of fish were going to be caught and the event will no doubt be a further success in the years to come.

Catch and release was very much promoted and the average sized flathead for

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the entire event was close to 55cm. The biggest flattie went 79cm and quite a score came in between 70-75cm.

Special mention goes to the junior winner Rhys Bryant who shoved $250 in his pocket for catching a big 75.3cm dusky. Rhys has been endowed with very fishy genes because mum and dad Nikki and Blair are regulars on the Victorian bream comp scene.

Will Thompson allwaysangling@bigpond.com

A dramatic reduction in water temperature has made anglers change their tactics, and with a change of water, we have a change of species to chase.

GARFISH One of my favourite fish to chase is the humble garfish. They are great for kids to catch and they are one of Victoria’s premier table fish. Why not kill two birds with one stone and make the kids happy and get dinner as well?

What a lot of Gippslanders don’t realise is that we have one of the best garfish fisheries around and we get the biggest garfish that you will find anywhere in Victoria. The big sea garfish are the ones everyone wants to catch and eat and we have them right here and right now.

All you need to do is find shallow water with scattered weed beds and sand patches and you will be in the right area. Then berley, berley and keep berleying!

I use a mixture of minced fish, chook pellets and breadcrumbs and place the berley pot half in the water and half out.

I often use two different rigs; one very light paternoster style to keep baits close to the bottom and then a float rig as well.

This covers the whole water column and allows you to work out what the fish prefer.

Baits can be a wide range from pipis to flesh baits, such

Ryder was wrapped to catch the big sea garfish at Port Albert. The run-in tide was the go on this day and they were easy to catch. as salmon, trevally and tailor cubes (tailor stays on the hook a lot better).

I’ve been fishing Port Albert for garfish a lot more lately and there’s plenty there, but Mcloughlins usually starts producing lots on the shallower waters around the entrance and in the Manns Channel. The next few months will only get better.

SALMON The salmon have been hit and miss. We have

seen days where they are inside Port Albert entrance in good numbers and then the next day they are gone.

Mcloughlins is the same; they are on the surf now but we are still waiting for those large numbers to enter the system. There have been plenty of smaller salmon in around St Margarets Island at Mcloughlins but not the big fish we are looking for.

There have been some better-sized trevally, especially around the

mangroves, and they are getting caught on 3” soft plastics and vibes.

Back at Port Albert, the old port is producing some smaller salmon to about 750g on the run-in tide.

We found a good school of salmon recently at the back of Sunday Island and they were around 1kg each.

I think it would be better heading towards Kearney’s entrance around Dog Island as this was the area where the big 3kg+ salmon were hanging out last year.

OFFSHORE It’s flathead time now and anglers fishing 35m and over are getting their bag of flathead quite easily, and some real rippers as well. There’s plenty of 40cm flatties and a few monsters over 60cm out there as well.

The tiger flathead have been a little deeper past the 40m line. The gummies have eased off a bit now, but a lot of the reasons for this have been because angler numbers have dropped off considerably.

If you target your tide changes and make sure you have the freshest baits such as salmon fillet, trevally or fresh calamari you will be in for a chance to get one of those big winter gummies.

• For more information, contact Will at Allways Angling in Traralgon on 51748544. You will get expert advice and great deals on fishing bait and tackle. Tune into Rex Hunt and Lee Rayner’s “Off the Hook” on 1242 to hear Will’s report on what’s going on in Gippsland!

Sensational options at the Lakes LAKES ENTRANCE

Lucas Smith squidgy_man1@hotmail.com

The fishing around Lakes Entrance lately has been nothing short of sensational, with multiple options available for both landbased and boat anglers.

The upper end of Cunningham arm has been fishing extremely well for pinky snapper up to around 4lb along the concrete wall opposite the caravan parks.

Baits of pilchard fillets, prawn or baby squid have been best on the high tide with a running sinker rig.

Berleying with pilchard cubes and chicken pellets will bring the fish to the area.

Some ripper garfish have been cruising the edges and fishing with a float and sandworm.

The occasional big flathead has been caught on baits aimed at pinkies too, as have large numbers of whiting up to 35cm.

Some beautiful bream and trevally have been caught off the town jetties on prawn and shrimp. Small suspending hardbodied lures have been doing well in low light periods. Natural colours have been best.

The entire lake has been invaded by massive numbers of salmon up to 3lb or so, with the best action happening between Kalimna and Nungurner. Spinning with small metal lures or baitfish style soft plastics have been the most effective.

Flyfishers are having a ball throwing small Clouser and Polar Flash minnows at the schoolers hammering through the bait schools.

The whiting in the Hopeton Channel have all but disappeared but there have still been good numbers of trevally and large yellow eye mullet caught in these same areas. A few local lure anglers have been targeting the weed beds with hardbody lures and while they have caught some thumping yellowfin bream their main target has been estuary perch, and while numbers haven’t been great, the size has certainly made up for it! The 60-80mm shallow diving jerk baits have been best.

The rocks have still been fishing well for big luderick on green weed. Flyfishers have been taking advantage of the tide changes and fishing weed flies on sinking lines to the schools of fish.

Green weed has been hard

to find but Lake Bunga has a good supply.

Lake Tyers has been brilliant and although the water is fairly dirty the big tailor have been in full swing and are attacking anything that moves. Trolling with Rapalas, Savage minnows and metal slugs or casting into the schools of busting fish will see you hooking tailor up to 70cm. While fairly ordinary on the plate they are awesome fish on light line.

Some good flathead have been caught along the Glasshouse banks and Blackfellows arm on live prawn and soft plastics.

The bream have been fairly quiet but a few nice fish have been taken along the snags up around Nowa Nowa on cut crab.

The surf beaches have been firing with good numbers of salmon and tailor caught on blue bait. Some small gummies have been caught along the front of Lake Tyers on high tide on eel and squid. Big mullet have also been caught on sand worm and pipi fished on light gear.

Offshore has been phenomenal with big numbers of gummies caught down to the west in 15-20m

of water. Good bags of flatties have been taken in these same depths on a range of baits but, as always, fresh is best and slimies are hard to beat.

Out wide some solid bags of pinky snapper have been taken on the 6 Mile Reef on slimies and pilchard. If you’ve never been out and want to experience the reef fishing there are a couple of great charter operators running from Lakes and are well worth a day out.

Tyler Wickham with a ripper tailor that fell to a Munroes soft plastic.

Sue Curran from Mildura caught this barra up the Daley River on a recent trip with her husband Danny to the Northern Territory.

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Head for the surf, while the rivers run fast MARLO

Jim McClymont mcclymont@net-tech.com.au

After recent heavy rain, the rivers have been running fast and dirty making it almost impossible to go fishing in the estuary.

When the rivers run fast the fish move out of the current into backwaters, small creeks and lakes.

They wait until the rivers

subside enough for them to move back into the river system. So while the estuary has been out of action anglers have been fishing on the surf beaches, with very good results, catching plenty of salmon, tailor, flathead, mullet and gummy shark.

The river system never ceases to amaze, just a short time after the water subsides the fish reappear back into the rivers as quickly as they vanished.

Just as sudden, anglers are out and about reporting their captures.

The first fish to appear were the hardy black bream, probably the most prolific species in our system.

Anglers have reported capturing bream up to 46cm using sandworm, prawn and crab. Luderick can be found along the rock groins that surround the islands and riverbanks. Best results have come from using sandworm or shrimp.

Estuary perch are holding on most snags and structures, and anglers have been using prawn and lures.

Salmon and tailor can be found down towards the entrance on an incoming tide using metal lures.

The surf beaches are fishing well, and with reports coming in of anglers getting salmon and tailor nearly every cast either using bait accompanied with a popper or spinning metal lures with light gear,

it is fishing at its very best.

For some reason gummy sharks have been on the bite during the day taking squid, blue bait, and pilchards. Some anglers have been getting them on poppers as well.

Fishing offshore is still very good with anglers reporting plenty of flathead, gurnard, barracouta, squid, leatherjacket, pinkie snapper and gummy shark.

The Marlo Reef is still holding good schools

of kingfish; anglers have reported capturing kings from rats to around 90cm using knife jigs trolling lures and live baits.

Anglers have also reported the water temperature is warming up again, with currents moving down the east coast from Queensland. And with the current, school fish are arriving again in big numbers, resulting in anglers suspecting a prolonged season offshore.

Entrance open to the sea BEMM RIVER

Robyn Sturgess

Winter is now the official opening of the bream season!

Substantial rainfall during autumn topped up the system nicely. Barry Higgins and Margie Smith, both from Heyfield, enjoyed awesome fishing recently while they spent a week with us. Most days they both bagged out on bream with a few flatties thrown in amongst the mix. Bream sizes ranged from 30-40cm.

Barry and Margie also reported seeing a large school of whiting feeding in the shallows down the channel.

The furious and fast activity of the fish being caught gave Baz and Margie plenty

of time to enjoy their other passion – socialising and telling ‘fishing stories’ on the deck of the pub.

The entrance has recently opened to the sea, which will please a lot of anglers as there has been a seal trapped inside.

This has caused some grief over the past few months with anglers as it has been biting the bottoms out of kriels dangling over the sides of boats and letting the catch escape.

Prior to the entrance opening in April, Sibiera was a definite hot spot with the water level making this location accessible. The entrance to Mud Lake and the Channel are also still good areas to either drift or anchor to pick up a nice feed for dinner. Frozen prawns are the popular bait.

If the entrance remains open, we will no doubt have

a salmon and tailor run in the channel. It is great fun flicking lures around on bream gear and hooking the huge salmon and tailor that are prominent.

They just love the fresh sea water rushing in and out of the entrance on the change of tides. The Jones family from Langwarrin have had fun catching salmon and tailor in addition to bream. All good sizes, bream ranging from 38-42cm.

In ideal conditions, the surf beaches are producing good catches of salmon.

Hardbodied lures, squid and pilchards have been the most successful.

Don’t forget to get in early for your winter accommodation and boat hire bookings. Winter fishing in Bemm this year should be the best we have had in years

Winter welcomes the bream.

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VR Fish Update

VRFish applauds additional investment VRFish, the peak body representing Victorian recreational fishers today welcomed the commitment from the Victorian Government for additional investment in recreational boating infrastructure announced in the 2014/15 Victorian State Budget.

Recreational fishing contributes more than $2.3 billion to the Victorian economy each year and the increase to $8 million annually for the main source of recreational boating infrastructure investment recognises this value.

VRFish Chairman, Mr Russell Conway said, “We congratulate the State Government and Minister for Ports, Mr David Hodgett on this initiative. Improved boating infrastructure and better fishing access go hand in hand.”

Victoria is home to a diverse array of recreational fisheries in offshore, coastal, 34

JUNE 2014

estuarine and inland waters, many of which require boating infrastructure to provide a safe and high quality fishing experience.

The Coalition Government is also investing $10.3 million for local ports maintenance and $3.4 million to upgrade and replace marine pollution response equipment. This is significant because it means that the increase of $3 million to the annual Boating Safety and Facilities Program funding will be able to be applied to increasing and improving the capacity of boat launching facilities which serve 98% of registered recreational boat owners.

VRFish Chairman, Mr Russell Conway said “This announcement is the result of constructive, sustained and informed discussions between VRFish and Government on how to ensure investment in Victoria’s recreational fisheries and infrastructure

provide lasting community benefits.”

VRFish is also encouraged with the intent shown by Minister Hodgett and the working group on recreational boating facilities, which is working towards a better delivery model to address the significant gap between boat launching capacity and demand at peak times.

This additional investment, combined with the $16 million Recreational Fishing Initiative delivered under the auspices of the Minister for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Peter Walsh demonstrate our shared vision to make Victoria the premier fishing destination for local and visiting anglers.

VRFish will soon be releasing its Election Wish List on infrastructure and other fishing related initiatives that aim to achieve continued growth for Victoria’s 720, 000 recreational fishers.

VRFISH CHALLENGES TUNA PROPOSALS VRFish, shares concerns held by our NSW counterparts that proposed regulation changes for recreational southern bluefin tuna (SBT) fishing in NSW are ill conceived.

VRFish General Manager, Mr Dallas D’Silva said, “Given the highly mobile nature of the species, there is a clear need for more consistent regulations across States boundaries.

The regulations in place in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania all allow for up to 2 SBT to be taken by recreational fishers.”

Mr D’Silva added “SBT stocks are rebuilding and the commercial total allowable catch has recently been increased. If adopted, the changes will have resource sharing implications between recreational and commercial sectors. The proposals are at odds with the intent of

the 2004 Memorandum of Understanding on Fisheries Resource Sharing signed by all States, Territories and the Commonwealth Governments.”

Overarching management responsibility for this species sits with the Australian Government and VRFish would like to know what, if any, consultation has taken place with them on this issue.

VRFish Chairman, Mr Russell Conway added “A large number of Victorian based fishers visit the south coast of NSW each year. Victorian game fishers might now be reconsidering the benefits of travelling large distances to NSW to fish for SBT and other game species.”

The potential decline in the number of interstate fishing trips to NSW may have adverse socio-economic impacts for townships such as Eden and Bermagui.

The economic contribution

of the recreational SBT fishery to South West Victoria was measured at $9 million in 2012.

The proposition that the species is facing a high risk of extinction in the near future and therefore should be listed as ‘endangered’ is simply erroneous. The distribution and range of the species is clearly widespread as noted in the Species Impact Statement.

We believe this classification is outdated and it is the basis for the current ill conceived proposals.

VRFish feels it is not possible to justify the proposed reduction to NSW recreational SBT catch limits.

We therefore do not support the proposed changes and hope the NSW Government will adopt sensible regulations that achieve consistency with southern States. – Dallas D’Silva

Decent rains mean good fishing forecast EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

Finally the area has received good rains. The rivers and creeks are all flowing well after months of low water levels, and this should be good for the fishing in the months to come.

The beaches are still fishing well, with the water temperature around 18ºC. Bream and whiting are still being caught, with a high tide in the morning or evening the best time to wet a line.

Fresh bait is the go; beach worms, prawns and the like should get you a few fish.

The salmon are also about and they will only get

thicker as the water cools down. You can expect these fish to turn up along any of the local beaches or headlands.

It’s yellowfin tuna time so what’s needed is some good weather to allow the boats to get out there and see what’s going on. Recent weeks have seen a big easterly roll making boating

unpleasant. Southern bluefin tuna could turn up anytime over the next month… fingers crossed!

Reports of kingfish down around Greencape will have the boats making the long trek as the fishing down there is usually well worth it. All the usual inshore species are being caught – snapper, morwong, flathead

and so on – but at times the leatherjackets have plagued anglers, biting through lines, stealing hooks, sinkers and anything that moves.

Fishing in the rivers has still been good. The recent rains dropped the water temperature but the dirty water brought the flathead on the bite. The water has started to clear now, and

around this time the bigger sized tailor start putting in an appearance.

Sand whiting are still being caught on nippers and worms, with the entrance area on the last of the run-out tide the best time to wet a line. The oyster-covered rocks and oyster leases are fishing well for both black and yellowfin bream.

and Lachy fished with me for three days and had some great fishing for flathead. At the end of the three days they would have landed over 220 flathead, the majority of which were between 35cm and 38cm. Only one fish was over the slot size (55cm).

I have been letting go any fish over 40cm as these fish need a helping hand to live

long enough to get above the slot limit. It was great to see Greg and Lachy release all their fish.

The bream are still being caught by the bait fishermen and they have started to fire up a bit, taking a variety of lures. Flounder are in the lake, and there are some good sized specimens in the mix. They are been caught

regularly enough by anglers tossing blades and vibes, and what a great eating fish they are!

Silver trevally are in the lake, turning up anywhere in the Top or Bottom lakes.

Upstream around Gypsy Point. Flathead and bream are still being caught even though the water is still dirty.

Full-on flatty fun MALLACOOTA

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

With the Anzac Day weekend over the town is starting to look a lot quieter. This is a good thing as the fishery is under constant pressure with many anglers staying

for long periods and keeping plenty of fish. There are no total possession limits in Victoria as there are in other states, can you believe it? The boat ramp is coming ahead with completion due around November ready for the Christmas period.

The past month has seen some boats heading offshore fishing. The bar crossing is

Good numbers of flounder are in the lake and they love to eat blades.

shallow as one boat found out, running straight into the sandbank then ending up upside down.

Good fishing has been had with sand flathead and gummy shark being caught.

Big schools of baitfish are about with kingfish in amongst the bait. Big schools of salmon are also about and it won’t be long before they are thick on all the local beaches. In the lake the water is just starting to clear up after the recent rains.

The sandbar at the entrance has slowed down the flow, resulting in the lake taking longer to clear up. The entrance area has fished well for the bait fishers; fresh baits such as nippers and worms have worked well for the yellowfin bream.

Blackfish have also been caught, with a group of guys fishing with floats and green weed for bait getting amongst the fish.

Regular visitors Greg

FISHING FILL-ITS

Fishermen forced to forfeit boat and gear capture, removing the option to release if too small.”

The enforcement and regulation of bag and size limits plus the type of equipment used, insures the sustainable distribution and the protection of fish populations for all recreational fishers.

Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected illegal fishing activities to the 24 hour Fisheries offence reporting line, 13 FISH (13 3474). – DEPI

IN

R E V A L LY . S N A P P E R . E S G.T TU A

. WH AD

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. BASS . JEWFISH . F LA

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“Both men were fined $750, plus court costs,” Mr Hosking said.

“The court ordered their boat, trailer, outboard and associated fishing equipment be forfeited and both men received orders prohibiting them engaging in recreational fishing for eight months.

“DEPI is pleased with the outcome and hopes these convictions will send a strong message to people considering engaging in similar activities.

“Setlines and yabby pots are both classed as commercial fishing equipment and it is a serious offence for recreational fishers to either possess or use such equipment in, on or near Victorian inland waters,” he said.

“Fishers who choose to use setlines are inclined to put them in place and leave them unmanned, typically leading to exceeding bag limits and failure to assess the size of the fish at time of

PE R RY

Two fishermen who used illegal set-lines in the Broken Creek, near Picola, were fined and ordered to forfeit their boat and fishing equipment in the Echuca Magistrates’ Court earlier this month.

The two fishermen pleaded guilty to a number of fishing offences.

In December 2013 the men were detected by Fisheries officers setting commercial fishing equipment, including 12 setlines, in the Broken Creek near Picola, targeting Murray Cod, an iconic native species which is greatly reduced from its former range and abundance.

DEPI Regional Fisheries Manager Mike Hosking said the men were found to be in possession of and using commercial fishing equipment in the form of setlines and yabby pots, plus one of the men was without a recreational fishing licence.

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35

Finally some consistency!

MERIMBULA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

The Merimbula region has experienced all seasons over the last month or so, with drenching rains, huge seas and warm sunny days making it hard to decide which actual season we are in. Now the weather has stabilized somewhat, anglers can look forward to more consistent conditions to go smack a few fish.

OFFSHORE Fishing offshore when conditions have allowed has been nothing short of excellent. The game crews have been having awesome results on marlin with three to four shots a day the norm.

Most marlin are stripes around the 90-100kg mark, though the odd better black upwards of 150kg have also been captured.

The water is still warm at around 22ºC but I do expect the beakie action to slow somewhat over coming weeks. Last season there were still a few caught up to mid June but a lot will depend on water temperatures. If it hangs around 20ºC marlin are still

possible but any lower and it’s all over until December.

The bonus here though if the temperature does drop is that we can expect yellowfin tuna to 80kg and bigger to make their presence felt.

June/July is a great time for a jumbo with anglers fishing a cube/berley trail doing well.

line and further east, looking for temperature breaks, bait activity and birds. lf you locate all three at once then you’re certainly in the right area.

Closer to shore the kings have been OK although a little sporadic with some good fish off Long Reef. The trolling brigade has fared best

Tom and John Williams with some cracking yellowfin bream caught on softies fishing the flats. All fish were released in great condition and were some of 30 legal fish caught for the day.

There have been a few smaller yellowfin caught when anglers have been trolling for marlin, with the best I’ve heard of going 62kg; not a monster but still a solid fish. I’d be concentrating my efforts from the 70-fathom

with kings to 7kg plus solid numbers of bonito, especially when trolling closer to shore.

Those anglers fishing the bottom have been getting an awesome feed, especially snapper. The reds have been consistent for months now

and winter is arguably the best time to target the bigger fish along the far South Coast.

Some local anglers have been getting their bags within a few hours, mostly drifting with fresh squid, cuttlefish and tuna strips. Most reefs are holding fish with Long Reef, Horseshoe and Whitecliffs all producing.

ESTUARIES In the estuaries it’s firing up nicely after all the heavy rains of last month. The water has cleared considerably with both Pambula and Merimbula fishing well.

I’ve been guiding a lot at Pambula with 40-50 fish a day the norm. We’ve been using smaller soft plastics and blades with bream, flathead, trevally, whiting, blackfish, flounder and the odd salmon making up the majority of bags each day.

Fishing the ribbon weed edges in 3-4m of water is the go. If you can locate the whitebait schools around the same area the action will be fast and furious.

At Merimbula there are some very decent pinky snapper being caught. I had a mate send me a photo of a 54cm red taken out of there, and that’s a good fish

Youngsters Jessie (11) and Brock (9) with snapper, flathead and flounder caught on a recent trip. The boys and their dad Brad had a great week’s fishing around the region. for offshore let alone in the estuary. The fish was caught in the top lake, and they got quite a few others around the 40cm mark so there are plenty around.

This month will see the bigger tailor enter the system, with the top lake again the place to go. The diving birds will be a dead giveaway as to their location, with trolled deeper diving hardbodies and metal shiners catching the majority of fish. I’d suggest using a 20cm piece of tie-able wire to your leader to avoid chop-offs.

ROCK AND BEACH On the beaches the salmon

numbers have certainly increased. They had been hard to find but with the heavy swells of late they are back in force. Almost any beach with a half-decent gutter will produce, with a bait/ popper combination rigged on a paternoster rig the go-to method.

Those anglers fishing the stones after drummer, blackfish and bream will be happy as all three species have really had a chew after the heavy seas of late. Short Point, Tura Head and Long Point are all worth a look, with cunjevoi and fresh prawns the better bait.

Waterways wake up NAROOMA

Stuart Hindson stuart@ausfishing.com.au

Narooma has experienced some interesting weather of late, much like the rest of the South Coast, but thankfully it has stabilised now so anglers can get out there and enjoy.

OFFSHORE The offshore scene is red-hot at the moment with sportfishing crews getting amongst the action when conditions have allowed.

Marlin numbers are still excellent even though it’s late in the season, with crews getting up to six shots a day. There’s a mixture of beaks with blacks and stripes, but the majority seem to be stripes around that 90-110kg bracket.

I’ve heard a few reports of bigger blues further east of the shelf but they have won their freedom. Most fish have come from the 70-fathom line around the traps to the shelf, with the Tuross canyons holding fish too.

With the water still a balmy 23ºC these beakies may stay around to early June. A lot will depend on water temperatures and the like but with the water still warm north of us anything is possible.

36

JUNE 2014

Trolling skirted pushers seems to be the preferred method to target the beaks.

You get to cover a lot of ground and when you locate the bait etc. it’s all systems go.

There have been some solid mahi mahi to 18kg caught too when trolling so the water is pretty good quality.

I think this late season marlin action might continue.

The last few seasons there have been fish caught in June and this season looks the same.

What is exciting is that it’s also tuna time. If the marlin bite slows it will do so quickly meaning the water temp will drop, and that should mean jumbo yellowfin tuna.

May and June have always been big fish time for as long as I can remember, but with the seasons seemingly getting later that could now go into July. That’s all good news for the tuna crews. There’s already been a smattering of yellowfin caught by the trolling brigade so it may pay to troll some smaller skirted pushers and bibbed minnows for the yellowfin. If you do locate them, revert to cubes and berley and try to hold them behind the boat. This doesn’t always work but when it does it’s memorable. You can expect albacore as well and if sharks are your choice there will be some decent makos following the tuna schools.

At Montague Island the

kings have been excellent; it’s the best action scene this season with almost all fish legal and in quantities.

Local charter operators are happy lads at present with bag limits reached on the majority of trips. That’s great for the punters, with loads of fun and a great feed for the pan.

The kings have responded best to live bait, especially the bigger models upwards of 90cm, although jigs and squid fished on flasher rigs have also worked. I expect this action to continue as long as the current keeps pushing south and the water remains a good colour and doesn’t turn over.

June should also see a few hoodlums make their presence felt, with kings to 20kg and bigger possible. These brutes are usually around the Fowlhouse Reef chasing sauris so they can be hard to entice, but if you do connect with one be ready. A few yellowfin tuna might make Montague home also, so anchoring or drifting the northern end of the island with cubes/berley might be an option.

ESTUARIES In the estuaries the water has finally cleared and it has helped the fishing immensely.

Wagonga inlet has woken up with the main channel east of the bridge excellent for bream, trevally and blackfish. The bait brigade has fared best here with striped tuna cubes

Peter Steward with a couple of solid black bream caught on plastics.

In all, 21 bream were caught and released that morning. and fresh prawns ideal for the bream and trevally, with nippers and green weed perfect for the blackfish. Anchoring up on the draining tide is the go. A little berley will help but don’t overdo it.

In the main basin tailor numbers are on the increase, with fish to 2kg being caught.

The bigger fish are holding deeper so trolling deeper bibbed minnows has worked a treat. You will get the chopper sized fish on the surface casting shiners or softies, and the birds will tell you where they are.

If you’re after a mulloway now is the time to target one.

With the tailor about, casting bigger plastics around the tailor school fringes should see a fish or two encountered. You also have a great chance at a big dusky flathead, as there

have been some cracking fish to 90cm caught recently.

Up at Tuross it has taken a little longer to clear, especially in the river section, but it’s all systems go now. There are good bream and estuary perch around the snags upstream of the main highway bridge, and smaller hardbodies with a rattle have worked well.

Softies fished deep into the timber have also been getting results. You will find that the EPs will move towards the front of the system over the coming weeks (don’t forget that the closed season starts on June 1).

The lower reaches are holding plenty of flatties. A few big ones are still being captured but you do have to work for them. There are a few salmon and tailor entering

the system too so if all else fails some fun can be had with them.

ROCK AND BEACH On the ocean beaches and rocks it’s business as usual with a few solid bream coming from the sand.

Both Brou and Coila have produced good bream on worms so it’s worth a look.

What is good to see is the increase in salmon. Last month they were hard to find but they have really turned up now. Casting shiners will work; you get to cover a lot of ground and find the fish, not them finding you.

Expect blackfish, drummer and groper from Blackfellows headland using cut crab and cunjevoi. A little berley used sparsely will help catch rates also.

NSW South Coast

Last hope for big game Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

With the start of winter June usually heralds the last hope of securing a big gamefish. As past seasons have shown, when warm water lingers it is quite possible for summer species to keep patrolling our waters, providing the food source is there.

Marlin are one species that have been targeted in June, when schools of slimy mackerel are prevalent around the Twelve Mile Reef and those water temps are around 20ºC. It is quite possible to encounter several striped marlin in a day.

Sauries are another baitfish that occur at this time of year, providing a food source for a variety of tunas, kingfish and sharks.

Often observed scattered across the surface when a predator is in pursuit, this is an opportunity for anglers trolling lures or live baits (such as slimies) to increase their chances of finding a good fish.

Yellowfin tuna are the most sought-after catch at present, often encountered

in berley trails laced with pilchards, mackerel or striped tuna cubes stripped back in the trail. These fish are generally encountered further out over the continental shelf, where other species like albacore or southern bluefin might show up along with some very big mako sharks. Often these days out wide in early winter can be extremely calm, so if the gamefish are quiet try dropping some baits down

deep into the abyss and, with the aid of electric reels, grind out some lovely tablefish like blue eye trevalla, ling, ghost cod, hapuka and many more interesting deep water giants.

Closer to shore, kingfish and bonito like to patrol areas like Montague Island, the reefs just east of Bermagui or down south towards Goalen Head. These fish have their eyes set on those sauries or pilchards

Luderick are a popular winter target for many anglers.

High flying salmon, you can’t beat it!

SA022

BERMAGUI

that occur at this time of year. Trolling is a good option when the fish are up on the surface or, with the aid of one of the many good spin sticks available, casting poppers across schools of these fish will provide some excellent visual angling.

With favourable weather conditions available most forms of reef fishing are on offer from the deep water reefs like the Twelve Mile through to Six and Four Mile Reefs or down south off Bunga or Goalen Head. Most of your usual species like

snapper, morwong, perches, and trumpeter or pigfish are the regulars with others also on offer. The tiger flathead may be a little sparse but the sandies more than make up for their absence with plenty on offer closer to shore.

This is a wonderful time weather-wise with crisp, cool mornings giving way to some lovely calm warm winter days. This allows anglers to grab a handful of metal lures, a nice spin stick and go walk the beaches with the mind set on schools of Australian salmon patrolling

the shoreline. This is great visual angling, and it’s one of my favourite forms of fishing on our doorstep.

Sadly winter means cold water in the estuaries making for difficult angling. What species we do have on offer are often reluctant to feed so the window of opportunity is limited. Species on offer in our area are the likes of luderick, best targeted with either green or cabbage weed, silver trevally or some yellowfin bream in the shallows towards the entrances on a rising tide.

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Blue Rock bassin’ BLUE ROCK

Brad Roberts

I think it’s fair to say that the impoundment bass scene is now well and truly here to stay in Victoria.

Consistent reports of Australian bass coming in by anglers in the know, coupled with a recent high profile tournament, word is spreading thick and fast about the potential of Blue Rock Dam and it won’t be long at all before we have another great sports fishery on our hands.

Blue Rock is a large (208,000ML) dam on the Tanjil River in Gippsland designed to supplement cooling water supply to the coal fired power stations in the Latrobe Valley and to top up drinking water supplies for the local area.

It has been stocked with trout for many years, but due to the depth and

amount of structure in the lake it has historically been very hard work to obtain consistent results.

In recent years however, a stocking program run by the Department of Environment and Primary Industries has meant that 135,000 native Australian bass have been released into the lake. The program started in 2002, however there was a five year halt in stocking from 2004-08 due to an unreliable source of fingerlings. Things are back in full swing now and the lake is fishing better than ever.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION As is the case when searching for any species of fish, finding the right structure is imperative to finding bass consistently.

Sure, every now and then someone will luck across a good fish, but chances are that the people who know what they’re looking for and

target those areas will be the ones who consistently catch bass.

So where do you start?

Looking for areas that provide shelter and food on a regular basis are the best places to begin. Blue Rock has an abundance of both standing and lay down timber, from right up on the banks to out in 30m of water. These trees all hold fish. Steep rock walls line the majority of the northern side of the lake, they have overhanging trees in places and the shade can easily be used to your advantage to prolong a bite period.

There are also many flats that can be fished on the southern side of the

Releasing these fish is strongly encouraged as they are not able to reproduce in freshwater and are highly valued as a sports fish. lake. The points of bays are often a great place to start, however spending the time

AUSTRALIAN BASS STOCKING PROGRAM Australian bass are a native fish that inhabit the coastal flowing streams of Gippsland, east of Wilsons Promontory.

They are also found in New South Wales and southern Queensland rivers that flow to the sea.

Both states have been very successful in creating new recreational fisheries by stocking bass into lakes and impoundments.

In Victoria, wild riverine populations of bass have declined, mostly because fish barriers have inhibited spawning migrations and the upstream return of juveniles. Fish barriers are being removed where possible, and fish ladders installed in other situations, however there remains an opportunity to boost remnant wild bass populations by stocking hatchery-reared fish.

Stocking bass into Gippsland waters is relatively new. Some production and stocking occurred in 2002/03, but of a limited magnitude. After several years of attempting to secure reliable hatchery production in Victoria between 2004-08, more success came by working with existing private bass hatcheries in NSW. Fingerlings are purchased each summer and released into waters agreed to by fisheries managers, anglers and water managers.

Fisheries officers releasing part of another healthy year class of Australian bass into Blue Rock Lake. Photo courtesy of Marc Ainsworth.

to find smaller areas of the flats with a rubble bottom or some scattered timber will be guaranteed to hold more fish.

Bait is another factor that will greatly affect the areas where the fish will hold. There are a large populations of small redfin, smelt and shrimp in the lake that the fish feed on, so finding and imitating these will put you on the right track.

FEEDING FRENZY Australian bass are an extremely aggressive and territorial fish, they will often hit a lure or bait out of aggression and not necessarily hunger. As mentioned earlier, imitating a food source is the key.

If fishing with lures, there are many different ways that you can cover different depths and types of bait. Redfin are often found in the mid depths of the lake and can be well represented with polycarbonate vibes and blades or shad style soft plastics. Fish these close to the bottom and with a lift and drop retrieve for best results.

Smelt are a longer, thinner profile bait often found around the edges of the lake that can be well

represented with soft plastic flick baits on light or heavy jigheads depending on depth. You can even fish these weedless if you’re having trouble with snags.

The shrimp can and will be anywhere there is structure. There’s a huge variety of soft plastic shrimp on the market and it’s just a matter of finding one that you like the look and action of. Rig these on a jighead and sink them down the face of a rock wall or tree and hang on!

Stick to smaller sized lures to begin with, 50-80mm is great and if you find it necessary you can move up or down from there.

One other technique can be to fish with spinnerbaits.

These things can be thrown anywhere, have a seductive vibration and are highly snag-resistant. Throw them out, let them sink and wind them back. In the next year or two this type of lure will become a lot more popular than they already are on Blue Rock.

As far as colours go, stick with natural colours or go all out with bright pinks, yellows and greens, they all have their place and will work in different scenarios.

But as tradition says, natural colours for sunny days and clear water, bright colours for dirty water and overcast days.

Bait fishing is also a great option. Soaking fresh scrub worms has accounted for the majority of big 40cm+ fish that I have seen come out of the waterway, but due to the amount of sunken timber you will need to be prepared for snags.

TOPWATER MAYHEM Bass fishing is addictive at the best of best of times, LOCAL INFO For local fishing tips and gear you can visit: Bisho’s Bait and Tackle 12 June Ct, Warragul 5623 2899

Kayak fishing is a popular option on Blue Rock due to the powerboat restrictions in place. It also opens up new areas that are otherwise inaccessible. Photo courtesy of Hobie Cat Australasia.

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JUNE 2014

This solid bass was spotted repeatedly taking bugs off the surface just on dark and didn’t take long to key in on a lure thrown in the same direction.

Get Wet Outdoors 101 Argyle st Traralgon 5174 3999

GIPPSLAND STOCKING HISTORY The table below indicates the number of fingerling bass released. On average these fish weigh about 1g each and measure 2-3cm.

Location 2002 2003 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Total Avon River - - - 15,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 24,000 Blue Rock Lake 25,200 10,000 30,000 15,000 15,000 15,000 25,000 135,200 Thompson River, Cowarr Weir - - - 11,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 17,000 Glenmaggie Lake 29,250 15,000 22,000 22,270 10,000 10,000 10,000 118,520 Macalister River (below Glenmaggie) - 2,350 - 4,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 12,350 Mitchell River - - - 15,000 5,000 5,000 10,000 35,000 Narracan Lake - - - 20,000 10,00 10,000 10,000 50,000 Nicholson River - - - - - 35,000 10,000 45,000 Tambo River - - - - - - 10,000 10,000 Total 54,450 27,350 52,000 102,270 47,000 82,000 82,000 447,070 Flood events are thought to have impacted heavily on the bass stocked in 2002/03, particularly in Lake Glenmaggie.

However captures of smaller, more recently stocked bass, from the Avon River, Lake Glenmaggie, Macalister River and Blue Rock Lake are very encouraging.

When the water level drops you can really see how much structure is out there. Parts of the lake and river are lined with similar banks.

Rob Wallace with two nice bass caught throwing surface lures during a period of high insect activity. The fish at this time were spotted regularly surfacing and quick to act on many different types of surface lures. but this rises to a whole new level when you start throwing surface lures.

The way these fish erupt to eat bugs off the surface will have you hooked in a big way.

During the warmer months especially, bass can usually be seen or heard sucking off the surface.

In this situation throwing floating lures that either stay on or just below the surface

are the key. Remember you are trying to ‘match the hatch’ as it is commonly referred to, so throwing lures that mirror what is flying around or floating on the surface is a great place to start.

Cicadas, grasshoppers, frogs and flying ants are all fairly common down this way so that will give you some idea of what to gear up for. Even a dry fly thrown in the right situation should have you seeing good results.

Don’t be afraid to let these lures sit either, it’s not too often you see a grasshopper swimming across the surface at a rate of knots.

HOW, WHAT AND WHEN Blue Rock Lake is approximately an hour and a half east of Melbourne near the small town of Willow Grove. From the Princess Highway you can either turn off at Moe or Trafalgar depending on your direction of travel. The dam is an easy 20 minute drive north of the highway from either of these towns, just follow the signs to Willow Grove and from there, follow the signs to one of the two boat ramps, which are located at either end of the lake.

There is ample trailer parking at both ramps and

they both have nice shaded picnic areas that make it a great location for the family.

There is even a great marked swimming area at the Tanjil River end.

As Blue Rock Lake is used partly for drinking water, it should be noted that there is a 10hp, 5 knot and 4.3m limit on boats, which is enforced. However these regulations are currently under review that will be completed shortly.

The best gear to bring is your standard 7’, 2-4kg spinning rod matched with a 2000 sized reel and 2-3kg line. If you’re intending to fish with lures, a graphite rod and braided line with a fluorocarbon leader will make things a lot easier and improve results.

Blue Rock is at its busiest over the summer months, and so is the bass fishing. Fish are more active once the water warms up and are also more widespread.

However, fish will tend to school up more in winter and if you can find the schools you will generally catch fish.

Not all of the techniques mentioned above will work to their best potential year round. They each have a different application, so as the seasons begin to transition, be prepared to change the way you target these fish.

Make the most of a late bite period and see results just on dark. Ensure you’re prepared for it, as driving back in the dark through the timber can be fraught with danger.

At present the average size of these bass is around the 25cm mark, which is just under the legal limit of 27cm, but this average size is increasing consistently from year to year. Bass growth rates in Blue Rock are actually on par with the growth rates of the more publicised NSW bass impoundments, which is very encouraging for the future. A ‘good’ sized bass in the lake at present is around the 35cm mark, with only a handful of fish coming in at over 40cm in the last few years. This is sure to change for the better as time rolls on, as the fish are only going to get bigger and the dam is going to be continually stocked with more of these great sports fish into the future.

Blue Rock is not the only stocked lake in this area; both Lake Glenmaggie near Heyfield

and Lake Narracan near Moe have also been stocked with strong numbers of Australian bass and are achieving great results as well. These two lakes are a little different to Blue Rock in that they are for the most part a lot shallower, but they still have some great structure to be explored.

All of the techniques mentioned earlier will work in these lakes in the right situations, you’ve just got to work out which one to use for the area you’re fishing.

So get out there and start covering some water, and while you’re out there don’t forget to check out the scenery, it really is a great part of the world.

For up to date information on all of these lakes you can visit the Southern Rural Water website at www. srw.com.au.

Removing the hooks ready for release of another healthy Blue Rock bass JUNE 2014

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2014 • MELBOURNE

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JUNE 2014

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2014 • MELBOURNE

BOAT SHOW

12-16 JUNE

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

melbourneboatshow.com.au

Map

We are Here

Exhibitors A1............................................................................................ Trade-a Boat Magazine A10........................................................................................................Nautek Marine A11........................................................................................................Tuff Winch.com A12..................................................................................................... Furuno Australia A13.......................................................................................V & T FM Fishing Monthly A14............................................................................ Savwinch Boat Anchor Winches A15...............................................................................Westfalia Automotive Australia A16....................................................................................................... iHealth Saunas A17....................................................................................... Stingray Marine Systems A18................................................................................................. Stress Free Marine A19................................................................................................ Yaffa Marine Group A21.................................................................................................................... X-Kote A22.................................................................................Apia - Rewarding Experience A28.....................................................................................................................AL-KO A29....................................................................................................Lone Star Marine A30................................................................................... Wyndham Vacation Resorts A37.......................................................................................................Boaties Quotes A38.......................................................................................... Kicker JL Audio Marine A39..................................................................................Road and Maritime Services A40......................................................................................................................RACV A41.......................................................................... Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron A42............................................................................................ Wealth Build Australia A43.............................................................................. Port of Melbourne Corporation A44................................................................................................................... VR Fish A45.............................................................................Solas Propellers / Wizard Tackle A5........................................................................................... Roaring Forties by SMA A58.........................................................Queenscliff Harbour & Queenscliff Boat Hire A6 ................................................................................................................ Ultrabond 42

JUNE 2014

A61....................................................................................................The Marine Shop A62................................................................................................................ Tasmania A63............................................................................ Dockpro & Sea Pen Boat Docks A64................................................................................................... Fishing Getaways A65.............................................................................................................. Raymarine A66.........................................................................................Navico Australia Pty Ltd A67............................................................................................. CH Smith Marine P/L A68.................................................................................................. Fusion Electronics A69.......................................................................................................... Frank Marine A7......................................................................... BLA - Boating, Lifestyle, Adventure A70........................................................................................ Cover Craft Boat Covers A71.....................................................................................Pleasure Cruising Club Inc A71A..............................................................................................................Boatpoint A72............................................................................ Savwinch Boat Anchor Winches A73..........................................................................................Hidden Harbour Marina A74............................................................................................................ Prop Speed A75..................................................................................International New York Times A76................................................................. McQuarrie Fibreglass & Stainless Steel A77....................................................................................................d’Albora Marinas A78.......................................................................................... Southern Cross Textiles A79................................................................................... Cumberland Charter Yachts A8.............................................................................................................. Marine Plus A80......................................................................................................Blue Reef Vision A82.......................................................................................................... Regal Marine A83...................................................................................................... Evolution Boats A84..................................................................................... Suzuki Outboard Repower A85........................................................................................ Murray Charity Meander A86................................................................................................................Edencraft

2014 • MELBOURNE

BOAT SHOW

12-16 JUNE

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

melbourneboatshow.com.au

A87....................................................................................................... Mackay Trailers A88...................................................................................................................Sealegs A88a.............................................................................................. St Kilda Boat Sales A89...............................................................................................................Boatcatch A89A.................................................................................................Sierra Experience A9 ........................................................................................................................ GME A90.......................................................................................................... Avtek Covers A91...................................................................................................... Tens Pain Relief A92........................................................................................ Transport Safety Victoria A92............................................................................................ Victorian Water Police A93..........................................................................................................Parks Victoria A94............................................................................. Marine Creations Atomix Boats A96.................................................................................... Bundoora Boat Upholstery B1.........................................................................................In Door Fishing Simulator B10.....................................................................................Port Phillip Boating Centre B11...............................................................................................................BL Marine B12..................................................................................................Bar Crusher Boats B13.........................................................................................................Suzuki Marine B14......................................................................................................... BRP Australia B15.............................................................................................Hobie Cat Australasia B16........................................................................................... Club Marine Insurance B17.................................................................................................Tohatsu Outboards B18..............................................................................................Monster Fish Pty Ltd B19........................................................................................................... Fishing R Us B20.............................................................................................................. Baymarine B21..................................................................................................New World Marine B22..................................................................................................New World Marine B23........................................................................................... Whittley Marine Group

B25.......................................................................................................... Regal Marine B26..............................................................................................................MY Marine B27............................................ Yamaha Motor Australia Pty Ltd, Finance, Insurance B28...............................................................................................................BL Marine B29...............................................................................................Performance Marine B30............................................................................................... Phillip Island Marine B31..................................................................................................... JV Marine World B33...................................................................... Chaparral & Robalo Boats Australia B34..................................................................................................... Transtyle Trailers B35..............................................................................Sleekline / Classique Ski Boats B36..................................................... Bell Marine Services Pty Ltd / BMS Autogroup B37..................................................................................Centurion Boats & G3 Boats B39........................................................................................................ Avante Marine B40........................................................................................................ Avante Marine B41................................................................................... Cranbourne Boating Centre B42...................................................................................... déjà vu Ski & Board Store B43.....................................................................................................Inverloch Marine B44.........................................................................................Geelong Boating Centre B45......................................................................................................... Boats & More B46.......................................................................................................Dunbier Marine B48..................................................................Wes Frost Marine/Inflatable Boat Worx B49........................................................................................ Melbourne Boat Brokers B50..................................................................................................Savage Aluminium B6........................................................................................................ Mercury Marine B7..........................................................................................................Streaker Boats B8............................................................................................................ Regal Marine B9............................................................................................................. BMS Marine * Exhibitors’ List and Map correct at the time of printing JUNE 2014

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2014 • MELBOURNE

BOAT SHOW

12-16 JUNE

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

melbourneboatshow.com.au

2014 BIA Melbourne Boat Show This year’s BIAV Melbourne Boat show will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) from 12-16 June 2014 with the massive space set to be filled with the latest and greatest in boats, innovation and accessories from 140 exhibitors.

From budget tinnies to top-end cruisers; jet skis to wake boats; engines to drive systems and from luxury yachting holidays to all the accessories you could ever need, show-goers will find it all at the Boat Show.

Deals range from just $10 for a fishing rod to $180,000 for a luxury 28’ cruiser you could tow away.

“Our member traders and dealers are gearing up for bigger than ever deals to tempt your nautical side and get you out on the water early this summer.

“The Melbourne Boat show is one of the major Melbourne events this June and is just one more of the spectacular events on the

Victorian events calendar.

“With some suppliers in their 30th year of exhibiting, fishermen, water sport fans or first-time boat buyers simply wanting to obtain advice will receive the bespoke, first class service they need,” says Paul Benjamin, BIA President.

The MCEC will be chock-full with exciting spectacles and exhibits throughout the exhibition’s five days with interactive clothing and cooking demonstrations to masses of equipment, accessories, boat engines, trailers and paddle crafts on display. There will be travel and fishing destination advice on offer as well as licencing and watercraft handling courses available.

Kids will be kept 44

JUNE 2014

entertained at the everpopular Flathead Fred’s Fun Fishin’ Show while adults will be educated by the wide variety of guest speakers and presenters on the main stage including TV fishing celebrity and fishing expert Paul Worsteling who will speak about all things fishing.

“We want to let the public know that this year’s Boat Show is different from last year as it’s for everyone, not just those looking for luxury.

“The deals are incredible this year with opportunities for first time buyers and old-timers alike, but our doors are also open to those just wanting to look around and see some of the awesome boats on display.

“It’s a great way to spend time with the whole family and there will be plenty on offer to suit everyone,” says Steven Potts, CEO, BIA. Visitor information can be found here http://biavic. com.au/melbourneboatshow/ visitor-info/

WHAT’S ON AT THE SHOW The show is filled with exciting spectacles and exhibits throughout the exhibition’s five days with interactive clothing and cooking demonstrations to masses of equipment, accessories, boat engines, trailers and paddle crafts on display. There is travel and fishing destination advice on offer as well as licencing and watercraft handling courses available.

The 2014 show will feature an entertainment stage at the casino end of the display hall. Featuring fishing and related products, services exciting wake, ski and tow sports. Professional speakers including fishing expert Paul Worsteling who will talk about all things

fishing. Sports and related trades persons will be on hand to explain and demonstrate the many aspects of these exhilarating sports.

If you are an angler or water sports enthusiast you’ll find it all at the 2014 BIA Melbourne Boat Show.

As ever, the whole family is catered for at this year’s show including the kids who’ll be kept entertained at the ever popular Flathead Fred’s Fun Fishin’ Show.

BOATS GALORE The variety of ski and wake boats at the show has expanded enormously in the past decade, and this year there are plenty of top manufacturers and dealers who can provide valuable decision making information for buyers.

Fishing and offshore boats are again exhibited alongside cruising powerboats, with several new and updated models making their debut. Look out for kayaks, sailboats and RIBs, and try out the world-class navigational

simulators.

The Australian Volunteer Coast Guard Association once again provides its boat licence course to give new boaters the training they need to earn their licence.

Transport Safety Victoria and Parks Victoria have created great informative and educational stands of the show.

INDOOR FISHING SIMULATORS Win a latest model Indoor Fishing Simulator at this year’s BIA Melbourne Boat Show. The fisher with the highest score takes home a brand new Fishing

Simulator RRP $2,795.00.

Be one of the first to experience the latest model.

There will be two Fishing Simulators set up for the 5 days of the BIA Melbourne Boat Show, so get warmed up, do your stretches then step into one of the Indoor Fishing Boats: The SS Mino or the Titanic, and put your skills to the test. Watch the fight play out in front of you on the big screens and experience a realistic fight with any of 14 different fish species from trout up to marlin. Land the fish of your dreams and bring home the trophy.

The Indoor Fishing Simulator is far from a toy, designed to train and perfect Fisherman’s endurance and technique. So check it out and feel the realistic sensation for yourself. Free to enter have as many goes as you like.

FLATHEAD FRED One of the best loved activities for kids is Flathead Fred’s Fun Fishin’ Show, on every day of the show.

Marching, cheering and loving every minute of it, the kids learn much more than fishing from Fred. They also learn Fred’s philosophy of good manners and good behaviour both when fishing, on the water and in everything else they do.

Fred has heaps of prizes to give away and parents get as much fun out of it as the kids do. See the daily program board near the main Show entry door for Fred’s schedule.

BOAT HANDLING COURSE The 2014 BIA Melbourne Boat Show will again offer a free boat handling course to everybody who buys a boat at the show. It is the 10th

year the show has offered the free course since the Boating Industry Association of Victoria (BIA) introduced it in 2005.

The boat handling course has been a real winner with buyers of every type of boat, from tinnie to a luxury cruiser. The course is a minimum of three hours and includes maintenance and reversing of boat trailers, safe and efficient launching and retrieval, close quarter manoeuvres and coming alongside. You will also learn use of fenders and lines. Safety gear, weather and sea state, and after-use care of a vessel – everything you need to know to make the most of your time on

your new boat.

The course is part of a broad focus on safety on the water, Transport Safety Victoria (TSV) will be on hand at the show for the latest advice offering expert information about every aspect of safe boating, including fire safety, anchoring, crossing bars and safety equipment.

YAMAHA FISHING SUPER TANK The Yamaha Fishing super tank is a great display and educational tool on how to get the most out of your day fishing. The tank provides a live display of lure fishing techniques throughout each day. You’ll be amazed as you see fish

DETAILS Opening Hours Thursday June 12 – Monday June 16, 10am to 8pm Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre 1 convention Center Place, South Wharf VIC 3006 (03) 9235 8000 Parking Entrance off Siddeley Street, located in a multi-storey carpark.

Freeway Carpark, entrance off Munro Street. Pay and Display Machines are used in this car park Public Transport Trams: There are two tram stops outside the Melbourne Convention Centre and one stop at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.

No. 12, 96, 109 travel along Clarendon Street from South Melbourne, Port Melbourne and St Kilda and service the CBD via Collins and Bourke Streets.

No. 70 runs along Flinders Street stopping on the north side of the Melbourne Convention Centre.

Trams run every 6-8 minutes during peak times, 7-9am and 4-6pm and every 10-12 minutes between 9am and 4pm.

The City Circle Tram service also provides a free and convenient way to get around central Melbourne.

Tourists, shoppers, office workers and families can use the City Circle Tram to travel to major attractions, shops and city events.

Trains: The Southern Cross Station is just a short stroll from the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre. The Dandenong, Frankston, Belgrave, Lilydale and Sandringham lines run every 15 minutes and St Albans, Williamstown, Werribee, Upfield, Epping and Eltham run every 20 minutes.

Taxis: Taxi ranks are located at both the Melbourne Exhibition Centre and the Melbourne Convention Centre as well as all major hotels, Crown Entertainment Complex and Southern Cross and Flinders Street Stations.

2014 • MELBOURNE

BOAT SHOW like barramundi come and bite lures right before your eyes.

BOAT LICENCE TRAINING COURSES Attend a Boat Licence training course provided by the Australian Volunteer Coat Guard. The course is a three hour session. The course covers boating safety on water laws and general boating tips. You can also combine your PWC course as well.

To register for the course please see the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard stand.

••••••••••••••••••• EXHIBITORS •••••••••••••••••• BAR CRUSHER’S INNOVATION CONTINUES A brand new range of ocean-going hard top pilothouse models and a host of other innovations make the Bar Crusher Boats stand a must visit at this year’s Melbourne Boat Show.

Incorporating three models – 670HPT, 730HPT and 780HPT – Bar Crusher’s new hard top pilothouse series offers the ultimate in protection from the weather, as well as the opportunity to camp overnight (on

12-16 JUNE

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

melbourneboatshow.com.au Among the range of other Bar Crusher models on display at the show – including the revolutionary 615 Gen2™ series – will be updated colour schemes, new seating arrangements/options and other innovations designed to further improve your boating and fishing experience.

Whether you’re a first boat buyer or have owned 10 boats and you’re looking for your next one, drop by and say g’day to the team and pick-up a copy of Bar Crusher’s boat buyer’s guide to assist with your research.

For more information

the water or on the road) with fully-enclosed and lockable cabins, toilets and other comforts. Delivering the optimum balance of fishability and comfort, the flexible internal seating can be changed in minutes – from a functional hardcore fishing layout to a dining layout for the evening.

Bar Crusher will also have its new series of premium-quality alloy

trailers on display. Shedding up to 150kg off the average tow weight on the larger models, these trailers have been specifically engineered for each boat to ensure maximum support and stability. Constructed using heavy-duty 190mm beam rails, the trailers feature torsion bar axles, stainless steel callipers and vented rotors. The full keel roller system incorporates sleeves

call Bar Crusher Boats – (03) 9792 2999 or visit: barcrusher.com.au.

BMS MARINE BMS Marine along with Seatrail trailers will be displaying the full range of Seatrail galvanised and aluminium boat trailers, jetski, and tilting car trailers at the 2014 Melbourne boat Show.

We will be displaying the all new 2014 model rollered PWC trailer that has been completely redesigned to suit all makes and models of PWCs, whether new or old. It features an adjustable bent axle to make sure of the correct tow ball weight

in the polyurethane rollers for less rolling friction at the ramp, while a premium winch ensures the boat is held securely while on the road. Alloy wheels, heavy duty swing-up jockey wheel, and fully-sealed and waterproof LED lights are standard on every trailer, as is Bar Crusher’s Bar Catch™ launch/retrieve system, to ensure a hasslefree experience at the ramp.

03 9729 8288

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2014 • MELBOURNE

BOAT SHOW

12-16 JUNE

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

melbourneboatshow.com.au

What makes this new pricing all the more exciting to offshore fishers is the GP1670F and GP1870F incorporate the same professional grade fish 600W/1kW finding engine as the multi award winning Furuno FCV-587, which retail for $2,189! This fish finding technology is legendary and you are also

and also to keep it as low as possible for ease of launching and retrieving.

We will also be releasing the new Seatrail 4.6m Aluminium trailer, which is designed to take boats from 4-4.8m and is available with either skid or rollers.

On display for the first time in Victoria will be the Seatrail single axle tilting car trailer. Our tilting car trailer is perfectly suited to be towed behind a motorhome or towing a small sports car to a track day.

Also on display will

be our new galvanised 4.4 to 4.8 galvanised braked boat trailer.

During all 5 days of the show there will be specials on the entire Seatrail range of galvanised and aluminium boat trailers. So for all your boat trailer needs come and see BMS Marine at Stand No. B9 at the 2014 Melbourne Boat Show.

For more information visit www.bmsmarine.com.au.

PRICE DROP ON FURUNO We’re guessing you’d never expect to see a Furuno

getting a hi-accuracy GPS receiver and full-featured Chart Plotter thrown in!

Both units incorporate a long list of advanced features, such as Furuno Digital Sounder Filter, Bottom Discrimination, Accu-Fish, C-Map 4D Charts, Internal GPS, 30,000 point memory, high bright daylight viewable bonded

LCD screen, NMEA2000 connectivity to display engine data and more.

Furuno will also be putting together even more value in the form of bundle packages complete with combo unit, 4D chart featuring high resolution offshore contour details and transducer for the 2014 boat show season. So check with

GPS/Chart Plotter/Fish Finder Combo unit at a retail price point below $2,000!

Well, as they say, ‘never say never’ because now there’s not only one, but two Furuno Combo units with retail pricing well under this mark.

Furuno have announced a price reduction for both the GP1670F and GP1870F GPS/Chart Plotter/Fish Finder Combo models. The GP1870F now has a RRP $1,639, while the GP1670F is listed at $1,309 both including GST.

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www.boatsandmore.com.au

2014 • MELBOURNE

BOAT SHOW you local Furuno dealer for the very best price on this bluewater fishing combo unit.

For more information contact Furuno Australia on sales@furuno.com.au or 07 3900 2100 or catch up with the guys directly at their stand #A12 at Melbourne Boat show.

HONDA’S BIGGEST EVER SALE Honda is offering up to $2,500HD (Honda Dollars) to customers as part of their

biggest ever sale throughout June. From portable engines right the way up to the all-conquering BF250, there are savings for anyone in the market for a reliable new engine or boat package.

Retail customers who purchase a BF2.3 will receive $250*; a BF10 will receive $800*; a BF20 will receive $1,000*; a BF60 will receive $1,250*; a BF115, BF135 or BF150 will receive $2,000*; and customers who purchase

a BF175, BF200, BF225 or BF250 will receive a whopping $2,500*. In addition, customers who purchase a run-out model BF75 or BF90 will also receive $1,300*.

For visitors to the Melbourne International Boat Show, these offers will be on display at the MY Marine and New World Marine stands.

Also on offer for the first time at any Melbourne Boat Show will be the all-new BF80 and BF100.

Honda’s Victorian Territory Manager, Andrew Wenzel, said he’s expecting the crowds to once again return to Melbourne this year, and that with such great value on offer, the two Honda dealer stands would certainly be busy.

“The Melbourne Boat Show is one of the biggest events on the boating and angling calendar and it’s always been successful for Honda,” Mr Wenzel said.

“We’ve got every reason to think that this year will be as big – if not bigger – for our Honda dealers than ever before.

“With new models, run-out models and our 50th

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JUNE 2014

12-16 JUNE

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

melbourneboatshow.com.au

Anniversary Sale giving customers plenty of bang for their buck, there are plenty of reasons to visit the New World Marine and MY Marine stands.”

So visit the guys from New World Marine and MY Marine at Stands B21-22 and B26 and see everything that Honda has to offer. *Denotes Honda Dollars.

Honda Dollars can be taken off any other product on the stand, or directly off the price of the outboard / package. Available while stocks last.

For more information, and for full terms and conditions, visit marine. honda.com.au.

JV MARINE Once gain JV Marine will be appearing at the Melbourne Boat Show with a stand bursting at the seams with a huge range of quality brands and new models!

We are very excited to be displaying the new range of Signature Hard Top boats that are sure to turn heads.

From the 602F, 632F and 650F Hard Top, these boats are built for the serious fisher and can’t be beaten for quality and comfort.

Looking for Australia’s most popular brand of Aluminium boat, go no further than the JV Stand!

They will once again be displaying over 20 Quintrex boats at this year’s show.

Everything from small tinnies, runabouts, cabin boats, bow riders and the new model 6.5m Trident Hard Top for those looking to head offshore.

Speaking of offshore fishing, you can’t go to the show and not check out the Yellowfin range of plate aluminium offshore boats on display on our stand, they don’t build them tougher than this!

Revival boats will again be making an appearance with their ever-reliable range of affordable Australian-made fibreglass boats. For those looking for a quality made bow rider or cruiser you will need to see the Four Winns display at this year’s show boasting the new range of RS bow riders and the luxury V275 Cruiser.

For those looking to repower your old boat we have amazing deals on Suzuki and E-Tec outboard engines available to those who buy at the show! So if you are in the market for a quality trailerboat, outboard engine or trailer make sure to visit JV Marine’s stand – we get you on the water for LESS! For more information visit www.jvmarine.com.au.

MY MARINE 2014 Boat Show is an exciting time for MY Marine with a number of

new models on display. Both our Stabicraft and Surtees range are at the forefront of aluminium plate design and safety.

The all new Stabicraft 2900 Weekender, Stabicraft 2050 Supercab, and the 2100 Supercab along with the full model range of the 1850s will be on display. There will also be a great representation of our smaller Stabicrafts.

For the Surtees lover, we will have the 7.3 Gamefisher, Twin Rig 6.7 Gamefisher, the very popular 6.1 Gamefisher, a few 5.5 models, and of course the super tough 4.85 Surtees will be there. All powered by Honda and Yamaha outboards.

For more information visit www. mymarine.com.au.

PORT OF MELBOURNE CORPORATION The Melbourne Boat Show presents an important opportunity for Port of Melbourne Corporation (PoMC) to engage directly with bay stakeholders, particularly with regard to the ‘Steer Clear’ safety message reminding boat operators of the dangers of anchoring or mooring in shipping channels.

PoMC’s Steer Clear campaign reaches a targeted audience at the Melbourne Boat Show reminding

Visit Club Marine at the Melbourne Boat Show, located at stand A106.

• Take out a new insurance policy with Club Marine or renew your existing policy to go in the draw to win $10,000

• Club Marine Assist life ring promotion benefiting the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard – Victoria

• Boat insurance quotes

• Find out more about Club Marine Assist – a 24 hour emergency and personal service, free for all Club Marine policy holders

• Cooking demonstrations featuring Club Marine’s resident chef, Bart Beek • Club Marine magazine giveaways • Club Marine policy holders receive a free gift when visiting the stand*

• Check out the Club Marine merchandise sale range • Club Marine Gourmet Delights cookbook now available for purchase on the stand

*Subject to availability.

Trusted to protect your boating lifestyle

Australia’s No. 1 provider of boat insurance for more than 40 years

1300 00 CLUB (2582) clubmarine.com.au

Insurance is issued by Club Marine Limited (Club Marine) ABN 12 007 588 347 AFSL No. 236916 as agent of the insurer Allianz Australia Insurance Limited (Allianz) ABN 115 000 122 850 AFSL No. 234708. Club Marine is a related body corporate of Allianz. Before making a decision, please consider the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) available by phoning 1300 00 2582.

2014 • MELBOURNE

BOAT SHOW visitors that commercial ships and small recreational vessels cannot be in the same place at the same time.

With such a diverse range of boating and fishing stakeholders under one roof, PoMC’s stand reaffirms that the best way for recreational

fisherman and boat operators to enjoy their time on Port Phillip Bay is to do so responsibly by steering clear of large ships.

Large ships do not have brakes or the manoeuvrability to avoid small recreational boats

12-16 JUNE

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

melbourneboatshow.com.au

which are often difficult to spot from a ship’s bridge.

We remind visitors not to assume that if they can see a ship that the ship can also see them and that small boats should stay well clear of their path at all times rather than trying to move

away at the last minute.

Each year the PoMC’s distinctive stand with its strong safety branding is typically hosted by experienced staff from our Marine and Navigation Services Team who also provide insights into the port’s operations and aquatic events advice.

Importantly, direct feedback from visitors to our stand also allows PoMC to evaluate its Steer Clear advertising and messaging for the campaign’s continuous improvement and effectiveness.

For more information visit www. portofmelbourne.com.

CUTTING EDGE ANCHOR TECHNOLOGY Anchor Right producers of the Excel anchor will once again be at this year’s Melbourne Boat Show. The Excel is not a Delta or a plough anchor, Excel does not plough it compressors the substrate and forces it over the rear of the anchor driving it deeper.

The Excels fast setting and ability to hold in most sea beds has seen its popularity sore, regardless of where you venture through marinas in Australia chances are you will spot an Excel on someone’s boat.

Some 12 months after its

release Anchor Right then released a Stainless steel Excel version, this model has given many luxury type boats a choice of steel or bling, the stainless model has ascetics second to none when it comes to anchor design.

Last year Anchor Right released another version of the Excel, this time a lightweight aluminium model. It’s not just an aluminium Excel, this alloy anchor has a weighted toe, which means it is as capable as its steel counterpart adding weight where it is needed to dig in, further this model has a removable shank, meaning Excel is a winner if you want light weight and easy to store features, Excel now offers something for everyone.

New for this year’s show Anchor Right Australia have lifted the bar in cutting edge technology. No more rusty anchor toes on steel anchors, you had better believe it!

The latest Excel, the body and pulling shank may be constructed from steel but as a world first, the anchor toe is now constructed from 316 stainless steel, this stainless cutting toe will not

THE HOME OF IN VICTORIA

7100 Hard Top

9874 4624 www.regalmarine.com.au 50

JUNE 2014

660 Ocean Series

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VERMONT

BIGGEST RECEIVE UP TO

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HONDA DOLLARS

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Receive up to $2500 Honda dollars to spend in store when you purchase a selected Honda outboard this season.* Check in store for details.

1300 1 HONDA | marine.honda.com.au

*Promotion starts 1st of June and ends 30th June 2014, or while stocks last. Offer applicable to selected Honda outboard models BF2.3, BF10 and BF20 and between BF60-BF250. The dollar amounts are as follows; receive $250 for the purchase a BF2.3; receive $800 for the purchase of a BF10; receive $1000 for the purchase of a BF20; receive $1250 for the purchase of a BF60; receive $1300 for the purchase of a BF75 or BF90; receive $2000 for the purchase of a BF115, BF135 or BF150; receive $2500 for the purchase of a BF175, BF200, BF225 or BF250. Amounts include GST. Offer must be redeemed in store at time of purchase on any product or service offered by the dealer from which the outboard is purchased.

Offer can be deducted from the total purchase price of the Honda outboard or boat package. Offer is not redeemable for cash. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other promotion. Offer only applicable to new units. Demo or used units do not apply. Honda Motorcycles and Power Equipment Australia P/L reserve the right to refuse claims that do not meet the terms and conditions or are deemed to be invalid.

JUNE 2014

51

2014 • MELBOURNE

BOAT SHOW rust because the galvanizing has worn of, this gives Excel an advanced durable cutting edge over all competitors, the toe can be further sharpened to your desire to cut through heavy weed and improve the Excels performance yet again over multiple sea beds. Come and see it at the show.

For more information visit www. anchorright.com.au.

VISIT GME TO WIN A HANDHELD RADIO Leading safety and communication manufacturer GME will be displaying their extensive range of Marine products at the Melbourne Boat Show including the newly released MT600G EPIRB with GPS. The MT600G features a 10 year battery life and advanced new self test functionality.

Designed and manufactured in Australia, the MT600G builds on GME’s 35 years of experience building emergency beacons.

If you’re looking for a bargain while you’re at the show, GME dealers are retailing the GX600A Bonus Pack. The pack includes the highly popular GX600A VHF radio, plus a BONUS pair of high performance Carson compact binoculars.

Perfect for use on the boat or on land.

12-16 JUNE

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

melbourneboatshow.com.au

While you’re visiting GME, try your luck at winning your choice of either a TX6150 UHF CB or a GX850 handheld VHF radio.

The TX6150 is a dust and waterproof workhorse, ideal for use in the 4WD, while camping or out exploring Australia. The GX850 is more at home on the water.

It’s waterproof to IP67 and features Class D DSC functionality and in-built GPS receiver. If it gets dropped in the ocean, it will

$749 $749

$1029 $1029

See us at Stand A18

US EE

S

ON

ND

float and flash making it easy to find. All you have to do is complete the entry form and drop it in the box.

The winner will be drawn at 4:00pm on the last day of the show.

You will find GME at stand A9.

For more information visit www.gme.net.au.

CATCH A DEAL WITH LOWRANCE There will be massive savings on HDS and HDS Gen2 Touch starting May 2014. Lowrance has just announced its latest great deal, saving you hundreds of dollars when you buy a Lowrance HDS Gen2 fishfinder/chartplotter combo unit.

Lowrance customers will receive a free 83/200 skimmer and StructureScan® transducer with all HDS Gen2 Touch models, and a free 83/200 skimmer transducer and StructureScan kit with HDS-8 and HDS-10 Gen2 models (HDS-7 Gen2 units come with a free 83/200 skimmer transducer only).

This is up to $900 RRP of extras free!

Lowrance is Australia’s leading brand of marine electronics and continues to raise the bar bringing you all the latest new technology first. HDS Gen2 units include extensive mapping options including Insight Genesis personalised map options, are GoFree™ Wireless ready, offer optional video camera input (HDS-9 and 12 Touch models only), built-in award-winning

Broadband Sounder™, and built-in StructureScan for Touch models (StructureScan support for non-touch models).

All Lowrance products are covered by the Lowrance Advantage Service program offering the most comprehensive service and support program available in the industry.

For more information on the Lowrance HDS Gen2 and HDS Gen2 Touch series and the entire Lowrance line of marine electronics, or to locate an authorised Lowrance dealer, please visit www.lowrance.com or come and see us at the Melbourne Boat Show on stand number A66.

PORT PHILLIP BOATING CENTRE Port Phillip Boating Centre is once again excited to be at this year’s Melbourne Boat Show. Come and see us at stand number B10 and see the latest boats from Haines Hunter. We will have the latest release 565 and 595 Offshore range boats on display as well as 675 Enclosed and the 675 Hard top.

Boat buyers at this year’s show will have the option of choosing between Standard (bimini), Hardtop (grp lid) and Enclosed (full windscreen). Haines Hunter have a strong understanding of Australia’s varying climates and fishing conditions and realise that no one boat can cater to all of Australia’s needs.

Managing Director John Haber comments, “We have customers with different needs. Some will fish inshore and others will venture some 80-100km offshore for big fish and want a fully enclosed helm and others that love that convenience of adding and removing clears but want the protection and convenience of a fully moulded hard top.

By offering these models in three different configurations

3

B4

A ST

Extreme Boats, the most awarded plate alloy boat in New Zealand is available here in Victoria at Inverloch Marine.

EXTREME 570 CENTRE CONSOLE

03 5674 1502

2 The Esplanade, Inverloch 3996 Vic sales@inverlochmarine.com.au www.inverlochmarine.com.au 52

JUNE 2014

EXTREME 700 GAME KING

EXTREME 750 GAME KING

inverloch marine .com.au

With models ranging in size from 5.4M through to a whopping 11.5M Extreme Boats have everyone covered.

For an individual package tailored to suit you or to book your on water demonstration call Tim or Shane at Inverloch Marine today.

JUNE 2014

53

2014 • MELBOURNE

BOAT SHOW we can provide these two amazing hulls with interiors and helm layouts that suit various lifestyles and climates.”

The company says that the different hardtop configurations will cater for a broad range of serious offshore fishing requirements right around the country. The new models will be built upon Haines Hunter’s unique and tested 21-degree Performance Deadrise Vee (PDV) hull.

Among the new features on the Offshore boats will be a rear seat, fully customised

12-16 JUNE

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

melbourneboatshow.com.au

moulded dashboard, and a dive door, which is fast becoming a must-have for keen offshore boaters.

Come and see our friendly team at the show and let them take you through everything these boats have to offer you.

For more information visit www. portphillipboatingcentre. com.au.

YAMAHA Yamaha is excited to exhibit a great new range of marine products at this year’s Melbourne Boat Show. Also on offer at the show are great finance options from Yamaha Motor Finance and insurance offers from Yamaha Marine Insurance; making buying at the show an easy and worry free experience.

Yamaha will be displaying the all-new F175A and F115B fourstroke engines for the first time on the national circuit.

The F175A fills the gap between Yamaha’s powerful F150 and the award-winning F200 while the F115B sets a new standard in the mid-range category with its amazing light-weight design.

Yamaha will also display the new range of ultrahigh performance SVHO WaveRunners - the most powerful Yamaha models ever produced. Delivering exceptional acceleration from the biggest engine in the industry, these new watercraft are attracting plenty of attention from muscle craft enthusiasts all over the country and are already carving up the competition on the national racing circuit.

Also on stand at the show, Yamaha will be showcasing the very latest in

outboard rigging, including the new Command Link and Command Link Plus gauges, which will complete the ultimate Yamaha boating package.

For more information visit www.yamahamotor.com.au.

BOAB TOP DISPLAY So you want to get out on the water but you don’t have a boat? Well Boab is your mate with a boat. Don’t spend thousands buying a boat, hire one and take your mates on an adventure this season for a day, a weekend, a week or longer! Boab may be the alternative you have been looking for and what a better time to check us out than at the Melbourne Boat show!

Hiring a boat through Boab is as easy as!

Customers can tow boats away themselves or Boab can deliver the boat to the ramp and have it waiting on the water for you!

Doorstep service, well, jetty service! So with 28 locations Australia wide we have all your boating needs covered.

Boab offers the choice of several fully equipped, fuel efficient vessels for both inshore and offshore

Massive Boat Show

Celebrating 75 Years of Marine Innovation with Massive Savings on 2.5-115hp FourStroke Outboard.

RE-POWER SPECIALS See us at stand

B48

DEALS ON ALL

Mercury Outboard and Mercruiser Motors 3 Satu Way, Mornington VIC 3931 Phone: (03) 5976 4622 www.wesfrostmarine.com.au 54

JUNE 2014

OFFER ENDS 31 MAY 2014 *Terms & Conditions Apply.

Prices and savings are based on Recommend Retail Pricing of outboards (standard analogue kit on 25-115hp electric start models) and is subject to change without notice. Prices exclude local freight charges, Fit up and local statutory charges. Offer available on selected new Mercury FourStroke consumer outboards from 2.5 to 115hp purchased from participating retail dealers from March 14th to May 31st 2014. Offer is subject to availability and engines must be 2012, 2013 & 2014 build product and installed and registered by no later than June 30th, 2014 . Offer is available to recreational and commercial use customers only and offer is not subject to any further promotional offers or rebates. **Finance for credit approved purchasers only, fees charges and conditions apply. The payment per week is an indication only based on the examples given above The comparison rate shown is based on a $30,000 secured loan at an annual percentage interest rate of 8.95% over a 5 year term. The amount of credit provided to you and the term of your loan may be different to this. WARNING: The comparison rate only applies to the example given, different amounts and terms will result in different comparison rates. Costs such as redraws and early repayment fees, and cost savings such as fee waivers, are not included in the comparison rate but may influence the cost of the loan. Finance is provided by Mercury Finance Pty Ltd ABN 28 156 248 092. Australian Credit Licence Number 421347

2014 • MELBOURNE

BOAT SHOW

use. From a 6.5m Centre Cab with an impressive 150 Honda, a 5.7m Sports Rider with a 135 Honda and bow seating, a 5.2m Kimberley All-Rounder suited for any on water activity with a 75 Honda and a 4.5m Runabout which you can hire unlicensed! Boats are fitted with quality marine electronics, GPS, sounders, live bait tanks, all your safety equipment and other essential equipment to ensure a safe and adventurous day out on the water.

Boab also have an innovative boat share model,

that gives you the ability to own and possible even make money, we take care of all the hassles and costs that normal boat ownership brings, so you can enjoy the best part of boating, and that’s getting out on the water.

So come and see us at the Melbourne boat show, where we will also be selling the new mini jump starter, and let us take the hassles out of boating.

For more information call 1300 00 BOAB (1300 00 2622) or visit www. boabboathire.com.au.

12-16 JUNE

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

melbourneboatshow.com.au

BL MARINE BL Marine is a family owned and operated business established in 1980. Over the years BL Marine has expanded into adjoining properties and the new complex includes an indoor air-conditioned boat and Waverunner showroom, larger spare parts and accessories department, and our yard size has doubled to a massive 4000m2, enabling us to display a large range of new and used boats.

BL Marine can accommodate the needs of most boat enthusiasts with

a wide range of products on offer. BL Marine is among a very small number of dealerships in Australia that can offer both Mercury and Yamaha outboards, parts and service.

This year BL Marine will again have a strong presence at the BIA 2014 Melbourne Boat Show, with a variety of boat packages and Yamaha Waverunners on display. Brands include, Crownline USA built Bowriders and Cruisers, Stacer Aluminium Boats, Matrix Ski and Wakeboard boats, on stand B28.

The full Savage Fibreglass line up will also be on display including all six models, the 485C, 585C, 645C and 655C Cuddies and 535B and 585B Bowriders. These will feature on a stand alone display (B11), alongside our main stand(B28).

Our Crownline display will feature four models.

The 18SS, 19SS, 215SS Bowriders, and for the first time in Melbourne, the 236SC Sports Cruiser.

We will have a range of Stacer models, featuring some exciting new models, powered with both Yamaha and Mercury outboards.

THE

WORLD’S MOST

AWARDED

FISH FINDER

41 years

FCV-587

GP-1670F

GP-1870F

www.furuno.com.au for your nearest authorised Dealer or call (07) 3900 2100 | admin@furuno.com.au Furuno Bush n beach Feb 14 Final.indd 1

JUNE 2014

55

12/02/2014 4:41:21 PM

2014 • MELBOURNE

BOAT SHOW Four Matrix boats will include, Closed and Open Bow SuperSports, Sorrento ST-X and a centre mount Expression packaged with both Mercruiser and PCM engines.

BL Marine can also offer Yamaha and Mercury Finance and Insurance, and Club Marine Insurance.

For more information visit www.blmarine.com.au.

CLUB MARINE All visitors to the Club Marine stand this year will have the opportunity to enter a draw to win a major prize

Contact MY Marine 03·5987 0900 Cnr Nepean Hwy & Ponderosa Pl, Dromana

www.mymarine.com.au JUNE 2014

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

melbourneboatshow.com.au

of $10,000 plus other weekly prizes draws.

In addition at the stand, located at A106, visitors can browse through a range of sale merchandise, discover what Club Marine Assist can do for them, or have a chat to the friendly Club Marine staff about their boat insurance needs or to receive a quote. Also, Club Marine members will receive a free gift when they visit the stand.

Club Marine resident chef, Bart Beek will host live cooking demonstrations and entertain the crowds

VICTORIA’S Home of

56

12-16 JUNE

with his delicious recipes and entertaining culinary show, and show-goers are invited to pick up a complementary copy of Club Marine Magazine featuring Bart’s latest creations in the Gourmet section. Also available for a special boat show price will be the Gourmet Delights cookbook.

Club Marine is proud to continue the Club Marine Assist life ring gold coin donation, benefiting the Coast Guard. To get involved, just stop by the Club Marine stand and pick up an inflatable ‘Club Marine Assist’ life ring in exchange for a gold coin donation.

For more information visit www.clubmarine. com.au or call 1300 00 (CLUB) 2582.

INVERLOCH MARINE Inverloch Marine have been trading under the leadership of Managing Director Tim Edney for 23 years. With a strong customer service focus, Inverloch Marine developed from a small service station into a class leading dealership.

In 2010 Inverloch Marine secured the Victorian, South Australian and Western Australian dealership for Extreme Boats. With Extreme boats being the most award winning alloy boat in New Zealand for the past 7 years, they have been an outstanding addition to our range of boats.

Inverloch Marine has displayed a range of Extreme’s at the Melbourne Boat Show over the past few years and this year will be no exception. We will have the impressive 850 Game King, along with 7m, 6.1m and 5.7m models on display.

Extreme Boats build an impressive range of boats ranging in size from 5.4m models through to a whopping 11m, so whether it’s fishing, skiing, diving or a day out exploring your local waterway with the family there’s a module to suit. With a fine touch of refinement throughout Let Extreme boats and Inverloch marine get involved in your leisure time.

Come and see the friendly team at stand # B43.

For more information visit www. inverlochmarine.com.au.

VRFISH FOR REC FISHERS VRFish represents the diverse views of recreational fishers through a democratic and transparent process.

We are accountable to our members through the State Council, which meets 4 times per year and is comprised of more than 60 delegates from angling and diving clubs across Victoria.

We are comprised of members from outside the well established clubs and associations and also include grass roots fishers that are not members of clubs.

Our members also have experience in the fishing tackle and retail industries.

Our membership base is ever evolving and includes fishers from diverse cultural backgrounds.

We are made up of representatives from Victorian marine offshore, coastal, inshore, estuarine, inland and highland fisheries.

Our members are both metropolitan and regional based, while our Board is determined annually by an election process and meets 6 times per year.

VRFish is committed to an equitable system where our licence fees are spent on important programs across the above fisheries.

Fish stocking, research, habitat improvement, enforcement and education, improving infrastructure and access are well established priorities identified by Victoria recreational fishers.

We will be at the show and are keen to talk to fishers about issues that are important to them.

Please be sure to stop by and say hello.

For more information visit www.vrfish.com.au.

BOATCATCH This year’s Boatcatch display at the Melbourne Boat Show gives people the opportunity to get close up to Boatcatch couplings on fully functional simulator benches. This interactive display enables you to see exactly how this revolutionary devise works and to gain a clear understanding of all the benefits that Boatcatch offers. There will be videos and a plethora of large images of existing Boatcatch fit ups on most styles of vessel.

The team from Boatcatch are there to discuss your specific boat and boatcatch.

Be sure to take a picture of your bow/winch post area for the Boatcatch team so they can give you the best information with regards to fitting.

RE-POWER NOW!

Come & see us at Stand B21/B22

There has never been a better time $2500 ENJOY OUR GIFT TO YOU OF UP TO

HONDA DOLLARS*

GREAT DEALS BEST DEALS

When you purchase any selected Honda outboard during the months of May & June, you will receive up to $2500 Honda dollars to spend at your Honda Marine dealer.*

ALS

ALS

GREAT DE

ALS

GREAT DE

WAS $1,199

WAS $12,787

4 STROKE

990

4 STROKE

$

* LS

90HP

250HP

4 STROKE

LS

BEST DEA

30HP

115HP

150HP

5,543

WAS $15,189

4 STROKE

13,189

$

4 STROKE

23,563

$

LS

BEST DEA

4 STROKE

WAS $26,453

*Floor Stock only

BEST DEA

WAS $6,223

$

GREAT DE

12,999

11,390

$

ALS

GREAT DE

WAS $14,634

75HP

2.3HP

$

*Terms and conditions apply, see instore for details.

LS

BEST DEA

WAS $18,889

4 STROKE

16,900

$

WAS $22,922

200HP 4 STROKE

20,500

$

MARINE FINANCE AVAILABLE Low Low Rates

*

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I WILL NOT BE BEATEN ON PRICEMichael Mulquiney PHONE

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AFTER HOURS

0416 061 769

CNR MONASH DRIVE & WESTERNPORT FREEWAY, LYNDHURST, MELBOURNE

www.newworldmarine.com.au JUNE 2014

57

2014 • MELBOURNE

BOAT SHOW Boatcatch is a coupling system that modernises the launch and retrieval process of trailer boats. It allows you to quickly remove and replace your boat to and from its trailer without setting foot on a boat ramp.

The Boatcatch coupling comes in two sizes and is supplied complete with a universal mounting bracket and all components usually necessary for fitting and operating and can be fitted by the average handyman.

This clever new system fills all the gaps left by its predecessors. It eliminates the need to ever stand near the water on a boat ramp. When launching it can be released by the boat driver from the helm and when you retrieve it automatically locks you on with a sturdy, positivelylocked pin than can never accidentally release.

It is made from 100% marine grade stainless steel and promoted by the people at Boatcatch as unbreakable.

For more information visit www.boatcatch.com.

HOBIE CAT AUSTRALIA Specialist water-sports manufacturer Hobie Cat®

12-16 JUNE

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

melbourneboatshow.com.au powered by a roller furling, boomless mainsail.

Always a favourite, Hobie will once again provide a huge highlight to the show, head over to their stand and check them out or visit them online at: hobiecat.com.au.

TOHATSU OFFER GARMIN UPGRADE With the recent release of Tohatsu Outboards 4-stroke BFT 60, 75, 90, 115, 150, 200, 225 and 250hp models came an opportunity to offer an upgrade to its already Premium Gauge package.

has been reinventing the word ‘fun’ since the 1950s.

Hobie revolutionised the world of surfing in the 50s with the introduction of the world’s first fibreglass and foam-core surf boards.

They went on to spark an international sensation in the 60s and 70s with the invention of the Hobie 14’ and 16’ catamarans, and that was just the beginning.

Fast forward to 2014 and

a wide range of catamarans, kayaks, stand up paddle boards and accessories to cater to all ages and levels of experience have been added to the Hobie collection.

Visit the Hobie stand at this year’s show to see the full range of Hobie MirageDrive kayaks. The MirageDrive lets you power the kayak with your feet, driving two under water flippers that work like

The Australian Distributor Lakeside Marine approached the well-known electronics entity Garmin after hearing about the pending release of the GMI 20 Multi Colour Display Gauge.

Featuring a stunningly bright day and night visible screen the Garmin GMI 20 will give the Tohatsu user the ability to relay a vast array of engine management data to the display.

The GMI 20 can also be linked in through an electronics back bone to

a penguins fins to propel the kayak with remarkable speed and leave your hands free for fishing, your camera or even holding a drink.

Also on show is the Hobie Mirage Tandem Island. A super fast, two person kayak, also with the MirageDrive. But attach the included cross beams, floats and sailing kit and you and a partner will be flying across the water,

RELAX ON THE RAMP Life Warrtaime nty

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2014 • MELBOURNE

BOAT SHOW cross reference and display additional data from compatible instruments such as Chart Plotters, GPS, Depth Sounders and Weather sensors.

The Garmin GMI 20 can be used as a stand-alone unit or in conjunction with the existing Premium Standard Gauges.

For information on this offer and the new 4-stroke BFT range come and see us on Stand B17 at the Melbourne Boat Show or visit www.tohatsu.com.au.

RAYMARINE Raymarine will showcase its new range of products at this year’s Melbourne Boat Show.

Raymarine is proud to introduce the new 7” display version of its award-

Like the original Dragonfly, the larger display Dragonfly7 is incredibly easy to use; the intuitive Uni-controller lets anglers quickly dial through DownVision, sonar and GPS menu displays with ease.

Dragonfly7 uses CHIRP technology to transmit across a wide spectrum of

winning Dragonfly® Sonar/ GPS – the Dragonfly7.

Since its launch last year, Dragonfly’s highperformance, dual-channel CHIRP sonar and GPS chartplotter combination has taken the fishing world by storm; bringing the power and crisp detail of advanced CHIRP DownVision™ sonar to inland and coastal anglers at a very affordable price.

The new Dragonfly7 steps up the screen-size with a best-in-class 7” widescreen display and comes with the added advantage of optional overhead mounting, while maintaining tilt-and-swivel capability.

sonar signals - the result is much higher fidelity sonar returns in both DownVision and fish-targeting sonar modes.

Stocked with a full product range, the Raymarine stand will be located at Stand A65 and will be manned by Raymarine’s team of product experts, who will be available throughout the event to offer advice to both existing and new customers.

To learn the latest of these exciting new product lines please visit www. raymarine.com.au STREAKER BOATS Leon and Paul Savages Streaker Boats will again

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Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

melbourneboatshow.com.au

attend this year’s Melbourne Boat Show and showcase a range of their own ‘award winning’ Streaker Boats, complemented by a large display of the market leading Quintrex aluminium boats.

Both brands will be available with the customer’s choice of either Yamaha or Mercury

outboard motors and finance applications can be easily arranged through Yamaha Motor Finance, irrespective of engine choice.

The highlight of their display this year will be the release of the latest version of the ever popular Streaker 6100 Commander and Bluewater series in a new ‘Hard Top’ configuration.

Shortly after the boat show, the hard top will also become available for the 5700 Commander and Bluewater models.

Also on display, as a new release, will be Quintrex’s latest 650 Trident Hard Top. This will be the new models ‘Boat Show’ debut and will be sure to attract the serious offshore fisherman looking for an alloy boat that will give an exceptionally soft ride due to it’s Blade hull, which is exclusive to Quintrex’s range.

So whether your searching for a small tinny, outboard motor, or complete boat package, do yourself a favour and take the time to drop by the Streaker Boats stand to have a look at the awesome range of Quintrex and Streaker models on display and have a chat to their friendly staff who will be more than happy to discuss your boating requirements.

For more information www.streakerboats.com.au.

TONIC LATEST MODELS Tonic Polarised Eyewear, the new leader in high quality fishing sunglasses, is bringing its

latest fashion frames and its new Neon ‘winter lens’ to the 2014 Melbourne Boat Show.

The Neon lens and stylish new Cove and Torquay fashion frames are part of the full Tonic range on offer at the Bar Crusher stand.

Neon is specially formulated for bright, reflection-free vision in low-light conditions as an ideal “winter lens”, available in Tonic’s popular Rush and Shimmer styles.

Tonic founder Doug Phillips developed Neon’s light copper colour using four colour filter layers for dawn and dusk fishing and for sight fishing in shadows, fog and cloud.

“Serious anglers love its ability to cut through the glare while maximising light – they say Neon seems to add an extra light source,” he said.

The new Torquay and Cove styles are designed to broaden the appeal of the range beyond the dedicated anglers who have already taken Tonic to their hearts.

Doug Phillips said they delivered Tonic’s highperformance optics in a more cosmopolitan style, ideal for clear and glarefree sight-seeing or driving as well as for fishing.

“It’s all down to the latest in 21st century Japanese optical technology, which is what gives Tonic its unbeatable optical performance and all-day comfort,” he said.

“Our unique de-centred VistaView lens gives distortion-free viewing at any angle, and our scratch resistant UltraOptic lenses are just 1.8 mm thick, which makes them 30% lighter.

“Combined with our MultiCut full-spectrum anti-reflective coating and lightweight frames, this delivers fatigue-free vision in even the fiercest glare – people can hardly believe their eyes.”

Tonic Polarised Eyewear comes in eight wraparound styles, including Evo and Rush with ClikStrap removable safety strap. RRP AUD$259 with UltraOptic glass lenses.

Check out Tonic on the Bar Crusher stand and find your Tonic retailer at www. toniceyewear.com.au.

BLUE BOTTLE FISHING Blue Bottle Fishing will be attending the Melbourne Boat Show this year at the Stress Free Marine Stand with their great range of fishing and boating products on display. Some of their key products available will be Lowrance and Simrad Electronics, the Launch and Retrieve Boat Latch, The Bees Knees Reel Spooler and TrollPro Underwater housing units.

TrollPro is an underwater housing unit that is designed to house a GoPro camera, allowing you to capture all the excitement below the surface.

Bluebottle fishing will also be selling GoPro Cameras and other accessories to match the perfect underwater camera outfit.

They will also have their new Aussie invented Bee’s Knees Reel Spooler.

CNC machined spooler made from solid aluminium and stainless steel. The unit can either be fixed permanently or used as a portable spooler. Simply drive the car or boat trailer tyre onto the plate, bolt it on your workbench or clamp it. It accommodates small spools of line right up to the large bulk spools of game fishing line. Great for spooling any reels with tension - best of all, you can do it on your own.

Blue Bottle Fishing will also have a large range of Lowrance and Simrad products with some hot deals available at the show.

So come on down to Stand A18 and see Spiro and the team for some great deals on their range of products.

For more information visit www. bluebottlefishing.com.

MERCURY’S CELEBRATES 75TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW Stand B6 is a must-see stop at this year’s Melbourne Boat Show, with Mercury Marine offering something for everyone.

To help mark Mercury’s 75th Anniversary, visitors to the Show can enjoy a special display showing the many innovations Mercury has delivered over the years.

Boat lovers can see how engines have developed across the past seven JUNE 2014

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BOAT SHOW decades, and check out the range of other technology, which has made boating more enjoyable, affordable and safer.

Mercury’s historymaking white Verados will also be on centre stage.

For the first time ever boat lovers can buy a Verado that isn’t painted the traditional Phantom Black, with 300hp models now available in two shades of white – Cold Fusion and Warm Fusion.

Both these brilliant shades have been fully tested and enjoy Mercury’s outstanding 3+2=5 year warranty for recreational use.

The amazing new MotorGuide Xi5 wireless trolling motor will be at the stand too. With a composite shaft that will bend but not break, it’s so good it comes with a lifetime warranty.

Stealthy quiet, silky smooth and totally reliable, the new Xi5 has a list of features that will ensure true durability.

Of course, because Mercury Marine is simply the world’s best when it comes to recreational marine propulsion, visitors will be able to discover a categoryleading engine for virtually every application – electric trolling motors, outboards from small 2.5hp 2-stroke to 350hp Verado supercharged six cylinder 4-stroke, petrol and diesel inboard and sterndrive engines up to 430hp, as well as jet drives and specialist racing engines producing up to 1,650hp.

Add to that the largest range of propellers in the world, brilliant inflatable boats, a massive range of parts and accessories, plus Mercury’s very own boater-friendly finance and insurance products.

So you can understand why Mercury Marine is Number 1 on the water and stand 6B the place to go.

For more information visit www.mercurymarine.com.au.

LONE STAR MARINE Lone Star Marine is very pleased to be demonstrating their large range of anchoring systems at this year’s boat show.

At the stand will be the new G3-1000SD winch boasts 3200kg of holding power for vessels to 8m.

This compact unit (featuring a 250mm drum) has been designed for larger boats with a smaller mounting area. It offers a fast drop and retrieve rate of up to 130ft per minute on the smaller frame, without any loss of working load.

The 1000SD (small drum) still has all the great features LSM is known for – robust construction (more stainless steel and less alloy), application rated purpose built motors featuring the highest Lab Tested IP ratings, 60

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and Lifetime Warranty against damage due to water ingress, as well as a 3 Year Unconditional Warranty on all components. It weighs 23kg and features 6mm and 7mm SS construction throughout.

You can also check out the updated component on our 400W winch to an all new 500W motor. The new G3-500D will replace the G3-400D model, at the same low price! The new 500W motors are basically an exact miniature of all LSM motors, now each model featuring the exact same design specifications that make our winches so powerful and reliable. Max pull of 190kg and slightly faster speed than the G3-400D. The G3-500D winches are available now, RRP $1090!

Come and talk to us at stand A29 at the Melbourne Boat Show to discuss your anchoring system options from the specialists at Lone Star Marine.

For more information visit www.lonestarmarine.com.au.

BRP This year at the Melbourne Boat Show, BRP will be showcasing their popular Evinrude E-TEC 2-stroke DFI range of outboards engines. Evinrude outboard engines produce up to 25% more torque than 4-stroke engines, providing added power plus superior control and handling.

Evinrude also offer the highest power-to-weight ratio of any outboard brand, tipping the scales at almost 136kg (300lb) less than some competing engines with similar power, which of course adds to Evinrude outboard engines’ superior performance.

In addition, Evinrude E-TEC require the lowest maintenance of any leading outboard engine brand, with no dealer - scheduled maintenance for 3 years or 300 hours.

BRP, through its Evinrude brand, was the first and only outboard engine manufacturer ever to receive the EPA’s Clean Air Technology Excellence Award in 2005. Also the use of the latest combination of advanced cowling design and exhaust systems have reduced substantially the noise levels making Evinrude remarkably quiet.

On show will be BRP’s well-awarded range of PWC. There is a Sea-Doo watercraft for every type of owner. Whether your family is just discovering the sport, if you’ve been piling up racing trophies for years or if you can’t imagine anything better than a full day of wakeskating or tubing – whether it be the high performance RXT X 260 RS or the new playful, compact and colourful Sea-Doo Spark. Take a look at the different riding categories, see what types of watercraft fit your style and experience, and discover the best Sea-Doo watercraft for you.

Come visit the team at BRP – Stand B14 or to view the full range of BRP products visit www.brp.com.

WES FROST HOT DEALS Interested in inflatable boats and want a top shelf motor? How about a camera or accessories to match your new boat? Then Wes Frost Marine and Inflatable Boat Worx will have what you’re after at the 2014 Melbourne Boat Show.

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melbourneboatshow.com.au

On display will be a large range of Inflatable Boats from top manufacturers like Zodiac and Mercury Marine. There will also be the extensive range of Mercury Outboards on the stand and staff with the knowledge to help you pick the right outboard for your boat.

As always, the team are keen to talk deals and there will be great offers across the range of boats and motors, including Mercury Outboards and Mercruiser Inboards.

Visit the team on stand B48.

For more information visit www.wesfrostmarine.com.au.

NEW WORLD MARINE New World Marine will once again have a massive presence at this year’s Melbourne Boat Show.

Integral to our offer this year will be the new range of Stacer boat, motor, trailer packages. The hype around the Stacer 2104 releases has only been matched by the positive response from those that have been lucky enough to have already seen the boats.

Normally new and improved means higher prices, but not with the 2014 range! New internal layouts, providing more room for an angler as well as more space for your electronics and a fantastic sleeker look, are all great for you, the end user.

As well as these we will have a huge range of Honda and Yamaha packages to go with our stable of terrific boat

brands. We will be offering Honda and Yamaha finance at low, low rates to approved purchasers.

Come to stand number B21 and B22 for the best deals at this year’s show. We won’t be beaten on price.

BOATS AND MORE Boats and More will again have a massive range of boats on display at this year’s Melbourne Boat Show.

For the first time, Boats and More will have a range of Clark aluminium boats on display, with some amazing package prices on offer!

Clark Aluminium Boats are well known for their strength, durability and safety.

Combine these features with a quality finish and incredible value for money, the Clark range is definitely worth a look at the Show.

Boats and More will have the following Clark boats on display: 427 Estuary Pursuit, 435 Kakadu, 455 Dominator and 435 Navigator.

There will again be a range of Anglapro aluminium boats on display, including the Outlaw 454 Pro, Stealth 424 Pro and Chaser 424 CLX. With 3mm side and bottom sheet aluminium Anglapro boats are built tough and super stable at rest.

Boats and More will have a great range of Larson pleasure boats on display. There will be particular interest in the LSR sports series (think Clubsport in regards to a Holden Commodore) but the FX series of fishing boats will turn some serious heads. On display will be the FX1750 side console and bay crossover with 21º deadrise FX1850 dual console.

The impressive Haines Hunter fibreglass fishing boats will again be seen at the Boats and More stand, with some amazing deals on offer. Don’t miss the new release of the 595 Offshore, which replaces the 560 Offshore. There will be a fantastic package price on the 595 Offshore, which can be packaged with Suzuki, Mercury or Evinrude E-Tec engines. The perfect boat for Melbourne’s bays chasing snapper or tuna off Portland, without breaking the bank.

Also on the stand will be the 625 Offshore and 495

Profish rigged and ready to hit the water.

Completing the stable at this year’s show will be the range of wake and ski boats from legendary brands MB and Moomba. If you’re in the market for a watersports boat for next summer look no further than Boats and More.

There will be plenty of qualified staff on hand to help choose the right boat for you and they can also help out with finance and insurance, so be sure to check out the Boats and More’s stand next to the stage and say hello.

AVANTE MARINE Avante Marine Boronia will have a full display of the latest Crestliner boats, including the popular FishHawk and SuperHawk models. These boats use a unique tongue and groove full seam weld construction built over an aluminium super structure. It rides incredibly well with the brand being awarded a winner in the 2013 Aluminium Fishing Boat category in the Trailer Boat Australia’s Greatest Boats competition.

The FishHawk boats are geared to the fishing conscious with large expansive deck space available in all models.

The forward casting platform is the perfect place for lure casters and the array of storage compartments will accommodate all your tackle.

The SuperHawk is your all stages of life boat, capable of watersports, fishing or simply cruising courtesy of the convertible nature of the internal design.

For those looking for a more manageable boat, the Crestliner Kodiak 14 and 16 are worth a look with ample deck space packed into a conveniently sized package.

For those looking for something new, the Crestliner Vision will be arrive just after the show. Information on this innovative 16’ boat with its customisable internal design from side, dual console options to fishing and watersports packages will be available at the show and is well worth a look.

For more information visit www.avantemarine.com.au.

FMG 7’ SNAPPER SPIN FOR FREE This year at the Melbourne Boat Show, Fishing Monthly are stepping it up a notch with an incredible value two-year subscription offer.

Subscribe to V&TAS Fishing Monthly for two years for $130 and get a 7’ Snapper Spin rod from the Wilson Blue Steel range! This rod sells for $130 in stores, so it is a huge bonus just for subscribing!

Make sure you drop by the stand and have a chat about the latest fishing news and information.

Streaker 5700 Commander FMG

Stephen Booth sbooth@fishingmonthly.com.au

It was not without a little trepidation that we made our way to the ramp with the easing wind finally allowing us to get onto the water and give the impressive Streaker 5700 Commander a run.

By easing conditions I mean the wind had dropped from 30knots down to a manageable 15-20knots and the chop in the bay had eased from a back breaking 2.5-3m down to 1-1.5m, Yep, these conditions would be sensational for testing out a boat made to fish open water, but maybe not so impressive for trying to take good photography.

We met Paul and Sean Savage at the ramp and after we all looked wonderingly at the dark grey and black skies, we bit the bullet and launched the 5700 Commander. On the trailer, with brand new graphics over the sides, the Commander struck an imposing image. On first glance you would happily see this boat launching at any of the offshore ramps and

Top Left: The Stress Free anchor has been accommodated in the anchor well with extra strength built in to make this important component almost bomb proof.

Top Right: In the Easy Tow trailer, the Streaker Commander 5700 is a very smart looking rig. It’s an eye catcher for sure.

Right: The starboard side of the transom has the berley muncher and the livewell ideally placed to take advantage of whatever fishing situation takes your fancy.

being put into use chasing marlin, tuna, sharks, kingies and other offshore beasts. I have to say I was looking forward to seeing how this rig handled the washing machine that the bay had turned into.

EASYTOW CUSTOM TRAILER A rig this large needs to be fitted properly with a trailer to suit. And this is not just for launch and retrieve but also for long hours of towing. Luckily the team at Streaker Boats has a mantra to make boating easy and they actively pursue the right way to make boating easy and this was evident in their choice of trailer.

All Streaker boats are now matched to an Easytow custom trailer. In the case of the 5700 Commander an Easytow Tandem Drive-On Trailer with alloy wheels, disc brakes, LED lights and a broad mesh walkway was the choice. Launching effortlessly, the fully rollered Easytow performed its job with aplomb. Towing is easy too with this trailer and a large SUV or almost any 4WD will have you getting to or from the water in comfort and with ease.

THE COMMANDER The 5700 Commander is decked out to appeal to the keenest of offshore and bay anglers. At 5.7m long and with a very impressive beam of 2.49m, the Commander certainly does not lack for space. And this directly translates into lots of room to fish two anglers with ease and 4 anglers in relative comfort. And just think about that for a while. Four anglers take up a lot of room and the working space behind the cockpit is large enough to allow these anglers to do what they need to do.

The skipper’s and first mate’s seat also fully swivel giving the lazier angler a chance to rest his or her legs while they wait out for a bite.

And just here is a good time to point out that it is the little things that Streaker do to their boats that make them so good. Seats that fully swivel should never, ever hit the gunwales and the Streaker seats don’t. I can’t stand swivel seats that you can’t swivel without hitting things.

That makes no sense to me

at all and it was with real joy that I discovered this little piece of attention to detail that typifies Streaker Boats.

The cockpit area is centred around a large dash that can handle a lot of electronics. Streaker’s are factory fitted with Lowrance units and there is enough range and diversity within the Lowrance range that you can choose the sounder you want. The 5700 Commander comes standard with the popular Lowrance HDS7 colour sounder/GPS combo unit and this will have you finding all the fish you need in the bays and discovering hidden bait schools when you’re offshore trolling for pelagics. The skipper’s seat not only swivels, but it can also move forwards or backwards to allow different sized skipper’s to operate the instruments with ease. Set in the middle I found all the controls came easily to hand and working through the sounder settings was easy from a seated position.

Of course you can also stand and drive this rig and

The skipper’s seat, and the first mate’s, are designed to be comfortable, functional and also house storage for tackle and other accessories. when conditions are a little interesting, this may well be the best way to go and there is enough room to do this underneath the custom covers and windscreen.

Up forward the cabin has seating to the sides with enough head room for someone to take a break from the elements. There is also a large hatch to access the anchor well, however the 5700 Commander is fitted with a Stress Free anchor winch to make setting and retrieving the anchor a very simple task. In fact Paul Savage said they adjusted the bow to accommodate the Stress Free anchor winch and again shows that the team is keen to ensure their boats are made right and are easy to use.

Above the bimini top was a very well finished stainless steel rod holder that also sported two

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LED spotlights and the anchor light. Additionally there was a very cleverly designed bimini rest pole incorporated into the whole structure. This was designed to take the weight of the bimini when it is folded down for storage and is in one word brilliant. This simple addition ensures that when the boat is stored the height on trailer is a manageable 2.15m and the bimini or the hull is never stressed out by the bimini swinging all over the place or the connections taking

As it’s designed for anglers, these snapper racks are part of the standard package. To the starboard side of the transom is a fully plumbed livewell. This is large enough to take a day’s worth of slimeys or yakkas and, even with the snapper racks in place, the livewell is easy to access and the opening and closing of the lid is not in any way hindered. There is also a viewing port so you can maintain an eye on the health of your baits. And lastly the starboard transom houses the berley pot, within

Inside the gunwales on both port and starboard side are rod storage racks and side pockets. A lot of accessory gear and spare tackle will be stored in these and the port side also houses the deck wash. On the port side there are also a further four upright rod holders that will allow you to store even more rods, not that you would need to, but it’s nice to know you can.

The working area floor houses a wet well between the skipper’s and first mate’s seats and also another storage

MERCURY 125 OPTIMAX The test Commander was fitted with the brilliant 125hp Optimax. This outboard is sensational and really gave this big rig a lot of punch. Fitted with a stainless prop the Commander got onto the plane very easily in messy water and maintained an easy cruising speed across the chop.

While we had no chance to test top end speed and even less chance to test speed at RPM, the boat just

Talking to Sean after we got back into the shelter of the river, he let me know that this rig, as set up on the test day will give a top end speed around the 40 knot mark. Now that’s pretty impressive for such a big boat and it’s unlikely you’d be pushing the boat that hard on any but the calmest of days on the offshore grounds. Still, this does give you an indication of what the Commander is capable of with the 125hp Optimax strapped to its transom.

SPECIFICATIONS

Top Left: Underway in a washing machine, the Commander was surefooted, ran level and didn’t produce those bone jarring thumps we all hate so very much.

Top Right: The livewell is placed perfectly to avoid the snapper racks and still be within easy reach. I loved the way Streaker has taken care of a lot of issues.

Left: The outriggers are custom made to suit the 5700 and like everything else that has been purpose built, it does a sensational job.

Hull Length (Inc. Bow Sprit).............................5.70m Beam...............................................................2.49m Average Height (To Top of Windscreen)........... 2.15m Total Length (Inc. Trailer & Motor).......7.10m (approx) Deadrise.............................................................. 20º Fuel Capacity..................................................... 146L Approx. Towing Weight (B.M.T.).......... 1400-1600kgs Max Horsepower - 2 Stroke............................ 150hp Max Horsepower - 4 Stroke............................ 150hp Load Capacity..............................................6 Adults the entire weight of the bimini. Very clever idea.

At the transom there is more to delight anglers with a choice of two bait boards, a straight legged bait board or an offset legged bait board. I would prefer the fitted offset leg bait board as it frees up space in the working area.

The bait boards are made by Streaker and are designed so that the fitted outboard can use its entire trim and tilt range, regardless of the bait board chosen. That’s not always the case and a lot of outboard manufacturers have had to solve this problem by building into the outboards a way to restrict the trim and tilt to avoid nasty cowl damage.

Streaker has solved this problem independently by simply manufacturing and designing the bait board right from the start.

On the transom you find two well-designed snapper racks that give you an excellent directional spread for your outfits. Snapper racks are commonly an after market accessory that is fitted to the boat, but not with the Commander 5700.

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easy reach for the angler designated as the berley masher on the day.

To the port side there is a transom door with fibreglass boarding platforms and a stainless steel boarding ladder. This opens this boat up to much more than simply rod and reel fishing.

Snorkelling or diving become options as do tow sports and the Commander would eat up any of these other uses with ease.

chance to really test out the hull’s performance in conditions that were far from ideal.

Firstly the ability to get up and going, wether with or into the sea, was fantastic. You never felt under gunned and at risk of being swamped. As the boat got up on the plane very easily, you could manipulate the trim and speed to really make the 1m chop a breeze to handle.

It’s still surprising to me as I head over a larger than usual wave the way a good

area directly under the transom. In between these two areas is the 146L fuel tank, a massive amount of fuel given the fuel economy of the suitable Yamaha or Mercury outboard you can choose to fit.

felt right with the 125hp Opti on the back. You can go up to a 150hp outboard if you want, but I am not sure you’d have to other than to have those extra horses in reserve if and when you needed them.

All in all it was a well set up package and I enjoyed my time in it bashing around the bay.

ON THE WATER Given that the conditions were pretty average it gave us a great

The transom door provides rear access and looks smart when closed or open.

hull lets you down gently and does not jam your spine through your skull. During our time in the boat there was plenty of opportunity for bone jarring, but with some great skippering and a hull that is very forgiving

little raised footrests for the skipper and first mate, custom made seat boxes with tackle tray and general storage, lockable glove box, seats that were brilliantly comfortable and more. The Commander simply felt like it was finished and that’s great as Streaker sell these rigs as a turn key package that is easy to use.

When you read the fact box about Streaker Boats, you’ll understand just a little

bit more why I say these boats feel finished and it is totally due to the team at Streaker that you can feel confident you are stepping into a boat that is absolutely ready to go.

As tested the Streaker 5700 Commander will be on sale at the Melbourne Boat Show for $68,450. This is a boat show only price so make sure you drop in and check out this amazing rig at the Melbourne Boat Show and

discover for yourself why I think the 5700 Commander is a great boat.

Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith.

Performance of individual boat/motor/ trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

The stainless rocket launchers provide heaps of storage as well as two LED lights and a spot for the anchor light. There is also the bimini rest pole – a sensational addition. and easy to control, we didn’t experience that teeth rattling slam we all hate.

Spray was always going to be a problem on a day like this and I am glad to say that most of the spray was pushed aside very well. Running with or into the swells made little difference as the hull did its work and made sure the occupants stayed dry and comfortable. To give a better indication of this, the front clears never got spray on them while we were on the water with only a few drops making their mark on the side clears. I have to say

the camera was safely packed in its waterproof case as we went for a spin, and after we finished having a play, the case, which was sitting behind the passenger seat on the floor, only had a couple of spots of water on it. Dry is a great way to describe the Commander 5700.

Cornering in the messy chop was great too. We never got the rig to cavitate and it never felt like we were leaning a long way over in corners. In fact it felt like the Commander and Mercury maintained the on plane status as we cornered to port

and starboard. It really was quite an impressive display.

FINAL THOUGHTS It’s hard for me not to say nice things about the 5700 Commander from Streaker. It was one of the worst days that I have had to test a boat in, yet I came back to port positively beaming about the boat, dry and not sore in the slightest.

In the working area there is plenty of room to fish while the small details have all been taken care of by Streaker.

Things like a recessed fire extinguisher area, attention to detail like a small boarding plate on each side of the craft,

The cockpit area is functional and roomy. There is enough space for all the electronics you would want and Streaker set the entire package up for you on site.

FIND YOUR TONIC EYEWEAR RETAILER AT

www.toniceyewear.com.au

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They’re sinkers, not anchors!

NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.starlofishing.me

Correct sinker selection can be critical to success in many forms of fishing.

It’s important to lighten up wherever possible.

Sinkers are weights made from lead, lead-alloys or other heavy materials.

Most sinkers include either a hole or channel through the middle, or an eyelet or ring on the end to hold the line. Shot or split shot are generally smaller versions with a slot or split on one side, allowing the line to be inserted before the shot is squeezed shut to grip the line (and please use pliers for this task, not your teeth!).

We add sinkers or shot to our fishing lines and terminal rigs for a number of important reasons. The most obvious uses for sinkers are to provide additional weight to aid in casting, to carry a rigged line and bait (or lure) down towards the bottom and then hold our rig at a desired level in the water column, and also to balance or ballast a float so that its movement clearly indicates bites without scaring away

timidly nibbling fish.

In almost all fishing scenarios, it’s really, really important to avoid thinking of sinkers as mini anchors!

Too many anglers still incorrectly believe that a sinker is designed to hold their rig and bait firmly in one place (usually right on the seabed) and to keep their line nice and tight, so that bites can be easily felt. The fact is,

most bites are registered just as readily when the line is slightly slack, and far fewer fish will shy away from a bait that’s allowed to move a bit and waft about in a natural way, at the whim of the current and tide.

In nearly every fishing scenario you might care to nominate, the smallest sinker you can practically use under the prevailing conditions

Lots of charter operations wrap their heavy snapperstyle leads or bombs in tape or rubber tubing to reduce damage to boat fittings as these projectiles swing around. In very deep water you may need a hefty sinker like this one to get your bait to the bottom.

(depth, current and required casting distance) is far and away the best choice for the job at hand. In other words, this is one area of life where smaller is almost always better!

The actual shape and design of the sinker you choose is generally much less important than its weight.

A sinker’s shape merely allows you to fine-tune your rig. However, a couple of shapes are designed for quite specialised functions and can definitely improve the performance of your rigs in these specific situations.

For most of our day-to-day fishing needs ball, bean, bug and barrel sinkers are ideal. The performance of each of these common styles of sinker is so similar that you can pick whichever shape appeals the most to you on a personal level. They’ll all do the job admirably.

As well as these common sinkers, the following two styles have useful applications in certain forms of fishing: Snapper lead This type of sinker (also known as a bomb sinker) is designed to sink fast, straight and without spinning, or to travel through the air with

A ball sinker running freely right down to the hook is a really useful and simple rig and will account for far more desirable captures than this unwanted kelpfish. little wind resistance, making the snapper lead extremely suited to deep-water bottom fishing or long-distance, shore-based casting.

Star and helmet sinkers These are designed to have excellent grip on sandy sea beds, especially when strong cross currents are flowing, making these styles useful for surf fishing, especially on rougher days.

Other specialist sinkers that were quite popular in years gone by seem to have less relevance to modern angling and have slowly faded from use. Spoon sinkers, for example, have largely gone out of favour with modern anglers, despite the fact that this design is quite useful for use over

snaggy bottoms, simply because the sinker rides up over obstructions when retrieved quickly. Other unusual designs such as the channel sinker or so-called ‘picker’s doom’ have also declined in popularity, and are mostly only found in museum collections or pictured in old books these days.

Rather than focussing too much on obscure sinker shapes, concentrate instead on reducing your sinker weight whenever and wherever you can. Your catch rate will definitely improve as a result. In future instalments, we’ll look at rigging, and the relative merits of running versus fixed sinker rigs. Until then… lighten up!

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Testing Booth

Ecogearaqua Bream Prawns in the right areas and usually attract the attention of the bream before they’ll even swim over to look at it.

If anything a bream will hold on to a bio-bait longer than a plastic bait, giving you a better opportunity to set the single hook into the fishes’ mouth.

Bio-baits need to be looked after once the packet is opened. At the very

FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

Fishing Monthly is proud of the fact that these “Testing Booth” articles are only completed after the author had had a thorough test of the product. I can definitely say that I’ve put my time in using Ecogearaqua and feel confident that I can give you some tips on how to get the best from it when you put some on.

BACKGROUND Ecogearaqua is a Japanese made ‘bio-bait’ – a manufactured, bio-degradable ‘bait’ that’s shaped and meant to be fished like a soft plastic lure.

A bio-bait usually dries out when left in the open air. If you leave any of these baits on a jig head overnight, you’ll come back to a shriveled, hard little miniature of your bait the next day.

One thing I’ll guarantee is that if you turn up to a bream tournament and start asking questions about Berkley Gulp!, Strike Pro Reaction Baits and Ecogearaqua, you’ll start a debate about whether these manufactured ‘bio-baits’ are actually a ‘lure’ or a ‘bait’ as in the ‘bait fishing’ context of the word.

A lot of research goes into bio-baits from big tackle manufacturers and the results are obvious.

Bream have no problems

looking like one. It won the AFTA Best Soft Lure award in 2011.

In their natural environment, prawns tend to swim horizontally and rigging these baits so that they do the same will have you catching plenty of bream.

This can be achieved easily with either a weightless or a HWS rigging.

This quality black bream scoffed an unweighted Bream Prawn in a foot of water.

Specialised containers and solvents are available to keep your baits in top condition. picking these offerings up off the bottom and eating them based on their inherent taste.

Some anglers argue that it shouldn’t be allowed in a lure-fishing tournament because you can catch a fish by simply casting it out and leaving it sit there.

Obviously, those who argue that have never fished a topwater or stickbait and have had one of these eaten on a slack line after the cast.

In reality, though, fishing a bio-bait isn’t the panacea that it may seem.

You still need to fish them

There’s an “International” version of the 50mm Bream Prawn called a “Swim Shrimp”.

This product won the AFTA Best Soft Lure award in 2011.

least, you need to re-seal the original pack with the ‘juice’ that came with them to prevent the baits drying out. Plenty of anglers choose to consolidate their opened bio-baits in a waterproof container filled with additional solvents.

Ecogearaqua offers tubs and solvents as part of their product line and should be available from the same tackle stores that stock the Ecogearaqua product.

THE BREAM PRAWN The Bream Prawn is one particular shape of Ecogearaqua that’s available in the Australian market. Available in two sizes (40mm and 50mm), it vaguely resembles an estuary prawn to look at. I believe that the action of the lure much more resembles the swimming action of a prawn rather than the bait

Both allow an Ecogearaqua to glide naturally through the water and sink relatively horizontally after you lift it off the bottom.

‘Weightless’ rigging tends to work well while targeting structure or sight casting free swimming fish. It also skip-casts exceptionally well, so you’ll end up thinking you’re a casting genius as the baits skips into corners and under ledges that you wouldn’t reach with other boats.

This style of presentation works well with a braid and light leader combination.

As the bait free-falls, you need to watch the line for evidence of a fish taking the presentation and the line-leader join offers an excellent strike-indicator.

A variation on this technique involves fishing the Aqua like a topwater – cast and immediately start a medium retrieve – swimming the Aqua along the surface. If you see a fish following or get to the point of the retrieve where you can’t see the bottom under the lure, stop and let the lure freefall.

Following bream have difficulty resisting the presentation – especially once they get close to the Aqua and get a taste of the scent.

SPECIFICATIONS Ecogearaqua is sold in re-sealable packs of 8 baits.

There’s 8 colours in the range which consists on 40mm and 50mm sizes. In my experience the 40mm version is best for jig head rigging and the 50 is best used for unweighted presentations.

With both HWS and weightless, worm-hook rigging, it’s pretty important to strike hard enough to set the hook into the mouth.

When you come up tight on a big strike, it’s a great, visual experience.

THE JIGHEAD RETRIEVE An Ecogearaqua rigged on a jighead tends to ‘glide’ quite well. The guys I’ve fished with that catch the most on Ecogearaqua usually replace a ‘hop’ off the bottom with a long lift and draw, feeling for takes as the bait ‘swims’ back to the bottom on a tight line with your rod still high in the air.

In this prawn genre, you can really see the difference between the Ecogearaqua and regular plastic baits.

I’ll use a much different retrieve for the Ecogearaqua than a plastic bait.

Let me explain.

If you fed a hungry bream a plastic bait and a bio-bait, the fish would eventually spit the plastic bait out. Therefore, when fishing a plastic bait, it’s quite important to detect the bite early and set the hooks before this happens.

On the other hand, as the bream is more likely to hold onto and eat an Ecogearaqua, I can fish the same area with straight through fluorocarbon line.

The bream is more likely to eat, rather than grab the bait, which puts the hook in exactly the right position for a more solid hookup.

Naturally, the chances of tearing the hook free on the stretchier fluorocarbon are much smaller. And in my experience that’s exactly how it plays out.

Braid will give you a quicker, but less reliable hookup. Fluorocarbon will give you a slower hookup but much less chance of it falling out. You need to workout what gives you and your angling style the best results.

But the most important thing to remember is to ‘glide’ the bait and not ‘hop’ it. Ecogearaqua smells good to the fish and they eat it. Give them the chance to.

JUNE 2014

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What’s new fishing Powered by

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DUO REALIS ROZANTE 63SP

The Realis Rozante 63SP is one of the latest models to be added to the expanding range of quality lures from Japanese manufacturer DUO. The Rozante is essentially a smaller version of the popular 120SP. At 63mm in size the Rozante is perfect for bream, bass and trout, and it comes in a host of colours.

Action wise, the first thing you notice when throwing the Rozante is how wide the action is.

This bait has an incredibly wide wobble, and this becomes even more pronounced with action imparted from the rod tip. With a few downward stabs of the rod tip you can get the Rozante to dart side to side with heaps of lateral movement, which is key for triggering reaction strikes from nearby fish. Try twitching the Rozante around a weed edge for bass or around shallow structure for southern black bream.

Price: RRP $24.95 www.swldistributions.com.au

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LOW-LIGHT TONIC NEON

Australian company Tonic Polarised Eyewear has released a Neon lens formulated for bright, reflection-free vision in lowlight conditions. The ideal ‘winter lens’, it’s available in Tonic’s Rush and Shimmer styles.

Neon has been developed by Tonic founder Doug Phillips for sight fishing in shadows, fog, and dawn and dusk. Doug said people were amazed by Neon’s ability to seemingly act as a light source.

“People say Neon lenses actually light up what they look at, and yet the coatings also set a new standard for reducing glare and increasing colour separation,” he said. “[You get] a clear view of the fish when the ambient light is limited but there’s still glare to be cut through.

“Our unique VistaView lens gives distortionfree viewing at any angle, and our scratch resistant UltraOptic lenses are 30% lighter.

“Combined with our MultiCut fullspectrum anti-reflective coating and lightweight frames, this delivers fatigue-free vision in even the fiercest glare.”

Price: RRP $259 www.toniceyewear.com.au

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ZEREK THANNATUS RODS

The new Zerek Thannatus is not only a beautiful looking rod but is perfect for lure fishing.

The new Xtreme Control Quattro X Loop blank technology delivers a very strong yet durable blank, with a sensitive tip for a lovely feel and finesse.

The intelligent technology of the rods is paired with beautiful craftsmanship using a custom painted colour, Maziora Andromeda, which gives the rod a motor oil type slick finish over a smoke coloured Quattro X Loop blank.

The Fuji reel seat and the carbon fibre butt cap adds to the custom feel and unique character.

Only the best components have been used, with the Fuji K-Guides giving trouble-free casting.

Every Zerek Thannatus rod comes in a custom neoprene feel protective rod bag.

Available models (all two-piece) are: RZTH532C (5’3”, 10-17lb line rating, 1/4-5/8oz lure weight); RZTH562C (5’6”, 10-20lb, 3/8-1oz); RZTH602C (6’, 8-14lb, 3/8-3/4oz); RZTH602S (6’, 6-12lb, 1/2-1/2oz); RZTH702S (7’, 10-20lb, 3/8-1oz.

Price: from RRP $210 www.wilsonfishing.com

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DAIWA COMMANDER SPIN

Daiwa’s Commander spin series rods feature Daiwa’s legendary HVF blank technology.

Refined and rugged, these blanks have maximum graphite density, are incredibly sensitive and are light and responsive.

Megatop and V Joint technology combine with HVF to make the Commander’s design and function second to none.

The AGS (Air Guide System) guides have a unique graphite frame that’s more sensitive, lighter, and stronger than metal, and more rigid than any other guide. This means faster casts, increased casting distance and accuracy, decreased rod vibration, and increased sensitivity.

Light, refined and offering unparalleled comfort, the new Commander series features Daiwa surround reel seats made famous by the Black Label range. Daiwa’s cork grips and Air Foam grips come together to deliver lightness, style and comfort.

There are seven models, ranging from the Bayonet Division (198cm, 1.5 section, 0.5-4g casting weight, 1-2kg line rating) to the Hell Kat (218cm, 1.5 section, 7-21g, 4-8kg).

Price: Too new www.daiwafishing.com.au

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STORM IN A PACK-UP-CUP

Pioneers of the outdoor dining world, Light My Fire, have pushed the envelope yet again with their latest flourish of creativity.

The Pack-up-Cup is a set to sit alongside other LMF classics like the Spork, and the FireKnife as an essential bit of kit for outdoor lovers.

Light My Fire operates by a simple ethos: ‘Think wild, eat civilised’, and the Pack-up-Cup is the embodiment of this. However, it isn’t limited to outdoor use alone; A Pack-up-Cup is just as handy in the office as it is on the boat or at the campsite.

A hard plastic lid and grip section will spare you of any spills, while a collapsible rubber body is a highly effective space saver when packing light is a priority.

The Pack-up-Cup is also dishwasher and microwave friendly, and comes in a variety of colours, so your entire family can discover the joys of collapsible cup living!

Price: RRP: $9.95 www.outdooragencies.com.au

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SHIMANO CURADO I BAITCASTER

The latest Curado release, the I series, sees this evergreen reel tricked up even further.

X-Ship is a big inclusion. Supporting the pinion gear at both ends with two of the five SA-RB bearings the reel comes with, a bigger drive gear and increased gearing efficiency results in ultra light rotation of the swept aluminium handle — even when hooked up.

Another new feature is the Stable Spool Design or S3D, whereby balanced and uniformly thin wall construction throughout significantly reduces spool vibration. This delivers an incredibly smooth feeling when casting or retrieving.

An Escape Hatch sideplate grants easy access to the SVS Infinity Braking System for making adjustments when lure sizes and fishing conditions change.

The Cross Carbon drag, easily adjustable via the aluminium star drag wheel, remains smooth under a range of settings, and can be pushed as high as 5.5kg, which is a lot of

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Please send contributions to: The Editor, Fishing Monthly Group PO BOX 3172 LOGANHOLME, QLD. 4129 nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au

JUNE 2014

What’s new fishing Powered by stopping power for a small baitcaster.

There is a choice of high or performance gearing in right or left-hand wind.

Price: RRP $229 www.shimanofish.com.au

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OKUMA OZMODO

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TONIC BLUE MIRROR

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NEW ZMAN COLOURS

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SUFIX NANOBRAID

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The baitholder pattern is a freshwater standard, but also is incredibly popular in saltwater for estuary species such as bream.

Thanks to the use of high quality steel (like all Gamakatsu hooks) the Gamakatsu Baitholder is pin sharp due to the unique chemical sharpening process.

Key to its success is the addition of two barbs on the shank, which secure baits to the hook making for a realistic presentation.

Traditionally available only in a bronze finish, the new black nickel finish pictured will increase this hook pattern’s durability in saltwater use.

Gamakatsu Baitholder Black hooks are available in 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1 and 1/0 to 4/0 in pre-packs, 25 packs and 50 boxes.

Price: from $7.25 www.gamakatsu.com.au

The Megabass Gaus 20X and 30X saltwater spinning reels are perfect for estuary to light offshore use for bream, flathead, kingfish and snapper and other reef species. They also excel at other types of fishing courtesy of their high compression carbon composite body, offering unparalleled rigidity with an ultra light feel.

Both sizes feature the magnetic fluid shield system used in the Lin258HM which not only keeps the gear unit clean, but also eliminates the contact points between the body and rotor resulting in an ultra-smooth wind in all conditions.

The rotor is made of X Graphite composite which increases the rotation response of the reel, spreads the load evenly and adds to the sensitivity. The design elements include a light spool and ergonomic handles for all-day comfort.

The M drag system pumps out a massive amount of pressure, with the 30X capable of producing 7kg of drag. Both reels include a high powered gear system.

Price: RRP $736 for 20X and $854 for 30X www.megabass.com.au

GAMAKATSU BAITHOLDER BLACK

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MEGABASS GAUS SW

Designed to combat Australia’s harsh saltwater conditions, the Ozmodo steps out with a full aluminium gearing system that is incredibly strong and exceptionally lightweight. With ABEC5 spool bearings making up the bearing system, the Ozmodo delivers lasting power and performance.

The low-profile design of the reel and soft touch handle grips make the Ozmodo extremely ergonomic as it sits comfortably in the angler’s hand. As a result of this, the angler’s casting accuracy and lure control is increased considerably when pitching lures close into snags.

As with all Okuma reels, the Ozmodo comes complete with a Lifetime Guarantee.

Price: from RRP $259.95 www.okuma.com.au

The ZMan 4” StreakZ Curly TailZ features a large curl tail and baitfish body, with belly slot for weedless rigging or adding scent. It appeals to a range of species, from flathead to bass and jewies to big snapper. It is constructed from ElaZtech, which has 10X Tough construction, is super-soft and flexible, and has built-in buoyancy that sees its tail raised and wafting when on the bottom.

There are two new additions to the 4” StreakZ Curly TailZ range: mood ring and pinfish. Mood ring has a dark violet back and translucent, pearlescent purple belly with micro glitter. Pinfish is a superrealistic baitfish imitation with a pumpkin back and translucent, pearlescent belly, both of which contain black fleck and blue, green and gold glitter. Both of these new colours have been a big hit in the 3” MinnowZ and will be just as deadly in the Curly TailZ. Curly TailZ are available in 16 colours, with five per pack.

Price: SRP $8.95 www.z-man.com.au

Tonic Polarised Eyewear, the new leader in high quality fishing sunglasses, has released a special Blue Mirror Limited Edition.

Available in Tonic’s popular Evo and Shimmer frame styles, the Limited Edition is a stylish solution for high-glare conditions.

The Blue Mirror lenses were developed for Australian anglers and outdoor enthusiasts, and share their high-tech optics with all of Tonic’s growing range of lightweight polarised optical glass lenses.

To create Tonic, founder Doug Phillips adopted Japan’s two big optical breakthroughs of the past decade: unprecedented wrap-around clarity and exceptionally lightweight glass lenses. VistaView gives distortion-free viewing at any angle, and the scratch resistant UltraOptic lenses are 30% lighter than other glass lenses.

Tonic polarised sunglasses are now available in eight wraparound styles, including the Evo and Rush with ClikStrap removable and adjustable safety strap. Prescription lenses are also available.

Price: $259 for glass, $149 for polycarbonate www.toniceyewear.com.au

Get ready for the new level of Nano line feel and performance with Sufix NanoBraid.

By utilising their innovative Wide Angle Braiding Technology, Sufix has been able to produce a tighter braiding weave that is super strong and silky smooth.

Four densely braided Dyneema fibres have combined expertly to deliver a high pitchcount that produces consistent quality, a uniform diameter and increased abrasion resistance, significantly enhancing the line’s performance and longevity.

Sufix NanoBraid is up to 3x stronger than other lines in its category and features superior knot and shock strength. The silky soft feel of NanoBraid line is extremely sensitive, enabling the angler to detect the slightest of bites, whilst its ultrathin diameter promotes pinpoint casts and remains silent as it runs through the guides.

Sufix NanoBraid is available in pink in

Please send contributions to: The Editor, Fishing Monthly Group PO BOX 3172 LOGANHOLME, QLD. 4129 nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au

JUNE 2014

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What’s new fishing Powered by breaking strains of 6lb, 7lb, 8lb, 11lb and 16lb, and comes in 125 yard spools.

Price: from RRP $39.95 www.rapala.com.au

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COMMANDER BAITCASTER

The new Commander series features Daiwa’s legendary HVF graphite blank technology. HVF (High Volume Fibre) combines precise resin control with unidirectional graphite fibre to produce a blank that is incredibly sensitive, light and responsive.

AGS (Air Guide System) features a unique graphite frame that’s more sensitive, lighter, and stronger than metal, and more rigid than any other guide ever made. AGS allows for faster casts, greater distance, increased accuracy, decreased rod vibration and a massive increase in sensitivity.

The Commander series carries the pedigree of the Zillion name, utilizing their low profile, indestructible reel seat design. Daiwa’s cork grips and Air Foam grips offer comfort, lightness and unmatchable style.

There are three models. The Tough Ombre is ideal for throwing spinnerbaits and dishing out discipline close to cover for barra, bass, sooties and cod. The Wild Cat is suited to small to medium sized hardbodies, and the Liberator is an all-rounder that’s equally at home liberating bass as it is dominating barra.

Price: Too new www.daiwafishing.com.au

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BEARDY’S SHRIMP

Beardy’s Lures are the brainchild of Daniel Beard. His new Beardy’s Shrimp is a handmade timber lure he produces in Beaconsfield, Melbourne, Victoria.

This very distinctive looking lure is a must have for any native freshwater angler and wouldn’t be out of place in the salt as well. Designed around the characteristics of a real prawn, the Shrimp is 70mm long and runs at 2m+. Its coffee colour has proven to be deadly on cod and yellowbelly, especially in discoloured water. The lure is very buoyant and is a favourite of people who enjoy casting and retrieving lures around snags and structure.

For more information the Beardy’s range or to order some lures, contact Daniel Beard on 0448 907 091 or look up Beardy’s Lures on Facebook.

Price: $15 www.facebook.com/pages/Beardys-Lures

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FISH ARROW SPINE HOOK

The Spine Hook from Decoy Fishing Arrow was born as a new way of rigging the flash J plastics. It is the reaction of this ultimate rig that can turn finicky fish into feeding fish. Simply twitching the rod tip causes an unpredictable spiral fall to imitate a baitfish dying!

The Fish Arrow Spine Hook comes in two sizes (hook size 2 and 3) and there are five hooks per pack.

Price: RRP $6.99 www.searingtackle.com.au

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SHIMANO EXAGE MONO

Shimano Exage monofilament is an extra strong, high quality Japanese line, which is perfect for many Aussie fishing conditions and species as well.

A clear blue in colour, it features low memory so it lies on reel spools neatly, and exhibits high knot strength. It is perfect for anything from fine line breaming with bait, float fishing for blackfish, but also more robust situations such as floater fishing for snapper and other offshore species where using a tough, supple line is an advantage.

Exage is available in 6, 8, 12, 16, 20, 30 and 35lb breaking strains on handy 300m spools.

Price: from RRP $34.95 www.shimanofish.com.au

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LOX HYBRID TECHNOLOGY

Following extensive research and development, renowned rod manufacturer Lox has developed a revolutionary new carbon wrap process that delivers dramatic performance gains. It’s called Hybrid Wrap Technology.

The secret is the manual wrapping of alternate densities and shapes of pre-preg within the blank, producing a blank with a noticeably different texture and pattern.

“The process is very labour intensive, and it’s doubtful that any factory outside the Lox plant has either the experience or the technicians required to produce the Hybrid wrap,” said Ran Feng from Australian distributor Viva. “Lox Hybrid jigging blanks have a similar circumference to our opposition’s bream sticks! The identifying characteristics of the Hybrid wrap are extraordinarily small cross sections and unparalleled strength to weight ratios.

“Just as carbon rods were a quantum shift from glass rods, Lox Hybrid rods are a quantum shift from carbon.”

Keep an eye out for these new rods at your favourite tackle store.

Price: Varies www.vivafishing.com.au

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HELPFUL POINTERS

Two of the latest lures from Lucky Craft are the LL Pointer 180 and LL Pointer 200.

The 180 is a jointed sinking jerkbait with excellent swimming action. This 180mm, 52g lure combines a nice, slender profile with an excellent swimming action.

The line tie is on the lure’s nose but pointed downward at a 45º angle, which produces a slightly more erratic swimming action and a more nose-down posture in the water. Fitted with quality SW hooks, it comes in five colours.

The 200 is weighted so it falls horizontally with a wiggling vibration that produces an excellent flash to attract fish from deep water. Count it down and fish it throughout the water column. With a few jerks, it will produce an excellent side-toside slashing and gliding action. The LL Pointer 200 fitted with XOS hooks and is ideal for mackerel, barramundi, mulloway and kingfish. It comes in eight colours.

Price: approx. $40 www.ejtodd.com.au

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Please send contributions to: The Editor, Fishing Monthly Group PO BOX 3172 LOGANHOLME, QLD. 4129 nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au

JUNE 2014

What’s new fishing Powered by

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NEW FROM C’ULTIVA

Two of the latest releases from C’ultiva are the SSF-41 Short Assist and JD-22 Jigger Light Assist.

Ideal for light and micro jigging, the SSF-41 Short assist allows anglers to rig micro jigs with a short assist rig. Forged for strength with spade end to reduce hook weight SSF-41 short assists feature a needle point for excellent hook up rates.

It’s available in sizes 1, 1/0, and 2/0.

C’ultiva has also developed a range of ultra light and ultra strong twin assist rigs developed for light jigging. JD-22 Light Jigger assist rigs are forged with spade end and feature TAFF-WIRE construction.

TAFF-WIRE helps create hooks that are smaller in diameter, yet stronger and harder than ever before.

TAFF-WIRE hooks are stronger per wire diameter than any hook on the market. JD-22 Light Jigger assist rigs are available in sizes 1/0, 2/0, 3/0, 4/0 and 5/0.

Price: Varies www.owner-fishing.com.au

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Big lures catch big fish, so Lucky Craft and Skeet Reese have teamed up to create the Lucky Craft SKT Magnum for what Skeet calls, “crankbait fishing on steroids”!

These lures are fitted with a precisely designed bib to produce less pull, so you can burn them back to the boat all day without wearing out your arm. The tight wobbling action draws reaction bites around mid-depth rock piles, ledges, and points.

Non-rattling, the big profile of the Lucky Craft SKT Magnum is easy for predators to locate in stained or muddy waters. It’s ideally suited for casting or trolling for cod and big barra.

There are two models, the MR (110mm, 56g, floating, dives 15ft) and the DR (120mm, 91g, floating, dives 25ft).

Both are made in Japan and come in four colours. Scan the QR code hereabouts to see an interview with distributor Bryan Todd on these and other new Lucky Craft lures.

Price: approx. $40 www.ejtodd.com.au

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SKT MAGNUM

EVAKOOL PLATINUM

Evakool celebrates its 20th Anniversary with the launch of its new range of 12V upright fridge-freezers.

Platinum fridge-freezers maintain freezer temperatures of up to -15ºC in ambient temperatures in excess of 45ºC. That level of performance has earned the Platinum series the maximum climate class rating of Tropical +.

Powered by a 12V compressor, with insulated walls up to 100mm thick, these fridge-freezers have been designed to withstand the rigours of off-road travelling and are suited for most camper and mobile home applications.

They offer operational efficiency and are ideal for homes and rural properties relying on 12V and solar generated power.

The Platinum range is available in

four sizes and boasts stylish, modern designed cabinets with separate fridge and freezer compartments. There’s also a two-year warranty.

Price: RRP $1399-$1999 www.evakool.com

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FLASHING GANG HOOKS

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ALVEY ROD HOLDERS

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HEADLOCKZ HD NOW IN 4/0

Designed in Australia and the first of its kind, Flashing Gang Hooks combine innovation and design to create a unique hook system that is sure to attract any fish’s attention.

Flashing Gang Hooks combine the traditional ganged hooks with tied flashing material.

The flashing material grabs the fish’s eye as it glitters in the water, while the smell of the bait ensures the fish bites.

Any fish that likes a ganged pilly will love the Flashing Gang Hooks; the flash plus the smell delivers a two-punch combo that gets results.

Price: RRP $7.50 www.elkatfishing.com.au

Carrying rods in a bull bar style rod holder can be distracting to the driver of the vehicle.

The new Alvey Rod Holders are different. They attach to the ends of your cross bar roof rack system and keep your rod and reel combos rigged ready to fish on the side of the vehicle.

The rod holders can be fitted to roof rack crossbars in minutes. The wider holder goes on the back crossbar and the smaller holder goes on the front crossbar.

They’re also handy for transporting pipes or long timber lengths.

“This is the way that my dad used to carry his rigged rods up the beach. It was a great way to do it then and nothing has changed today,” said Bruce Alvey.

Two styles are available, one to suit the heavy-duty crossbar and one to suit the sports style crossbar.

To see a video of the racks scan the QR code hereabouts or search for ‘Alvey Roof Rack Carrier’ on YouTube.

Price: RRP $59.25 per pair www.alvey.com.au

TT Lures HeadlockZ HD Jigheads are renowned for their brutally strong, Mustad chemically sharpened, black nickel hook and unique locking grub keeper. This grub keeper has been designed to lock all soft plastic brands, including the 10X Tough ZMan plastics, securely in place.

Now the AFTA award winning TT Lures HeadlockZ HD jigheads are available in a 4/0 hook size. The 4/0 will be a perfect fit for many 3”-5” soft plastics, and the addition to the range was again driven by angler requests.

The 4/0 HeadlockZ HD is available in 1/8, 1/6, 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2oz, to cover everything from estuary to shallow reef and pelagic species. There are five jigheads per pack.

Price: SRP $8.95 www.ttlures.com.au

Please send contributions to: The Editor, Fishing Monthly Group PO BOX 3172 LOGANHOLME, QLD. 4129 nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au

JUNE 2014

69

Winter brings tactical changes HORSHAM

Trevor Holmes

With winter upon us, a change in tactics and methods has seen some great results from the Wimmera lakes.

Bait fishing has slowed down and the aggression levels of trout have dropped but I suspect not for very long as we have seen fish close on spawning. Once this occurs they will become very hungry and aggressive again, nailing almost any bait or lure presented.

Growth rates have been terrific with an abundance of food on offer combined with ideal conditions, apart from low water levels in some places. As I write, we are experiencing some much needed rain throughout Wimmera with prospects looking good for the future.

redfin and trout have been taken from most areas of the lake. The best methods have been trolling diving lures around treelines.

Nevertheless, one good angler found a school of larger redfin in very open water and managed to bag out in no time.

Gudgeon and yabbies are the best baits for these tasty offerings and a drift through the trees or sounding up schools will see you hooked up in no time. Worms also work very well if you can get them past the masses of hungry carp that infest these waters.

Once again the StumpJumpers were the standout on the redfin and the trout preferred Rapala diving lures and shallow runners. Diawa Double Clutch and Presso Minnow also accounted for many fish of both species.

Pete visiting from the ACT landed a nice hen brown on a Diawa Double Clutch.

Scott Peck with his PB buck brown at Toolondo that took a Tassie Devil Holographic and weighed in at 3.2kg.

presenter. Work away from the wall area and get off the beaten tracks for best results.

LAKE FYANS Finally we are seeing this great lake getting back to its former pre drought glory.

Some good numbers of redfin and trout have been landed and I’m confident that most

Marcus Berlyn nailed this beaut rainbow on a Fishooka Dragonfly Vibe at Toolondo.

Girls day out! Nat Weaver (left) and Kass Baker each landed a great trout on Strike Pro Bob N Spoons in the dark red color at Toolondo.

TOOLONDO Toolondo – what more can I say except magnificent!

It has once again thrilled many lucky anglers and frustrated others who haven’t done their homework.

Working on lower level barometers (1015 and below) have seen some anglers do it tough, but those who have persisted and moved about the lake have nailed some great fish. Best lures once again have been the Fishooka Dragonfly Vibe (on clearer days) and the Diawa Double Clutch. Standout lures have been the Strike Pro Bob N Spoon, dark red colour, honeycomb and the glow.

Despite doing it tough over the warmer months, rainbows have emerged bigger and very feisty from their summer slumber. The catch rate at present is 3 browns to every rainbow.

The best fish I know of in the last month was a 4.09kg brown taken by Geoff Stock, however I did hear of a fish taken over the Anzac weekend in the Victorian National Fly titles of around 4.5kg.

ROCKLANDS Some mixed bags of 70

JUNE 2014

LAKE BELLFIELD There has been some really good action here of late with redfin being the dominant species, although not in XL sizes.

Chinook salmon continue to thrive and will be a great source of fun come spring.

Once again, the odd larger trout has been taken by the adventurous flyfisher and lure

anglers can now plan trips with dreams of the large trout on offer, as they were in the seasons pre drought.

Maryborough fishing guru Tom Shaw related a story of last week polaroiding large fish off the rock wall and losing a big brown around the 8lb mark. Tom sighted many fish on his stroll and is very excited about the coming

Bruce Doncon travelled from Melbourne for a day trip and was rewarded with a 3.1kg hen brown taken on a Strike Pro Bob N Spoon in dark red colour.

This 3kg buck brown was taken by Michael Evans at Toolondo on a Diawa Double Clutch in caramel sauce colour.

months. My contacts there also tell me of rising water levels in the lake and it is expected to be very close to full soon.

Great news for the Lake Fyans Caravan park and my good friends at Grampians Edge Caravan park at nearby Daddswells Bridge as these once thriving businesses have suffered enough at the hands of Mother Nature with drought and two recent bushfires.

LAKE WARTOOK Wartook has not opened up to the public as yet and I will advise you all when it does.

GREEN AND TAYLORS LAKES Green has been the pick of the two lakes of late with some good numbers of redfin being caught on both bait and lures.

The secret is to locate the schools, which has proven to be the difficult bit! Once located, anglers have enjoyed good numbers and reasonable sized fish. Potentially next year should be great.

Taylors remains very discoloured and hard to fish but is still a good option.

WIMMERA RIVER The Wimmera has been up and down the last few weeks fish wise, but those anglers who persist and spend the time locating fish have done okay.

Some good yellas to 1.2kg and catfish have been taken around snags and trees on both lure and bait; the bait will be dominant if the rain continues.

Look for small run-off spots where fresh edibles get washed in and these locations should produce fish gathering for a cheap and easy feed.

Spinnerbaits should rattle a few fish up for you as well as the Jackalls and noisy divers.

Just a little friendly reminder to those visiting these great spots, please take your rubbish with you and dispose of it in the nearest bins provided. I have seen a few examples of people abandoning campsites and leaving rubbish behind and it is annoying that a small minority still do. If we don’t look after our spots we will lose them.

It’s not hard to clean up so please do it.

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71

Aware of changing nature MILDURA

John Menhennett goobyfish@hotmail.com

Mother Nature can provide many clues relating to the change of seasons, and anglers need to be aware of these. The changes in air and water temperature and wild life movements should also signify a change in anglers’ approach in order to land that fish of a lifetime.

In fishing terms, winter is considered a good time to start lure fishing for Murray cod and a window into what is considered the best cod fishing periods.

Most anglers will have their own ideas when it comes to interpreting this change.

For many of the die-hard fishos out there, the start

of June is the unofficial cod opening.

However, autumn has been unusually warm around Mildura and water temperatures have been higher than normal. Coming off the back of a very hot summer, the cod have started to move in good numbers but haven’t started to fire in the usual spots as yet.

Nevertheless, this should change very soon.

Murray cod fishing can be a bit of hard work over the cooler periods, but those anglers putting in the long hours and those willing to work out where the fish are holding will reap the benefits.

A few nice Murray cod have been caught on large lures upstream and downstream of Mildura lately, with quite a few well over the magical

metre mark. A few smaller models coming in at around 70-80cm have also been caught in the clearer waters we are experiencing at the moment. Most of these cod have been caught using 120mm Koolabung Codzillas and King Mongs in various colours.

Good news is that cod are starting to move into the shallows as some of the cod caught lately have been in around 3-4m of water.

Considering the size of the baitfish that cod are feeding on, upsizing lures is a must. Most of the cod caught lately have been achieved on large, trolled lures. Trolling speeds have also been up from the norm indicating that the fish are starting to come on the chew.

Some nice yellas have been caught recently on

larger trolled lures in the Murray. Most of the fish have been holding close to timber and a slow trolling speed seems to be doing the damage. Some of the creeks outside the main river have also been fishing well for big yellas. Fort Courage has been fishing well for yellas also both on lures and bait.

As the cooler weather rolls in, anglers will swap their trolling gear for casting rods and lures as the cod move tight into snags and into the shallows. Anglers will be casting from June through to end of close season with a few dedicated trollers doing it their way.

Casting large spinnerbaits into the timber will be one of the go-to techniques.

More water is due to make its way down the system, which may dirty

The author with a decent river yellowbelly.

These fish will start to slow down in the cooler weather and Murray cod action will heat up. things up for a while, once again making fishing difficult in the main river.

It’s not only the Murray cod that are the main attraction around Mildura

during the winter. It is also the beautiful river scenery, warm red-gum fires of an evening and foggy mornings that make fishing in the Murray an absolute pleasure.

Redfin joy at Bullen Merri CRATER LAKES

Rod Shepherd

The fishing at Lake Bullen Merri has improved lately with chinook salmon to 600g and rainbow trout to 2kg being caught by bank and boat anglers.

Those working from a boat are tending to flat line troll a wide variety of lures well back. Minnow lures, such as Rapalas to Loftys Cobras, are all presently working. Colour and pattern appears to be less important in catch rates than the swimming action of the lure.

The more action the better it seems.

Prime time to troll is from first light to sun up.

Sunlight shimmering on the water seems to act as a signal

to the fish to go deeper but this small window of opportunity to shallow troll is often extended on overcast days. Anglers wetting a line from the bank are doing well using Powerbait favouring red and chartreuse either suspended under a float or allowed to slowly waft down to the bottom under its own weight. Casting or trolling just a few metres from the shoreline will often have you in depths of 4-6m, especially along the north beach.

Lake Purrumbete also has chinook salmon of a similar size plus a few solid browns that are easily topping 2kg and swarms of redfin to 300g. The techniques employed here are quite different to Bullen Merri and suspending baits such chunks of pilchard just off the bottom in depths of 10m has seen plenty of chooks caught,

along with rainbow trout weighing in just over 1kg.

Some browns can be found herding baitfish in the shallows at first light but then quickly disappear to similar depths once the sun hits the water. Down rigging and trolling a variety of lures is required to attract a strike from a brown in this situation.

Small redfin can be a nuisance, especially when fishing bait such as mudeye suspended under a float.

These mostly smallish pests can and will make a severe dent in an angler’s precious supply of bait so once a school of reddies make themselves known, it’s time to move.

I’ll point out here that successful bubble float anglers are suspending their offerings up to 10m below

DAM LEVELS Lake/Dam % Full

Dam % Full

LAKE/DAM Mar Apr May Cairn Curran 67 62 59 Dartmouth 91 89 88 Eildon 73 68 67 Eppalock 75 74 73 Fyans 68 60 57 Greens 52 45 47 Hepburn 59 55 Hume 50 36 38 Lauriston 86 86 84 Malmsbury 38 36 38 Mulwala (Yarrawonga) 93 96 89

Newlyn 65 53 52 Nillahcootie 73 68 67 Rocklands 38 24 23 Taylors 72 42 41 Tullaroop 59 51 49 Upper Coliban 89 67 64 Waranga 48 19 21 Wartook 70 48 43 William Hovell 70 60 57

72

JUNE 2014

All levels correct at time of going to press.

Damlevels can change at any time, so please check with local authorities to ensure safe boating and fishing.

the float. Apparently the line is greased with Vaseline so as to allow the float stopper to easily slide along the line once it comes in contact with the rod tip when reeling in line.

Lake Tooliorook near Lismore is still low and very weedy. I have it on good authority that quite a bit of illegal netting has occurred, which explains a distinct lack of fish, especially the redfin.

Those who have persevered have managed to land the odd rainbow trout to 2kg, however the overall condition of the vast majority of captures has been poor.

Cooler wintry weather should help somewhat in curbing weed growth and

There are plenty of pan size redfin on offer in Lake Purrumbete. plenty more rainfall wouldn’t lake’s level and condition may go astray either. Then maybe attract another release of trout as winter draws to a close the by Fisheries. Here’s hoping.

FISHING FILL-ITS

8 million native fish stocking The Victorian Coalition Government continues to improve recreational fishing opportunities across the state with more than two million native fish stocked into lakes and rivers for the fourth consecutive year.

Minister for Agriculture and Food Security Peter Walsh said the total included more than 1.2 million golden perch and a record 107,000 estuary perch fingerlings. Also stocked were Murray cod, trout cod, Australian bass, Macquarie perch, silver perch and catfish.

“The Coalition Government recognises the economic and social contribution of recreational fishing to our state and is committed to improving opportunities for anglers,” Mr Walsh said.

“These native fish

stockings have been funded by fishing licence fees and the Coalition Government’s $16 million Recreational Fishing Initiative.

“The Initiative is also installing fish cleaning tables and fishing reefs, expanding angler access, improving fish passageways and strengthening fisheries enforcement and education.

“The Coalition Government is helping to ensure that Victoria remains a top fishing destination for local and visiting anglers.”

Mr Walsh said Fisheries Victoria’s Snobs Creek Hatchery had produced a significant number of the native fish stocked, including 514,000 Murray cod.

“Snobs Creek also produced very good numbers of Macquarie perch and

trout cod, both of which are classified as threatened species. Trout cod remain off limits to anglers for now while several stocked fisheries are developed,” Mr Walsh said.

Most Murray cod were stocked into Lake Nagambie, the Goulburn River, Gunbower Creek, Loddon River, Kangaroo Lake, Lake Eppalock, Lake Eildon and Cairn Curran Reservoir.

Waters stocked with golden perch included Lake Eppalock, Lake Hume, Loddon River, Campaspe River, Lake Eildon, Kow Swamp, Broken River, Wimmera River and Taylors Lake.

Visit www.depi.vic.gov. au/nativefish2014 for a list of waters stocked with native fish in 2013/14. – DEPI

Keeping well sized BENDIGO

Roger Miles codhuntertours@bigpond.com

The recent cold weather in the region has already had an effect and we are starting to see a reduction in anglers’ catch rates.

However the average size of a lot of the fish that have been caught has been good.

During the autumn months native species such as Murray cod and golden perch, to a lesser extent, can feed aggressively trying to put extra condition on before the winter chill sets in and food sources become scarce.

If you are keen to catch a Murray cod or golden perch put the time in now as it is only going to get tougher in the near future.

The fishing at Lake Eppalock remains patchy.

The majority of anglers are finding it difficult to locate a school of quality redfin.

At this stage small redfin are making up the majority of anglers’ catch rates.

The occasional good school of redfin has been located in deep water. Trolling deep diving hardbody lures in depths greater than 10m has been productive. Once a good school is located casting

soft plastics has also been successful.

Small numbers of golden perch are still currently being caught at Lake Eppalock.

Several methods have been used in catching them. Casting spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits around lay-down timber and submerged shrubs has worked, as well as trolling medium and deep diving hardbody lures. Bait fishing around the edges of standing timber has also produced.

The occasional Murray cod measuring up to 75cm has been caught.

The fishing in the Campaspe River has been up and down. At times the productivity has been good with decent numbers of Murray cod and golden perch reported. The most productive times have been during periods of reduced flows and when the water clarity has improved. However, just when the fishing is good, the water clarity has reduced due to inflows after rain or because of increased water being released from Lake Eppalock. It is always hard to predict what is going to happen with the fishing in this river system! If we only receive minor rainfall over the next month the fishing should be good. If we do

Golden perch love a spinnerbait. Roll them past or through structure and they can be deadly.

receive another major rainfall event the fishing will be poor.

The fishing in Cairn Curran continues to be good.

Anglers trolling deep diving hardbody lures are catching reasonable numbers of redfin. Casting soft plastics and jigging ice jigs has also produced some good results on these fish. There is a good possibility we might see the redfin school up in good numbers in the deep water over the next couple of months. If this does occur then downrigging can be a very productive method to catch some large Cairn Curran redfin.

Small numbers of golden perch have been caught recently by trolling hardbody lures and bait fishing around the standing timber. We should start to see an increase in the numbers of trout being caught at this destination shortly. The last couple of seasons the trout fishing has been poor. I believe we should see a significant improvement in the next couple of months.

The fishing in the Loddon River has also been spasmodic. At times some sections have been fishing well, then water clarity has deteriorated and the productivity in the fishing has significantly reduced. The productivity in the shallower sections of the Loddon, at locations like Newbridge, had remained good for most of the time. We now start to see a significant reduction in the productivity in the fishing in these shallower sections of the Loddon River. It is in these shallower sections where the water temperatures drop the quickest and will have the greatest effect on the fishing.

The most productive fishing in the Loddon River will be in the deepest sections above Bridgwater and at Serpentine and the Fernihurst Weir. In these sections the volume of water is greater and water temperatures take longer to cool down. So while the overall numbers of fish being caught in the Loddon will start to reduce, the quality of fish being caught will be very good over the next month.

This fat little Murray cod took a natural coloured OarGee deep diving lure presented by Marc Ainsworth fishing Lake Eppalock.

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Go big for bonus size SHEPPARTON

Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com

It went off with a bang!

The 2014 Toolamba Easter Fishing Classic was yet again a huge success. There were almost 200 entrants in this year’s event, which is similar numbers to past events. The strength of this competition is amazing and there are countless hours put into making sure it all runs smoothly.

prize landing 2 legal fish for the weekend.

To continue on with the Goulburn theme in the past months, fishing has slowed down cconsiderably. The water levels over Easter were very low and many locals struggled to land fish over that time.

Now into the colder months I can’t see the fishing picking up too much in the Goulburn River. There will be the odd good sized fish landed by the committed fishos who are happy to

Mason Reeves with a yellowbelly caught on bait in the Goulburn River.

The fishing was reported to be on the slow side but with all the meals and entertainment provided catching a fish was just a bonus. Peter Davies took out the Boats & More Major

put the hours in, but it’s tough work.

Reading through the Trelly’s Tackleworld reports in recent times they reported the odd yellowbelly being caught on the Codger

Currawong. This is fairly strange, as this lure is a reasonably big lure for yellowbelly. Nevertheless, if they’re producing the fish I would suggest using them over the next few months.

If heading out this month using lures I would sit in the guts and troll the biggest lure as possible. ‘Big lure, big fish’ is what the leading guys are saying, so you may as well give it a go. The catch rates of smaller fish drop off now so there is no point trolling smaller lures.

There are plenty of decent big lures on the market and it’s all about trial and error using them. Be prepared to let line out and bring it in depending on water depths.

Don’t always have your lure running on the bottom, the odd bottom scrape will be the best. Also if you have found a good stretch of water that looks fishy, don’t just troll past it once, spend a large amount of time at the area.

There have also been next to no reports of crays being caught locally. Normally this time of year there are good reports coming from Murch or Undera, but it seems either there are less crays in the water or less people craying.

It may be annoying to always retrieve lures while turning the boat around but if you feel confident in the area it will be worth it.

The Broken River has also slowed right down, and it has been like this for a while now. The surface action has stopped since temperatures dropped and bait seems to be the only method to land fish out there. There seems to be more and more reports of fishos using weird and wonderful things for bait, from chicken chippies to cooked snags. I use grubs, worms and yabbies and leave the chippies and snags for a lunchtime snack!

Mitch Reeves was out-fished by little brother Mason.

KIALLA LAKES I have driven past the lakes over the last few weeks and I continually see the same car parked with a lad fishing right by it.

I am yet to stop and ask how he is going but I can’t see someone fish the same spot continuously without catching fish.

I suspect the redfin are schooling up in the area, or even yellowbelly. I will be sure to stop in next time to see what the fishing has been like.

SHEPPARTON LAKE The lake has been good but not great, the numbers or redfin and trout have been out numbering yellowbelly and cod catches. Best methods have been floating worms

about 1ft under your float or trolling small shallow diving lures right down the guts of the lake.

It’s pretty simple stuff but it’s very productive and once you have found a certain area where you seem to hook up regularly it’s a good fun to flick a few lures around as the fish normally school up.

If you don’t have any luck casting don’t continue casting. Sometimes fish only want a trolled lure and it’s very hard to emulate a trolled lure while casting CHANNELS The local channel systems have been fishing consistently, with targeting the drop bars and rock walls with soft plastics or worms. There have been

some monster carp being caught as a by-catch and, trust me, carp on light gear is a ripper of a time. I even find myself packing some corn with me and, if the redfin are not biting, I throw some corn on and have a run.

WARANGA BASIN There have been massive numbers of fish being caught at the basin.

Some bait fishos have been reporting up to 200 fish being caught in a session, mostly between 15-25cm but the odd 35cm+ are being landed.

The lure fishos have not seen as much action but casting plastics or lipless crankbaits seems to be the right method to land good numbers of fish.

Keeping them keen ECHUCA

Ian Page

As we enter into June with the cooler weather, the really keen anglers come out to play.

Now that anglers have the rivers to themselves, they can troll deep diving lures in around the banks of the mighty Murray; without our wakeboard friends!

There have been some great cod caught between Deep Creek and Torrumbarry Weir. Good judges tell me the bigger the lure, the bigger the fish, which is often the case this time of year.

74

JUNE 2014

Oar-Gee 25+ or the bigger Custom Crafted lures or something similar will give you every chance of landing that dream fish.

Reports from the Gunbower Creek show that while numbers this year seem to be down a little the quality is excellent. Both cod and yellowbelly are being caught on lures and bait.

The best bait is scrub worms or grubs on a running sinker rig with approximately 18” runner. Don’t underestimate your possible catch as a few anglers of late are telling me they have been smashed off, so make sure your gear is up to scratch and check your drag is set correctly when you start. Many anglers

lose that first fish because they are not prepared or expecting an early strike.

The Goulburn River has seen some good lure fishing around the snags with both spinnerbaits and lures, especially when the levels remain constant for a few days. It’s a great option with a small boat to work your way along the bank casting between trees; with patience you will be rewarded.

The Campaspe is seeing some redfin caught on worms in the deeper holes and always provides a good day out for land-based anglers.

Those willing to walk the banks and cast lures must be prepared for the odd cod or perch. Some of my regulars

A 65cm yellowbelly caught on an Oar-Gee near Torrumbarry

by Dan Gillingham. It was released shortly afterwards. are fishing the many irrigation channels that are in our area, and with scrub worms they are continually getting a feed of redfin, which most people agree is high on the list of our freshwater fish.

Even though it is the start of winter, there is still plenty of variety as to how and where we can explore our waterways and enjoy a great day angling.

• For the latest fishing

and boating information in the Echuca/Moama region, drop into Boats and More’s Echuca store at 76 Northern Hwy or give them a call on (03) 5482 1992.

Oh my cod, great bite ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

‘Oh my cod’ is the best way to describe the fishing this past month with some of the best action I have seen in many years.

Through the Easter period we were treated to some excellent angling where numerous giant cod were landed along the Murray River. Golden perch were also

a scramble to see who might make the rod first.

While the bait fishing has been very good it’s the excellent water clarity that has seen lure-caught fish surge ahead. Several large Murray cod including a 136cm model landed by Tim Polis from Shepparton have seen many anglers dust off the lures and head for the river.

Robinvale still remains a little quiet on the cod scene with several fish to 8kg on lures and bait. A popular ski

The author with a 124cm cod caught on a lure.

You don’t hunt bear with an air rifle, come well prepared to tangle with fish of this calibre! about in good numbers and size as they belted lures and snaffled baits at pace.

For the bait fisho shrimp remained an easy catch and several of these pinned on a hook and bobbed amongst the snags was a sure thing on the goldens. Carp have been ever present and annoying but the kids thinned their numbers over Easter and not one face remained without a grin. Grubs and large yabbies accounted for several good sized cod from the bank as many anglers fished into the night by the warmth of the fire. The ringing bells were the first indication the bait had been taken and it was often

spot during the holidays, so I suspect the serious anglers to hit this area as the river traffic drops away. It will be very interesting to see what turns up over the coming month.

Wemen has been very popular with anglers both casting and trolling lures.

Several nice Murray cod of 20kg+ have been reported in this area as well as some good sized golden perch.

The 120mm shallow running Codzilla, a favourite lure at this location, is reportedly doing the damage. With the river looking as good as ever I suspect we are in for some excellent fishing over the coming months.

As the weather continues to cool and the water temperature drops away, casting to the riverside snags will begin to show some serious cod to those with the patience. Large Codman Spinnerbaits and DTs with trailers and stinger hooks are just the shot for this style of fishing, as are some of the larger hardbodied lures.

You don’t hunt bear with an air rifle so don’t come under gunned to smash big cod. We run 50lb braid and 60lb leader and still get dusted by the occasional unstoppable green bulldozer. Make no mistake there are still plenty of giant cod still lurking in the Murray River.

I hope the next report has even more action and if that’s the case we might need to tie our lures on behind a tree for fear of being savaged before they even hit the water.

WORKING OUT THE SMALL THINGS ‘They were on yesterday’, are the words that every cod addict will have heard on more than one occasion. So where are they today and what has changed the lines that they so often follow? Those obsessed with catching these fish will understand that’s just cod fishing, and for all you think you know about these fish there are countless things you don’t. In fact it would not surprise me if the cod themselves were confused as to what they should and should not do on any given day!

Murray cod are a fish that can push you to the brink of no return and just as equally pull you back in an instant. They are a hard fish to follow, but are still followed by many!

I have been lucky enough in my time fishing for Murray cod to have experienced some of the hottest cod bites you can imagine. Just recently I experienced another that will

Clayton Groves and Ray Austin with a ripper cod caught deep trolling on the Murray. not quickly be forgotten.

Fishing with good mates Gus Storer and Gareth Lynch we hit the water at first light.

The river was dropping but the water clarity was good so we opted to troll lures. Straight up I find a falling river is not ideal for cod fishing as like many other factors it seems to shut them down. Add to this a drop in barometric pressure as a small front made its way through and you might think the odds were stacked against.

The morning started slow with just a couple of golden perch showing interest in the lures. After lunch the sky started to clear and a notable lift in pressure gave us renewed hope that we might still land a cod. We were starting to think it might never happen when one of the lures was smashed hard and the rod loaded to a cod that stretched over a metre.

Photographed and released the lures were sent back out and the electric motor was kicked into gear sending the lures to depth. A grunt from the far corner of the boat had Storers rod loaded to the cork and losing line. Another

1m+ cod was lifted aboard and paraded for the camera.

Over the next few hours no less than 9 cod were landed with 5 all up measuring more that a metre in length. All

that 200m stretch of river and why were they there? As I said earlier Murray cod are a fish that can push you to the brink of no return and just as equally pull you back in an instant.

Just one of five 1m+ cod caught in a single session. Working out why the bite was so hot is what cod fishing is all about. these fish were landed in a stretch of river no more than 200m in length with several other large fish hooked and dropped. As an angler, the questions begin to flow.

Why so many fish on a falling river that in the past has produced poor results? How many fish were stacked into

In my life I have been privy to hot bites like this on many occasions some I understand and other I don’t.

But what I do know of these fish is that the smallest of things is so often what makes the biggest difference. In cod fishing you just have to work out what that small thing is.

It’s a great time for freshwater winter trout MELBOURNE METRO

Ian Debar iand@gottabite.com.au

Early winter in Melbourne can bring forth a dilemma if you’re an angler – deciding whether to stay warm on the couch and watch the footy, or grab a few rods and chase some freshwater fish locally.

Luckily you can be in for some decent fishing if you decide that the outdoors option is more your thing.

Just be mindful that the Salmonid closed season in Victoria runs from midnight on Monday 9 June through to midnight

Friday 5 September, so if stream trout are on your list put down the magazine and go get into them!

The Yarra River from Woori Yallock right up to Reefton is still a good option for all trout fishers provided you can get up there before the season closes. Brown trout to 400g are common fare throughout this section of river and will happily respond to bait, fly and lure at this time of the year.

For the casual bait fisher, one or two juicy scrubworms on number 6 or 8 baitholder style hook will normally tempt a trout up here, especially if you fish this offering through the pools with very little weight.

Just be mindful that eels can

also take a liking to this bait if you’re fishing after dark.

Lure anglers should carry a good assortment to try. A plain gold or copper Vibrax spinner is a safe bet, along with Rapala’s Spotted Dog CountDown model hardbodied lure.

Devilsbend Reservoir is a good option for trout fishers who want a chance to tangle with some serious browns close to Melbourne.

Brown trout to 6lb are a realistic option, along with smaller rainbows and some decent redfin as well.

The area near the fishing platform has been popular with bait anglers as they can cast their baits out past the weed near the shore.

Pink and orange coloured

Powerbait under a float has been the most productive method for anglers lately, with the majority of fish landed being rainbow trout around 400g. A large brown of around 8lb was also reportedly caught from the section in between here and the wall just recently on a floating hardbodied lure.

Karkarook Park has been a good option for anglers baitfishing for trout and redfin. Redfin to 600g have been coming out of the lake, with small freshwater yabbies and scrubworms being the two killer baits.

The redfin have been on the bite pretty much all day, while the trout that are being caught tend to respond better earlier in the

morning. Powerbait in the rainbow colour fished on a suspended rig will get you a fish more often than not; just remember to use a fine gauge treble hook instead of a single hook. This will ensure that the bait stays on the hook securely.

Rowville Lakes is another suburban freshwater fishing option, with the main lake producing a few different species at the moment. Small redfin and carp are the most prevalent, but rainbow trout and roach can also be caught when using the correct methods.

Maggots fished under a float will catch all species of fish, with roach and carp making up most of the catch at the moment. Small soft plastics

like 80mm Squidgy Wrigglers have been working well on the redfin, especially when cast along the edge of reed stands and slowly worked back.

Email any great captures to: admin@ fishingcamping.com.au, include angler’s name, species, and the area you were fishing.

For up to date fishing information, contact the guys at Compleat Angler in Dandenong on 9794 9397 or drop in and see us at 241 – 243 Princes Hwy, Dandenong, we are open 7 days a week. For our other latest fishing reports and to download information sheets, go to www fishingcamping.com.au JUNE 2014

75

It just gets better BALLARAT

Shane Stevens

Ballarat and district anglers are blessed at the moment as the fishing action around the district just seems to get better. As we wave goodbye to our autumn and rug up for another Ballarat winter there’s plenty of action for keen anglers who like to get out and enjoy wetting a line. But, most importantly, they’ll also have a chance of catching some quality fish.

LAKE WENDOUREE Lake Wendouree is still on the top of the list as far as fishing action goes. Most anglers are catching some magnificent trout and redfin; fly fishing from boats or the shore, casting or trolling lures and the bait fishos are catching their fair share as well.

Ballarat flyfisher Jimmy Laverty has been catching some quality brown trout up to 4lb casting small Woolly Bugger type patterns. Gary McKay and Trev Crawford have also been among the brown trout that are cruising around. They are catching some quality trout on small smelt patterns. Young Ballarat Anglers Club member Daniel Hon has been reeling in some good sized redfin on mud eyes and trolling lures in the main rowing channel of the lake.

As we move into the winter months the trout will certainly start to target the small bait fish that live in the lake, so smelt or minnow type fly and lure patterns will be the way to go. The redfin will also grab these patterns during the winter months.

The trout will get very aggressive and territorial so bright coloured lures and

flies work very well. This is also the case with most other waters when the trout get into breeding/spawning mode.

NEWLYN RESERVOIR At Newlyn Reservoir the trout have really started to move in closer to the shores, obviously feeding on smelt as they move in to shallower water.

Corey Green, only new to the fly fishing scene, has been out chasing the trout around the shores of Newlyn with some success catching and releasing a lovely brown trout around the 3lb mark on a pheasant tail nymph.

The trout, while feeding on smelt and other bait fish, can be very frustrating to catch either on fly or lure. You might have to try quite a few different patterns until you get the one that works, but it is very rewarding fishing.

HEPBURN Hepburn Lagoon is pretty much the same as Newlyn Reservoir with the way the trout feed during the winter months. As the insect and mud eyes hatches have finished, their main diet is smelt or small baitfish, yabbies or snails.

It is very important that during these cooler months anglers are armed with baits, lures or flies that represent the food that the trout are feeding on.

Hepburn is currently a difficult place to fish with low water levels due to irrigation and the abundance of weed that is in the water. However, don’t let this put you off as there are plenty of quality trout to be caught if you can find some pockets of water free of weed.

Garry McKay has been fly fishing some of these

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pockets of clear water with excellent results catching and releasing brown trout to 3.5lb on small smelt fly patterns.

There is another enticement that attracts anglers to this water, and that is knowing some trophysized trout are lurking around waiting to be caught.

CAIRN CURRAN Cairn Curran Reservoir’s water clarity has improved and a couple of months ago I suggested it would be a good place to look at during the winter months for trout feeding on smelt.

Ballarat angler Don Scott has been chasing the redfin with excellent results catching them on small yabbies and garden worms fished on the bottom out of a boat. Ranging from small school redfin to good sized 1.5lb, Don said the key to his success was to move from tree to tree until you found a school and catch

Lake Wendouree is still on the top of the list for great fishing action. Photo Courtesy Garry McKay. as many as you could until they moved on.

Cairn Curran is a very versatile fishery and one that anglers should keep in the back of their minds and only about 80km from Ballarat.

Ballarat has plenty of other waters in and around

our district that are well worth wetting a line with good stockings of trout from previous years and natural breeding of redfin. Anglers are well placed for some good fishing.

Other waters I would recommend are Cosgroves, Dean, Moorabool and

Tullaroop Reservoirs. A little bit further afield Lauriston and Malmsbury Reservoirs generally fish very well during the winter months and, finally, Lake Tooliorook although very low water levels exist has some very good sized trout lurking around.

Bait will bring best results YARRA VALLEY

Ian Loft ringwood@compleatangler.com.au

This is probably one of the slowest times of the year to fish the Yarra. The water has changed from low and warm, to flowing and cold.

The fish need time to adjust and realign themselves with this changed environment.

Bait fishing for all species is the key to getting in amongst them at this time of the year. Berley is almost mandatory and can bring some very good catches for those people willing to sit and wait for it to takeeffect.

Almost every fish in the river will respond to a good berley trail, but getting a good trail set and working isn’t as easy as it might seem.

Flowing water means that things are going to move from upstream to downstream, however, in some instances, there will be back eddies and currents that can bring it back up the river toward you.

Thankfully, these are easy to see and mostly lay against the bank beside a reasonably fast stretch of water.

To find yourself a good stretch of Yarra River to set a berley trail in, you want it to be medium fast to slow water and as deep as you can get it (keeping in mind that a lot of the river is only 1-3m deep).

You’ll also need a little bit of bank to play with, say 20m!

This will allow you to move down into what might be a slightly better position later in the day when your berley starts working at its best.

Getting your berley into the water can be achieved in several ways. The most

A much better way to achieve berley direction success is to use a feeder cage. popular is the ‘hand throw’, which is also the least effective. With the hand throw technique, you run the risk of spreading your berley far and wide instead of concentrating it in one spot. If you’re a good throw, you can sometimes get it right and produce fish, but it’s more hit and miss.

A much better way to achieve berley direction success is to use a feeder cage. You can either buy them or make them; they are essentially a sinker that carries your berley directly to the point from which your bait is located. All that’s required next is to consistently cast

into the same spot at regular intervals to keep the berley flow continuous.

Your berley can be made of many different things.

One of the best and cheapest additives for your berley is breadcrumbs. The particles are small and very hard for target spices to pick up but will carry a large amount of attractive scent and smell down to the fish – and this is what you want!

The main draw card in every berley is what you have on your hook. That is to say that if you’re fishing with worms, then you’d better have worms in your

berley! Same goes with corn, maggots, meal worms, mussels, or anything for that matter. There’s no use you creating the smell of a roast and then serving up sushi!

Obviously because it’s berley, you don’t want to feed them too much, so you have to make the elements you put into your berley very small. Chopping up worms and adding the dirt that they came in is one way to keep things small but by using maggots or corn, you don’t need to do anything at all apart from put them in the mix!

The most important thing you can learn about berley is that if your feeder cage comes back with berley still in it you’re packing it too tight. You just want it to survive the cast and as it hits the water, you want to see a cloud of it on impact letting you know it’s come out on the spot.

You can recast as much as every 5 minutes to keep the trail steady. Also, with a good mix of breadcrumbs and the right amount of water added (you want to be able to make it into a ball in your hands but still rub it back out into crumbs) you can try some hand throwing a little more upstream from where your baits are to keep things fired up. Keep fishing in the same spot as the trail.

It will start working at some stage!

• For all the latest information on how to go about fishing the Yarra River and surrounding areas, drop into Compleat Angler Ringwood or give them a call on (03) 9870 77922.

Lake’s baitfish boom a bust EILDON

Andy McCarthy

In last month’s report I said I would try and find out why there was such an abundance of baitfish in the lake and, not being even close to knowing how aquatic systems work, it was very interesting to hear why it has happened.

It seems that what we have now with the baitfish being so plentiful started way back when the drought broke and an absolute truck load of chemicals, such as superphosphate and similar things that enrich soil, were washed into the system.

In turn, when water temps heated up we saw the blue green algae blooms become overwhelming for a couple of seasons in certain areas of the lake. Even though this is generally considered a bad thing, the algae starts the cycle of providing food for the plankton in the system.

Over time, the plankton prosper and become the food source of the baitfish, such as gudgeon, galaxia and so on.

The time frame these

Jarryd Proudlock with his PB, a 66cm brown from Eildon. things occur from is generally dependent on weather conditions and patterns.

Eildon has unnatural depths at the southern end and has had all manner of crazy weather patterns over the past 3 years. It seems that over the last 6-8 months the conditions have been perfect to produce billions of these

baitfish that have literally taken up acres of surface area in massive schools.

This makes perfect sense as to why the redfin seemed to have almost disappeared.

They are there, they just don’t need to search for food like they have in the past.

Pretty much all species of fish in the lake can, and will,

pick and choose what they eat, which makes it tough for us anglers right now.

Nevertheless, just imagine how much condition the fish will put on during this food fest!

For those still keen to wet a line, I would be trying all your favourite methods for trout and cod to get them to strike out of aggression – don’t just present a lure that they may eat. I will be going as big as I can over the next few months to get under their skin and make ‘em mad. You may just get a trophy fish!

For those of you who fish more on the southern end of the lake you will have noticed how gin clear the water is. I could see a spinnerbait on a log in 20ft of water, which is insanely clear for Eildon and is just another reason why fishing has been so tough.

I’m sure there are a few anglers who have caught some good fish lately and I’m glad to see a few pics, but numbers are way down.

I hope this gives you a bit of an insight or understanding as to what is going on in this massive lake.

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Imitation is the key to success BONNIE DOON

Peter Jung pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

The cooler weather is certainly starting to settle in, making us all appreciate the warmth of a fire and a hot cuppa.

This change has brought on the trout fishing in the Bonnie Doon area of Lake Eildon with good numbers of rainbow and brown trout keen to feed up before they head to do their spawning thing.

Good numbers of trout have been caught around the river mouths in the lake using hardbody lures and soft plastics. Rapala CD5 and CD3 lures in RT and BT are always popular.

Steve from the Snowy Mountain Outdoor Centre said that people have had great success using Rapala Rippin’ Raps in red or natural colours as well.

For the trollers, flat line trolling Tassie Devils in pinks and whites hasbeen working a treat. Jeff Baade from Lake Eildon Cruises said this

technique has been deadly in the area from the bridge to Fords Inlet, and should continue throughout June.

Fishing for natives has slowed a little, but with a bit of persistence, there are still some nice golden perch to be found on yabbies or soft plastic baits. Redfin fishing has slowed, with mainly small fish being caught. Soft plastics have been your best bet or paternoster rigged yabbies or scrub worms.

Looking at the fishing in June, there is plenty of expectation. The water

levels in the lake will settle or even increase, covering fresh shoreline and providing plenty of new feeding opportunities for the fish in the lake. Please keep in mind the rivers will close mid June for the trout closed season, but don’t be afraid to cast a lure, plastic or bait in the surrounding area, as you are more than likely to pick up a great feed. Stay warm and come and visit Lake Eildon at Bonnie Doon.

• Thank you to Steve Simpkin and Jeff Baade for their help in putting this report together. If you are chasing fresh bait, the latest in fishing tackle or find out where their biting, see Steve at the Snowy Mountain Outdoor Centre (03) 5775 1105. If you want to hire a boat to explore everything that Lake Eildon has to offer at Bonnie Doon contact Jeff at Lake Eildon Cruises 0422 166 986.

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Upsize your lures YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

What are ya waiting for?

With only a short while before the genuine winter sets in, it’s time to rug up and have a crack at landing a cool water cod!

Traditionalists say that native fishing is no good during the cooler months.

I disagree. Sure, things slow down a bit but reward for effort can come in the form of a bigger cod if you persist. Trolling 100mm+ sized lures is your best option. Your traditional painted sticks such as ACs, Custom Crafts, Stumpy’s, Humpty’s or Codgers are always a safe bet with the Kuttafurra, Gidgee and Koolabung being the new highly sought after pieces of timber!

Looking back, April proved a great month for those who put in the time trolling the shallower water with either spinnerbaits or

hardbodied lures. Large numbers of cod were taken with the majority being in the 50-80cm bracket. The Easter period was very productive for the many anglers who visited our region, with many coming in store with a smile on their dial and wanting to recount their recent captures. The best fish reported for the month went to Kail Lee who hooked into a 113cm beast while casting chatterbaits in the lake. A great effort for a young fella who is keen on the cod.

I personally saw a ‘first’ when I took good friend Anthony Pavlou out for a flick. Genuine first cast Pav hooked up to a 61cm fish which made for a good afternoon’s fishing.

Recounting the story a day or two later I was informed that local young fella Jordan Urquhart went one better the day before, landing a 64cm on his first cast and then backed it up two casts later with a 73cm off the same snag.

Graham ‘Flipper’ Jarvis and Steve ‘Wolfman’ Hogan were another pair to have great results during their pre-fish for the Nationals, picking up good numbers of cod trolling LED Balistas in the 3-5m depth range.

Mid-April saw the running of the Mulwala Classic Invitational fishing tournament. A total of 120 keen anglers converged to watch Roger Miles prove once again that he is the undisputed king when it comes to fishing this region.

For sheer numbers of quality fish Roger (Lake Mulwala’s No. 1 guide) had everybody covered with a 91cm fish that landed him the Biggest Fish title. Mick Massier had a great weekend boating 10 cod of varying sizes, which was enough to see him take out the Champion Angler title. Roger backed up his good form with partner Derek Blow to take home the dash for cash also. The new organising team led

by Michael Bressan should be credited for the job they

‘Flipper’ Jarvis and ‘Wolfman’ Hogan with Wolfman’s 62cm Balista reward. did and are sure to improve further in years to come.

Unfortunately, at the time of writing, water levels below the weir are extremely low making navigation extremely tricky and dangerous. There have been some reasonable numbers of fish reported, especially golden perch, but there is no indication yet as to when levels will return to their normal heights.

Cray season rules and regulations changed last year

so it is important you are up to speed on them. The 2014 season opens on June 1 but it’s anybody’s guess if the Murray will have any water back in it by then. If you’re heading out I urge you to be safe, especially if you are boating at night in shallow waters. You also should observe the complete new range of bag, size and possession limits in place.

You can find all the info on the DPI Fisheries website.

If you’re visiting Yarrawonga/Mulwala I urge you to call into Lake Mulwala Fish Camp & Ski, the shop with the big green cod out the front (opposite the Post Office) in Mulwala and say g’day. We are your largest Murray cod specific shop in the region and specialize in all things ‘green’! For any info on upcoming events or fishing reports give us a call on 03 5744 3133.

Shocking season improves WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

This current trout season is about to end, and what a shocker it was for so many of us! The good news is that towards the end of April I started to see signs of improvement in one or two waterways.

This season I have been reluctant to give details as to exactly which waterways have been fishing okay for trout, and that is due to the poor season and low numbers of fish. Fingers-crossed that next season we see some kind of an improvement across the board and I can go into more detail on exactly which rivers are fishing the best.

What I will say though is that during June make sure you head as far as possible upstream if you are targeting trout as many of the trout, particularly the larger ones will be moving upstream to spawn. Also, don’t forget that the trout season closes at midnight on Sunday 8 June.

If you are heading out, try using fluorescent orange bladed spinners if you are lure fishing, or even a minnow style lure as the trout may be quite aggressive and hit a minnow out of anger.

Don’t be afraid to use a larger lure than you normally would either, as this may make the 78

JUNE 2014

An average sized Murray cod from the Wangaratta area caught on a Bassman Spinnerbait cast from the bank recently. trout just that little more aggressive than usual.

Alternatively you could head to Lake William Hovell which fishes well for trout at this time every year.

Lake William Hovell is not known for its large trout, however the odd monster up to 4lb or even a little bigger does turn up.

By far the most popular method for catching trout at Lake William Hovell during winter is flatline trolling winged lures such as Tassie Devils. Flatline trolling means just tying the line to the lure and trolling; no paravanes or downriggers or anything fancy. The above mentioned techniques will work well, especially during the bright daylight hours when the fish move down deeper in the crystal clear water. At the low light periods of the day flatline trolling is the best option as the trout will often be up close to the

surface feeding on anything that may have fallen into the lake and drifted such as dead insects, spiders, and tiny minnows that usually

hang around the shallow edges of lakes.

Winged lures are not the only successful technique in Lake William Hovell, you can also troll minnow style lures, bait fish with worms (best after heavy rainfall) in the top end of the lake near the King River mouth or try using mudeyes suspended under a float over the shallower areas at the southern end of the lake.

My favourite technique up there is to cast blades, such as the 7g TT Switchblade. These blades, otherwise known as vibes, are a dynamite way to catch trout in lakes, and are very under-rated for this type of fishing. Most of my success

A tiny rainbow trout caught in a small tributary of the Ovens River in mid April on a black bead headed nymph. This is an encouraging sign for next season. in Lake William Hovell has come from casting 7g blades.

The family friendly waterways in the region will be stocked with yearling rainbow trout for the school holidays. Lake Sambell in Beechworth, Stanley Dam in Stanley and Fosters Lake

An unusual catch – a European carp caught recently in the Ovens River on a Bassman Spinnerbait.

in Glenrowan are all very popular fishing spots for the kids during school holidays thanks to these stockings. These lakes will be stocked closer to the end of June as the holidays start on the 27th June. If I was a betting man I would say they will be stocked around the 25th or 26th of June.

Away from trout and things will most likely be pretty quiet everywhere else in June as the water in the Ovens and King rivers gets very cold and very rainfall dependent. If we don’t get too much rainfall the rivers may look OK. If this is the case and you really must go fishing then by all means head out, but be very patient and be prepared to work very hard for your cod. I have caught Murray cod in the Ovens River in June, but it is not easy.

If you are targeting cod your best bet would be to head downstream to Lake Mulwala, which usually fishes pretty well during the winter months.

Still time for a trout KEIWA VALLEY

Robbie Alexander

We are at that time of the year again where my reports tend to focus on one or two spots in the Kiewa/Mitta Mitta region, which is Lake Dartmouth and Khancoban Pondage. At least with June there is still a little over a week of trout fishing available before the season officially closes at midnight on Monday 9 June (Queen’s Birthday weekend).

If you are targeting trout on the closing weekend of the trout season, head upstream in any of your chosen waterways as this is the time the trout are either spawning, about to spawn or about to head back downstream if they have finished spawning early.

The Mitta Mitta River upstream of Mitta Mitta township is always worth a crack at this time of the year as the big brown trout, which are residents of the big deep holes downstream towards Eskdale, move up into this area looking for somewhere to spawn.

We have had stacks of early and mid autumn rainfall in this area and all of the creeks are flowing very well, meaning that the trout can swim upstream much more freely to spawn. Even the

smaller creeks and tributaries will be worth a look, but once again, head upstream.

Look for artificial barriers that hinder the upstream migration of trout. The small weir in Mitta Mitta township on the Snowy Creek is one of them, so too is the Mt Beauty pondage spillway right in town, which is a very popular fishing spot, and with good reason!

If you are planning on hooking the boat up, try heading to the enormous Lake Dartmouth. Fishing does not come much easier than trolling for trout in Lake Dartmouth during winter. You simply just tie on a winged lure such as a Tassie Devil or Wigstons, cast it out the back and troll around

the lake with a blindfold on.

You do not need to look for structure on a sounder, or look for depth or drop-offs.

The trout will swim freely anywhere in the lake looking for food.

There are a couple of things you can do to increase your chances though. Look for wind lanes in the lake, especially around points and outcrops where food can fall out of the bush and into the lake, and then get blown by the wind into the open water. These areas can be real hotspots. Also look for river entrances where the larger trout may be returning to the lake after swimming upstream to spawn. These trout are usually very hungry

Brenton Richardson with a ripper brown trout caught in the Kiewa River on a Strike Tiger 1” nymph.

The spillway on the Kiewa River at Mt Beauty is a great place to catch a trout late in the season, despite the heavy fishing pressure it receives. but not always in good condition.

Sometimes taking off your winged lure and replacing it with a minnow of some kind can bring rewards, and if you have a downrigger, don’t be afraid to troll down deep around river mouths with quite large minnows of 9-10cm in length. The Rapala Husky Jerk seems to be quite popular for this method of fishing and I have heard of it being very successful in Lake Eildon and Lake Eubembene in NSW.

If you want to catch something other than trout at this time of year you will have to work very hard. Lake Hume will see some pretty big redfin caught during June, particularly by the local

gurus from Albury/Wodonga that know the lake very well and fish it regularly. If I was heading up there chasing redfin I would be looking for deep water of around 25-35’ as the water down that deep is usually a little bit warmer during June than the water at the surface. I would try bait fishing with small yabbies, as well as soft plastics bobbed up and down along the bottom.

Anglers targeting yellowbelly can head to Lake Hume or Alans Flat waterhole.

Yellowbelly like the water a little bit warmer, so I would not be expecting too much in June.

However, you’ve got to be in it to win it! So try Alans Flat waterhole over Lake Hume as it gets stocked every year;

the increased competition for food will increase the likelihood of the yellowbelly feeding ‘outside the square’.

If you are chasing Murray cod… well, you can only try I suppose! I would like to give you better news but I would only be lying.

Although each of the Mitta Mitta and Kiewa rivers get stocked each year with a decent numbers, both rivers are fed by snowmelt during winter and are exceptionally cold waterways. You could always try drowning a bardi grub or large yabby in one of the deep holes in the lower reaches of either river, but make sure you take a set of bells for your rod and a good book!

Cold water bass at Blue Rock WST/STH GIPPSLAND

Steve Haughton steve.haughton@hotmail.com

Over the last month reports have been flooding in of bass being caught at Blue Rock Lake in good numbers.

The typical size of the

bass ranges from 20-30cm and the techniques used also vary. The great thing is that anglers are catching them in the cold icy Blue Rock waters, which means with closure of the stream trout fishing season there are other fishing options to consider in the West and South Gippsland region.

Stream trout fishing closes

on June 9 at midnight and reopens midnight on Friday the 5 September. The closure of the season brings some relief to the stream trout population, which relies solely on natural spawning high up in the tributaries of the catchment.

There are no stream trout stocking programs in West and South Gippsland so we rely

FISHING FILL-ITS

Baymarine Haines Hunter dealer Haines Hunter Managing Director John Haber has announced the appointment of Brian and Sue Andrews at Baymarine in Victoria as Haines Hunter dealers.

This new appointment completes the dealer network in Victoria offering customers an outlet in the South East.

Haines Hunter National Dealer Development Manager Tim Davies comments said the timing couldn’t be better as they were launching several new Haines Hunter models at the Melbourne boat show, of which two will be displayed at the Baymarine stand.

“The new models will be targeted at those wanting a vessel over 6m for serious offshore fishing,” Mr Davies said. “These models will come standard, hard top and fully enclosed models.”

Baymarine will be inviting their customers to a special tour of Haines

Hunter’s manufacturing facility in Derrimut, Victoria, followed up by an on water demonstration day at the Beaumaris Motor Yacht Squadron on June 1.

For more info on the range visit www. haineshunter.com.au.

– Haines Hunter

strongly on anglers catching and releasing their trout.

The closed season means that stream brown and rainbow trout can spawn and then migrate back downstream to feed, all in time for the season opening in September. If you are heading out to target stream blackfish or eel, or just happen to be passing through and spot illegal activities, please report to 13 FISH. Regular correspondent Toby Eastburn of local fishing social network WiFish has once again been smashing it on the bass out at Blue Rock. Obviously Toby has got it ‘down pat’ when it comes to Blue Rock bass.

On his last outing he got up to 30 bass all around the 20cm mark with the biggest being 30cm on the nose. His trick was casting his selfmade hardbody lures and spinnerbaits from the kayak against dead trees up the Tanjil Arm. He reported that the fishing was hot up until midday then it went quiet.

Jack Methven, son of John Methven who runs Mountain Bait & Tackle in Healesville recently had an outing at Blue Rock and did really well on the bass in the evening. They caught and released 10 bass on

Jack Methven holding his solid 3lb bass caught and released on an unweighted scrub worm from the banks of Blue Rock. unweighted scrub worms; Jack caught the biggest at 30cm.

John tells me that they were busted off three times with what they believe to be even bigger fish than 3lb. Before bait fishing in the evening they trolled up the arm and caught a number of redfin and one trout to add to the haul of fish for the trip.

Bass reports at Blue Rock seem to indicate that the fishing is good either early or late in the day. The other thing that really stands out is that they are being caught on a variety of techniques, which really opens up the bass fishing sport to anglers of all ages and skill. Unweighted scrub

worms, garden worms under a float, trolling Tassie Devils, casting plastics and hardbody lures have all produced bass at Blue Rock.

The stocking program has been a blessing for this lake historically dubbed ‘Lake Disappointment’.

With a continued stocking program and increased fishing activity from landbased, boat and kayak anglers, things are certainly looking up.

Feel free to send me a report or photo particularly if you have any success stories before the closure of the trout season or bass on Blue Rock.

Happy fishing!

JUNE 2014

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Last chance trout still available for die-hards JINDABYNE

Steve Williamson swtrout@airlan.com.au

June is here and so is winter. The start to the snow season is not far off, which means so is the close of the river fishing until the October long weekend.

The June Queens Birthday holiday weekend is the last chance that you have to target the early spawning trout in the Thredbo River. For those that do come to fish the river, it is a very busy weekend and a lot depends on the rain and weather as to how the trout will behave.

If we get a fair bit of rain leading up to the closing weekend then the fishing will be great, if we don’t, the fishing will be hard on the rivers. My suggestion

In winter, the trout are more aggressive and are more likely to take a bigger lure. Jointed Rapalas, similar to the ones we spin in the lake edges, are worth a try and the bigger the lure the better. We quite often troll 9cm and 11cm lures for the bigger fish.

StumpJumpers in gold colours to represent the little gold fish in the lake are also great and even a 7cm gold Rapala will do a similar job. Try these and other gold coloured lures off lead core lines if conditions are bright and try trolling over the weed beds for the best results, as this is where the goldfish love to hide.

Other lures to use in the middle of the day are Tasmanian Devils in pink number 55 or orange number 56 colours. These are aggressive colours in winter and the trout will

where the bigger browns are holding out, but remember troll slowly at about 2km/h.

Use your fish finder to see where the trout are holding and keep on working them. Most of the bigger fish are going to be down near the bottom of areas like Waste Point and Creel Bay where the Thredbo River runs into the lake.

Bigger minnow lures are the secret at the moment so use big Rapalas, even up to 13cm.

The orange tiger Rapala is also a great aggressive colour and a slow trolled orange minnow spin is also worth a try.

The other good areas to troll are in the shallow bays like Hatchery Bay and Hayshed Bay. Sids Bay at East Jindabyne is also a favourite as it is weedy with lots of food for trout.

Rob Wandl from Davidson NSW loves his rainbow trout that was also caught on a Willys Special. is to fish the lake instead as the trout fishing on the lakes has been great over recent months.

Anyhow let’s have a look at what will happen over the month in more depth.

Boat trolling over the last month has been good with plenty of hard fighting rainbow trout in excellent condition, giving the lake trollers a lot of fun and I would expect this pattern to continue. We might even see some of those big Atlantic salmon caught over the coming month or two and, if you are lucky enough, the brook trout should also come on the bite.

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strike these hard. Also keep in mind a number Y36 yellow wing for the sunnier days and Tassie Devil holographic or say a number 48 or Y48 are always worthwhile early and late in the day.

There are still plenty of big fish at Creel Bay and it is not too difficult to fish given there is so much more water this year. You can downrig some very big brown trout using bigger minnow lures. If you don’t have a downrigger then try putting the big Rapala onto your lead core line and put four colours of lead into the water and then another 20m of 20lb Dacron backing.

This will get you down to

Bait fishing is productive with all the extra water this year. The bigger trout will be cruising the bays and inlets for a feed.

You can fish all day during winter but don’t fish too deep as the fish often feed in close to the shore. Bait fishing with scrub worms or artificial bait works well in winter, so long as you don’t mind sitting back and

Luke Taylor with a decent rainbow trout caught on a number 111 Willys Special Tasmanian Devil. waiting; this method works any time day or night.

Artificial salmon eggs have been very good for catching some bigger trout at the moment.

Both the worms and artificial baits are fished off the bottom with a running sinker. Remember to fish light and keep the bail arm open to let the trout run with the bait. Grease the line with musilin to reduce friction if the trout are running and dropping baits.

Artificial baits are great in winter and you only need to just use a small ball of artificial bait, just a little bigger than a pea, and a small size 12 hook will catch more fish than big hooks and big bits of bait.

Gamakatsu do a fine wire hook called a single egg hook and these are great for power bait. You can use a size 8 or 10 hook for trout in winter.

Over the next few months, the areas to catch a trout on bait are Wollondibby Inlet and Creel Bay at Waste Point and Stinky Bay nearer to town. Just remember the lake is weedy, but that’s where the fish like to hang out.

Unlike summer, you can spin all day in winter, however on sunny still days choose the deeper drop-off where the fish will cruise looking for something to eat.

I find that in winter smaller 7g Tasmanian Devils best for the deeper water on still days and the 13g Tassies on the windy days. Another lure that has been worth a throw is the 3” StumpJumper. Pink is a great colour in winter.

Orange minnow spins are also great off the bank.

Jointed Rapalas with a little bit of orange on the tummy is another lure that will get the trout to take notice and if you work these jointed minnows like a wounded fish you will get a lot more strikes.

You can also spin with small bladed spinners, like number 1 or 2 Celtas and Vibrax spinners, in the shallow weedy bays on the lake. I like gold colours or reds.

Soft plastics are also worth a try and the Strike Tigers in vodkar and orange and princess pink colours are good. The Tasmanian Trout Frogs are also going great.

Overall, soft plastics for trout would have to work the best in winter. Flicking them out and working them slowly through the snags and above weed beds when the lake is low is the best way to catch trout. Like bream fishing down the coast, blades are working well on trout in the rivers and the lakes, so well worth a try. Some of the better blades are TT Switchblade

Golden Boy, Strike Pro Cyber Vibe 35 BLG and Cyber Vibe 50JU009 (some of these look like our lake goldfish and the trout love to eat the little goldfish).

Flyfishing is June and July on Lake Jindabyne would have to be the hardest and coldest months for flyfishing.

The best fishing usually occurs when the browns start to return from spawning, however this year with some of the browns and rainbows spawning as early as last March we might find that the flyfishing will be better this year. With the higher lake levels and fish hanging about the bays, the better areas are Creel Bay, Hayshed and Hatchery Bay, Mill Creek Inlet, The Claypits, and The Snowy Arm. Well rug up and enjoy your trip to the Snowys, and if coming down for a snow trip, don’t forget your fishing rod!

• If you would like a bit more information on what trout fishing is available on Lake Jindabyne in winter, please call into my shop at Discovery Holiday Parks Jindabyne next to the Shell servo 02 64 561551. All the best with the fishing over the next couple of months and remember I operate for guided tours right throughout winter.

JUNE ROUNDUP – THE BEST OF THE BEST! Best method: ..........................................Bait fishing with scrubbies teamed up with artificial baits.

Best depth:...............................................Bottom fishing.

Best lake lure:..........................................Tasmanian Devil in pink 55 or Rapala Brook and Perch patterns.

Best lake area:.........................................East Jindabyne pumping station and The Claypits.

Best fly method:.......................................Black Woolley Buggers on the lake.

Best river:.................................................Rivers all closed to fishing until October.

Chilly times for spearfishers WEST COAST

Shane Lowery

Through May we saw a terrific build up in the numbers of tuna offshore, as well as some great inshore diving opportunities. The conditions were not always conducive to good diving but there were certainly plenty of chances to hunt them.

The inshore diving was also hindered by some rough seas and dirty water but on the better days there were plenty of southern rock lobster and reef species to be found.

June sees the beginning of winter and water temperatures start to bottom out. Temps of around 11-12ºC are not uncommon in the bays around Melbourne and south west Victoria. Warmer wetsuits and shorter dives are the order of the day at this time of year. The body tends to fatigue more quickly in the colder temps, so it’s important to remain aware of this and not push yourself past your own limits.

The upside to the winter diving period is that we actually see the most stable weather patterns through this part of the year. Light offshore winds and low swell mean that offshore diving

is a real option. This also coincides with the peak of the tuna season with large numbers of school fish tending to push in a little closer. At times tuna can be encountered in water depths as shallow as 40-50m, meaning long trips out to the

to be targeted include King George whiting, sea sweep and southern rock lobster to name just a few. Just keep in mind that from June 1 female rock lobster begin their closed season and ONLY male rock lobster can be taken.

hunting grounds in June and generally have a lot less boat traffic than in the warmer months. Southern Port Phillip Bay will start to produce good southern calamari and whiting in the shallower waters and for those capable of diving deeper waters there is always the chance of a winter snapper.

Winter can be one of the best times of the year for spearfishing so don’t let the cooler water deter you from getting out and enjoying what our coastline has to offer.

A mixed bag of southern rock lobster, sea sweep, snook and abalone – all prime targets in June.

Rob Torelli and an SBT after a successful dive. shelf are not the only option to find tuna. Once again it’s still very important to remain aware of your surroundings.

Avoid areas being actively fished by anglers and be sure to have your float with a diver below flag clearly displayed.

Stable weather with low swell and flat seas also means the inshore diving can be spectacular this time of year. The winter species

Sea sweep are in much larger numbers at this time of the year whereas whiting schools tend to be a little more sparse but with the general size of the fish being much larger on average.

There is also a large influx of Australian salmon and silver trevally that are true winter residents of the Victorian coastline.

The bays around Melbourne are also great

The conditions were not always great but there were still plenty of chances to hunt big tuna offshore.

HOT SPOT

Maribyrnong River CRANBOURNE

Mitch Chapman

Often overlooked by the bigger more famous Yarra River, the Maribyrnong River or ‘Nong’ as it’s known to by most, is one of the most popular fishing destinations for anglers who love their estuary fishing.

The wide variety of species and methods you can fish is what draws the attention to anglers. Species include bream, mulloway, snapper and salmon, just to name a few. This beautiful river is full of surprises and big fish.

PRIME TIME In the warmer months bream become active

A bag of metro bream from the Nong.

feeding high in the water column, and can be seen mooching on rock walls and the abundant pylons.

As the bait pushes up the river, including salmon and mullet, it is always a good time to test your patience on the ever-elusive mulloway that lurk in the shadows.

GEAR Light graphite spin rods are the go when targeting bream in the river; 2-4kg rods with 6lb braid is ideal.

Long fluorocarbon leaders are a must when targeting tricky spooky bream in clear slow flowing waters along the banks of the Nong.

You need to fish light to get the bite, but pull them out quick before it’s all over.

RIG If bait fishing, a bait holder size 4 hook with a freshwater yabby or scrubworm is as good a bait as anything. Long light 4lb leader fished really light is the best method when targeting bream.

BAIT AND LURES There are a number of lures that are all effective when fishing the Nong.

Strike Pro Micro Vibes and sinking stick minnows hold

Paul Malov with two decent bream pulled on sinking hardbodies deep in the timber. their own when fishing the pylons and bridges. When fishing the rock walls and banks, then hardbodied lures are the go, as well as small lightly weighted plastics.

If bait fishing then yabbies, mussel or scrubworms fished with a light running sinker is a deadly option for bream. For mulloway then live mullet or fresh squid baits are a must.

BEST METHOD Lure fishing is a very productive and effective way to fish. You cover more area

and you have a better chance at finding the fish by moving around and searching for them. An electric motor is essential if lure fishing and can be used to sneak around or hold position against the wind and tide.

MOTHER NATURE Make sure you check the rules and regulations and ‘no fishing zones’. Port security is right onto anyone who is doing the wrong thing, so to enjoy this fishery and keep it going for years to come, do the right thing and do the

research before entering the water.

HOT TIP Fishing the high tide is always a good place to start when targeting bream. The water is up high and covers structure like rock walls, which will push the bream in to the banks looking for food.

This makes it easier to locate fish when you can spot them on the banks.

These fish are generally a little easier to catch as they are in a feeding mode.

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Team You Never Know lead from the start The weekend of the 22-23 March 2014 saw 60 teams head to the mighty Mallacoota inlet for the 2014 Engel East Gippsland Bream Classic.

Being the first regional leg of the 2014 Vic Bream Classic Series all teams were keen to get away to a good start and put some all important Club Marine Team of the Year points on the board to help secure them a spot in the Grand Final to be held back at Mallacoota in November this year.

With such a talented field assembling for the tournament, it was anyone’s guess which of the top teams would be crowned champions. However this weekend would prove different, as a new team would emerge to claim their first Vic Bream Classic victory and send a strong message to the rest of the field to watch out for them in November.

As the named suggests Team You Never Know

would prove that anyone has a chance to put in a dominant performance if they do their homework and have the ability, which is exactly what they did leading from start to finish and taking victory in fine fashion.

Day one saw teams awake to calm overcast conditions with the slightest drizzle – just perfect to fill their bags early.

For Team You Never Know, Dale Pattison and Dwayne Nielsen, it was a blast off the start line but a very short trip as they focussed their morning session in the bottom lake and wasn’t long before the decision paid off.

“We spent the first two hours of the day fishing shallow flats in the bottom lake in search of some quality bream using the Eco-Gear MX48s all in the natural colours – they seemed to get the most attention. To get the fish to bite we found that a shaking retrieve worked the best for us and was the main

The top three: 3rd Team Diawa, 2nd Team Bream By Stealth and 1st Team You Never Know pose for the cameras at the end of day two presentation. method that would finally entice the bream to smash the lure,” said Dwayne.

Using a combination of Shimano T-Curve Tournament

Maria Lures Best Bag Winners Team Gamakatsu Atomic’s Paul Malov and Alex Franchuk show off some of the quality bream that made up their 4.65kg bag.

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rods, Shimano 2500 Stella and Twin Power reels, spooled with 8lb PE Braid or 4lb Fireline Exceed Braid attached to 3-5lb fluorocarbon leaders,

the boys set about filling their bag relatively quickly off the flats in the bottom lake.

Getting five bream in the bag early was a great

Kyle Pettie from Team Tangle Foot displays a quality 1.44kg bream that secured him the Ecogear Big Bream for the weekend.

start, but anyone that fishes a tournament in Mallacoota knows that getting five bream isn’t a huge achievement, it’s always size that sets the men from the boys. The team knew exactly this and after a good 2 hour session on the flats had died off they knew they needed to change take to upgrade the bream they already had in the well if that had any chance of completing with the other quality teams in the field.

“We decided to head up into the top lake and focus our attention on fishing edges and deeper drop-offs to try and land some of the bigger kilo-plus bream needed to be competitive. We used Berkley Gulp pumpkinseed Turtle Back Worms and Juro 3” minnows on super light 1/40oz TT hidden weight jigheads to flick the plastic tight into heavy cover on the edge to temp some of the bigger bream and also fished Cyber Vibes in the deeper water, which worked really well,” said Dwayne.

After a solid but challenging session to find the bigger fish the You Never Know boys approached the scales and weighed in 5/5 bream for 4.60kg just giving them the lead on day one above Team Berkley’s Brad and Mike Hodges who weighed in 5/5 bream for 4.58kg. Also hitting the scales on day one was the Eco-Gear Big Bream, which was a cracking 1.44kg black bream weighed in by Kyle Pettie from Team Tanglefoot.

Teams woke on day two to beautiful conditions ready to hunt down the leaders and the Eco-Gear Big Bream. For Team You Never Know they were well a where that they would have to fish at their best with the ever-consistent Team Berkley hot on their heels if they would secure victory.

With a cameraman on board filming their charge Continued page 83

Dartmouth Cup Yamaha Fishing Classic 2014 Dart Cup Yamaha Fishing Classic 2014 will be held on 6-9 June. Now in its 20th year, the competition is run over the three days of the Queens Birthday weekend, starting on the Friday.

Weigh-ins are scheduled for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoon, with a live weigh in on the Friday and Saturday at the boat ramp.

Each day will have winners of the best species and best live weigh in.

The Club Team Championship is the best 10 trout caught over the two days, club/teams are now limited to 15 competitors each. There is also a junior competition.

The boat motor and trailer will be won by a draw

on the presentation night.

Any competitor, who catches a trout and weighs it in, is in the running for the boat, motor and trailer sponsored

by Border Marine, Yamaha and Stacer.

Again this year we are taking pre registrations, which puts competitors in the draw for the second boat, motor and trailer. Pre registrations close on 1 June 2014. Increased advertising of the competition on television, newspaper and radio, and now online registrations, have all helped to boost the comp’s profile.

They have also added a carp weigh in station at the boat ramp at the breakfast tent run by Len Coggan. You can weigh in your carp at any time over the weekend from

Friday through to Sunday midday. Extra prizes will be awarded to the biggest carp bag (maximum of 10) per day and the biggest amount of carp for a club over the weekend. Also the biggest carp caught by an individual each day.

Sponsors draw is on the Saturday night with over 60 prizes up for grabs and you don’t have to catch a fish to win a prize in this draw.

The numbers draw will be held over and on display for collection until Sunday at 7pm. Any prizes not collected at this time will be redrawn at the end of the presentation night.

Register at www. dartmouth.net.au.

– Dartmouth Angling Club

Last year’s winning boat packages.

RESULTS Place Team Name Angler’s Name Fish Weight (kg) 1............You Never Know.................Dale Pattison and Dwayne Nielsen..............10/10........................... 8.73 2............Bream By Stealth...............Romeo Prezioso and Carl Di Toro.................10/10........................... 8.47 3............Team Daiwa........................Jessie Rotin and George Tsoukas................10/10........................... 8.37 4............Gamakatsu/Atomic.............Paul Malov and Alex Franchuk.....................10/10........................... 8.03 5............Shimano - Millerods...........Chris Wright and Ian Miller...........................10/10............................7.90 6............VSFA - Austackle................Craig Seignior and Jarrod Dalzell.................10/10............................7.85 7............Plonkers..............................Mick Kaksa Ben Shuey................................10/10............................7.81 8............Rob Battlers.......................Corey McLaren and Lewis Holland..............10/10............................7.81 9............Tangle Foot.........................Tony Pettie and Kyle Pettie...........................10/10............................7.63 10...........Team Berkley......................Brad Hodges and Mike Hodges...................9/10..............................7.58

Nikki Bryant from Team Purple Patch showing that it’s not just a sport for the boys as she holds her own for the ladies.

From page 82

there were some very tense moments early in the day as they plugged away to land their 5 bream before looking carrying out the same strategy of heading up into the top lake to upgrade their bag after a morning flats session.

“We knew we had to keep focussed and keep searching for the bigger fish. It was a really tough tournament for

Mallacoota standards as the bigger fish just were very hard to find,” Dwayne said. After another solid session the boys managed to weigh another great bag of 5/5 bream for 4.13kg giving them a total of 10/10 bream for 8.73kg and the 2014 Engel East Gippsland Bream Classic victory.

The victory didn’t come without a small scare as charging from 23rd position was Team Gamakatsu

Atomic’s Paul Malov and Alex Franchuk who stole the Maria Lures Best Bag away from Team You Never Know with 5/5 bream for 4.65kg, but that could only push them to 4th position, safely leaving Team You Never Know securely in the top spot handing them the victory.

Next round of the 2014 Vic Bream Classic Series will see the field travel to the Glenelg River in Nelson for the 2014 Hobie Bream Classic. If you want to be part of the action or come down and spectate, log onto www. vicbreamclassics.com.au for all the details or follow us on Facebook.

DART CUP FISHING CLASSIC LIMITED ENTRIES H FRIDAY 6TH, SATURDAY 7TH & SUNDAY 8TH H

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JUNE 2014

Drawn on Sunday tation 8th June 2014 at Presen $5 per ticket

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MAJOR PRIZE

+ Yamaha 25hp NMHL +

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trailer with Alloy

*Picture for illustration purposes only

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VALUED AT L U C K Y D R AW$12,000 rday & Sunday

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Champions Dale Pattison and Dwayne Nielsen from Team You Never Know display some of the quality bream that landed to help them secure victory.

®

JUNE 2014

83

Baiting river blackfish RINGWOOD

Tom Wilson

Lurking in the pools of Victoria’s creeks and streams is a secretive, yet ferocious native predator patiently waiting to launch an assault on the next unfortunate worm to be

for night fishing visibility as you won’t have any time to re-position your lantern while you’re wrestling a blackfish from its snaggy lair. Another great invention is the little glow stick that you can attach to your rod tip. You might think that these are un-necessary when you have a powerful torch

when I went out to fish a small tributary of the Yarra with local expert James Galloway.

Now I used to think that I fished small creeks for blackfish but I couldn’t believe the tiny, trickle of a stream that we pulled up at.

In a waterway that is barely a metre wide and often not a

James Galloway with a ripper river blackfish taken on a live yabby.

Not all Victorian creeks hold monster blackfish like this but if you manage to catch one, there’s bound to be others nearby. swept into its path. River blackfish are a species often sought after by freshwater anglers and, to those who know how to find the big ones, they are a prized catch well worthy of targeting.

CREATURES OF THE NIGHT If you’re unsettled by the idea of navigating your way through dense scrub in pitch black darkness with the eerie sounds of nocturnal critters foraging around you, then perhaps catching blackfish is not for you.

Although you can work hard to occasionally snag one during the day, the feeding of river blackfish is almost completely a nocturnal affair. I remember my first experiences; lining the banks of the Carlisle River at dusk with my dad, uncle and cousins, impatiently waiting out the last biteless hour of daylight until complete darkness set in and all rods bent in unison.

There’s simply no doubt that if your serious about catching blackfish, you need to do so in the dark.

Before you head out for a night session you need to think seriously about how you’re going to make your trip enjoyable in complete darkness. It’s easy in theory to just pack a torch and go for it but when you end up snagged or need to re-tie your rig the reality sets in; night fishing is horribly tedious for the unprepared.

First of all, a lantern can be good but a head torch is the ultimate tool 84

JUNE 2014

strapped to your head but they really do make even the tiniest twitches in your rod tip glaringly obvious.

BIG RIVERS AND LITTLE CREEKS I’ve seen good river blackfish caught in many waterways of greatly varying size. From the main arm of the Upper Yarra right down to its smallest tributary, blackfish are a versatile species that inhabit numerous river systems in Victoria and are even found to a lesser extent, in South Australia and southern New South Wales.

Contrary to what you might expect, it’s been my experience that the biggest fish come from the smallest creeks. I learnt the full extent of this not long ago

metre deep we caught some of the biggest blackfish I’ve ever seen and we caught them consistently. The trick in these little creeks is to walk the banks until you come across a hole that’s deep enough that you can’t see the bottom; add an undercut bank or a submerged branch to the mix and you’ve found a spot that’s sure to hold a blackfish or two.

Big, fast flowing rivers like the Upper Yarra

and wide sections of the Gellibrand are well known to hold good blackfish, but require a little more legwork between spots. You really need to search for areas where the water slows and eddies; these often occur on sharp bends in the river. A favourite spot of mine in the Yarra is a bend of the river near Woori Yallock where the water naturally slows.

In addition to this, a big fallen tree slows the flow

This dense, snaggy terrain makes for perfect river blackfish habitat.

Large river blackfish like this one are often caught in water less than 1m deep.

down even more as well as providing perfect blackfish habitat; this is the kind of ideal scenario you need to be looking for when picking spots in a wide, fast flowing section of river.

BAITING RIVER BLACKFISH Blackfish are opportunistic in their predation so pretty much any bite sized critter that goes floating by is on the menu.

Bait that is tried, tested and proven to work, are worms and small yabbies.

Worms are without doubt the most versatile and readily available bait around. Whether drifting them for trout, bobbing them for goldens or just using them to pick off a few pesky carp you’ll find that most

freshwater anglers began their passion for fishing with the humble worm. There’s a very good reason for this, all freshwater species love them and river blackfish are certainly no exception.

There are many types of worm available these days; from the little garden variety you can dig up in your back yard to the much larger scrub worms you can pick from your local tackle shop, they will all do the trick to some extent. My preferred technique is to load up a hook with two or three medium sized worms to really try and achieve maximum wiggle and draw the attention of hungry blackfish.

When you’re serious about bypassing the nibbles of smaller blackfish to go straight for the 40cm+ models, it’s time to put a yabby on your hook.

Anything in the size range of 30-60mm is a suitable yabby-bait for an adult blackfish. The biggest concern when fishing live yabbies is that they will understandably go for cover in an attempt to hide from the very fish that you’re angling for. One way to combat this, as cruel as it may sound, is to remove the limbs of yabby leaving it unable to burry itself and an easy target for a waiting predator. If you don’t have the heart to do this, a simple lift of your rod tip every minute or so will raise your yabby from the leaves and mud to make sure that it’s always on show.

ANGLING THE SNAGS

I draw many comparisons between the behaviours of river blackfish and another Australian favourite, the mighty Murray cod. The way the two live a solitary existence held up tight in heavy cover, patiently waiting to launch a blistering attack on their next unsuspecting meal makes them similar indeed.

Even the way they appear with the mottled green camouflage skin, rounded

Undercut banks like this are what you need to look for when picking spots to stop for a cast. paddle tail and big gummy lips really makes me wonder how far removed the two species are on the evolutionary scale.

In much the same way as you would position a bardi grub or cast a spinnerbait right up hard against a submerged log, you want to get in nice and close to the snags and undercut banks for best results on blackfish. In most cases the best option will be swinging underarm cast due to the size of the creeks you’ll be fishing, and the dense scrub that tends to surround all the best blackfishing haunts.

You can use any current flow that may be present to your advantage by dropping your bait slightly upstream of a good looking snag and allowing it to drift right

The author with a solid river blackfish caught in small tributary of the Yarra.

underneath the branches and into the hotspot.

GO GET ‘EM I’m sure you can tell having read this article that chasing big river blackfish is a pastime that excites me to no end. It boggles my mind to know that so many anglers are oblivious to the awesome fishing experience that waits for them in these creeks, so do yourself a favour and head out to the Upper Yarra and Gellibrand systems for some night blackfishing action.

You can use any current flow to your advantage by dropping your bait slightly upstream of a good looking snag and allowing it to drift right underneath the branches and into the hotspot.

ION

HT SLIG ING AT FLO

RAT VIB

VENUS TRAP

TANGO SHAD

AVAILABLE IN 50MM 6.5G

The silent Venus Trap lure is specially designed for finicky fish with its subtle wriggling action sending out soft vibrations that can only be detected by the acute senses of fish triggering reacting strikes of ambush predators. With the weight precisely located in the extreme front of the lure, the specially designed lure system enables the lure to stand upright, head-down in the water to minimize snagging. It has a heavy weight to length ratio ensuring a long and accurate cast. Work the Venus Trap on the bottom with a slow retrieve putting it in a vulnerable position for slow moving predators.

This healthy river blackfish caught with a small worm on a summer’s night.

AVAILABLE IN 40MM 2.5G, 50MM 4G Available in 2 lengths, 40mm & 50mm the Tango Shad is capable of diving to 2m and has a tight wiggle action. Great buoyancy ensures minimum snags.

Incorporating pauses when working the lure allows the bait to rise quickly emulating the action of struggling baitfish and attracts nearby predators.

For more information please visit JUNE 2014

85

Getting kitted out for winter TASMANIA

Kelly Hunt

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand that June in Tasmania it can be a bit fresh. The key to fishing at this time is equipment, and I’m not talking about tackle and rigs.

Staying warm and dry while participating in the pastime we love is crucial.

Winter can mean some fantastic fishing and action, but if you are drenched and one step away from hyperthermia you won’t enjoy it. And if the kids are along, then this is doubly so.

If the ‘tin lids’ are not warm and toasty it will not be long before the dreaded, “Can we go now, Dad?” will start.

LAYERS It is a heck of a lot easier to start warm and peel clothes off than warm up when your core temp is low. June is thermals time; leggings and long sleeve top.

This is the foundation for a shirt with a long back to keep the kidneys warm and a set of warm pants. Favourite jumper with a hood can also be handy.

A waterproof jacket is of huge advantage in Tasmania.

I like a quality item that has sealed seams and tight neoprene cuffs. The idea of layering up to keep warm is to allow the layers to do the heavy lifting to get the job done.

There is a place for waterproof jackets with a heap of warm inner linings but I find these very bulky and cumbersome. A light weight, thin yet waterproof coat is the best option.

Wet feet is the best way to ruin a day’s fishing.

Launching a boat or trying to save a favourite lure from the snags early is a recipe for a miserable day. Quality footwear with a sturdy sole with a high degree of waterproofing will make an enjoyable day a cracker.

There is a lot to be said for warm socks as well.

Gloves on the hands when not needing to tie a knot or do anything fiddly

are a huge advantage when the mercury plummets into single fingers. General rule of thumb is when the temperature digits are less than the number of actual digits you have, gloves are a great idea.

Kitted out ready for any weather, you and the family can enjoy some winter angling.

TROUT It is very important to make sure what waterways are open and closed at this time of year. The Great Lake is obviously an option as it is open throughout the entire year and with a shoreline full of galaxia, and the landbased fishing can be exciting.

A still sunny winter’s day squid.

Look for a shore with the wind blowing into your face and cast in a fan shape starting left to right. If no luck, move to your right and start again. Spinners reflecting a galaxia are a great start. Once the wind falls away you then have conditions the Berkley black and gold T-tails are renowned for.

Spawning fish should be returning to the feeding grounds of the lake and that means ‘shrimp beds’. Get in and talk to the tackle stores to find where they have substantiated, but a good start is McLanachans Point and Becketts Bay. LIGHT SPORT Australian salmon fishing has been excellent this year. Schools have been large and numerous with some big units being produced from these schools.

This won’t change in June only your enthusiasm to be out in the elements.

Concentrate your efforts around river mouths from either boat or from the shore.

If you can’t find a school feeding on krill or the small bait fish, try bringing the food chain to you.

On a calm day with a few loaves of old bread, there is no telling what you may get to the boat. Old bread is best as when you rub it between your palms it will break up in to tiny pieces and not ball up in your hands. Soak some chook pellets overnight in tuna oil and throw out

Leigh McKenzie releases a chunky highlands brown trout. occasionally.

Mackerel, squid and quite often a snotty trevally will happen along.

Some people have in their heads that squid move off for the winter, but they are called southern calamari and Tasmania is quite southern!

Squid are always about and some searching for them and differing rates of retrieve will often have you picking some up. Snotty are great little fighters, respond well to the berley and eat well.

BOTTOM DROPS Plan ahead, pick your

days and dress well. There will be a number of days in June that will allow a great day’s fishing. Tasty table fish still abound in our waters over the cooler months.

You don’t need a big boat to have some flesh in the freezer either.

Gummy shark and morwong perch provide an inshore target. Morwong are a much under rated table fish. They are plentiful and, if well looked after, are fabulous on the menu. Bleed them quickly and keep nice Continued page 87

INLAND FISHERIES SERVICE

New Bradys Lake Whitewater boat ramp open IFS

Tim Farrell

The new boat ramp at Brady Lake has been completed. During April the pontoon was fitted and the ramp opened for public use.

Finishing touches including handrails on the pontoon, grading and graveling of the car park, fitting of post caps and a navigation light will be completed in time for the opening of the 2014/2015 angling season.

IFS would like to thank MAST and Hydro for their commitment to this major project on inland waters, which will be a huge benefit and draw card for anglers for many years to come.

LAKE RIVER ANGLERS ACCESS MAINTENANCE IFS staff have been out and about checking Anglers Access infrastructure on northern 86

JUNE 2014

rivers and completing maintenance as required.

One area that needed some work was on the Lake River downstream from the Macquarie Road Bridge. This area has a lot of long grass and in some areas hawthorn and gorse had overgrown stiles and signs that have now been cleared.

CLYDE RIVER CARP SURVEY During autumn the Carp Management Team conducted the annual downstream survey of the Clyde River. The object of this exercise is to check that the river system below Crescent and Sorell lakes remains carp-free.

Sites were sampled using backpack electrofishing gear around Hamilton and upstream and downstream of Bothwell.

The river had a good flow due to recent rains.

As well as the usual redfin perch and tench, the sampling revealed a healthy population of

A large brown trout from Lake Crescent. There are bigger fish available too. brown trout with one 100m stretch near Bothwell yielding 31 trout up to 400g in weight. No doubt there were larger fish in the

deep pools, however, with the strong water flow these spots were inaccessible to our equipment. No carp were found.

BIG TROUT CAUGHT IN LAKE CRESCENT SURVEY The recent juvenile carp surveys conducted at Lake

Crescent resulted in large, well-conditioned brown and rainbow trout being caught. Brown and rainbow trout up to 10lb and 6lb respectively were caught along the marsh edges in small fyke nets. These trout were in top condition and well within the range of land-based and boat fishers looking to bag a trophy.

With the trout season opening in August, anglers who seek big fish should consider Lake Crescent as a place to visit in the upcoming season.

Fish up to 8kg in weight were seen earlier this year in another survey and the chances are that there are even bigger fish swimming about in this highly productive system.

Lake Crescent is open an hour before sunrise to an hour after sunset, and the use of artificial lures and flies are permitted.

The minimum size limit is 220mm and a total maximum daily bag limit of 5 fish.

Triabunna comes alive TASMANIA OFFSHORE

Kelly Hunt

The coastal town of Triabunna on Tasmania’s East Coast was filled to the brim with 73 competitive boats and crews on 5-6 April. The turnout in its first year was nothing short of amazing. The Game Fishing Club of Northern Tasmania put together a sensational event.

The event’s success can also be attributed to the stunning assistance by Simrad, Evinrude and Quintrex.

These companies combined with PENN Australia and put together the best prize pool Tasmania has ever seen. The generosity and From page 86

and chilled, which will not be hard in June in Tasmania but a few frozen ice bottles will help. Fillet, skin and remove the bones and they are a winner.

Further out in the bigger boat domain, trumpeter and blue eye are the prize. Electric reels with 4 and 6 hook rigs are becoming popular, but those keen to have an old-fashioned bottom drop with an egg beater will still find fish. A quality sounder will make finding fish a whole heap easier.

acknowledgement of a coastal township that needed some help was magnificent.

SPECTACULAR PRIZE POOL The event was a massive success and the weather gods certainly looked after the organisers and competitors alike.

The breathless and sunny conditions really showcased what the area has to offer in beautiful landscape and fishing. The competitive fishing fleet left the sheltered marina early on Saturday and showcased some impeccable boat handling skill.

The 73 boat field deployed their boats using a single lane boat ramp in the dark without one issue.

The Triabunna Boat Club Make sure you do not waste the flesh on these fish as time, money and effort have all been consumed; take the extra effort to have some frozen soft drink bottles on hand, a good sharp knife to fillet the fish and some sturdy large zip lock bags for the flesh to be stored in.

TUNA Last year the school size fish were quiet and the big un’s were about in droves.

Early indication this year and, from what I have seen firsthand, suggest we are going to have a cracker.

School size fish have

supplied a number of their members to coordinate and make sure it all ran smoothly. The boat club was just one community sector of many in the Glamorgan Spring Bay area that pulled together and helped to make the event a considerable talking point within Tasmanian fishing and boating circles.

THE FISHING The fleet set off after a shotgun start to their chosen fishing grounds. The flat calm conditions meant they got there in good time. The interesting thing was most didn’t know where to go.

The traditional game fishing grounds for Tasmania are St Helens to the North and Eaglehawk Neck to the south. While places like Bicheno and Triabunna are

There was a spectacular prize pool for lucky anglers. smack bang in the middle, the area is not known to the majority of Tasmanian game fishers. This of course

was a huge advantage to the local anglers who know firsthand the quality of fishing off Triabunna.

This salmon had Ella on the back foot early.

My name is Kelly ‘Hooch’ Hunt and I thought it pertinent that I introduce myself as I slide into some big shoes left by Neil Grose. Neil has been a massive support over the years and it was a great honour that he put my name forward to be the ring leader of the Tasmanian section of Victorian and Tasmanian Fishing Monthly.

Living all my life in Tasmania on the North West coast has allowed very early exposure to the fishing lifestyle Tasmania has to offer. Trout and the obligatory trips to the Central Highlands formed the lion share of my fishing, along with a dabble in fly fishing – much to the back of my neck and ear’s disgust.

Tasmania has a lot to offer in regard to fishing but also adventure and world class scenery and destination. We take it for granted a lot of the time, but it is truly a treasure.

Along with the fishing reports and bits and pieces on techniques I will be celebrating what Tasmania is all about. So come along for the ride and I hope you enjoy.

Stan and Barry are fairly happy for their tummies. been caught from Pirates Bay all the way through Munroe and down to Tasman Island. The jumbos are with them and in good numbers.

The bait they have been feeding on is not the traditional red bait. I am sure this will come as we work through June, but early May had them on beaked sauries.

These are a long slender fish that on first glance look like a small gar. It will pay to keep a few light blue and silvery lures in case they

Continued page 88

A BIT ABOUT ME

concentrating on what the birds are up to. Spotting a bird feed while it is going crazy is ok, but sometimes before you can get over to it another boat has sent them down or the fish have sounded down on their own with full bellies. The trip worth learning is to study the seabirds’ every mannerism and characteristic. One high gannet circling about in a very inquisitive way is enough to cause interest. If he varies height and continues to try and maintain position over something, start to

A nice bottom with a steep transition or rising cleft is worth a drop. A well-tuned sounder will also pick out a school of ray’s bream. They show up as a cloud often well above the ocean floor. This is where some multi-coloured braid comes in handy. The colour change is often at 10m intervals and you can work out what depth the school is and drop down counting off the colours as you go.

The competition was taken out with a very healthy 37kg southern

stick around.

The close proximity of fish to Pirates Bay and Fortescue Bay allows those with smaller boats to be part of the action. These areas allow anglers in smaller boats to sneak out and have a look. Should things get a bit heavy out the front you can saunter back into the bay and catch something else until it dies down.

Our last couple of trips has highlighted the importance of really

Stan gets dreamy thinking of sashimi.

head over. This bird’s actions will often trigger a response of others in the vicinity. If they mimic his behaviour and there are no other boats around don’t be in too much of a hurry to barge on in and drag lures under him. Come in wide and circle in a large area and wait to see what unfolds. Nothing quite like making a judgement call to go over and investigate, circle in anticipation and watch a big tuna feed bust up fire up! Once you have the gannets going in hard skirt the edge and drag the lures through it. Best time to get a multiple hook up so have the crew at the ready.

JUNE 2014

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FISHING FILL-ITS

From page 87

bluefin tuna. This fish was one of three landed in a three way hook up. The crew on Blue Diamond did very well to get all three aboard. There were a number of other bluefin captures and some very good albacore weighed and tagged. The crew from Game On managed to weigh a fish on 4kg that is a pending Tasmanian record.

Tag and release section was taken out by Graeme Purton, his son Damien and crewman Tarquin Newman.

They fish on the Simrad sponsored vessel Bugger Work and turned over three mako sharks.

The bright sunny conditions allowed anglers to fish in comfort, really

Healthy Marine Park

The tag and release winners were Bugger Work. enjoy their day and there was even a marlin spotted.

COMING TOGETHER The event really showcased what can be done when clubs, corporates and communities combine. The cornerstone of the event was to assist the township and create some economic stimulus, and it did indeed!

The accommodation and retail sectors were given a substantial boost by the recreational anglers.

The local hotel was the place to be on Friday night and locals marvelled at the people that were at the event safety briefing. The competitors kept kitchen and bar staff very busy.

The local boat club Commodore, John Hall thanked one and all for attending and mentioned he had not seen so many people at the Hotel in 40 years. The value recreational fishers bring to local economies is being highlighted time and time again. Keep up the good work.

See you next year at Triabunna.

Three southern bluefin being prepared to weigh in.

The discovery of increasing numbers of the rare western blue groper in the Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park is an encouraging sign that reefs in this protected marine environment are in very good condition.

“Finding these fish and others like magpie perch, western blue devils, senator wrasse, magpie perch and warty prowfish, as well as healthy invertebrates like crabs and lobsters, is really encouraging,” says Parks Victoria Ranger, Steve Tuohy.

“The diving teams also surveyed around Popes Eye, Point Lonsdale and Point Nepean. The fact that there are now larger populations of bigger fish around Popes Eye is just one of the benefits of this location being protected since the 1970s.”

Previous surveys by Australian Marine Ecology and Reef Life Survey, a national marine citizen science program, have recorded small but growing numbers of the blue groper in the park. One Reef Life Survey diver, Don Love,

saw a large male blue groper with a harem of smaller females.

“Underwater reef surveys in the bay have been running since 1998, before Victoria’s marine national parks were declared, and are part of Parks Victoria’s state-wide marine monitoring program,” says Dr Steffan Howe, Marine Science Manager with Parks Victoria.

“There is a history of regular surveys in this and other parks so we can compare these new findings with those from the past and assess the ongoing health of the marine life on our reefs.”

“We would also welcome more photographs of blue gropers taken in our Marine Protected Areas.

These can be posted on the Parks Victoria Facebook page. The more information we have about the creatures and plants in these special places, the better we can manage them.”

For more information call Parks Victoria on 13 1963 or visit www.parks. vic.gov.au. – Parks Victoria

The western blue groper has been increasing in numbers throughout Port Phillip Heads.

HYDRO TASMANIA WATER STORAGE INFORMATION Water Storage Information as at 12th May 2014 Lake/Lagoon

Metres from full

Comment

Lake Augusta ...................................2.33 .......................................................Steady Arthurs Lake ....................................1.12 .......................................................Steady Great Lake .......................................15.84 .....................................................Steady Trevallyn Pond .................................2.99 ....................................................... Falling Shannon Lagoon ..............................0.15 .......................................................Steady Penstock Lagoon .............................0.22 .......................................................Steady Lake Echo ........................................9.24 .......................................................Steady Dee Lagoon .....................................0.24 .......................................................Steady Bradys/Binneys/Tungatinah .............1.52 .......................................................Steady Bronte Lagoon .................................1.45 ....................................................... Falling Pine Tier Lagoon ..............................1.59 .......................................................Steady Little Pine Lagoon ............................1.03 .......................................................Steady Laughing Jack Lagoon ....................7.33 .......................................................Steady Lake St Clair ....................................1.53 .......................................................Steady Lake King William ............................5.23 .......................................................Steady Lake Liapootah ................................0.33 .......................................................Steady Wayatinah Lagoon ...........................1.07 .......................................................Steady Lake Catagunya ...............................0.88 ........................................................Rising

Lake Repulse ...................................0.63 ....................................................... Falling Cluny Lagoon ...................................0.20.........................................................Rising Meadowbank Lake ..........................0.21 .......................................................Steady Lake Pedder ....................................1.26 .......................................................Steady Lake Gordon ....................................31.1 ....................................................... Falling Lake Burbury ...................................8.51 .......................................................Steady Lake Plimsoll ...................................4.33 ....................................................... Falling Lake Murchison ...............................21.23 .....................................................Steady Lake Mackintosh .............................7.88 .......................................................Steady Lake Rosebery .................................1.98 .......................................................Steady Lake Pieman ....................................2.82 .......................................................Steady Lake Mackenzie ...............................5.87 .......................................................Steady Lake Rowallan .................................10.8 .......................................................Steady Lake Parangana ...............................1.62 ........................................................Rising Lake Cethana ...................................2.40.........................................................Rising Lake Barrington ...............................3.92 .......................................................Steady Lake Gairdner ..................................8.1 ..........................................................Rising Lake Paloona ................................... -............................................................Spilling Woods Lake .....................................0.93 .......................................................Steady Whitespur Pond ...............................7.23 .......................................................Steady Lake Newton ...................................4.55 ........................................................Rising Lake Margaret .................................0.20........................................................Steady

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

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89

DIY kayak wheels AYR

Steve Farmer

Fishing kayaks seem to be getting larger, more extensively fitted out and, as a result, heavier, these days. Craft, which were once thought of as portable and minimalistic, are now decked out with all the bells and whistles and, combined with their unwieldy bulk, they can be a struggle to move single-handed.

Unless you own a basic, ultra lightweight yak, chances are you won’t be carrying your fishing machine very far unassisted.

Assistance can be in the form of another angler (fine if you are fishing with a mate every time you hit the water) or in the form of a set of kayak wheels. This accessory is almost essential for the larger kayaks and can make child’s play of shifting your boat from the shed to the car or from the car to the water.

Before you begin construction of your kayak wheels consider where the wheels will best fit under the kayak. Ideally you’ll want a slightly bow-heavy rig for ease of movement, so the position of the wheels is important. Of course, with this type of trolley wheel assembly the position of your wheels is limited to the position of your scupper holes.

When determining the best position for your wheels remember to include any standard load you may carry. For example, if you carry an icebox in the rear cargo bay you may have to move your wheels further astern to obtain the balance you want. Fortunately the load most fishing kayakers carry is minimal and shouldn’t be a problem.

I began construction of my yak wheels by cutting two pieces of 30mm 2 hardwood at around 40cm long. These were for the legs, which would fit through the scupper holes

with a file and sandpaper, I was able to achieve a loose fit. This was to allow the legs to easily fit into the scupper holes. You may have to vary the size of the timber or the amount of rounding required to suit the size of your scupper holes. Don’t make them fit too neatly or you’ll have trouble fitting the completed wheels. Loose, but not excessively sloppy, is the go.

With the two legs fitted into the scupper holes of the upturned kayak, measure the distance between their outside edges. The loose fit of the legs will result in a range of measurements, but try to settle on an average so that the final product will slip easily into place without being tight in the scupper holes. Add another 30mm to this measurement as excess to be trimmed when the legs are eventually fitted and screwed together.

This measurement is the width of the gussets you will now cut from 10mm

rear overhang means the trolley height can be less.

Just remember that the closer the wheels are to the stern the more weight you will have to lift when you move the yak.

it in position. The clamp allows you to make minor adjustments until the legs drop easily into the scupper holes. Once you’re happy with the positioning of the legs, screw the gussets to

on the undercarriage was to cut the legs off flush with the floor of the cargo bay so they wouldn’t interfere with the load-carrying ability of the Prowler.

The next consideration was the wheels and this is potentially the most expensive part of the accessory. Fortunately I had an old golf bag trolley amongst my junk…I mean treasures…and I was able to rob the wheels off that.

Actually the wheels were ideal as kayak trolley wheels. They were plastic or nylon (meaning they wouldn’t corrode in the salty environment) and they were flat, around 75mm wide and 240mm in diameter (meaning they should travel fairly well across soft sand).

They were designed to run on a 1/2” axle in simple

in the cargo bay of the kayak. This length allowed around 5cm excess on both ends for later trimming to the exact, desired length.

I chose hardwood rather than pine for the strength it provided.

The 30mm2 timber was actually a little oversize for the scupper holes, but by rounding the edges on the top 15cm of the hardwood

plywood. The height of the gusset should be around 12cm, depending on the height you want your kayak to be above the ground when it’s sitting on the trolley. Too high and it may be unstable and too low and the kayak may drag on the ground. The ideal height will depend on where the wheels are fitted – close to the stern with minimal

The next step is to assemble the undercarriage by screwing the two gussets to one of the legs, flush with the outside edge. The position of the gusset on the leg should be such that the leg just protrudes out the top of the scupper hole when the gusset is resting on the hull.

You can then slide the second leg between the two gussets and G-clamp

the second leg, remove the clamp and cut off the excess plywood that is overhanging.

I then transferred the shape of the hull to the gussets and used a jigsaw to cut a curved section out of the top of the gussets.

This allowed the kayak to sit snugly in the undercarriage, making it more stable both at rest and on the move.

The final bit of woodwork

nylon bushes, meaning they should be maintenance-free.

I made the axles from 1/2” diameter stainless steel round rod, threaded on one end where it passed through the hardwood legs. You may be able to buy a long, 1/2” stainless steel bolt with sufficiently long threaded and unthreaded sections to make the axle. Failing that you’ll have to buy the

The kayak wheels fit into the rear cargo bay of my Prowler 13.

Top Left: A stainless steel split pin attaches the wheels to the axles.

Top Right: The axles are bolted to the timber legs with a stainless steel Nyloc nut.

Bottom Left: The axles for the golf bag trolley wheels were made from 1/2” stainless steel round and attached through the timber legs of the undercarriage.

Bottom Right: The legs are cut flush with the floor of the cargo bay. Note the clearance between the hardwood leg and the scupper hole.

There are plenty of commercial models available that range from $50-$160, but I reckoned I had enough bits and pieces lying about in the shed (stuff my wife refers to as ‘junk’! Can you believe?) to knock up a set of wheels at next to no cost. The design I will detail below is suitable only for sit-on-top kayaks with vertical scupper holes through the hull.

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split pin that held the wheel in place. Finally any excess shaft was cut off and the edges filed smooth.

With the wheels finished I fitted them to the Prowler 13 and took it for a test run around the backyard.

They performed perfectly, allowing me to almost effortlessly move the kayak, especially on the concrete driveway. I have since put them through the ultimate test across soft sand and they performed better than I had expected. If I’m launching at a boat ramp the wheels allow me to park well clear of the ramp, unload the kayak from the roof cradle and then trundle

The trolley fitted and ready to roll.

Above Left: The completed kayak trolley. The curved section cut out of the top of the gussets fits the shape of the kayak hull.

Above Right: The kayak is rolled onto its beam and the trolley is slotted into the scupper holes. rod and have the thread cut at your local engineering workshop.

A stainless steel nut and a flat washer were fitted onto the threaded section, which was then passed through a 1/2” hole drilled in the hardwood leg. A stainless steel washer and a Nyloc locking nut then secured the axle to the leg before the excess threaded section was hacksawed off just clear of the locking nut.

The wheel was then fitted to the axle, followed by a flat washer. Next a 3mm hole was drilled through the axle to take a

it effortlessly to the water without holding up other ramp users.

With the initial test run complete I disassembled the wheel trolley, glued (with epoxy glue) and re-screwed the gussets and painted all timberwork for both protection and looks.

My kayak wheels have proven themselves over the past three or four years.

They are lightweight, cheap, simple, easy to build,

maintenance-free and very effective. They are also just small enough to fit into the rear cargo bay of the Prowler, avoiding the need for me to run them back to the car when I get the yak to the water’s edge.

If you’ve got a sit-on-top kayak and a shed full of ‘junk’ you too could take the struggle out of your day on the water by building your own kayak wheels at next to no cost.

FISHING FILL-ITS

SBT seized at Portland Three men were detained

by Fisheries Officers at the Portland boat ramp on Anzac Day last Friday in relation to allegedly exceeding the catch limit for southern blue fin tuna.

DEPI Regional Fisheries Officer Paul Millar said a search of their boat allegedly revealed 10 southern bluefin tuna and an amateur lobster pot.

“The men were questioned regarding allegedly exceeding the catch limit for southern bluefin tuna and possessing commercial fishing equipment.

“All the tuna and the lobster pot were seized,” he said.

“It is expected the men will be summonsed to appear at Portland Magistrate’s Court later this year.”

Mr Millar reminded anglers to be aware of the difference between

southern blue fin tuna and albacore and adhere to the legislated catch limit of two southern blue fin tuna and five albacore.

“The vast majority of tuna and albacore anglers understand their target species and adhere to catch limits.

“Southern bluefin tuna is a Victorian priority species with specific catch limits and albacore [distinguished from southern bluefin tuna by their long pectoral fin] often school together and are caught at the same time.”

Mr Millar said inspections of tuna/albacore anglers will continue throughout the season.

He reminded anyone with any information about the illegal take of these species or any other illegal fishing offences is urged to contact the 13FISH hotline on 133 474.

With the rear mounted trolley the kayak is slightly bow heavy, but still easy to move around.

CONTACT THE PROFESSIONALS

ONLINE STORE

slhobie.com.au FOR ALL YOUR KAYAK NEEDS 12 C Satu Way MORNINGTON

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The Ultimate Test BUNDABERG

Mark Ward barra09@live.com.au

Bundaberg based Sea Jay boats have long had the reputation of being bulletproof, but when Jason and Simon from All 4 Adventure decided to do the entire top end of Australia by both vehicle and boat, even these boys were impressed with the durability of the Sea Jay 6.8 Pursuit.

There is no better way to test the Pursuit than to send it over the top of Oz from Cooktown to Broome.

The top of Oz isn’t renowned for huge seas, but that’s not what this hull is all about anyway. Their goal is to get to where no one else has been and get back safely and trouble free. Having spent some time in Torres Strait and the Top End myself, the ocean currents collide and the ground swell can see beautiful clear, calm days

SPECIFICATIONS Length.....................................................7.1m overall Beam.................................................................. 2.49 Deadrise...................................................19 degrees Weight................................................Dry weight hull

only 1290kg Towing weight........................ Boat, motor and trailer

fuelled can be up to 2500kg Sides.................................................................. 4mm Bottom............................................................... 5mm Transom............................................................. 5mm Max. power...................................................... 230hp Power as tested............................................... 225hp

produce seas that resemble a washing machine. They were conditions that were perfect for putting the 6.8 Sea Jay Pursuit to the ultimate test.

Sea Jay also built the trailer that was used to haul the hull over some of the most inhospitable terrain in the country, another testament to the engineering expertise of the manufacturer.

I’m not allowed to say too much about the upcoming fifth season of All 4 Adventure but you won’t want to miss it. It will be broadcast on 7 TWO, or you check out the series which will be available on DVD. CONSTRUCTION AND LAYOUT Not a lot has been changed from the standard 6.8 Pursuit, which proves that every customer who buys the Pursuit is getting one very tough and reliable hull. The main change was replacing the standard 360L tank with a massive 500L one. This was at the

Jason and Simon from All 4 Adventure were impressed with the durability of the Sea Jay 6.8 Pursuit. for both family and fishing.

Its flared hull, sporty looks and eye-catching graphics give this hull plenty of appeal, and when I first spotted it sitting on that over-engineered trailer, it was one hell of a good looking machine. If I didn’t have a wife and bank manager to answer to, I would have taken this one

so rod storage won’t be an issue. The gunwales were also that nice height to allow some stability when bottom bashing or landing a fish, with added stability from the side pockets that allow you to get your feet underneath. While not a true walk-around, getting around the cabin to the bow is a relatively simple affair.

moderate chop.

This is the upper end of the power range for the hull but big savings can be had by optioning for a 175hp outboard. Yes, a 175 will come at the expense of being a little sluggish out of the hole at full loads, but it will still plane and perform very well.

This is a big, heavy

Left: The anchor well is big enough to allow for a good sized anchor as well as the option to fit a winch and tube for a reef pick. Top right: The dash is well laid out, with everything easily visible and close to hand. Top left: The cabin is roomy enough for overnight trips, and the comfortable bucket seats are great for long trips.

Top: The big, heavy hull has a very sharp entry point to the bow with a 19º deadrise. Midship, the hull is still running over 30º of deadrise. Bottom: A great option for anglers is this bait board with live bait tank and rocket launcher. Batteries are stored underneath.

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expense of some freshwater storage but when you’re in the middle of nowhere, fuel and water are both vital. Also added to the Sea Jay were two big Waeco fridge/freezers and solar panels on the roof. All this is sitting on a beefed up trailer but the rest of it is all standard Pursuit.

The build is 5mm plate bottom and transom with 4mm sides. It’s a very sexy looking half cabin setup that can certainly be used for overnight trips but is more suited to day trips

home with me.

While the Pursuit is designed to get you there, once you arrive, it’s nice to know that it doubles nicely as a very versatile fishing boat. There is plenty of open deck space, full length storage under the gunwales, one of the best bait boards in the business which has its own live bait tank and a neat little hard top that houses everything from deck lighting to speakers.

With the rocket launcher, gunwales and bait board, I counted 20 rod holders

The anchor well is big enough to allow for a good sized anchor as well as the option to fit a winch and tube for a reef pick.

Little luxuries such as a toilet and freshwater washdown are all available but overall, the fishability of the Pursuit is excellent for everything from trolling to bottom bashing.

RIDE AND HANDLING The 225 Honda proved more than adequate at launching the hull out of the hole and pushing the Pursuit through some

hull that has a very sharp entry point to the bow and finished with a 19º deadrise. Midship, the hull is still running over 30º of deadrise which, when combined with design and weight, makes the Pursuit a dream to operate in a swell.

We had a nice swell rolling in on the morning of the review and were able to set a good cruise speed and see how well the Pursuit handled the swell. I didn’t go home disappointed. It’s like comparing a La-Z-Boy recliner to a park bench.

I missed out on getting accurate speeds due to too much playing around in the swell, but it’s hard to concentrate on numbers when you’re having that much fun. In smooth water, top speed is an impressive 70kph and cruising on around 400 revs still achieves just under 50kph.

However, ploughing through chop dramatically slows a boat down so sorry about just a couple of ballpark figures here.

As mentioned, the only changes made to the

All 4 Adventure Sea Jay are the long-range tanks, two fridges and the solar panels. The rest of the hull is standard, including hydraulic steering, bucket seats, transom door and boarding platform, scuppers as well as all standard electronics such as lights and bilges. The only extras that I think are a must for anglers include the bait board with live bait tank and rocket launcher. A kill tank is another option.

The standard tank is 360L and the kill tank will

The hard top houses everything from deck lighting to speakers and rocket launchers.

The boat has 20 rod holders in total.

There are two big Waeco fridge/freezers under the seats, powered with the help of solar panels on the roof.

reduce that slightly so it’s a case of weighing up your priorities.

The dry weight of the hull is almost 1300kg so loaded with outboard you will be well in excess of two tonnes. This is no problem on the water, giving the Pursuit its stability and lovely soft ride, but add a trailer and towing weights can be as high as 2500kg.

This rules out the family sedan but all the large 4x4s and utilities will do the job easily.

All in all, the Sea Jay

Pursuit is a very neat, extremely well built half cab that doubles nicely as a serious fishing boat or a weekend escape with the family. And just in case you were wondering, it is very capable of taking a couple of mad anglers across the top of Oz and back. Prices start from under $90,000, with the test boat coming in at $110,000.

Check out this season’s All 4 Adventure as well as a short clip of the Pursuit in action on the Fishing Monthly website.

There is plenty of storage space in the Sea Jay 6.8 Pursuit, and the gunwales are a good height.

n o e b o t t Wan f o r e v o C the ? y l h t n o M Fishing

INSER T YOUR FACE HERE!

Do you love your monthly issue of Fishing Monthly?

Do you think it’s about time you were on the cover of it?

Well, we think that too and are offering readers the chance to do just that. The June, July and August issues of Queensland, NSW and Victoria/Tasmania FMs will all feature readers’ pics on the front covers.

And there’s no reason why it can’t be you...

Entry is simple. Email us your cover-worthy pic. Remember, though, that it needs to be the right composition and resolution to work. After that, it just needs to get through the Grumpy Old Men committee (of Steve Booth and Steve Morgan) and then BOOM, you’re the latest cover model.

Be creative - we like images that aren’t just ‘person holding fish’.

• • • • • •

Other parameters of which you need to take note: Portrait format (turn camera on its side).

Leave enough room for a magazine masthead at the top of the image.

Shoot in the highest resolution your camera can take.

Use fill-in flash to help remove any shadows under caps or biminis.

Live fish look way better than dead ones.

Any fish must be legally captured (within season/size limits).

Head not too high in the shot to allow for Masthead Portrait format showing focus area

And then email your image to: frontcovercomp@fishingmonthly.com.au with a description of the what/when/where/how of the capture.

Be sure to include your details, too, because we’ll post out a framed copy of the winning covers to the entrant.

THAT will be going straight to the Pool Room, we bet.

For full terms and conditions, please refer to www.fishingmonthly.com.au/frontcovercomp JUNE 2014

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What’s new boating Marine, an official sponsor,” said AVCG National Commodore Ray Campbell. “We look forward to the community support through donations to the Club Marine MAYDAY campaign. Donations can be made at www.mycause.com.au/events/ mayday. All donations over $2 are fully tax deductible.”

The Club Marine AVCG MAYDAY Appeal will continue throughout May and June to raise awareness about the organisation, recruit volunteers and raise funds towards operations through its flotillas in six states and territories. – Club Marine

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Catch a deal with Lowrance

Starting from May 1, Lowrance customers will receive a free 83/200 skimmer and StructureScan transducer with all HDS Gen2 Touch models, and a free 83/200 skimmer transducer and StructureScan kit with HDS-8 and HDS-10 Gen2 models (HDS-7 Gen2 units come with a free 83/200 skimmer transducer only).

This is up to $900 RRP of extras free.

HDS Gen2 units include extensive mapping options including Insight Genesis personalised map options, are GoFree Wireless ready, offer optional video camera input (HDS-9 and 12 Touch models only), built-in awardwinning Broadband Sounder, and builtin StructureScan for Touch models (StructureScan support for non-touch models). All Lowrance products are covered by the Lowrance Advantage Service program.

The offer is available in Australia from participating independent stores, and runs from May 1 until August 31, 2014.

To find your nearest dealer visit www. lowrance.com. - Lowrance

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Developed by Mercury to maximise fuel economy at cruising speeds, the new Enertia ECO propellers have shown in testing to cut fuel use by 10%.

Available in three pitches (19, 21, and 23), all Enertia ECO propellers have a 16” diameter, compared to normal propeller designs which decrease in diameter as the pitch increases. Enertia ECO propellers have a higher degree of progressive rake, up to 65% more, which means the blade area ratio can be increased, which is ideal for cruising fuel efficiency. This additional rake and maximum diameter results in additional bow lift, decreasing the wetted area, and ultimately reducing the boat’s drag.

An added benefit of the reduced drag is improved holeshot and top speed performance, with the ECOs matching the performance of four-blade props.

Enertia ECO propellers are made from Mercury’s patented X7 alloy, which is 30% stronger and four times more durable than standard stainless steel. – MM

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Fuel-saving Enertia props

Talon Electric Anchor Spike

The Minn Kota Talon quickly and quietly stops and positions your boat in depths down to 12ft. Operating from the boat’s existing battery setup, the Talon vertically deploys its three stage telescopic spike with the wireless remote and

without the fish-spooking noise of a traditional anchor.

When not in use, the lightweight Talon can be taken off the boat thanks to its standard release bracket, or folded away for garaging with the optional tilt bracket. Its electromechanical, cable-driven design is easy to install with minimal wiring and rigging. Made of marine-grade extruded anodised aluminium, the Talon can withstand a harsh saltwater environment, and the indestructible spike, made with fibreglass reinforced composite material, is guaranteed for life.

An auto up/down feature means just a quick press of a button is all you need for automatic deployment and retraction, and each unit comes with two wireless remotes.

The 12ft Talon deploys in three stages, giving ultimate anchoring depth whilst keeping the overall height of the Talon to 145cm on the transom. Built in suspension allows the boat to move up and down without affecting the anchor.

Available in blue/black or black/black, the Talon has a RRP of $3549. For more info scan the QR code on this page or visit www. minnkota.com.au. - BLA

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Avenger Sports

New to the Sea Jay range is the Avenger Sports side console series. Available in both painted and non-painted versions, it features plate 3mm bottom and sides (aside from the 4.25 model, which has 3.0mm bottom and 2.5mm sides). There are six Avengers available: the 4.25, 4.4, 4.55, 4.85, 5.0 and 5.35.

Fitted with plenty of storage, these boats have front and rear casting platforms with hatches built in. An electric motor plate is fitted off the front gunwale, together with a bowsprit and roller on the front deck. A sounder mount and switch panel plate is fitted, and there are heaps of rod holders.

There are two full upholstered folding seats with five socket positions.

The 4.4 and 4.55 models have 65L under floor tanks, the 4.85 is fitted with a 85L tank, the 5.0 a 100L, and the 5.35 a 120L tank. The Sure Trac hull has an external keel for easy tracking.

For more information visit www.seajayboats.com.au. – Sea Jay

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Humminbird Onix

The new Onix series GPS/fishfinders feature high end, super high resolution multi-functional displays.

The touchscreens have a gesture based interface called Cross Touch, which allows you to perform functions by making swiping gestures, like you would with a smartphone or tablet. The displays are ultra sharp XGA LCD. Both the 8SI (8.4” screen) and 10SI (10.4” screen) models have Down Imaging, Side Imaging, and DualBeam PLUS with Switchfire Sonar. They have DSP (Digital Signal Processing) DualBeam PLUS sonar w/SwitchFire Sporting up to 8000W PTP power output. GPS Chartplotting with Humminbird TriFuel Cartography gives you access to world background maps from Navionics, C-MAP and Humminbird Autochart.

‘Combo’ in the title ensures that it’s equipped with an internal precision GPS antenna and capable of operating as a chartplotter for maximum versatility. Unit cover is included.

To view a video outlining the features of the new Onix, scan the QR code hereabouts. - BLA

What’s new boating

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Humminbird ION Series

Humminbird ION Series MultiFunction Displays offer a multitude of modular technological possibilities.

From Humminbird’s complete arsenal of leading-edge sonar to their highdefinition radar and full slate of cartography solutions, the choice is yours.

The ION10 Multi-Touch dominates the competition with high-speed ethernet networking, wireless connectivity and full NMEA 0183/2000 support. From black box sonar and powerful radar to AutoPilot integration and even IP cameras, you can assemble the ultimate angling system.

You can take command of your display like never before with Cross Touch, exclusive to the ION and ONIX Series. Everything you can do with the touchscreen, you can also do with the touchpad—so rough conditions will never compromise your control.

There’s also a browser built-in so you can surf the web, monitor weather and stay connected—from the dock, offshore waters and everywhere in between thanks to the exclusive Humminbird Internet Browser, standard on the ION Series.

To find out more about the ION10 and ION12 visit humminbird.com.au. - BLA

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Lone Star G31000SD

Lone Star Marine’s new G3-1000SD winch boasts 3200kg of holding power for vessels to 8m. This compact unit (featuring a 250mm drum) has been designed for larger boats with a smaller mounting area. It offers a fast drop and retrieve rate of up to 130ft per minute on the smaller frame, without any loss of working load. The capacity is 70m of 10mm rope or 90m of 8mm rope plus 7m of 8mm short link chain.

The 1000SD (small drum) still has all the great features LSM is known for – robust construction (more stainless steel and less alloy), application rated purpose built motors featuring the highest Lab Tested IP ratings, and Lifetime Warranty against damage due to water ingress, as well as a 3 Year Unconditional Warranty on all components. It weighs 23kg and features 6mm and 7mm SS construction throughout.

The RRP is $1399 including fitting hardware and deck roller. Check out www.lonestarmarine.com.au for your nearest retailer. – LSM

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Mercury Verado 200hp Pro

The new Verado 200hp Pro FourStroke delivers the incredible acceleration and top speed of all the Mercury Pro series outboards along with the quiet and smooth operation of the Mercury Verado.

The 200hp Pro is built on the reliable sixcylinder Verado platform. It also features Mercury Marine’s 4.8” Verado gearcase with a smaller hydrodynamic profile, to ensure top performance. This gearcase is available exclusively in right-hand rotation on 20-inch (L) and 25-inch (XL) driveshafts.

Delivering an outstanding hole shot, amazing torque and punchy mid-range acceleration, the 200hp Pro’s supercharge technology allows precise, programmable control over the fuel and air intake. As well, the

Verado 200hp Pro FourStroke comes standard with the Advanced Mid Section (AMS), Digital Throttle and Shift (DTS) and electro-hydraulic power steering.

The Verado 200hp Pro is backed by Mercury Marine’s 3+2=5 year warranty and a 3-year corrosion warranty. - MM

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Lowrance Elite

Lowrance has announced the next-generation of Elite fishfinder/ chartplotters, the Elite-7 and Elite-5 CHIRP series. The new affordable series adds CHIRP sonar to its builtin Broadband Sounder and DownScan Imaging fishfinder technologies.

CHIRP sonar produces greater sensitivity, improved target resolution and superior noise rejection.

The Elite CHIRP line-up includes 5” and widescreen 7” fishfinder/chartplotter models as well as standalone fishfinders with CHIRP sonar performance using affordable Lowrance HDI Skimmer transducer options — including the capabilities to produce low, medium and high CHIRP sonar ranges and display two user-selected ranges simultaneously.

All models are protected by a oneyear limited warranty and the Lowrance Advantage Service program. Retail prices range from $599 to $999 for the Elite-5x and Elite-7x CHIRP fishfinder, and $1099 to $1329 for the Elite-5 and Elite-7 CHIRP fishfinder/chartplotter models bundled with Navionics Gold cartography. For a full list of specs log onto www.lowrance. com. – Lowrance

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White Verado 300

In addition to standard Phantom Black, Mercury Marine will now offer 300hp Verado outboards in two shades of white – Cold Fusion and Warm Fusion.

Of course, boat owners have always had the ability to customise their engine or boat, but now they have the choice of buying a factory manufactured colour, which is a much better option.

Mercury’s advanced Paint System is engineered and designed specifically for the marine environment. Multiple base and clear coatings provide a long-lasting finish in even the harshest of marine environments. This means that white Verados, just like the blacks, enjoy Mercury’s outstanding 3+2=5 year warranty for recreational use.

These new white Verado 300hp models are initially special factory order only models and attract a price premium to the current standard model. The white option is available for all 300hp Verado outboards variants, except for the Pro FourStroke and CCT models. To find out more visit www. mercurymarine.com.au. – Club Marine

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Club Marine helps AVCG

Club Marine, Australia’s largest provider of recreational boat insurance, is now an official sponsor of the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard (AVCG). In addition to its overall sponsorship of the national marine rescue organisation, Club Marine has also thrown its support behind the AVCG’s forthcoming ‘MAYDAY’ campaign.

“We are proud to be partnering with Club

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Larson FX1750 SC, a complete fishing machine FMG

Stephen Booth sbooth@fishingmonthly.com.au

The Larson FX1750

by Boats and More in Shepparton and Echuca is unreservedly a fishing machine that is built to perform and set up with the assistance of BLA, this incredible rig has the best of everything a lure fishing angler would want or ever need.

I had the pleasure last year to run around in the Larson FX1850DC, which is a bow rider that was also designed to become a very useable fishing rig. That boat was fantastic, but the FX1750 SC is a step up from this if angling is your priority – and let’s face it, if you’re like me, angling IS your priority when buying a boat.

THE BUILD The FX1750 rides exceptionally well, corners

As pretty as a picture, the Larson FX1750 SC is a dream ride in just about every sense of the word.

Peter Jung used the Larson on our test day to nail this 54cm golden perch on a spinnerbait. With two fishing up front it was a dream boat to fish from.

hard and is super stable when fishing, These factors have all been deliberately integrated into the design of the rig and Larson Boats has developed a process they term VEC, which is a computer-controlled manufacturing process used to produce every Larson VEC hull. The VEC process guarantees that every Larson VEC boat meets highly precise standards for quality and design.

This process produces incredibly precise hulls using a closed-molded composite lamination process. The result is a one-piece “uni-body” hull with an integrated composite stringer and transom system that is stronger, lighter and more robust—so you experience a fast, dry and quiet ride. All

PROTECT

this means there is no wood used in the construction of the rig so no rotting, and also there are few joins or weak spots, meaning the company can offer an extended warranty with ease because they are very confident in their product.

On the water the FX1750 was a real buzz to drive around. Set up with a Mercury 150 4-stroke, the FX1750 fair hammered along getting over 42 knots at wide open throttle. We tested this rig on a day when there was only a little wind ruffle on Lake Mulwala, however there was a local fishing comp occurring when we tested the rig and the number of boat wakes to play around on was endless. We skipped over wakes on all angles and not once did the rig feel like it wanted to takes its own path over the rough stuff. This is encouraging as the last thing you want

The powerful Mercury 150hp 4-stroke is an ideal match for this rig. It’s the top of the ratings for power, but after giving it a good run, it’s the option I would look at.

YOUR BOAT FROM THE

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The Shady Shed is the strongest shed of it’s type available in today’s market.

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JUNE 2014

Simon Ryan from Boats and More was a very willing participant in this boat test. He nailed this decent golden perch on a spinnerbait while we were poking around the timber of Mulwala.

is a boat that dictates to you where it will run, especially if you’re fishing this rig in a larger estuary where chaotic wind, swell and boat wakes make navigation somewhat interesting. The higher sides also give you a sense of safety as well.

Cornering on this boat is interesting for the first few times. Like the bigger Larson tested last year, the FX1750 rolls over a little more than Aussie tinnies do. It’s not dangerous or a worry and in fact the FX1750 drives much more like a ski boat than the traditional tinnie.

Corners at speed are great fun. We went for a longer drive up the Murray River at cruising speed (around 4500rpm) and winding your way up and down the Murray was great. In this instance there was little roll over when compared to the tight figure of eight tests we did in the lake.

As a boat to get you places fast and safe, this will do just that.

On the port side opposite the tackle storage locker is a small live bait well. Talking to Shawn Clancy about this he could see this being used either as a livebait tank or as a storage site for the largest of your fish in a tournament. It’s certainly big enough to hold a couple of 1.5kg bream or bass and

INTERNALLY What is there to say about the internal layout of this rig other than sensational?

All hatches are waterproof and there is so much storage in this boat that you could literally store a small tackle store’s worth of gear inside.

The rod locker in the Larson is awesome. I really like it a lot. Room for half a dozen rigged rods in the central compartment is brilliant. Do I sound enthusiastic about it? I hope so, because I love it.

On the skipper’s or starboard side of the front deck is a very useful tackle storage locker. This has an insert with pre-molded lugs to accept tackle trays. I find this system fantastic as I generally store my using tackle in Plano trays and take the trays I need. On the test day I took a Plano Spinnerbait box and three other tackle trays with diving lures from small golden perch sized snacks through to the mega-sized cod trollers. The ability to store all of this below decks is great.

would be an easy way to keep tabs on your big fish for the comp.

In front of these two lockers are two general storage lockers that run up each side. These store things such as life jackets, safety gear and also other odds and ends such as the Minn Kota foot control, ropes and tackle retriever.

In the cockpit area the dash is set up with plenty of space for all the important gauges, however the addition of the Humminbird Onix means that you can link the sounder to your engine management system and have all the important engine data displayed on your sounder screen if you want. As for the Onix sounder – well it’s big and was mounted to the right hand side of the console on the biggest RAM bracket I have seen. It worked well in this position and was within easy reach of the skipper.

Seating is adjustable in four spots. We had three seats on board with us and this worked well with two seats on the port side and the skipper’s seat behind

the console. The seating is comfortable, sturdy and they fold down for travel and storage. Good seating in a speed machine like this is hugely important and Larson has it pretty well covered.

At the stern end there is a massive livewell that will please any tournament

angler, plus another storage space. When all the rear hatches are closed, the rear deck is another fishing platform, however this was somewhat compromised by the Humminbird 360 and Talon anchor spike posts that would get in the way of serious angling form the back deck. Not a problem

though as the front deck is massive enough for three anglers anyway!

A list of internal features reads a little like this: bow storage compartments (4) with latches; lockable side storage (2); drink cup holder (3); aerated stern livewell (110L/48”) with light; trolling motor battery storage compartment (12/24 Volt) located under mid rod storage locker; centre lockable rod storage for 8 rods to 7’6”; and 6 seat positions. Now that’s a lot of features without including the moveable accessory mounts and heaps of other neat ideas!

THE POWERHOUSE Fully powered with the amazing Mercury 150hp EFI 4-stroke, the Larson was a real piece of eye-candy on the trailer and on the water.

But it’s not all about beauty as this outboard has plenty of the right stuff when it comes to power.

As the outboard was new (the rig had been set up for only 2 weeks) you can

Top: The front deck is massive, easily able to fit three anglers, or four at times. The console is set up with a Humminbird Onix sounder and it’s in easy reach for the skipper.

Middle Left: Up at the bow you’ll find the Talon anchor spike control (to the starboard or right hand side) as well as the impressive Minn Kota iPilot link system and there is room for a 7” or 8” second sounder.

Middle Right: Around the gunwales you’ll find moveable mounts for things like downriggers, rod holders and more. This is a really neat way to allow you to customise your positioning of accessories to suit how many anglers you have and what you are doing on the day.

Above: Looking towards the transom sees the ability for four seat positions plus the powerful Talon anchor spike and the Humminbird 360 transducer.

The rear end is a wealth of technology that will help you catch more fish.

expect the speed figures to alter a little, but the 150 Merc got the FX1750 SC flying at 42 knots at WOT. Keep in mind that on a lot of waterways a maximum of 40 knots is allowed so the 150 Merc has more than enough of the good stuff to get you where you need to go fast.

The beauty of this outboard on the Larson is that the Mercury provides a lot of plusses. For starters it’s a very light unit for a 4-stroke at around 206kg.

Any weight saving on the rear end is a good weight saving. The 150hp Merc is also very fuel efficient and with the Larson cruising easily at 4,500RPM and around 33knots, fuel use will be minimised and the range of cruising will be extended.

Like all 4-strokes the noise in the boat was minimal until you had the outboard under stress at take off when the outboard got down and dirty and powered the boat quickly onto the plane in under 4 seconds. I always think about engine noise at top end, but in all seriousness, we were going so fast that all I could hear was the wind in my ears. At idle you could barely hear a whisper from the outboard and as we putted around the various snags and channels in Mulwala we could hold a conversation easily.

So while you could go for a less powerful outboard, I am always a fan of upping the ante where you can. More power in your outboard is always a good thing if you need it and with this boat set up as a tournament beast, getting to and from the start/finish area at speed is a must.

THE TRAILER The Larson was trailered on a Dunbier tandem trailer that was fully rollered and set up for drive on and drive off capabilities. On the road this set up worked brilliantly and I had no trouble at all getting the boat from Shepparton through to Mulwala and back.

But trailers, while most importantly getting your boat safely to and from the water, are usually judged on their ability to launch and retrieve a boat and the Dunbier did it easily. At launch the rig slid from the rollers easily with out going so fast that anything behind you is in serious peril. This is good because some trailers that are fully rollered really do allow the boat to fly off way too quickly. On retrieve the boat can be gently driven into position and from there easily driven up the trailer and secured up front. You can actually do it over the bow of the boat if you have to and we did this the first time we launched and JUNE 2014

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retrieved her, but ideally you make sure the car driver has to do his or her part in retrieval as well.

Make no mistake this is a big boat with the need to have a car capable of towing it easily. I towed it around with a VW Tiguan (around 3,000kg towing ability) but most big sixes and 4WDs of just about any size will comfortably get this boat to and from the water.

FISHING This is for me the real test of any boat. It’s all great to be fast, safe and wonderful over the chop, but if it is hard to fish from, well then the rig becomes a family cruiser and not a fishing boat.

As this was a real boat test we spent three hours having a fish from the boat. Apart from the ease of fishing with its massive front deck and stability, the BLA products (more on these later) made everything almost too simple. Under electric power, the Larson was responsive to the bow mounted Minn Kota and I was able to manoeuvre the rig into and around snags and weed beds quite easily.

Up front Simon and Pete were fishing hard and were largely undisturbed by my manoeuvring and even when the inevitable wake board boat’s wake crashed trough our fishing area, the boys up front were not tipped out into the drink – more’s the pity.

Accessing gear is simple too. With such a large front deck you could access the tackle storage locker easily and change lures while still on the front deck and not disturb the other person fishing on the front deck. That was great.

When casting at snags, we had both anglers on one side of the boat and I was also on the same side driving the electric by foot control and there was no disturbing lean over that made you uncomfortable. That was great too.

When the boys did finally hook the odd fish, the inevitable rush towards the side of the boat the fish was on saw us all crowding the angler out and around 300kg concentrated in one spot – again there was very little noticeable lean, however I will concede that in the heat of battle you’re not really looking at how much the boat is leaning over. But the high sides of the FX1750 SC give you a real feeling of safety and that was good too.

Of course the fishing was made easier by the fact that BLA had kitted this rig out and let’s take a look at some of that gear.

THE ELECTRONICS AND ACCESSORIES The tested FX1750 SC has been kitted out by BLA as a bit of a show boat. This 98

JUNE 2014

SPEED AT RPM RPM Speed

(knots) Idle..........................2.3 1,000......................3.2 2,000......................6.3 3,000....................18.3 4,000....................29.5 5,000....................36.5 WOT (5,800).............42

At full flight the Larson is a weapon of speed and style. If you need to get somewhere quickly, this baby will do it easily. rig will tour the tournament circuits and be available for all and sundry to climb all over, check out and get to know just what you can do in terms of electronics and accessories.

Let’s start at the bow and journey down to the stern.

First up is the fabulous Minn Kota Riptide i-Pilot link 80lb, 24V unit. This is exactly the same electric I have on my boat and I can’t speak highly enough of it. Spot Lock, waypoint memory, track memory, the best foot control I have seen and also a remote, plenty of power – yeah I love this bit of kit. The important part of this electric is th link system. This electric motor ha the ability to link to the sounder, in this case the brand new Onix touch, and allows thee electric to be used from the sounder.

From the sounder you can mark a way point and then tell the electric to go there.

You can also adjust speed and direction and a host of other things that mean if you run out of battery power on your remote, the electric is still useable.

Up front a 7”-10” sounder is planned to be fitted to give the front deck caster all the information they need. This wasn’t rigged up when we tested the boat, but when it’s installed it will be like watching a TV show on what’s below/ The new Onix sounder is a fair dinkum weapon.

It’s big, bold and very easy to use. With the ability to run multiple screens on the main screen you can run standard sounder features, GPS, down scan and side imaging all on the one screen to any combination of these. This boat was rigged up with the very impressive Humminbird 360 and this gives you an unfair advantage. We played around with this in Mulwala around areas I thought I knew pretty well

and the snags you discover by just looking are a bit scary. For example you can find a snag and know roughly how far away it is and in what direction from the boat it is. The 360 allows you to stand off on a snag (or any feature for that

matter) and know where to cast to cover it properly. I am sure better sounder users than I will use the power of the Onix to isolate fish with the 360 and really do some serous fishing. I can’t wait to see what happens as users come to grips with

This 75cm Murray cod was taken in Mulwala when we were testing the Larson. This boat fishes exceptionally well and we could move in and around the snags and weed beds with surprising ease.

this immense power.

The Onix is a combination of touch and manual controls. You can literally do everything by touch screen and everything by manual controls. It’s a great way to ease users into touch screen technology and I found myself using both almost intuitively. It’s very simple to use and after a quick lesson from Shawn Clancy we had no trouble operating the unit in the field. A few months getting to know the unit better and working out the settings for your fishing would give you a frighteningly good piece of technology.

Down at the stern end there were two rear arms fitted. The one on the starboard side belonged to the Humminbird 360 transducer and the one on the right belonged to the Talon anchor spike. Anchor spikes are an interesting piece of equipment and after mucking around with on in Mulwala I am keen to explore them a bit more. Basically the Talon anchor spike is a spike that deploys into the substrate and acts as an anchor. This is sensational. With the low flows of the lake, the Talon provide us a way to fix ourselves into position while fishing without me having to jiggle and juggle the electric. Simply spike down, either with the remote or the front foot control, and keep fishing.

While the flows were low in late April in the Murray, the

SPECIFICATIONS Approximate Weight (with 115hp).................................................................907kg Beam............................................................................................................2.44m Cockpit Depth..............................................................................................0.61m Deadrise......................................................................................................16 deg Fuel Capacity...............................................................................................83.27L Hull Type..........................................................................................................VEC Length-Centerline.........................................................................................5.31m LOA on Trailer...............................................................................................5.97m US Max. Weight Capacity.............................................................................680kg Max. Horsepower.........................................................................................150hp Person Capacity...................................................................................................5 Transom Height................................................................................... 25” (0.64m) Towing............................................................................. Large 6 cylinder of 4WD

Talon’s strength was never really tested, however I am assured that this beast of an anchor spike can hold this rig in substantial current and wind. I found that if I got the placement wrong, something I did a little too often at first, then I could leave the anchor spike in position and rotate the bow of the boat with the electric to hold the anglers in the best casting position.

Seriously, this set up is frighteningly good.

So are all these accessories worth it?

Absolutely. I get that not everyone will have the coin for these accessories, but having had just a bit of exposure to them, they simply make you want more. It’s like red wine was explained to me, if you are left wanting just a little more, then the wine is worth the price, and I can tell you, this wine was worth the price.

OVERALL The FX1750 SC is a brilliant rig with so many features that are simply amazing to use in the field. The ride quality is outstanding, the way this boat fishes is great and the overall features and finish on the boat make this a serious contender for anyone looking for a tournament style fishing rig with some serious credential.

If you want to know more about the FX1750 SC, and I suggest you all find out more, give the team at Boats and More in Shepparton (03 5822 2108 or Echuca (03 5482 1992) a call or log onto www.boatsandmore.com. au and do some of your own research.

The base price with a 125hp Optimax starts at $43,999. The price as tested was $73,490, and if you want the project boat fully fitted with all that fancy kit it costs $76,990.

If you’re in the market for a hell of a boat, check out the Larson FX1750 SC. It’s a very impressive piece of fishing weaponry.

Quoted performance figures have been supplied by the writer in good faith. Performance of individual boat/motor/ trailer packages may differ due to variations in engine installations, propellers, hull configurations, options, hull loading and trailer specifications.

HAWK FISHING • FIND-A-WORD COMPETITION

Fishing Trip Essentials

BISCUITS BUNS CHEERIOS CHEEZELS CHIPS COKE CRACKERS FOOTY FRANKS HAM

JERKY JUICE MIXED NUTS NOT BANANAS ORANGES PIZZA SHAPES PRINGLES ROAST CHOOK SALAMI

Name

SANGERS SNAKES ALIVE SOLO TEA TRAIL MIX TWISTIES UP AND GO WASABI PEAS WATERMELON

Address

P/Code Phone (day):

The first correct entry at the end of each month will win a Hawk Fishing cap, Hawk Fishing line, Hawk HB Lure, assorted Panther Martin lures and 3 packets of Youvella chemically sharpened hooks.

SEND ENTRIES TO:

VIC Hawk Tournament Competition PO box 3172, Loganholme Qld 4129 VIC JUNE 2014

FINS SCALES & TAILS by A. Both

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE The subscriber prize winner for April was E Box of Highton, who won a Mako Eyewear package valued at $390.

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

FIND THE BLACK MAGIC C-POINT WINNERS

BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

BITE ME by Trisha Mason

The Find the Black Magic C-Point Hook prize winners for April were T Brown-Hovelt of Redhill South, J Dunn of Stawell, J Templeton of Emerald, C Scholes of Rosebud, B Mark of Avoca, L Newcombe of Miners Rest, T Dron of Alfredton, D Hedley of Hamilton, A Grant of Geelong West, K Pezos of Notting Hill, J Barns of Euroa , S Turner of Werribee, A Darker of Daylesford, G Dalton of Belmont , S Dale of sungary, T Sowter of rosebud, P Musgrove of Casterton, B Stokes of Morwell , A Melis of Reservoir, W Johnson of Morwell , R Waters of Temora, P Wilkinson of Romsey, L Murray of Sale, R Moss of Keysborough, R Trestrail of Port Germein, V Hazelwood of Mt Gambier , B Cunningham of Mildura, S Stewart of Ballan, B Whyte of Myers Flat, I Wild of St Arnaud , R McMillan of Grovedale, R Leathers of Romsey, J Williams of Neerim South, L Bennett of Taralgon, J Sullivan of Georgetown, H Skeer of Millicent, C Smith of Traralgon, T Richardson of Warrambool, C Owins of Invermay , E Howarth of Cowra, R West of Echuca, T Hodgkinson of Kyabram, K Dowell of Highton, T Siposs of Skipton, M Reynolds of Morwell, A Healey of Morwell, K Tripp of Glenroy, R Meaney of Tungamah, J Attard of Yallourn North, I Lovel of Bealiba, who each won a packet of Black Magic C-Point Hooks valued at $5.95!

Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – V&TFM

FIND THE C-POINT APRIL LOCATIONS

The answers to Find the Black Magic C-Point Hook for April were: 7, 8, 10, 16, 26, 32, 37, 39, 54, 59, 65, 66, 74, 82, 84. – V&TFM

THE

G & N by Michael Hardy

MAJOR

PRIZE

WINNERS

WERE:

1st K Bradley of Sale who won $600 of Black Magic products, 2nd D Dunn of Warrnambool who won $400 of Black Magic products, 3rd A Gee of Goornong who won $200 of Black Magic products. – V&TFM

FIND-A-WORD WINNER Congratulations to Frank Bewley of Rosebud, who was last month’s winner of the Hawk Tournament Find-a-Word Competition!

Monthly winners receive Hawk Tournament Tested Bayer Perlon IGFA line, assorted Panther Martin lures, Youvella hooks and a keyring. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – V&TFM 1

• DECEMBER 2010

JUNE 2014

99

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WANT IN? EMAIL : pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au JUNE 2014

101

Victorian Tide Times

AUSTRALIA, SOUTH COAST – PORT PHILLIP HEADS (PT.LONSDALE) LAT 38° 18’

LONG 144° 37’

TIMES AND HEIGHTS OF HIGH AND LOW WATERS JUNE – 2014

MAY – 2014 Time 0048 0646 TH 1349 1920

1

m 1.49 0.28 1.71 0.64

Time 0016 0612 FR 1321 1853

16

m 1.42 0.35 1.66 0.75

1.50 0106 1.46 2 0133 0731 0.26 17 0658 0.29 1434 1.73 1407 1.73

FR

2002 0.62

SA

1938 0.70

1.51 0153 1.50 3 0215 0815 0.26 18 0744 0.25 1515 1.72 1451 1.76

SA

2043 0.61

SU

2022 0.65

1.49 0239 1.53 4 0254 0855 0.29 19 0830 0.25 1552 1.68 1535 1.76

SU

2121 0.61

MO

2106 0.62

1.46 0325 1.53 5 0332 0933 0.33 20 0916 0.27 1626 1.64 1618 1.73

MO

2159 0.61

TU

2152 0.59

1.43 0411 1.52 6 0410 1010 0.38 21 1003 0.32 1659 1.58 1702 1.69

TU

2236 0.63

WE

2239 0.56



0501 1.49 1.38 7 0448 1045 0.45 22 1051 0.40 1747 1.63 1733 1.53

WE

2314 0.64



TH

2328 0.55

1.34 0558 1.45 8 0530 1121 0.51 23 1140 0.49 1810 1.47 1836 1.57

TH

2352 0.66

FR

1.29 0020 0.53 9 0615 1159 0.59 24 0708 1.42 1851 1.42 1232 0.60

FR

SA

1930 1.52

Time 0146 0747 SU 1450 2020

1

m 1.47 0.35 1.71 0.70

Time 0130 0718 MO 1433 2000

16

2100 0.67

TU

m 1.52 0.26 1.78 0.67

2050 0.60

1.45 0313 1.57 3 0306 0905 0.41 18 0901 0.31 1557 1.66 1603 1.77

TU

2138 0.66

WE

2140 0.54

1.43 0403 1.57 4 0345 0942 0.45 19 0951 0.37 1629 1.63 1647 1.74

WE

2215 0.65

TH

2230 0.49

1.41 0458 1.54 5 0424 1016 0.51 20 1040 0.46 1701 1.60 1730 1.69

TH

2251 0.64

FR

2321 0.46



0600 1.51 1.38 6 0505 1051 0.57 21 1129 0.55 1816 1.63 1735 1.56

FR



2328 0.63

SA

1.35 0013 0.45 7 0550 1127 0.64 22 0710 1.48 1813 1.51 1217 0.66

SA

SU

1905 1.57

0.62 0105 0.44 8 0006 0643 1.33 23 0816 1.47 1207 0.72 1310 0.76

SU

1854 1.47

MO

1957 1.50

0.60 0202 0.45 9 0047 0744 1.33 24 0919 1.48 1254 0.80 1409 0.84

MO

1940 1.42

TU

AUGUST – 2014

JULY – 2014

1.46 0222 1.56 2 0227 0828 0.37 17 0810 0.27 1525 1.69 1519 1.79

MO

TIME ZONE –1000

2053 1.45

Time 0203 0804 TU 1459 2040

1

m 1.44 0.42 1.66 0.68

Time 0209 0756 WE 1500 2035

16

m 1.59 0.29 1.77 0.51

1.44 0303 1.61 2 0244 0842 0.44 17 0847 0.33 1530 1.65 1544 1.77

WE

2117 0.64

TH

2127 0.43

1.44 0357 1.61 3 0323 0916 0.48 18 0937 0.39 1600 1.64 1627 1.74

TH

2154 0.61

FR

2217 0.37

1.43 0453 1.59 4 0401 0950 0.53 19 1025 0.47 1631 1.62 1709 1.69

FR

2229 0.58

SA



2306 0.35

0553 1.55 1.42 5 0442 1024 0.58 20 1112 0.56 1751 1.63 1704 1.59

SA



2303 0.56

SU

2354 0.35

1.40 0655 1.51 6 0526 1100 0.64 21 1157 0.65 1740 1.55 1837 1.56

SU

2337 0.54

MO

1.39 0042 0.38 7 0615 1140 0.71 22 0755 1.47 1817 1.51 1245 0.74

MO

TU

1925 1.48

0.51 0133 0.42 8 0015 0709 1.38 23 0853 1.44 1223 0.78 1337 0.82

TU

1900 1.46

WE

2018 1.41

0.49 0230 0.45 9 0056 0811 1.39 24 0952 1.43 1314 0.85 1439 0.88

WE

1948 1.42

TH

2117 1.36

Time 0304 0854 FR 1530 2129

1

m 1.46 0.48 1.61 0.52

Time 0347 0920 SA 1600 2156

16

m 1.66 0.40 1.70 0.25

1.47 0441 1.63 2 0342 0928 0.51 17 1005 0.46 1602 1.60 1641 1.65

SA

2202 0.48

SU



2243 0.25

1.47 0534 1.57 3 0421 1002 0.55 18 1049 0.53 1635 1.58 1722 1.58

SU

2235 0.45

MO

2327 0.28

0629 1.50 1.45 4 0501 1038 0.61 19 1132 0.61 1805 1.51 1709 1.54

MO

2308 0.43



TU

1.43 0011 0.34 5 0547 1115 0.66 20 0723 1.43 1745 1.50 1215 0.69

TU

2343 0.41

WE

1852 1.42

1.41 0058 0.40 6 0638 1157 0.73 21 0818 1.38 1826 1.45 1303 0.76

WE

TH

1944 1.34

0.40 0149 0.46 7 0023 0736 1.39 22 0915 1.34 1243 0.79 1400 0.82

TH

1914 1.41

FR

2043 1.28

0.39 0250 0.50 8 0112 0841 1.39 23 1015 1.33 1339 0.84 1513 0.84

FR

2012 1.37

SA

2148 1.25

0.38 0359 0.52 9 0212 0951 1.41 24 1111 1.35 1448 0.86 1632 0.82

SA

2122 1.36

SU

2252 1.25

0.67 0118 0.52 10 0034 0711 1.26 25 0827 1.42 1241 0.67 1330 0.70

0.58 0303 0.45 10 0134 0849 1.35 25 1021 1.50 1350 0.87 1516 0.89

0.46 0330 0.47 10 0146 0916 1.42 25 1051 1.44 1414 0.91 1551 0.90

0.37 0503 0.51 10 0323 1100 1.47 25 1202 1.38 1605 0.82 1739 0.75

0.67 0223 0.50 11 0123 0817 1.25 26 0937 1.45 1331 0.76 1437 0.79

0.54 0404 0.44 11 0229 0956 1.41 26 1120 1.53 1456 0.92 1629 0.90

0.43 0432 0.47 11 0245 1024 1.47 26 1147 1.46 1524 0.93 1703 0.87

0.35 0559 0.49 11 0438 1201 1.54 26 1245 1.43 1719 0.72 1831 0.66

SA

SU

1937 1.38

2030 1.34

12

0219 0929 MO 1434 2127

0.65 1.28 0.82 1.33

SU

MO

2027 1.47

2127 1.44

27

0330 1043 TU 1551 2227

0.46 1.51 0.83 1.43

0.60 0433 0.42 13 0324 1037 1.36 28 1144 1.58 1549 0.86 1703 0.83 TU

2225 1.34

WE

2324 1.44

0.52 0530 0.37 14 0428 1138 1.46 29 1239 1.64 1705 0.84 1804 0.80 WE

2322 1.37

TH



0015 1.45 0.44 15 0523 1231 1.57 30 0619 0.35 1329 1.69 1804 0.80 TH

 

FR

1855 0.76

TU

WE

2032 1.39

2130 1.38

12

0330 1100 TH 1608 2232

0.48 1.49 0.93 1.39

WE

TH

2250 1.40

27

0501 1215 FR 1733 2345



0.43 1.58 0.87 1.40

0554 0.41 0.41 13 0432 1200 1.58 28 1305 1.61 1829 0.82 1718 0.89

TH

FR

12

2045 1.39

2151 1.39

0353 1130 SA 1637 2303



0.38 1.54 0.89 1.41

FR

SA

2217 1.33

2317 1.33

27

0530 0.45 1238 1.50 SU 1804 0.81



SU

MO

2243 1.39

2357 1.46



12

0546 0.32 1257 1.62 TU 1825 0.60

MO

2351 1.29

TU



1.35 27 0043 0645 0.47 1322 1.48 WE

1914 0.58

0.33 0012 1.35 13 0500 1229 1.62 28 0619 0.44 1745 0.81 1320 1.54

1.54 0128 1.41 13 0101 0647 0.30 28 0724 0.46 1347 1.68 1356 1.52

0.34 0035 1.41 14 0531 1255 1.67 29 0641 0.40 1817 0.82 1348 1.64

1.47 0100 1.38 14 0012 0603 0.29 29 0704 0.43 1322 1.69 1357 1.57

1.62 0208 1.46 14 0200 0742 0.31 29 0800 0.46 1434 1.71 1428 1.55

1.47 0121 1.42 15 0036 0626 0.29 30 0724 0.40 1345 1.74 1425 1.65

1.53 0145 1.41 15 0113 0700 0.27 30 0744 0.43 1413 1.75 1429 1.60

1.66 0245 1.50 15 0254 0832 0.34 30 0833 0.47 1518 1.72 1500 1.56

FR



2336 1.42

SA

SU

SA

SU

1910 0.75

MO

1.46 31 0103 0704 0.34 1412 1.71 SA

2151 1.41

1916 0.77

2000 0.72



SU

MO

TU

MO

1845 0.71

1941 0.61

TU

WE

© Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2012

1939 0.68

2018 0.61

1.44 31 0225 0820 0.45 1500 1.61 TH

1939 0.72

1856 0.74

WE

1923 0.47

TH

FR

2016 0.36

2108 0.29



FR

SA

1951 0.51

2026 0.44

2100 0.40

1.52 31 0323 0907 0.49 1533 1.55 SU

2055 0.56

Bureau of Meteorology

TH

2132 0.36

National Tidal Centre

Height datum is Lowest Astronomical Tide Moon Symbols

 New Moon

 First Quarter

 Full Moon

 Last Quarter

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.

102

JUNE 2014

South Gippsland

Alberton Marine 39 Johnson Street, Alberton Phone: (03) 5183 2344 | Fax: (03) 5183 2219 Email: albertonmarine@wideband.net.au

Melbourne Avante Marine 345 Dorset Road, Boronia Phone: (03) 9760 2222 | Fax: (03) 9762 8565 Email: info@avantemarine.com.au Cheltenham Bell Marine Services 120 Talinga Road, Cheltenham Phone: (03) 9583 3881 | Fax: (03) 9583 0117 Email: admin.sales@bellmarineservices.com Bendigo

Bendigo Marine World 49 Midland Highway, Epsom Phone: (03) 5448 3988 | Fax: (03) 5448 3940 Email: sales@bendigomarine.com.au

Mercury Portables.

Lightweight and built to last.

Mercury’s Portables range provide the power that you can carry, run and depend on. With eleven horsepower options ranging from 2.5hp to 30hp, these compact units punch well above their weight.

Melbourne BL Marine 612- 614 Plenty Road, Preston Phone: (03) 9478 1420 | Fax: (03) 9470 4638 Email: info@blmarine.com.au Shepparton

Boats and More 207 Numurkah Road, Shepparton Phone: (03) 5822 2108 | Fax: (03) 5821 2908 Email: sales@boatsandmore.com.au

Gippsland Crawford Marine 71-77 Chickerell Street, Morwell Phone: (03) 5134 6522 | Fax: (03) 5134 6455 Email: info@crawfordmarine.com.au Echuca

Eades Xtreme Marine 24 Sturt Street, Echuca Phone: (03) 5482 2333 | Fax: (03) 5482 2133 Email: info@xtrememarine.net.au

Corowa Maverick Boats Hammersley & Theiss Roads, Corowa Phone: (02) 6033 3222 | Fax: (02) 6033 4488 Email: sales@maverickboats.com.au Geelong

Moolap Marine 250 Portarlington Road, Moolap Phone: (03) 5248 3772 | Fax: (03) 5248 4633 Email: info@moolapmarine.com.au

Sorrento

Nautical Marine 139 – 141 Hotham Road, Sorrento Phone: (03) 5984 1666 | Fax: (03) 5984 1680 Email: nautical@surf.net.au

Melbourne Regal Marine 514 Canterbury Road, Vermont Phone: (03) 9874 4624 | Fax: (03) 9874 6586 Email: sales@regalmarine.com.au West Gippsland P&J Marine Service Centre P/L 101 Tooradin Station Road, Tooradin Phone: (03) 5998 3107 | Fax: (03) 5998 3108 Email: pjmarine_services@bigpond.com Melbourne The Marine Shop 6 Holland Drive, Melton Phone: (03) 9747 0588 | Fax: (03) 9747 3999 Email: admin@themarineshop.com.au Melbourne Triple M Marine 117 Northgate Drive, Thomastown Phone: (03) 9465 8787 | Fax: (03) 9466 1418 Email: triplemmarine@dodo.com.au West Gippsland Warragul Marine South Road, Warragul Phone: (03) 5623 6250 | Fax: (03) 5622 0623 Email: info@warragulmarine.com.au Mornington

Wes Frost Marine 3 Satu Way, Mornington Phone: (03) 5976 4622 | Fax: (03) 5976 4633 Email: sales@wesfrostmarine.com

JUNE 2014

103

The Torque of the Town.

The 150hp Mercury FourStroke.

We could continue to talk up its strengths. Instead it has spoken for itself.

And now, Australia’s leading marine reviewers can’t stop talking about it.

Clearly the most compact and durable, lowest weight and highest displacement 150hp FourStroke outboard the world has ever seen.

Visit www.mercurymarine.com.au

“This engine was so good it actually made me rethink my love of direct fuel injection two-strokes.”

Andrew Norton - Tradeaboat

“It takes the recent trend of making four-strokes smaller, lighter and more responsive to the next level.”

Jim Harnwell - Fishing World

“I walked away impressed with the performance, technology, passion and insane amount of R&D... squeezed under the cowling of 150hp four-stroke.”

Matt Jones - Tradeaboat

“The large cubic capacity 3.0L block means the engine’s more chilled out than a Buddhist monk, but with plenty of torque.”

Matt Jones - Tradeaboat

Image courtesy of Shane Chalker, www.shanechalkerphotography.com

104

JUNE 2014