Western Australia Fishing Monthly December 2019

TIPS TO SCORE A CHRISTMAS FEED

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Features Tricks for tailor • Christmas gift ideas • Mix it up for more strikes •

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December 2019, Vol. 2 No. 4

Contents 11

METRO

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Metro 11 Metro Offshore

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SOUTH COAST Esperance 14 Bremer Bay

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Albany 15 WEST COAST Augusta 16 Busselton 19 Mandurah 20 Lancelin 22 Bunbury 24 Jurien Bay

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Geraldton 31 GASCOYNE COAST Exmouth 32

From the Editor’s Desk...

Yep! Well that is just about another year done and dusted, and what a year it has been for fishing!

We have had a few rule changes put in place, which hopefully when we get to the other side will have us with healthier and more prolific snapper stocks, and better-sized and more plentiful crabs.

On the mention of crabs, the season is open in the metro as of 1 December and I for one am looking forward to seeing if the later opening has had any impact. I am guessing it will although probably not as significant as it will be next year.

We have had some awesome environmental science projects come into being, such as the successful Seeds for Snapper, which showed that

the principle works and is happening again pretty much as you read this, and we have had the amazing science from Alan Cottingham and his team with the mussels filtering the waters of the Swan River.

Hopefully both of these projects will be expanded next year along with an expansion of the estuarine oyster reef project. There are obviously many more great projects running and we look forward to them all getting better funding on the back of their success. These projects that benefit the environment as well as benefitting fish habitat and fish stocks are a ‘win win’ scenario and the more of these we get happening around the state and the country the better our fisheries will get.

It is also great to see the expansion of the FAD program around the state with more

anglers in remote towns now getting access to FADs in an offshore location near them (see the Recfishwest article in this issue). FADs are a great way to diversify fishing effort and allow anglers access to new and exciting fishing experiences.

Fishing around the state seems to be on the up, with all of the reports giving promising insights into the fishing months ahead, and while it is the holiday season I hope you all get a chance to hit the road and get out and about to experience some fishing in another area to what you regularly fish.

There is nothing better than fishing new locations and holidays with family and friends, just remember to go about your proper prior planning to make sure it is safe and enjoyable trip.

This issue we also have the Christmas gift ideas

Ian Sewell article, so check it out and if there are any particular new bits of kit that take your fancy maybe give it a circle with a highlighter and leave it open on that page… you never know what might turn up on Christmas morning. As always, failing that get onto isubscribe.com. au and go to the ‘fishing and boating’ section and get yourself a WA Fishing Monthly subscription. You can also get onto www. wp.fishingmonthly.com.au and click shop to see the range of Fishing Monthly merchandise on offer.

Carl Jocumsen jerseys are also available to purchase.

I hope you all have a very fishy, safe and happy Christmas and New Year, and as always please keep it safe out there on and around the water!

Kalbarri 32 NORTH COAST Dampier/Karratha 34 Broome 36 38

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SPECIAL FEATURES Tailor-made tips for greenbacks Christmas gift ideas

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Kirk enjoying all the fun of tailor season on the West Coast.

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Tailor

Tailor-made tips for greenbacks LANCELIN

Peter Fullarton

This time of year is a great time to get stuck into some tailor along the beaches, in the estuaries and out in the bays, so there’s no better time to hit the water in search of these great fighters!

One story is in relation to how they often attack at the prey tail first, making it easy to finish the kill. The other refers to their sharp teeth and their ability to cut through older style rag fishing nets like a clothing tailor’ sharp scissors. Both have merit and give tailor a very fitting name. In other parts of the world

Kirk scored this nice fish using snelled circle hooks and tailor fillets for bait.

TAILOR FACTS Tailor are considered a pelagic fish and are widely distributed in subtropical and cooler tropical seas, preferring a temperature range 18-25°C. There are at least two theories I am aware of as to how they came by the name ‘tailor’.

they are sometimes known as bluefish.

Tailor range on the WA Coast from Exmouth to Albany, with low numbers of fish along the very South Coast. At about 1.5-2 years, they reach a minimum legal size of 30cm. A bag limit of eight fish per angler

applies. There is also a limit of only two fish over 50cm, which they reach at about 5 years old. Some tailor have been known to live for 14 years of age and reach a length of 1.2m!

Tailor sexually mature between 30-40cm and release large volumes of eggs. The larvae are planktonic and distributed on currents. The fry grow to 40-80mm over 2 months before entering juvenile habitats like rivers, estuaries and bays.

Tailor can migrate hundreds of kilometres in a matter of weeks. As a result, different areas of the coast will hold different size classes and volumes of fish at certain times of the year as they move north to south and back again through the year. Larger fish are found throughout their range, though the coast from Kalbarri to Carnarvon is renowned for trophy size tailor. The majority of the larger fish are found along this region.

Tailor’s triangular razor sharp teeth are able to easily cut through flesh, scale and even the bone of their prey.

Make sure to respect them and keep fingers clear of the mouth, especially with the larger fish. Smaller tailor to 50cm are known as ‘choppers’. They swim in packs, hunting schools of baitfish, where they cut the bait into pieces small enough to swallow. Larger tailor are referred to as ‘greenbacks’, with their backs becoming dark green and their head more rounded at about mid 50-60cm.

Greenbacks are generally found in much smaller groups or as individuals.

Tailor are found in a variety of habitats. Rivers, bays and estuaries can all

hold quite good numbers of good-sized fish that hunt schools of baitfish. Reef breaks and turbulent beach gutters are often haunted by some of the larger specimens. The nearshore coastal strip is where the majority of fish are caught.

They rest are in deeper waters a little further from shore and will move in at dawn and dusk to feed. They can also be quite active in bright moonlit nights.

GEAR Rods, reels and line The outfit can be quite subjective, and it really depends on where you are fishing and the conditions.

Primarily, spin gear is the choice. A small 6-8ft rod is all you need to fish a river or from a boat. When fishing the beach or off the rocks, rods should be at least 10ft. In rough surf conditions or in a strong sea breeze you will need to upgrade to a heavier, longer rod to handle larger sinkers and big waves.

Tailor fight cleanly and won’t take you into the reef, but they will jump quite a lot, so using mono for the stretch can help to stop them throwing the hook. Although, braid also has advantages of giving

Leanne showing off the morning’s haul of choppers. most common bait would be pilchards, but almost any whole fish or fillet bait will work very well.

Some popular alternatives are scaly mackerel, whiting, herring, and even tailor fillets. They will also happily take squid, octopus or just about anything else you care to throw out once they’re on the bite.

and will catch everything from smaller herring and tarwhine to large mulloway and sharks.

Unless I am chasing the smaller fish, I like to use three 6/0 hooks, as it can help avoid hooking the undersized ones and fits a large-sized pilchard well.

When fishing from boats or rock walls or in

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the angler a more direct detection of the bite and allows a quick solid strike to set the hooks. Line weight can also be quite light at around 10-20lb.

This poundage of line will easily subdue the average fish and make it easy to cast lightly-weighted baits or lures.

Baits Tailor are not fussy at all when it comes to bait. The

Rigs The most common rig used for chasing tailor would be whole pilchards set on a gang of hooks. A gang made up from four 4/0 Mustad Tarpon hooks is very popular with a lot of tailor fishers. The gang will fit right down to the tail on average sized pilchards, so that little nip from a chopper at the tail still often leads to a solid hook-up

light or offshore winds, a light running sinker or weightless pilchard rig is the best option, and enables you to keep the bait moving mid-water. Tailor will feed in all of the water column, but are always suckers for a slow mid-water moving pilchard bait. In strong surf or winds, the gang can be set on a paternoster rig using a three-way swivel and a heavy sinker

Tailor to anchor the bait to the bottom. Always use black swivels, as anything shiny is likely to be bitten in a hot bite and those sharp teeth will instantly cut through any line under the tension of a fighting fish.

onto the bait as soon as it hits the water and the bite may run well into the night once the fish have been conditioned. They can also assist in casting in the dark, increasing your awareness of where the bait is.

fluorocarbon leader, as there will be plenty of nicks from the sharp teeth, especially during a hot bite. The swivel can be attached to the head of the gang, giving a few more centimetres of leeway and removes the risk

An afternoon of tailor fishing can be fun for the whole family.

Brook Wier showing the quality of tailor that can be scored from the beach gutters.

Attaching a glow stick to the rig can increase catch rates at times. The tailor can be conditioned during a hot bite to associate the glow with food, so they can be

Wire is not essential when using a gang of hooks. Fish rarely swallow a whole gang, although I would recommend a heavy 50-80lb mono or

of other fish bitting at the swivel during the fight. If fishing with snelled hooks, it is also advisable to use some wire as tailor will be attacking the bait shredding

the line between each hook.

If very large tailor are around, I would tend to use a nylon-coated wire trace of around 40-60lb.

METHOD Fishing the right times will greatly increase success, with dawn and dusk the prime time. Some locations will fish better in a morning, especially during

the new moon period and the fish will quite likely bite through to mid-morning.

Other locations will fire up better in the evenings and the fish may bite well into the night under a bright moon.

Tailor are a pack hunter, so you need to find the pack or attract it to where you are fishing. Look for baitfish

showering out of the water, as that is normally a pretty good indicator that some tailor are on the hunt. If the fish are not there, then you need to use some berley to attract them and keep them interested.

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Tailor From page 9

time. This would be about 45 minutes before sunset or just before first light, and I mean lines in the water at this time. You may not be catching them at first, but the process of attracting them has begun. Pilchards

What you do once the fish start will often determine the difference between landing a handful of fish or scores of them.

The trick is to keep the momentum going, or the pack will move off. Cast to the same spot each time

handfuls of berley to keep the frenzy on. Chopped pilchards makes a great berley, but adding a mix of chook pellets to adsorb the juice and some fish oil will extend the effect.

There is no time to rest once the feeding frenzy is

the bait before finishing the top hook through the eye.

The bait should lie flat in a relaxed position.

Larger greenback tailor like to hunt around the aerated water of reef breaks or surf gutters, so fishing for them is somewhat different than chasing the marauding packs of choppers.

Offshore reef breaks can be fished from a boat, casting lures or garfish to the aerated water (white water) of the break and is a very exciting way to

are well known for the big greenbacks they produce.

Right along the South West Coast, including Perth metro, there are reefs that will produce big fish. When there is an offshore wind, you can balloon garfish into the white water of reef breaks that are a little too far out to cast to. By moving the line in and out and walking up and down the beach you can move the bait about the wash of a reef until you manage to find that monster.

to target with lures. I find it is also one of the most fun ways to catch them.

Matching the line class to the size fish you are chasing will enable the fish to show its full sporting potential.

Metal slice lures are popular for the long casting that may be needed to reach a nearshore reef, as you can punch them out into a stiff sea breeze. I rig these on a short length of light wire just to be sure a jumbo won’t swallow it whole and bite the lure off. The best

This pilchard is ready to be cast. The swivel is incorporated into the gang rather than on a trace to prevent other fish biting at it while fighting a fish back to shore. self-berley, and if you are fishing with several people in one spot, often that is enough to start a tailor feeding frenzy. Each time a fish hits a bait, there is an explosion of pilchard offal and oils released.

so the fish know where to expect the bait and the berley effect of the pilchards will be at its strongest.

If you are fishing solo or struggling to keep a steady stream of baits in the water with a group, keep throwing

on. It is often only over the short light transition period, so you need to make the most of it while you can.

If you lose the momentum of baits in the water, the fish will likely move off.

Done well, fish numbers A selection of some of the author’s favourite tailor lures. fish for them. You need one person to concentrate solely on driving the boat and watching the swells for safety, while the other casts to the wash.

There are plenty of opportunities to manage greenbacks on lures or bait shore-based as well.

Places like Oyster Reef or Blue Holes at Kalbarri

Big green backs also love to hunt the surf gutters, and using mullet or smaller tailor as bait anchored in the gutter will also just as likely yield a nice mulloway surprise.

LURE CASTING FOR TAILOR Tailor are a ferocious, aggressive predators, which makes them an ideal fish

method is to cast out and allow the lure to sink a few meters, before starting a fast retrieve, keeping the rod tip low to the water so the lure remains under the surface for the whole retrieve.

These lures work equally well trolled behind a boat.

Bibbed hardbody lures are a good option when casting from a rock wall

You can use plastic coated wire to snell two hooks together, so when tailor attack the bait they won’t cut or shred the line between hooks.

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will grow the longer you are fishing and the more frenzied they become, with several fish smashing at the bait each cast as it hits the water. It is not at all uncommon to be landing two fish on a single gang.

Have some spare rigs ready to quickly tie on in case one gets busted off or even have a second rod ready and rigged so you don’t lose the momentum.

Tailor do like a moving bait, so when casting pilchards keep a slow retrieve up. Make sure to place the bait well in the gang, so it does not spin but swims naturally.

Measure your pilchard against the gang so the top hook will fit through the eye of the pilchard, then starting with the bottom hook passing each hook through the lateral line, so each hook sits flat against

This 50cm tailor fell to the lunge and pause technique using an X-Rap stickbait in heavy surf.

Tailor or from a reef shelf. Look for long cast models, as the more water the lure gets to swim the more chance you have of getting a strike.

used in most conditions and locations. The retrieve can be mixed up from some flat out bursts skittering the bait across the surface to

Surface poppers are also great fun. One sure way to get the heart pumping is to witness the surface smash on a popper from a good-

A close up of the business end showing the sharp interlocking triangular teeth.

Pilchard imitations colours with plenty of flash are most effective. Bibbed minnows are also great for trolling behind the boat. Mix up the retrieve rates to find what is working on the day to induce a strike.

Stickbaits are also very effective and the lure I choose more often than not for tailor. I find a good stick bait can be

a slower retrieve to impart a wounded action to the lure. When there are large swells it can be difficult to use finesse to impart action to your stickbait. In these circumstances, pulsing the lure using the rod to move the lure in lunges between pauses as you wind the slack line back can find several fish trying to eat the lure simultaneously

sized greenback. They are also useful to fish shallower reefs, as tailor will sit in the deeper pockets of a reef top smashing any bait or passing lure. Again, natural pilchard colours work well, and I also have a lot of success on the white with red head. You can ‘bloop’ the popper in, or employ a steady fast retrieve through the waves.

Soft plastics are very effective, but tailor will quickly destroy the tails.

Paddle-tails can be worked with a slower retrieve and can give the fisher a bit of respite from working the hardbody lures when the fish are slow. Work the lures with a lift and drop or a slow roll to mimic a wounded baitfish.

TAILOR CARE Tailor have a delicate oily flesh, with a quite distinctive taste. They require more attention after capture care than the average fish. They only have a short shelf life for the best eating quality. Looking after them will make a significant difference to both quality and shelf life. Tailor should be bled upon capture and chilled, otherwise the flesh will quickly deteriorate, becoming mushy and the flavour becomes a much stronger fishy taste. Any excess should be frozen immediately in vacuum seal bags and eaten within eight weeks. Tailor is an excellent choice of fillet to use for smoking and this will extend the shelf life.

They can be filleted and eaten either skin on or off.

With all that said, be sure to take advantage of the magnificent tailor fishing we have here on the West Coast!

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11

Metro

All hands on deck to secure a Chrissy feed METRO OFFSHORE

Jacob Crispe

With the West Coast demersal ban still in effect until 16 December and the Cockburn and Warnbro Sound snapper closure extended to 31 January, there are still plenty of great options to satisfy every anglers needs. Whether it be heading out to catch a nice feed of bread and butter species like whiting and herring, or for the adrenaline fuelled trophy hunters who are looking for a good time on the pelagics, Perth really does have some great options to cover everyone!

First off, now that the summer heat and light winds are settling in, a great target for people chasing a good time but also wanting to secure a tasty feed is the Spanish mackerel. These fish can be found as far south as Rockingham, and they tend to be active around Cockburn Sound and close in around South Fremantle.

Fish commonly ranging in weight from 10-15kg, but I have personally seen fish right up to the 40kg mark been taken from inside the sound over the years! Be sure to run a short length of wire trace when targeting these toothy pelagics and handle them with caution, as they have a mouth full of teeth sharper than razor blades!

Some anglers have great success trolling bibbed minnow lures like the Halco Laser Pro or even a fresh caught live

bait at low speeds like a herring or snook. Others prefer anchoring up in a desired area where fish have been sighted and will cast stickbaits hoping for that exciting aerial strike that Spaniards do. Another popular method is trolling a dead garfish on a wire rig.

Bluefin tuna are a good target as it warms up offshore, and are a great option when trolling between spots.

These really are a fun fish to target and after your first encounter, with a screaming drag and buckled rod, I’m sure you will be hooked!

Keep in mind, close reefy areas such as Stragglers and Fish Rocks or even around the islands like Garden, Carnac and Rottnest the samsonfish and yellowtail kings are in full swing. Be ready with good knots, quality tackle

Many will be trying to stock up on some tasty crays for Christmas lunch! There’s plenty to go around, so don’t worry.

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DECEMBER 2019

and heavy set drags, as these fish will not only put you to the test but also your knots and tackle!

They’re a great target for those just looking to have a true battle with some of the hardest fighting fish we have patrolling our local waters! Mainlines starting

from 50lb and leaders up to 130lb are needed if this is your intended target, and if you have never targeted these fish be ready for sore arms and an aching back, accompanied of course by an ear-to-ear smile.

Others may be looking to head out with the light fishing tackle looking for an easy feed, and there is still plenty of fun to be had, with loads of whiting, herring and skippy about.

Berley is always a must when it comes to targeting these bread-and-butter species. The King George and big sand whiting have been in better numbers then average this year. Fresh squid or coral prawns are my top two when it comes to bait selection. Broken ground is what you need to find if this is your intended target, where you can see nice sandy patches amongst the weedy areas.

Speaking of weedy areas there are good numbers of squid to be caught as well, and a handy little tip I’ve picked up along the way is to use a three-way swivel at the top of your whiting rig and attach a squid jig with a short fluorocarbon leader so it doesn’t tangle easy, and this way you’re covering two bases at the same time!

If you anchor in an area targeting whiting, don’t forget to use berley pellets or a small berley pot, as this will increase

your chances of success greatly. The same goes for skippy. Skippy are super fun to catch, and weight for weight these fish pull harder then most! On light gear like 10-15lb line these fish are sure to put a bend in your rod and pull line off your reel! They’re a very exciting species to target also for any parents out there wanting to get the kids hooked on some manageable but excellent fighting table fish! Skippy can be found around more reefy ground, channel markers or any other submerged structure!

For those wanting to head out a little further, the FADs are now in the water. So if the weather permits it’s always worth a cruise out, as you never know what you may find.

You are sure to come across plenty of southern bluefin tuna along the way, as these fish can be prolific at this time of year. They’re a great sportfish and also beautiful to eat, especially for those who don’t mind a bit of fresh sashimi!

Small trolling lures can be a deadly choice for these little missile-shaped speedsters!

We can also expect to see mahimahi out around the FADs. These colourful aerial entertainers will be

Spanish mackerel and pink snapper can show up in the same bags this month. Just be sure not to chase pink snapper in the sound just yet! for Christmas is high in everyone’s list! There have been great catches over this past month and it’s only getting better, as the annual march of the

Lily O’Donnell and Rose Toop with a couple of cracker shallow water KGs. starting to show up in good numbers from now, and while the same techniques that work for our tuna are also effective mahimahi, so is live baiting small yellowtail scad (yakka) and herring.

Don’t forget now the season is here and crayfish

whites is now upon us! The plastic hexagon pots have been producing extremely well, as have the steel base jarrah frame pots with pine slats. For those wanting something a little lighter if pulling pots by hand, there are some nice half size full pine pots available. Keep

in mind with the new laws that if your rope is over 20m in length you must weigh it down to keep it under water. Rope weights or a small length of lead core rope can be attached to your main rope to help keep it submerged. This is for the safety of others and to ensure your rope doesn’t get run over by any other boaties! So please stay safe and maintain common courtesy out there, as the cray fever can make this time of year a little cray-zee!

Another great one when thinking of tasty shellfish are our sweet blue swimmer crabs! Great numbers of these crabs can always be found around Fremantle waters and pushing into our lovely Swan River system.

For daytime, deeper water areas like Blackwall Reach and the drop-offs near Point Walter are always a good starting point, but as the weather gets warmer, don’t be scared to look in more shallow grounds especially as the sun goes down.

Keep in mind too that the demersal ban is still in effect on 15 December, but you are allowed to fish from 16 December for species such as our beloved West Australian dhufish, pink snapper, baldachin groper and other 5-star bottom dwellers. However, keep in mind the sound is still closed to snapper fishing until 31 January.

There you have it, Perth Metro offshore options for everyone! Tight lines!

Metro

A great time to mix it up METRO

Jacob Crispe

With the summer heat here the options are really becoming endless for all land-based anglers! From those hunting the shallow flats for flathead and whiting and the nocturnal souls who are happy sitting on the river of a night chasing the elusive mulloway, to those spinning lures of local rock walls or even the anglers waiting for those perfect easterlies to assist in getting a balloon out and targeting a shorebased Spanish mack, this is a exciting month for all levels of experience.

Let’s start off with finesse.

A favourite pastime on a hot summer day is keeping cool by walking the shallow flats of the Swan River in stealth mode hunting crocs! Flathead can be found right the way through the Swan starting from East Freo, and as it gets hotter I have found these fish as far up as Guildford. The season starts now, as the freshwater has evaporated up off the surface and these fish can be found in ankle deep water!

Lures are a much more effective way to target these fish, as blowies can be found

choice, and also red. Red, whether it be a red fleck in a soft plastic or red colour on a hardbody has always been a great choice in general.

Chartreuse is the way to go on a cloudy day for better success.

The retrieve is very simple, just keep it slow, and if you think you are going slow enough, go even slower! This is very important, as these fish can be lazy and usually do not want to chase fast-moving targets!

Fishing for yellowfin whiting have to be one of the biggest trends at the moment while escaping the heat in knee deep water, as they supply an action packed time on super light gear and are a magnificent eating table fish. This time of year great numbers of whiting can be found while wading through Mandurah’s estuary inlet systems. There are two ways people target these fish, but the most effective and visually pleasing has to be on small surface lures, as these small speedsters put on quite a show of acrobatics, chasing down and striking small poppers and stickbaits. The other is the subsurface approach. This is when the fish just aren’t firing on the surface, and anglers will use small metal blades or bibbed minnows.

Herve Matthys with a lovely squid for this time of year. in the same water and will strip a bait quicker then you can retrieve it. Metal blades and hardbody lures have been the most effective lures, however if you do find somewhere with a lower blowfish population then soft plastics are definitely worth a cast! Any natural colours will always be a great

As always the local rock walls around Fremantle are always producing great numbers of herring and skippy. A major key to the success on these species is using pre-mixed pollard with a floating berley cage for herring or a sinking berley cage for skippy. King George whiting

are always a welcome catch off these local rock walls when fishing the bottom. Again, fresh squid and coral prawns are the top two baits when it comes to targeting these lovely bread and butter species. A little tip for better catch rates on herring is to use around 1” of green lumo tube on your leader sliding down over your hook, and once the herring are berleyed up, you can cast your line out with no bait and retrieve your line at a moderate speed and herring will come hit the lumo tube you have sitting over your hook!

With all the baitfish gathering in these warmer months the big fish are never far behind. This means big mulloway in the river and Spanish mackerel and longtail tuna in Cockburn Sound! For those wanting to chase any of these highly-prized fish here are a few tips!

Mulloway can be found right through the Swan River system, and any deep drop offs or the edge of a light pool is a good spot to try for these highly prized fish. Fresh baits are by far the best, and live baits like trumpeter, scaly mackerel and tailor have to be my top three choices. Light gauge snelled hooks help do less damage to your bait, which keeps it alive longer, and leaders should be no more then 60lb. Fish the high tides and new moons and make sure you have plenty of patience! Another effective way for the advanced angler is lure fishing, and paddle-tail soft plastics have to be one of the most effective lures I’ve seen when worked with a nice slow roll action!

Spanish mackerel are here! For those wanting to try your luck spinning lures, check out any rock wall or jetty that holds baitfish like Woodies Point or North Mole, as these speedy predators are always lurking and looking to feed! Long casting metal lures are a great way to start, and some swimming lures like the Dr Hook School Bully or Halco Max 130 have been among other effective choices!

Fish the lead up to the new moon for the larger models and always run a short length of single strand wire to prevent being snipped off. I have found it beneficial when using a metal lure to let it sink to the bottom before retrieving it as fast as you can!

Sending balloons out with a live bait has to be the other most effective way to target Spanish mackerel land-based, however dead baits have still produced fish every year, and as long as you have a line in the water you really are in with a chance. The northern bluefin (longtail) tuna always come around with the mackies at this time of year, and the same techniques will work on this fast-running species. Longtails around the

15kg mark are not uncommon in December.

The tasty cephalopods really are a great species to target, as the time spent chasing them can be so much fun for people who are just starting out right up and for the advanced angler who just can’t get enough! In these warmer times the average size of squid is a bit smaller, however the numbers can be great!

Try downsizing to a slightly smaller jig then usual to help catch more! Sizes ranging between 1.8-3.0 will prove to be most effective at this time. Popular locations like Fremantle Sailing Club rock wall, South Mole Fremantle, North Mole, Woodmans Point and Hillarys are always pretty safe bets to try. Keep in mind a good set of polarised sunnies will really help you spot the broken ground areas where the squid like to hang out!

There’s plenty of crabs to be caught from any of the jetties along the river starting from east Fremantle right up to South Perth Como area. All you need is a couple of drop nets and some bait and you can go get a feed of these tasty shelled treats while casting same baits or lures for some tailor at the same time! Tailor love gold and other natural

Max Sampson took this cracking Swan River mulloway on a live bait with snelled hooks. looking colours. If lures aren’t your thing then a small set of gang hooks under a float with a small mulie (pilchard) or bluebait and you are set!

So there it is, a short run down of what’s around with a few tips on techniques, baits and rigs to help you catch more. As always, tight lines!

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DECEMBER 2019

13

South Coast

Bring on the Christmas holidays ESPERANCE

Murray Johnson

There is good fishing around town at the moment, with the jetties at Tailor Street and James Street yielding plenty of garfish at night, and squid at dawn and dusk.

During the day, there are herring and some smaller skippy around 0.5kg coming in on the high tide.

At Bandy Creek Boat Harbour there are some King George whiting turning up, with most around 28-30cm.

Mixed in with the whiting are herring, just-legal black bream, and some small flounder.

On the local beaches the salmon are still scattered, rather than the bigger schools we were seeing earlier in the year. Anglers are picking up a few salmon at Salmon Beach, Fourth Beach and Roses Beach. Roses has also been holding some tailor.

Both salmon and tailor are still taking slices, such as Halco Twisties, and mulies.

If you’re fishing with mulies, a tip is to fill a bucket with seawater as soon as you get there. Drop your mulies into the saltwater, and add some more salt. That will cure them so they won’t go soft and mushy, and they’ll stay on the hook for longer.

Further out of town,

anglers fishing at Warrenup have been getting some salmon off the rocks, along with blue groper and sea sweep. It’s also one of those spots where you can target drummer or western rock blackfish.

whiting. If you’re after whiting, look for sand/weed patches in the shallows, rather than fishing open water. Try fishing the start of the beach where it’s still protected from the headland.

A lot of the bream being caught at the moment are quite small, but there are a few better specimens mixed in. Image courtesy of @beaudi_hill.

Beach fishers at Stockyards have been picking up some smaller salmon, plenty of herring, skippy around 0.5kg, flathead up to 40cm, and the occasional King George

The guys at Thomas River have been catching gummy sharks, the occasional soapy mulloway, plenty of smaller herring, and the occasional salmon. Poison Creek has bigger schools of salmon,

with fish averaging 4-5kg.

There are also some bronze whalers, tailor, and skippy around 2kg.

Boat-based anglers in the bay are still getting plenty of sand whiting, good numbers of squid, and heaps of snook.

There are also samsonfish around the closer islands, and mixed in with them are plenty of queen snapper, sea sweep and groper.

Offshore we’re still seeing good numbers of yellowtail kingfish, samsonfish, and nannygai up to 55cm, which is a good size. The occasional Breaksea cod and harlequin is mixed in, and some groper are still out wide as well. At the moment for some reason there are short bite times for bottom fishing offshore.

Sometimes you get onto a patch of fish and they’ll switch off suddenly, or take ages to switch on. If the fish aren’t biting, you can simply move on, or try switching up your approach to get them interested. We’ve had good results on live Sargent Bakers and knife jigs.

FISHING IN DECEMBER In December the tuna should make their presence felt, along with bonito.

Samsonfish and kingfish tend to hang around in closer at this time of year, making for some enjoyable summer sessions. Salmon

A nice little spangled emperor that took an FCL HKTM 67 on a trip further north. Image courtesy of @beaudi_hill. should continue to stay at the current levels for a little while longer, before the bigger schools should start to show up around the end of December.

We’ll start to see more mulloway caught off the beaches this month. The traditional rig is a sliding sinker rig, consisting of a sinker clip on your mainline down to a swivel and a floating bait, so the bait isn’t held to the bottom by the sinker. Rig a mulie or herring on a set of two snelled 8/0 suicide hooks, and you’re in business. The

best times are late afternoon and just after dark, and some of the best beaches to try are 14 Mile Beach, Dunns Beach, Thomas River and Israelite Bay. • Southern Sports and Tackle specialise in the supply and servicing of fishing equipment. They have an extensive knowledge of the local area and provide all brands, whether you’re fishing from beach, jetty or boat. Drop in for a chat at Shop 16, The Boulevard, Esperance, give them a call on 08 9071 3022 or look them up on Facebook.

Breaming with festive cheer down south BREMER BAY

Fishy Morris

The rivers have been filling up thanks to the rain, and the fishing has been pretty good in recent weeks.

black bream, and there are a lot of small bream mixed in, which is a good sign for the future of the fishery. I like to keep the ones that are just oversize to about 350mm, and release the big breeders. You can catch black bream on stripes

One problem in the Bremer is that people have been digging channels to open the river to the sea, and if caught they face a fine of $15,000. If the river is left alone, it will open by itself every few years, and there is no need for us to

A welcome sight off the beach – a hungry salmon school.

The Pallinup has black bream, the occasional bay snapper and the odd King George whiting down near the mouth. Net fishing for mullet is pretty good also.

The Bremer River has been yielding decent size 14

DECEMBER 2019

of mullet, or coonacks (yabbies). In the rivers we use a running sinker rig fished on 10-12lb line and leader. There are also quite a few mullet in the Bremer at the moment, and they’re really nice and clean.

disrupt that natural cycle.

Most of the beaches are fishing well. At Reef Beach we’re seeing good catches of herring, skippy, salmon and the odd tailor. You can catch the herring, salmon and tailor on chrome

slices, and the skippy like a bit of mulie fished on a paternoster. Using a star sinker will help the rig to hold better in the sand.

At Foster Beach there are salmon, herring and tailor. Now and then you’ll find a small bronze whaler, about 4ft long, prowling around the salmon schools.

Dillon Bay is fishing well for herring, with the occasional salmon mixed in.

Moving back to town, there are a few squid around the moored boats in the marina. I catch them on a baited jig suspended under a balloon with around 3m of leader. You just let the wind take it out and wait for that tell-tale steady pull.

On Back Beach there are herring and skippy, and you might even be lucky enough to snag a King George whiting. On Peppermint Beach there are mainly skippy and herring, and on Main Beach there are herring, salmon and skippy, along with the occasional silver bream.

Doubtful Beach and House Beach are good for skippy and herring. Also, if you get the right wind you can send a balloon out over the weed patches for squid.

There are good catches of herring coming from Trigalow Beach, and if you get down towards the east end of Trigalow you’re in with a chance of a gummy shark. Sand crab is the best bait for gummies, or you can use a fish bait. The best time to fish is from just on dark until daylight.

Boat-based anglers are reporting good catches of bottom species, including nannygai, queenies (blue morwong), Breaksea cod, dhufish, samsonfish, yellowtail kingfish and skippy. There is the odd large shark getting about too; an angler fishing out of a tinny

was recently circled by a 4m white pointer.

DECEMBER The weather is usually quite good in December, so there should be more opportunities to head out. The fishing for most species should remain pretty consistent.

One thing to remember this month is to keep an eye out for snakes, as there are lots of them around.

If you’re walking through the bush, try to be as noisy as you can (maybe use a big stick to bang on the bushes and ground) so the snakes know to move out of the way.

A tasty bag of bream and mullet.

South Coast

Wild winds still not stopping Albany anglers ALBANY

Albany Rods & Tackle Staff

The Albany region had again been plagued by weird weather this month, with plenty of days blowing at an intolerable level and kicking up some big seas not safe to venture out in. However, as always there have been days where it’s safe to head out, and those who have did come back with some solid rewards.

OFFSHORE On the rare good days anglers have managed to get stuck into some hapuka in around the 140m mark and beyond. The blue eye have been in good numbers out wide as well, with the 350m onwards a good place to search.

Coming in a little in closer, some bigger red snapper have been taken from about 100m to the shelf.

In closer again to what we call the coral grounds, anglers are finding goodsized pinkies, and queen snapper in good numbers.

The pinkies are a little hit and miss size wise, with the odd 7-8kg model coming

aboard, but it seems the shallower you go the smaller they get. There’s lots of just legal (51-55cm) fish further in, and plenty of annoying ‘just under’ fish.

Offshore it seems everything is later this year, with the pinkies only just moving in during late October early November, which is about 6-8 weeks behind.

Dhuies are another good target, but the size is varied.

Some are legal, some are very little (especially in the shallower grounds), but every so often a nice 10-12kg shows up, so it’s worth persisting.

The odd shark and breaksea cod is also available for those whole like eating these species.

Skippy are about in the shallow ground, but the sea sweep have also been out there stealing baits and can be annoying when after skippy or anything else. You can eat them, but most anglers would prefer something else.

Samsonfish have been caught out wide around reef by those after a bit of sport, and the odd yellowtail king can be found feeding amongst them.

Just remember that you need a good vehicle if beach launching out of town, but there are good concrete ramps in town if you need them.

INSHORE Into the sound, Two Peoples Bay and Cosy Corner have been productive whiting spots. The average size has dropped, but there is the odd low 40s model kicking about.

Squid are about, but those who are specifically targeting them are doing much better. It’s nearly the end of the season for squid, so if you are willing to wander about to find them it’s worth the effort.

Some nice sand whiting are available from around the sound, and flathead turned up earlier than expected recently.

Most anglers in the area target King George whiting, sand whiting, squid and the odd stray flathead, and in good conditions it’s been pleasant fishing, however if it gets windy you can always shoot into a corner like Frenchmans Bay. The wind should change soon and swing around to an east and southeast direction, which isn’t so pleasant.

LAND-BASED On the shore-based, again, if you want salmon Bremer Bay is the better option. While there is the odd stray one around here, they seemed to have moved east very quickly this season.

There is still some nice herring, sand whiting and skippy about, and evening seems to be best for bigger fish. Look at Cable Beach an Albany Salmon Holes, Lowlands, Cosy Corner and Shelley Beach if you’d like a feed of bread and butter fish.

The Sand Patch is another good spot, however most people don’t like the walk out, as there is a lot of steps.

In town it’s worth having a look at the marina, where leatherjacket and squid can be taken regularly. Emu Point will also be good for jackets and squid, and you might find just legal KG and juvenile salmon here as well.

ESTUARIES The rivers are running very clear with the lack of rain in recent months.

There’s lots of little bream you have to wade through to find the better ones. Bream in the high 30s and low 40s can be taken by those who put in the time and effort with bait and lures.

River fishing will tend to be better west of town, as east of town the estuary systems tend to be very shallow at the moment.

Unfortunately Wilson Inlet is not going to be opened this year, which is pity because there’s some

nice pinkies in there that probably need some fresh sea water to improve their eating quality.

• For all the latest reports and local knowledge, drop in to Albany Rocks & Tackle at 40 Stirling Tce, Albany, or call them on (08) 9841 1231.

Joseph Leeder was stoked to wrangle this 82cm GT on a stickbait in the Exmouth gulf, which he then released to fight another day.

Wishing you a safe and Merry Christmas on the water

DEALER

DINGHY WORLD 252 Canning Highway Como 6152 Perth City, WA (08) 9367 6555 david@dinghyworld.com.au

For more information visit www.horizonboats.com.au DECEMBER 2019

15

West Coast

Beautiful weather sweeps over South West AUGUSTA

Anthony Gillam

It has become apparent that 2019 has decided to play nice with the fishing weather, as so far, conditions overall have been exceptional in the South West. The summer winds were nowhere near as strong as expected, autumn was warm, dry and wind free, and spring was almost tropical. Talk to any of the long-term Augusta residents and they will tell you it is just a return to the weather of their childhood memories.

The Hardy Inlet is really showing how much the tidal influence has on the water conditions. The big tides continue to bring the beautiful clear ocean waters well into the Blackwood River, through The Cut at the Colourpatch where it competes with the tanninstained brackish outflow.

The contrasting colours of the waters provide ample

quantity. Those of us who are early risers or don’t mind fishing the dying light of the day have been rewarded with plenty of fillets to feed the family. Some of

A nice eating size yellowtail kingfish captured off the rocks in Augusta with a live herring as bait. the regulars have fine-tuned their fishing hours and generally bag their meal with very little effort.

Fishing in the Dead Water, Sticks and near the jetties has been very

This pretty King George whiting was taken off the rocks on a Gulp Alive Nereis Bloody by the author. evidence that the ocean flow is integral in helping to keep the river algae free.

The yellowfin and King George whiting have certainly shown their preference for the pristine inflow, as they have continued to increase not only in size but also in

route to avoid having the indignity of trying to get off the sand, injuring yourself or your boat. A good pair of polarised lenses on your sunglasses will not only

popular with small watercraft of all varieties, however the sandbars continue to increase in size and the channels are becoming more defined or in some cases, non-existent.

Make sure that you take your time and try to have a navigator pick out the best

help you spot fish, but navigate as well.

Land-based whiting fishing has been just as good, with bag-outs of yellowfin and King George whiting from Colourpatch, Turner Street Jetty and along the well-defined channel from Hardy Street Jetty to The Cut out into the ocean. Ellis Street Jetty has been the spot for yellowfin whiting at night, but is currently undergoing a refurbishment and is off limits for a little longer. Once upgraded it will be good to go for years to come. The best baits have been sandworms, bloodworms, glass shrimp, prawn pieces and cockles.

Squid strips cut thin and long will also work.

Bream fishing around Molloy Island to Alexandra Bridge has been hot lately, and fish around the 38-40cm mark have been turning up on a regular basis. Early morning seems to be the time that has the best results, with a mix of soft plastics and hardbodied lures having some great results. This varies from week to week, and it is best to drop into Augusta

Xtreme Outdoor Sports to find out what is hot and what is not. River prawns are always a good go-to bait and will produce many fish, but unfortunately the smaller juvenile bream are frequent pickers and this can result in going through bait at an alarming rate.

I find that using a whole prawn threaded from tail to head on the hook will last longer against the small fish and is more attractive to the larger fish.

Beach fishing conditions have been absolutely perfect and there is certainly a mixed bag to be had from most of the local usual spots. Cosy Corner towards the Honeycombs, Deepdene and Boranup have also turned up some highly sought after mulloway. The regular mulloway fishers are catching most and exact locations and setup are, as usual, a secret, so you just have to be in the right place to catch them at it. Occasionally someone will let slip having bagged one and I’ve seen enough photos to know that they are not just ghosts. I suggest trying a beach spot on a new moon, especially at night.

That being said, two 20kg plus specimens were caught in the river between Point Frederick and The Sticks during the day, so it doesn’t necessarily always go how you would expect.

Flinders Bay boaties have been targeting the King George and sand whiting, flathead and skippy

Eric and Brian were happy with this samsonfish caught in Flinders Bay during some lovely spring weather conditions. just try somewhere else if they’re small. Once you locate the bigger fish it is just a matter of drifting over the same area until you have enough for a feed or two.

Squid strips, blood or sandworms or fresh fish pieces will work when fished on the drift along the sand.

Rock fishing along the coast has been very good and has been helped by some lovely weather. The mixed bags of herring, skippy, leatherjackets and whiting have been rolling in. As usual, remember to berley!

been producing.

• As I always point out, Augusta has some really productive rock fishing locations, however, people have died here by being washed off by king waves.

Unpredictable weather can quickly affect the fishing conditions and slippery rocks are a recipe for disaster. Please remain vigilant when rock fishing, wear a life jacket and tie off to something solid. You can hire one for free from Augusta Xtreme Outdoor Sports at 66 Blackwood Avenue Augusta, the local tackle shop and

Classic shrimp imitation bream and whiting topwater lure PX45

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• 55mm • 4g

This is a real bream! You can’t complain about this chunky specimen that ate a hardbodied lure.

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DECEMBER 2019

while looking forward to the imminent conclusion of the demersal closure.

Sand whiting schools in the bay have been up to their usual standard, with some massive schools getting around. It certainly doesn’t take too much effort to locate a school out on the sand. Some patches consist of large numbers of small fish, so it always pays to

If chasing squid is your game, then off the rock walls and finger jetties of the Augusta Boat Harbour has been the place to go.

Boaties have been picking them up when fishing for whiting and it has become common to have an extra line with a squid jig over the side doing its own thing.

Off the rocks at Ringbolt and Dead Finish have also

font of all local fishing knowledge. It’s right next to the Better Choice Fuels Service Station.

• The locations mentioned are all well-known and are marked on most vehicle GPS units, especially if they have HEMA maps or a list of locations can be obtained from the local tackle store, Augusta X-Treme Outdoor Sports.

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West Coast

DROP INTO YOUR LOCAL DEALER TODAY

Summer is upon us!

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WESTERN AUSTRALIA DEALERS

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DUNSBOROUGH BOSUN MARINE

Stephen Norman

It took its sweet time, but the warm weather is finally upon us!

WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING? Anglers have rejoiced by getting stuck into a plethora of species from the boat and the beach. Whiting catches have been on fire over the past month or so, with boat and land-based anglers managing to get a tasty feed of these prized table fish.

Anglers from the shore have seen no shortage of yellowfin whiting moving in large schools close to shore on the warmer days all along the Geographe Bay waterfront.

They have been taking a liking to fresh prawn and bloodworms, lightly-weighted and presented on small a long shank hook.

Small diving minnows and small poppers (no larger than 50mm) have also been effective, but the humble bait option seems to be the most productive offering.

To the delight of anglers fishing from a boat, King George whiting have become more prolific over the last month. Anglers hopping from sand hole to sand hole have been picking up a feed without

The Bassday Sugapen is doing the damage on yellowfin whiting.

Photo courtesy of Joeys4adventures.

Tailor catches from Injidup, Willyabrup and Moses Rock have been steady, with fish averaging 45-50cm.

Mulies and fresh whiting have been the picks for bait, and fishing late into the night rather than just sunset has yielded the best results.

UPCOMING With the all important demersal ban lifting on 16 December, anglers have been chafing at the bit to get back into the demersal species.

Solid numbers of dhufish and snapper have been found throughout the outer reaches of Geographe Bay and north of Cape Naturaliste. Slow pitch jigging with slow fall metal jigs is a deadly method for all demersal species. Colours and sizes vary immensely, but we find that 150-180g jigs are the most effective for fishing 30-50m of water. Come in

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Solid King George whiting are a staple throughout December and you don’t have to travel far to find them! hassle. Depths as shallow as 5m have been holding fish, while anglers scouting around the 14-15m mark have also had success.

Squid, while not in huge numbers, have remained consistent from the Busselton jetty, with evenings fishing the best.

Large samsonfish, however, have been in big numbers around the jetty, bullying the resident squid and stretching the arms of anglers in search of a challenge. Catch yourself a fresh squid, stick a big hook in it on a 200lb handline and throw it back to where it came from – it’s that simple.

and see us at 2 Oceans Tackle Busselton for a full run down on everything you need to know about jigging.

Alternatively, if you’re looking to spice up your standard two-hook bait rig, try doing away with one of your baits and replacing them with a soft plastic. Large curl-tail plastics are perfect for this as they create plenty of natural action with little help needed from the angler and they will attract the attention of all demersal fish, even when you bait has been stolen.

With demersal numbers looking consistent, a great alternative to your bag is to chase yellowtail kingfish.

These fish are prolific right along our coastline at this time of year, especially on the outer reefs. Casting poppers and stickbaits around shallow reef and large bommies can produce some exciting topwater action. Some of our favourite artillery to use on top water kingfish are the Shimano Colt-Sniper 140mm stickbaits, Halco Roosta Poppers and Nomad ChugNorris poppers.

While fish around the 6kg mark are more common, fish upwards of 20kg are never far away and with the looming presence of big samsonfish, things can get hectic! Try areas such as South West Bank, Wrights Bank and Naturaliste Reef.

Closer to home, whiting numbers will remain consistent all throughout December and into the New Year, so this is a great way to get the kids started. Simple lightweight running sinker rigs are most effective. Yellowfin whiting can be found along almost the entirety of Geographe Bay’s beach front, but any sand flat areas will be your best option, as whiting love cruising the shallow warm waters this time of year. Try Wonnerup Beach, Tobys Inlet and Dunsbrough Town Beach.

We have a bumper season the crabs this summer, with both shore-based and tinny anglers often managing their quota. Dropping a line of nets from the boat in 2-5m of water makes getting a feed of crabs and easy option.

Walking the shallows in the evening and after dark with a scoop is also a productive way to gather a feed of crabs.

Remember to always check for female crabs carrying eggs, as these must be released, and ensure your catches measure over the 127mm minimum carapace width.

Crayfish have been a little hit and miss for anglers choosing to drop pots. Inshore areas around Kilcarnup and Gnarabup have been hotspots for those dropping pots as well as diving.

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19

West Coast

Action stations for festive season onslaught!

MANDURAH

Jesse Choy

November was a busy month for fishing throughout Mandurah.

Anglers have been reporting plenty of good days out on the water.

Reports show that there is plenty of tailor around the local beaches, indicating that the water temperatures are starting to rise, meaning things will start to get really busy.

Plenty of whiting are being caught in the estuary by anglers, with many notable catches coming from those targeting them on light topwater lures and also deeper vibrating lures slowly rolled back. Lure fishing for whiting can be difficult at times, but it is very rewarding when you succeed and can be quite an active pursuit. If you are going to give them a crack while the weather is hot, be sure to keep your lure moving and pay attention to the interest

closure has been lifted, the estuaries will start see a lot people chasing crabs from their boats or the shore.

When it comes to choosing a spot, you are spoilt for choices in the Mandurah estuary. Most of your local jetties, even those throughout the river, are well worth trying and will usually provide some entertainment.

While the water continues to warm up earlier on in the season, it is generally a safer bet to try the open estuary or further down in

The author caught this tuna while fishing for King George whiting.

He spotted a bust up out of the corner of his eye, quickly tied on a 40g Halco Twisty, threw it out and burnt it back fast.

Tuna chasers are being entertained, with fish being taken on trolled lures and small casting metals. Large schools of baitfish or flocks of birds are always a good indication that you are on some good ground and generally you will be rewarded if you’re not spooking the schools.

Though there are plenty of tuna getting about, there is also a number of boats getting stuck into King George whiting, squid and tailor when fishing off the inner reefs.

levels of the fish. Doing this while also focusing on your retrieve will allow you to hone patterns until you get the fish to commit.

From freshwater to ocean, there is something worth trying for both casual or more serious anglers alike in December. The two most exciting target species at this time of the year are both whiting and crabs. Locals have not been able to take the blue swimmers due to a seasonal closure, which has been in place leading up to December. Now that the

the rivers where there is constant feeding activity and warmer waters.

Yellowfin whiting are becoming very active around entrances to the rivers, the southern parts of the estuary and closer to where the estuary meets the ocean.

While the King George are a bit harder to locate and dial into, there has certainly been an increase in anglers catching King George whiting in the estuary. Some of your usual whiting spots may give up some King George as by-catch, but the

deeper sections where the ocean meets estuary are going to be some of your better spots, if you are going to actively try catch these fish.

Tims Thicket, Preston and White Hills are all great places to have a crack at beach fishing around this time of the year and you are always in with a good chance at something bigger.

The northern beaches are always well worth trying, with Madora Bay, Golden Bay and Secret Harbour all worth having a crack at.

Mulloway, whiting, tailor, herring and the odd shark are all likely captures, especially since the warmer water encourages the activity of these fish and the bait they follow. Fresh bait, on most occasions, will outshine most of your store purchased baits, so dedicating some time to getting some live or fresh dead bait will greatly enhance your odds when going for a session off the beach.

It is a perfect time to take the family out to one of the local dams, as the there is still a fair chance that you are able to hook into some good quality trout and you are definitely bound to pick up some redfin perch while out on the hunt. If you are having difficulty finding fish but are able to move

Stephen Galvin caught this beautiful whiting on a popper while fishing the flats of Mandurah.

Surface explosions sure are fun! from further up due to the lack of rain and the increase in salinity. While these fish are relatively hardy, they certainly tend to move up as the flow from up in Pinjarra slows to almost nothing.

These fish are then able to survive more comfortably in the dense snaggy areas the upper Murray is known

out targeting demersals can pay off and may result in a mackerel or tuna, even when you are not actively targeting them. Though schools are appearing, feeding fish seem to be a bit harder to come by and being ready for a small window of opportunity can make all the difference on your outing.

When the seasonal demersal closure is over, it’s all hands on deck!

Bream caught well upstream at this time of the year are usually quite chunky and fight hard.

20

DECEMBER 2019

around on these systems, it is well worth trying some of your deeper areas, as they are likely to hold some of the better fish, redfin or trout. These fish will often seek deeper, cooler water following a string of warm days, and while they are behaving a bit differently, they are still partial to a well presented bait, fly or lure.

Though there appears to be fish actively feeding throughout the rivers, the upper reaches of the rivers are starting to produce a bit more, with catches coming

for, preparing to spawn and not having to worry so much about the predators, which need a lot more salt to survive.

The lifting of the seasonal demersal closure on 16 December means that anglers are back out targeting some hard-fighting bottom dwellers like pink snapper and dhufish. Inner reefs are worth trying, particularly around the earlier parts of the season where the larger amounts of good-sized fish seem to be.

Keeping an eye out while

While things are already particularly busy, times certainly promise to become even busier as we get further into the festive season.

Remember that at this time of the year, there are a lot of people out and about seeing what Mandurah has to offer.

Not only is there a significant increase of anglers out on the water, but there are also a lot of families and tourists out looking at Christmas lights as well. Practise caution out there during the festive period and make it home to celebrate!

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West Coast

Bonanza on the beaches LANCELIN

Peter Fullarton

The white cray run should be in full swing by now.

Make sure to fill those pots with plenty of smelly and oily bait for best results. If you are having trouble getting onto them, it pays to have a friendly chat while launching and retrieving with other fishers to find what

depths are working best.

At the end of the month, moving pots out past 25m should get you amongst some jumbo crays as well.

While on the topic, during last year’s run there were plenty of reports of blue-ringed octopus.

Several people were bitten along the Perth coast and were very lucky to be able to reach quick medical attention. I had a close call myself, having stood

on one with no shoes on!

Lucky for me, the octopus was the one who died.

Use thick gloves and wear shoes while potting. If there is weed on the floats, discard it before bringing

the deck carefully after each one is thrown back.

If bitten, time is critical.

Call 000 to be sure medical help is on the way and head straight for the beach. Keep the patient calm and still,

Chris and Brett landed four double headers in one session, showing how good the tailor fishing can be at this time of year.

There have been some school size mulloway coming from the surf beaches.

Skipjack and southern bluefin tuna have been falling for both trolled jethead lures and metals cast to the schools.

the floats on board, as often the blue ringers can be in the floating weed. They can also be in the bait baskets inside the pot, so keep an eye out while emptying and rebaiting each pot and check

using a pressure bandage if the bite is on a limb.

The venom can paralyse the victim, including lungs and heart, so be prepared to perform CPR until help arrives. The St John WA

first responder app is a great free app that allows your GPS coordinates to be given to the call taker in an emergency and it has handy first aid guide for immediate first aid.

Mid-month we are back into the demersal fish again.

Warming water should bring the baldie’s back in closer to shore. In the last few demersal seasons plenty of dhus were coming from Direction Bank. In inshore areas we have noticed a

lot less dhufish, especially undersize fish, than the previous bumper seasons. It could be a sign of falling stock levels again, and less fish in the marginal areas is what we tend to notice first. Hopefully we will see plenty of undersize fish this year to indicate an upturn in recruitment. At least for the next little while there should be plenty of good-sized dhufish in the shallows while there is so much food with all the white crays about.

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DECEMBER 2019

West Coast Setting up in a good area of the White Bank and pumping a berley trail can make for an exciting session at this time of year.

All the boats discarding old cray bait and undersize and oversize lobsters see a lot of predatory fish following the boats and hanging around the area for an easy meal. You can expect sambos, yellowtail kings, dhufish, snapper and sharks of all sizes.

Pelagic species are back on the menu. There have been lots of southern bluefin tuna, striped tuna and bonito around. By mid-month, we normally have water over 21°C and see a few more species like shark mackerel and yellowfin tuna. By the end of the month we should be seeing longtail tuna, and if you are lucky even the odd Spanish mackerel.

Lancelin Bay is a great place to fish from a small dinghy or kayak.

vehicles access to the boats and to turn around. Keep the jetty clean of rubbish, weed and dead blowfish.

Someone else always has

Matt with a nice little schooly taken from the surf. to pick up the mess each morning. Please respect the jetty so everyone can use this resource.

By day, a good feed of sand whiting can be had

Adam Marie demonstrating that you don’t need a big expensive boat to get amongst some decent fish. He landed this beauty of a dhu from the kayak just before the demersal closure.

Drifting the weed flats for squid is best done early morning or late afternoon.

Dropping a berley pot over the side along some of the deeper weed beds can get any number of fish species gathering at the back of the boat. Herring, snook, tarwhine, pike, skippy, wrasse, King George whiting, samsonfish and garfish are all possible. As it gets dark, some of the larger tailor from the outer reefs start to prowl the bay.

Drop netting along the shore can also find a feed of nice blue swimmer crabs.

The jetty is used by the local lobster industry to fuel, load and unload the boats. Recreational fishers are welcome to use it as a land-based fishing platform. The fishing boats are mainly active from mid-morning to afternoon.

Make sure to stow your gear neatly to allow the

of herring move in around the jetty and by the time the lights have come on plenty are usually on the bite along with pike, skippy and tailor.

casting towards the shore, otherwise the fishing is usually slow. Close to sunset, things change quickly. Squid can be caught in better numbers, schools

Early morning there can be big schools of baitfish under the jetty, bringing in packs of marauding samsonfish. The sambos can turn up at any time, surprising unsuspecting tourists with their power and size. Some people do target them on heavy handlines or solid LB game rods by casting large poppers or stickbaits. The sambos are considered a game fishing asset to the town, targeted for catch and release, as they don’t eat very well at all.

The beaches have been fishing very well for tailor, with plenty in the mid 50s models and some thumper fish to almost 90cm being landed. Though there are still going to be some good fish around, although we normally catch a lot more chopper-sized ones this month around 35-45cm.

Mulloway and lots of small sharks have been caught at sunset.

There have been some very big herring and sand whiting along the surf beaches as well. Picking a morning with a easterly breeze and using a pollard/ oil berley mix can get them fired up really well. As the water warms this month, we should start seeing some dart in the turbulent gutters.

As the seasons change and the nearshore shallows warm, anglers can expect to see more flathead like this one Kim Barker recently caught on a pilchard rig.

DECEMBER 2019

23

West Coast

Warmer water brings big bites BUNBURY

Grant Teede

The Bunbury area has been fishing quite well lately, and should continue to improve as the weather and water warms further.

Land-based anglers have been reporting some excellent captures. Finer weather has made for some amazing flats fishing in the estuary, with the water being super clean and crystal clear. Chasing yellowfin whiting is still all the rage, and both baits and lures are working extremely well. If you’re going to stick to bait, then bloodworms on a #6 long shank hook is the way to go. Just remember, even though the whiting love the bait, so do the blowfish! If the blowies are too dominant, switching to a lure will help target the whiting specifically and will greatly reduce your blowie by-catch.

The estuary has also been producing some exceptional tailor sessions on the inside of The Cut. Casting small metal lures is definitely proving to be the more effective method.

The crabbing has been

getting better and better in recent weeks, and good numbers can be found outside in the Harbour and just inside The Cut. The crabs move in fast at this time of the year, so don’t be afraid to have a walk

has to be my favourite technique to target them, with bent minnow styles and stickbaits my favourite lures. Fishing the shallow banks at first light should see some unbelievable adrenalin-pumping action.

Lu Landfried shows off the quality snapper on offer in the Bunbury region. This one was taken before the demersal closure. in the estuary with a scoop net. Just on dark or in early morning are good times to give this a go.

The warmer weather also means surface action on the local bream! Fishing for bream on topwater

Squid have been around in great numbers and size. The thumpers aren’t all gone yet. There is a common misconception that squidding is a waste of time in Bunbury waters, which couldn’t be further

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DECEMBER 2019

from the truth. Numbers are higher than ever for the boaties who take the time to target these delicious cephalopods, but there are plenty of land-based spots to target them as well.

Night sessions on the weed banks through Koombana Bay or from the local jetties will produce a feed.

The local beaches have also been steadily producing.

Belvidere and Buffalo Beach has produced great numbers of tailor, and although none of those northern monsters have shown up, plenty of numbers are there to enjoy.

Further north towards Binningup and Myalup, we have had a couple of reports of metre plus mulloway. Fishing for the mulloway can be very time consuming, but patience does eventually pay off.

Setting a live bait in a gutter or near a small patch of reef just after dark will give you the best chance.

Bunbury Back Beach and Dayellup beaches have been producing some good herring, and plenty of constant berley is the key to attracting them to you and more importantly, keeps them there and feeding.

Ben Archer was stoked to land this beautiful mulloway on a glorious day.

Make sure you’re not over feeding the fish and leaving them uninterested in the baits you’re presenting.

• Get out there and enjoy the sunshine and if you’re having any issues with your gear or techniques or just need some advice, come in and see the boys at Whitey’s Tackle and Camping, they have a wealth of local knowledge

that they are always happy to share.

• If you have any questions about something you have read or just want to have a chat, duck into Whiteys Tackle and Camping at 1/143 Grand Entrance, Treendale, Australind.

One of the staff or Whitey himself will be happy to help get you on the right path to that next trophy fish.

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BLACK MAGIC

MASTER CLASS

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

Going after the big bites While I love all styles of fishing, I have to admit these days I’m a trophy hunter and really enjoy honing in on the larger models of a particular species.

to fish this way then it’s important that when that fish of a lifetime does come along you’re ready for it. Everything needs to be covered from your bait presentation to your tackle.

apply, I’m just going to concentrate on a few of the more popular species LARGE PELAGICS Probably the best way to catch XOS pelagics like kings, cobia and Spanish mackerel is to troll live baits bigger then your typical slimy mackerel or yellowtail.

Slow trolling a live bonito up to 1.5kg is a gun way to get connected to the real jumbo class models of these three species.

If you’re serious about it I would run these on at least 24kg tackle with a 100lb Black Magic fluorocarbon leader. The fluorocarbon Black Magic makes is the best out there, providing unparalleled abrasion resistance, making it perfect for this style of fishing.

Big reds, like this 11kg specimen, love large butterflied baits.

It’s then a matter of bridle rigging the live bonito onto a Black Magic GZ 9/0 live bait hook and slow trolling around the shallow reefs holding baitfish.

When doing this to target

big Spanish mackerel, make sure you run a 60cm length of at least 80lb single strand wire from the hook to a swivel on your 100lb leader.

A stinger hook should also be used by attaching

Butterflied baits work great on big snapper and mulloway, and the Black Magic C Point hooks are the perfect match for them.

Doing this usually comes at the cost of less fishing action and takes a pigheaded attitude too not get disheartened by sometimes many fishless trips.

If you are going

This typically means running bigger baits on heavier outfits and upsizing everything from the typical gear associated with that particular species.

While there are many trophy fish fish out there where the above principals

This is a perfect bait for a monster kingfish, cobia or Spanish mackerel.

A trophy Spanish mackerel that ate a whole live bonito on the troll.

another short length of single strand wire from the eye of the GZ hook to another smaller hook or treble that will go in near the rear of the bonito.

SNAPPER When bait fishing for trophy reds I like to run at least 30lb braid to a 40lb fluorocarbon leader and again use much bigger baits then normally associated with snapper.

The Black Magic fluorocarbon is going to be your best defence against a rampaging red dragging you over the ledge as its abrasion resistance is second to none Butterflied baits like large yellowtail or slimy mackerel are my favourite to use. To do this, simply fillet the fish from the tail up on both sides and remove the backbone, leaving the head with two fillets still attached.

I simply run a single 8/0

Black Magic C Point hook on this, which is fed through the nose an out the gill plate of the fish. For smaller yellowtail, slimy mackerel or squid around the 20cm hood size, I prefer to rig them whole on a snelled rig.

Again, it’s very hard to go past Black Magic C Point hooks for snapper fishing and two 7/0 hooks snelled together through a whole bait won’t often miss the mark MULLOWAY While live baits are without a doubt your best chance to find that dream mulloway, the above described baits for big snapper are also adequate big mulloway dead baits.

If you are using live baits, big is best and things like tailor, luderick or mullet to 1kg are awesome big fish baits.

When fishing out of a boat straight up and down, I prefer to use a single circle Black Magic KLT 8/0 circle hook and pin the bait gently behind the head.

If I’m fishing from the beach or rock walls I like to snell rig my live baits with two large 10/0 C Point hooks, one protruding from just behind the head and the other just before the tail.

Big mulloway are not as dirty fighters as snapper and kings, and for most situations 30lb braid with a 40lb Black Magic leader is fine, even on the biggest models. The exception to this is when fishing around structure like rock walls and bridges. Here mulloway can become a totally differently animal, so upping braid size to around 50lb and leader size to 60lb Black Magic fluorocarbon is a better option.

DECEMBER 2019

25

Mix it up for more strikes NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.fishotopia.com

Sometimes, even subtle variations in the way you work or present a lure or fly can radically improve your catch rate.

Little things can and do make a huge difference to your fishing results.

Things like dropping your leader diameter by a few fractions of a millimetre, changing you hook size, or varying your boat speed while trolling. On occasions, these seemingly small shifts can spell the difference between success and failure; between a donut day and a blinder.

I’ll never forget my very first experiences with impoundment golden perch or yellowbelly, at Copeton Dam in northern NSW during the early 1980s. I was fishing there with Rob Smith, chasing yellas on the edge of a full dam by casting-andcranking hardbodied deep divers. We were doing reasonably well, but Rob was kicking my butt… until I accidentally discovered a subtle retrieve trick that turned it around for me.

before turning and suddenly climbing out of the depths.

A lot of our strikes were coming at that moment, when the lure turned back on itself and began to rise.

However, on one retrieve

retrieve, just prior to the lure’s turn-around point, and that’s exactly how, when and where I hooked most of my fish for the rest of that trip.

Interestingly, it has

go-to method for working these sinking vibration lures consisted of short hops off the bottom, interspersed with brief pauses. I hate to think how many goldens have been brought undone

Soft vibes like the Jackall Mask are deadly.

Nowadays, lots of anglers prefer to retro-fit them with small assist hooks when chasing yellowbelly.

Jo Starling took this trophy yellowbelly on an Ecogear ZX40 fished with the more conventional ‘slow hop’ presentation.

However, that once-deadly retrieve is ‘so yesterday’ now!

— just a few cranks before my lure reached that critical flip-around point — a fly managed to crawl in behind the lens of my sunglasses.

I stopped cranking and

also been yellowbelly that have prompted my latest ponderings on the impact of subtle variations in lure retrieves. I’ve been fishing Lake Windamere in Central Western NSW for this species since 1989, and the invitational tournament I kicked off there in 1992 is still going strong as it approaches its 30th year.

It’s amazing to look back and observe the changes in tackle, tactics, techniques and lures across those three decades.

Today, you’re not seriously in the game at Windamere unless your either grubbing the trees with a plastic or chucking a metal blade like an Ecogear ZX or a soft vibe such as a Jackall Mask, a Transam or a Zerek Fish Trap; ideally a black one fitted with small, sticky-sharp assist hooks.

For several years, the

26

DECEMBER 2019

raised my hand to deal with the sticky little intruder… and the rod was almost ripped from my grasp by a fired-up golden!

From that moment, I began incorporating a deliberate pause into every

than ‘hopping’. I’m sure the end result is very reminiscent of a foraging yabby. Bream anglers familiar with working crab imitations like the Cranka Crab will immediately relate, I’m sure.

The take-away message is that today’s ‘hot’ techniques, lures and retrieves won’t necessarily be the best ones next season, next month or even next week. If your results begin to slip, it really pays to mix it up and try some new

The author with a solid Lake Windamere golden perch. Lure fishing techniques for this species (and many others) are constantly evolving. It pays to experiment.

Ecogear’s ZX blades are a cracker of a lure that will catch a whole range of species using retrieves ranging from the ‘shake-and-bake’ or ‘shuffle’ to the gentle hop, the slow roll and an even fast burn… Mix it up!

Those lures dove deeper and deeper as we pulled them away from the bank until they reached an area directly under the boat.

Here they would actually swim past a point where the line was perpendicular

by that exact retrieve, at Windamere and right across the geographic range of this hardy inland native.

However, most fish eventually seem to ‘wise up’ to specific lures and popular presentations, especially land-locked populations in confined waterways like dams. Just as surely, switched-on anglers are constantly looking for new twists to boost their strike rates.

For the past few seasons, at Windamere

Baitcaster, spin or fly, it really pays to vary your retrieve and constantly try new things until you discover what’s working on the day.

and elsewhere, savvy anglers like Jamie Hardman, Murray and Glen Stewart, Jakko Davis and several others have been adapting and mixing up their presentations of these go-to lures, often producing results on days when everyone else is struggling while doing the same old things as they did in the past.

Space precludes me from detailing all of the subtle twists these innovators have come up with, but suffice to say that many of them involve various forms of shake and shuffle that see these sinking lures staying in almost constant contact with the lake bed, rather

twists. Sticking to the same old patterns that worked for you in the past — especially in the face of diminishing returns — really isn’t all that smart. Remember, it was the scientific genius Albert Einstein who famously said: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”

Maybe Albert was also a yellowbelly fisherman!

If you’d like to learn more, Google ‘how to shake soft vibes for golden perch’, or go to Rhys Creed’s excellent podcast series at www.socialfishing. com.au and listen to his wonderful interview featuring Murray ‘The Fish Whisperer’ Stewart.

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recfishwest

FAD-tastic news for West Aussie rec fishers By the time the yellow float comes into view on the open water ahead of you, the anticipation begins to reach fever pitch. Will they be there? After all the time you’ve spent dreaming about it, you hope so!

You don’t have to wait long to find out – a couple of turns of the reel after you cast the stickbait with trembling

hands and bang! You’re on, and then almost immediately you’re not – you’ve barely time to curse before the lure gets smashed again. Your rod bucks and suddenly an electric blue slab of a fish gets airborne less than 30m from the boat!

Now your mate’s hooked up too and joyful fishing mayhem ensues. As you draw

the mad-scrapping mahimahi close to the boat, you can make out the profiles off dozens more them hanging in the water below. Laughing and whooping ecstatically, you realise this is going to be one hell of a fishing session!

THE FAD DREAM BECOMES A REALITY There’s been a huge amount of effort to get a

Statewide FAD program over the line and, at times, it’s seemed like a far-off dream for pelagic-loving boat fishers, but the dream has now become a reality.

Last month the Minister for Fisheries announced the launch of a network of Fish Attracting Devices (FADs) off the coast of Albany, Cape Naturaliste, Perth, Geraldton,

Exmouth and Broome.

By the time this article is published, the Albany, Cape Naturaliste and Perth FADs should have been deployed, with the Geraldton, Exmouth and Broome FADs anticipated to be in place early in the New Year.

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recfishwest Australia and are essentially large floats with a visible marker pole – in WA’s case more than a metre high for the pole and with a float 800mm in circumference. Tethered to the seafloor in open water, they aggregate schools of baitfish, which in turn draw sizeable aggregations of pelagic species such as mahimahi, tuna, billfish and mackerel.

Perth Game Fishing Club (PGFC) have a long history over the last two decades of running a FAD program and have been instrumental in helping to develop the new network – which includes additional FADs west of Rottnest bringing the total off the coast of Perth to 12 – elsewhere four each have been deployed per area.

MARLIN MASTERY Peter Coote, PGFC

President welcomes the additional FADs deployed in the metro.

“With FADs going into the north of the metro, it will open up opportunities for boats going out of Hillarys, Mindarie and Two Rocks,” he says. “The two new ones going in west of Rottnest are in areas that are a really good prospect – so we’re pretty happy about that. FADs have become a public resource with most of them now accessible to trailer boats allowing everyone to have a crack at it and spreading the fishing effort out on the FADs a bit more, which is a good thing.”

PGFC has run its own FADs program for the last 21 years, and Peter says they have offered a unique opportunity to catch marlin inshore in the metro.

“We’ve had some amazing years when the Leeuwen current has been flowing strongly,” he says.

“In 1999 there were 67 marlin caught in just one week! But they attract other species too, mainly mahimahi, which are great fun to catch and great to eat.”

FADS FANTASY FISHING FADs-fanatic Luke Ryan of Perth tackle store TackleWest has been a Perth FADs regular in recent years and says fishing them is about as much fun as you can have without winning lotto.

“You would never catch fish like these on a trailer boat without the FADs,” he says. “Sometimes the amount of fish on them is insane – as soon as you cast out a lure the fish are onto them. The mahimahi in particular are great to catch – they’re great to eat, they’re fast-growing – just great sport fish from every perspective.

“You can fish for them in a variety of ways – trolling, casting lures and live-baiting for them – but we reckon casting lures at them is the best fun. We like to use

stickbaits – but skirted lures can work as well.

“Increasing fishing opportunities like this is exactly what our licence fees should be spent on.”

Now with the expansion of the network, fishers outside of Perth will be able to have a crack at some of the quality sport fishing the FADs have to offer. Generally, the FADs are within reach of boats ranging from 5m upwards with sufficient engine grunt to get out offshore.

However, once in place the Exmouth and Broome

FADs will be perfectly accessible to dinghy owners, making mahimahi, Spaniards, wahoo and billfish a very real prospect for tinnies.

So now with the establishment of this network and the fishing activity it is going to generate very quickly, it would seem this really is more than just a passing FAD! For more information about the FADs, visit recfishwest.org.au and for information about the Perth Game Fishing Club, visit pgfc.com.au

Abalone Fishing Tips Abalone Fishing Tips Abalone Fishing Tips Abalone Fishing Tips For the best catch, gear up and plan ahead with these simple tips.

Find patrolled locations If lifesavers are on duty stay within their eyesight and signal if in need of assistance.

For the best catch, gear up and plan For the best catch, gear up and plan aheadCheck withthe these simple weather conditions ahead with thesetips. simple tips.

Bad weather and large swell reduce visibility,

FAD CODE OF CONDUCT (courtesy of the Perth Game Fishing Club) • FADs are there for the benefit of all recreational anglers.

• Courtesy should be extended to anglers who are already using a FAD and new arrivals should be accommodated. Take turns fishing a FAD. • Do not tie up to a FAD, the mooring gear is designed to secure the FAD float and line only.

Loops of rope for tying boats to a FAD have often been recovered, boats damage the radar reflectors.

• Keep boats, lines and lures a safe distance from FADs. Hooks and lures attached to mooring gear create a major hazard during recovery operations. Wire leaders are rarely needed.

• Do not interfere with any equipment that is attached to FADs. Fisheries temperature recorders have been removed in the past • Avoid using stainless steel hooks and wire traces. Stainless hooks do not corrode away and present a hazard when recovering FADs. Wire trace is rarely needed.

• Recognise conservation values, take only as many fish as you need and don’t exceed the WA Fisheries bag limits. Do not ‘high-grade’ your catch. Fish being kept should be dispatched humanely. Juvenile fish should be released as they have little value as a table fish and will grow to bigger fish in the future.

making it harder to find your For the best catch, gear upabalone. and plan aheadCheck with simple tips.

Check the weather conditions thethese weather conditions 5

5 3/4

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3/4 7

3/4

weather large swell reduce visibility, Bad weather andBad large swelland reduce visibility, it harder to find your abalone. 6 Use a mesh bag making making it harder to find your abalone.

It is lighter and easier to carry, and it keeps your catch Check thefresh. weather conditions Bad5 weather and large swell Use a mesh bagreduce visibility, making it harder to find your abalone.

It is lighter and easier to carry, and it keeps 6 Use a mesh bag

your catch fresh.

It is lighter and easier to carry, and it keeps Gloves and Reef Shoes your catch fresh.

These will prevent cuts and bruises and allow 6 for a atighter the reef.

Use3/4 meshgrip bagon Gloves and Reef Shoes It is lighter and easier to carry, keeps These will preventand cutsitand bruises and allow your catch fresh. a tighter grip on the reef.

Gloves and Reeffor Shoes Abalone These willTool prevent cuts and bruises and allow Tryaatighter flat edge abalone instead of screwdrivers for grip on thetool reef. or other knives toAbalone preventTool damaging your abalone 7 edgewhilst abalone tool instead of screwdrivers or injuring yourself ora flat others fishing.

Gloves and ReefTryShoes or other knives to prevent damaging your abalone

7

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These will prevent cuts and bruises and allow yourself or others whilst fishing.

Abalone Toolgriporoninjuring for a tighter the reef.

Try a flat edge abalone tool instead of screwdrivers or other knives to prevent damaging your abalone or injuring yourself or others whilst fishing.

Abalone Tool Try a flat edge abalone tool instead of screwdrivers or other knives to prevent damaging your abalone or injuring yourself or others whilst fishing.

For location, fishing fishing For location, and safety tips visit and safety tips visit mybeach.com.au/abalone mybeach.com.au/abalone For location, fishing

6

Find patrolled locations Find patrolled locations If lifesavers are on duty stay within their lifesavers are on duty stayof within their eyesight and signal if in need assistance.

Don’t goIfalone eyesight and signal if in need of assistance.

Staying with a friend or group means you locations canFind keeppatrolled an eye on each other and the conditions.

If lifesavers are on duty stay within their eyesight and signal if in need of assistance.

Don’t go alone Don’t go alone Staying a friend or group meansyou you Staying with with a friend or group means can keep an eye on each other and the Wear long sleeve wetsuit canakeep an eye on each other and the conditions.

It will make it easy to move about in the conditions. water, it will Don’t goprotect aloneyou from the reef and keep you warm.

Staying with a friend group means you Wear a long sleeveor wetsuit willan make to move about in the can keep eyeit easy onwetsuit each other and the Wear aIt long sleeve water, it it easy will protect you from theinreef Itconditions. will make to move about theand keep you warm. water, will protect you from the reef and Mask anditSnorkel keep you warm.

Take a mask and snorkel to search for Wearsafely. a long sleeve wetsuit abalone Snorkel It willMask makeand it easy to move about in the a mask and snorkel to search for water,Take it will protect you from the reef and abalone safely.

Mask Snorkel keep and you warm.

Check phone Take your a mask and snorkel to search for Get important SMS and email updates abalone safely. by following SLSWA on Twitter for live Check your phone Get important beach safety Mask andinformation.

SnorkelSMS and email updates by following SLSWA on Twitter for live

Take abeach masksafety and information. snorkel to search for Check your phone abalone safely.

Get important SMS and email updates by following SLSWA on Twitter for live beach safety information.

Check your phone Get important SMS and email updates by following SLSWA on Twitter for live beach safety information.

DECEMBER 2019

29

West Coast

Jetty gives up squid and cuttlies JURIEN BAY

Jason Harris

The beaches around town are providing some good fishing, with good reports coming from down around Hill River, Island Point, north of the marina and out to Sandy Cape.

Good-sized tailor are being caught in the late afternoons and evenings on most of the beaches. Plenty of berley and baits such as mulies and hardiheads are the go. Mulloway are around, especially at night, so a bigger bait in the berley trail is worth a go.

On the calmer mornings you can try stickbaits and other lures around the reefy areas that are close to shore.

There are also some larger herring and whiting coming from the beaches, with prawns, sandworms and squid being the best baits.

Alex from Seasport Tackle reports good catches of fish, squid and cuttlefish coming from the jetty. The main catches have been herring, whiting and skippy, with squid and prawns doing the business for bait. The squid are still preferring green squid jigs in the 2.0-3.0

sizes. If you see Alex at the tackle shop, he will point you in the right direction.

Out off Sandy Cape anglers are having success on the squid from kayaks.

Paddling out over the weed beds and using squid jigs has been all you need to do.

Just need to wait for the right conditions to get out there.

comfortable without the southerly blowing. Prawns and berley are the winning combination for the herring.

The mackerel have been quite patchy, with the best catches from the jetty during the easterly winds. Anglers are also getting tailor off the jetty and night seems to be the best time for them.

This cuttlefish was taken off the jetty. They can be caught with the same techniques and jigs as squid.

Those fishing at night on the jetty have also been getting good catches of herring. Those in the know wait for the wind to back off a bit after sundown before going down there. The fishing will be a bit more

Whole baits are working best for both, such as mulies, sardines and whitebait.

Another option is to try lures, either metal slices or shallow runners around the 6-8cm size.

The demersal closure

is still in effect until 16 December, and there have been some large swells around, but boaties have managed to get amongst some of the other offshore species when the conditions permit. There’s plenty of whiting in the bay and on the sand patches around the bay, and behind the islands, particularly Favourite Island. Drifting over the sand patches with baits like ox heart, prawns and squid seems to be the ticket. Skippy are also coming from the bay, and spots like Wire Reef and other areas of broken ground are worth a look.

Crayfish are in close and being caught in the bay.

The usual rocky areas like Pumpkin Hollow, behind Favourite Island and Wire Reef all have reds. There are a lot of spawning females in the mix, so don’t forget to check for tar spots and berries. Remember that setose (hairs on the egg claspers) can be kept now.

The whites should be running about now.

Also don’t forget about the new rules regarding your cray rope and floats. If the total length of rope, from the pot to the end of the float line, is longer than 20m

Alex with a decent squid he jigged up off the jetty in the afternoon. you must put weights on the line. Shane at Seasport tackle has weights that are designed to run straight through the winch.

If you can get outside the bay, samsonfish are getting caught jigging on some of the lumps. The odd

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mulloway can be found in these areas as well.

The water quality in the marina is improving, and is hopefully cleared up by now. It’s a good spot to fish for herring and skippy, with plenty of spots sheltered from the southerly wind.

West Coast

Beat the wind to bag a feed GERALDTON

Graham Maunder & Michael Triantopoulos

Summer’s here and with it has come a host of new opportunities. As always, there’s plenty going on in this part of the world, so let’s take a look at what’s on offer.

wind and weed movement along the West Coast is something land-based anglers get used to, but if your prepared to travel a bit, south of Flat Rocks and Greenough are fishing well for tailor, mulloway up to 10-12kg, school sharks and eagle rays. Further north to the first and second points

but recently the distance has varied from 10-30m.

Maybe the blowies are giving both the whiting and anglers a hard time, and like us they don’t like blowies either!

Sunset Beach, Glenfield and Drummonds reefs are some of our best tailor, herring, whiting and pike

BOAT With the water temperature on the rise our summer pelagic season has started, and as usual getting out early for a few hours before the southerly starts to blow has been preferable.

Pensioners Bank heading north towards Drummonds to Coronation has been fishing well for Spanish mackerel, school mackerel, striped tuna and samsonfish. Most fish have been caught trolling hardbody lures, but there has been a couple of anglers putting the time into live baiting for them. Live pike and slimy mackerel suspended under a balloon have landed Spanish mackerel to 15kg, the

Dave from S Bend Caravan Park with a mulloway caught recently. mackerel and the occasional yellowtail kingfish. Working surface and sub-surface lures around the top of African

Rod Tomlinson with a yellowtail kingfish caught on a 135 Roosta Popper.

BEACH Our summer fishing season is building nicely, with tailor sizes up a bit on last year. Summer tailor tend to be a little on the light weight side of prime, but so far the majority of this year’s stock have been 35-45cm in length and nice and fat!

The local rock walls and beaches have had some challenges, with wind and

at Cape Burney, tailor, pike, mulloway, squid and herring are reliable until after dark.

South Gates, Tarcoola to Separation Point and Greys Bay are a bit difficult, but again when the weed lets up the tailor, sharks and rays are turning up most evenings, especially around the Point St Reef and the northern side of Point Moore. Pages Beach

spots in early summer, but getting up at 4:30am is not for everyone. So if you’re an early riser the pre-dawn bite is usually much better than the evening, and you don’t have to put up with the late afternoon 20-knot southerly breeze either!

Our squid fishing season is the best we have had for years, and even this late in the year the rocks at Greenough, and

The annual ‘whites’ western rock lobster run is in full swing. occasional samsonfish and the annoying sharks, which mostly are unstoppable.

Fishing African Reef has been a bit hit and miss, but there has been some schoolsized yellowfin tuna, Spanish

(weather permitting) seems to be finding good quantities of yellowtail kingfish. The back edge of African seems to be where all the bait holds up, but unfortunately it’s also where there lots of sharks.

SMALL BOAT/KAYAK Point Moore to Pages has still been producing reliable numbers of squid, but most are having to work a little harder to get a quantity of them though. Herring and pike have been around in numbers along with the occasional school mackerel.

The early morning bite seems to be the most productive, especially on the high tide.

Fishing the reef breaks around the Light House has been producing some good size tailor to 60cm and yellowtail kingfish to 70cm, making for some great fun on light tackle. Using poppers and sinking stickbaits is the preferred method.

Seal Rock is a terrific place to tuck away and get out of the wind, and anchoring and using berley on the inside produces a good mixed bag of bread and butter fish including herring, whiting, pike, squid, tailor and the occasional school mackerel.

• Geraldton Sports Centre is the Mid West’s specialist fishing tackle store. Drop in and see the friendly professional staff for local advice and knowledge and browse the extensive range of fishing equipment on show at 204-208 Marine Terrace, Geraldton, or call (08) 9921 3664.

While travelling around Australia before the demersal closure, Adam Reading called into Geraldton and managed to tick a dhufish off his list. This species will be available again mid-month. weed movement making opportunities a bit hit and miss, but when conditions are right there are a good mix of school mackerel, tailor, whiting, pike and squid from outside of the rock walls and enough blue swimmer crabs from inside the marinas to make a decent feed.

This time of the year

through to the North East Point behind The Lives has been very reliable for school and yellowfin whiting, with some fish over 35cm, but unfortunately the blowfish have been in plague proportions some days, and only seem to move off after sunset. The larger whiting are usually quite close into to the shore break,

the sea grass beds out from Point Moore to the Batavia Marina are producing squid up to 1kg most afternoons.

These catches are coming just before and after the high tides near the fishing platform on the northern end of the Batavia Marina, especially once the marina lights take effect after sunset.

Nat Gedero with a solid dhufish taken before the demersal closure.

DECEMBER 2019

31

Gascoyne Coast

Sailing into silly season EXMOUTH

Adam van Nellestyn

The Billfish Bonanza has been run and won under some pretty

best to live baits such as yakkas; just look for the bait schools and you’re in with a good chance of a sailfish.

Mixed in with the sails are plenty of cobia. You can

Diane continues her dominance on the billfish. Image courtesy of On Strike Charters. tough conditions, which caused the first day to be cancelled and reductions in fishing times for the following two days.

A total of 11 teams competed in the Pro/ Am event across seven sections, catching and releasing 17 sailfish, one striped marlin and one blue marlin. Congratulations to On Strike who took out the Sailfish Pro division and Champion Team Overall.

Our local Tackle World crew fishing on Nail It got four sails and won the Am division, and we’re very happy with that.

The sails are responding

sight cast to them around the bait schools or manta rays, using a lightly weighted bait or 5-7” soft plastics in pale colours. Good options include ZMan SwimmerZ, Berkley Nemesis and Samaki

Boom Baits Bomb Shads.

There are plenty of quality Spanish mackerel around at the moment, taking trolled Halco Laser Pro Crazy Deeps and Strada Trackers. You can troll for them along the back side of Ningaloo reef, and between the Murions and the cape.

On the beaches anglers are catching the usual fare, with whiting, flathead and bream in the gulf. All you need to catch them is a 2-hook paternoster with longshank red hooks and a bit of prawn.

There are some reports filtering through of mangrove jacks starting to turn up in the warmer water.

One of the most successful lures is the Storm So-Run sinking stickbait, which is very effective when worked with a twitching action.

A lot of jacks are found around the marina and canals, either along the rock walls or around the jetties and piers.

Alternatively you can head down the bottom of the gulf or the Bay of Rest and fish amongst the mangroves.

The incoming to the slack tide is the better time to fish for them.

Double trouble – a pair of cobia caught on Berkley Nemesis curl-tails rigged on Nitro Specialist jigheads. Image courtesy of On Strike Charters.

DECEMBER FISHING The blue marlin activity should heat up this month as temperatures continue to

Nail It about to release another sailfish on day two of the Billfish Bonanza. Image courtesy of Exmouth Game Fishing Club.

rise. It’s also a good time to get out to the west side and target bottom species in anywhere from 30-120m of water. The species on offer include red emperor, gold band snapper, Robinsons sea bream and pearl perch.

The reds like to move a bit shallower at this time of year, so you’re best off concentrating your efforts in that 30-50m range.

Mangrove jack will also be coming on stronger this month, and hopefully a couple of barra will turn up too.

• For all the latest news on what’s biting and where, drop in to Tackle World Exmouth at 3 Maley St, Exmouth or give them a call on (08) 9949 1315. You can also view the range at www.tackleworldexmouth. com.au, and see the latest catch photos on their Facebook page.

This family business stocks a large range of tackle, from light spin to big game. The staff have a wealth of local knowledge and expertise, and are always happy to help.

Big greenback tailor are the talk of the town KALBARRI

Stephen Wiseman

Some nice fish have been taken prior to the demersal close, with reported big reds to the north and loads of pink

snapper just under size at around 400mm, which all looks good for next year when they grow to legal size.

This month the recapture of a tagged tailor was of particular note. I received an email from Fisheries WA

with info on a tagged fish captured just north of Wedge Island to the north of Perth.

As the custodians of more than a million data entries of fish in WA, WESTAG is the go-to centre when it comes to tag info in WA along with Infofish on a national basis.

This tailor, originally tagged in Kalbarri, was re-caught 331 days later after having travelled 330km and had grown by 115mm.

Kalbarri is known for chunky tailor like this one, and December is a good time to get stuck in!

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DECEMBER 2019

This tailor was tracked back to the WESTAG program and all the details below were revealed.

The fish was originally tagged by Jamie Waite north of Kalbarri near the sand patch on 2 November 2018, and measured 635mm fork length. On recapture

by Robbie Riches on 29 September 2019 it was

measured 750mm and had travelled approximately 330km in the 331 days!

The fish was released to continue its epic journey down the coast… or maybe back up to Kalbarri again!

Other fish of note have been some nice-sized bonefish in the shallows at the back of Oyster Reef

and to the North along the beaches by the Sand Patch.

These are a recent addition to the catch list for visitors to Kalbarri.

The reliable sand whiting and bream are still abundant upriver and around the pens for the young tackers to have a play with and keep parents amused.

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North Coast

Here’s hoping for a big wet in the Pilbara DAMPIER/KARRATHA

Troy Honey

The start of the new season in the West Pilbara has gotten off to reasonable start with a couple of early light showers that haven’t been see at this time of year for a few years. Fingers crossed

that this is a sign we are in for a good wet, which the creeks and rivers here have been longing for, as they are all but dry inland with only the parts where the tide reaches that seeing water.

There are a couple of pools in the creeks, such as the one at Mairee Pool on the highway just south

of Karratha. This is a great spot for camping and kayaking, with plenty of fish including mangrove jack. This is freshwater, so the fish certainly won’t receive high regard on the dinner table, but if you are after some light tackle fun try casting small lures around the snags and reeds.

Food is a bit light on for

Mangrove jack are a ferocious predator that will defend their territory at any cost. The author enjoyed the feisty battles on a recent light tackle fishing trip.

Dylan Munn with a massive example of what casting poppers around Karratha can produce.

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the jacks, so they are quite aggressive at the moment and will provide hours of fun that the whole family can enjoy.

Heading towards the coast into the tidal areas you will find plenty of barra reports coming in early on this season. Goodsized fish are being caught in the creeks north and

creating the same with your lure.

If you are after more sport in the creek systems there are plenty of trevally to take on at this time of year. There’s a few smaller models with a few quite large fish over the half metre mark amongst them.

Both tide changes are the key times to entice them to a

so be sure to cast from an area that retrieves the trevally away from the structure. They run hard and if let go for too long they will ping your line over the sharp-edged rocks and it’s game over.

Mud crabs are plentiful at the moment, with both landbased and boat anglers doing well. This will continue right

Anglers like Dylan have been working hard to put Karratha on the map as one of the best big GT fisheries in the country. With many beasts like this landed recently, it’s no wonder this idea is gaining momentum.

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DECEMBER 2019

south of Karratha on both the build up to high tide and the run-out to low tide.

Try working the drains on the banks on the falling tide by casting lures right to the very bottom of the drain.

At this stage of the tide barra will be sitting here snapping up the baitfish as they’re washed out of the drain, so work towards

lure, as this is their feeding time. If land-based fishing, walk along the banks at the tide change and you will hear the trevally busting on the surface. Target that area, casting your lure over the schooling baitfish and retrieve back through them.

The creeks around Karratha are well known for their hard and sharp rocky areas,

through the festive season and provide the perfect meal for when friends come over.

Walking the mangroves as the high tide recedes with a hook is one way to catch them land-based, but my preferred method is to simply throw drop nets from the bank into the deeper waters right next to the bank where the crabs walk in search of

North Coast food. Be sure to not use your expensive nets when doing this type of crabbing from shore, as the risk of snagging them on mangrove roots is high and often leads to either damaged nets or not being able to retrieve your net at all.

Some of the best eating fish in the creeks are the many species of cod.

These cod are spectacular 5-star eating fish, will take just about any bait and are commonly caught right through the warmer months. As the term suggests, rock cod like their rocks. When hooked they will often head straight for the closest rock hole and bury themselves deep. By doing this you also lose the ability to be able to put pressure on because of the risk of line breakage. Braid is not recommended here, so try using mono and even the trusty old hand line with a size 3-4 running sinker and 5/0 suicide hook with any fresh or frozen bait.

Don’t be afraid of going up in poundage on your mono for rock cod. They are not finicky, and you need the line strength to put force on them once they become anchored in the rocks or under snags. Solid 30-60lb will suffice. Cast into the snaggy areas and allow you bait to sit on the bottom.

Rock cod are plentiful, so it won’t be long until you are hooked up to one of the many cod species. I recommend learning the different cod and even taking an identification book or phone app with you if you intend on taking them home, as a couple of the species have minimum

size limits. If you do, I have no doubt you will be rewarded with one of jewels of the north when it comes to table fish.

Further afield, the demersals are being caught in 30m+ of water, with the larger and more prized reds and rankins coming from depths over 40m out past

Demersals are still around at this time of year in Karratha. Dylan Munn got onto some great red emperor while fishing the deeper waters out the back of the archipelago recently.

the shipping anchorage and around the rigs. The exception are the coral trout and bluebone that are being caught in good numbers and size in depths of less than 5m around archipelago rocks.

There have been some very big GTs caught by some of the local anglers casting poppers over the reefs and other structure.

The beasts can be found all year round and will push the toughest of tackle and anglers to their limit. Dylan Munn is one local angler who has the art of getting onto the massive GTs down pat, which is working well towards putting Karratha on the map as one of the best GT fishing locations in the country. If you are serious about taking on these monsters in Karratha, then head up and drop in to the local tackle shop or yacht club and they will be more than helpful in steering you in the right direction. Prepare yourself with some very tough gear, such as reels in the 1400020000 range, PE10 rods and 100lb line to fling large poppers with strong hooks.

Casting poppers with this sort of gear for a short time is hard work in itself, and then you still have the battle with the GT, so work on your fitness if you are

The author took this black spotted rock cod casting a Gold Bomber lure. serious about GT fishing in Karratha, especially in the heat over the next three months.

The hardest part now is choosing what to target over the wet season in Karratha, with such a diverse range on offer. Be mindful if you are planning a trip up to

watch the weather forecasts, as we are in cyclone season.

Always be prepared and have a back up plan because the weather can change in an instant and not only ruin a great fishing holiday but could lead to a tragedy instead of an unforgettable fishing trip.

"The team at Stessl wish you a safe and Merry Christmas on the water."

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For more information visit www.stessl.com.au DECEMBER 2019

35

North Coast

Barra, sweat and rain BROOME

Troy Honey

The wet season has well and truly set in, with humidity above 80% on a daily basis. It can certainly test even the most

ample hours of screaming reels and bent rods.

Demersals such as emperors and trout are still about, but you will need to change things up a bit to find them. They prefer the cooler water at this time of year, so start looking in deeper

Ty Corpus with the 106cm barra caught on the Fitzroy River that earned him champion angler at the BNFC Barra Away Comp. acclimatised locals while knocking the tourists for six the moment they land in Broome or open their car door upon arrival. But we love it. The early starts and being on the water can help to get through the day, but it is the feeling you get knowing the barra and threadfin are at their aggressive peak that really gives you the strength.

We have now seen the last of the sailfish and for those after Spanish mackerel there’s only a straggler or two. So turning your attention to the wet season ocean dwellers such as queenies, brassy and golden trevally and the very large and hardfighting permit that can be found along the Broome coast will provide you with

waters with good structure. It does mean more travel time heading out to waters in the 40-50m mark, but the rewards are there for those who do.

Cobia, triple tail, bluebone and jewfish are all other great options to target during wet season.

Try Roebuck Bay around the buoys for triple tail using small lures or bait on light tackle. Cast past the buoy and retrieve to gain a strike. Triple tail are very aggressive so if there are any under the buoy or any floating object such as weed or wood they will attack. If after a few casts there’s no site of them, move onto to another floating structure.

Jewfish can be found deep in the holes in Roebuck Bay, which can be found by

scanning around. Using a paternoster rig with mulies or bony herring and a sinker heavy enough to get you down into the hole in the big tides will work a treat.

Jewfish a very solid fighters, so brace yourself for the hook up. It is known that jewfish do not release well, they will swim away but will often die a short time after, so it is preferred to only catch what you intend to take home with you and then stop fishing for them.

Bluebone really fire up in the warmer water and can be found close to shore in the rocky areas all around Broome.

Onto the barra now, as that’s what Broome is known for at this time of year.

Many anglers and charter boats have been enjoying a spectacular start to the season, with many great specimens being landed, including quite a few round the magic metre mark. All of the creeks around Broome as well as further east on the Fitzroy are holding good fish. Live baits of poddy

Andrew Sippe landed this very good size barra on the Fitzroy River from his tinny. mullet and lures are doing the trick.

BARRA AWAY COMP The Broome North Fishing Club, which is a local non for-profit club, has events during the year for the whole family to participate in including free events to help kids and parents learn the art of fishing. A few weeks ago the club held its annual Barra

Away Comp on the Fitzroy River at Langis Crossing, which is a little over an hour’s drive east of Broome.

The fishing during the comp was hard, with the water levels quite low in the river, which saw to competitors dragging their boats further than they could drive them until the tidal push came through in the

Throwing cast nets for live mullet is the preferred option for many Broome anglers chasing big barra on the Fitzroy River or any of the local creeks.

afternoons. Late afternoon storms with heavy rain and wind gusts up to 120km/h for a couple hours each day created a hectic environment for the anglers, with one team managing to get their prop stuck while motoring, which hurled the tinny sideways and nearly flipped the tinny.

The comp had a total of 27 competitors and saw a total of 25 barra caught. Competitor Brad Obrien landed with nine barra himself over the two days. Jodi Thornhill stepped up for the women, landing two nice barra of 65cm and 63cm. Junior champion was Sam Fitzmaurice, with a 57cm barra. The majority of barra were caught on livies, and the overall champion of the comp Ty Corpus caught a barra of 106cm on a dead mullet bait.

This event is one of many held by local clubs and a great way for anyone to get out and learn from the best locals if you are in Broome for a fishing holiday. There are always plenty of anglers willing to offer advice to get you on your way to catching good fish!

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Finding cool or deep water will bring success FRESHWATER

Peter Fragomeni

With spring behind us it’s time to change tactics if you are chasing trout, as December sees the start of some hot days that send fish down deep, and in some situations making them unlikely to feed.

only other option as a sport fishing species.

Still, we can only advise people that these beautifully marked fish be returned for others to enjoy, and until a law is passed then not much can be done except perhaps more education on how hard these browns are to produce and the limited numbers available each year.

climate, things will remain unchanged.

Other good news for the Albany area is that the King River will again be stocked with trout after a long closure because of a study to identify supposed threatened native species.

This came about because of a local trout fisher from the area asking for an update and

any other freshwater species we have available in our southern region.

We are still living in hope that silver perch are included in a government stocking program in some of the dams, as they offer no threat to the ecosystem because of their tiny mouths and their inability to reproduce in our environment. Redfin have had a huge impact on the ecology of our dams, so introducing a native species can only increase opportunities for thousands of Western Australians and tourists alike.

DAMS Waroona Dam Unfortunately this water didn’t fish as well as the previous years for rainbow trout, but the browns showed up in early spring and more stocks went in late October, so if December stays cool it should fire.

Drakesbrook Weir Things have slowed down after a fantastic spring, with some nice browns being caught and the usual rainbows playing the game.

Young Leo Warner with a big 50cm redfin from the Collie area. His dad Michael had to slide down a 6ft bank to net it!

December is to target them with lures or soft plastics.

Logue Brook Dam This area has been very quiet lately, but a beautiful

run through October saw many trout and redfin removed from the water and the best locations were Quarry Bay, First Causeway

Simon Holland with another beautiful brown trout. He is one of many anglers who are pushing for a catch and release policy to protect these trophy browns.

This is mainly the case for our northern dams, however if you are fortunate to travel down to Pemberton or fish the cooler streams (and perhaps the Collie River) then you will still find some good fishing.

To rap up the season in a nutshell I would say most of the catches consisted of hatchery-stocked fish, although a few wild fish were caught in selected locations.

I’m hoping that with the new government committee set up by the minister and the project to expand the hatchery, more large browns can be grown, along with some larger rainbows solely for stocking rather than breeding.

Even if we increase the stocking of large trout it will still remain a short six-month season because of our hot summers sending trout

requested that I raise it at the next Recfishwest committee meeting. This is fantastic, as I was of the opinion we had lost this area for good.

Unfortunately, there is another threat to Harvey Dam backed by the same group, and as more information comes through it will be clearer on their intentions, but if they succeed it would be a negative for arguably our best trout fishing location Redfin perch are active in the hotter months and are our only other option in the freshwater. This 44cm specimen was caught in deep water.

Unfortunately, for some reason fisheries stocked standard yearlings this year and the ones I caught were only 26cm long and in poor condition. Redfin have been caught and your best bet for

48cm wild rainbow was caught recently.

Harvey Dam This water fished poorly in early spring, but turned on and fired with late stockings.

A number of competitions

and The Cattleyards.

I landed a nice brown on Chesters Point near the boat ramp, but unfortunately this location was slow this year.

A nice 33cm yearling was landed and it resembled a

Rainbows in good conditon can still be taken in the summer months.

The debate is still raging over the number of browns that were caught and killed this season, and I can understand the pain some anglers feel, as we live in the poorest state when it comes to freshwater fishing, with only redfin perch as our 38

DECEMBER 2019

deep to where redfin have depleted the food supply to such an extent that trout can’t get enough to survive. Proof of this is in places like Logue Brook Dam where redfin aren’t present, so unless other more adaptable species are included to combat the warming and drying

close to Perth.

AUSSIE NATIVES Some nice bass have been caught and released of late and the silver perch have also shown up in private locations and lakes close to metro areas. I landed a nice 50cm silver on fly and must say they run rings around

Sometimes watching the release can be more rewarding than the catch.

trout from a non-redfin water and was in prime condition.

Unless December is cool I would suggest targeting redfin on deep diving lures or soft plastics fished deep.

there’s a huge drop off close to the bank on the farm side.

Large rainbows patrol this area and I was busted off at night fly fishing at night using a large Mrs Simpson

browns, but at this stage, I can only advise that these browns are returned, as they prey on the tiny redfin and are harder to produce yet hardier in the wild.

Collie River below Wellington Dam This is our best summer fishery, as it is fed by cold water let out for irrigation purposes. Some nice fish have come out lately, both browns and rainbows, so a visit could produce a result in the fast water using the usual techniques.

Blackwood River This water frustrates many who fish it, but those who persevere are normally

the highway all the way down to The Cascades is a safe bet.

Other areas are above the Hatchery up Rainbow Trail where you can now only walk in and fish the little runs that glide over the rocks with a fly or lure. Just be careful not to spook the fish in the low water.

Donnelly River The Donnelly is very low this time of the year, so look for better water downstream or try

effort by Recfishwest and their stocking committee we again added it to the stocking list. It will be receiving rainbow trout fry this year and hopefully next year it will be stocked with yearlings. A concern is that redfin have ended up in the system, so hopefully this is not the case.

So if you are keen to try your hand at freshwater fishing grab yourself a licence and head out and

Fisheries releasing 100 large rainbow trout into Harvey Dam. Unfortunately there is a local group opposing this and threatening one of our best trout fishing destinations, as well as much-needed local tourism.

Wellington Dam There’s no current reports from this area, but if plans fall into place we will get a trout stocking next year into this underfished impoundment.

on a floating line. As half of the dam is on private property, courtesy goes a long way.

Big Brook Dam Good reports of both rainbows and big browns

RIVERS Serpentine River This water is hard to fish but the Trout Foundation is hoping to clear intrusive scrubs from the bank and push for greater

Big bass are becoming more common in our waterways. They feed heavily on invasive species and help to reduce the impact on the environment.

Trout fishing is important for tourism. Wendy Jane displays a nice rainbow she caught at Drakesbrook Weir.

Glen Mervyn Dam A few trout have been caught at Glen Mervyn, but redfin have dominated the catches.

Norilup Dam Only a small water that sits to the west of Greenbushes, Norilup gets a good stocking and can fish well in December. Be cautious if you wade, as

have come through and this water can fish well in December, with spinning and fly fishing being the preferred methods. I had a report from a local fly fisher of many big browns sitting close on the bank and falling to lures and baits. He like others is pushing for catch and release on these trophy

DAM LEVEL PREDICTIONS FOR DECEMBER After a drier than average season our dams are lower than at this time last year.

Harvey, Glen Mervyn and Wellington Dams are well below last year’s levels, although the other dams aren’t quite so low.

WAROONA DAM DRAKESBROOK WEIR LOGUE BROOK DAM HARVEY DAM WELLINGTON DAM GLEN MERVYN DAM BIG BROOK DAM

79% 77% 74% 48% 53% 62% 95%

environmental flows from the dams upstream, so check their website if you want to get involved.

Murray River Only small rainbows have been showing up, but good redfin have come out well above Dwellingup for those willing to explore.

Don’t be afraid to venture as far up as Hoffman River if you are chasing redfin.

Brunswick River Summer can be a great time to fish this river, but I fear that this year it may even dry up totally because of the lack of decent rains over winter.

Collie River above Wellington Dam Redfin are the only option and some nice specimens have been taken in the vicinity of the town, with lures and sot plastics being the better options.

rewarded for their efforts.

The secret is to fish the faster water and keep moving until you find a fish.

Warren River Some nice trout have been caught from locations upstream of Pemberton, while others have had success down closer to the sea. December can be hard going, but trout are still caught by those who put in the effort. Redfin are always available and some nice specimens have been caught from the deeper pool in all locations throughout the river system.

Lefroy Brook This is by far the better location to fish this month, as the Lefroy is fed by cool water let out of Big Brook Dam. It is also the site of the only trout hatchery in our state where thousands of trout are produced by a hardworking, dedicated team.

Hopefully with some new ideas put forward they will be producing less small fry (small trout under 50mm long) and more larger advanced yearlings and two-year-old fish of a catchable size. These fish are less susceptible to being taken by small cormorants and redfin perch, and of cause offer immediate sport for the 11,000 anglers that buy a licence each year.

I would look for shaded areas and the section below

launching a boat or kayak at Boat Landing and trolling or flicking lures in the streams that flow into the river, both upstream and downstream on the ramp.

ALBANY AREA King River As was reported earlier this river was unnecessarily shut down, but with a great

explore our great inland waters! Just a warning, be careful at this time of year as snakes are active around water, so wear appropriate clothing and footwear.

Please also be aware of the also a total fire ban that is in place in summer. Be sure to check the DFES website for more information.

Bec Crossingham is a keen freshwater angler and is no stranger to big fish in the top end. Here she smiles at a bait size redfin out of the Murray River.

DECEMBER 2019

39

CHRISTMAS BLACK MAGIC 30LB LEADER

1

NEW SENSHI RELEASES

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Pink leader has been popular for some time amongst serious anglers, as it is viewed as being less visible in certain water conditions.

Although fluorocarbon options are common, Black Magic’s Pink Shock Leader is produced as a copolymer trace, which provides great value for money while still giving robust performance under stress. The recently released range has now expanded to include a 30lb line weight. This will be popular as it’s suited to a wide range of fishing applications.

Whether you’re lure fishing, surfcasting, or general bait fishing, it’s sure to be a popular addition.

This leader is ideal to use in murky water, deep water or when being viewed from below looking up at the line near the surface. It also retains the excellent abrasion resistance and knot strength seen in Black Magic Tough Trace and, like the name states, it gives excellent shock absorption as well. And of course, it’s a more affordable and more supple option than fluorocarbon. Keep an eye out for it at your favourite tackle store. www.blackmagictackle.com

Senshi has released a range of boxed hooks after demand from anglers for bigger quantities in its most popular models.

Senshi hooks are produced using the finest quality raw materials, and are made to the highest standard. The range of hooks have chemically sharpened needle points, use high grade carbon steel and are all a black nickel finish. The boxed hooks are available in the following models: octopus/beak, long shank, baitholder and finesse, and are in the most popular six sizes in each model.

One of Senshi’s latest releases is the G-Point hook – the next generation of high quality chemically-sharpened hooks. The G-Point Iseama Pro series hooks are extremely strong and offer no extra coating over the hook point itself, creating an extremely sharp hook point.

The Senshi G-Point Iseama Pro hooks are a 2X Strong, straight eye with straight beak hook that are available in pre-packs of 10 hooks in sizes 2 through to 12. They are suitable for many fish species.

To find out more about the Senshi hook range visit the Juro Oz Pro Tackle website. www.jurofishing.com

DAIWA LEXA HD

GIANT KILLING JIGGING RODS

2

Beauty and brawn blends with quality and performance in the new Lexa HD baitcaster. A sleek and stylish ergonomic profiled aluminium body sits comfortably in the hand, and combines with the Lexa’s advanced technologies and designs to create a mid priced heavy-duty reel that’s unmatched in style and strength.

Featuring many of Daiwa’s best technologies and innovations including Magforce, UTD, Infinite Anti-Reverse, Power Handle, EVA knobs and CRBB bearings, the Lexa HD has left nothing on the table when it comes to strength, with a stainless steel gearing system ensuring ultimate power cranking power and precision.

An amalgamation of strength, looks, and performance the Lexa HD is the heavy-duty baitcaster for those on a budget and those looking for power and strength in a reel.

Whether it’s muscling kingies down south, barra in the north or samsonfish in the west, the Lexa HD is the reel that does it all, and has it all. www.daiwafishing.com.au

PRO LURE FISHTAIL UPDATE

3

Over the past 12 months, Australian company Pro Lure has been working on some modifications to the popular Fishtail soft bait.

Looking to increase the versatility and make the Fishtail easier to rig, the designer has made several changes. A shallow split belly has been added to aid weedless rigging with worm hooks, and the dorsal fin has been removed, replaced with a shallow groove along the back. This makes it easier to rig straight and align jigheads, as well as having a protecting channel for weedless worm hook points to sit snugly.

The final change is a slight narrowing up the front of the Fishtail, so that standard jigheads will sit cleaner. The addition of a white albino colour to the range and more rigging options will provide more possibilities.

The Pro Lure Fishtail is available in three sizes, 80mm, 105mm, and 130mm.

Trade enquiries can be directed to sales@ prolureaustralia.com.au. www.prolureaustralia.com.au 40

DECEMBER 2019

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Never before has there been such a highend and comprehensive range as the 2019 release of the Giant Killing Jigging rods.

These are the ultimate in Majorcraft jigging rods, with overhead and spin models for light, standard and slow jigging tasks. As the name suggests, the design principles are focused around large predatory trophy fish.

There are 15 rods in the series with varying lengths from 6’2” up to 6’6”, and they all feature updated cosmetics. The Fuji SiC Slim ring material makes the rods even lighter than before.

The rods come with PE ratings starting at 0.6 for the Light Jigging all the way up to the Jigging models with a PE of 4.0 at the upper end of the range.

For more information on this and other rods in the range, visit the Major Craft Australia website or look them up on Facebook (facebook.com/ majorcraftaus). www.majorcraft.com.au

SAMSON LURES

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4 5

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Samson handmade lures are long casting and virtually indestructible made for Australian fishing.

With five separate lure designs, all wired through and ranging from 15g to 150g, Samson lures cover everything from lighter tackle fishing right through to chasing big pelagics like tuna.

The range includes various surface and subsurface lures, all with the capability of casting long distances and covering as much ground as possible.

Samson fishing has successfully established its lures range on the UK market, where they have been very effective in catching sea bass.

Of course, the lures are effective for a wide variety of Australian fish species – everything from tailor, Australian salmon and kingfish right through to Spanish mackerel and tuna.

All Samson lures are wired through and are virtually indestructible, making them an ideal choice when up against the razor sharp teeth of mackerel or against hard fighting kingfish.

The Samson lure range is available from tackle retailers and online. For more information visit samsonluresaustralia@gmail.com or visit the website.

Price: SRP $13.99-$59.99 www.samsonluresaustralia.com

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visit www.tacklejunkie.fish for the latest tackle news - AS IT HAPPENS!

SCAN THE QR CODE!

CHRISTMAS SAMURAI ROD ACCESSORIES 7

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Transporting fishing rods is often fraught with danger. Bundles of rods are hard to carry, often arranged more like a game of ‘pick up sticks’ than an easy-to-carry group of fish-catching devices. They splay all over the place and invariably get damaged.

The Samurai Rod Belts are made of high quality neoprene and Velcro and are designed to make it easy to transport multiple rods without the hassle of trying to carry multiple individual outfits. They are slightly stretchy and come in two sizes, small and medium. Simply wrap one around your group of rods near the butt end and another up near the tip and voila – neat and tidy.

While transporting rods, even in neatly arranged groups, you wouldn’t be the first angler who has smashed the tip of your favourite rod into something and ruined it. The Samurai rod tip protector is designed to protect your rod tip from damage during transportation. Made from the same material as wetsuits, the tip protector is easy to slip on and protects the sensitive part of your rod.

To see more information on these and other Samurai accessories, visit the Samurai Australia website or check them out on Facebook (facebook.com/samurairods). www.samurairods.com.au

ZMAN 7” DIEZEL MINNOWZ

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Requests from anglers chasing a big 10X Tough swimbait have seen the release of the ZMan 7” DieZel MinnowZ, a beast of a paddle tail plastic. Featuring the same realistic and proven profile and action as the 4” and 5” models, the 7” takes things up a notch in terms of bulk, water movement and big fish attracting qualities.

Whether you’re chasing barramundi, Murray cod, mulloway or kingfish, searching the depths or slow trolling for bluewater bruisers, the 7” DieZel MinnowZ has you covered, teamed up with a brutally strong TT Lures HeadlockZ Extreme, SwimlockZ or ChinlockZ jighead.

Other features include a belly slot for easy rigging and adding scent, along with a split top fin for simple and effective weedless rigging.

The increased softness and flexibility of ZMan’s 10X Tough ElaZtech material dramatically improves hook set when weedless rigging when compared with standard soft plastics.

If big fish are on your to-do list, check out these mega paddle tails at your local ZMan dealer. ZMan 7” DieZel MinnowZ are available in 12 colours, with three per pack.

Price: SRP $17.95 www.z-man.com.au

DAIWA PHANTOM HYPER LT

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Daiwa’s new light tackle workhorse has arrived with the introduction of the Phantom Hyper LT. This new reel blends design and leading edge technologies with excellent value to deliver anglers one of the most feature-packed mid-range spin reels for some time.

Daiwa’s LT Concept provides strength and weightlessness, quality and performance, while a machine cut forged Tough Digigear delivers class-leading gear strength and smoothness. A metal alloy body enhances reel sensitivity and strength while Air Rotor provides balance and support for ultimate reel performance.

A Long Cast ABS spool, Air Bail and ATD technologies combine for untouchable line control, while a machine cut handle keeps weight down.

The Phantom Hyper LT is available now in four deep spool sizes, ranging from 3000D-6000D. www.daiwafishing.com.au

SHIMANO SQUIDGIES RODS

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Specifically designed for the soft lure enthusiast, the new Squidgies rods are a cunning combination of performance and value. Featuring T45 blank construction and quality Fuji K guides, this series of rods are light and sensitive yet strong and reliable for anglers who demand a lot from their gear.

All Shimano Squidgies series rods have been carefully designed to ensure their actions and lengths complement a range of lure weights and fishing techniques, catering for a wide range of applications and fish species. With eight performance spin and two sturdy baitcast models, these rods may find you in the remote wild gorges chasing cod and trout, to the hard-running rivers of the country’s tropical north.

No matter your chosen style of fishing there’s a rod in the range to suit. Featuring comfortable full-length camo EVA grips and varying actions across the series, nine of the 10 models are two-piece construction, so you’ll always be able to pack a Squidgies rod on your next adventure. Look for them in your nearest tackle store now.

Price: SRP $159.95 www.shimanofish.com.au

7/0 SNAPPER SNACK

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Black Magic is expanding the range of their popular Snapper Snack rigs to include a NEW 7/0 version. These will be available at all good tackle stores soon.

As with all Black Magic rigs, confidence in the components is not in question. In this case they are rigged on the premium PTFE coated 7/0 hooks and 80lb Tough Trace.

The natural swimming action of the Snapper Snack skirts, coupled with the scent of your bait is hard to beat when it comes to catching snapper and other NZ fish species. Now with the bigger size you’ll be able to target an even wider range of fish from XOS snapper to hapuku, kingfish and more.

Features include: twin lure rig incorporating high UV luminous skirts; cast, bottom bounce, or just drop and wait - versatile and simple; best fished with bait, but will still catch without; most hook-ups are in the corner of the mouth, and; available in six enticing colours. You can browse all the sizes and colours at the Black Magic Tackle website. www.blackmagictackle.com

BONE HERO DARTER

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The Hero Darter is a soft, multi-function vibration lure that has a number of awesome features.

There are three tow points on top of the Darter that provide three slightly different actions, and there is another tow point on the nose, which gives the lure a cast and retrieve option. This essentially gives anglers four lure fishing options in the one lure!

However, the big thing with the Darter is that when the lure is in the jigging/vibration mode, a chin weight can be attached to the front nose eyelet that will allow this lure to be sent on deeper missions or fished in faster currents. The real beauty of this option is that the action of the lure is unaltered – in fact, while testing, the nose weight increased catches!

The Hero Darter is a beautiful fishmunching 90mm long lure that is initially available in eight colours. www.wilsonfishing.com

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au DECEMBER 2019

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CHRISTMAS SAMAKI MAKO SHIRT

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The mako shark is impulsive, aggressive, agile, and every shark-lover’s dream! The blue green details of Samaki’s new Mako Shirt are enhanced from the background through to the underbelly of the sharks.

With not just one but two mako sharks attacking at speed, the yellowfin has no chance!

The lightweight fabric of this shirt is perfect for all outdoor elements, protecting you from the harsh sun with Samaki’s UPF50+ resistant technology. The soft touch 100% polyester material is comfortable on the body, and has the added feature of being breathable, keeping you cool and dry.

Samaki designs are brought to you by Australian anglers who love to design Australian species. The shirts are available in adult, youth and kids sizes from a size 2 through to a 5XL allowing the whole family to get in on the action and out onto the water.

For more information and stockists visit the Samaki website, or like them on Instagram and Facebook to keep up to date.

Price: SRP $59.95 (adults), SRP $49.95 (kids) www.samaki.com.au

SAMAKI SLICK

SHIMANO TREVALA S

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Designed for shallow water jigging,Trevala rods feature lightweight C4S blanks and parabolic actions specially designed for slow fall and flutter jigs like the new Tiger Baku Baku.

The fine diameter one-piece C4S blanks are extremely strong and lessen the respective rods’ overall weight, which allows the angler to focus on fighting the fish and not the tackle. Fuji Alconite guides and reel seats are complemented by shaped EVA grips that are specifically intended for jigging work.

The slow tuned actions are very precise, and allow the angler to effectively work the jig with minimal effort. Shimano recommends matching these rods with the Shimano Tranx series of 300 and 400 sized baitcaster reels, for an outfit that is super balanced and ideal for getting the most action out of your jigs.

Available in power ratings from XL to MH, there are five spin models in 6’ 3” and 6’ 6” sizes, and a 6’ 3” overhead model. They are available in-store now.

Price: SRP: $229.95 www.shimanofish.com.au

OBSESSION 17 BASS SERIES 14 Australian-made Obsession Spinnerbaits

Samaki’s extensive range of sunglasses just got bigger. The Slick is here to stay, and alongside the current range are two awesome new colours: brown tort with an amber lenses and matt black with a copper lenses. Each model is designed for your target species and most loved fishing environments.

The square-shaped Slick is so comfortable that you won’t want to take it off. Each one of the Samaki-designed frames gives you great coverage from the elements and provides you with the polarised lenses you need when you’re out on the water.

Slick colour options are available in matt black/green revo, matt black/blue revo, matt black/grey, brown tort/amber and matt black/ copper, giving you multiple options to suit all anglers and fishing scenarios.

For more information and stockists visit the Samaki website and like them on Instagram and Facebook to keep up to date.

Price: SRP $49.95 www.samaki.com.au

have a strong following amongst Murray cod and golden perch anglers. Owner and designer Raymond Parry was keen to expand his horizons, and with the assistance of some keen bass anglers he has produced a range of spinnerbaits focused on Australian bass.

This new series is called the ‘Bass Six Pack’, and Obsession Spinnerbaits is releasing six new colours (WB, BG, DONC, GM, GOAT and PBJ). They will be available in 1/4oz, 1/2oz and 5/8oz through your local Obsession Spinnerbait stockist.

Head to the Obsession Spinnerbait website to view their complete product range, which includes single, twin, triple and quadbladed spinnerbaits, mumblers and buzz baits. Jigheads are also available from 1/8oz3.5oz, and there’s an extensive range of skirt colours, as well as soft plastic curl-tails in 4”, 5” and 8” sizes. The product range can be customised to your requirements or you can design your spinnerbait from scratch. www.obsessionspinnerbaits.com

NEW FROM STRIKE PRO

ATC VIRTUOUS

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Two of Strike Pro’s latest lure releases are the Bass Beetle and the Hunch Walker.

The Bass Beetle is an ultra-shallow running Beetle imitation. This lure is perfect when the Christmas beetles and cicadas are buzzing around. The Bass Beetle offers extreme realism in its shape, and this shallow running lure has an enticing body roll and dives to approx. 1ft.

The Bass Beetle is 4cm long, weighs 5.7g and comes in six fish-catching colours. It’s sure to be a hit with anglers targeting bass, estuary perch, bream, trout and jungle perch.

The new Hunch Walker is a wakebait version of Strike Pro’s popular Hunchback range of lures. The Hunch Walker works on the surface and sub-surface, just under the surface in the scum line. When it is retrieved across the surface it creates a commotion and paddles, looking just like a frog or cicada kicking across the top, with a head-down, tailup, wide swaying action. The Hunch Walker is 5.5cm long, weighs 6.5g and comes in six proven colours. It is irresistible to bass, estuary perch, Murray cod, sooty grunter and more. www.jurofishing.com 42

DECEMBER 2019

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New to the ATC range of reels is the Virtuous – a range of reels with a host of features that combine to make them tough, dependable and affordable.

An aluminium body and rotor ensure these reels are built to last, and the 9+1 stainless steel ball bearings give these reels a smooth feel that doesn’t wear the angler down. Add into this an ergonomic handle for the ultimate in comfort when fighting large fish, and the Virtuous is one of those reels that will stand the test of time.

All of these comforts are backed up by a brilliant and exceptionally smooth dual drag system. This system is built to provide two drag surfaces on the top and underneath the spool, allowing for ultra-fine adjustments and exceptional smoothness. The dual drag system also means that when you need to wind up the drag, the ability is there to give you some real stopping power.

Sizes range from the 2000 light line special all the way up to a 10,000 that swallows almost 500m of PE4 line and has a max drag of 20kg! www.wilsonfishing.com

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NEWS FROM

ADVERTORIAL

HOBIE MIRAGEDRIVE 360 AND PRO ANGLER 2020 Truly the Ultimate Fishing Machine, the 2020 Pro Angler with the MirageDrive 360 and Kick-Up Fins delivers power in every direction for unprecedented manoeuvrability and control.

Two decades ago, Hobie revolutionized kayak fishing with the invention of the original MirageDrive. The radical engineering was met with worldwide acclaim and leg-propulsion became the new standard for kayak fishing locomotion.

Imitators eventually arrived on the scene, but Hobie remains the industry benchmark.

Hobie knew improving on its revolutionary MirageDrive wouldn’t be easy, but they weren’t deterred. Six years in the making, for 2020, Hobie is proud to announce the greatest achievement to date in the form of an astonishing 360-degree rotating pedal drive—an all new paradigm in kayak fishing boat control, complete with a nearly 100-page

SPECIFICATIONS Pro Angler 12 Length 366cm Width 91cm Height 51cm Capacity 227kg Vantage seat capacity 159kg Fitted hull weight 49.7kg Fully rigged weight 60.1kg Pro Angler 14 Length 417cm Width 97cm Height 51cm Capacity 272kg Vantage seat capacity 159kg Fitted hull weight 56.5kg Fully rigged weight 67.4kg

patent registration.

Put simply, the remarkable new Hobie MirageDrive 360 propulsion system is a 360-degree rotating pedal drive that allows anglers to easily manoeuvre their 2020 Mirage Pro Angler 360 12 and 14 fishing kayaks in every direction—backwards, forward, sideways, diagonally—or even effortlessly spin on its own axis. Upping the ante with all-new Kick-Up Fins, which automatically retract upon impact, the new MirageDrive 360 delivers precision boat control and closequarter manoeuvrability that’s unrivalled by any other human-powered watercraft. With the MirageDrive 360, anglers go where they want and fish how they want with total control and complete confidence.

The MirageDrive 360 is designed for versatility on the water and to help anglers catch more fish. Infinitely more manoeuvrable, anglers will immediately discover they spend less time positioning their boat, and more time catching fish. Boat control is brought to an entirely new level, affording anglers the ability to surgically position themselves to make the best cast and presentation to the fish, as well as staying right on top of fish once found, shallow or deep or anywhere in between.

The MirageDrive 360 allows access to tighter quarters and more fishing scenarios.

Imagine being able to turn on a dime in every direction. It also allows you to follow shorelines or underwater structure in a way kayak anglers have never experienced.

“The MirageDrive 360 completely changes how you engage with your boat and the environment,” says Philip Dow, Lead Design Engineer for Hobie. “For example, if you’re fishing along a shoreline or highly contoured underwater structure, you can follow those nuances exactly with boat placement. Similarly, with the Kick-Up Fins, shallow and structurefilled waters become far more manageable.

Hobie’s MirageDrive 360 completely

redefines boat control.”

“In the same way a trolling motor can hold an exact point, you can do that with the MirageDrive 360. You can hold an exact location and direction against wind or current, too. Previously, when you drifted out of position, you had to pedal in a circle to point the hull in the right direction between casts. Now, when you’re sitting idle,

additional angling equipment.

“In every environment there’s the need for better control in order to position yourself to present your bait to the fish in the most natural way possible,” says Morgan Promnitz, Hobie’s Senior Fishing Brand Manager. “Whether you’re fishing offshore, inshore, or freshwater, the benefits are numerous. We’ve tested the

ENGINEERED TO SWING FINS A FULL 360 DEGREES

if you turn the drive and start to pedal you’re immediately turning. It’s extremely effective for place-holding in an exact location. You feel like a sniper. If you want to swing the bow past a rock, you can do it exactly and make your next cast without any unnecessary boat movement.”

Designed to accept Hobie’s vast array of accessories, the Pro Angler 360 fishing kayaks can be easily outfitted with

boats in a multitude of fishing environments and our test team’s response has all been the same—the MirageDrive 360 gives anglers a huge advantage that results in more fish caught, period.”

“The Kick-Up Fins add peace of mind to anglers exploring waters with submerged objects such as rocks or tree stumps because the fins will automatically retract upon impacting an object. This greatly reduces any chance or damaging the propulsion system and allows anglers to explore with confidence—no more damaged props or bent fins.” – Hobie Fishing Asia Pacific

and durable Thermoform construction, the Passport is a well-rounded kayak that truly offers something for everyone, from novice to experienced kayakers alike. It is the ideal kayak for casual recreation and family outings, but is ready for all kinds of adventures on the water. Designed to accept most of Hobie’s vast array of accessories, the Passport can be easily outfitted with additional equipment.

Powered by Hobie’s first-of-its-kind Classic MirageDrive pedal system, the Passport makes kayaking smooth and efficient, cruising seamlessly through the water. The shorter hull length and wider body provide great stability, while the

intuitive steering system and stowable rudder enable easy manoeuvring. Standard equipment on the Passport includes a suspended mesh-back, aluminium-frame seat, two-piece aluminium paddle, two rod holders, accessory mounting tracks, Lowrance ready, Power-Pole Micro bracket indent and an accessory mount that accepts the kayak sail and new bimini. Kayakers will also enjoy moulded-in, cross-bungee cargo areas on the bow and stern, as well as Hobie’s ‘twist-n-seal’ hatch. You can create your ultimate setup from weekend fishing to a family day sailing on the open water. – Hobie Fishing Asia Pacific

HOBIE MIRAGE PASSPORT 12 Hobie is proud to announce the latest addition to its renowned line-up of pedal kayaks, powered by the brand’s signature MirageDrive – the original pedal propulsion system for kayaking. The Passport was built

with simplicity in mind, delivering efficiency, ease of use, versatility and comfort in a highly accessible package.

The Passport has been designed to help break down those barriers of entry that may be keeping people off the water and make pedal kayaking more accessible and affordable. The goal of the Passport is to be able to bring the experience that Hobie’s MirageDrive technology has delivered for more than 20 years to a broader audience.

With its excellent value, transportability, simple and sleek design

DECEMBER 2019

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Last round before WA Bream Classics GF The third and final round of the 2019 Getaway Outdoors and Hobie Polarized WA Bream Classics Boat Series took place in Augusta, where 25 teams battled it out

excellent results in previous individual kayak events on the Blackwood River, so when the two joined forces to compete together, they were going to be very hard to beat. This was proven

cash either, which they thoroughly deserved for a terrific performance.

Paul Burton and Ben Oakes shared with everyone the tools of the trade that they used to wreak havoc

a 2506 Daiwa Certate reel, which was spooled with 10lb Sunline Castaway braid. Connected to his braid he ran 6lb Sunline Vhard fluorocarbon leader material.

During the presentation, the two anglers thanked the organisers and the series sponsors and Ben Oakes in particular thanked Whitey’s Tackle for the support they have shown himself and the WA Bream Classics Series.

Tackle Tactics and for good reason too. The two anglers brought back a very good bag of bream and the way it made the middle of the bag slump suggested this bag could snatch the win from team Bush Chook. The scales flickered between the high 2kg mark and the low 3kg mark, but eventually they settled on 2.8kg, and unfortunately for team Lowrance/Tackle Tactics

what was a tricky day.

The two anglers fished between Molloy Island and the ski area for much of the day and in that zone they concentrated on reeded banks where they would fish along the drop-offs. The tactic from there onwards was to cast Gladiator Shiver vibes along the drop offs and once the lure hit the bottom, they would impart sharp rips. This technique proved

Team Bush Chook, Paul Burton and Ben Oakes, may look tired after a long day catching countless numbers of bream, but the mood inside is of elation after winning the third round of the boat series. on the Blackwood River.

This was the last chance for the teams to qualify for the grand final before they had to rely on getting through with a wild card entry. No one likes to rely on a wildcard entry, so the seven qualification spots up for grabs were going to be hotly contested!

Equally as hot were the conditions during the day of competition. Sunny skies and no wind allowed the sunrays to beat down upon the competitors, which created some testing conditions during the morning. To make matters worse, these conditions are some of the most challenging to target black bream in, so the going was very tough for everyone early on. Yet, there was respite on the way. By 10:30 am, the shirts on the backs of the anglers began to flutter as the westerly breeze swept over Augusta. This not only refreshed the anglers, but it also created better conditions for bream to feed in. With plenty of time remaining in the day, it was now a game of which teams were going to take full advantage of the westerly breeze.

BUSH CHOOK CONCOCTS A WIN What does victory taste like? Just ask Paul Burton and Ben Oakes whose team name, Team Bush Chook, suggests it tastes very, very good! Paul Burton and Ben Oakes have both enjoyed 44

DECEMBER 2019

correct when they weighed in a full bag of four fish for 2.93kg and took out the honours for the Berkley round three event.

Their day began well, catching a few legals straight away before the weather conditions quickly put an end to the morning bite.

They plugged away upriver of the ski area for very little success during the first few hours, but it wasn’t until the westerly breeze showed up that everything turned around for Team Bush Chook.

Once the breeze picked up, Paul and Ben made their way to the ski area where they targeted sandy drop-offs with a mixture of River2Sea Baby Vibes and OSP Dunks.

Once they got settled into a rhythm it was then a question of who was faster: the ski boats or Team Bush Chooks catch rate?

Their day went from painstakingly slow to rapid fire as they caught legal after legal once they began dancing their baby vibes along the bottom with small lifts. They upgraded their bags multiple times and who knows how big their bag would’ve been if they were given another few more hours on the water?

The boys were on a roll and the rest of the 24 teams weren’t going to stop them. Nothing was going to stop them walking up to the presentation marquee to claim their $1600 in

on the Blackwood Bream.

Paul Burton used an Atomic Bream Surface rod equipped with a 2500 Daiwa Tierra reel that was spooled with 10lb Siglon braid. Connected to his braid he ran 5lb Yamatoyo Harris Fighter fluorocarbon leader material.

Ben Oakes used a 701, 4-6lb, Edge IRS rod equipped with

Team Absolutely Crabulous, Travis Newland and Josh Phillips achieved their best finish in a boat series event with these quality bream.

LOWRANCE/TT A CLOSE 2ND It was a nervous wait at the weigh-in for Alex Greisdorf and Jack Dawson from Team Lowrance/

they had to settle for second.

Despite this they were still very happy with their performance and it’s little wonder why when you bring back such a good bag on

Team Lowrance/Tackle Tactics, Alex Greisdorf and Jack Dawson, are very good at holding fish for the camera when they catch quality bream like this.

to be effective, resulting in between 12-15 legals caught during the day.

During the presentation, Alex noted that they didn’t catch a lot of legals for a Blackwood River session, but thankfully his team was able to find the right ones. A 2.8kg bag in most events is enough to see you finish first or second, which is exactly the bracket they found themselves in. They also found themselves $600 cash, and a product pack of sponsor provided prizes.

Alex and Jack don’t achieve so many good results without some quality tackle to get the job done. Alex used a Duffrod Bream Stix equipped with a 2500 Daiwa Exist, which was spooled with 8lb Daiwa Evo braid.

Alex also ran 6lb Yamatoyo Shinu fluorocarbon leader from his main line. Jack used a Duffrod Sneaky Stix equipped with a 2500 Daiwa Sol. Loaded onto his Daiwa Sol was 14lb Gosen Casting braid, and connected to his casting braid jack ran 6lb Yamatoyo Shinu leader.

At the presentation, the two thanked the organisers, the series sponsors and Alex thanked his personal sponsors, Lowrance, Tackle Tactics and Getaway Outdoors.

ABSOLUTELY CRABULOUS DAY ON THE WATER Rounding out the podium were the two up and coming anglers in WA’s tournament scene, Travis Newland and Josh Phillips from Team Absolutely Crabulous, who weighed in a full bag of bream that dragged the scales to 2.61kg.

Just like the other place getters, Team Absolutely Crabulous fished the ski area and targeted the drop-off that lined the banks. They didn’t just fish any drop off. They concentrated on drop-offs in depths of 2.5m and living up to their name, they threw crab imitation style soft plastics on 1/12oz jigheads.

These soft plastics were the Razor Edge Bruce, which were dragged slowly along the drop-offs until they were taken by the bream that were patrolling these declines looking for small morsels to feed on.

Initially the going was slow for the two anglers, but the wind seemed to have made all the difference to the mood of the fish and so too the mood of the two anglers, who turned their day around with a series of very fine captures. If that wasn’t enough to turn their mood around, then $300 cash and a product pack of sponsor provided prizes

certainly would’ve done the trick.

Travis and Josh have been kicking goals in this

year’s tournaments and they don’t do it with average gear either. Travis used a 7’ 1-3 kg Atomic Arrowz rod equipped

with a 2500 Shimano Stradic, which was spooled with 8lb Siglon braid. Connected to his Siglon braid he ran

Guess the weight winner Michael Thompson happily holds his $50 aloft.

4lb Yamatoyo fluorocarbon leader line. Josh used a 6’8” 1-3kg Pflueger Trion rod equipped with a 2500 LT Daiwa Excellor, which was spooled with 14lb Gosen Casting braid. Connected to his Gosen Casting braid was 4lb Yamatoyo fluorocarbon leader.

At the presentation Travis and Josh thanked the series sponsors, the organisers and also Chris McCreddin from Razor Edge Lures for supplying them with some great tackle at great prices.

BIG BREAM The big bream for this event was won by the man whose smile was beaming wider than the Blackwood River, Paul Burton, who caught a cracking 40cm bream which weighed in at 1.02kg. This also equates to $500 of icing on the cake and he can thank his River2Sea bay vibe for this capture.

Once this fish was hooked, he simply loosened the drag and let the fish tire itself out due to the luxury of hooking this fish in an area absent of structure. Once the fish tired itself out, it slid into the net and just like that, Paul Burton just won himself $500 cash!

GUESS THE WEIGHT Lastly the winner of the novelty game, Guess the Weight, was Michael

Thompson who won himself a very easy $50 for guessing the closest to the weight of the winning bag. Plus random draw prizes went to Team Bream Reapers who collected a product pack of sponsor provided products, and Team DragonFly also picked themselves up a Berkley net.

That just about wraps things up for the Berkley Round three of the 2019 Getaway Outdoors and Hobie Polarized WA Bream Classics Boat Series on the Blackwood River. On behalf of WATA (West Australian Tournament Anglers) we would like to thank everyone for supporting this event, the Molloy Island Caravan Park for letting us use their facilities and also to all of our amazing sponsors who make all of this possible.

These sponsors are Getaway Outdoors, Hobie Polarized, Compleat Angler Nedlands, Pure Fishing, Daiwa, Gladiator Tackle, Whiteys Tackle, Tackle Tactics, Tackle HQ, Razor Edge Lures, Challenge Batteries, JML, Duffrods and Lowrance.

Next up for the boat series is the grand final!

Watch this space to see who is crowned grand final champions and who takes out team of the year. It’s going to be very interesting!

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Drive, Bibra Lake WA and raised 53 Gordon Road, Mandurah WA Eastern 331 Great Eastern Highway, Midvale WA 53Kembla Gordon Mandurah WA 331 Great Highway, Midvale WA thicker andRoad, higher topsides the side all thanks to our revolutionary Apex Hull. 31 Port ph 08 9434 1822 ph 08 9581 7224 fax 08 9581 6305 ph 08 9250 3339 fax 08 9250 8339 The radical, variable flared bottom sheetph deck, for more freeboard.

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DECEMBER 2019 45

Surprises for the Moore River kayak round It goes without saying that the aim in tournaments is to find big bream, but this couldn’t be stressed anymore for the anglers competing in the third round of the Getaway Outdoors & Hobie Polarized WA Bream Classics Kayak Series on the

and time again like a true fish whisperer.

Josh decided to begin his day by travelling upstream to a stretch of the river just short from Diamond Island.

It didn’t take him long to put a couple of fish together and while they weren’t big,

Josh Phillips holding aloft his treasures that he found at Diamond Island to win the Moore River event!

Moore River. The Moore River provides anglers with a heap of fish to catch all day long, but while this may be entertaining, the size of the bream is mostly on the small side of the scale.

To put that into perspective, one in every ten bream that you will catch will be of legal size and when you do catch a legal, that legal size bream is generally small, ranging from 26-29cm.

On the beautiful spring day with partly cloudy skies and a moderate southeasterly breeze, the anglers set off on the Moore River to hunt down those elusive big bream that cold make all the difference to their fortunes. Although, another challenge arose for the field of anglers. The sand bar at the mouth of the river had recently sealed itself from the ocean, which resulted in the river filling up again to near full capacity. This allowed for the bream to reinhabit many areas of the Moore that were once out of the water when the sandbar at the mouth of the river broke and emptied most of the water back out to sea. The water levels had risen to such a point that bream were now swimming amongst the base of tree trunks and bushes. With more areas for the bream to run to, especially the big bream, the question was just how well could they hide?

PHILLIPS OVERCOMES ODDS “Not very well” would’ve been Josh Phillips’ response after the performance he put on to clinch a very well earned victory. In the short time that he has been in the tournament scene, he has quickly demonstrated that he is able to talk the language of black bream if there was one, because no matter which system he fishes, he is able to produce the goods time 46

DECEMBER 2019

it was a good start and the confidence was growing. It wasn’t until Josh had ventured to Diamond Island that his fortunes would change for the better, and as the name suggests, his treasure lay in wait. It wasn’t exactly

Diamond Island, Josh had bagged out and upgraded a couple of times to put together a fantastic bag of solid bream.

At the time of the weigh-in, the scales weren’t getting much of a work out until Josh arrived at the weigh table and delivered what became the record bag for a Moore River kayak event, coming in at 2.04kg! Josh’s efforts equated to a very well-earned victory, and so too his prizes, which for Josh was $750 in cash, an Okuma Cerros rod and an Okuma Epixor 30 reel.

After the event Josh reached into the back of his car to extract his weaponry that did the damage on the water. In his hands Josh held his ‘old trusty’ 7ft 1-3kg, Pflueger Trion rod, which was equipped with a 2500 Shimano Stradic Ci4. Spooled onto this reel was a straight through spool of 3lb Sunline FC Sniper fluorocarbon line.

During the presentation Josh Phillips thanked the series sponsors, the organisers and also made a special mention to his wife Bec for her support and the chance to have the day off to go fishing. He certainly made the most of that!

You can just about see the area in this photo that Joseph Gardner fished to extract these quality Moore River bream. smooth sailing from this point onwards, as Josh initially kept moving upstream of Diamond Island anticipating better fishing the further upriver he peddled. Although, the further he travelled the worse things got, so after an hour and a half, he decided to head back to Diamond Island and change his tactics from soft plastics to hardbodies.

Using a Jackall Chubby Deep in suji shrimp colour, Josh targeted the dropoffs on the sandy banks by slowly rolling his lure across the bottom. The lure was shovelling up sand as it dug into the bottom and this is what excited the fish into eating his presentation.

Soon after returning to

GREISDORF RELIABLE AS EVER If your life depended on someone catching a big bream in an event then you would just about always put your faith in Alex Greisdorf to get the job done. He is a magnet for big bream and not even the big Moore River bream could evade him as he put together a full limit that tipped the scales to 1.89kg and earned him second place.

The start of the day was looking very promising for Alex, who managed to catch a couple of legal-sized bream in quick succession of one another. Within the first hour he had two legals in the livewell, including a nice bream at 33cm. Although just

Alex Greisdorf has almost sealed the deal for Kayak Angler of the Year with these cracking bream. as quickly as the action began, it slowed down, and Alex was left stuck with two fish for a couple of hours until he chose to change location.

Initially Alex was fishing downriver towards the mouth of the river, but chose to head 500m to a spot upriver from his starting point.

Despite changing location, Alex kept throwing the same lure, a 2.5” ZMan GrubZ in gudgeon colour on a 1/16oz TT HeadlockZ jighead.

After a short 500m paddle, Alex arrived at his next spot called Silver Creek, and went against what the name of the creek suggested and struck gold instead!

Falling victim to his gudgeon coloured ZMan GrubZ was a cracking 39cm Moore River bream, which made all the difference to Alex’s fortunes for the event.

Unluckily for Alex, it wasn’t enough to win the event, but it was enough for him to take home $250 in cash and also a bag of sponsor provided products.

Alex carved up the Moore River bream using a 6’10” 2-4 kg Duffrod, which was equipped with a 2500 Daiwa Exist that was spooled with 10lb Daiwa Evo 8-ply braid.

Connected to his braid, Alex ran a few meters of 4lb Chinu fluorocarbon leader line.

During the presentation Alex took the time to thank the series sponsors, his fellow organisers and also his own sponsors, Tackle Tactics, Lowrance and Getaway Outdoors.

GARDNER HANG IN THERE Rounding out the podium was Joseph Gardner, who weighed in a full bag for 1.78kg to finish third. After a number of good results on the Moore River in previous events, Joseph is proving that he has a good understanding on just what it takes to extract quality bream from the Moore River time and time again.

He didn’t travel far either.

In fact, he started so close to the start line that if you were a bystander at the event site, you could’ve had a conversation with him as he

fished. It goes without saying that Joseph knew that there were quality fish close by, and this location was the mouth of the river. Joseph wasn’t alone either. There were half a dozen anglers who had the same idea, but once again the 2.5” ZMan GrubZ in bloodworm colour that Joseph was using attracted the right size fish to bite.

He would work his GrubZ along the sandflat drop-offs that surrounded the perimeter.

He didn’t manage to catch any monsters by Moore River standards, but he still caught three respectable bream all of roughly the same size at 32-33cm each. A bag of fish this size will put you in good stead on the Moore River, and sure enough it was enough to see Joseph earn himself third place along with $150 and a prize pack full of quality sponsor provided products.

Joseph’s tools of the trade that did the damage for him at

event and putting on a terrific breakfast and lunch.

BIG BREAM The big bream for this event certainly raised some eyebrows, because this bream was an absolute beast for Moore River standards. Ian Abercrombie tamed the beast using a 2” camo coloured Gulp Crabby, which he worked over some sandflats.

Upon engulfing Ian’s lure, the fish swam towards the middle of the river. It almost seemed too good to be true when a couple of kids in their kayaks wanted to see what was going on and in doing so created some obstacles for Ian to manoeuvre the fish through.

Thankfully, he succeeded in doing so and a whopping 1.21kg Moore River giant slid into the net, and $500 cash slid into Ian’s wallet!

Special mentions for this event go to Andrew Matthews and his team at Ozfish for coming down to the event and putting on a great breakfast and lunch for the anglers.

Ozfish are a national body that for the past few years extended their services to Perth where they undertake projects that help benefit our local ecosystems so they can thrive and stay healthy for generations to come.

They’re an incredible group of people and it’s a privilege to have a healthy relationship with Ozfish, which we are confident will last long into the future.

We would also like to thank Casey and Josh Knowles and also Karl Hoffman for taking the time out of their Sunday to run

Ian Abercrombie earned himself Big Bream and fourth place with this cracking 1.21kg Moore River giant. this event was a 6’10” 1-3kg JML Accurate Presentation rod which was equipped with a 2500 Daiwa Exist spooled with 12lb Yamatoyo Jigging braid. To his braid he ran a few meters of 4lb Yamatoyo Harris Fighter fluorocarbon leader.

Towards the end of his speech at the events presentation he thanked the series sponsors, his fellow organisers and also his own sponsors, JML. He also made special mention to the Ozfish crew for coming down to the

the event site and help set everything up. They did an incredible job!

Last but not least we must thank our list of incredible sponsors who make these events possible.

We would like to thank Getaway Outdoors, Hobie Polarized, Compleat Angler Nedlands, Gladiator, Tackle Tactics, Lowrance, Challenge Batteries, Razor Edge, JML, Pure Fishing, Daiwa, Tackle HQ and Duffrods.

Next stop is the grand final!

FUN PAGE AND COMPETITIONS FISHY CHRISTMAS FILMS

DTD - REAL FISH OITA

A CHRISTMAS CORAL THE SNAPPER CLAUSE LIVIES ACTUALLY

NUTCRABBER

PELAGIC EXPRESS

LET IT SOLE

HOME ABALONE

JACKS FROST

A CHRISTMAS DORY

RUDOLPHIN

THE GRUNTER

EELF

FRY HARD

WRASSE CHRISTMAS

WHITE FISHMAS

SILENT NANNYGAI

Name: Address:

P/Code:

The first correct entry at the end of each month will win the prize pack.

SEND ENTRIES TO: WA Find-a-word Competition, PO box 3172, Loganholme Qld 4129

WA DECEMBER 2019

Phone (day):

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

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10 DIFFERENCES

FINS SCALES & TALES by A. Both

ORIGINAL

FIND-A-WORD

Congratulations to Luke Doecke, who was last month’s winner of the Find-a-Word Competition!

Monthly winners receive a Fishing Monthly prize pack. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – WAFM

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE

The subscriber prize winner for October is T Perrie of Leeming, who won a Wilson Fishing prize pack valued at over $300.

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

of Ballajura, C Pitt of Yakamia, L Gibbs of Boulder, C Warren of Wagin, H Bouwer of West Lamington, S Bastick of Two Rocks, J Rodda of Cowaramup, L Doecke of Byford, G Kelly of Meckering, R Crossingham of Secret Harbour, Z Toohill of Waikiki, S Crossingham of Secret Harbour, J Curley of Halls Head, D Elkerbout of Dunsborough, A Hogan of Parmelia, C Walker of Canning

Vale, B Jacobs of Safety Bay, D Werder of Dawesville, J Addenbrooke of Maddington, P Baskerville of Glenfield, E Cowton of Mount Helena, D McGillivray of Moora, R Stoddart of Denmark, V Stacey of Butler, C Carey of Bentley, H Robinson of Dowerin, Z Toohill of Waikiki.

Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – WAFM

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS

GUESS THE FISH?

FIND THE DAIWA LOGO

This month’s Guess the Fish Answer: Silver Perch

The answers to Find the Daiwa Logo for October were: 6, 10, 11, 14, 17, 21, 25, 26, 29, 32, 36, 50, 52, 55, 57, 59. – WAFM The Find the Daiwa Logo prize winners for October were: J Benson of Oakford, P Dunlop of Capel, R Adamczyk of Spalding, K Culshaw of Banyo, R Coddington of Hillarys, G Uren

Answer: DECEMBER 2019

47

It’s a double christening in one weekend little plastic to cross paths with a fish and I continued my retrieve as it tapped at the plastic, before the hook found its mark, the rod loaded and the drag screamed on the light spin combo. After a couple of earlier soft taps on the plastic, I made the call that there were a few grunter on the flats and when the soft taps turned into this screaming run, I knew it was a decent one. I am addicted to catching fish in less than half a metre of water, as the only way they can go is across the flat and it’s generally at speed.

I soon had a 40cm grunter on board and we opted to keep it for a feed as we had the Friday off and hadn’t planned anything for dinner.

BRISBANE

Justin Willmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

After a successful first adventure christening Sheri’s new SUP with a paddle adventure around a local mangrove island, there was much discussion and planning for a future SUP camping and fishing adventure. Firstly though, Sheri needed to get some more time in on the water, standing and fishing, while also needing to christen the SUP with its first fish.

I had also just given an old kayak to a mate of mine and he’d tidied it up and was ready to take it on its maiden voyage. A quick check of the tides

A solid grunter on the SUP to kick things off.

Sheri christened her SUP with a bream that inhaled a soft plastic. and weather and it was decided that the weekend would be a double christening, hopefully putting a fish on the new SUP on the Friday and a fish in Sean’s kayak on the Sunday. Game on!

SHERI’S SUP The Friday saw a slight breeze and the forecast of a morning storm around 10am, so Sheri and I opted to hit the water about 7:30am, leading up to a 9am high, use the current to carry us to some flats that we would fish until the tide turned and then paddle back with the run-out tide and be out of the water before the storm. A tight schedule, however we were confident of getting a couple of fish as they moved up onto the weed flats to feed.

That was until we were on the flat and there was 48

DECEMBER 2019

after 40+ years of reading tide books it still happens occasionally.

By this point we were on the flat though and with a limited window of time we persisted, working the deeper edges and pockets, along with the sandy patches in the weed.

It was cool to see Sheri gaining confidence on the SUP, paddling around the flat with no issue when seated on her new icebox and gaining confidence when stand up paddling.

By the end of the session Sheri stood up and paddled virtually the entire way home. We both had a fun session, and agreed there is something different and special about both kayak and SUP fishing. The SUP is a relaxing platform that you just step onto, the seating is raised and comfortable and standing gives you excellent vision and an entirely different experience. Anyway, we’re here for the fishing…

that the school had moved on. I continued to drift off the flat while Sheri paddled back up to work some sandy patches and was soon yelling that she had hooked up. I paddled over as quick as I could and arrived in time to see her land a bream that would have been around legal size. Her verdict was small, while my verdict was success! I was stoked that Sheri had christened the SUP and it didn’t really matter if the fish was a just legal bream or a metre flathead… it was a first for her and so we celebrated!

Not long after I also managed a bream and then I saw that Sheri had paddled into a sandy area where we sometimes get out of the kayaks – this

Success! Sean christened the kayak with a bream on an inline spinner.

The fish come up here to feed and I was hunting for active fish that were working across the flat. It didn’t take long for the

By the time we landed the fish we had drifted away from the area and once we returned to drift the area again it seemed

time the SUPs – to target flathead. As I approached the sandy area I slowed up and made a few casts to the edge of the weed, had

Grunter love eating plastics rolled over the weed flats and this one was great fun on the SUP. no water… It was really shallow and we later found out that I had misread the date in the tide book and we were short about 40cm of water! Yep, even

back to it!

As usual I was fishing the shallows fast with the rod tip up and a 1/4oz jighead and 2.5” paddletail zipping across the flat.

Sheri was rapidly gaining confidence in her stand up game.

a rattle and then watched a flathead rise behind the plastic and nail it in front of me. Off it screamed in the shallows and I just smiled and enjoyed the fight… man I love fishing. I soon had a mid-40s flathead in the net and opted to paddle

and Sheri had christened her kayak. Time to get onto planning that lightweight SUP camping adventure… stay tuned!

SECOND HAND SUCCESS FOR SEAN When Sunday rolled around Sean and I opted

I kicked things off with a bream and soon followed it up with a reasonable grunter. No pressure for Sean, Sheri had christened the SUP, and now it was his turn to christen your new yak. Sean was fishing an out of the box presentation

Sheri scenting up her soft plastic to attract fish and trigger strikes.

2ft of water. Success! Sean was happy with the bream on the spinner and I was stoked that we had a double

christening on our hands.

Both Sheri and Sean had landed a fish on their new vessels in one weekend and

Sean working the flats in his reconditioned yak. in and add it to the grunter in Sheri’s icebox.

We then made the most of the calm conditions and paddled home together, chatting, spotting fish and stingrays and just taking it all in. The SUP is a

for an early start and headed to the same flat hoping for similar success.

Sean had done a good job of patching the cracks in the old yak and so far, so good… he was dry in the cockpit of the sit-inside.

in the salt, as he often does, running a Mepps Bug inline spinner that would more often be associated with bass or trout in the fresh. He was rolling the spinner across the flat and experimenting with pauses and retrieve speeds when I heard him say something and looked over.

A quality 60+cm flathead had followed the spinner to the kayak and then he ran out of room for the retrieve and the fish sank back to the bottom. There’s definitely some potential for that presentation in the salt!

It wasn’t long before I heard a “fish on” call from Sean and paddled over to see him landing a nice bream on the spinner. He had been retrieving it with a slow roll and added pauses.

The bream had nailed it on the pause and gave a good account of itself in

A cast right up into a sandy pocket in the weed and this 57cm flathead nailed the author’s ZMan 2.5” Slim SwimZ.

A mid-40cm flathead landed while working a weed edge. cool vessel for exploring, fishing and getting some exercise without even realising it. We arrived home, washed down and packed away the boards and then the wind and average weather arrived.

Mission successful, the plan had come together,

I was still rigged up from the Friday session and spotting a couple of flathead lies near the launch point had me fired up to catch a flatty or two.

We had a little more water on the flat than on the Friday, so that would work in our favour.

A couple of quality eating fish in the box for dinner!

I think I was happier than both of them. I had made a plan and executed it!

It went a bit quiet on the flat, so we moved to a large weed bed and began to work the sandy edges around the outside of it as the tide turned and dropped. These weed beds hold loads of prawns and baitfish that begin exiting as the water drops away and flathead love picking them off the edges of the weed as the dropping water forces them out. I knocked over three small flathead quickly, before Sean was onto another solid flathead on the spinner. After a short tussle the hook pulled and we were both shattered.

He could have easily had

two quality flathead on the spinner for the session, however on this day it wasn’t meant to be.

I pushed up on the weed a little further and began targeting any little sandy pockets that ate their way back into the weed bed. These breaks in the weed edges seem to create perfect ambush points for flathead and they will lay right up in these little sandy channels. If your casts are accurate the takes will often come as soon as the lure lands and they can be brutal. It didn’t take long for a mid-40s flathead to detect my plastic landing and swimming to the bottom, pouncing as I made the first hop, loading the rod and engaging the drag.

In the net, a quick photo and I was repositioning the kayak to pick the next pocket.

The next take was more serious and I let the rod and the drag do their thing, smiling as I enjoyed what had been a great weekend on the SUP and the kayak.

Another stubborn run when the fish saw the kayak and then a 57cm flathead was slid into the net and into the icebox where it would make a fresh fish dinner for Sean and his girls. That was enough for us and we opted to head home in time for lunch.

If you haven’t been out for a while it’s definitely time to plan an adventure.

Grab a mate and explore a new area, target a new species or even hire a new vessel to fish from! There are some awesome adventures out there just waiting for you. Check your tides better than I did, keep an eye on the weather and always remember safety first. It had been an awesome weekend on the water and a double christening for Sheri’s SUP and Sean’s reconditioned kayak. I wonder what the next adventure holds? Time to start planning…

See you on the water.

DECEMBER 2019

49

Trades, Services, Charter BAIT & TACKLE METRO

CARNARVON

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION

Carnarvon Tackle & Marine (08) 9941 4161

ESPERANCE

KALBARRI

Castaway Tackle Malaga (08) 9248 3800 Earlybird Bait Rockingham (08) 9527 3333 Gun-Mart & Tackle Midvale (08) 9274 5699 TackleHQ Kingsley (08) 9309 4200 WA Bait Supply O’Connor (08) 9314 1755 Tackle West Beckenham (08) 9350 6278

Kalbarri Sports & Dive (08) 9937 1126

EXMOUTH Tackle World Exmouth (08) 9949 1315 Exmouth Tackle & Camping Supplies (08) 9949 1179

BUSSELTON 2 Oceans Tackle (08) 9752 4924 Geographe Camping & Tackle World (08) 9754 2909

BOAT HIRE BlueSun2 Boat Charters Ardross 0405 353 353 Boating West O’Connor 0429 887 798 Boat Hire Perth Mindarie 0403 095 868

FISHING GUIDES/CHARTERS

Baitmate-Bricap Wangara (08) 9309 5474 Bluewater Tackle Mindarie (08) 9407 9766 Bluewater Tackle World Joondalup (08) 6244 0344 Bluewater Tackle World Morley (08) 9375 9800 Bluewater Tackle World Myaree (08) 9330 7766 Compleat Angler Nedlands (08) 9389 1337 Dawe’s Bait & Tackle Mandurah (08) 9534 6661 Fishing WA Pro Tackle Wangara (08) 9409 2253 Hillarys Boat & Tackle Hillarys (08) 9401 4331 Sportsmarine Bunbury (08) 9721 4961 Tackle World Miami (08) 9534 5533 Tim’s Tackle Plus Bassendean (08) 6161 0044 Anglers Fishing World South Fremantle (08) 9433 4768

Achievement Charters Fremantle 0418 655 188 Apache Charters South Fremantle (08) 9339 2432 Black Jack Charters Bandy Creek 0429 106 960 Blue Horizon Fishing Charters Exmouth 08) 9949 1620 Blue Juice Charters (08) 9401 4666 Diversity Bluewater Adventures Exmouth Exmouth 0488 009 989 Duke Charters Condingup (08) 9076 6223 Esperance Diving And Fishing Esperance (08) 9071 5111 Evolution Fishing Charters 0477 901 445 Fly Fishing Frontiers Exmouth 0427 366 142 Great Southern Discovery Albany 0455 105 127 Jazz Charters Fremantle 0433 521 297 Kalbarri land Based fishing Carters 0418930695 Mills Charters Hillarys (08) 9246 5334 Perth Fishing Safaris 0422 686 363 Port Bouvard Charters Wannanup 0477 347 465 Set The Hook Exmouth 0433 049 988 SHIKARI Charters Fremantle 0412 131 958 Spinners Charters Emu Point (08) 9844 1906 Specialist Fishing Charters 0407 259 399

Anglers Fishing World Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour Mews Road, Fremantle WA 6160

(08) 9433 4768 www.anglersfishingworld.com.au Getaway Outdoors Balcatta (08) 9344 7343 Getaway Outdoors Cockburn (08) 9417 4644 Getaway Outdoors Joondalup (08) 9300 1330 Getaway Outdoors Kelmscott (08) 9495 4444 Getaway Outdoors Mandurah (08) 9581 8877 Jet Cycles & Compleat Angler Gosnells (08) 9398 2359 Tackle World & Outdoors Mandurah (08) 9581 6953

ROCKINGHAM Compleat Angler & Camping World -Rockingham (08) 9528 5255 Port Kennedy Cycles and Fishing (08) 9524 6774 Whitey’s Tackle & Camping Australind (08) 9797 0762

ALBANY

SPECIALIST FISHING CHARTERS Demersal / Reef Fish Exclusive Fishing Charter Deep Drop Departs Fremantle

Bookings/Enquiries 0407 259 399 Tailored Treks - Lancelin 0427 941 126 Top Gun Charters EXMOUTH 0418 925 131 West End Charters Winthrop WA 6150 (08) 9332 4303

ONLINE TACKLE PRODUCTS FG Wizz www.fgwizz.com.au

A GREAT BIT OF KIT JUST GOT BETTER The ultimate FG knot tool for braid/ leader joins large and MODIFIED small DESIGN

Albany Rods & Tackle (08) 9841 1231 Trailblazers Albany (08) 9841 7859

ESPERANCE Esperance Camping & Workwear Esperance (08) 9071 2142 Southern Sports & Tackle (08) 9071 3022 Tatey’s Bait ‘n’ Tackle Castletown (08) 9071 5003

DONGARA & GERALDTON Dongara Sport & Tackle Dongara (08) 9927 1196 Geraldton Sports Centre (08) 9921 3664 Getaway Outdoors Geraldton (08) 9965 3766

FAD’s Squiding and Whiting Crayfish (craypots) and Whiting Deepwater Wrecks / Samson Fish

allows braid tension adjustment

CHECK IT OUT ONLINE ORDERS

www.fgwizz.com.au

Bathers Paradise Caravan Park Esperance (08) 9071 1014 Esperance Chalet Village Bandy Creek (08) 9071 1861 Munglinup Beach Holiday Park Munglinup (08) 9075 1155 Ocean Beach Holiday Units Esperance (08) 9071 5942 Pine Grove Holiday Park Esperance (08) 9071 4100 Pink Lake Tourist Park Nulsen (08) 9071 2424

HOPETOUN – BREMER BAY Bremer Bay Beaches Resort & Tourist Park Bremer Bay (08) 9837 4290 Hopetoun Caravan Park Hopetoun (08) 9838 3096 Wavecrest Village & Tourist Park Hopetoun (08) 9838 3888

ALBANY Albany Happy Days Caravan Park King River (08) 9844 3267 Albany Holiday Park Albany (08) 9841 7800 Albany Holiday Units Middleton Beach (08) 9841 7817 Cheynes Beach Caravan Park Cheynes (08) 9846 1247 Emu Beach Chalets Emu Point (08) 9844 8889 Havana Villas Albany (08) 9844 1085 King River Palms Caravan Park Willyung (08) 98443232 Lilacs Waterfront villas & cottages Robinson (08) 9841 2390 Two Peoples Caravan Park Kalgan (08) 9846 4024

DENMARK Denmark Rivermouth Caravan Park Denmark (08) 9848 1262 Denmark Waterfront Denmark (08) 9848 1147 Karri Aura Caravan Park & Motel Suites Shadforth (08) 9848 2200

WALPOLE – MANJIMUP – PEMBERTON Big Brook Arboretum Pemberton (08) 9776 1207 Coalmine Beach Holiday Park Walpole (08) 9840 1026 Manjimup Central Caravan Park & Deli Manjimup (08) 9777 2355 Nornalup Riverside Chalets Nornalup (08) 9840 1107 One Tree Bridge Chalets Manjimup (08) 9777 1196 Peaceful Bay Chalets Peaceful Bay (08) 9840 8169 Rest Point Holiday Village Walpole (08) 9840 1032 Riverside Retreat Walpole, (08) 9840 1255 Warren Way Caravan Park Balbarrup (08) 9771 1060

AUGUSTA Flinders Bay Caravan Park Augusta (08) 9780 5636 Hamelin Bay Holiday Park Hamelin Bay (08) 9758 5540 Molloy Caravan Park Kudardup (08) 9758 4515 Sheoak Chalets Augusta Augusta (08) 9758 1958

MARGARET RIVER Gracetown Caravan Park Gracetown (08) 9755 5301 Margaret River Tourist Park (08) 9757 2180 Prevelly Caravan Park Prevelly Park (08) 9757 2374 Riverview Tourist Park Margaret River (08) 9757 2270

YALLINGUP – DUNSBOROUGH Caves Caravan Park Yallingup (08) 9755 2196 Dunsborough Beach Cottages (08) 9756 8885 Yallingup Beach Holiday Park 1800 220 002

BUSSELTON Amblin Holiday Park Busselton (08) 9755 4079 Busselton Beachfron Busselton (08) 9755 2607 Busselton Holiday Village Busselton (08) 9752 4499 Busselton Villas & Caravan Park Busselton (08) 9752 1175 Fourseasons Holiday Park Busselton (08) 9755 4082 Geographe Bay Holiday Park Busselton (08) 9752 4396 Lazy Days Holiday Park Busselton (08) 9752 1780 Sandy Bay Holiday Park Busselton (08) 9752 2003

BUNBURY Binningup Beach Caravan Park Bunbury (08) 9720 1057 Brunswick Junction Caravan Park Bunbury (08) 9726 1544 Bunbury Glade Caravan Park Bunbury 1800 113 800 Discovery Parks - Bunbury (08) 9795 7100 Riverside Cabin Park Bunbury (08) 9725 1234 Taralea Farm Bunbury (08) 9728 1252 Waterloo Village Caravan Park Bunbury (08) 9725 4434

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

50

DECEMBER 2019

Boats & Guided Fishing Tours Directory MANDURAH Belvedere Caravan Park Mandurah (08) 9535 1213 Estuary Hideaway Holiday Park 0407 838 061 Footprints Preston Beach (08) 9739 1111 Lake Clifton Caravan Park (08) 9739 1255 Lake Navarino Holiday Park (08) 9733 3000 Mandurah Ocean Marina Chalets (08) 9535 8173 Miami Holiday Park (08) 9534 2127 Peel Caravan Park (08) 9535 4343 Pinjarra Caravan Park Mandurah (08) 9531 1374 Pinjarrah Holiday Park (08) 9531 1604 The Dwellingup Chalet and Caravan Park (08) 9538 1157 Timber Top Caravan Park (08) 9535 1292 Waroona Caravan Village (08) 9733 1518 Waters Edge Caravan Park 0427 281 622

MOORE RIVER – LANCELIN – CERVANTES Branchys Holiday Homes Guilderton (08) 9577 1321 Experience Lancelin Holiday Park (08) 9655 1056 Guilderton Caravan Park (08) 9577 1021

JURIEN BAY – GREEN HEAD – LEEMAN Green Head Caravan Park Green Head (08) 9953 1131 Jurien Bay Tourist Park Jurien Bay (08) 9652 1595 Leeman Caravan Park Leeman (08) 9953 1080

DONGARA – GERALDTON Batavia Coast Caravan Park (08) 9938 1222 Double Beach Caravan Park (08) 9921 5845 Horrocks Beach Caravan Park (08) 9934 3039 Leander Reef Holiday Park Port Denison (08) 9927 1840 Port Denison Holiday Units (08) 9927 1104 Seaspray Beach Holiday Park Dongara (08) 9927 1165

Bluewater Marine (08) 9791 1499

PORT HEDLAND Blackrock Tourist Park South Hedland (08) 9172 3444 Discovery Parks Port Hedland (08) 9173 1271 Landing Resort Port Hedland (08) 9172 4111 Port Tourist Park Port Hedland (08) 9172 4111 Broome Caravan Park (08) 9192 1776 Broome Vacation Village Caravan Park Broome (08) 9192 1057 Cable Beach Caravan Park Broome (08) 9192 2066 Discovery Parks - Broome (08) 9192 1366 Tarangau Caravan Park Broome (08) 9193 5084

DERBY Kimberley Entrance Caravan Park (08) 9193 1055 West Kimberley Lodge & Caravan Park (08) 9191 1031

KUNUNURRA Discovery Parks - Lake Kununurra (08) 9168 1031 El Questro Wilderness Park 1800 837 168 Hidden Valley Caravan Park (08) 9168 1790 Ivanhoe Village Caravan Resort (08) 9169 1995 Kona Lakeside Caravan Park (08) 9161 1139 Kununurra Lakeside Resort (08) 9169 1092 Lake Argyle Caravan Park (08) 9168 7777 Lake Argyle Resort (08) 9168 7777 Town Caravan Park (08) 9168 1763 Wyndham Caravan Park (08) 9161 1064

BOATS Aquasports Marine Midvale (08) 9250 3339

KALBARRI Kalbarri Anchorage Caravan Park Kalbarri (08) 9937 1181 Kalbarri Beach Bungalows A & B Kalbarri (08) 9937 0400 Kalbarri Blue Ocean Villas Kalbarri (08) 9937 2442 Murchison caravan park Kalbarri (08) 9937 0400 Murchison House Station Kalbarri (08) 9937 1998 Murchison River Caravan Park Kalbarri (08) 9937 1005

SHARK BAY Bay Lodge Denham Shark Bay WA (08) 9948 1278 Denham Seaside Caravan Park, (08) 9948 1242 Oceanside Village Denham Shark Bay (08) 9948 3003 RAC Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort (08) 9948 1320 Shark Bay Caravan Park (08) 9948 1387

CARNARVON Capricorn Holiday Park (08) 9941 8153 Carnarvon Caravan Park (08) 9941 8101 Coral Coast Tourist Park (08) 9941 1438 Norwesta Lifestyle Park (08) 9941 1277 Outback Oasis Caravan Park (08) 9941 1439 Wintersun Caravan and Tourist Park (08) 9941 8150

CORAL BAY Bayview Coral Bay (08) 9385 6655 Ningaloo Club (08) 9948 5100 Ningaloo Reef Resort (08) 9942 5934 Peoples Park (08) 9942 5933

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MARINE ACCESSORIES All Boats and Caravans Kingsley (08) 9309 4200 Challenge Batteries Osborne Park (08) 9446 6122 Crackpots Marine Supplies O’Connor (08) 9337 2211 JPW Marine Wholesale Distributors Perth (08) 6253 3000 Offshore Marine Guildford (08) 6278 1299 Searano Marine Malaga (08) 9248 2242 Whitworths Marine & Leisure - Leerderville (08) 9381 1442 Whitworths Marine & Leisure - Mosman Park (08) 9385 5877

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WELDING & MANUFACTURING CSD Designs Bayswater 0407 772 010

Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call 0417 901 301 or email nick@fishingmonthly.com.au DECEMBER 2019

51

WHAT’S NEW BOATING BAR CRUSHER FOLDING HARD TOP 1

SIMRAD HALO20 AND HALO20+

Innovation has always been at the core of Australian plate aluminium boat builder Bar Crusher, and the latest upgrade to its cuddy cabin ‘C Series’ is case in point. The completely-redesigned folding hard top of Bar Crusher’s popular 615C and 670C looks – and is – all business.

Like the previous folding roof design (which Bar Crusher had for 20 years), this latest beefed-up version – together with the folding, toughened safety glass windscreen – reduces the on-trailer height by around a metre for easy storage in standard garages and carports.

With front and extended side clears delivering all-weather protection, the folding hard top and rock-solid superstructure is a huge plus for those who want a serious offshore fishing boat but have limited storage at home.

Along with the increase in strength, the new folding hard top incorporates an LED cabin light as standard, allows for easy mounting of rear-facing LED cockpit lighting and a removable shade awning, provides a solid base for a radar, and also has the option of side-mount roof-top rod storage for another six outfits, in addition to the standard rearmounted rocket launcher. www.barcrusher.com.au

Simrad HALO20+ and HALO20 radars are compact, pulse compression radome units, ideal for smaller sportfishing vessels.

Both radars provide excellent detection with unrivalled short-range performance, but HALO20+ features the fastest RPM rotation on the market, VelocityTrack, Dual Range operation and can detect targets from a greater distance.

HALO20+ radar delivers a full 360° sweep every second at ranges up to 1.5nm, giving boaters an almost real-time view at close range. It has a compact dome antenna and delivers high-quality short-, mid- and longrange detection. Boaters can monitor two distance ranges at once in Dual Range mode, and beam sharpening provides enhanced separation between small or distant targets.

VelocityTrack Doppler technology delivers instant feedback on whether targets are coming toward you or moving away.

HALO20 is a compact, cost-effective solution for boaters to increase situational awareness and collision avoidance, detecting collision hazards and other targets nearby and up to 24nm away.

Both models offer MARPA Target Tracking, InstantOn technology and Harbor, Offshore, Weather, Bird, and custom modes.

Price: from SRP $2,399 www.simrad-yachting.com

YANMAR YD42 MFD

2

The Yanmar YD42 MFD and YD25 LCD Switch Panel Display have innovative functionality and a compact style.

Featuring a low-profile glass helm design and a 4.1” colour screen, the YD42 reads and displays Yanmar engine alarm and diagnostic codes. Users can also view additional info, from engine speed and load, oil pressure and coolant temperature, to speed and depth. It’s compatible with a range of NMEA 2000 devices and allows engine data to be easily transmitted to other MFDs. The water-resistant YD42 is suitable for all weather conditions, and eliminates fogging.

It has a 170˚ viewing angle, superior daytime visibility, and a night-time mode. It has an easy front-mount option, requiring no access to the back of the console or panel.

In addition to engine start/stop functionality, the compact YD25 LCD Switch Panel Display shows all Yanmar engine data, alarms and diagnostic codes, and integrates with MFDs and glass helm systems. The info can be viewed on four customisable screens. Ideal for boats with limited dash space, the weather-resistant YD25 has a 2.5” LCD screen with a 80˚ viewing angle. www.yanmar.com

FUSION SM SERIES

3

Fusion’s new SM Series shallow mount marine speakers, are engineered to deliver high-quality acoustics ideal for installations where mounting depth is limited.

The sealed enclosure design provides a truly shallow mounting solution without compromising sound quality, and protects all components from damage, making the SM Series capable of being installed in positions such as cabinets without needing rear speaker cups that often reduce sound quality and complicate installation. In addition, concealed mounting holes allow for a more uniform, cleaner look.

There is also an optional two-surface corner spacer, which fits perfectly into perpendicular spaces where two walls meet, and a threesurface corner spacer, which is ideal for angling the speaker down from a ceiling corner for better acoustics. There are two colour options: fabric white and black for interior installations. www.fusionentertainment.com 52

DECEMBER 2019

SIGNATURE STOCK CLEARANCE

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The Haines Signature stock clearance offer is now on, with a combined value of up to $2,700 free extras with new boat purchases.

These extras include: 12 months’ Nautilus Marine insurance valued up to $1,000; a $1,000 Missing at Sea voucher; and a safety bag kit (including 4 x inflatable life jackets) valued at $700.

The stock clearance period lasts until 16 December 2019, and is available only on current dealer’s stock boats. This special offer can not be used in conjunction with any other offer. Refer to your local authorised Signature dealer for more information, or visit the Haines Signature website. You can also see all the latest news and photos on Haines Signature’s Facebook page (www.facebook. com/hainessignatureboats) and Instagram (@ hainessignature). www.hainessignature.com.au

CLUB MARINE PROMOTION

PRODUCT GUIDE

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5

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Club Marine is giving away over $260,000 in prizes to eight lucky members in its ‘Win the Dream’ member promotion.

One lucky member will win the keys to a car and boat package comprising of a RAM 1500 Laramie Pickup Truck and Northbank 600C boat with a Mercury Pro XS 150 HP FourStroke engine and Easytow trailer.

There is a host of other prizes on offer as well, including a Sea Doo Fish Pro, Kimberley Cruise, NT Outback Adventure and YETI prize packs.

Qualifying for automatic entry is easy. To be in the running to Win the Dream simply have a Club Marine Pleasure Craft Insurance policy and a Club Marine Magazine subscription in either Australia or New Zealand at the time of each draw. Winners will be contacted directly and announced in Club Marine Magazine.

To find out more about how you can be in the running, visit the Club Marine website. www.clubmarine.com.au

6

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A layman’s look at propellers PART 1 BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

For years I took my boat’s propeller for granted as little more than a big screw. The reality, however, is that a propeller is quite complex, and is designed for maximum efficiency.

In this article I’ll discuss propeller components, before going into more detail next issue.

Before going further I have to thank Glenn Gibson of Yamaha Motor’s Marine Division here in Brisbane for his invaluable advice on the subject.

THE NITTY GRITTY A propeller consists of a hub attached to an engine’s gearbox, usually with a flexible bushing, ensuring that the connection can withstand a bit of jarring from time to time.

On the outside of the hub there are blades of the same length and size. These blades are manufactured to a rigidly set shape or pattern so they displace water to propel the boat.

Propeller blades actually have two working surfaces. First of all, the back of the blade creates

a low pressure area that moves the boat forward as it rotates. The front of the blade (the face) creates high pressure as it rotates

DIAMETER VERSUS PITCH If you taking a close look at a propeller, you’ll see that it is inscribed with

The larger the prop’s diameter, the more water it can push. and forces a stream of water away from the propeller, to the rear, and thus does its bit to aid forward motion.

All we see is a big stream of water heading away from the engine as we push the throttle forward, but there are come interesting things occurring at the end of that gear case.

two numbers. One number describes the diameter, which is the overall size measured across the circle of the tips. The other number is the pitch, which is the theoretical distance the propeller will move the boat in one revolution, as the raked blade moves through the water.

The less the pitch, the less ‘bite’ the prop has, and the easier it is for the engine to turn the prop.

However, while this means the engine might pick up revs very rapidly to provide faster acceleration and extra pulling power, it’s the norm to have reduced speed. It’s similar to gearing in cars, where lower gears provide lots of grunt but reduced top speed.

Higher pitched propellers, on the other hand, are akin to higher gears in a car because they produce more forward travel with each prop revolution, with the downside being more load on the engine, reduced low speed pulling power and acceleration, but a higher top speed.

So we can see that although revving hard the boat might not gain much extra forward motion due to the lack of bite from the reduced pitch, while a prop with a higher pitch might cause a reduction in engine revs but at the same time will be biting harder into the water and kicking the boat further with each engine revolution, despite the inevitable slip.

The ideal situation is for the propeller to have just the right amount of size to

Here you can see the degree of rake on the propeller blades, which is linked to the propeller’s pitch.

LEAVE THE HARD STUFF TO THE EXPERTS So where does that leave you and I when it comes to selecting the right prop for a given engine and boat?

The reality is that our basic knowledge isn’t enough for us to decide what’s best for the boat. The selection of a prop for any

Large or small, lightweight or behemoth, there’s a pointy end to broach the water, and a blunt section at back for an engine to be fitted.

Boat design parameters from virtually any established boat maker have now been in existence long enough that when a manufacturer turns out a boat, that craft will have engine ratings

Here you can see the diameter (13.7/8) and pitch (15”) figures marked on this prop.

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Why a theoretical distance? Because there will be some slip as the prop bites into the water. But here’s the secret: the less slip there is, the more efficient the propeller!

With all propellers we have two main things to consider: the diameter and then the pitch. There’s no denying that the larger the propeller’s diameter, the more power it has to push water behind it, which means that really heavy loads are best handled by larger diameter propellers.

However, let’s not lose sight of the fact that it’s the pitch that determines efficiency in many respects.

Every aspect of a propeller’s construction is designed to maximise efficiency. push plenty of water with each revolution, but at the same time have just the right amount of pitch to ensure the engine is in its correct operating range for best efficiency. Yet that propeller should be generating as little slip as possible in each revolution. Propeller manufacturers devote a lot of R&D to achieving this balance of physics.

given craft will usually come from the consideration of trained experts in the field, given that engines’ outputs are very standard, and to a very large extent so are boat hulls. Whether a boat is designed with a flat bottom, a slight or large degree of vee in its design, or is manufactured from fibreglass, alloy or timber, there won’t be much radical departure in design.

specified as ideal for the size, design, and weight of the hull pre-determined and prominently displayed on a compliance/manufacturer’s plate. Accordingly, a chosen engine (whether minimum or maximum horsepower) comes with best performing propellers (size and pitch) specified as well.

When we look at any propeller we are looking at

a complex bit of machinery, designed for best efficiency, with the blades having just the right amount of size and rake against the hub for a given task.

SUMMING UP As you can see, there’s a whole lot more to propellers than meets the eye. And yet I’ve really only rippled the waters; created no waves at all. Next issue, we’ll look at why different propellers have two, three, or even

four blades per hub, and the steps that propeller manufacturers are taking to safeguard their products against damage. We’ll also look at the choice of alloy vs stainless steel props, and also investigate the effects of cupping, ventilation and cavitation on overall propeller performance.

Last but not least, I earnestly believe that the selection of the right propeller should be left to

the professional to decide, after considering all relevant factors such as the maker’s recommendations for the engine, plus the proposed use and anticipated load during that use, which should be provided by the customer as accurately as possible. There’s definitely some leeway there, but it’s best left to data reference and the experience of the professional to determine the right outcome.

There’s more to propellers than meets the eye.

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To tackle this problem, Royal Robbins has released their new Bug Barrier Expedition Long Sleeve Shirts for both men and women, to keep the bugs at bay in the warmer months.

These shirts are made from Bug Barrier fabric, which gives the garment odourless insect protection.

Built tough with quickdrying abilities, these long sleeve shirts are lightweight and breathable, so you can fish in comfort all day.

Providing more than just protection against the insects, the Bug Barrier Expedition Long Sleeve Shirt allows you to beat the heat thanks to their most technical Expedition Stretch Fabric. It also boasts UPF 40+ protection and Royal Robbin’s TempraTech thermoregulation, making it Royal Robbins’ most durable travel shirt yet.

Royal Robbins clothing is purpose-built for an active lifestyle so you can guarantee your Bug Barrier Expedition Long Sleeve Shirts will keep you looking

and feeling fresh. The men’s and women’s shirts are designed with classic chest pockets, clean styling, tabs for sleeve adjustment, and a hidden button-down collar to ensure everyone looks their best, even in the most extreme conditions.

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www.wp.fishingmonthly.com.au DECEMBER 2019

55

Formosa 550 SRT with Suzuki 150hp 4-stroke - SC

TENT -

RE ONLINE MO

T

The 550 is the smallest Centre Cab that Formosa make. With models extending up to 7.4m in length and the simplification of the Formosa range (these SRT hulls were

PERFORMANCE RPM Speed (km/h) Economy (km/L) Idle ..........................5 ................................ 5 1000 .........................7 ............................. 3.3 2000....................... 12 ............................. 2.5 3000....................... 28 ............................. 2.0 3500 ....................... 30 ............................. 2.0 4000....................... 46 ............................. 2.0 5000....................... 59 ............................. 1.4 5900 ....................... 74 ............................. n/a Cab, loaded with features and turning heads with a new Suzuki 150 bolted to the back.

“The locals here love the Formosas and we sell plenty of them here,” said NCBC’s Dayne Taylor. “We always make sure that we order boats with the features that local anglers want.”

56

DECEMBER 2019

released on the 2019 boat show circuit), navigating their line up has become a lot easier.

There’s a surprising amount of room in the centre cab, as much as in some 7m models that I’ve tested in the past; however, the flipside of that is the front deck space is compromised in this model. If

front deck space is important to you, check out the longer models in the line up.

Exiting the ramp, there’s a fair expanse of semi-sheltered water that we could use to do some speed runs in. Although the specs show economy of 2km/L, I’m sure that with more granular metering this would actually register in the low 2s.

It’s no slouch either, with a flat-water test yielding 74km/h.

Unfortunately, conditions didn’t allow us to run at wide open throttle on the test day – that was a quoted reading from the team when they were prop testing in the local river.

Creeping out of the harbour, the calm day belied the decent ocean swell that rolled through. Indeed, it was fun to do a few jump shots off the colourful south wall.

Sneaking up along the coast, we took the opportunity to do some running and fishing shots in the slop. You can

check these out on the Fishing Monthly YouTube channel or by scanning the QR code on this page.

The other compromise in this boat is stability versus ride. With a near 2.5m width and the four-

DE FOR EX

Main: The jury is out on whether this type of shot is appealing to a boat customer or not. Rupe said that landing was “much softer than expected” after searching out some stand-up swell at the mouth of the harbour.

Above: Stability at rest is where this Formosa shines, with a 2.45m beam and the Quad4 water ballast system fitted.

CO

s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

After hundreds of boat tests, we finally made it to Coffs Harbour to get some hulls wet. Hosted by Dayne Taylor and the team at North Coast Boating Centre (NCBC), it’s definitely a part of the world that offers lots – not just for fishing but also a compact array of conditions to test the abilities of hull and motor combinations.

NCBC is a Formosa and Suzuki dealer and both come from South East Queensland – the hulls are manufactured there and Suzuki’s local head office is also located there.

Although the quality of the main Coffs Harbour boat ramp is a bone of contention amongst locals, on the test day it coped fine with the launch and retrieval of a black and grey 5.5m Formosa Centre

tube Quad4 water ballast system in play, the hull was rock solid in the water.

Even with 19 degrees of transom deadrise, the hull tended to ride over rather than through the swell. Add a deeper vee in the hull and you would lose stability in favour of a smoother entry to waves. It’s the perennial boating dilemma.

Otherwise, the boat is well finished and definitely turns heads at the ramp. Its practical features, such as the removable underfloor kill tank, an entirely practical transom and transom door coupled with a folding bench seat that redefines simplicity shows that this rig has been designed by anglers – or at the very least, by builders who listen to their customers.

Price wise, this rig is right in the ballpark for those looking to move into a plate boat and not have to sell the house to do it. As tested, this rig comes in at under

R

Steve Morgan

Q

RA

CON

AN THE

FMG

$60,000 and if you want to drop to a 140hp outboard, you can shed another five or six grand again.

SPECIFICATIONS Length................. 5.7m Beam................. 2.45m Bottom ................ 4mm Sides ................... 4mm Fuel ..................... 150L Dry hull weight . 840kg Max hp .................. 150 Transom deadrise .19° Capacity ..... 6 persons WA DEALERS Millard Marine 13 Halifax Drive Bunbury P: 08 9721 3033 W: millardmarine.com.au Seasport Marine 19 Brant Road, Kelmscott, Perth P: 08 9498 1799 W: seasport.net.au

If you’ve ever been offshore from Coffs, you’ll know this wall. A calm wind with some leftover swell presented ideal testing conditions.

Above: We’ve seen plenty of kill tanks under the floor of boats, but this one is removable.

Below: There’s more room than you think in the centre cab, with plenty of space to get out of the elements when things get hot and nasty.

Egress is easy on the trailer with the fold-down aluminium steps.

Above: Side pockets are short but feature room for your toes underneath them and a high gunwale to keep you in while out in the ocean.

Below: The trade-off of a large centre cab is less casting deck up front. There’s plenty of room to circumnavigate the cab, but two anglers casting lures up here is a crowd.

Main: The fold-down rear bench seat is a neat and practical solution – with no fold-down legs required.

Inset: The transom door folds inwards and forms a step to give access to the Active Transom.

Top Left: The helm is simple and although the throttle box initially felt a little cramped, it offered plenty of places to support the throttle hand while varying revs in lumpier water. Bottom Left: Next to the anchor box there’s an electric motor mount. Either a self or standard manualdeploy would work, as you can easily access the mounting area.

Right: Although basic, there’s plenty of storage room in the seat pedestals and simple foot bars.

The new Suzuki 150 is an EFI double overhead cam, 2.8L inline 4-stroke that throws this centre cab up and out of the water.

The hard top offers shade for driver and passenger and accommodates a handful of rods up and out of the way. It folds down for garage storage.

Left: There’s ample room to shuffle around the centre cab and the deck remains the same level all the way around.

Right: The short windscreen is in the ideal place – you can look through it while seated and over it while standing.

DECEMBER 2019

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FIND THE THERE ARE 15 LOGOS HIDDEN THROUGHOUT THE PAGES OF FISHING MONTHLY. FILL IN THE ENTRY FORM BELOW WITH THE PAGE NUMBER OF EACH LOGO LOCATION AND GO INTO THE DRAW TO WIN!

LOGO COMPETITION HAVE YOU TRIED ZMAN’S MIDNIGHT OIL COLOUR? COMBINE A DYNAMITE UV REACTIVE POP WITH FINE GLITTER FOR A REALISTIC SCALE FLASH AND YOU HAVE A SOFT PLASTIC PRESENTATION THAT FISH CAN’T RESIST!

THE FIRST 40 CORRECT ENTRIES DRAWN AT THE END OF DECEMBER ‘MIDNIGHT OIL’ COLOUR SOFT PLASTICS. WIN A PACK OF ALL ENTRIES WILL THEN GO INTO THE MAJOR PRIZE DRAW TO WIN ONE OF THREE PRIZE PACKS TO BE DRAWN ON 30th APRIL, 2020

MAJOR PRIZES 1ST: $1000

MAJOR PRIZE WINNERS GET TO CHOOSE FROM THE HUGE TACKLE TACTICS RANGE OF BRANDS AND PRODUCTS:

RRP OF TACKLE TACTICS PRODUCTS

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2ND: $500 3RD: $200 RRP OF TACKLE TACTICS PRODUCTS

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RRP OF TACKLE TACTICS PRODUCTS

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NAME ............................................................................................................

MAIL ENTRIES TO: WAFM Find the ZMAN Logo Competition, PO BOX 3172, Loganholme QLD 4129 Entries must be received by 31ST DECEMBER 2019 Original entries only. No photocopies.

SUBURB .................................................................P/CODE ...........................

PHONE ..........................................................................................................

EMAIL ............................................................................................................

WAFM DECEMBER 2019

ADDRESS .......................................................................................................

650HTF GET ONBOARD

Practical and stylish is Northbank’s 650 Hard Top.

650HTF Specifications

With creature comforts including sliding cabin windows, custom upholstery, 6ft bunks and plenty of storage just to name a few the 650HT-F has it all.

Length: 6.5m Beam: 2.44m Height on trailer: 3.10m Max persons: 8 Max HP: 250hp Deadrise: 21° Hull weight: 1400kg Fuel capacity: 250ltrs

A fully enclosed wheelhouse is the only true way of keeping out the elements thus, the 650HT-F can offer true offshore capabilities. Built strong, tough and with mirror finish gel-coats your Northbank will last in the most extreme conditions on earth.

Get the tackle packed and get onboard for the trip of a lifetime. There’s only one thing that’s going to outlast the stories from this trip, that’s the Northbank 650HT-F Hard Top.

650HTG

650WA

Western Australia Dealer:

Northbank Fibreglass Boats @northbankboats

650C

18 HAWKINS ST, EAST BUNBURY, WA 6230

(08)

9791 1499

PORTABLE PORTABLE PORTABLE FOURSTROKE FOURSTROKE FOURSTROKE

REVOLUTION REVOLUTION REVOLUTION The game The game has The changed… has game changed… has The changed…

ALL TheNEW ALLThe NEW Mercury ALL Mercury NEW 15-20hp Mercury 15-20hp15-20hp FourStroke FourStroke battery-free FourStroke battery-free battery-free EFI range EFI range changes EFIchanges range the changes way theyou waythe youway you will think will think about willabout portable thinkportable about outboards. portable outboards. outboards.

Lighter, Lighter, moreLighter, more powerful, powerful, more more powerful, more efficient, efficient, more more efficient, more durable, durable, more more durable, more more intuitive… intuitive… unlike intuitive… unlike any other any unlike other portable anyportable other fourstroke. portable fourstroke. fourstroke.

• 9%• lighter 9% lighter • 9% than lighter than previous previous than model previous modelmodel • Best • Best in class • in Best class performance in class performance performance • Battery • Battery •Free Battery Free EFI for EFI Free fast, for EFI fast, reliable forreliable fast,starting reliable starting starting • New • New exclusive •exclusive New exclusive multi-functional multi-functional multi-functional tillertiller handle, handle, tilleradjustable handle, adjustable adjustable for left for left for left or right or right handed or handed rightoperations handed operations operations

Visit mercurymarine.com.au Visit mercurymarine.com.au Visit mercurymarine.com.au or your orlocal yourMercury local or your Mercury local Marine Mercury Marine Dealer.

Dealer.

Marine Dealer.