Western Australia Fishing Monthly February 2019 by Fishing Monthly

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Journey to Abrolhos Islands • Catch more blue swimmer crabs • Bream tips and tricks •

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February 2019, Vol. 1 No. 6

Contents 8

METRO Perth Metro/Cockburn Sound

Swan & Canning Rivers

Metro Offshore

SOUTH COAST Bremer Bay

Albany 17 WEST COAST Augusta 22 Busselton 24 Bunbury 26 Mandurah 28 Lancelin 29 Jurien Bay

Geraldton 31 Kalbarri 32 GASCOYNE COAST Carnarvon 66 Shark Bay

From the Editor’s Desk... Going by all of our reports for this month it seems the fishing has been pretty good to great in most locations as long as you can find a bit of a break from the wind. With summer about to end the southerly pattern will hopefully break and we can expect some of that magical autumn weather to kick in and let us access what is probably some of the best months for wetting a line here on the WA coast. The month ahead should see us starting to see the first schools of salmon turn up along the south coast, and then it will be a roll of the dice as to whether they will run along the coast or turn west and head offshore. The last couple of years have had exceptional shore-based metro runs and fingers crossed it will be bigger and better this year.

On the salmon front, we have had a few small schools of mixed size fish holding up in various locations along the coast with a few turning up from month to month in unusual locations for the time of year. Global warming or just strong recruitment? Who knows! Either way it makes for some interesting mixed bag beach fishing. Some of you may or may not have ever noticed the front cover of Fishing Monthly says ‘The recreational anglers’ voice’ and our east coast sister mags quite often publish readers letters, so if you want to jump on your soap box and make a comment on anything fishy feel free to drop us an e-mail. While we may not publish everything we receive we love hearing from our readers. Likewise, if you want to have a go at writing drop me a line and we will

see what we can do to help you along the way to get your first article published. If you are keen for some free back issues of WA Fishing Monthly check out www.issuu.com/ fishingmonthly or if you need a gift for that friend that loves fishing check out www.isubscribe.com.au and go to the Boating and Fishing section. As always be sure to check out the competition page and get your entries in to go into the draw for some great prizes. TOURNAMENT ANGLER GUIDE Whether you’re a tournament angler or not, the ABT Tournament Angler Guide stitched into the centre of this issue is a quality read if you like lure fishing. Back in the day when it was a stand-alone magazine (and over 160 pages), it had the

Ian Sewell nickname of ‘the instruction book for your lure box’. Nothing much has changed! Whether you’re scoping out a new area for social fishing or for a tournament, Joey and Jamie’s preparation article will help and after livestreaming Steve Morgan’s entire season from the boat, there’s a no-holdsbarred article on every lure he used to weigh bream across Australia. It’s ABT’s motto ‘Who Shares Wins’ to the extreme. We’re really proud of the improvements in coverage in these catch-and-release events. When there’s more people who know that we are all out there doing the right thing by the fishery and the fish, that’s more people who can focus their well meaning but ill-informed attentions elsewhere. And that’ll help all anglers in the longer term.

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Journey to the centre of the Abrolhos Islands PERTH

Luke Doherty

It’s 6:30 in the morning and the sun is up but behind light cloud cover so everything has an orange hue to it. The rod in your hand bounces as something nudges your lure. The rest of the world disappears and you’re holding your breath waiting for the

to that edge than others, and its for this reason that offshore kayak fishing isn’t for everyone. The trip to the Houtman Abrolhos Islands took weeks of planning and preparation. The call went out in late August, when Central Regional Tafe announced they were running a three-day Kayak Training Course. Spots filled and the dates were set for early October.

worthiness, replacing older gear, servicing and respooling reels, looking over nautical charts and researching as much information on the area we expected to fish as possible. Fortunately, the biggest hurdles were handled for us. Getting to the islands, food and sleeping arrangements were all taken care of as part of the course. On the boat would be anglers from different backgrounds,

The Masterclass left Geraldton with a variety of kayaks and excited fishers.

Lots of preparation needs to go into offshore kayaking trips. next bite. That’s when chaos erupts around you, the rod in the rod holder behind you jerks violently and almost tips you out of your kayak. The rod you’re holding buckles over at the same time, probably saving you from capsizing. This is what offshore kayak fishermen are looking for, the feeling of being on the edge and the adrenalin that comes with it! Some kayakers want to be closer

It was going to be one last effort before the West Coast Demersal closure started. We would be loading our kayaks onto the Masterclass, the Tafe’s 20m boat, traveling across to the Islands to fish and complete a competency course in kayak fishing. THE TRIP OUT Almost immediately, the nightly preparation started, checking safety equipment, watching the weather, checking our kayaks for sea

ages, skill levels and fishing styles. Amongst the kayaks that were loaded onto the Masterclass were a variety of pedal and paddle kayaks, with everything from the most basic paddle kayaks right through to rigs worth thousands of dollars. The one thing everyone had in common was a passion for kayak fishing. Waking up on the deck of the boat, the first day was a short one. After about

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3 hours cruising across to the islands from Geraldton, a few of the kayakers on board were feeling seasick or shabby from the antics from the night before. It was slow going getting ready, not knowing what to expect, and most of the group didn’t have rods rigged or gear stored in a way that it was easy to unpack and launch. INTO THE FISHING! Day 1 Once everyone had prepared and launched, it was time to get stuck into some fishing. Starting northwest of Rat Island working over the shallow reef and deeper sandy patches, baldchin groper and trout were the main target. In the ledges and holes in the reef, most of the anglers in the group caught something. The sharp staghorn coral was shredding leaders and a small front was starting to build further out to sea. Overcast and humid, with very little wind, it was time to stop for lunch. Returning to the Masterclass, kayaks were tethered to each other out the back of the mothership. After lunch, most the group got back into their kayaks and continued fishing, working their way back across the 7km to the Fisheries Jetty on Rat Island. For those who didn’t head back out on their kayak, an

afternoon dive for crayfish rounded out the first day. Dinner that evening was coral trout and baldchin grilled on the barbeque along with a couple of crayfish from the dive. After dinner and some course work it was back to fishing, with the lights on the boat were bringing baitfish

squid for sashimi and bait the following morning. It was time for bed and with no camping on the Islands we slept on the boat. Day 2 Day two was forecast to be the best weather for the trip, low winds early and a storm forecast for later in the day. There aren’t many

Soft plastics were an effective tool over the reef. in close. Squid were starting to hang around along the edge of the light. Casting squid jigs out beyond the range of the light, then slowly winding them back in was enough to get the Tiger squid to follow the jigs back to the boat. Dangling the jigs in the water over the back end of the boat and having a little patience while the squid got up the courage to grab hold resulted in fresh

places in Western Australia where you can watch the sun rise over the water. It’s worth the 4am wake up, just to watch the light creep across the sky and hear the islands wake up. After quietly contemplating the mysteries of the universe over a cup of coffee it was time to launch. Heading north from the boat, out of the shelter of reef, which runs along the drop

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off on the east of Rat Island, it didn’t take long to find the first school of snapper. Schooling on the leeward side of a navigation marker in a depth of about 15m. Holding just off the bottom, a 1oz, 5/0 Abrolhos Tackle Projectile Head with a 5-inch Mcpaddle soft plastic was the first offering to get taken. Left sitting in the rod holder while a second rod was being rigged, the slow drift and small bounces from the kayak moving was enough to entice a bite. Seven more fish followed the first, and were returned to the water. Leaving one rod in the rod holder and casting ahead with the other resulted in a few double hook ups, with many fish unhooking themselves while another was being reeled in. It

wasn’t long before a few other kayakers from the group headed over and joined the fun. Getting a little crowded with several kayaks working over the one school, it was time to move on in search of some baldchin groper and trout in the nearby reef. A quick radio call and a buddy was ready to do some exploring. A short northerly paddle later, in 30m, another school was located. This time it was a mixture of snapper and samson fish. The sambos didn’t fare too well after the sharks moved in though. In the reefs around White Bank a smaller lure turned up a variety of smaller reef species. Casting a 5” ZMan PaddlerZ on a 3/8oz jighead hard against the reef and then slowly retrieving so the lure presented just above the

dropping, so we departed the islands early. The trip back took us through the middle of the whale migration, which made up for the lost day of fishing, almost. LESSONS LEARNT There are three stages to planning any offshore kayak fishing trip. Stage one is always going to be deciding where to go; picking a destination, exploring

own. As there is only a small number of people who have gone to the effort of taking kayaks to the Abrolhos, there was very limited information available from among the kayak community. Looking over Navionics charts and reading over trip reports from boaters who had spent some time in the area were the most reliable sources of information

Baldchin groper were a much sought-after target on the trip. coral helped to land one of the many baldchin that were caught during the day. Others had success with similar techniques and stickbaits worked across the shallower spots in the reefs targeting trout. Lunch was had back on the boat and a quick snorkel

On day two the anglers experienced fantastic conditions.

along the reef around White Bank before heading back to the fisheries jetty finished the kayaking for the trip by early afternoon. Taking the Masterclass out that afternoon, a few snapper were caught dropping lures on the edge of some of the outer most reefs. Two or three were kept for the barbeque that evening. Day 3 Day three was blown out. Waking up before the 4am alarm, it was easy to see that the forecast storm was howling around us and it was too windy to be fishable. After a quick discussion, everyone went back to sleep. We were catching the very edge of a storm that hit Perth with winds that damaged houses. After sunrise it was obvious that the wind wasn’t

Coral trout were a prized catch, and made meal times very tasty. the fishing options and identifying the challenges that will need to be overcome to have a successful and safe trip. While the boat and destination were planned for us, the rest of the planning was left to us to do on our

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would be like in the areas we expect to fish. Protected from the swell by reef, the most obvious challenges would be currents and wind. Geraldton Volunteer Marine Rescue provide two or three weather broadcasts over the radio throughout the day. These updates are extremely helpful in planning the days fishing and learning about any changes to the forecast that might be a problem. The second stage is preparing yourself. Kayak fishing is physically and mentally demanding. Sitting in a kayak, adjusting your weight to stay balanced and maintaining your posture takes focus and practice. It also slowly saps your energy, wearing you down. It’s usually not until you get out of your kayak that you realise how tired and sore your muscles are. To fish several days back-to-back takes conditioning and a certain level of fitness. There is no getting around this, whether you paddle, pedal or sail your kayak, at some point you will experience the aches and pains that come with sitting for hours on end. The best way to make sure this doesn’t impact on your trip is to make sure that you spend plenty of time in your kayak in the weeks leading up to your

At the end of each day, a delicious meal of fresh fish was prepared. trip. This will condition your body to the stresses put on it while fishing. Practice will also help build your confidence and give you a chance to refine your technique if you’re paddling. A clean, efficient paddle stroke or a regular cadence in your pedalling will make travelling between spots easier and help save energy. Practicing deep water re-entry is another key part of preparing for any trip. No one enjoys it but it’s a core skill for any offshore kayakers. There isn’t always an option to swim your kayak to shore to climb back

into your kayak on your own. Even the more experienced kayakers will find that they experience a sudden rush of adrenaline when they capsize unexpectedly. Adrenaline gives you an initial burst of strength but leaves you feeling sluggish and weary very quickly. Making sure you can complete re-entry successfully in the first few attempts is critical. The third step is preparing and packing gear. This is the most difficult and time-consuming step. Researching the area and target species will make it easier to choose tackle and

rods. For most trips, 2-3 rods is more than enough. One lighter rod for gathering bait and targeting smaller species and 1-2 medium weight rods should handle just about everything else. Keeping a 2-4kg rod with a small 10002000 size reel with you is great for catching fresh baits like squid, wrasse and other baitfish. Keeping two rods in the 7-10kg range with a 4000-5000 size reel, spooled with 30-50lb line should be more pulling power than most kayakers will be comfortable using. Preparing a kayak is all about compromises. After going over it to make sure the hull is in good repair and water tight, you need to start working out where to fit all your gear. Most of the challenges will be about storing safety gear and most kayakers will have their kayak rigged in a way that suits their individual needs. Making sure its quickly accessible is important, what you store on the deck and what can be stored in the hull is going to depend on where you are fishing. In the Abrolhos, being as remote as it is, flares, a VHF radio and a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) could save your life, if you can get to them. A PFD with pockets is a great way to keep your PLB and radio on you

without them getting in the way. A RescueME electronic flare is a great alternative to keeping pyrotechnic flares in your pocket. While it’s not a replacement for handheld red flares that are required to be carried, the small handheld LED lights emit bright red flashing light and can be stored without too much concern in a pocket. Other signalling options are small mirrors and torches.

and without fixing them they can turn into bigger issues and derail a trip. Duct tape, any tools you need to service your gear and spare parts for anything that is prone to breakages is a good idea. This trip really highlighted how easy it is to get to areas that are usually only accessible to anglers fishing from boats with a little planning and some in-depth research. Kayak

It is crucial that you are confident in your ability to handle a kayak offshore before heading on a big trip like this. Spare parts and tools are something that most kayakers overlook when preparing for a trip. A nut comes loose, a pedal drive malfunctions or a seal on a hatch starts leaking – these are all issues that can be dealt with easily if you have the right tools on hand,

fishing in the Abrolhos is one of the many amazing fishing experiences that Western Australia has to offer. It’s proximity to Perth, abundance of reef and diverse fishing will make it a bucket list location for generations of kayakers to come.

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Metro

Making ‘shore’ you find fish METRO/COCKBURN SOUND

Kurt Blanksby

We are all creatures of habit and when it comes to fishing, this can be a real hindrance at times. We will often go to the same spots, fish for the same species and use the same rigs, whether we catch something or not. Boat anglers suffer the same

To the north of Perth I will start with the Moore River at Guilderton, as it is about the limit of what I consider ‘local’ for many of us living in the metro area. Beach fishing is best early morning at the crack of dawn or late afternoon, and in the evening if the sea breeze is not too strong. Tailor, mulloway, sharks of various sizes, sand and yellowfin whiting, herring,

and this allows you to fish from broken reef-lined beaches or rock groynes for tailor or something bigger. Herring and whiting are also on offer during the daylight hours, and there are some decent silver bream living along the rock walls. Yanchep just a bit south boasts some excellent flat top reef fishing for tailor when the swells and wind allow, and big yellowfin

Moore River is just an hour north of the city, which offers excellent beach and river fishing for local anglers. fate, but will often move more often if the results are not good early on, but from the shore anglers, we are usually more reluctant to move. This is a hot time of year and the advantage over the cooler months is the wide range of species actually available up and down the Perth Metro coast, so to mix things up a bit, try heading to a different spot and see what you can catch. This issue I will run down the coast and list what I consider your main target species and when to pursue them, and all of these spots are well known and all will produce good fishing at certain times.

flathead and silver bream are all possibilities in February. The river itself holds a good population of black bream that can be caught on bait or lures from the shore or in a kayak or small boat. South of here is Wilbinga, and access is through several tracks leading off Indian Ocean Drive, and a bit of sand driving experience is a must for this area. Once at the beach you will find a combination of shore, reef and sand stretches that produce some really good fishing from the shore. Big tailor, mulloway, sharks and sand whiting are the most common species that turn up. Two Rocks is next heading south from Wilbinga,

whiting and herring also turn up from inside the natural lagoon. Mindarie is another great rock wall to fish large baits, especially at night for tailor, mulloway and occasional samsonfish. Beach fishing takes over at City Beach and down to Swanbourne where late afternoon sessions will usually result in a few tailor from the surf. There are sand whiting and a few herring about during the daylight hours, but the number of people using the beach for swimming and sunbaking makes it very difficult to safely fish. Take note of any closed areas to recreational fishing for this reason when trying

your luck from these northern beaches. Next is Cottesloe Groyne, which is a great tailor spot in the evenings or early mornings, but note again fishing is only allowed to the south of the groyne to protect swimmers to the north and along the beach. North Mole is well known and favoured by Perth Metro anglers, as it provides a huge expanse of rock groyne to fish from and the range of species is the most impressive in Perth for a shore spot. At the tip where the Swan River flows in you stand the chance to pick up tailor, mulloway, pink snapper, sharks, mackerel (Spanish and shark) and bonito, while along its length you will also find silver bream, buff bream, sand and school whiting, herring and flathead. South Mole, which neighbours North Mole, is not as long but still provides some good summer fishing for tailor, bonito, herring, whiting, buff bream and squid. South Beach is known for its chopper tailor from the beach or small rock groyne, and it also has a reputation for producing big yellowfin whiting from the shallows along the beach. Coogee Marina allows fishing on the seaward (western side) and has the potential to turn on some good fishing for tailor and sharks at night. Bonito and

Spots like South Mole, Coogee, Woodmans Point and the public jetties in Cockburn Sound are prime spots to cast a squid jig around. swimmer crabs in summer, as this area is outside of the closed crabbing waters of Cockburn Sound. Woodmans Point provides three rock groynes to fish from, with the most southern one being the biggest. Tailor, rays and sharks with the occasional mulloway are all options after dark on larger baits, and during the daylight hours there can be herring, squid and whiting about.

and is often sheltered from the southwesterly winds that belt the coast in summer. The public jetties here provide some entertainment for herring, sand whiting, squid, flounder and flathead. Night time can produce a ray or even the occasional mulloway from the channel. Point Peron is a good spot to fish a few of the sheltered reef holes for herring, silver bream and lots of wrasse.

To the north of Perth along a sandy 4WD track, the beaches of Wilbinga provide some excellent surf and shore reef for tailor and mulloway.

Numbers of good beach tailor are available from many of the beaches to the north and south of Perth. 12

FEBRUARY 2019

the occasional Spanish mackerel are also not unheard of in summer. The next spot the Ammo Jetty just south of Coogee. It is a hot spot and the crowds will prove this, as it provides safe, deep water access for anglers to target many species. Like North Mole this spot produces just about everything from sharks, rays, mulloway, pink snapper, tailor, bonito, Spanish mackerel, herring, squid and whiting. Drop nets can net a few good blue

As you go south into Cockburn Sound along the industrial strip, you will find numerous access points to many sheltered beaches. Challenger Beach is the pick of these and runs from Alcoa refinery all the way south towards Kwinana. Good numbers of herring and sand whiting turn up along the shallows, and if a good sea breeze is in then chopper tailor can be caught from some sections. Rockingham is at the bottom of Cockburn Sound

From here we head south into Warnbro Sound, where the long curving beach turns on some good tailor sessions in the afternoons and evenings. Finally, Long Point gives sheltered northern access for tailor, whiting and small sharks. Instead of fishing the same old spots close to home, why not try somewhere else? All of these spots are well within reach and make you reassess what Perth has to offer a metro shorebased angler!

Metro

There are limitless options so close to home SWAN & CANNING RIVER

Kurt Blanksby

This is probably one of the most productive months for fishing the Swan and Canning rivers, as the number of species available makes it very attractive option close to home. Warm shallows from South Perth through to East Fremantle are now holding

jigs is a great way to pick up a few good flatties, but you need to go very slow and prospect all the water in front of you. Nothing is more frustrating than seeing the puff of sand from a spooked flathead disappearing that you didn’t realise was there. Another species that is highly regarded amongst sports fishers is the giant herring, and February is The excellent crab run is still continuing in the Swan. Use drop nets in the deeper water for best results.

The lower reaches of the Swan are turning up some decent king prawns for divers, and a few river scallops make for a nice by-catch. some good-sized bar-tailed flathead. Wading slowly through the shallows and flicking small lures and

the pick of the months to target these, as they thrive on warm water and plenty of baitfish. Locations are

generally kept a secret, but what you will be looking for is shallow flats right next to a deep channel. These fish move out of the depths and up onto the shallow flats where they chase down baitfish with lightning speed, and the warmer the weather, the better. Look for spots in the lower reaches from Fremantle up to South Perth, and they have even been caught further upriver, but generally the lower reaches are the best. Metal slice lures that can be punched a long way out to cover water and worked back just under the surface are ideal, especially

with retro-fitted a single chemically sharpened hook, as these fish will jump and cartwheel the moment they feel the hook, often shaking trebles free. Make sure you have a smooth drag and decent line capacity, as even a small giant herring can run off a hundred meters of line in a few seconds. Big blue swimmer crabs are still there, despite being hammered over the last few months, but you need to concentrate your drop nets in the deeper sections of the river and fish the run-in to high tide for best results. Divers in the lower reaches are not only catching these

big crabs, but also picking up good hauls of king prawns. Summertime black bream fishing is now at its peak, and while the fish will be very lethargic and hard to locate during the heat of the day, late afternoon sessions in the upper reaches of the Swan should produce some decent fish. In the heat, black bream are now actively feeding on small baitfish and a hardbody lure twitched and bounced through any snags will often

draw an aggressive strike. Try around Midland and further upstream by kayak to really cover the snags. The same applies for the Canning River, although it does not have as many tree snags and is more open, so the black bream will be feeding across the shallow mud banks and reeds from Riverton and Shelly up to Kent Street Weir. Again, small lures worked slow and in close to structure is the way to go.

The upper reaches of the Canning and Swan are well worth flicking a few minnow lures around for decent black bream.

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Metro

Snap into Feb fishy fun METRO OFFSHORE

Alan Bevan

F e bruary ’s wa r m currents have made a hit up and down the metro coast. Mackerel, both

trolling runs at the Three Mile, Rottnest Island and the Five Fathom bank. Looking for birds helps, but once you find the bait, work it. I favour a slow speed that I can travel at, usually around

use. Baits work at a slower speed, whereas hardbody lures can be trolled at 8-10 knots or sometimes even faster. At times, I’ve even pulled the boat out of gear a sat stationary for 30-40 seconds to entice a bite

A great fishing memory was forged when Dave wound in this Halco Madeye-crunching pink snapper!

Cricket greats Thommo and Hughesy with some early morning snapper! sharkies and Spaniards, have shown up in good numbers from just off the coast to the normal

4-5 knots, is what does the job. Speed is something that you need to work out for the system that you

Snapper are still showing good numbers in the shallows with a few stragglers getting about, and

Carnac Island and the back edge of the Five Fathom Bank has been producing the best numbers. Samsons and sharks are a bit of a pest once the sun gets up, so the go is to get onto the snapper on or just before sun up. While on the shallow reef, I’ve been having a great deal of fun with stickbaits on kings, with the odd snapper taking a

stickbait as well! The mid ground has provided breaksea cod, dhufish and snapper in the 30-45m. Only 5nm from the back of the Five Fathom Bank, this area is very close, even for smaller boats. Traveling to these spots, southern bluefin pop up every now and then and it is worth pulling a lure for a fresh tuna feed or one of

the best fresh baits. Rottnest is fishing well. Our island FAD holds some of the best King George grounds, snapper on the Dyer Island and the reef systems at North Point, yellowtail kingfish at Parker Point and West End, and it’s time to keep a eye out on Salmon Bay and Duffield Ridge for early yellowfin tuna! Rottnest

Fremantle business running half and full day fishing charters catering to small or family groups for specialised fishing out from Fremantle

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FEBRUARY 2019

Metro is a gem considering the amount of fishing pressure it gets and still holds trophy fish.

sorts the wood worm out and, surprisingly, has them fish better! The offshore wrecks

until late December. I’ve been sending a bait out with the 80W when the sharks show and have been finding

A lovely Garden Island snapper just before sunrise. Crayfish are plentiful, and pots placed closer on the reef should be good for the reds, and well-

still have some fish to keep the samson jiggers happy. It’s been a better season, with not as many sharks

Dhufish break up the snapper fishing, and are very tasty at this size. baited pots will have you catching some jumbos. It’s also worthwhile to pull your pots for a few days and let them dry out – it

this year. It could be a case of not as many people fishing them, or possibly the late start with water temperatures well down

that a bit of hurt put off the sharks and they seem to ‘wise up’ and not attack hooked fish and jigs as much. Feel free to contact me if you have a idea or two that you think works on the sharks and after a bit of a trial, I can pass on results here! The offshore FAD’s are worth a trip. Planning is essential for safety and fishing. Logging on and off when traveling 30nm out to sea is a no brainer, that and how you’re going to fish the day. It’s a long way to go and find divers on the FAD, so having a plan B such as trolling or chasing the bottom fish out there in the 200-400m is a wise choice. • Shikari Charters is a local Fremantle business running half and full day fishing charters catering to small or family groups catering for specialised fishing out from Fremantle. To find out more go to www. shikari.com.au.

A visiting Malaysian angler with his first Aussie snapper. FEBRUARY 2019

South Coast

Escape summer heat BREMER BAY

Kurt Blanksby

CREATE YOUR ADVENTURES

The south coast has been enjoying a cooler summer, and escaping the heat further north many anglers have been venturing down south to take advantage of the variety of fishing experiences that Bremer Bay area has to offer. The landlocked little estuary systems that merge up into winding and closed in rivers are a good option with plenty of mid-sized

bream. Again, this is ideal kayak country for those with the determination and stamina to paddle into the out of reach places. Right in town, Bremer River and Devils Creek mean you don’t even have to travel far and off road to launch to experience some pleasant bream fishing in perfect surroundings. Baits of river prawn, coral prawn, cockles and worms will attract attention from most of the black bream in this area. If you want some real excitement then flick around

season salmon. Boat anglers are still fighting the strong winds that are making conditions very uncomfortable, so early morning starts when there is a lull in the southerly is the way to go. Plan to head out and fish the close in grounds so that you can turn back in once the breeze and sea picks up. Samsonfish, yellowtail kingfish, breaksea cod, pink snapper, queen snapper and harlequin fish are showing up in close over broken ground or out from the headlands.

438 STRYKER Juvenile salmon provide excellent sport on light tackle from any of the beaches around Bremer Bay.

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black bream in each to make them worth fishing. Beaufort Inlet is probably the best due to its size and the Pallinup River flowing into this holds a good number of black bream. Being very shallow and tannin coloured means you must be very careful with outboard engines on small tinnies, preferably just use kayaks to navigate safely in these waters. Not only will you encounter black bream but also landlocked salmon trout, herring and the occasional big blue swimmer crab. Further east is the Wellstead, another interesting little water that holds some good black

small hardbody lures or soft plastics, as these will also provide some entertaining fishing on these south coast bream. Many don’t rate the eating qualities of the south coast black bream, the flesh can be a bit bland and mushy, so many choose to just catch and release most fish caught in the rivers and estuaries. From the ocean it is a different story, as all of the popular angling species make for fine table fare and a few hours from the shore will usually see you hook into some decent herring, sand whiting, occasional King George whiting, skippy and possibly an early

Rock anglers who pick the sheltered side of the headlands have been rewarded for the long walk out to many of the best ledges with mixed bags of the same species. Safety is the number one concern as usual with this type of fishing, so pick your days and don’t take chances. The beaches out of town to the east and west have also been good for big skippy, occasional salmon, big tailor, gummy sharks and bronze whaler sharks. Throw in plenty of herring, salmon trout and a few sand whiting on lighter gear and you will see these spots have been providing the goods.

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FEBRUARY 2019

South Coast

Take the warm weather with a pinch of salt ALBANY

Callum Dowell

With a traditional summer approaching, it’s going to take a bit of homework to find yourself a productive area out of the harsh midday breeze that sweeps the town during February and March.

likely going to be glass off conditions for inshore anglers until there is a wind change. So take full advantage for an early morning feed. Anglers that have fished early have found dhufish in close and in big numbers. It’s always such a gamble with what fish to keep for your one fish limit. Risking the release of a fish that may not

A great presentation will improve your results. Keeping a close eye on the wind graph prediction is mandatory for all anglers. Over the years I have found there to be a discrepancy in the prediction. If there is a north wind predicted in the morning it’s more then

survive always burns in the back of anglers’ minds. Based on reports, dhufish travel in pairs of roughly the same size. So personally, if you’re dealt with a 55-60cm dhufish, just take it and run. Young angler Lewis

Broad found some solid dhufish on a recent trip out using 7” white Jerk Shad soft plastics. Within the past few years this lure has become the offshore presentation of choice in this area. A heavy jointed jighead will allow a natural action to the soft plastic. Squid and cuttlefish are still the day saving option for many boaties this time of year. Cuttlefish are amazing to eat –their soft flesh is well worth the slightly harder clean. A great area is the deeper water around 3-6m at the entrance and just inside of the Princess Royal Harbour Channel on the weed beds. Squid jigs worked off the bottom is your best chance. Expect to find fish shallow in the King and Kalgan river systems. Bream may seem as though they’re logs this time of year as they bask in the warmth. So keep your eyes peeled. Surface lures and lightly weighted soft plastic grubs and minnow styles work the best in the rivers, while at the Oyster Harbour flats Ecogear SX40s and 48s have accounted for many fish over the years.

Lewis Broad with a stud WA dhufish. These fish usually travel in pairs of the same size. Remember to use the lightest fluorocarbon leaders you can get away with as the water is clear and still. Mulloway are in every area of the Kalgan at the moment as they have dispersed from their spawn. Plenty of fish in the 50-70cm

size are on offer, 90-110mm jerk baits, 3” paddle-tail soft plastics and 60mm Jackall vibes will cover all the bases depending on their mood. Salmon are just around the corner again. Bremer Bay holds the key early in the season and there are

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blue swimmer crabs

Getting grabby for some crabby WEST COAST

Ian Sewell

With summer in full swing the estuarine waters of the west coast have warmed significantly and the blue swimmer crab populations in our estuaries have grown quickly. Of all crustaceans, blue swimmer crabs would

however later in the season blue swimmers will be nice and big after a couple of months of constant eating and a further moult or two under their belt. While a legal size crab is okay, a big blue is hard to beat. More recreational fishers chase crabs than any other recreational species and 2019 there is set to be

from boat licence will be required. So as long as you are land-based then this is a free fishery. Crabs can be caught in a number of ways, and depending on where you catch your crabs will depend on the preferred technique. Crabs can be caught by hand, an unpointed wire hook, crab scoop net or by drop net. The first and easiest method is scooping; scooping crabs requires a special crab scoop net. It must be made of a rigid material like wire or hard plastic and shaped like a bowl. Scoop nets must be of such a design so that a crab is unable to get tangled up in the scoop. The depth of the scoop may not be deeper than 210mm and not

the water and the less chop on the surface the easier it will be. In popular spots with lots of scooping traffic, the bigger crabs will be very hard to find as all of the easy to get crabs will be long gone. Fishing early morning or early evening will increase your chances, especially if this coincides with a rising tide. Crabs will usually use a rising tide to move up onto the shallows, even more so if they can do it under the cover of darkness. In heavily fished areas, working the edges closer to deeper water will usually yield better results. This is where using a boat, canoe or kayak is helpful as it

While not as prolific as they used to be, there are still big crabs out there being caught. used land-based from rock walls, jetties, bridges and deep shore banks or from boats. Drop nets are usually made from two metal rings with netting forming the sides and base of the nets; the

top of the net is open. Crab traps or pots are illegal for recreational crabbing in WA. Fishing from shore with crab nets is a simple process, first of all find your preferred location and get

A boat limit of nice summer blues. Check the possession limits for your area as they may differ. have to be the one I enjoy eating the most. While quite fiddly to extract their meat, reward for effort makes it a chore well worth enduring. January and February are the best times to chase these feisty delights. Early in the season during November and December the size is usually a bit hit and miss,

changes made around the management of crab stocks to try and get more and bigger crabs back into our nets. This is absolutely great news for the fishery and also everyone who chases crab for a feed. Catching crabs requires no licence unless done from a boat, where a fishing

Drop nets should be the double ring open top type, there are many different types. Buy quality nets and look after them and they will last you many years. 18

FEBRUARY 2019

These are commercial traps and are not for use by recreational anglers. If you see one of these traps under no circumstances should you touch it! have a diameter greater than 375mm. The easiest way to go is to visit your local tackle shop and buy a legal crab scoop for around $15-$20. The next step is to select a suitable location to go and attempt your assault on the crab population. By far the most popular location for crab scooping are the prolific sand bars found on the outskirts of the Peel and Harvey estuaries in Mandurah. However, most estuarine sand banks will hold crabs at some stage over the summer months. Others worth considering are the sand banks around the Leschenault Estuary down in Bunbury. Calm sheltered ocean bays can also be worth a shot, especially on a warm summer night with a head torch. A tip for scooping is to consider which way the wind will be blowing at the time you intend to be out searching. You want to see the crabs, and the clearer

will allow you to access the drop-off areas, have a quick look and move on if there is not much around. Remember if you use a powered boat to access a crabbing area you will need a fishing from boat license. Drop nets are the next most popular method and makes for some great crabbing. Drop nets can be

Crabbing is a great way to spend a day on the water with the family.

CRABBING TIPS • When scooping always wear sturdy shoes while walking in the water. • Measure all crabs straight away and return unwanted or undersize crabs immediately. • Berried or crabs with eggs are protected and should be returned immediately. • While there is no rule against it, many crabbers will not keep female crabs. • Crabs must be over 127mm tip to tip on the sides of the shell. • Always use a proper gauge when measuring crabs, as fisheries inspectors will be using a vernier gauge. • If you are not catching keep moving until you find a water depth or area that is holding crabs. • Crabs will be bigger but fewer later in the season. • Keep bait clips and bags topped up with the fresh baits to keep a good scent trail for the crabs to follow. • Always put crabs straight onto an ice slurry for the best tasting crabs. • Check out the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Fisheries page for the most up to date rules and regulations around catching crabs. Ignorance is not an excuse for breaking the rules.

blue swimmer crabs your nets in the water. There is a maximum of 10 nets per person. When fishing from shore the chances of interacting with others is usually quite high especially in popular spots, so always be mindful of other fishers and try and reduce conflict by not claiming a whole jetty to yourself, consider moving nets or taking some out of the water to share the spot amicably. With a bag limit of 10 crabs it does not take long to bag out in good spots and often people will move on quickly, at this time you

was not sure where to go so just had a guess, then the next person does the same and so on and so on, until there is an on water traffic jam of boats and nets. A couple of things to be mindful of though is to ensure that your pots or ropes stay well away from marked navigation channels, larger vessels cannot navigate out of the channel and if they wrap a crab net around their propeller it will make for two unhappy boaters! The best method for boat drop netting if you have no

one. Keep a mental note of what nets catch and which ones do not. If three nets in a row catch and all of the rest have nothing you can then concentrate your efforts by bringing the non-catching nets closer to the catching nets and try to increase your catch rate. It is also well worth noting the depth of the nets that catch as at certain times depth seems to be the crucial factor in finding the crabs. If you catch no crabs, just keep moving around until you start to catch a couple.

Female blue swimmer crabs are not as pretty as the males and should be returned to the water regardless of their size. This will hopefully create more opportunities of future generations. When in berry or carrying eggs females are protected and should always be returned immediately.

The business end of a big blue swimmer crab. When they get to a certain size they are more than happy to go on the attack, whether in the water or in a drop net. can spread your nets out again if you still have not caught a feed. In a boat crab netting is made harder by all of the possible locations to put your nets, like any boat fishing the possibilities are endless. Try and resist the urge to go and run your line of crab nets through the spot where everyone else is crabbing. There is no guarantee that these other boats are onto the crabs, and chances are it all started because one person

idea where the crabs are at, is to make long straight lines or strings with your nets. Keeping your nets in straight lines will reduce your chances of losing nets while on the water, it also allows you to keep an eye on all of your nets. By making a start with nets 100-200m apart, you can gauge different depths and areas of the river. Once you lay out a string, leave the nets to soak for about 15 minutes and then pull up your nets one by

It is wise to also remember that if you caught them in one spot last week they may well be long gone the next. Blue swimmer crabs are very good swimmers and can move quite a distance in the course of a single tide. Having an echo sounder for crabbing, while not essential, is a very handy tool, and with the price of small colour combo units these days under $200 you would be crazy to fish without one.

There is no guessing as to why these fine crustaceans are called blue swimmers or blue mannas!

Tides will depend on the areas fished. For me, I like a fast moving current, so a rising tide about mid way through is my preferred time, however, in honesty I usually just go when I have the time. Bait for crab nets is a very personalised affair. If you asked 50 die hard crabbers what they use you will likely get 50 different answers. Most have a mix of never miss baits all stuffed into a bait pocket clipped to the net or on a bait clip. The topic of bait clips and pockets is also hotly debated. However, if you fish an area with a high population of stingrays and or shags then bait bags are a good way to go. Shags have worked out that diving on a crab float will usually yield an easy feed, stingrays follow their nose and do the same, so the bait pocket slows them down and allows you to keep your bait longer. When fishing areas that are deeper or less prone to bait hijackers then bait pins are a good option. Baits can be leftover fish heads from your last fishing outing and may include herring or whiting heads, other popular baits are mullet, spleen, bony herring, chicken necks, sheep necks, blowies, chicken frames and the list goes on and on. Very often it is a combination of two or three just to hedge the bets. As far as baits go, probably the most important part is that there is enough bait there. Old, mostly eaten away bait does not have a lot of oil or smell left in it, so it is always wise to freshen baits often. Crab nets come is a range of shapes, sizes and configurations. Like baits, many people have their own preference, they can be from very big to quite small, big mesh to small mesh, heavy wire to light wire or wire based to net mesh based. The choice is yours, depending

of course if you have a tight budget or not. As with all things for the marine environment, quality counts as does good maintenance. Look after your nets and they should last you many seasons without any issues. Floats can be anything that will support the rope in the water. Buying the proper crab floats is a very wise investment as you have a ready to go rope storage and if you use 8mm silver

Crabbing is a great way to entertain the whole family as well as social groups of family and friends through summer and is just a part of what we do here in the west in summer. While the fishery is already well managed and also has the bonus of being MSC certified as being a sustainable fishery, we still need to look after this unique and awesome fishery. Hopefully, as the new rules come into play later this year it will mean bigger and

What summer is all about. A feed of fresh crabs, family, friends and sunshine. Does it get any better? rope you can get 10m of rope on a float. This way you can adjust your floats for the given depth so that you do not have too much rope floating on the top of the water, which can be a navigation hazard to other boats and yachts. Many people also like to add their own custom colours to their floats so that they can distinguish their own from others fishing around them.

better crabs for everyone. I for one am looking forward to days of big blues again. I still remember clearly the days of catching plentiful big crabs, the biggest 97cm claw to claw, the biggest I ever saw was 107cm claw to claw. Crabs from 75-85cm were relatively prolific. So if we have to endure a bit of pain from the new rules to get into the big crabs of old I say, â&#x20AC;&#x153;bring it on!â&#x20AC;? FEBRUARY 2019

News

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Displaying your registration

MAKE YOUR DREA MAKE YOUR DREA A REALITY A REALITY

Skippers are being reminded to properly display their vessel registration sticker and number. This is becoming even more important as the number of recreational vessels sharing WA waterways increases. To assist, the Department of Transport (DoT) has produced a new Vessel Registration brochure, providing information about the type of vessels that need to be registered and details on the type, size, colour and placement of the registration number and sticker. DoT Safety Education Manager Laurie Adams said a concerning number of recreational vessels on

the water don’t comply with requirements for the positioning of the registration number and sticker, so they can’t be clearly viewed. “This makes it difficult for authorities and others to identify a vessel, which in an emergency could impact a timely response and inhibit a successful outcome,” Mr Adams said. Mr Adams said it was the responsibility of the skipper to check the vessel’s registration was current before going boating. “Current registration of a vessel provides authorities with up-to-date information about the vessel and the associated fees contribute to boating infrastructure

improvements and other services to assist skippers including navigation aids, safety education and compliance patrols,” Mr Adams said. There are currently 98,649 registered recreational vessels in WA, 811 more than in 2013/14 representing an increase of just under 1% growth in the past five years. Skippers who go boating without current registration face a $160 fine. Get more information about vessel registration and view the new brochure Vessel Registration: Safety Guidelines – Marine Safety on the Boat registration page. –WA Department of Transport

Bringing oysters home The McGowan Government is following up on an election commitment to help improve recfishing, biodiversity and water quality, and today launched a $1 million project to restore oyster reefs in Albany’s Oyster Harbour. The project will work to enhance the marine environment of Albany’s well-known Oyster Harbour and restore the habitat of the threatened Australian Flat Oyster. Once abundant

throughout the bays and estuaries of southern Australia from Perth to Sydney, 99% of Australian Flat Oyster reefs have been wiped out. The project will cover an 800 square metre area and comes after trials on a smaller site that have proved very promising. Guided by The Nature Conservancy, which has already restored reef habitat in South Australia and Victoria, the project is funded by the Department

of Primary Industries and Regional Development, and supported by Recfishwest, The University of Western Australia, Great Southern Development Commission and South Coast NRM groups. Locally sourced natural rubble will be used to build the new artificial reefs that will become home to more than one million native oysters distributed over a series of reef segments. – WA Fisheries

Touch other pots, pay the cost

YAMAHA MOTOR FINANCE owner to retrieve. was used to locateBENEFI the pots The owner later reported that had been illegally YAMAHA FINANCE BENEF the incident MOTOR to FishWatch accessed as well as two pots

A recreational fisher was found interfering with another fisher’s rock lobster pots and has been fined more than $12,000 and had his boat impounded for more than 20 months. The owner of the pots confronted the fisher as he removed a rock lobster from one of his pots, which he had pulled onto the pot tipper of his boat. He put the lobster back into the pot and dropped it back in the water for the

that belonged Fixed Interest rate to him. The pots he owned were seized. At therate time, the man Fixed Interest and repayments

and a search warrant was carried out at the fisher’s home, where he admitted to pulling the pot, but claimed he was untangling it. In another case Fisheries officers used a high-powered telescope to observe a man on a boat west of Hillarys Boat Harbour interfering with two lobster pots that didn’t belong to him. His boat’s chart plotter

did not hold a current rock

lobster fishing licence. and repayments He was fined more than $2,500 for three offences and

Flexible loan terms was banned fromavailable holding a rock lobster licence, or being Flexible loan available aterms boat fishing for from 2 to 5aboard years lobster, for 12 months. The

lobster pots were from 2 totwo5 seized years forfeited. –WA Fisheries

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Childhood gift proves costly In a court case at Karratha, a 35 year-old man was ordered to pay $6,953 after he pleaded guilty to possessing a green sawfish rostrum. Sawfish are critically endangered and WA is one of the only places in the world where a viable population of green sawfish exists. As such, all species of sawfish are totally protected in Western Australia. Joshua Wayne Hobby said he was given the rostrum, which is 96cm long, as a gift when he was just a young boy. He kept it as an ornament until WA Police, who searched his residence in Nickol in late

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May last year, seized it. On Thursday (13 December) Karratha Court heard that, while Hobby had not taken the sawfish himself, the demand for sawfish as trophies or ornaments creates a market for fishers who take them and there was a significant need for general deterrence at every stage. Supervising Fisheries and Marine Officer at Karratha Michael Dunne said community members have an important role to play here, if they become aware of suspected illegal fishing or trade of sawfish ornaments. “Sometimes the broad and

coastline of Western Australia’s north may be used to illegally take sawfish, so we need community members to report any suspicious fishing activity by calling FishWatch on 1800 815 507,” Mr Dunne said. “We don’t want the sawfish to go extinct in our State, like it has in many parts of the world. It is illegal to be in possession of a sawfish rostrum, or to catch and retain any sawfish in WA. More details about sawfish can be found in the fact sheet section on www.fish.wa.gov. au. – WA Fisheries

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West Coast

Unseasonable weather lights up the fishing AUGUSTA

Anthony Gillam

It has been 12 months of strange weather in Augusta, and not only has it confused the plants in the vegie gardens, it has also shown with some out of whack fish catches! Most notable

are numerous salmon from 500g-5kg being caught in the river. These torpedoes usually don’t show up until the end of March, but have decided to give some of us an unexpected thrills on the whiting gear! After sporadic schools of larger fish showed their presence, the yellowfin

whiting are finally around in the thousands in the channels and flats of the Hardy Inlet. For some reason the average size has decreased and now the majority are small. It may well be that the breeding seasons recently have been very successful, resulting in many more juveniles than previous years. You really do

This 22kg western blue groper took a white 7” Noeby Paddle Tail jigged on 20lb braid. This is typical of what you can expect when fishing offshore in Augusta.

A beautiful dhufish caught by Blake Gillam on a soft plastic in 35m of water off Augusta.

need to work hard for the 30cm plus fish that we have come to expect at this time of the year. Flushes of rainwater down the Blackwood and Scott Rivers have slowed to the point that the water from the ocean has flowed far enough up river that the water is blue and crystal clear right up to the Ellis Street Jetty. A new finger jetty has

been added to the boat ramp and has made launching and retrieving your watercraft a breeze regardless of size. Currently the Hardy Inlet has suffered from a large amount of sand ingress in the vicinity of the cut at Dukes Head and care must be taken with traversing the area as there are numerous shallow water sandbars. These provide an excellent stalking

opportunity for yellowfin to be tempted on small hardbodied lures. If the sand continues its trend, I would expect that the river will soon be cut off from the ocean. The King George whiting have been growing steadily and now are of a size worth keeping. You still need to be diligent in measuring most of them from the river, but there are some monsters that

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West Coast give you a huge adrenalin rush when you hook them and have no need for measuring other than for bragging rights. Beach and rock fishing around Augusta has been reasonable and the bigger tailor have begun to make their presence felt in the surf breaks, especially at Cosy Corner and the rocky drop offs at the Honeycombs. The river is still producing lots of choppers for those using lures or ganged hooks baited with small mulies. Flinders Bay has been like a shopping centre carpark, with many of the closer reef areas like Bessie Reef and the River Rocks being crisscrossed by hopeful boaties, and many striking it lucky with some nice shallow water demersals. At this time of the year when the weather gods smile upon us, the air is hot and the water glassy, and it is the perfect chance to try something a little different when out on the ocean. Traditionally, baits have been the preferred method of chasing large demersals, but with modern technology the switch to artificials has begun to take over. There are numerous companies producing soft plastics, knife jigs, slow action jigs or butterfly jigs that are really coming into favour, with the results to back them up.

If you are a dedicated baito, trying something like a Berkley SloMo or Squiddo where you can drop it near the bottom and leave the rod in a holder to slowing jig itself may just turn the tide. You don’t even need to bother with working them, as the movement of the boat is enough to get the action you need. For those who want to be a bit more active, most soft plastics in the 6-8” range coupled with an appropriate jighead between 80-200g can be dropped to the bottom and jigged up a metre or so before being allowed to drop down again. Colours vary, but I have always found that white or glow variations are nailed from 30m+, whereas the brighter colours seem to be more successful in the shallower waters. If you are happy to tire yourself out, trying a knife jig in deep water for samsonfish or yellowtail kingfish is a sure way to burn off the calories stored after the festive season. There are multiple methods and a quick search on the internet will show you the best ways for each type of jig. It will suffice to say that at the end of the day if you try this method you will be exhausted just from the constant drop and retrieve, let alone when you hook into a finned freight train!

Most first time visitors to Augusta are generally not lucky enough to have a specific mark to head to and need to rely on the generosity

depths deeper than 30m. Look for interesting features such as large depth variation, wrecks or contours that indicate underwater formations. With

An unexpected catch of an out-of-season salmon caught on whiting gear at Turner jetty. of locals or putting in the hard yards on the water searching. If you are in the latter category, have a scan of your charts and locate an area with

the accuracy of modern depth sounders it is much easier to find the features you want. You don’t need to find a huge mountain of reef; it can be as

simple as what appears to be a slight lump on a flat landscape. Areas of broken reef will also provide numerous haunts for bigger fish to wait in ambush. Drift fishing will allow you to cover larger areas of likely bottom when looking for demersals such as dhufish, pink snapper and queen snapper. It is simply a matter of heading back over the same ground when you pick up the fish. A drift speed of around 1 knot will easily keep the jigs in the zone you want. If you find too much drift then changing to a bigger jig weight or deploying a sea anchor is generally all you need. For shallow water jigging it is much the same principal, however generally speaking there is much less need for heavy jigheads to stay on the bottom. Much of the shallow water reef in Augusta follows the coastline and varies between 12-20m. The fish are generally a bit smaller, but dhufish and pink snapper are commonly caught in the 50-60cm range, which are not to be scoffed at. Soft plastics in the 4-6” size do plenty of the catching, with slow jigging also accounting for good fish. For sampsonfish and yellowtail kingfish jigging, try locating a lump that shows signs of fish on the sounder and anchor up. Send down your jig of choice and be prepared for the fight of

your life. If you miss a hook up when there is a mob of these bullies around, it won’t be long before you get the next chance. Just a word of warning, they are big, strong and quite often fight dirty, so be prepared for tackle and fish losses. Strong leaders and terminal tackle are a must. Don’t fish light unless you are prepared to head to the tackle shop for a resupply! As usual, please fish safely when offshore, make sure you have all the required safety equipment, it must be in date and of operational condition. Check in with the VMR or make sure you have people aware of your trip and especially your return time. Stick with your plans and make sure to be back and signed in when you said you would. • If 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 front 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

Tasty critters from out wide BUSSELTON

Stephen Norman

January saw warm weather and plenty of calm days for anglers to get a fish in. The water has been warming up noticeably and this has bought on great fishing. Tuna have been in good numbers, while whispers of Spanish mackerel have been heard around the capes. Yellowfin whiting are still keeping land-based anglers happy, with big numbers patrolling the beaches on those warm days especially. Dunsbrough and Wonnerup have been some hot spots. Some days of extremely low wind and swell have brought upon the opportunity for many anglers to head out deep to chase hapuka, bass groper and blue eye. Anglers fishing around the 250-300m mark have found strong numbers of hapuka, while the bass groper and blue eye catches have come from 350m+. Squid and crab catches in the bay have been a little slower, with anglers having to work hard for a feed. Squid have been biting well in the evenings around the 6-10m mark in the bay on

natural yellowtail imitation jigs, while most crab catches have come from either scooping along the beaches in the evening, or setting nets just off Wonnerup beach.

You can try almost any beach for scooping crabs, but areas that small drains run out into the ocean are always worth a go first, and there are a number of these between

A healthy bass groper and a lesser seen gemfish from 450m of water off Peaceful Bay.

Busselton and Dunsbrough, like Tobys Inlet, but they are all worth a go. WHAT TO EXPECT? February generally follows on from January, with warm weather and warm water keeping the fish on the chew. Yellowtail kingfish will be making some appearances in strong numbers around the cape and further south. Trolling bibbed minnows around shallow reefs and bommies has proven effective, while casting stickbaits has also done the damage. Drifting near large bommies while cubing mulies has been the most successful method for attracting kingfish for us. While mostly 60-90cm, the kingfish will generally show up in the mulie trail, and so long as you keep the berley coming, the kingfish will follow. Anglers trolling lures have also picked up tuna, and even the odd Spanish mackerel has been reported. Tailor and herring catches have been on fire, with good fish coming from Injidup, Willyabrup and further south. Fishing early morning or late afternoon has been the best time for the herring,

While they love surface lures, kingfish won’t look past a soft vibe if they are hanging deep. while staying on into the late evening and night has paid off for anglers chasing tailor. The humble mulie as always has been killing it on the tailor, while fresh squid has been dynamite on herring. Anglers fishing these beaches have also been getting mauled by swarms of sand whiting, mainly on Injidup Beach. While only small, it’s not hard to grab yourself 10-20 fish quite easily, and they make great baits also for tailor and even the elusive mulloway. A simple paternoster rig or running sinker rig coupled with a size 8-10 hook and a small piece of squid is

all you will need for the sand whiting. The crayfish run has been hotting up over the past month or so, with anglers finally getting decent numbers in their pots. Areas off canal rocks, Yallingup and Killcarnup have all been hotspots, with orange roughy heads being the pick of the baits. • 2 Oceans Tackle is the south west’s premium fishing tackle outlet. Drop in and see our friendly staff for professional advice and choose from our massive range of fishing tackle that is sure to keep you fishing for longer. 2 Oceans Tackle 14 Albert St, Busselton WA.

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West Coast

Life’s a beach in Bunbury! BUNBURY

Grant Teede

At this time of year there is nothing better than heading down the beach after work and relaxing with the sand between your toes, the waves lapping at your feet and enjoying the afternoon seabreeze! TAILOR These conditions usually get the tailor hungry and aggressive, and they become a great target for those

throwing hardbodied and soft plastic lures. Look for a likely gutter and start casting the ever-reliable metal slugs for some high speed spinning. Use metal slugs in 10-70g range with the weight determined by what your rod is capable of casting (if you’re unsure look for a gram rating on the rod blank) and also what weight your line has been rated to handle. If flat-out non-stop spinning is not your style, try a bibbed minnow. By twitching and pausing the

lure while retrieving, the lure will imitate an injured baitfish and act like a dinner bell to get the chopper tailor excited, and they will spring into action and do what they do best… attack! When the tailor are being fussy (whether it be from angler pressures or from an over abundance of baitfish) my go-to technique is a mulie on a 3/0- 4/0 chemicallysharpened gang hook rig with little or no weight, tied on to the mainline with some 20lb fluorocarbon leader.

The author took this lovely dhuie while fishing offshore from Bunbury.

FEBRUARY 2019

This technique requires a more hands on approach, and a slow retrieve with pauses thrown in can convert fussy follows into hook-ups. Belvedere and Buffalo beaches are popular options, but a little bit further north towards Myalup and Preston can turn on some red-hot fishing at times. SALMON These hungry beasts are approaching and each year they seem to be arriving earlier and earlier. The salmon give the shore-based angler a consistent sport fishing target and depending on water the temperatures and if it has dropped enough, we should start seeing an increase in numbers over the next month. Leave the bait at home and try flicking a lure at the schooled up fish. Schools from the beach will looks just like a weed bed, only it moves! Believe it or not some keen anglers enjoy making their own lures to fool these great sportfish, with the humble butter knife or metal spoon with a couple of holes drilled to allow for split rings to be attached working an absolute treat. If you want to just tie on and cast away with little to

Mulloway are a great target from the beaches. no fuss, pickup a pre rigged soft plastic in the 5-7” range and this will allow you to fish the whole water column, as it sinks down to the depths were the salmon are holding. When a school of salmon is coming your way, don’t cast directly into the middle, try to get your lure landing 5-10m in front of the leading fish and watch as the brutes that lead the pack peel off and brutalize your offering. Ideally, a 6-10kg graphite rod in the 9’ range will go perfectly, being strong enough to cast large lures and put some real grunt on the fish, without taking all the fun out of it. SHARKS A commonly forgotten target during salmon time

are the biggest on offer, the sharks. There is a select few in the area that are keen sport fishers who target sharks that are following the schools of salmon for an easy feed. Quite often the herring on steroids are being sent back with a nice new nose ring intended to be the dinner for our friends in the grey coats. This can definitely be a heart pumping experience! • 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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West Coast

The best fishing is now MANDURAH

Jesse Choy

Beaches around Mandurah have really started to fill up with anglers setting out baits in an attempt to capture their target species. The warmer weather through January certainly brought out some of the best fishing Mandurah has to offer.

on a target which is going to be easier to feed on. Tailor are showing up in great numbers around the beaches, with a good average size and the odd larger fish being taken by those putting casts into the right spots. These fish are very opportunistic, so quite often they will find it difficult to refuse a presentation dropped right in front of their noses, providing endless fun

get results. Metal slices are a great option, as they imitate small baitfish, and when used properly can prove to be quite effective and even outfish bait! A constant observation when using these artificial lures is that the tailor will attack the lures just out the back of the waves and wash that is rolling onto the shore. Since these lures are quite heavy, they cast very well

A healthy salmon caught from the rocks at Dawesville on a small soft plastic.

4x4ing the beaches south of Mandurah during the day can certainly help you pick a spot that will produce when the sun goes down. There have been numerous reports of good mulloway being captured in Mandurah, particularly from the northern beaches, with lots of different size fish being taken on various baits. Baits like a mullet, tailor, whiting and trumpeter are all effective baits when targeting these silver ghosts

for fishers of all skill levels. A ganged hook with a pilchard attached is one of the most common baits used on Western Australian beaches, particularly when it comes to tailor fishing. Pilchards are quite popular, as they not only catch tailor, but you will pick up species like mulloway,

and will allow you to reach grounds that others canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, particularly if you are using a rod upwards of 9ft. Letting the lure sit on a featureless sandy bottom while you study the incoming waves can make all the difference at times, and quickly beginning your retrieve behind a wave that is picking up can and

Tims Thicket, White Hills, Preston and the Dawesville area. These areas hold some great size fish and will often produce some odd by-catch that may just make your trip worthwhile. Whiting fishing around Mandurah continues to produce, bringing people from all over to the Peel-Harvey Estuary. While baits like worms or prawns are proving to be effective, there is a continual increase of people who are joining into the fun of fishing for whiting on lures. While it is not the only way, an ever-growing way of targeting these fish is using surface or sub-surface lures. These fish can be difficult to catch at times, but whiting can provide many hours of learning, fun and visual stimulation as they explode on your lure trying to beat their friends to it. While youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re out chasing whiting, there is also the added bonus of picking up a few crabs if you are observant and spot them while you are flicking the flats. Using metal blades for whiting is also quite popular in the cleaner, weed free sand patches, as they allow you to really stir up the bottom while sending out plenty of vibrations, triggering the fish to investigate out

of curiosity. These lures are also somewhat easier to use, as they are a presentation which can cover more water, whether it comes to distance you can cast or depths you can fish. Whether you are using them on the deeper drop

it is bream in the rivers, or whiting on the flats, there certainly is no shortage of choices for those wanting to wet a line. While many species will continue to show up during this time around Mandurah, the salmon run

A nice chunky tailor caught at Madora Bay on light spin gear. offs or shallow waters, the weight keeps you in contact regardless of conditions, particularly on those windier days where a light lure can get blown around and line becomes more difficult to effectively manage. Going into March, we can expect Mandurah to continue to offer endless opportunities, dependent on what sort of fishing you would like to do. Whether

certainly takes the spotlight as we head into autumn. The ones that turn up around this time of year are noticeably bigger and are more difficult to come by until the real numbers show up around April. Observation tends to play a key role in catching these fish, which are ahead of the visually obvious schools, so make sure that you keep an eye out for signs of activity.

A beautiful whiting caught on a surface lure at the southern end of the Peel-Harvey Estuary. around Mandurah. The fresher bait always tend to get more attention, unless the fish are really on the chew, so to increase your odds it is well worth putting in the work to get fresh baits. While both live and dead baits are effective, it can benefit to try both methods to cover your bases and increase your chances. Sometimes the mulloway can be quite lazy, so a live bait that makes them work too hard can see them turn their head away, conserving energy and instead honing in 28

FEBRUARY 2019

herring, trevally and snapper. With ease, you are able to purchase pilchards from any place that sells bait and they also make for great berley when targeting many of our local species! An effective way of targeting tailor is casting metal slices into the surf, varying your retrieves to suit the mood of the fish on the day. Proven effective ways of retrieving these lures can consist of a fast constant retrieve, slow constant retrieve, while adding in hops and pauses can also

will produce results. A cast that is timed well can fool fish into thinking there is small baitfish using the momentum of the waves to escape from nearby predators, which will open a window of opportunity for a feeding frenzy. Beaches north of San Remo are proven grounds when out targeting these greenbacks, with best times to chase them being earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon. If you are after an adventure, then it is also worth checking out

Han, the surface whiting fishing guru, netting a solid yellowfin whiting.

West Coast

Follow the mullet for success LANCELIN

Peter Fullarton

February beach fishers should be keeping a keen eye out for the first signs of the 2019 mullet run and be ready for the opportunities the schools bring. Once the mullet start running, we expect to see some big fish very close to shore.

before the sea breeze kicks in, otherwise you’re more likely to have a net full of sea weed and not much else. Nets need to conform to Fisheries WA standards and the fisher must be licenced. Check the regulations as to where you can and cannot net, as Lancelin Bay is a no go area. Nets cannot be set, they must be hauled by hand from the beach, although you can run

look for beaches that form deeper holes or gutters the mullet must cross to continue their quest north. Reefs that spur out from the beach are a great place, as the mullet may back up and balk before they make their run around the outside of these spots. This is where the tailor, samsonfish, snapper and mulloway are all a chance. At some of these deeper areas next to reef,

Kirk Dewar with a solid 10kg shallow water dhu. Samsonfish, mulloway, big tailor, sharks and snapper will all be attracted to the schools. As the fish head north, they mostly swim along the shore where the clear water meets the sandy stirred up surf zone. On calm days they will be right in on the beach edge, making them easy pickings for net fishers. For netters, it is best to target them in the mornings when the swell is low and

the net out from a small row boat or kayak. The mullet have a high oil content so they make great baits for mulloway or demersal species, and they are awesome cray bait. They are also very tasty and a healthy fish to eat! To chase the predators of the mullet schools, look for likely ambush sites and concentrate your efforts there. For mulloway and big tailor,

Baldchin suffer severe barotrauma, and few survive release.

mullet may school up at night you can hear the mulloway inhaling them from below with a loud popping noise. North Point of Lancelin bay is a good spot to try. Often when the sea breeze blows, there is a line where the dirty water leaving the bay meets with the clean oceanic water within casting range. The mullet travel along the clean water line, and the predators use the adjacent line of dirty water to ambush them. You can watch the dolphins ambushing mullet there during the day, so make a note of where they hunt and try a bait there at night for a mulloway, shark or snapper. The jetty provides cover for the samson fish to ambush the passing schools and it can be quite entertaining watching huge samsonfish cartwheeling out the water as the schools pass. There have been plenty of tailor biting at dawn and dusk along with the odd mulloway, although strong sea breezes can make the afternoon sessions difficult this time of year. The tailor can be quite ferocious and the bite can go well into the night, especially if you’re fishing around the full moon. Sharks have been abundant after the sun sets along the beaches, so it is a good idea to use some wire trace to prevent bite offs and a mono shock leader to keep braid away from their rasping skin.

If you don’t want to wake up at dawn to chase some tailor, mid-morning the herring have been biting well. Some good places to try that have been producing fish along back beach would be Mile Reef, Fence Reef or Tailor Reef. Berley greatly increases the chances of a good catch, and you can use either a blob berley float or a sinker berley cage to equal effect. For the berley, mix some pollard and fish oil with seawater into a paste to squeeze into the float or cage. West Australian dhufish are getting ready to spawn, so they will be in great condition. Some will be coming inshore so the small boat fishers can make the most of the opportunity by looking for them inside the white cray bank. Use your sounder to look for reef ledges or lumps in the day time in shallower water. Dhufish like to hang around structure that forms caves and overhangs, whereas in deeper water they are more comfortable to sit out on top of a lump. While dhufish are more than happy to take well presented baits or lures at any time of the day, they are a nocturnal hunter and your results will improve if you get out very early in the morning to fish the first light. In February we can expect some of those hot easterly wind days to die off and change to light breeze or a glassy calm afternoon. Make the most of these days and aim to have a twilight into the evening session, anchoring up with a steady berley trail to bring in the dhufish and pink snapper at their peak feeding time. Outside the white bank there is likely to be a current. Take note of the strength and direction when deciding where to position the boat, as you want the berley trail leading to the type of country where the fish are likely to be coming from. On or inside the white bank there is less current and the water is shallow, so you are best off smack in the middle of some likely grounds. Depending on current and depth, I like to fish either unweighted or lightly-weighted pilchards for this type of fishing and float them down the berley trail. Lancelin is a reliable place to land the much sought after baldchin groper for their eating quality and recently we have been seeing some good numbers about. Baldchin suffer severe barotrauma, so it’s best to always keep all legal size fish and cease fishing once a bag limit is met. They are predominately caught no shallower than 24m at Lancelin, with fish exhibiting organ displacement and internal bleeding, so few if any survive release. Lancelin Angling and Aquatic Club recently held

Alex Carter with a horse landbased pink snapper at 90cm. their Commodore’s Cup, with prizes awarded for largest dhufish and pink snapper. Ropey took out largest dhu at 16.3kg and Jadon caught the biggest snapper at 6.77kg. Big skippy will be moving inshore, and using berley near reefs usually brings a few in close to the boat. They can be great fun on light gear and small lures like micro jigs or soft plastics. We are getting into the serious time for the pelagic species, and mackerel are well and truly on the radar. Towing jet head lures while you are on the move in between or to your fishing spots is always worth a try. Fish are capable

of flying fish, as they are a favourite food of the Spanish mackerel. If they are around, it is a good spot to be trolling a spread of hardbody lures. If you see the birds working it is likely to be schools of tuna. It is well worth a troll of lures or live baits around where these schools are feeding, as the mackerel are likely to be there as well as the odd mako shark. There have been schools of small yellow tail kingfish encountered around the inshore reef breaks. They have not been particularly big, but they respond very well to lures and can be great fun on tackle to match their size.

The Devellerez family after a morning of chasing choppers at Tailor Reef. of hitting these lures at 20 knots, although I prefer to keep the speed around 12-15 knots and still get to my spots without too much delay. Mackerel can be found from just out the back of the surf break in a few meters of water out to beyond Direction Bank, so it is on for boats of all sizes to get amongst them. Keep an eye out for concentrations

The white cray run was a little sporadic, with fishers reporting varied results, but well positioned pots came up with reasonable numbers of crays. If you were not onto where to place the pots they were more likely to be empty. The fishers that have moved pots out to depths greater than 25m have been doing well on jumbo-sized crayfish. FEBRUARY 2019

West Coast

Berley trails lead to bottom catches in the bay JURIEN BAY

Jason Harris

The fishing off Jurien Bay has been great, with good catches of dhufish, snapper and baldachin coming in. Dhufish have been reported in close to the bay, as well as at 20m, 30m and 40m. Kane from Turquoise Safaris reports good bottom fishing around the 40m mark. He says they are taking jigs and baits like octopus and squid. You can also find samsonfish and mulloway mixed in with the other bottom fish. Fishing in the bay is producing quite a mixed bag, with anything from herring to pike and samsonfish. Herring have been around the usual reef areas like Boulanger Island, with skippy and snook coming from lumps in the bay, and around Wire Reef. Anchoring and getting a good berley trail going is producing the best results. Fresh baits like prawns, squid and mulies are working on the herring and skippy. Squid and octopus are the preferred bait for bottom species. There are reports of samsonfish, good-sized pike and some dhufish being

attracted into berley trails in the bay. The samsonfish in particular have caused a bit of trouble with bust-offs. These samsonfish in the bay are causing a bit of excitement for the people fishing for tailor from the jetty, as the big runs usually end in a bust-off as the fish are too big for the typical tailor gear. Tailor continue to run off the jetty at night with goodsized fish still showing up. Fish are being caught with

the ganged baits like mulies or scaly mackerel. There are bigger fish around too, sharks, samsonfish and mulloway, so it’s worth putting a bigger bait or live bony herring out. There is a good chance of hooking something big. Plenty of tailor are coming from the beaches, too. During the early morning it’s best to look for reef areas near shore, like around Sandy Cape and Hill River. Having the morning easterly breeze behind you is a

Evelyn caught a few crabs at the boat harbour at night using old fish heads as bait.

good time to give the lures a bit of a workout. Tailor have been taking most stickbait type lures, as well as baits like mulies and poddy mullet. On the beach in the evening and at night you need to keep a good berley trail going while fishing for tailor. There is a good chance this berley will eventually attract some bigger fish like mulloway and sharks. Therefore, it pays to keep a bigger bait or even live bait out in the berley trail. There have been herring, tailor and the odd samsonfish coming from the marina. Fishing has been slow and the numbers a bit down but the fish have been around. Crabbing has been a bit better with reports of crabs in the nets mostly at night. There is still a lot of decomposing weed on the bottom of the boat harbour – particular in the middle and towards the mouth. The fish that are coming in are siting above the weed. Try not using a sinker, instead use a float or berley cage to keep your bait out of that weed. Quite a few undersized tailor are being caught in the harbour, so be sure to measure your catch carefully. Herring and whiting are coming from the beaches, too. Either in the berley trail while

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This dhufish was caught in just over 40m of water using octopus as bait. fishing for tailor or using a berley cage or float to get the herring coming in. The calmer times of day and evening work best. The crayfish will have finished the breeding cycle by

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February, so it’s a good time to catch some reds. The usual reef areas should fish well, at least until the winter swell arrives. Pumpkin Hollow, North Head, and behind the islands are all worth a go.

West Coast

Pelagics pull up in Geraldton GERALDTON

Graham Maunder & Michael Triantopoulos

Land-based fishing this season is still very good, and even though there has been a bit of wind and rough weather early in the season, this year’s tailor run has been very consistent, with plenty of fish in the 40-60cm range still being landed.

Greenough and South Gates to Point Moore is easy fishing, with most of the area accessible by 2WD and early mornings being good for most of the iconic bread and butter species. These areas are also very fishable in the late afternoon and evening with the southerly or southwesterly breeze. The stretch of beach between Explosives and Pages beaches has been

Jonti Rutherford with an estuary cod caught on a soft plastic. As summer has progressed and with more daylight available before and after work, anglers are able to travel bigger distances to fish less-populated beaches and reefs. Head Butts, Dhus Reef, Clinches and the beaches behind the S Bend Caravan Park have got better and better, with mixed catches of big chopper tailor, herring, yellowfin whiting and school-sized mulloway up to 1m not unusual. This season there are many small mulloway being caught by anglers using small hooks and rigs more suitable for whiting, flathead and herring than we have had for a year or two. With mulloway as small as 20-40cm being returned to the water, the next few seasons will be just as good as last! West Bank through to

fishing well in the afternoons for tailor, herring and pike. Throwing lures such as small weighted stickbaits and metals has been producing fish. The harbour rock walls have not been producing many good-sized fish over the last year or so, mostly due to sand movement filling up the deeper channels along the ocean frontages, but during the last few months strong currents have moved the sand northwards making deeper gutters and channels close to the rocks again. Tailor, whiting and herring are starting to show up in better numbers, and while quantities and sizes have been a bit inconsistent, as conditions improve the larger mulloway, tailor and sharks will move in after dark as they used to.

The northern beaches and reefs from Sunset to Coronation are fishing very well, with consistent catches of dart and whiting from late morning to evening and tailor, herring and pike at dawn to dusk. Fishing from the reefs around Drummonds, the north end of Glenfield Beach and the deep gutters north and south of Coronation have larger fish and if you can stay until after dark there have been some good runs of mulloway and sharks. Summer is blue swimmer crab time and with the kids on holidays and nice warm weather, a relaxing evening BBQ with the family while you drop your crab nets along the rock walls, jetties and rocks is time well spent. Places around the Batavia Marina, Front Beach and Greenough River are worth a try. The Greenough also produces the occasional mud crab. Whole mullet or mullet pieces and fish frames are preferred baits.

chance of a mangrove jack. With a dirty bottom and lots of weed, using lures become harder work, but lightlyweighted soft plastics in natural colours and shallower running diving lures are worth a try. Preferred baits are half pilchards, mullet fillet strips, and river prawns lightly weighted. Fishing along the rocky out crops and towards Devlins Pool have been producing fish. BOAT FISHING With windows of opportunity anglers have been making the most of the weather we’ve had. Those fishing south of town from Greenough River mouth to African Reef have been getting a really nice bags of dhufish, pink snapper, coral trout, baldchin groper, sweetlip snapper and samsonfish. Fishing depths have been from 10-35m. Trolling deep diving lures behind African Reef has been producing Spanish mackerel and coral trout. Southwest Bank has had a good mix of demersal

Scott Steedman with a nice bonefish caught south of Coronation Beach while fishing for tailor. shark mackerel, yellowfin tuna and yellowtail kingfish trolling lures. There has also been a good mix of demersal

Alan Johansen with a coral trout caught on a soft plastic. The Greenough River has been producing some nice black bream, and with the warmer weather you have a

A nice Spanish mackerel caught on a live blue mackerel.

species such as dhufish, coral trout, pink snapper, baldchin groper and sweetlip snapper. Trolling around the lumps has produced Spanish mackerel, striped and yellowfin tuna. Anglers fishing north of town have had success on dhufish, pink snapper, baldchin groper, estuary cod, sweetlip snapper and samsonfish. Pensioners Bank has produced Spanish mackerel trolling deep diving lures along the 13-15m drop off. Longtail and striped tuna have been working baits schools on the back edge of Pensioners Bank in 17-25m. Sneaking up on the erupting bait balls and casting small metal lures or heavy small-profiled stickbaits into them has been successful. Abrolhos Islands and Wreck Point has been producing Spanish mackerel,

species including baldchin groper, coral trout, pink snapper, dhufish, spangled emperor and samsonfish. SMALL BOATS Fishing close to town in smaller boats can be very rewarding and good fun.

Using light bream style tackle is great fun on species such as herring, tailor, pike and school mackerel. These species are also great to target on lures, and lures such as small metal slices, small bibbed divers and soft plastics have been working well. Pages Beach to Separation Point around the sand and sea grass areas, Seal Rocks, along Chapman Road to St Georges have all been productive areas. Anchoring and using berley is a must. Summer is also a great time to chase blue swimmer crabs and inside the marina is worth a shot, just be mindful of other boat users and keep nets away from main channels. Greenough River has also been producing some great blue swimmer and mud crabs, and using your sounder and finding the deeper holes half way up the river has been productive. • If you are staying in Geraldton or passing through, don’t be afraid to call in to Geraldton Sports Centre for a chat. They are located at 204-208 Marine Terrace, Geraldton.

Brendan Hughes caught this Spanish mackerel trolling a Rapala X-Rap along Pensioners Bank. FEBRUARY 2019

West Coast

Mercury and fishing running high KALBARRI

Robbie Leck

As the warmer weather warms up sunny Kalbarri, we sit and wait for a drop in the seemingly endless

drop a line in the clear blue waters. Having said that, some of the best game fishing can be encountered during this time, with most getting out early and returning early with a good catch.

caught both north and south of the river mouth, with fish ranging from 8-15kg. There have also been reports of a few larger fish being landed at Wagoe Beach by anglers ballooning whole garfish. Popular methods for

Yellowfin tuna are a great target for those fishing offshore in summer. southerly winds. With rising water temperatures and high tides frequenting the area, holidaymakers and keen ‘fishos’ waited to

As the water temperatures climb through the low 20s, mackerel have been making themselves known more frequently, with fish being

line in the past couple of weeks, with plenty of bottom fish hitting the deck. Catches include pink snapper, dhufish and baldchin groper, with anglers finding cut mullet baits and fresh octopus to be favourable. Reports are contrasting strongly when compared to earlier months, with most fish being caught on broken reef in 40-50m rather than those depths in the teens to 20s. Reports of larger blue mannas in good numbers has been the talk of the town between locals with the run shaping up to be a good one. Boaties chasing blues have found success in the local haunts around the upriver sand flats and the deeper channels near the boat pens. Fish frames and mullet seem to be the preferred baits. Crayfish have been increasing in numbers, with a few whites running and some good-sized reds caught both north and south along the cliffs. Large green back tailor

Red emperor make a great addition to the bag, and taste great! pink snapper turning up as a by-catch, however it has been noted that sharks have been a problem.

targeting these fish on the troll are large diving lures and rigged swimming gars. The demersal season has seen many anglers drop a

Cod are another great-tasting demersal species that abound in Kalbarri’s waters.

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have been making their presence felt along many of the surf beaches as well as the local river mouth, with fish to 90cm being boated. Anglers are preferring the tried and tested whole weightless garfish along with poppers brought through the wash. Heavy gear has been a must for these fish due to their razor teeth and ability to bust leaders on reef. A small run of pink snapper has been noticed once again from the Red Bluff Rocks, with numerous large fish being caught to 8kg. Anglers have found a long cast from the reef with a snelled rig baited with mullet to be the best way to target these fish. This provides an interesting prospect for boaties fishing close to avoid the relentless southerly. Anglers fishing the beaches north of town have reported good numbers of large mulloway being caught on cut mullet and squid baits, with the odd tailor and

The weather over the past few weeks has been less than ideal for anglers, with the howling wind and soaring

temperatures keeping most anglers at bay, however those willing to brave the conditions have found some success. With any luck the weeks coming will be more productive, but we’ll see what the weather gods have to say about that. Kalbarri fishing can only get better, with the weather improving making for ideal conditions. Bottom fishing is usually good, but cut short by the cooling sea breeze, so get out early. History has shown Kalbarri at this time of year to have dead calm mornings with a flat sea where mackerel and tuna can sometimes boil on the surface, all before lunchtime! • If you need a boat and are heading to Kalbarri or beyond be sure to give us a call at Murchison Boat Hire. You’ll find new dramatically reduced pricing. With three quality boats to choose from why would you stay stuck fishing from shore? Call Paul for details on 0427 645 037.

Beautiful calm days and quality fish is what summer in Kalbarri is all about.

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Costa BREAM Series

Qualifier 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Grand Final Australian Open Queensland Open

Dates 20-21 February 23-24 February 23-24 March 30 April-1 May 4-5 May 6-7 July 7-8 September 19-20 October 29 November-1 December 19-21 March 20-22 September

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Qualifier 1 2 3 4 5 6 Grand Final Australian Open

Dates 2-3 March 25-26 May 22-23 June 13-14 July 10-11 August 14-15 September 23-24 October 26-27 October

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Qualifier 1 2 3 4 5 Grand Final

Dates 9 March 13-14 April 30 June 28 July 8 September 28-29 September

Location Richmond River Toonumbar Dam Maroon Dam Lake Gregory Wivenhoe Dam Borumba Dam

State NSW NSW QLD QLD QLD QLD

Australian Open

12-13 October

Wyaralong Dam

QLD

Valley Hill

Zerek BARRA Tour

Event 1 2 3 4

Dates 8 November 9 November 11 November 13-14 November

Location Kinchant Teemburra Peter Faust â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Night Championship Peter Faust

State QLD QLD

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Samaki Wilson

Australian Open

10-12 September

Awoonga Dam

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Kayak Grand Final 9-10 November Boat Grand Final 23-24 November

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Guide to getting started in tournament fishing ABT

James Reid

So, you love to fish? You’re competitive against your mates, and you’re looking for a new way to explore your skills? If that’s you, you’ll love tournament fishing. It’s a fast growing sport in Australia, and is popular with anglers

of all stripes. There’s more to it than just fishing – it’s also a great way to make friends all over the country. ABT has been running tournaments for over 20 years, and when you fish with ABT you can go to some of Australia’s most renowned fishing locations, all while learning new fishing techniques. You might think that fishing your first tournament would be

daunting, but it’s really not that hard. The first thing to do is log onto abt.org.au and become a member for only $70 a year. Once you are a member you have the option to fish tournaments for bream, bass and barramundi from places as far as south Tasmania, all the way over to Western Australia, up to North Queensland and

At the end of the day, it’s all about having fun. A day with Anthony Wishey is always a barrel of laughs.

Top: Often the non-boater will take responsibility for returning the key tag to the board. Don’t forget to do it, or both you and the boater will cop a weight penalty. Above: Just because you’re fishing at the back of the boat doesn’t mean you don’t catch quality fish, as Mark Saric found out at Lake Macquarie. 4

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everywhere in between. Once you have signed up as a member, and have nominated which tournament you want to fish, you’ll need to decide whether you want enter the comp as a boater or as a non-boater. If you enter as a boater, that means you’ll need to bring your boat with you, and each day you’ll be paired with a non-boater. If you enter as a non-boater, you just turn up with your rods and reels, and a couple of tackleboxes with lures for your chosen species. Each day you’ll be paired with a boater.

All competitors must bring a PFD, and have a fishing permit for that state, if required. Other items to bring are sunscreen, water, a packed lunch and a rain jacket, as you’ll be on the water all day, rain, hail or shine. If you’re fishing as a boater, there are some specifications your boat needs to meet. It must be longer than 3.7m; have a minimum of a 20hp engine; working safety lights; port, starboard, and anchor light (all around white light); a working engine safety switch,

and a minimum 60L plumbed live well. An updated copy of the insurance information for your boat will also be required. FORMAT AND GUIDELINES The night before each tournament day, ABT holds a briefing which runs through the rules and regulations. This is also when we pair up the boaters and non-boaters. These briefings will give you the opportunity to meet the people you’ll be fishing with over the next couple of days. All anglers, both boaters and non-boaters, must

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Tournament Angler Guide

abt.org.au abide by all ABT rules and regulations, as well as state guidelines and regulations. Now to the formats of tournament fishing. First of all, let’s look at bream. Bream events have boaters and non-boaters, who each fish for their five biggest bream over each session (up to 10 fish per boat). Both boaters and non-boaters weigh in their fish separately, with each competitor scored individually on the weight of their own fish. Bass tournaments are

different. Although they also have a boater and non-boater format, they have a shared weight system. This means that the boater and non-boater combine their catches and weigh them in together, up to a combined bag of four or five fish per session depending on the venue. Barramundi is a teams event made up of two people per team. Competitors can catch and release as many fish as they like, with all fish recorded in the ABT Tournament Series App.

So there you go – a brief run-down into getting started in Australian tournament fishing. ABT’s website has all the rules and regulations for state fishing licencing, state to state size limits of fish, and a calendar for the dates and venues we will be at throughout the year. You can also access membership forms, entry forms and contact details. We are always happy to welcome new anglers, and our competitors are always happy to help out new blood

There’s nothing like the anticipation at the start of the day. That’s what tournament fishing is all about.

At all BREAM events, non boaters get a free Hobie jersey that earns them money if they’re wearing it when they win.

too. ABT’s motto is ‘who shares wins’, and that sums it up perfectly. NON-BOATERS As a non-boater the are a few unwritten rules you should know, if a friend hasn’t told you already. Briefing questions At the briefing, ask your assigned boater if they need a hand launching and retrieving the boat, even if you’re not sure how to do it. These are valuable lessons to learn from boaters who have done this a thousand

times, and will help you in the future. You should also find out where your boater wants you to meet them in the morning. Ask how much room they have in the boat and how many rods and other tackle you are able to bring. Ask what patterns they pre-fished (i.e. techniques and lures). This is more useful than just asking where they were fishing. You should only offer to reverse the boater’s car or drive the boat off the trailer

if you are confident and have done this before. If not, maybe ask if there’s time for some pointers to benefit you and your boaters in comps to come. If your boater tells you that they have it covered and someone else is helping them, find out where they would like you to meet them and what time. Boaters are not babysitters; if they give you a time and place, don’t be late. If you’re unsure on the area ask to be shown, it’s better asking more questions To page 6

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From page 5

and being in the right place and time than not. On the boat Once you’re on the boat, treat it as your own and better. Remember that boats are worth a lot of money and are many people’s pride and joy. Once on the boat, ask where to put your rods and gear – don’t just leave it lying around. When it comes time to fish, you should wait for your boater to be ready and let them get first cast. They have a little more

going on than just fishing (e.g. changing sounder from GPS to sonar, getting up and choosing a rod, and dropping the trolling motor). Stay on the back deck unless you’re told you can fish up the front with the boater. If you are asked up the front, never cast over their shoulders, and always let them have the first cast. It’s a privilege to be up there, and if one boater invites you up there don’t expect the next one will. Always wait for the invite. Although most boaters

won’t accept fuel money, the offer is well appreciated and goes a long way with most boaters. If they refuse to take your money and you see them out for dinner, offering them a beer will be a good way to say thank you. Even just taking an extra drink or snacks on the boat is a good idea. Weigh-in First things first – a good habit to get into is taking care of the key tag. Do whatever you can to get that tag on the board before the session ends, even if that

Non-boating opens up opportunities to fish with some of the best anglers in Australia.

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Waiting for a weigh-in bag is where lots of anglers catch up and discuss the day’s catches and disasters. means doing a 100m sprint faster than Usain Bolt! And no standing around telling fishing tales until the tag is on either. Plenty of non-boaters have been caught out like this over the years, and incurred a late penalty for both themselves and their boater. This does not get forgotten easily. Once you have sorted the key tag out, the next thing to do is offer to collect a weigh bag for your boater. If they want to collect it themselves you should wait at the boat to make sure it doesn’t float away and bang into other boats. As you collect all your fishing gear make sure you

grab all your rubbish and food scraps and any leftover line or leaders you have cut off through the day. Fair play When you’re paired up with a new boater on day 2 of the tournament, don’t tell them where you or your boater caught fish on day one. The key to being a successful non-boater is adapting and fishing the water that’s in front of you. And don’t sulk! If the fishing is tough, don’t take it out on your boater or bag him out to other competitors. Word gets around fast; it will soon get back to your boater, and it won’t make you look

good either. Remember it costs a lot of money to be a boater, with expenses such as boat maintenance, fuel, insurance and higher entry fees. Most boaters will not accept money, they just want a bit of banter, some assistance in netting fish and just having a good day. As a non-boater you should take any tips and info you may receive. Always ask questions if you’re not sure what’s going on or how to fish the areas and conditions you are facing. You will be surprised at how much information a boater may be willing to share with you.

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2018 BREAM AOY: Being a versatile breamer ABT

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

2018 was a good year for me, culminating in my first national Angler of the Year (AOY) title for bream. With your best five of a maximum nine events counting towards the title, you have to be able to catch yellowfin AND black bream to be competitive, and that’s what makes it special. You need to be versatile, and it all comes down to how good your worst of those top-five events is. Like every year, there are always a couple of breamers in contention come the last qualifying event. This year, it was Victorian Cam Whittam and I who were in a position to take the trophy. Cam needed a 3rd or higher to overtake me on points, and if Cam came in the top three I couldn’t be more than

two places behind him to keep the lead. Cam finished 3rd and I made 2nd. If Cam has caught a couple of my kickers instead of me, the result would have been reversed. That’s how close it was – and how close it usually is. That South West Rocks event was the first time for the season I’d weighed fish on topwater in a qualifier. In fact, most of my bag came on a couple of topwater baits that I hadn’t even thrown at an event in 2018. This comes back to one element that all breamers need if they want to be successful at the top level, and that’s versatility. And to me, being versatile doesn’t mean that you need to be great at every single technique in the book. It means that you need to have a few tricks in your bag to make up a Plan B or Plan C when your favourite method isn’t working, or if it’s not appropriate for the arena you’re fishing.

Imakatsu Dilemma Popper (baitfish) 8

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Tiemco Red Pepper Micro (brown)

2018 TECHNIQUES When I tallied them up, there were 13 key baits that I used throughout 2018 across the seven arenas I fished (I missed the two Victorian qualifiers while working in the USA in February). There was only one event where I boxed fish on only one bait (Mandurah, WA) – every other event featured two or more baits, and the Australian Open saw fish weighed on four baits, which makes sense across the two arenas of the Harbour and the Hawkesbury. Not surprisingly, the

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Cranka Crab was the most prolific bait, with 40% of fish weighed falling to it. Still, that means that 60% of my fish for the year were fooled on lures other than crabs. In fact there were two arenas where I didn’t even fish a crab, and both of those scores counted in the AOY tally. You might think you can do well in every arena on one type of bait, but the stats disagree. That’s why you need to be versatile. Do you need to be good at everything? No way. I didn’t even tie on a Gulp

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Crabby or box a bream on a blade this year. Other anglers are masters of these techniques and others. What you need to do is pick a few that you’re good at, and get better at them. Importantly, get proficient at catching five legal fish on the toughest of days. Stefan Sawynok has statistically shown that the easiest way to perform better in bream events is to bring in a limit every time, no matter what the size. Invariably, tournament days fish tough. The pressure, weekends and multiple days on the same arena make the fishing tougher than a Wednesday Warrior would encounter. Catch ‘em when it’s tough and you will do well. Let me run through the 13 baits and when I used them. It’s also well worth watching the video that accompanies this article on my YouTube Channel

(search Steve Morgan or scan the QR code hereby). We’re going to go from top to bottom. TOPWATER Imakatsu Dilemma Popper (baitfish) • Macleay River upstream sand/weed flats in <3ft of water. If I could, I would fish topwater all day in every session. However, the fact is that it’s not always the best bait to fish. Topwaters for me work best in shallow, clear water over 20°. I had a handful of Imakatsu Dilemma Poppers for the South West Rocks event and they produced a mixed bag of bass and bream. I fish these lures on 6-10lb braided line and a similar strength leader. I fish them fast enough so that it doesn’t really matter whether that leader is nylon or fluorocarbon. You can walk the dog or gently pop the Dilemma

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Tournament Angler Guide

abt.org.au Popper, but remember to have plenty of pauses, because that’s when the bream like eating them. The key to fishing topwaters effectively, either in a tournament or socially, is knowing when to strike. Too early and you’ll spook the fish (or pack of fish) trying to clobber it. It’s better to wait a little longer and know – or see – that they’ve got it properly. I fish this bait faster for yellowfin and slower for blacks. Tiemco Red Pepper Micro (brown) • Macleay River, upstream sand/weed flats in <3ft of water. When the Macleay got calm and the drizzle stopped, a more delicate surface presentation was required. My go-to topwater for finesse is a Tiemco Red Pepper Micro. These baits have a very narrow body and no real cup face to move

much water. You fish them with a gentle walk-the-dog retrieve and plenty of pauses. If the bream are really finicky, I retro-fit some Ecogear or Atomic Trick Bitz assist hooks where the front treble sits, and leave the rear treble in place. If you’ve never fished assist hooks, you’ll find that they are stronger than they look. You can easily trust them as much as any treble on a bream lure. O.S.P. Bent Minnow 76 (pearl) • Clear, oystery rocky edges in Middle Harbour. The Bent Minnow has well established credentials in the bream community for excellent reason – it has an uncanny ability to attract and entice a bite from the bigger bream in a pack. Although Bent Minnows look like a baitfish, I firmly believe that they mimic the action of a skipping prawn, and that this is what triggers the response. There aren’t

O.S.P. Bent Minnow 76 (pearl)

Duo Minnow 80SP (chrome) WATCH THE VIDEO

too many fish in a river that don’t want a live prawn, and the bream usually wants to be the first to get it. Of all the topwaters, the Bent can be fished on the heaviest line and leader. And at mid-$30s a pop, that’s what I usually fish it on. The other thing with Bents is that I love the original hooks. If you wreck them, make sure that you replace them with ones just as light. Keeping this lure buoyant is what works for me, if not others. SHALLOW HARD Duo Minnow 80SP (chrome)

• Derwent River, shallow, rocky edges early morning in <3ft of water. There’s nothing better in bream fishing than a cracking Tasmanian black bream choking a shallow jerkbait in a couple of feet of water and peeling light, straightthrough fluorocarbon from your reel. This year on the Derwent, I found that the Duo 80SP matched the baitfish size perfectly. It also combined a long casting ability with a bib that kept the lure shallow enough to fish over the mussel beds that bream

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love so much. Although I didn’t connect with enough big bream to make the top 10 (the Derwent was my worst event of the season at 13th), I’m waiting to fish this bait in that river on a big, high tide. It’ll be epic. You should fish the Duo with plenty of pauses. It suspends, which is exactly how black bream like it. Jackall Chubby Shallow (black) • Lake Macquarie, clear windblown flats with sand/ weed in <3ft of water. Adam from www. fishin.com.au put me on to this bait before the Lake Macquarie BREAM Grand Final in 2017. “Use it on the flats, mate, it’ll work, trust me,” he said. So I did, and it worked a treat. It has become my go-to crankbait for shallow, weedy water and there’s something about that black colour that just makes the

fish bite. Companies like Pro Lure also have variations of this theme, and all seem to work well. Like all shallow, clear water techniques, the bite seems to get better as the wind picks up. Don’t be scared of the wind on the flats – it’s your friend. This bait really produced for me at the Lake Macquarie Qualifier in 2018, including a 37cm fish on the final cast of the session on the Swansea Flats. I fish it on 2lb straight through fluorocarbon and a slow actioned 7” rod. DEEP HARD Duel 50mm Shad • Derwent River, shallow oyster reefs in <4ft water. There’s an oyster reef in Morilla Bay on the Derwent where I once caught 13 kiloplus bream in a row on the final day of one of the old Super Series events. Those events cut the field down to To page 10

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From page 9

the top 10 boaters (only) and let you loose on the third day of competition. At one of the first events I had a Power Pole on the boat and it seemed every time I moved the boat a couple of metres, there’d be another cracking fish to slam the bait. Back then it was a Daiwa Double Clutch, but this year, I used a smaller but still deeper diving Duel Shad 50 in the same spot. I didn’t catch 13 in a row, but I did catch my two biggest bream in an ordinary Derwent bag on this bait. You just wind it down to depth and rip-pause it. The big blacks will clobber it as it sits there. On those oyster reefs, I use this bait on a braid/ leader combo. It’s one of the few places that I do this, as

sometimes the fish need to be bullied out of evil country. It’s fun fishing. Jackall Chubby Deep (brown suji) • Macleay River, deeper edges along weed in 4-8ft of water. I never really clicked with Jackall Chubbies until this year. It seemed that everyone caught plenty of bream on them all over Australia – except me. I was much more confident with the Atomic Hardz 38 Deep. However, after success with the shallow, black Chubby and a string of non-boaters doing well with Deep Chubbies in the back of the boat, I was tempted to give them another try. This bait came good at the right time. I tied it on in the upper Macleay River after a slowish morning on the

Duel 50mm Shad

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Jackall Chubby Deep (brown suji)

Fredrickton flats with way too many bass between the bream. And in three casts

Jackall Chubby Shallow (black) WATCH THE VIDEO

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on the deeper bank, I boxed my last two fish, including a low 30s kicker that sealed the AOY deal. Now that’s a way to come good! I used the bait on 2lb straight through Yamatoyo fluorocarbon on Duffrods’ versatile Broken Bones 852MP rod with a slow, steady wind. With all bream crankbaits I slow roll the lure until the fish hooks itself. It may take many nips and bites before it

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loads up solid. Atomic Hardz Crank 38 Deep (ghost gill brown) • Paralleling Sydney Harbour bridge pylons in 8-30ft of water. This is the bait that won me the BREAM Grand Final in 2009 on Sydney Harbour, and it’s still my go-to boat for crankbaiting river edges and bridges. There’s something about the colour of the GGB (have a look at it under a UV torch) and the sound (yes, I To page 12

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swim in pools with them to listen) that ticks all of the boxes for bream. I’m not shy to up the line size a little when cranking bridges. The fish seem so fixated with pinning the bait against the structure that 6lb fluorocarbon is no problems at all. Make sure that you cast as close as possible along the pylons and bring back the bait with the current. If you’re really clever, you can rig two baits and tune them to swim left and right to really bang the structure. I, however, like one, straight-swimming bait and clever casting. Final tip for bridge crankbaiting? I use a specialised trout rod – as strong as I can find. The parabolic bend helps hook-ups and also helps to keep the hooks in place when you’re trying to wind

Tournament Angler Guide them out of the nasty stuff. STICKBAITS Tiemco Stick Minnow (007) • Ripping over flats and sinking around structure in 2-12ft of water. This is one of the baits that has stood the test of time for me. There’s a Tiemco and an Austackle version of this bait, and they both work equally well. Sometimes the Tiemco version suffers a ‘drought’ of supply. There are two places that I fish the Stick Minnow. The first is on shallow, weedy flats. Casting it with the wind as far as you can on 2lb fluorocarbon and a rip-pause retrieve has caught me plenty of big bream over the years in a couple of feet of clear, weedy water. The other scenario is around boats and pontoons in the same areas. There’s no better finesse presentation when bream are keyed onto

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Tiemco Stick Minnow (007)

shrimp and baitfish. And yes, there are times when bream will 100% eat the Stick Minnow in preference to a Cranka Crab. You just need to let the fish tell you what they’re up to on the day. The key to fishing a Stick Minnow vertically is line management. You must lay down the line as straight as you can immediately after

Atomic Hardz Crank 38 Deep (ghost gill brown)

the cast, and then feed it a little slack. The hooks are so sharp on these baits that the bream will hook itself, and all you need to do is start winding when you see the line moving irregularly. PLASTICS Ecogear Grass Minnow M (okiami) ‘pink grub’ • Georges Bay, St Helens, burn and kill over shallow flats in <2ft of water.

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Another bait that’s stood the test of time is the okiami coloured Ecogear Grass Minnow M on a #1 worm hook. This is a killer search bait for practice days, and also a gun bait for when bream are feeding on prawns. Most people don’t believe how fast I’ll fish the bait until they see it (there are some great examples on the accompanying video). I burn the bait fast, making it skip and jump on the surface before killing it dead and letting it sink a little. If there’s a bream (or a pack of bream) following, they’ll normally charge it when it stops. I fish a pink grub on 6lb fluorocarbon and 6lb braided line, because you need the lack of stretch to set the hooks solid, and the floating braid doesn’t hurt in the presentation. Having a big bream bow-wave a pink grub is one

of the best things in bream fishing. I recommend you try it at least once a season! Ecogearaqua 50mm (salt and pepper) • Slow sinking and sight fishing around pontoons and boats from Sydney to the Gold Coast. If sight fishing is my favourite breaming technique, then the Ecogearaqua is one of my favourite tools to do it with. It’s a versatile, castable, snag-resistant bait that both black and yellowfin bream find hard to resist. My favourite combination is the 50mm version of the bait (rather than the 40mm) fished on a VanFook Magic Beak no. 1 hook on 6lb Yamatoyo Chinu Harris leader, and whatever 6lb braid came in the most recent ABT tournament giveaway. Rig the bait from either end (you swap ends when the bait tears after catching a

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fish) and skip cast it to where you need it to be. It skip casts really well. The white bait sinks slowly enough so that you can usually watch the bream swim out, inspect it, and eat it on the drop if you’re fishing structure. Make sure you set the hooks hard when you see the bait go down the piehole. You’ll lose more fish not setting hooks hard enough rather then setting too hard. Another variation is to fish the bait like a pink grub for the first half of the retrieve. Skip it across the shallows to attract attention and then kill the bait and watch it get eaten on the drop. Either way, you get to watch the bream eat it, and breaming doesn’t get better than that. ZMan GrubZ 2.5” (gudgeon) • St Helens, Tasmania, casting to irregularities on flats in <3ft of water.

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abt.org.au I’ll admit it – I’m never the instigator of a solid ZMan session. It’s usually my non-boater who switches me onto the pattern by giving me a flogging with these baits. In 2018, legendary non-boater Stuart Walker did that for me. We were in the racks at St Helens and had worked out a pattern where we fished outside the racks on the flats beside. As we all know, Stu is a gun with the ZMan, and he was using custom-coloured 2.5” GrubZ that he’d concocted over the previous weeks. It involves putting some gudgeon colour GrubZ in with some motor-oil ones, and letting the colours leach together. Fished on a 1/16oz jighead, the bream were quite receptive to the presentation, which we made on light braid and 4-6lb leaders. Aim for the irregularities on the flats, and hang on. My preferred retrieve

Ecogear Grass Minnow M (okiami) ‘pink grub’ was pretty slow, with small twitches and hops. ZMan Slim SwimZ (motor oil) • Mandurah, WA, casting to docks and pontoons in the Murray River and canals, 2-8ft. Crossing the country, the ZMan GrubZ is often the favourite because it’s immune to the toadfish, or ‘blowies’ as the locals call them. I’ve seen blowies strip a Gulp from a jighead, bite for bite, in a couple of seconds. Ironically, Mandurah was

Ecogearaqua 50mm (salt and pepper)

the only qualifying arena where I didn’t catch my limit for the year on either day, but I ended up winning the event. The choice bait for here was a ZMan Slim SwimZ in Motor Oil rigged on a very small no. 4 hook and 1/24oz jighead made by Albany’s Jim Allen. The black bream in this system loved the slow drop of this bait beside pylons and under pontoons, with nearly every fish I hooked eating the bait on the drop.

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I fished the Slim SwimZ on a 7’8” rod and 4lb straight through fluorocarbon. If I wanted to impart action to the lure I’d use a shorter rod, but the pitch-and-drop technique really suited this longer rig. It also cushioned the fish, with that small hook being the only connection. CRABS Cranka Crab 5.9g (olive) • Boats in shallow, clear water, or any bridge, anywhere! I weighed 40% of my year’s fish on Cranka Crabs. Nearly all of these fish took the heavy, olive model, or a different colour that I’d sprayed olive (thanks to Jamie McKeown’s painting tips). If you watched my livestreams or highlights, you’d notice that a crabon-a-bridge was a pretty common way for me to start a tournament. There’s a good reason for this: bridges

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often hold some of the biggest bream in the system, and the opening morning of an event is often the easiest time to catch them. I nearly always fish them on straight-through fluorocarbon – anywhere between 2lb and 8lb depending on the structure (always erring towards the heavier line), and a 8’6” Daiwa ‘crab rod’. One of my discoveries this year was some 8lb Sufix fluorocarbon that’s no problem fishing a small crab on. It’s strong and has little memory, and it often gives me the advantage in bridge structure. As always, crabs are best fished slow. I mean really slow. Boringly slow. And let the fish load up before winding the hooks in. The final tip I’ll give for crabs is to take plenty of spare hooks. Big bream To page 14

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have a habit of crunching the floating trebles flat, and a quick replacement will keep your catch rates high. I avoided using crabs in the first few years after Steve Steer invented them, and it hurt my results. Make sure that you have a few in your box. ON THE SIDELINES If I was to pick a reserve bench, there’s be a few baits

in there that have killed it for me over the years, if not in 2018. In this selection, I’d include: • Ecogear SX40 (brown/orange) • Daiwa Presso Minnow (chrome) • Ecogear VX35 blade (in black) • Daiwa Double Clutch 75 (ayu). All of these lures have won me events in the past,

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ZMan Slim SwimZ (motor oil) and all deserve a place in a breamer’s box. I hope that gives you an insight into what you need to do to be a versatile breamer. If you get your favourite selection

and get good at fishing them, it will get you better tournament results this season.

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ZMan GrubZ 2.5” (gudgeon)

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Cranka Crab 5.9g (olive)

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THE STATS Fish Max Bag Place Crab Aqua Deep Shallow Pink Deep Shallow Topwater ZMan ZManSlim Stick Swim minnow Grub Fish Weight jerk jerk grub crank crank jighead jighead St Helens 10 10 8.59 4 1 9 Derwent River 10 10 7.65 13 4 3 3 Gold Coast 10 10 4.89 4 2 8 Mandurah 5 10 3.05 1 5 Lake Macquarie 10 10 7.45 2 8 2 SWR 10 10 5.13 2 2 2 6 Hawkesbury 10 10 5.97 6 5 3 2 Aus Open 15 15 9.65 7 11 1 2 1 Percentage 40 15 3.75 3.75 1.25 2.5 2.5 10 11.25 6.25 3.75

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Digging into jigging HUNTER VALLEY

Peter Phelps

The skirted jig has certainly exploded in recent years, and any serious freshwater lure fisher should not be caught without one. Skirted jigs can be seriously addictive to use, and can catch fish when other techniques fail. This article is a follow-up to my beginner article on wp.fishingmonthly.com. au, so I will assume you

have the fundamentals of fishing a jig already, such as the correct rod, reel and line set-up. You may even be catching fish on jigs already. In this piece I will take you through some of the finer details of fishing jigs, and how to get the most out of them. THE ADDICTION Originating in the United States, the skirted jig is gaining popularity very quickly here in Australia. The jig has changed Australian bass fishing in a similar way to

what the Cranka Crab did for bream fishing. It’s a technique that when used in the right hands in the right circumstances, catches bass better that anything else. If you enjoy watching American bass tournament fishing, I can tell you there’s nothing more satisfying than feeling a fish pick up that jig and waiting a moment before swinging hard, dreaming of being KVD or Gerald Swindle! The notion of catching bass on jigs certainly isn’t new in Australia.

The author with a bass. A well placed cast was all that was needed to undo this fat bass. It took a skirted jig on the drop cast tight amongst some timber.

Top: Two jigs showing the differences with rigging the trailer. The top option is great for skip casting and slowing the fall. While the bottom is chunk rigged. Great for deep water, forcing a reaction strike and making your trailer last a long time. Above: There are thousands of plastic trailers out there. They all work at given times. Keep them simple and break them down into action or plastic movement. 16

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There are bits and pieces of information that can be found dating back years and years. However, there was a particular day when it all just clicked and made sense for me. It was October 2013 and I was fishing Lake Glenbawn. I had caught fish previously on jigs, but it was random and seemed inconsistent. That day it was the typical NSW impoundment bite that you get in spring – bass and yellowbelly aggressively hitting moving baits, like a spinnerbait or lipless crankbait early. The fishing was hot but, as per usual, around mid-morning

it died right off. At this time you’d typically try to scrape together some more fish by targeting deeper water, but usually the bite wouldn’t pick up again until late afternoon. On this day I opened my tackle storage and started scrounging through boxes, looking for that magical lure that might catch a fish, as we all do from time to time. I came across some round ball finesse jigs I had purchased from the United States a long time before. Throwing a plastic craw on the back, it was instant action! I missed a fish on the first cast, and

then worked on refining it over the next few hours. Bass started to come at a steady rate, including some absolute tanks in the middle of the day. This was my light bulb moment. There was a sensation of adrenaline rushing over me, and everything just made sense. I now knew that there was a lot more to fishing a jig than just some random fish every now and then. I remember thinking to myself, “I’m not putting this jig down ever again” and I barely have since! There is always one rigged ready to go on my boat, if I feel the

opportunity arises. Since that day I have caught bass on a jig on almost every waterway I have fished, from deep water flats in Queensland impoundments to the skinniest water you can find in a tiny creek. While the skirted jig was initially used to imitate a yabby, there are tons of variations on how you can use them – from swimming jigs higher in the water column to mimic a fish, to skipping them into the heaviest cover you wouldn’t be able to place any other lure. We Australians have only just begun to scratch the surface on how to use them. WHEN TO USE JIGS When it comes to picking what lure to use, I first look at whether I want a moving bait or a stationary bait. Whether I choose a moving bait depends on the cover where I’m fishing and the main food source (e.g. with boney bream and heavy cover like timber, I’ll pick a spinnerbait). Shallow water Australian bass are typically willing to move around and away from cover in low light scenarios, whether it’s a river or lake. In low light or windy conditions, you will find a moving bait will get eaten.

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abt.org.au As the moving bait bite dies off, the fish generally pull tighter to cover, or move deeper. It might seem as though they’re feeding less actively, but they have probably just changed what they are willing to eat. This is when the skirted jig comes into play. It’s great for its weedless and snagless capability, allowing you to fish it super slow in the heaviest of cover, right in front of a bass’s nose. DIFFERENT JIG TYPES There are several styles of skirted jig, and each is suited to a different type of cover. The football jig is shaped exactly as it sounds – two rounded cones meeting in the middle of the hook eye. This keeps the jig upright easily, with typically a vertical hook eye. These jigs are usually heavier, and are better suited for deeper water. The football head shape frequently gets wedged in branches of trees, so rock, sand and muddy bottom are better suited for this jig. Surprisingly, bass don’t mind picking up a heavy jig and swimming away with it. I’ve caught fish in 50ft of water on the bottom and had them picking up an 1oz

A fairly large meal in a 5/8oz jig with a 4” craw plastic trailer does not deter even the smaller bass from getting it down the hatch. jig with no worries at all. Casting, flipping, swimming, Arkie, finesse or round style jigs come in a million varieties, with different hook bend degrees, hook size, skirt strand counts, skirt materials, lead, tungsten, weights, colours – you name it. You can really get lost, over-complicate and confuse yourself. The best thing to do is keep everything simple when it

comes to selecting the right type. Choose your weight based on the depth you are fishing. As a guide, I’d go 1/4oz for 0-6ft, 3/8oz for 0-12ft and 1/2oz for 10-20ft of water. These style heads are better for coming through thick cover. The cone shape head and typical vertical hook eye allows the jig to slide between weed and over timber with ease. When in comes to

colours, I keep everything simple as well. In clear water I like natural colours like black, brown and green. In stained or dirty water, I choose a colour that contrasts nicely like white, black or chartreuse. I don’t get fussed over matching the trailer exactly with the skirt I am using. The fish don’t seem to care. If they were that smart, we would never catch them.

CHOOSING A TRAILER Plastic trailers are very important, as these are where all the action comes from. They give the jig a profile, they affect the fall, and give it a texture that the fish can feel and bite down onto and hold. When choosing a trailer, there are a few factors to consider. Generally, my craw trailers fall into two styles – a straight craw and a flapping craw. Flapping craw A flapper style can give a lot of action and slow the fall as it swims on the way down. I prefer these styles if the fish are active and willing to eat the jig with no fuss at all. I’m a fan of the flapper style on football jigs for deep water and covering water quickly. When I’m using a heavy football jig like a 5/8oz or heavier, I drag it with a sweeping motion to the left or right. I focus on pulling the jig along the bottom, bouncing off cover and causing the craw to flap along the bottom. Commonly in the warmer months when the fish are actively targeting jigs I will go for a flapper. They are also great for To page 18

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swimming the jig up off the bottom. There may be thick weed beds around and the jig might not be getting any attention on the bottom because the fish can not find the jig. Swimming it just up and through the gaps in weed can get some bites. Straight craw I like to use a straight

style craw during a more timid bite, such as during the cooler months, or if the fish are under pressure or a weather change has come through. Straight craws have no action at all, and require the rod tip to be twitched to get them dancing around. I like to fish them slowly. Typically with this retrieve I am targeting

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specific cover (e.g. a laydown, standing tree or a hole in the weed), and in this scenario I let the jig land nice and softly next to the targeted structure. A lighter jig like a 1/4oz or 3/8oz is ideal. After waiting a moment to see whether a fish has picked up the jig, I pull the jig forward ever so slightly. Usually

Jigs showing the fibre weed guard differences: Bottom jig with a splayed apart guard gives the jig a softer guard. The centre jig is a standard brush guard straight out of the packet. The top jig with a pushed forward brush guard gives the jig a more rigid guard for fishing heavy timber and weed.

Jack Maunder was new to catching bass on a jig not that long ago. A quick lesson on the boat about rod setup and retrieves had him landing bass in no time flat.

the rod tip bending and the jig being dragged forward an inch is enough to make the skirt flare and move the craw legs. This movement alone is enough for a timid bite; there’s no need to aggressive work the jig.

If I haven’t got bit after two or three little movements with a 3-5 second pause in between, I burn the jig back in again and cast to the next specific target. These two trailer

styles and retrieves are my main stayers. I throw in variations like pausing longer or dragging quicker to mix things up if I’m not getting bites. Remember that is just a guide rather than a hard

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abt.org.au and fast rule. I’m sure if you have the patience and soaked a jig next to a laydown long enough, a fish would come along eventually. RIGGING Next is the rigging of the trailer. If you’re fishing in a river with heavy cover and overhanging branches where you need to skip cast, make sure you choose a bulky body style plastic. This body adds to the surface area and allows the jig to skip on the water’s surface a lot easier. The bulkier plastic also slows the fall for landing next to those prime laydowns and not spook the fish. When I want to fish the jig deeper and give it less resistance through the water, I go to a chunkstyle rigging. Instead of threading the craw all the way down the shank of the hook onto the plastic

keeper, I cut the craw head off and thread it straight onto the hook. This allows the jig to sink quickly back towards the bottom. I use this for fishing deeper water or forcing a reaction bite on the fall. Rigging the plastic chunk style also stops the trailer from tearing on fish. It simply slides down the shank after hooking the fish, and lasts multiple fish. Trimming the skirt is another thing I like to do, especially with a flapperstyle craw. I make sure the skirt is not too long to affect the craws legs from swimming. I trim back just behind where the legs attach to the bottom of the trailer. Typically I’ll make a jagged cut and maybe leave a couple of stands long to imitate antennae. There are no straight lines in nature, so I cut my skirt accordingly.

WEED GUARD The fibre weed guard or brush guard is a funny topic. I have spoken to a lot of anglers about this topic, and some feel the need to remove the weed guard totally or trim it right down. They say they do this for timid bites, or to prevent the fish from feeling the weed guard and spitting it out. I feel this is unnecessary. Cutting down or shortening the fibre guard makes it stiffer and harder to bend over, thus requiring a harder hook set. The ideal brush guard length is to the barb of the hook when it’s bent over. If I really want to make the guard softer to push down, I pull apart or splay the guard to create a V shape. This leaves the guard intact, and it still has its snagless capabilities while being softer to push

down. If you want to make the guard softer again, take one strand, bend it out and trim it off directly at the head of the jig. You must be careful when making the guard softer, as if it’s too soft it will remove the feature that makes the jig so different from other lures. There would be nothing worse than making an accurate cast only to have the jig lodge into some structure because the weed guard is too soft, causing you to miss an opportunity for a bass. Conversely, if I want to make my weed guard stiffer I will push it forward towards the hook eye. Fishing around thick weed or using a heavy jig in deep water around timber requires stiffer brush guards. Bend the guard to a near 90° angle to the hook shank. This will give more room for the guard to bend or flex before the jig becomes hung up in weed or timber. TRYING IT FOR YOURSELF In every scenario, you want to be able to make every cast count with your jig. You want to fish it as slow or as fast as you require without wasting casts. Remember that the fish believes it is eating a crawfish or yabby, and it’s expecting to pick up something heavy and sharp with nippers. Once you have fished a jig for a while you will come across fish that pick up your jig and spit it out multiple times. This is the fish trying to kill the craw before it eats it. There are tons of examples of this in videos from bass in the United States. Of course, just when you think you have the fish worked out, they up and change on what they were

Blue bird skies and clear water pulled the bass closer to cover. This is when the skirted jig really shines.

As more anglers start using jigs, we will learn more ways of catching fish on them. doing before. Each year has been different, and as more anglers come to use jigs we will learn more ways of catching fish on them. I’ve had many conversations with anglers about how they have caught fish on jigs, and thought to myself “I probably wouldn’t have thought to try that”. It’s great to see people thinking outside the box and pushing the theories behind it all. Hopefully this article has given you an insight

into the how and why of fishing a jig. For me, fishing a jig for bass isn’t about colours, specific trailers or brands, as the fish don’t discriminate. What matters is what you are doing with your jig, in what depth and next to what kind of structure. It’s about the jig being completely different from a moving bait. I hope this gets you thinking along the correct train of thought for your future bass fishing trips.

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Tournament Angler Guide

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Tackling a new venue ABT

Joey Urquhart & Jamie McKeown

It’s one thing to explore a new waterway when you’re fishing socially, and quite another when you’re in a tournament situation and the pressure is on. However, plenty of tournament anglers succeed on waterways that they’ve never fished before, and you can too. Read on to discover the strategies used by two successful tournament pros: Joey Urquhart and Jamie McKeown.

JOEY URQUHART It’s been 10 years since I competed in my first ever ABT BASS event, and over this time the tournament scene has evolved, with new venues each and every year. These venues present competitors with challenges that they might not have faced before. Through this article, I will delve into how I approach a bass tournament on a venue I haven’t visited before the pre-fish. Hopefully these tips will help you the next time you visit a new area.

Mapping Earlier this year I won the BASS Electric event at Wyaralong Dam, which is a relatively new dam and has no real information available on how it fishes yet. I knew I had to do my homework before I showed up on pre-fish day if I wanted a chance of winning. The first step that’s crucial to your preparation for a new venue is researching maps, whether it’s Google Earth or social maps. This gives you a good look at the venue without actually being there, and it’s the best way

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Top: This beast unveiled Wyaralong’s secrets, and set up Joey Urquhart’s win at the dam. Sometimes it only takes one fish! Above: Regardless of the weather or number of boats on the water, if you have confidence you’re far more likely to succeed. 20

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to get a look at the different structure that’s in the lake. A great way of seeing what’s under the water is to look back on previous years of Google Earth where the water level may have been lower when the images were taken. It sometimes will unveil rock piles or trees you otherwise wouldn’t have known were there. Once I have a lay of the

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abt.org.au lake I dissect it into different areas I would like to look at in pre-fish. These areas I pick are usually based on what I think look good, and which look like similar areas I would fish on similar venues. I then mark these areas into my GPS and use different map icons to separate the areas, allowing me to clearly separate different structure types. I put these locations in

Some venues have hundreds of kilometres of edges to fish, and the thought of having to survey so much water can be overwhelming.

order from my favourite to least favourite, to eliminate time wasted on pre-fish. Because I fish out of one of the smallest boats in the field, I often look for small feeder creeks and harder-toget-to areas that the larger boats can’t reach. Having previously found these via mapping, it allows for more fishing time come practice, and less time roaming around aimlessly. Rigging up Now that you have a firm grasp on the areas you would like to fish, it’s time to work out a technique and what lures you’re going to throw. I look at the time of year the tournament is being held, and rely on my knowledge of what techniques work on other venues at this time of year. I then prepare my tackle, covering the most obvious techniques. At Wyaralong Dam, I chose to rig my rods with a reaction bite approach, which consisted of lipless crankbaits, spinnerbaits and some larger topwater lures. I always rig 2-3 rods with the same lure I think will be the best choice, as the last thing you want to be doing on pre-fish is searching for lures in your tackle trays and wasting valuable time. I always allow a few spare rods to tie on what I

call the ‘out of the square’ lures. These are lures that you know work, but not necessarily at that lake and at that time of year. Still, they could be the thing that could make the difference. I had one of these lures tied on at Wyaralong Dam; it was a medium diving Japanese crankbait that proved crucial in my win. Arriving at the venue It’s now time to head off to the tournament, and I always pop into the nearest tackle store on the way. Don’t expect to have everything handed to you on a golden platter, but with most purchases will come some tips or tricks that may help you on the day. Because these snippets of information are very up to the minute, I find they are more useful than looking at previous results from the same venue. However, while getting advice can be useful, I advise against spending a lot of time listening to other people’s stories, as this can cloud your judgement and become very confusing. In any case, it’s more rewarding finding your own honey hole. I sometimes watch videos of the venue, but I watch them to see what the lake looks like more then to look at the techniques used To page 22

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by the angler. Once you have reached your accommodation, it’s good to drive to the ramp to make yourself aware of how everyone will launch the following morning for practice – plus it’s nice to finally get a visual of the lake. A valuable piece of advice is to stick to your plan with your previously rigged rods. After talking to friends at your accommodation you will have other ideas running through your mind, as those guys may have been there themselves before. Stick to your plan for the practice day, because you will regret changing it if it all goes pear-shaped! Pre-fish It’s now pre-fish morning and it’s time to put all your research to work. I usually head for my furthest location so I can fish it at prime time, then bounce from spot to spot, rotating through my chosen lures. As a rule, if 10am comes and I am yet to find any decent signs of fish, I generally pick up one of my out-of-thesquare lures and run and gun random spots, trying to make something happen. This year at Wyaralong Dam it was 9:30am and I hadn’t seen any signs of fish, and I did exactly that – and pulled a

2kg+ fish straight away. I moved down the lake and found an area that looked nothing like where I had caught my previous fish, but I liked the look of it anyway. Before long I pulled another big fish. That area turned out to be where I would win the tournament, and I only achieved it by adapting throughout the day and not getting stuck in a rut. If your pre-fish didn’t go to plan and you have absolutely nothing to go on for the first day of the comp, my advice is stay confident. At no stage should you think you can’t work them out, and definitely never give up. Tomorrow is a new day. The tournament begins Tournament morning is now about to start and the rest is now up to you. If you found some sort of pattern the previous day, stick to it, although if things aren’t going to plan by mid-morning, I would definitely abandon that plan for the moment. Try to scrape something together somewhere else to settle your nerves and keep yourself in contention. You can never win a tournament on the first day, but you can definitely lose one. Don’t try doing what the rest of the field is doing if you’re not confident in it. At the end of the day

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Jamie McKeown knows that prior research is important. It’s not enough to just rock up and hope for the best! confidence is the key, and you’re far better sticking to something you know you can catch fish on. I hope some off these tips will help you out the next

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time you’re in an unfamiliar area, and see you putting some fish in your livewell. JAMIE MCKEOWN Tournament fishing a new venue can be daunting

to say the least. There are a lot of important factors to consider. However, with a computer and some spare time you can cover off on most of them.

WHO CARES ABOUT LIVE SCANNING SONAR?

I started fishing the ABT BREAM tournaments in 2012, and back then all venues were new to me. I soon learned that just showing up and trying to find good areas during a 1-day pre-fish wasn’t good enough. After having a few expensive lessons, I have learned to start my preparation for new venues months before the actual tournament is scheduled to run. The first part of my preparation, and most important, relates to safety. I don’t want to run my boat into submerged rock walls or trees, or injure my non-boater or myself, so I start by going onto www.abt. org.au and finding out where the launch and weigh-in sites will be. Then I go to one of the many tide and weather websites and see what the moon phase will be, and check the tides for the date of the tournament. This is not only for planning safe navigation areas, but also for planning areas to fish. The last thing I want is to get stuck on a flat with a good limit in the livewell, and not be able to return in time for the weigh-in. Once I have done all of this, I the research and download a map (if available) from C-Map Genesis Social

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Maps. It usually provides a very detailed map of the arena, but the downside is that it’s only for Lowrance users. An alternative is to use the Navionics app on your phone. On this map you can view depth contours, channel markers and any unsafe ground. The app is not free, but $26 is a lot cheaper than having to repair a destroyed prop or hull. After I have worked out safe navigation areas, I start

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abt.org.au researching where I want to fish. I want to catch fish in areas that best suit my skills. For me it is pointless trying to reinvent the wheel for myself, and attempt to catch fish on a technique I have never used or have no confidence in, so I look for areas that suit my style of fishing. My first port of call is Google Maps. It usually has pretty good up-to-date maps and resolution so I can see

Having a good pre-fish day allowed Joey Urquhart to put together a winning bag of 3.37kg at Wyaralong Dam.

bridges, weed flats or rocky points that I can look at on the pre-fish day. Once I have picked out some areas, I look to see whether there has ever been a tournament held on the arena before. There usually has been, and if you do a bit of digging you can usually find the results. I like to research these results, and try to find an event that was held around the same time of year as the tournament I’m planning on fishing. This way I can work out average bag weights, and see if I’m headed in the right direction with areas I have already identified on Google Maps. This search can be expanded depending on how much spare time you have, but this is why I start my research months before the tournament. I then turn to social media, I use Facebook to find fishing groups or pages that have been started in the area to get an idea of how the arena is currently fishing. After all, searching old tournament results may only tell you how the system used to fish; so much could have changed since then. I then search YouTube to see if there are any videos that locals may have posted, and also go back through old AFC DVDs. This can

sometimes give me an idea of lure patterns and colours. The information and lures may be old, but the bream haven’t changed too much as to what they like to eat. This brings me to pre-fish. Depending on time, money and distance, I try to plan a pre-fish about a month out from the tournament. I try my hardest to plan the trip on the exact same tide and moon phases the tournament will be on. This way I can take my time sounding around, marking safe or unsafe areas on my GPS, and of course fish the specific areas I have already identified. I don’t have to be concerned with stinging fish that I may want to be catching the following day in the tournament, I can work out if spots will replenish, spend two days fishing instead of one, and determine whether I have to go completely back to the drawing board and work out new areas. I use a lot of technology in my research and preparation prior to ever seeing a venue, but after arriving and getting on the water, a lot comes down to instinct. Some areas may look a lot fishier than Google Maps can ever give justice to, and I’d be stupid not to have a cast, even if it’s just for 10 minutes. It’s important to be able to

Mapping unveils hidden gems like creeks and drains that would normally be hard to find. adapt to any conditions or situations that may be thrown your way. Combine the knowledge you have gathered through technology with your past experiences and instincts, and you have a

recipe for success. Preparation can be time-consuming, but let’s face it – with the cost of fuel and accommodation, it’s always nice to try and drive home with a cheque in your pocket!

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The early days of ABT FMG

Bob Thornton

This year Australian Bass Tournaments celebrates 20 years. Two decades has seen the company go from strength to strength, helping to shape the fishing, boating and tackle industries in Australia. These days each event sees a flotilla of sleek looking fibre-glass bass boats, each armed to the teeth with the latest and greatest tackle and gadgets, and some

of the anglers have even appeared on television. In the beginning though, things were very different, and the road hasn’t always been a smooth one. It’s hard to believe that the first proper ABT event was held on Lake Moogerah in Queensland’s South East 20 years ago in 1999. There were 31 boats bobbing around the ramp before a very chaotic and smoky shotgun start. There were few fibreglass bass boats, no Jackalls, no Squigies and no UPF 50+ fishing shirts –

just a fleet of tiller-steered tinnies with an assortment of Aussie-made lures, and lots and lots of sandals and short shorts. Peter Keidge won that event. He was throwing spinnerbaits. So much has changed in 20 years, with many waves of innovation and development flooding the fishing world. Lots of these big changes came about as a result of that first event, and the many that followed in the years after. ABT truly changed the face of Australian fishing. And Set ups in the late ‘90s were simple, but still attracted plenty of competitors, as can be seen by all the cars in the carpark in the background.

Top: Early on almost all the boats at BASS events were aluminium punts with an average of 30hp. Bow-mounted electric motors were still seen as a novelty. Above: Tim Morgan dominated the early BREAM series, and was at home fishing the Gold Coast waters in the early 2000s. 24

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although plenty of others have tried to emulate ABT and failed, ABT remains the leader in the field. THE VERY BEGINNING In 1998, two members of the Moreton Bay Game Fishing Club (MBGFC), with help from the club, decided to run a two-day freshwater tournament at Maroon Dam in South East Queensland. This was to be ABT’s trial event. Steve Morgan and Steve Bain had both travelled and fished in tournaments overseas, and had an idea to start a tournament series like the ones they were exposed to in the USA, Japan and South Africa. Gordon Macdonald from

Brisbane won that event, and said the competition really opened his eyes. “I’d fished a few tournaments with the club [MBGFC], but this was a totally different format,” he said. “There were three sessions over two days of fishing, it was cast and retrieve only, and we were required to bring our fish in live, which was very different to the tournaments I’d fished before that.” This event also employed a system that paired those who had boats with those who didn’t, otherwise known as a boater/non-boater format, which comes from the American system. On the day, Gordon decided to try a slightly

different approach to the rest of the field, choosing to throw spinnerbaits. “No one else was really throwing them,” he said. “Many people were just casting the bibbed lures they would have usually trolled with” “I knew people in the US were using them to catch their bass, and I’d been experimenting with a few myself.” “Back then, Kokoda spinnerbaits were about the only ones you could get here, so that’s what I used.” Spinnerbaits was the first of many crazes that started with ABT tournaments, and countless events since then have been won by casting and retrieving these curious

contraptions. Queensland’s Harry Watson of Jackall fame was the first BASS Pro Grand Final winner in 1999, winning himself a trip to fish a BASS Event at Lake Orroville, California. Brett

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abt.org.au Thomson from Queensland, a man well ahead of his time as far as fishing techniques were concerned, won the first Angler of The Year title that same year. These names will always be remembered by those who

Brett Thomson, pictured here in 1999, won the first two BASS Pro AOY titles (1999 and 2000).

fished the early tournaments, but there was so much more to come. LEARNING TO CRAWL It wasn’t long after the BASS Pro series kicked off that ABT introduced a BASS Electric series, for those who fished in the many electric only impoundments scattered throughout Queensland and NSW. As the first few seasons of the BASS Pro and BASS Electric series travelled up and down the east coast of SEQ and NSW, certain switched-on individuals began to emerge at the pointy end of the leader board regularly. John Schofield from Brisbane was one of those anglers, and he, like many others had participated in the 1998 trial event and got a taste for it. John has scored many event wins in both the BASS Pro and BASS Electric series, and his signature technique was fly fishing with a fly that he created. The fly is well-known not just in tournament fishing circles, but to the wider fishing community, and even overseas. The Bass Vampire fly, so named because of John’s then job of driving trucks for the blood bank, has over time

been reproduced into many different sizes and variations, much to John’s delight. “The Bass Vampire came about because I really liked my fly fishing, and I actually dreamt it!” he said. “I woke up, and the dream had been so clear that I was able to draw it on a note pad, and then I eventually sat down and tied it up.” In John’s time fishing tournaments, he got to witness the changes in the fishing, tackle and boating industry, and the trickle down effect the tournaments were having on the general public. “I can remember before the tournaments took off, you’d pull you’re boat up to the ramp at Boondoooma Dam, and there would be people holidaying, or famers just out for a fish, and they’d have a sinker and live shrimp hanging from their rods,” he said. “As time went on, these same boats would have ice jigs, Sliders, and then eventually Jackalls replacing the sinkers and shrimps.” “I can also remember in the early days a few 70-boat fields of mostly mostly tiller steer engines, which were a cross section of outboard brands, but after a few anglers got Mercury sponsorships, all of a sudden 60-70% of boaters were using Mercury outboards.”

Ex-tournament director Simon Goldsmith fished the BARRA trial event at Teemburra in 2004. Most of the fish were only small compared to the 1m+ beasts that come out of this waterway now. BREAMIN’ With the success of the BASS Pro tournament series, introducing a new series seemed like the next logical step. BASS tournaments in America were centred around a species that exists

in every state in the USA (except Alaska), and this is why the species is so popular and marketable. The two Steves put their heads together to find a species that was as accessible as bass in America, and after To page 26

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much consideration, it was to be the humble bream that would make ABT a truly national tournament series. Although only a small fish, they exist in every state and territory (except ACT) and appeal to a wide range

responsive bream are to lure angling, and was able to dominate the scene in the early years. Tim won the first ever BREAM event in 2000, which was held on the Gold Coast. “I don’t think there was a huge amount of people

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Tim was also in the interesting position of being both an angler and a sponsor, as at the time he was working for BLA, who import Humminbird products. “To be competitive, we wanted every advantage we could get,” he said. “For

Stessl tournament boats were considered state-of the art in the early days.

Jason Wilhelm had a huge influence on techniques for impoundment barramundi, and won several events on his home lakes and further afield. of tactics and techniques – although most Australian anglers did not know this – yet! Tim Morgan was one man who knew just how

using lures for bream,” he said. “I think ABT really helped bream to become not only a bait species, but also a lure species in people’s minds,” he said.

example in the early days we used floats to mark our spots, but with the advent of GPS technology [which Humminbird provided] our fishing became much easier.”

“Tournaments have definitely raised the bar of tackle used in Australia, and helped many of these products to enter the market.” Anglers like Tim, as well as others such as Mike Delisser, Mick Lee, Andrew Howard and the Metcalf brothers Chris and Michael were all continually pushing the envelope, and paving the way forward with their breaming techniques and sharing them with others. If you’ve ever wanted to know what those first few series were like, you can find out by watching Breamin’ I & II, a DVD that covers the 2001 ABT BREAM series! This really helped get tournament fishing out to a wider audience, and featured

some then revolutionary techniques, and guitar music from none other than Tommy Emmanuel. If you ever get the chance, it’s still worth the watch today. The ABT Bream series has to date travelled to six states in Australia, and given away many amazing boat/ trailer prize packages to those lucky enough to win a Grand Final. GOING NORTH With the BREAM and BASS Pro series roaring along, it was decided that in 2005, following a trial event at Teemburra Dam in 2004, that ABT would include a impoundment barramundi series to their calendar. This created a lot of excitement within the fishing community,

but it wasn’t without its hurdles in the early stages. Jason Wilhelm, who was living in Gladstone at the time, was an angler who had been bitten by the impoundment barra bug a few years earlier. Excited by the prospect of a BARRA series, he jumped at the opportunity to throw his hat in the ring when ABT finally came to Lake Awoonga, his favourite barra dam at the time. However, the first draw event didn’t really go to plan, because while the boater/ non-boater format had been popular with bream and bass anglers, it just wasn’t going to work with the barra community. Where the teams format was successful, the To page 28

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first event had three boater entries, and after that the format was canned and reverted to the teams style. “I suppose because impoundment barra fishing was in its infancy, lots of people tended to want to fish with their mates, and they were very guarded on their methods,” Jason said. “The logical choice was a teams event, but I really hope ABT can revisit the boater/ non-boater format further down the road – it’s probably a matter of waiting until the less experienced have caught up.” The early BARRA

tournaments were run in a format that permitted two anglers to fish together, but they were competing individually. Some early problems with this format saw the BARRA Tour eventually became a series of team events. Just like with The BASS and BREAM series, the BARRA events encouraged considerable growth in the impoundment barramundi scene, and Jason witnessed this growth first hand. “Everyone had to up their game, and there’s no doubt ABT influenced a lot of now readily accepted techniques,” he said. “Fast

frogging is a good example.” And even though BARRA events didn’t use the same boater/non-boater format that encouraged the sharing of knowledge, many barra anglers were still happy to share some of their techniques and develop the fishery. The process was slower than with BASS and BREAM, but it was ticking along. “In my experience, the top barra guys did pass on their techniques and embraced the ABT’s ‘who shares wins’ mantra,” Jason said. “A lot of anglers just weren’t fishing as competitively as they would

The late Dave Irvine (front) and Gordon Macdonald (rear) work some of Moogerah’s standing timber with spinnerbaits in an early ABT event.

have in the BASS and BREAM events.” While Jason was a force to be reckoned with early on, there were others that had him constantly looking over his shoulder, such as Jason Medcalf and the Taylor brothers Kerrin and Cy. While it’s evident the BARRA series is still lagging in some ways behind the other series, its continual growth is promising for the future, with each year’s series teaching the angling world more about these incredible fish. AFC It would be remiss of not to mention the Australian Fishing Championships (AFC) series that kicked off in 2004. Co-developed by ABT (which also acted as a feeder series), AFC got the best bream, bass and barra tournament anglers in Australia, put them head to head, and aired it on Channel 10 – back when there were few options on the box. The classy production would thrust tournament fishing in Australia to an even wider audience than the magazines and newsletters ever could. The series saw anglers like Harry Watson, Jason Wilhelm, Matthew Mott, Darren Borg and more become household names in the wider fishing community.

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Harry Watson won the first BASS Pro Grand Final in 1999, and was known for consistently catching fish of this calibre. That’s one young Hank! AFC is still running, and although running independent of ABT, it still brings the exciting antics of tournament fishing to Australian and Asian living rooms. THAT’S ALL HISTORY These little bits of history formed the foundation for the

ABT we see today, and all this happened in the first 5-6 years. Thinking about what lies down the track is exciting, and while many things are uncertain, one thing that isn’t is that ABT will continue to help develop the fishing, tackle and boating industry in Australia.

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Catching flatties on fly NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.fishotopia.com

With the growing interest these days in flyfishing – especially in saltwater – more and more anglers are looking for readily

distance off conventional spinning or baitcaster tackle. Simple as that. Flies are artificial baits, like any other lure. However, they’re virtually weightless. This presents an obvious casting challenge that’s been overcome by incorporating mass into the

and forth through the air to form a travelling loop that can be extended and unfurled onto the water, presenting the fly on the end of a thinner, less obvious leader that’s attached to the thick, highly visible fly line. So, while this simplified description might offend some purists, flyfishing is no more or less than lure fishing with ultralight lures. But it’s also heaps of fun! It’s no accident that a flathead is often the first species encountered by anyone trying flyfishing in saltwater. The only

Flathead like this dusky are one of the easiest saltwater species to target on fly gear.

Jo Starling with a typical shallow water flattie taken on fly. available estuarine and inshore species that can be effectively targeted this way. One of the easiest options for many of us is the humble flathead. Flyfishing has a reputation for being a mysterious and difficult art practiced by crusty, pipe-smoking old gents in tweed jackets with leather elbow patches. However, times have changed! These days, flyfishing has been de-mystified, and it’s also no longer solely about catching trout… or even fishing only in freshwater. The biggest trick to breaking down any remaining misconceptions is to accept that flyfishing is no more than a form of lure fishing where the ‘lure’ is too light or wind resistant to be cast a serious

line instead of the lure. So, a fly line is really no more than a long, skinny weight that’s used to deliver a very light lure. The best way to throw such a long, skinny casting weight is to swish it back

Weighted flies such as Clousers and Gotchas are perfect for targeting flathead. Simply imitate a small fish or crustacean swimming erratically near the bottom.

This articulated Game Changer from Ammo Flies is deadly on flathead. Note the lead wire on the hook shank.

THE BASICS OF FLATHEAD ON FLY ROD #7-#9WT fly rod, ideally around 9’ (2.75 m) long REEL Simple fly reel with drag or clicker, ideally corrosion resistant BACKING At least 50m of 10-15kg braid (GSP) LINE WF (weight-forward) intermediate (slow sinking) fly line to match rod LEADER 2-4m, consisting of a 15kg butt, 4-8kg main section and short (25cm) ‘bite tippet’ of 15kg nylon or fluorocarbon FLIES Clousers, Bendbacks, Deceivers, Crazy Charlies and other baitfish or crustacean patterns METHOD Identify likely areas for flathead to be lying in ambush in water shallower than 3m. Cast, allow fly to sink and begin stripping. Pause regularly to allow fly to sink again. Vary the length and speed of your strips and the duration of your pauses

real trick to success with flathead on fly is ensuring that your ‘lure’ stays within a metre of the bottom at all times. Closer to the bottom is even better, and making occasional contact with the sand or mud is best of all. All we really need to do with our fly gear is emulate the accepted soft plastic lure fishing strategies that are so deadly on flathead, by placing a fly of a similar size, shape and colour to those soft plastics in that same strike zone and move it in a similar way. How best to do this varies depending on water depth and current strength. In water shallower than about 1.5m (where a lot of flathead spend most of their time) you don’t even need sinking lines or heavily-weighted flies to achieve the desired result. A floating or intermediate line, a leader around 3m or so in length and a fly that sinks at rest (even fairly slowly) will get the job

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done. Make the cast, wait a few seconds for the fly to sink, strip line 5-6 times, pause to let the fly sink again, and repeat! As the water gets deeper, or the current strength increases, we need to consider moving to sinking lines, shorter leaders and weighted flies. In my opinion, the efficiency of fly gear in this role diminishes rapidly as we move beyond depths of 3-4m and current speeds above a slow walking pace. In deep, fast water, I’d rather revert to a jighead and soft plastic. But up in the skinny stuff, fly gear

is right in its element and can be at least as effective as conventional lure fishing tackle. There’s really not a lot else I can tell you in a basic, how-to piece about targeting flathead on fly. Certainly, there are nuances that can be explored (and you’ll find some of these on my website at www. fishotopia.com), but for now I simply want you to consider the possibilities of having a crack at catching a flathead on a fly. It’s really not that hard, but it is enormously satisfying, and now is the perfect time of year to have a crack. Are you up for it?

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Gascoyne Coast

Let’s all try not to blow away from the bay SHARK BAY

Kurt Blanksby

Peron Peninsula and all the popular camping spots have been a buzz of activity over the last few weeks due to school holiday crowds. With

school starting again in February these areas will be worth taking a look at. This area is a fair distance away from any decent boat ramp, but the inshore fishing is still pretty good at this time of year if you are prepared to use a kayak or risk a beach launch,

that is if your small dingy and trailer survive the track. To be honest, the track is very rutted, corrugated and boggy – so unless you have a super strong trailer, don’t risk your tinnie. You’re better off trying out a kayak or fishing out from Denham or Monkey Mia.

Pink snapper are everywhere still, but keep an eye on bag and size limits.

If the winds drop enough, a troll along the cliffs to the south of Steep Point will usually bring results on mackerel and tuna.

Bluebone are very common in the shallow rocky and weedy areas, and a bait of fresh prawn, crab legs or squid will usually bring some results. It pays to fish a bit heavier when chasing these tasty fish otherwise they will easily reef you in any structure nearby. Pink snapper will usually be found in the same areas, but for both species

keep an eye on the size and bag limits. Big Lagoon has been good for the usual whiting, flathead and yellowfin bream, add the occasional small pink snapper or mulloway as well. Again, this is an ideal and safe kayak location or if you just want to fish from the shore. Small tinnies can allow more exploring and room to

target these species and try and fish the rising tides. Denham has been plagued by the usual summer winds but whiting, flathead, yellowfin bream and squid from the jetty have kept the school holiday crowds happy from the shore. Boat anglers have been finding black snapper (blue-lined emperor), pink snapper, To page 67

Reef species are going off CARNARVON

Janice Baird

We’ve been lucky enough to get some breaks in the wind this summer. One weather window conveniently opened up just before Christmas – and half the town went fishing! Last month my husband Darren had a blinder catching plenty of bottom fish and pelagics around Dorre and Bernier islands, with species including pearl perch, pink snapper, red emperor, rankin cod, cobia and longtail tuna and a really nice size Spanish flag, about 50cm long. Spanish flag (stripies) are great on the plate – just remember to eat them fresh, as they go mushy when frozen. Most reef fish are being caught on local bait such as cuttlefish, fished on a paternoster with a 12-16oz snapper sinker in around 60m of water. Once you hit that 50-65m of water on the western side of the islands, that’s where you’ll find the reefies. Some of the most popular hooks for this are 66

FEBRUARY 2019

the Maruto Beak stainless hooks between 8/0-10/0. However, I prefer to use a S.W. Lab Fisen Snapper (Tianawa) 22 square hook. The professional fishermen use them for pink snapper and goldband. The fish hook

Z30). I recommend using 60lb braid and 100-120lb leader. Most of the longtails have been taken on trolled Halco Laser Pro 190 DDs in FIFO, black chrome or good old redhead. If the sun is out, it’s a good idea to use the Crazy

Darren Baird with a rankin caught on 60lb braid. These fish are everywhere on the west side of the islands. themselves, similar to a circle hook, and don’t come off. A good outfit for the bottom fish is a 15-20kg, 7ft rod matched to a spin reel around the 9000 size (such as a Penn Spinfisher 850 or 950 SSM, or a Daiwa Saltiga

Deep model (XDD), because the mackerel and tuna go deeper when the sun is out. If you’re fishing in the early morning or late afternoon, or if the day is overcast, switch to either the standard or DD model.

Along the western side of Bernier is good for trolling for both tuna and mackerel, and there’s also a good spot for mackerel around Koks Rock at the top of Bernier (mackerel are pretty much a year-round proposition, although they are thicker in winter). Just take care when going through the gap between the islands, as it’s not safe when there’s a bit of swell running. Anglers fishing around the Lady Joyce wreck are picking up a few small pink snapper and the odd golden trevally, but both of these species won’t really come on until the cooler months. However, you normally get good schools of GTs here, and one customer recently caught a coronation trout of around 70cm. Just be aware that there is always a resident tiger shark and a massive Qld groper, so you have to bring your catch in quickly. At the entrance to the boat harbour anglers are catching javelinfish (spotted grunter) to 45cm. It’s an easy and very accessible way to pick up a feed – all you need is a strip of cuttlefish or half a mulie on a 3/0 hook with a running sinker.

Darren Baird caught this golden trevally at the Lady Joyce. Along the beach and creek mouths, the fishing hasn’t changed much from last month; you can still pick up whiting, bream, tailor and mulloway. What has changed is the jack fishing, with these hard-fighting fish becoming more active in the warmer water. You can do very well on lures, with dark hardbodies working well at the moment. We’re getting good results on the Daiwa

TD Minnows, Tackle House Elfin Shrimp, and Daiwa Gekkabijins. Just cast out, let them sink, and bring them back with a fairly slow retrieve. Any bit of structure around the mangroves can hold a hungry jack. If you prefer to fish with bait, your best bet is to use a live poddy mullet or a squid head. To page 67

Gascoyne Coast From page 66

slimy cod and mulloway out in the deeper channels. This should continue right through February, even

late. Boat anglers have found slimy cod, small sharks, mulloway and pink snapper out into the eastern gulf. Crabbing has also

been productive for those using drop nets not far out from the ramp. Over at Tamala the inshore fishing will be

improving with the warmer water, however, finding spots out of the wind will be a problem. Yellowfin whiting and bream, flathead and small pink snapper will be the most common catches but keep an eye out for some decent bluebone moving into the shallows around rocky areas on high tide. The rugged west coast from Steep Point south will be a tough proposition until the winds settle down, however, those spinning the high rocks when conditions allow will be in with a chance for some decent pelagic species. Spanish and shark mackerel will be common targets from the deeper rock ledges. Those bait fishing will be picking up goodsized spangled emperor, pink snapper, mulloway and trevally. Further south at False Entrance or Crayfish Bay a big popper cast through the surf zone is bound to get the attention of some bragging size tailor. Boat anglers who manage to beach launch near Steep Point will be enjoying some great fishing, but be aware the winds will keep you limited to how far out you can go. Sticking to the sheltered areas out towards Dirk Hartog Island will still allow you to pick up some decent fish. If it calms enough, then head out west along the cliffs for a troll to pick up a few mackerel and tuna.

arms stretched by some solid pelagics. Anywhere off the rocks around the islands you can get good bluebone, but watch the swell. A big head of cuttlefish will do the job on these fish. The jacks are traditionally in full swing in February, so if you want to try your luck on these red devils, now is the time! • Carnarvon Tackle & Marine is more than just

a tackle shop – they also sell fresh local seafood. And of course there’s a great range of tackle, marine accessories, block ice, and local Carnarvon bait. Drop in and see Janice and Darren at 93 Harbour Road, Small Boat Harbour, or phone them on 08 9941 4161. You can also Like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ carnarvontacklemarine.

A tasty mixed bag of prime eating species caught in Shark Bay from a boat. though the winds will make life difficult for some time yet. Monkey Mia has been another popular spot of From page 66

FISHING IN FEBRUARY February is a great month, as it normally sees a reprieve in the wind. If you’re after bluewater or bottom species, you’ll want to be on the water by 6-7am, and be back at the ramp by lunchtime. That should be plenty of time to get a good feed of reef fish, or to get your

580

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Nathaniel Hayles with a huge wahoo from Shark Bay. Photo courtesy of Robbie Leck

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

Gascoyne Coast

Fish still biting despite hard southerly wind EXMOUTH

Jenni Gates

At times through summer the southerly winds can blow hard, and at other times it can be sleeky calm and hot. The fishing is usually good, however, and sometimes I think it is Mother Nature’s own way

loads of big fat whiting on the shoreline daily along the beaches in the gulf. Targeting these massive schools on light gear with poppers is great fun, especially for the youngsters. The extra reward is the tasty meal you can get of an evening after the day fishing, and whiting are certainly a worthy plate species.

a garfish or mullet fleeing across the surface. This makes stickbaits, slices and metals a prime lure of choice for anglers, as opposed to bait. Of course, if flyfishing takes your fancy, then a Clouser, particularly in blue and white colours, tends to be the best option when stripped fast through the water just below the surface.

Marco Cestrilli with a shallow water queenfish.

Junior angler Luca Cestrilli with a shark mackerel caught on a calm day in the gulf. of creating sanctuary zones with weather patterns, preventing us from venturing out for the day. This summer has certainly seen some of the windiest times of the year, but luckily there is always somewhere you can go to wet a line in Exmouth. Shore-based anglers were the winners recently, with

Other species that highlighted the month included large queenfish that patrolled the shoreline in the gulf. The calm days allowed anglers to get to the islands in the gulf, where these species regularly cruise in the clear waters. These acrobatic sportfish often travel in pairs or schools and will hunt down anything resembling

Walking the flats can produce an array of species and having a crab pattern is always recommended for the cruising permit that inhabit these waters. Another by-catch you can expect while fishing the shoreline in the gulf includes flathead, bream and various trevally. Of course, the ever-present squid are around and you just

can’t catch one of these on much other than a squid jig, with the Ika brand being the most popular for this area. February is one of the quietest months of the year for the town of Exmouth for visitors, as it is rather hot and school kids have gone back to school. However, it is a perfect time to come fishing if you want to avoid any crowds. Having said that, I can’t say there are too many crowds in Exmouth at many times of the year, with a population of just 2500 and the nearest town south about 360km and the nearest town north about 550km. There’s not much in between but remote stations. You can get some cracking fish through this time, but always be aware that it is cyclone season from about mid-December to late April, which has the potential

to ruin a few days. Mind you, the lead up and come-off from a cyclone can be awesome for fishing, as the fish tend to go in to a feeding frenzy with the changes in barometric pressure. If you love game fishing and you have never fished GAMEX, I reckon it is about time you put in in your diary. This annual event has been running for over 50 years and is Western Australia’s premier game fishing event with over 40 different species to target on all line classes from 1-60kg. There is over $100k in cash, prizes and giveaways for the event, while the most common feedback from competitors is the great camaraderie the event brings. It is a six-day tournament which incorporates social nights, educational activities, sponsor functions, scientific

studies, kids activities and great fishing. The best year for billfish was 2014 with 2399 billfish raised and 904 tagged for the 6 days, plus three extra days of an event prior (three-day billfish only event is held prior to GAMEX each year). The event is each year in March and some people simply come to volunteer in the event rather than fish, as it is such a great week to catch up and see some fantastic catches. If you would like to be involved, contact the event coordinator on events@egfc.com.au. • For more up to the minute information on what is biting and where, drop into Bluewater Tackle World Exmouth and have a chat to the friendly and informative staff. They are located at 3 Maley St Exmouth and can be contacted at (08) 9949 1315.

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2019

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

3 Feb

Bream Classic Kayak Round 1 Murray River, Mandurah

Facebook: WA Bream Classic

24 Feb

WATA Social Swan River, Perth

Facebook: WA Bream Classic

10 Mar

Bream Classic Boat Round 1 Swan River, Perth

Facebook: WA Bream Classic

23-24 Mar

WATA Pro/Am Oyster Harbour, Albany

Facebook: WA Bream Classic

6-7 Apr

Hobie Kayak Round 4 Blackwood River, Augusta

hobiefishing.com.au

30 April-1 May

ABT BREAM Round 4 Oyster Harbour, Albany

abt.org.au

4-5 May

ABT BREAM Round 5 Blackwood River, Augusta

abt.org.au

19 May

Bream Classic Kayak Round 2 Swan River, Perth

Facebook: WA Bream Classic

Add your tournament or competition to this list by emailing jthomas@fishingmonthly.com.au or calling 07 3387 0800 in office hours. Just supply a date, venue, tournament name and a telephone number and contact name. 68

FEBRUARY 2019

MAJOR PRIZES

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North Coast

Barra and thready frenzy from Kimberley rains BROOME

Troy Honey

The Kimberley rains have come and with it the threadies and barra. Locals and visitors alike have been inundated, with threadfin salmon catches of 20 plus fish or more in a session not being uncommon. Roebuck Bay has been the pick of spots, with most people either trolling hardbodies or using a running sinker rig with cooked prawns for bait around the fingers to the east of the bay or in the mouth area of Crab Creek. The incoming tide has been

The average size of barramundi being landed around town and out at the Fitzroy River has been nothing short of spectacular. Fish from 60-90cm are prolific this season, and this proves what a couple of good wet seasons can produce. Local anglers Jared Mcleod and Teaghan Caithness have been using hardbody lures and live baits out in the Fitzroy with great success, catching multiples of good size barra over the 60cm mark. The local charters have also been producing the goods, with big barra for their customers in not only the local creeks and

and this time of year, and the trevally, queenies and blue threadfin along with occasional barramundi can be found right under the jetty. It is always best to fish the high tide from the walkway or low tide from the rocks below. Be weary of stonefish and blue-ringed octopus under the jetty and nearby ground, as I have encountered both in the area many times. If chasing barra, try casting hardbody lures or soft vibes near the pylons and don’t be afraid to fish the night time at tide change, as this has been the most successful period recently. Offshore the warmer waters at this time of year

the school and then tack back in front of the school, which drags your lure through it which will give you the best chance of a hook up. They aren’t the finest table fish, but when it comes to the fight, they are right up there with the best

with a few local fishers the threadies were the topic of conversation. Everybody agreed the volume of fish that Roebuck Bay is holding now is nothing short of world-class. Threadfin pull like trains, love to show their

threadies, what’s not to love about fishing for them? Setups in the 3-7kg range with around 7ft for the rod and a 3000 size reel or baitcaster is more than plenty. Use 20-40lb braid with a fluorocarbon leader around the 40lb

The Fitzroy River has been a hotspot for big barra recently. of the pelagics. As sashimi I rate them highly, and you cannot go wrong serving up a pasta sauce full of northern bluefin. They are also a very healthy fish to eat, as they are high in omega 3. Over the next couple of months my preferred fishing in Broome is chasing king threadfin. Blue threadfin are a pleasant by-catch while chasing threadies, and very palatable too. Try them in a coconut curry and I am sure you will agree with me. Sitting at a dinner night out recently

aerobatic ability and would have to be most northerners preferred table fish. Broome has become a Mecca for threadfin salmon fishing the last few years with November through to May being the optimum time to target them. You can catch them land-based, in a tinny or a large vessel of 8m or more in the bay, so everyone can get amongst them. They are a beautiful fish and a compliment to any anglers or families holiday photo album. With the chance of hooking into a big barra while chasing

mark and you will be sure to stop them. For bait, prawns or live bait such as poddy mullet will set you up. For lure fishers, hardbody and soft plastic lures in the 4-6”size and bright colours should see you finding success. I am looking forward to serving up some nice beer battered thready dinners over the next couple of months and I am sure if you head out to have a go yourself you will have no problem in enjoying the fruits of your hard (or dare I say easy) work.

Caught on a 100mm Squidgies soft plastic in silver fox, this beautiful barra put up a fun fight for local angler Teaghan Caithness out on the Fitzroy River fishing land-based. the most productive on both the neap and spring tides. Threadfin are also being caught around the mouths of Barred and Willy creeks as well as the adjacent beaches. Trevally, bluebone, golden snapper and queenfish are being caught at the Broome jetty and right along Riddell Beach all the way around to Gantheaume Point. Cable Beach has been producing large whiting on high tide combined with blue threadfin and perch. All of the local creeks have slowed for mud crabs with only a handful of catches being reported. 70

FEBRUARY 2019

bay but also out on the Fitzroy river. With the rains also comes the problem of road closures as the soft pindan soil becomes too sloppy to drive through and risks damaging the road surface. For the land-based fishers or those dragging a tinny out to the creeks it can be an issue, so always check with the shire or main roads before you head out to ensure access is available for not only your way in, but if staying for a while you will have access on the way back as well. There’s plenty of options still on offer around town

tend to push the reef species out further, so be prepared to travel in order to find where they are holding. If you have the time, troll a lure or too out for a chance at some fierce sport fishing that the northern bluefin tuna provide. They are in abundance at this time of year and keeping an eye out for the birds feeding on the surface is an easy way to find them. When trolling, 6-9 knots works best and if you target a school of tuna do not troll through the middle of the school, as they will dive when the boat passes over. Instead, take a route around

The annual rains have brought on the big barramundi in the Kimberley.

North Coast

Getting those post holiday blues DAMPIER/KARRATHA

Troy Honey

What a stellar start to the year it has been with the mixed bags that everyone has enjoyed so far. Sailfish, barramundi, coral trout, trevally, threadfin salmon, mud crabs and bluebone have been abundant. I couldn’t put a better short list together if I tried! The Karratha/Dampier regions have really turned it on for those brave enough to take on the baking sun at this time of year. There have been many days in the 40°C zone, but with the allure of prize fish on offer it has been too much to resist for the locals who have stayed for the holiday period. The winds that plagued us for the last few months have lost most of their puff and have allowed even the smallest of boats to venture out wide in search of some trophies. One angler, Mark Carruthers’s battled his first sailfish recently. His friend Mitchell Stevenson took his wife Angela and himself on a trip off Dampier while visiting from NSW. They spotted sailfish free jumping on the way out, and expecting to find some later in the day and already having a few rods rigged, they dropped the lures out and hooked up straight away. The sailfish swallowed a Richer 6” Dorado lure in the lumo colour rigged on a TLD 30A with a Shimano Backbone and 15kg test mono. Unfortunately, the fight wasn’t too aerobatic, and it only jumped twice when the hook was first set, then went deep and slugged it out for 15-20 mins. The fish didn’t want to co-operate once they got it boat side, running laps under the motor and it took several attempts to leader it in and going for broke when they finally got a hand on its bill. They pulled it up for a few photos, swam it back to life, and let the beautiful specimen swim off to fight another day. It is always good practice

in waters off the Pilbara to be rigged up for what might come along such as billfish, mackerel or tuna. The coral trout have been thick at times, with anglers landing eight or more in a single session. Trolling and casting lures or soft plastics over the shallow reefs and around the bommies close to the islands of the archipelago has been the most productive methods. Queenfish and trevally are often a by-catch when chasing trout in the Pilbara on lure, so be prepared for some solid runs if you hook up onto one of these. Closer in to the banks in rocky grounds the bluebone

position for hook up. Locking in is a term used to describe the action of entering a creek at a higher tide level and fishing through the low tide when the creek drains and the mouth bottom area becomes exposed and boats are unable to exit the creek until the next higher tide comes back in 8-12 hours. During this time the water has run off from the mangroves and with it the fish that spread out within them during the higher tide. The fish become condensed within the creeks, steeper banks and will then feed on baitfish such as mullet, and this is when live baiting works best. Look for drains in the creek banks

Dylan Munn has been getting into monster coral trout using the In-Fish Vibes. are well and truly turning it on for both boat and land-based fishers. I have been having some exceptional fights on these, and there has been quite an interest of late, with people asking how to catch such an iconic fighting and table fish. I will cover this further on. In the creeks and around their mouths the barramundi, threadfin salmon and mangrove jacks are keeping the tinny brigade busy this year, with exceptional examples being caught on a regular basis. It has been well noted that many anglers are choosing to ‘lock themselves in’ on the low tides in order to put themselves in the best

Dylan Munn had a hard fight on his hands with this golden trevally while micro jigging around the archipelago.

and mouths as the tide recedes and work these areas for best results for barra, threadies, jewfish and jacks. Barramundi and threadfin can be caught in the region in good numbers right though to May. BATTLING BLUEBONE The mighty bluebone, a fish species well known for its tearing runs and quality on the dinner table, would be right up on top of my list. Over the last few weeks I have been inundated with enquiries from people asking how to get onto them, so I thought I would go a bit more in-depth on how I go about it. There are your normal ways to land a bluebone, such as with a rod and reel set up, which works well from a boat, but personally, I find fishing from the rocks much more pleasant. From land, using a hand line is my recommended option for a few reasons, the main one being so you don’t damage your expensive outfits when they come into contact with stone. I have scratched up a couple of fairly new Stella’s in my time while landing fish from the rocks and even with less expensive equipment, it can still be heart breaking to say the least. Hand lines work a treat, as they are cheap and they’re usually spooled with mono to give the angler some abrasion resistance against the brute strength of a big bluey. My recommended poundage

is 125-150lb. Anything less and you risk snapping off on the rocks and anything more if you become snagged it can be very difficult to break the line to free yourself. For rigging I use a size 5 bean sinker running, and below that I form a loop with the end of the line with the overall length of about 40cm. I then tie the loop in a double overhand knot and push the end of the loop through the eye of the hook, around the bottom of the hook and pull tight. For hooks I use the Gamakatsu SL12S in size 9/0. They are big enough for the crabs, strong and thin, which provides great penetration. There you go, simple and deadly. If you snag up and have to break yourself off, it is only a matter of seconds and you are back in the water again. For bait there really is no other option in my mind other than crab. I use either freshly caught rock crabs, or if I’m lucky enough to have caught some mud crabs recently, I keep the cooked legs and use them. Both are very effective. To catch your rocks crabs you first need to find the right area. Try around rocky areas, preferably near some mangroves at low tide. Take with you a bucket, a cheap pair of tongs (don’t get caught using the ones from your kitchen, as the supermarkets sell cheap ones for around the $3 mark) and a good pair of leather work gloves. You will

A cheap and effective bluebone rig. 150lb hand line with size 5 bean sinker and an SL12S Gamakastu 9/0 hook with a fresh rock crab claw for bait! every one of them. I leave the very small crabs there for another day and only take the medium to large crabs. In next to no time you will have a quarter bucket full and that is ample for a few hours of bluebone fishing. Now you are all set up with the rig and have the rock crabs for bait, you can start looking for bluebone country. You will have six hours from the low tide until high tide, and it’s best to be down and in the water three hours before high tide. If there is a bit of wind about, even better, as I have most success on these types of days. All around Karratha, Dampier and Point Samson there are a multitude of rocky headlands that will hold bluebone all year round. The best option is to find an area that is safe to fish from and has easy access. Even in

Trolling 4” hardbody lures around the Dampier Archipelago in shallow water, Angler Marni Alexander hooked up to a beautiful coral trout. need the gloves for flipping the rocks over, as they often have sharp edges that cut as well as a bit of protection against nasties such as blue ringed octopus. Last of all, some solid footwear should also be worn. These will help protect you against stonefish and broken glass as well as the sharp-edged rocks. Once you are set up with all of the gear and have found a good spot on the low tide, simply walk around flipping rocks over and you will find a rock crab or two under nearly

the Pilbara, fishing from rocks can be very dangerous and once you are in a battle with a bluebone you need to be surefooted to beat it. Now you are in place it’s time to bait up. With medium size rocks crabs I put them on whole by piercing the hook through the underside of the crab and work it gently through the topside of the crab, being careful not to crack the shell. Using the larger crabs, I will break the entire arm and claws off and use them one at a time. When using the body,

peel the back of the crab off and use that as berley, then break the crab in half down the centre line with each side still holding the legs. Use each side separately on the hook. Casting out you do not need to go far. You want to be near some bommies in the water but try and find a section next to them with flat bottom to avoid constantly snagging up on rocks. This can be as little as 1m out and 1m deep. Bluebone will come right up at your feet to feed on the oysters, which is a majestic sight to see I must say, and the colours of bluebone in the water are stunning. When your bait and sinker hits the water, let it fall to the bottom and leave it sitting there with a small amount of slack in the line. Try not to drag it over the bottom, as this will cause snagging. Bluebone will let you know in no time if they are around. They move in close during the rising tide to feed on crustaceans washed off the rocks, so this is the best time to fish and replicate that with your bait. Smaller bluebone with generally give a ‘tap-tap-tap’ on your line, while larger bluebone pick up the crab to crunch it up and move it around slowly. You will feel this on your line and when it happens, and it’s best not to strike but instead allowing the bluebone to gain confidence that it is safe to eat and swallow the crab and your hook with it. Then it will run and hook itself, but only if you have hold of the handline tight. Do not under estimate a bluebone! It will rip that handline straight out of your hands if your are not holding on tight or are not surefooted. After that, you are on your own. Have a long-handled landing net with you to assist in the landing. But most of all, enjoy the battle and have fun! Bluebone can be caught all year round and when the wind is too blowy to get the boat out, use it to your advantage, as it stirs up the water and brings the bluebones in and keeps you cool at the same time! FEBRUARY 2019

Tough to trick a trout FRESHWATER

Peter Fragomeni

Most of our freshwater anglers have put their trout fishing gear away for the summer months, preferring to chase the saltwater species that are more active at this time of the year.

waters, but their fight can vary from average to poor in most cases! Aussie natives are very active but the lack of stocking into public waters has left a lot of anglers frustrated, with locations being kept secret, and even close mates are unwilling to disclose their favourite waters.

Marron are available to those that have a license and a pole snare but only until 5 February. Ski boats are very active and some seem to ignore the 5-knot zone, so be aware if you are on the water at the weekends! Drakesbrook Weir A few redfin have been caught, but the trout

The author with a summertime redfin caught on a dropshot rig in 18m of water.

A nice brown caught in the peak of summer in a tail race fishery. This would all change if our authorities followed our neighbouring states and stocked our irrigation dams with suitable warm weather species like bass, golden perch, Murray cod and the eco friendly silver perch. The latter are already being farmed and stocked in a variety of waters throughout our state! Of course the very tasty redfin are available in most

DAMS Waroona Dam There’s not been many reports of trout being caught lately, apart from a good large brown trout being caught recently. Some nice redfin have come for those fishing deep and using soft plastics in yabby patterns bounced of the bottom and deep diving lures trolled slowly from kayaks and small boats.

have been harder to find. I managed some nice redfin on a recent trip with the occasional trout in the mix, but I wouldn’t expect February to be good month to catch a cold water species like trout. Marron are present and the ever-increasing numbers of yabbies are showing up in the stomach of redfin lately. Logue Brook Dam Some nice average size rainbows have been caught through December, and I wouldn’t write it in February if the weather stays cool, as was the case last summer. No ex-brood stock go into this water, but it gets a annual stocking of both fry and standard yearlings, so any larger fish landed would be ones that have survived the last summer With the lack of redfin present the trout cope well with the available food. There has been suggestions to stock brown trout into this exclusive rainbow water,

so a trial batch might go in unless anglers oppose this decision. If you choose to fish this water in the warmer months, I would suggest that you fish deep in depths over 6m using soft plastics that imitate shrimps or small yabbies, and flyfishing with a fast sinking line is a surefire method as well.

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you find the area they are holding, so look for timber off the steeper banks. Trout are proving to be elusive as they are this time of the year. Marron are harder to find in February due to it being the tail end of the season, but you will always find the larger smarter ones that evaded fishers through

Trolling using a GPS guided electric motor is a relaxing way to fish with a couple of mates when chasing redfin in the dams.

FREE (07)

Clean tasting marron are available but only for the first week of February, with a licence required to fish. Harvey Dam Good reports of redfin have come in over the last couple of months, but mainly out in the deeper water. Some are nailing a few off the bank, but you need to move around until

the busy holiday season. Wellington Dam Wellington is by far our bigger redfin producer, although numbers are lower than most redfin waters north of here . Some good reports are coming through, with 48cm specimens being landed

simply a steel tube of about 150mm long full of lead with two pieces of chain attached, and when slid down the line they hook onto the lure and then you simply pull and up comes your prized lure. Big Brook Dam Some nice little browns

coming out of our dams, although the Pemberton area can offer some good fishing this time of the year. Murray River Trout are very hard to tempt as they stress out and go deep, but redfin are active, with a few getting caught in the deep pools

Redfin prey on more marron than people realise, making the claim that East Coast native fish would wipe them out debatable, as this one had a 140mm tail in its stomach! and a mix of smaller 30cm ones making up the catches I spent a couple of days around Christmas fishing the Hamilton arm with my fishing partner Wendy, but unfortunately the temperature hit 39°C, making it unpleasant fishing on the boat. We managed a dozen fish for our efforts on most days, but on one particular day I didn’t land a single

have showed up here after the recent stocking by the hatchery, and a few rainbows have been caught as well. The wall is a good place to fish using lures and I always find a spinner like a Celta works well for redfin or trout. Kayak fishers have been getting most of the action fishing the back section where the brook comes in using soft plastics and hardbodies.

around the Dwellingup area. Collie River above Wellington Dam This is redfin only water, with some nice ones being caught both above the town and down to the weir a few kilometres downstream using small blade spinners and soft plastics. Collie River below Wellington Dam This is by far our best cold water summer fishery,

on the flows and releases that are available on the Harvey Water website. Blackwood River A few reports of trout have come in, with a photo of a really fat rainbow being the highlight. The area both just above Nannup and below is the place to target if the water is below around 24°C. Warren River Water levels are low, so I would give it a miss unless you are chasing redfin and marron. A better option would be the Lefroy Brook from above the hatchery all the way to the mouth where it flows into the Warren. A good area to target is the Cascades, which is a series of runs about midway between the two above locations, but of course Thompsons Flat is worth a look. Donnelly River All of the trout would have dropped back down to the main body of water, so Boat Landing all the way to the estuary some 10km downstream is worth a go if you have a boat or kayak. I troll lures close to the timber and stop at the creek mouths and flick lures or flies around the area then move on. AUSSIE NATIVES Some nice photos have come in of natives being

caught in private locations and some small lakes and ponds around the South West. Unfortunately, unless you know any of these locations you’re not going to be able to experience the superb fight these fish offer on light tackle.

I will continue to lobby hard to get these species stocked by our authorities into a few waters that have never been a part of our natural ecology. Even marron are an intruder to these once prime waterways, before they were dammed!

A decent lure retriever is a must for anyone trolling deep diving lures, and this one saved many snagged lures.

Ultralight Outboard Motors Road bridges are a good spot to start in the rivers, as fish can sit close to the pylons. fish, while Wendy boated over a dozen using the same deep diving lure, but that’s fishing! A dive using my new Christmas present revealed schools of tiny redfin proving that this water would have plenty of food for any East Coast natives stocked in the future. We also managed to snag the bottom many times, so if you don’t already have one, then a lure retriever such as the one I use is a must. It’s

Redfin are plentiful, but the size varies from tiny to something you can at least get a fillet off. Access may be a problem, as Water Corp is undertaking a wall maintenance program to commence early 2019. RIVERS Unless your chasing redfin there’s only a few rivers and streams worth fishing in the peak of summer and those are usually the ones that are fed by cool irrigation water

although the rewards don’t mirror the effort some anglers put into this water on occasions. There were some misinformed options that this water was under stocked, which resulted in a huge stocking a few years ago in the hope that fishing would improve. I am of the opinion the opposite was the case, with more fish but of a smaller size being caught. Fishing can be hard in February due to the large amount of water being released, so keep a eye out

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FEBRUARY 2019

Tech Tricks

Learn how to tie your own Brush Dragon fly BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

As the Murray cod season has been open for over a month and with the barramundi season due

to re-open on 1 February at midday, I thought I would tie a pattern ideal for both species using some relatively new materials on the market. There are a lot of variations in this pattern and it has numerous names

depending on the variation of materials from which it can be tied with. I simply call this one the Brush Dragon after the two most prominent materials it is tied with. This pattern has heaps of action in the water and actually appears to be swimming due

to the snake-like tail action the dragon tail produces during the retrieve. David Mangum’s Dragon Tails are distributed by Orvis (Mayfly Tackle) in Australia and available in 11 straight colours in the 9” size and ten colours in the 6” size (including five variegated colours). When tied into a fly where the head is larger than the tail, a natural vortex is created that helps the tail swim in a snake-like manner. Obviously more action is imparted with the stripping technique, yet even on the sink the pattern has an enticing action. The whistler style head obviously pushes a degree of water and this fly has real presence in the aquatic environment. It will catch an array of larger predators including barramundi, Murray cod, trevally, tuna, threadfin

salmon, mulloway, mackerel and numerous others. The other exciting material in this pattern is the Just Add H2O Polar Fibre Streamer Brush (distributed by EJ Todds). This material is a brush version of the original Polar Fibre with added flash. There is a great array of flat and variegated colours in the 3” brush that can be matched with the various Dragon Tails. Additionally there are numerous other brush types that could be used in this pattern including Streamer Brush, Lively Legs Brush and Baitfish Brush. I have gone old school with the collar and used saddle hackles, however, zonker strips, palmer chenille, marabou and CCT Body Fur could all be used to create slightly different effects. Obviously there are a lot of

variations in colours for this pattern, however, the basic tying principle remains. This fly can even be tied as a variation of the Pink Thing, with white body and pink collar, which is one of the most popular barramundi flies in Australia. However, the variations are endless and up to your imagination. VIDEO

Check out the short clip of this fly swimming on the Fishing Monthly website or Gordon’s Instagram gcmac1970.

For tying the Brush Dragon, you will only need a small list of materials. I am using the variegated black/white 6” dragon tail, Polar Fibre Streamer Brush 3” in black/grey, large purple saddle hackles, black flat-waxed nylon thread, Gamakatsu SL12S 6/0 hook, head-cement and large white painted eyes. In addition to your vice, bobbin and scissors, a hairbrush can be a handy addition, although not essential.

Materials

Directly in front of the thicker part of the tail, attach the butt of the streamer brush (with the fibres facing away from the fly) with several tight wraps, whip finish and advance the thread forward to just in front of the eye. Add a little head cement to the whip finish to increase durability.

Attach the thread with a jamb knot and then lay down a bed of thread around 6-8mm behind the hook eye. Attach your painted eyes a few millimetres behind the hook eye using a series of figure-of-eight wraps until secure. Continue wrapping your thread along the shank until you are roughly opposite the hook point. To make the fly extremely durable, cover the thread attaching the eyes with some head cement.

Roughly opposite the hook point, attach the Dragon Tail using a series of thread wraps so the taper of the tail is going away from the hook. Once you have tied down the small tag end of the tail, whip finish and add some head cement. Wait a few minutes for this to dry before moving on. 74

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Begin to palmer (wrap) the streamer brush around the hook shank. It is important here that you continually preen the fibres backwards with your fingertips as you make each wrap. Failure to do this will result in many of the fibres becoming trapped underneath the next wrap. Each wrap should be placed just in front of the last.

Once you have advanced forward to within 5mm of the painted eye, separate the fibres of the streamer brush with your thread so you can tie off the fine wire backbone against the hook shank.

Tech Tricks

Once secured, cut the remainder of the streamer brush away, whip finish and add a little head cement. Lay down another bed of thread between this point and the painted eye.

Cut three large purple saddle hackles where the soft webby rear part finishes and the main barb section starts. Directly in front of the streamer brush tie-down point, attach the rear quill of all three hackles. Whip finish and advance the thread forward up to the painted eyes.

Palmer the feathers individually around the hook. Preen the barbs backwards as you do and keep each wrap very close to the last. Separating the barbs from each other by running your finger from the tip to the butt of the hackle before tying will create a greater effect.

Once you have done one, secure the tip of it with your thread and do the next one just in front of it. Continue until all three hackles have been palmered, filling in the small gap between streamer brush and painted eye. Secure and whip finish the ends of the hackles before adding a little head cement to the thread.

Use a brush to preen the barbs of the hackle and the fibres of the streamer brush towards the rear of the fly. This will release any errant fibre tips that have become trapped. Use a heat gun on a low setting or a hairdryer to blow the fly from the front to add a nice fluffy look to the fly collar, although it will eventually end up this way with repeated casting.

When completed, the Brush Dragon is a great looking fly. This can be made in an array of great colours, either matching or contrasting to suit a wide variety of larger native and predatory species. FEBRUARY 2019

BLACK MAGIC

MASTER CLASS

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

Banking some boss bream Bream fishing has come a long way in the past 20 years. We now live in the age of $30 a pop bream

tournaments dedicated to the humble bream offering tens of thousands of dollars in prize money.

way to catch bream, but it’s simple, effective and something anyone can do regardless of age or

The great thing about bait fishing for bream is it’s so easy, anyone can do it. lures; $1000 outfits; flashy boats jacked up with expensive sounders, electric motors and power poles; and fishing

With that said, targeting bream on good old fashion bait has changed bugger all. For some it may not be considered the coolest

Black Magic KS hooks are by far the best bream hook the author has used. 76

FEBRUARY 2019

fishing ability. As someone who makes a living teaching people how to fish with lures I still get a kick out of going back to roots and soaking a bait for a bream. It’s a very relaxing way to catch a fish, but for all its simplicity it’s only simple when you’re doing it right, so knowing before you start is very important. The first thing you need to nut out is where are you going to start and that means knowing what typical bream habitat is. The answer to this is structure. Bream love structure with anything from sunken timber to break walls, rocky shorelines oyster racks, rock bars, jetties and wrecks to name a few. Once you know what you’re looking for it comes down to fishing it with the right methods. The biggest mistake anglers make is fishing too heavy a weight, as structure and sinkers are a recipe for constant snags and no fish. Bream like the bait to look as natural as possible and will often take the bait as it sinks and that is why an unweighted presentation is best. When I explain this to people often their first

response is that they can’t cast it out far without a sinker. If that is the case, you will probably find your line and rod are too heavy. With a good 6lb braided line like Black Magic Fibre Glide and a 1-3kg graphite rod you can cast an unweighted bait a long way. A critical part of success for this type of fishing is your leader size. Bream can be very cautious and shy away from heavier leaders, so the lightest you can get away with the better. For more forgiving terrain you can drop down to as low as 4lb, but for areas like racks and oyster infested rock bars you may need to go up to 10lb to give you a chance to pull them out. While this will probably mean less bites, at the end of the day you will come out in front as the rate of fish landed compared to fish hooked and busted off will be far higher. I generally run about 1-2m length of the Black Magic fluorocarbon leader for this kind of work as it’s super tough and can handle being scuffed around poles and being dragged over rocks better then anything else on the market. While at times bream can be ravenous and eat just about anything you throw at them they can also be extremely picky, so it’s best to make the effort and source the best bait possible. In my opinion, you can’t beat live nippers on bream and they can be the difference between getting a bucket full and catching

Live nippers are the number one bait for bream and worth the effort. nothing. Large peeled prawns, mullet strips, and live worms are also effective baits, but live nippers still reign supreme For hook choice I use Blackmagic KS series in size 1 for nippers or 1/0-2/0 for large peeled prawns or mullets strips. Another key component for a successful bait bream fisher is berley. A bucket with a packet of chook pellets, half a loaf of bread and a couple of caps full of

tuna oil mixed together will not only attract bream, but also turn shut down fish on the bite. A handful every 5-10 minutes is all that’s required as berleying too much can have a negative effect, as you risk fish becoming full and therefore no longer interested. Well that about covers bait fishing for bream, hopefully you can get out and get stuck into a few of them this month.

Casting unweighted live nippers around structure such as this is a deadly method for catching bream.

PRODUCT GUIDE

WHAT’S NEW FISHING

Black Magic Snapper Snacks and KLT Hooks

TESTED

Recently I was lucky enough to have a few of the new Black Magic Snapper Snacks and KLT hooks come my way, and I wasted no time in putting them to the test. Into the tackle box they went, along with my usual go-to plastics on my next trip out for reds. The Black Magic Snapper Snacks are based on the same principle as the popular sabiki bait jigs, and all we know how deadly those little flashy attractants are. The main difference is that the Snapper Snacks are much larger and stronger for bigger fish, and have luminous flashes built into the skirts.

The first time I dropped down the Snapper Snacks, things didn’t go as I had hoped; the Snacks were molested by leatherjackets and stripped. On the plus side, at least they liked them! Still, nothing survives a jacket attack, so I grabbed a few more and headed to another spot, hoping the jackets would be less enthusiastic there. In the next location I had better luck. I dropped the Snapper Snacks down in 40m of water where a bait ball was holding 10m off the bottom – perfect snapper conditions. The

While the author was preoccupied with a kingy, two flathead hooked themselves on the Snapper Snacks. I had not bothered winding in the Snacks and after I wound in the slack from the busted kingie I noticed that both rods were bent over but not doing much. I pulled them up and found that I’d caught a double header of flathead. There must be a bit of sand down there too. So on that trip I didn’t catch any big reds but I’m sure they will come. There haven’t been many about lately, but I certainly caught just about everything else. The next week I was at Burrinjuck Dam and tried the 3/0 KLTs bobbing yabbies. The goldens were thick and I only had six yabbies and scored six fish in six drops, and didn’t miss a hook-up. I’ll definitely be taking the Snapper Snacks and KLT hooks on my future trips, and I’m looking forward to seeing what else I can catch on them. The marlin are about this month and I can’t wait to give the 10/0s a run on the billies! - Greg Clarke

Snapper Snacks appeal to a range of species, including sweep.

This hungry couta couldn’t resist a Snapper Snack.

Using 3/0 KLT hooks bobbing yabbies, the author landed a golden on every drop.

hook-ups were instant, but I seemed to catch everything but snapper! On my first drop, I caught the bait, mackerel. The next drop and more slimy mackerel, then some sweep, a couple of trevally and then some barracouta. The Snacks were working a treat. I then grabbed one of the slimies and put it on a 7/0 Black Magic KLT on one of the 6kg snapper outfits. These light gauge hooks are very strong, and have a slippery, nonstick coating like a Teflon frypan so they can easily penetrate the fish’s mouth – and they nearly always hook the fish in the corner of the mouth, too. I lobbed the slimy as far as I could, put it in the rod holder and went back to the fishing the Snacks. I went on to score a trevally and a small snapper, and then the dead slimy I had forgotten about screamed off. The hook had done its job, and fairly quickly a king about a metre long came into view. Then, as usually happens, it saw the boat and bolted into the reef, as they do. I now had one less 7/0.

Black Magic KLT hooks are super sharp, slick and slippery, so they effortlessly penetrate the fish’s mouth.

FEBRUARY 2019

WHAT’S NEW FISHING SAMAKI AUSSIE BASS SHIRT

For all the bass lovers out there, Samaki has created something special, something you’ve been asking for, that one-of-a-kind shirt that is right up your estuary! With natural tones of sweeping reeds, heavy structure and crystal clear sky, the Aussie Bass shirt is designed to stand out of the crowd but blend into the surrounds. As the bass strikes the lure, it sends water splashing across the surface in a flurry of action. The prominent deep green of the bass is accentuated with contrasting gold highlights. The lightweight fabric 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, plus 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. Aussie Bass 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. Price: SRP $59.95 (adults), $49.95 (kids) www.samaki.com.au

DAIWA INFEET

Contemporary looks meets innovative design with the return of the Daiwa Infeet series. Designed for the light tackle finesse angler, the new Infeet range features four models, built on hyper-sensitive slow bend graphite blanks. The Infeet’s classic blank is partnered by a contrasting white carbon fibre skeleton reel seat. The exposed design of the reel seat puts the blank right in the angler’s hand to transmit even the lightest of bites. An ultra-thin, tapered EVA rear grip eliminates weight for optimum rod balance and provides that unique modern styling we’ve grown to love and expect from the Infeet range. Angler connectivity is further enhanced courtesy of Fuji S/S SiC guides in the base section of the rod, and ultra light Fuji Titanium SiC guides on the top section. The Ti SiC guides lighten the tip of the rod to enhance feel and performance and is indicated by white bindings. A blend of Daiwa’s advanced finesse designs the new Infeet series is state of the art technology blended with precision, performance, and that exclusive Infeet style and swagger. www.daiwafishing.com.au

ASTRO VIBE AND HUMMER COLOURS 3 Strike Pro is releasing a couple of new colours in its highly popular ranges of Astro Vibe and Hummer 40 lures. The new colours in the Astro Vibe range will offer all the features that you find in the current Astro Vibes, including the UV reactive polycarbonate belly with internal rattles. Astro Vibes combine the best features of a metal blade and a rattling vibe, creating an extremely effective lure. The new colour in the Hummer 40 is certainly going to catch plenty of fish, and it offers all the features of the Hummer 40. This record breaking lure helped Strike Pro sponsored angler Rick Massie break both the Biggest Bream and Biggest Bag records in the Hobie Bream series. This lure will be deadly on bream, bass, estuary perch, flathead and mulloway. To find out more visit

FEBRUARY 2019

PRODUCT GUIDE

the Juro website or like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JuroOzProTackle. www.jurofishing.com

ZEREK JET POPPER 130

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The Zerek Jet Popper 130 is 130mm long, which is an ideal length for both small and large predatory fish – everything from tailor, salmon and small tuna through to larger trevally, queenfish and bigger tuna. It’s fitted out with heavy-duty hardware to handle the pressure from punishing encounters. The colour range, which includes 10 colours, imitates and attracts with equal measure, while the easy casting 45g overall weight allows just about everyone to cast this lure without needing some serious gym sessions. This rear-weighted lure flies from the rod tip with reduced tumbling and extra distance, giving the lure more time in the water on every cast. On the water, the Jet Popper 130 makes a loud bloop that is enhanced by the chin hole that allows a massive bubble trail to add appeal both visually and acoustically. The rear tail fins help stabilise the lure in the water, reducing the likelihood of the lure flipping and rolling on the bloop. www.wilsonfishing.com

EGILICIOUS SQUID JIGS

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The Fish Inc. Egilicious features a unique take on popular colour patterns, a tail design that is 3° higher than standard jigs to minimize snagging and fouling, and its fine Japanese Owner hooks. These super sharp and ultra-thin stainless steel hooks not only mean a better catch rate but also fewer jigs lost. They open with less force, so if you get snagged you just apply slow and steady pressure until the hook opens and the jig pops off the structure. Then you can straighten the hook and you’re good to go. These squid jigs are designed with the perfect weight for long casts, while maintaining a slow sink and realistic swimming action. Other features include 3D eyes, side feathers, tightly-wrapped cloth covers and a buoyant tail-up action. Many jigs sink flat to the bottom, reducing strikes and hook sets while increasing snagging, but Egilicious instead comes alive in the water. It’s available in 3.0 and 3.5 sizes and 12 colours. Price: SRP $11.95 www.tackletactics.com.au

BLACK MAGIC RATTLE SNACK

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Black Magic’s continual growth and development in freshwater lures sees yet another original addition to their already strong line-up of freshwater lure options. This new arrival is called the Rattle Snack and, as its name suggests, it has a built-in tungsten rattle which is harmonically tuned. There are two weights available, 7g and 14g, and the quality hardware ensures your target species will be landed, not lost. The Rattle Snack’s aggressive shape creates a very enticing swimming action, and whether you’re trolling from a boat or casting to your favourite lie in a river, estuary canal or lake, this superior action and harmonics will deliver results. With six great colours designed to suit Autralian fishing conditions, this new arrival is sure to become a favourite. It’s available now from leading tackle stores throughout Australia. www.blackmagictackle.com

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

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PRODUCT GUIDE 7

WHAT’S NEW FISHING SAMAKI SLIT FOAM 7 STORAGE

DAIWA TATULA 100 10 AND 150

The all-new Samaki Slit Foam Tackle Boxes are in high demand and haven’t even landed in the country yet. Coming in four sizes, each tackle box is designed for a variety of lure storage options, holding the smallest of flies up to your favourite vibes and hardbodies. The soft slit foam insert has incremental slits and holes for you to get the maximum usage out of your tackle box, avoiding annoying hook tangles. The UV-resistant lids will reduce lure fade, and the waterproof O-ring and stainless steel hinges will safeguard your artificials. The range starts with a small single-sided option, and moves into three double-sided options of medium, large and extra-large. From $15.95 up to $59.95 there is an option to suit all anglers. For more information and stockists visit the Samaki website, and like them on Instagram and Facebook to keep up to date. Price: from $15.95 www.samaki.com.au

Making a great thing greater, Daiwa steps it up with the new Tatula 100 and 150. The Tatula 100 delivers anglers their smallest and lightest Tatula ever, while the 150 is made with power fishing in mind and sits in between the 100 size and the Tatula HD (200 size) in the Tatula line-up. Baitcaster brilliance starts with Daiwa’s Real Four design concept, with Real Engine, Real Control, Real Endurance, and Real Custom combining to make the Tatula technically advanced and performance driven. A precision designed solid aluminium frame and gear side plate delivers maximum power and unrivalled durability, while its ergonomically designed profile fits effortlessly in the palm of the hand. Digigear, TWS, Magforce Z, deliver unmatched strength, smoothness and precision both on the cast and on the crank, while Daiwa’s UTD gives you the muscle to stop just about anything that swims. www.daiwafishing.com.au

NEW TASSIE DEVIL COLOURS 10

Tasmanian Devil lures are a unique Australian product designed for trolling, casting or jigging in fresh and saltwater. They are now available in four new colours – watermelon pearl (132), lime frog (133), liquorice allsort (134) and black betty (135). The first three colours are available in 7g, 13.5g and 20g sizes, and the black betty colour is available in 7g, 13.5g, 20g and 26g. The lure action is due to the winged technology that causes the lure to swim in an irregular manner, darting and diving, simulating the movement of wounded fish. This pulsating action is transmitted to the rod tip that will show as a ‘nodding action’ that is proof that the lure is swimming correctly. If this rod tip action is not present, you’ll know you’ve picked up either a piece of weed or a fish. All four sizes of the Tasmanian Devil swim in this erratic manner, and this is the reason these lures are so effective. www.jmgillies.com.au

ZEREK MANIAC VIBE

The Zerek Maniac Vibe’s unique frontweighted design enables excellent casting distance, fast sinking and the ability for the lure to ‘stand up’ on the bottom. These features allow anglers to cover more ground every cast and be confident that the tail of the lure will always be in a position to snare a curious fish. Internally, the Maniac Vibe has many small ball bearings in its internal chamber creating one of the noisiest rattles that will attract fish from afar. Work the Maniac Vibe with a lift and drop technique to keep the lure near the bottom, or hop and shake it along the bottom if the fish are shut down. You can also cast and straight retrieve the lure at various speeds to cover depth profiles and present the lure to the right spot at the right time. The Maniac Vibe is 70mm long, weighs an easy-to-cast 14g, and comes in 10 colours. www.wilsonfishing.com

SHIMANO TRAVEL STORAGE

Shimano’s latest tackle storage range includes two new releases for anglers on the go – the Travel Wrap and Soft Back Pack. The Travel Wrap comes with a hard tackle tray and additional sleeves for soft plastic storage. This lightweight, minimal travel wrap can be filled in a variety of useful ways depending on the situation. The travel wrap also doubles as a minimal soft plastic wallet – the tray is removable and the mesh pocket can be used to store braid cutters, catch scent, leader, or any other tools essential for fishing. The Soft Tackle Back Pack has a versatile range of applications and features, which make it ideal for both die-hard fishos and weekend warriors. With added benefits such as four included tackle trays, a heavy-duty mesh front compartment, hard sunglasses case, an elastic tool holder and drink pocket, this bag is sure to impress even the fussiest of anglers. www.shimanofish.com.au

STORM 360GT COASTAL SHRIMP

The new Storm 360GT Coastal Shrimp offers anglers a deadly lifelike prawn presentation. Its realistic legs swim and kick on the fall sending out natural vibrations, while the flat bottom design keeps the bait upright when resting on bottom. Combining a segmented body, slotted belly and back slots not only allows for seamless rigging, it also delivers a very natural looking action on the drop and at rest. Suitable for conventional Jig heads or weedless rigs make these prawns a must for any angler, be it in the fresh or saltwater environment. What fish doesn’t eat a prawn? A very easy bait to use, simple lift and drop of the rod tip with a slow wind will see you hooking up in no time. The Storm 360GT Coastal Shrimp is available in eight lifelike colours and two sizes, 3” and 4”. For more information on these and other Storm lures, check out the Storm Fishing website. www.stormfishing.com.au

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

WHAT’S NEW FISHING TESTED

PRODUCT GUIDE

McLaughlin’s Advanced Formula Berley makes a difference

McLaughlin’s Bait and Berley have been producing quality bait and berley products since the late 1940s. During this time they have constantly worked to further improve the range and quality of the items they produce. In 2018 they introduced their latest innovation – the Advanced Formula range of berleys, which builds upon the success of their popular Premium Berley range. WHAT’S DIFFERENT? McLaughlin’s Premium Berley has always had secret ingredients and smells to attract fish to it. However, as the name suggests, the Advanced Formula range has upped the ante. McLaughlin’s have managed to further enhance the range with more natural flavours, and have added colours to make it easier to see the berley trail behind the boat. The range was developed by Juro Oz Pro Tackle, and I talked to Rick Massie from Juro to find out more. He said that it has taken a number of years to get the process of drying and colouring correct to the point where they were happy to release it. “It’s not a single step process,” Rick explained. “The berleys are dried multiple times to ensure that the scent, smell and colour are maximised, meaning better results for the anglers using them.” TESTING THE TESTER Using berley is not something that I regularly do, so I thought I would speak

McLaughlin’s Advanced Formula Berley range spent years in development before being released in 2018. berley, and Jamie has had quite a bit of success on these species. His advice was to keep it simple: the berley alone will do the job and bring the fish to you. He recommended using a small

opportunity to get on the water. Fishing for garfish and tommy ruff (Australian herring) is very popular along much of the south coast of Australia, and on my Christmas holiday it was obvious that I wasn’t the only person waiting for a weather window. When we arrived, the boat ramp was bedlam, and plenty of boats were anchored and berleying in all the likely areas. It was a matter of finding a free space and joining in. I started with the Mixed Bits pack and no oil – keeping it simple, as Jamie had suggested. I wasn’t sure how well we would do considering the number of boats around us. I needn’t have worried though, as within minutes there were plenty of tommies making their way up the berley trail. Generally the garfish are not too far behind, but on this day we could see them, but couldn’t get them to bite. We ended up getting a good bag of tommies and only one garfish. We had, however, done better than most. Chatting to other anglers, many had struggled to attract anything at all. King George whiting were the next target on the list (the weather windows

When it comes to berleying, keep it simple and remember that a little goes a long way.

McLaughlin’s Premium Berleys and Baits have been around since the 1940s, and have developed a reputation for quality. to Jamie Smith, the fishing specialist at Melbourne Marine Centre, for a few tips on targeting King George whiting and garfish. The store stocks the Advanced Formula

Fishing smiles. Anne Morgan enjoys chasing a few garfish.

FEBRUARY 2019

berley dispenser just below the surface if you want to target garfish, or one closer to the bottom if you’re whiting fishing. McLaughlin’s also does a product called Slicks Oil, which can be added sparingly in with the berley to give it even more punch. Keeping it simple sounded good to me. PUTTING IT TO GOOD USE The Christmas holiday period was my opportunity get out and give the products a try. I had a bit of a mix of the old and the new – Saltwater Nibbles, Whiting Nibbles, a Pier/Jetty mix, a small Tuna Log and Slicks Oil from the trusty Premium range, and Green Lip Bites, Mixed Bits, Pink Bits and Big Red Nuts from the new Advanced Formula range. Juro Oz Pro had also sent me a small bucket. As far as I was concerned, the fish didn’t stand a chance. Mother nature didn’t read the script, however. During most of my holiday it was blowing 25-30 knots, so it was matter of taking advantage of any small windows of

Not a bad outcome after using the berley for the first time.

PRODUCT GUIDE were few and far between). As we were fishing much deeper water, I used a two berley pot system. One pot was close to the bottom with Green Lip Bites and a little Slicks Oil in it, and the other pot was on the surface with the Mixed Bits and no oil. ‘Activity breeds activity’ was my theory, and after only getting one fish from our first location, we made a move and found some hungry fish. One thing with king George whiting is when they are biting you need to have a bait in the water, because they may not bite for long. After an initial flurry, things went quiet and I was wondering whether we should move. At that point I noticed that the berley trail from the top bucket no longer had fish in it, mainly because there was no berley left in the pot. A quick refill and redeploy had the tommies excited again, and a few more whiting hit the deck. Unfortunately for me I only had one more outing, and it followed a very similar scenario – we got a berley trail going mid and top water, created some activity and bagged a few fish. I used either the Green Lip Bites or the Big Red Nuts in the bottom pot, and it didn’t seem to matter with the top bucket. After that session I had to head back to work, but the family stayed behind and managed some more successful outings. The timid garfish eventually fell for the trap, and the ever-present tommy ruff just couldn’t resist a good berley trail. WHAT DID I LEARN? You can’t deny that the McLaughlin’s Berleys work. You can see the fish working up your berley trail, almost eating it from the berley bucket. At times I wondered if they preferred eating the berley rather than the gents or pipis I was using for bait. But that is what berley is all about – creating the activity for the angler to take advantage of. One thing to remember is to not overfill your berley bucket. The berley expands as it breaks down, so a little can go a long way. As well as that, just let the wave action do its job. Shaking the bucket may bring on a flurry of activity, but you want the fish to work up the trail you have created and then

WHAT’S NEW FISHING TESTED Senshi Custom Rigs avoid the hassle of creating your own rigs, and the 12 rigs in the range cover most of the popular target species. They are well made and the hooks are super sharp. And then there are the quill floats, float stops, split shot, berley feeders and, most importantly, their range of Daiichi hooks. Using good quality terminal tackle that is correct for the species you are targeting can make a huge difference to your results. FINAL OBSERVATIONS The boat ramp after a day’s fishing can be a great place to glean information. Stories about the fish that got away or how good the fishing was are commonplace. Or, as was the case during my holiday, “wow the fishing is tough”. That’s not how I felt though. Yes, conditions were difficult, but we were able to take advantage of the small windows of opportunity and catch some fish. So was it the berley making the difference? Well, it certainly wasn’t my knowledge of fishing with berley, because I had hardly ever done it before. I believe that the quality of the Premium and Advanced Formula berleys, and the terminal tackle we were using, gave us the edge.

The windows of opportunity were only brief for the author, but he was pleased with the result of a few hours on the water. take your baits. Shaking the bucket and releasing big volumes of berley can also excite undesirable species. As the saying goes, ‘a little bit often’ is the way to go. A bit of preparation goes a long way. The McLaughlin’s berleys come in resealable bags and tubs, and it pays to store them out of the sun and make sure you seal them properly. This will ensure they’ll stay fresh

and won’t attract pests. Fill your berley buckets before you get on the water. That way, once you have reached your spot you can deploy the berley and get the system working while you get your rods ready. A COMPLETE SYSTEM As much as I have focused on the berleys themselves, Juro Oz Pro covers the complete system, from the berleys and their dispensers (small, large and a weighted heavy-duty pot) to the terminal tackle needed to catch the fish you are targeting.

Does the McLaughlin’s berley work? Yes it does. If you want to see the full range of products you can check them out at www. jurofishing.com or ask for them at your local tackle store. - Peter Jung

MCLAUGHLIN’S BERLEY PRODUCTS • Advanced Formula range – includes Big Red Nuts, Blood Bits, Green Lip Bites, Mixed Bits and Pink Bits, available in a 1.5kg resealable bag. Big Red Nuts and Mixed Nuts are also available in a 5L bucket. • Premium Berley range – includes Bream Nibbles, Freshwater Nibbles, Pier/Jetty Mix, Saltwater Nibbles, Trout Food, and Whiting Nibbles, which come in a 1kg resealable bag. Premium Berley Snapper Nuts are available in a 4L tub. • Tuna Berley Logs – compressed tuna/tuna oil logs, available in three sizes. • Tuna Tossers – compressed tuna/tuna oil nuts, available in 1kg re-sealable bag.

Juro does more than just make quality berleys. Their range of hooks, rigs, floats and accessories are well worth looking for in your local tackle store.

Susie Wallman with a nice haul of garfish.

FEBRUARY 2019

The measure of a man SUNTAG

Stefan Sawynok

I had plans for a different article this month, but sometimes the universe has other ideas. Working late as I often do, Steve Morgan turned up to record a video to attach to an article, and he mentioned he had some data on his use of lures and that was just too much of a temptation. I immediately asked him if I could look over it. I would recommend checking out Steve’s article in this year’s Tournament Angler Guide, as it provides some great insights on

dairy surveys to world records in more than one country. Fishing conforms to the power law distribution, and interestingly, this is despite attempts to enforce the opposite. One area where human performance does not conform to a power law occurs when productivity caps are enforced. In theory bag limits or quotas in the commercial industry represent productivity caps. While bag limits do restrict productivity in some instances, in most the option to catch more than one species or go catch and release means highly productive recreational fishers don’t face limits in practical terms. While it has been a challenge to define the

on to fishers, and I have reviewed mountains of data and literature. Every fisher is different, and I think making population-wide predictions is fraught with danger, not least because most of the studies on fishers don’t collect much data on the key things that influence productivity. It’s hard enough to get fishing data; everything else is a bonus. None the less I have been able to reliably predict performance from some key pieces of information about the fisher. • Motivation – why are you in fishing? For most people fishing is just a recreational activity but two key motivations will reliably predict your fishing ability, being motivated to catch fish

Figure 2 – Performance impact of crab type lures. technique and which lures find the fish. Checking over the data, I had another question in mind, which lures had a measurable impact on his performance, that is his finishing position as opposed to success catching fish. Which of course led to an important question of how do you measure performance? Where are you on the fishing performance curve? Before we get to that question, let’s look at some background information. Human performance is a field that has been explored in large-scale studies with hundreds of thousands of people across many disciplines. The long and short is that activities with a high level of autonomy and variable time investment end up with the productivity of individuals represented by a power law distribution, more commonly known as a Pareto distribution, the 80/20 rule. I have looked at the cumulative performance of groups of fishers in a wide variety of contexts, from state-level 82

FEBRUARY 2019

productivity of fishers over three years of looking at data from here and overseas, I have developed a definition that does have metrics. Note this applies to broad scale populations. You can grade yourself on where you sit on the productivity curve: • Most fishers (80-90%) – can do the basics, may catch fish less than one per trip on average, can use baits and simple techniques but don’t fish regularly enough to master. • Skilled fishers (9-19%) – fish more regularly, can be up to weekly, have mastered a one or more techniques and can catch 1-2 fish every time they go fishing on average. • High performers (1%) – are either expert in a technique or mastered many and can catch more than 2+ fish on average each time they go out. WHAT DIFFERENTIATES PERFORMERS? How to define the difference between fishers is a question I have passed

(ie large numbers of fish) or being motivated to develop the fishing skills. • Genetics – most sports have a genetic advantage, size, speed and so on. In the case of fishing, this is lessened some by the static nature of fishing but there is no doubt in my mind biological drivers do provide an advantage. There is a hunting instinct and we don’t have it equally. This trait hasn’t been anywhere near enough study completed on but there has been enough work done to confirm that hunting has a genetic basis. • Time – how much time do you have for fishing? Paradoxically this isn’t how much time you have to fish in the literal sense, but rather time invested in developing fishing skills. I have met plenty of anglers who fish regularly without developing any in terms of fishing ability and often are happy with that as they are fishing for other reasons than focusing on catching fish. Equally, I have met anglers who can only fish once every couple of months

but make the most of every chance they get to improve. • Technology – how good is your gear? Everything from rods, reels, tackle, boats and electronics makes a difference. That is not to say the human element isn’t necessary or that you have to invest heavily technology to be successful, but this is the complementary component to the genetic component. Bring the two together and you end up with fishing weapons. Equally, as much as it’s hard to measure without setting up some controlled experiments, I have looked at a lot of fishers in detail, and I do believe there is a spectrum between fishers whose performance is driven by technology as opposed to fishers driven by genetics. • Data – Good fishers have long kept diaries and while the data collection means have changed over time, with apps and echo sounders doing a lot more of the work – how you use data does influence where you end up on the performance curve. As a rule, the higher up the performance ladder the more likely the fisher is to be counting fish and recording conditions – even if it’s only in their head. HOW DO YOU MOVE UP THE PERFORMANCE CURVE? Most people don’t move much up the performance curve, and that is in no small part due to the brain being a pattern machine, once you establish a pattern, it’s hard to break. As an example studies on the failure rate on New Year’s resolutions come up somewhere between 80-95%. Fortunately, there are methods available to improve performance, and I have used them consistently to develop new skills rapidly for the past five years even on things I hate

Figure 1 – Steve’s Performance relative to all 1st places 2014-2018. (nobody likes maths!) There is another powerful engine in your brain that needs to be activated – the problem solver. Your brain loves solving problems even more than patterns, which is just as well because otherwise, we would never have progressed past cavemen. For those at the beginning of their fishing skill development, there is a great book by Josh Kaufman, The First 20 Hours, that helps you get through the process of developing any skill with just 20 hours investment. That way you can be into the fun stuff faster. Note, the following are key to moving up the performance curve, not a statement of end skill. Most fishers achieve a skill level they are happy with and are happy then to cruise and enjoy fishing. • Motivation – Why do you want to change? This is not about being Rocky, the eye of the tiger stuff, but just being clear on what is the positive benefit of the change for you. • Practice – Skip it. Well not quite, but you do need very specific goals on the things you want to achieve. “I want to get better at catching fish” is too general a goal to focus your brain on problem-solving, but “I want to catch whiting” is a

good start, or even better “I want to catch whiting landbased” or even better still “I want to catch whiting, land based on lures”. The more specific the target of practice, the better chance you will develop skills. • Preparation – Do you have what you need to get to the next level? No, that doesn’t mean go out and buy a Stella, but it does mean having the basic tools and information on techniques to tackle the specific problem you have selected. Making good connections in the fishing community is a good preparation tool. • Metrics Matter – Get the metrics right both for measuring improvement. This can be a challenge because the metrics you need to advance to the next stage of your development need to change. • Beginners/In development – metrics need to be based on the inputs rather than the outputs. Success is to be celebrated but it isn’t a good measure of where you are at. A much better measure is to break down the components of the skill and set goals, for example, casting might be to land within a certain zone. Another good metric is to review what new things you learned or improved each fishing session.

Figure 3 – Performance impact of hardbody type lures.

• Intermediates/Skilled – Once skills have developed to the point where success is consistent, it’s time to flip the script and set measurable output goals. This might be the number of fish in a year, the number of areas visited to build experience in different conditions or success with different techniques. As skills

eight or longer. Fish don’t feed randomly across time; there are specific times when they are most active (the bite period), so even if the fishing day is eight hours long, there won’t be an equal chance each hour of catching a fish. Second, there is often a limited number of fishing spots, particularly in smaller

what you are after. Energy Most of tournament fishing is a grind with a window where the fish turn on, in other words, the bite period. Hopefully, the bite period is early in the event when the tank is full, but if not it’s important to regulate the cast rate in the

Figure 4 – Performance impact of soft plastic type lures. for the task increase, your brain demands more specific goals to stay in problemsolving mode otherwise, it defaults back to pattern mode. How obsessive you are about this process of setting metrics and achieving them dictates how far up the performance ladder you will go. • High Performers – metrics need to focus on relative performance. At this point, skill acquisition is not a key problem but measuring yourself is. Many high performers stick to the ‘setting targets’ model, but now the targets have combine fixed (how many) and relative (ranking compared to other fishers). Many high performers I have met are good at keeping records and knowing how they are tracking. Peter Jung at Fishing Monthly is an excellent example of a high performer; he has a goal of reaching 1000 flathead tagged, then to make it into the top three all time of taggers of flathead. By combining fixed (1000 fish) and relative (top 3) he is maximizing the chances of him identifying and solving every problem he needs to achieve them. COMPETITIONS ADD NEW DIMENSIONS There is a world of difference between fishing and competition fishing. Things that work in regular fishing won’t necessarily work in competitions, and there are two key reasons – time and resources. Time is a significant restriction regardless of whether the fishing day is four hours,

fishing areas. Again, fish are not spread uniformly across the fishing area, and competitors go to great lengths to capture those spots where fish aggregate. Watch the start of any high-end fishing tournament; you will see that some boats have the edge. Fishing is different to all other sports, which generally put limitations on equipment and tactics to ‘even out the contest’. Fishing is inherently unfair right from the start, favouring those with the ability to find fish and despite the rise of technology that has remained true. None the less it would be interesting to see a fishing competition where everyone had to use the same specifications of gear and boats and what that would do to results. TIME MANAGEMENT Time is the most critical commodity in tournament fishing. Here are some key elements to good fishing time management I have divined from hundreds of conversations with competition fishers. Preparation Prep for a fishing tournament is entirely different to regular fishing. Here you aren’t focused on catching fish but working out where the fish are which will respond to your skills. That isn’t the same as fishing where the best fishers fish. I am a big fan of the low fishing pre-fish using electronics to work out the fish and removing the hooks if you do wet a line. Intelligence is

off periods and keep up the fuel. Coffee is good, but sugar and carbs aren’t as that will spike insulin and provide distractions. Decision making You need a plan for success but also a plan for failure so that if things aren’t working you know what you are going to do and if it’s not going to happen, what you can do to improve for the next time around. Winging it in competitions is fine, but will limit progress in the long term unless you were born with a fish in your mouth. Luck Luck is an underrated commodity. Luck is intangible; random things happen, what isn’t intangible is how much preparation you do to make the random things work your way. Not losing the fish at the net, being in the right place at the right time can be the difference between winning and losing. All fishers need luck, but the lesser fishers blame fate for their lack of success. In all sports it’s true that you make your own luck, double and triple checking knots getting good intelligence, having a plan based on that Intel are things that improve your luck when the odds can swing either way. Making your own luck is one of the keys to success, relying on luck isn’t. MINI CASE STUDY: STEVE MORGAN I have written several articles looking at Steve Morgan from a performance perspective. As he livestreams when he fishes and uses the ABT Competition app, there

is a wealth of additional data available that we don’t have for most fishers. In this case however, Steve presented me with some new data that I hadn’t previously considered – the lures that he used throughout the year and which ones caught fish. While individual lure is not a very useful comparison it turns out when grouped by class of lure we get some interesting things to pop out. I have looked at a lot of influences on performance, but so far lures have eluded me as I haven’t had a dataset I had any confidence in. As soon as I caught sight of Steve’s spreadsheet, I knew I had to have a play with the data. The tricky part of looking at performance, in this case, is context. The number of fish and bag weight is measured not against Steve’s personal history, but other fishers performance. What I needed was a metric that shows the difference between Steve and the best. Placings are pretty reasonable measures of performance outcomes, but don’t provide a measure of ‘how large a success’. To get around this, I thought about fishing tournaments and the objectives – that is to get 1st place always (in theory). Using first place as a yardstick, any bag weights less than the first place weight

in 2014-2016. It’s good to see that the data shows his rebound as things improved. The same pattern could be seen in average placings. That gave me confidence that the metric was useful. So, how would we assess whether a given lure had an impact on his performance? I had a late night pondering the approach, but in the end I came up with a quadrant map that demonstrates nicely the effect different lures had. This is something that anyone can do with a pencil and a piece of graph paper, and a little maths and the results can be informative if you are a competition fisher in selecting lures. On the x-axis I plotted the performance difference metric. On the y-axis, I plotted the % of fish kept on that lure (including all upgrades). Then I cut the graph up into four quarters, and the result looks something like figures 2-5. In this case, the upper righthand quadrant is where a class of lures had the most impact on performance; the bottom left-hand quadrant the worst. Steve is an excellent benchmark in these sort of problems, as he will fish the way he wants to, regardless of conditions. Sometimes this impacts his performance but makes him a better test subject. I want

conditions, the fact that the lures types didn’t contribute equally in part supports that. Most of the top fishers in competitions I have talked to have a range of lures and tactics to deal with the conditions of the day. A more useful question would be which lures are less useful. Replacing lower performing lures with something that performed better could lead to real, measurable performance improvement, so long as that improvement doesn’t come at the expense of existing successful lures. WHAT SHOULD STEVE DO? Steve doesn’t need any advice from me, I am not in his league in my wildest dreams. That said, what the data shows is that hardbodies were the weak link this year. If he replaced hardbodies with a third lure class that had similar success to the crabs and soft plastics, then his win rate would have gone from one event to three for the year and his overall place up from an average of 4.85 to 2.5. A PURPOSE TO THE USE CASE I chose to add this case to the article, as it demonstrates the value of measuring performance. In this case, we have simple data that can measure performance both overall and by technique. An underperforming technique can be uncovered, and

Figure 5 – Performance impact of topwater type lures. is an underperformance, while getting first means you are ahead. With this in mind, I had a look at the bag weight Steve managed compared to the first place bag weight, or if he got first compared to second place. The result is a reliable metric when converted to a percentage of the winning bag. Here are the last five years of Steves performances averaged using this metric. Note he only fished the one event in 2014 and had things going on that hampered his performance

a little more data, but even with the data we have we can see that the crab type lures contributed most to his NSW performances, while soft plastics contributed in Tasmania, WA and his home territory. Which lure is better? I have pondered on that question, and first, the dataset is small, but second I think that the four charts show something even more critical. Most anglers know intuitively that different lures work in different

alternatives explored. Measuring against first may not be appropriate to everyone if you are further back in the field pick the nearest place rounded to 10 – eg, if you are currently 55th, measure against 50th. Becoming a better angler isn’t hard. Set goals, prepare well, pay attention to technique and measure performance, and you will see rapid improvement. The bigger challenge is in making moves up the performance ladder. FEBRUARY 2019

Trades, Services, Charter BAIT & TACKLE METRO TackleHQ Kingsley (08) 9309 4200 WA Bait Supply O’Connor (08) 9314 1755 Castaway Tackle Malaga (08) 9248 3800 Gun-Mart & Tackle Midvale (08) 9274 5699 Earlybird Bait Rockingham (08) 9527 3333 Bluewater Tackle World Morley (08) 9375 9800 Bluewater Tackle World Myaree (08) 9330 7766 Bluewater Tackle World Joondalup (08) 6244 0344 Bluewater Tackle Mindarie (08) 9407 9766 Tim’s Tackle Plus Guildford (08) 6161 0044 Baitmate-Bricap Wangara (08) 9309 5474 Compleat Angler Nedlands (08) 9389 1337 Anglers Anonymous Fishing Tackle Supplies Canning Vale (08) 9455 2521 Tackle World Miami (08) 9534 5533 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 Anglers Fishing World South Fremantle (08) 9433 4768

Anglers Fishing World

FISHING GUIDES/CHARTERS Apache Charters South Fremantle (08) 9339 2432 West End Charters Winthrop WA 6150 (08) 9332 4303 Blue Juice Charters (08) 9401 4666 Mills Charters Hillarys (08) 9246 5334 Achievement Charters Fremantle 0418 655 188 Port Bouvard Charters Wannanup 0477 347 465 Blue Horizon Fishing Charters Exmouth 08) 9949 1620 Fly Fishing Frontiers Exmouth 0427 366 142 Top Gun Charters EXMOUTH 0418 925 131 Diversity Bluewater Adventures Exmouth Exmouth 0488 009 989 Set The Hook Exmouth 0433 049 988 Esperance Diving And Fishing Esperance (08) 9071 5111 Duke Charters Condingup (08) 9076 6223 Black Jack Charters Bandy Creek 0429 106 960 Spinners Charters Emu Point (08) 9844 1906 Great Southern Discovery Albany 0455 105 127 SHIKARI Charters Fremantle 0412 131 958 Evolution Fishing Charters 0477 901 445 Kalbarri land Based fishing Carters 0418930695 Tailored Treks - Lancelin 0427 941 126 Perth Fishing Safaris 0422 686 363

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www.anglersfishingworld.com.au Tackle World & Outdoors Mandurah (08) 9581 6953 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

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 Albany Rods & Tackle (08) 9841 1231 Trailblazers Albany (08) 9841 7859

ESPERANCE Tatey’s Bait ‘n’ Tackle Castletown (08) 9071 5003 Esperance Camping & Workwear Esperance (08) 9071 2142

DONGARA & GERALDTON Dongara Sport & Tackle Dongara (08) 9927 1196 Geraldton Sports Centre (08) 9921 3664 Getaway Outdoors Geraldton (08) 9965 3766

CARNARVON

WALPOLE – MANJIMUP – PEMBERTON Peaceful Bay Caravan Park Peaceful Bay (08) 9840 8060 Peaceful Bay Chalets Peaceful Bay (08) 9840 8169 Rest Point Holiday Village Walpole (08) 9840 1032 Coalmine Beach Holiday Park Walpole (08) 9840 1026 Riverside Retreat Walpole, (08) 9840 1255 Nornalup Riverside Chalets Nornalup (08) 9840 1107 Pemberton Caravan Park Pemberton (08) 9776 1300 Warren Way Caravan Park Balbarrup (08) 9771 1060 Manjimup Central Caravan Park & Deli Manjimup (08) 9777 2355 RAC Karri Valley Resort Beedelup (08) 9776 2020 Big Brook Arboretum Pemberton (08) 9776 1207 One Tree Bridge Chalets Manjimup (08) 9777 1196

AUGUSTA Flinders Bay Caravan Park Augusta (08) 9780 5636 Molloy Caravan Park Kudardup (08) 9758 4515 Turner Caravan Park Augusta (08) 9780 5633 Hamelin Bay Holiday Park Hamelin Bay (08) 9758 5540 Sheoak Chalets Augusta Augusta (08) 9758 1958

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HOPETOUN – BREMER BAY Wavecrest Village & Tourist Park Hopetoun (08) 9838 3888 Hopetoun Caravan Park Hopetoun (08) 9838 3096 Bremer Bay Caravan Park Bremer Bay (08) 9837 4018 Bremer Bay Beaches Resort & Tourist Park Bremer Bay (08) 9837 4290

ALBANY Cheynes Beach Caravan Park Cheynes (08) 9846 1247 BIG4 Emu Beach Holiday Park Albany (08) 9844 1147 BIG4 Middleton Beach Holiday Park Middleton Beach (08) 9841 3593 Kalgan River Chalets & Caravan Park Kalgan (08) 9844 7937

Carnarvon Tackle & Marine (08) 9941 4161

KALBARRI 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

DENMARK Denmark Rivermouth Caravan Park Denmark (08) 9848 1262 Denmark Ocean Beach Holiday Park Denmark (08) 9848 1105 Karri Aura Caravan Park & Motel Suites Shadforth (08) 9848 2200 Denmark Waterfront Denmark (08) 9848 1147

Prevelly Caravan Park Prevelly Park (08) 9757 2374 Gracetown Caravan Park Gracetown (08) 9755 5301 Riverview Tourist Park Margaret River (08) 9757 2270 Margaret River Tourist Park (08) 9757 2180

Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour Mews Road, Fremantle WA 6160

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Emu Beach Chalets Emu Point (08) 9844 8889 Albany Holiday Units Middleton Beach (08) 9841 7817 Havana Villas Albany (08) 9844 1085 Lilacs Waterfront villas & cottages Robinson (08) 9841 2390

Albany Happy Days Caravan Park King River (08) 9844 3267 Albany Holiday Park Albany (08) 9841 7800 King River Palms Caravan Park Willyung (08) 98443232 Two Peoples Caravan Park Kalgan (08) 9846 4024

YALLINGUP – DUNSBOROUGH Caves Caravan Park Yallingup (08) 9755 2196 Yallingup Beach Holiday Park 1800 220 002 Dunsborough Lakes Holiday Resort (08) 9756 8300 Dunsborough Beach Cottages (08) 9756 8885

BUSSELTON RAC Busselton Holiday Park Busselton (08) 9755 4241 Busselton Villas & Caravan Park Busselton (08) 9752 1175 Geographe Bay Holiday Park Busselton (08) 9752 4396 Lazy Days Holiday Park Busselton (08) 9752 1780 Amblin Holiday Park Busselton (08) 9755 4079 Four Seasons Holiday Park Busselton (08) 9755 4082 Busselton Holiday Village Busselton (08) 9752 4499 Sandy Bay Holiday Park Busselton (08) 9752 2003 Fourseasons Holiday Park Busselton (08) 9755 4082 Busselton Beachfron Busselton (08) 9755 2607 Busselton Jetty Chalets Busselton (08) 9752 3893

BUNBURY Bunbury Glade Caravan Park Bunbury 1800 113 800 Discovery Parks - Bunbury (08) 9795 7100 Binningup Beach Caravan Park Bunbury (08) 9720 1057 Riverside Cabin Park Bunbury (08) 9725 1234 Leschenault Caravan Park Bunbury (08) 9797 1095 Waterloo Village Caravan Park Bunbury (08) 9725 4434 Brunswick Junction Caravan Park Bunbury (08) 9726 1544 Taralea Farm Bunbury (08) 9728 1252 Australind Tourist Park Bunbury (08) 9725 1206

MANDURAH Pinjarra Caravan Park Mandurah (08) 9531 1374 Mandurah Caravan & Tourist Park Mandurah (08) 9535 1171 Belvedere Caravan Park Mandurah (08) 9535 1213 The Dwellingup Chalet and Caravan Park (08) 9538 1157 Waroona Caravan Village (08) 9733 1518 Timber Top Caravan Park (08) 9535 1292 Lake Clifton Caravan Park (08) 9739 1255 Miami Holiday Park (08) 9534 2127 Tathams Caravan Park (08) 9537 6844 Peel Caravan Park (08) 9535 4343 Lake Navarino Holiday Park (08) 9733 3000 Estuary Hideaway Holiday Park 0407 838 061 Pinjarrah Holiday Park (08) 9531 1604 Waters Edge Caravan Park 0427 281 622 Mandurah Ocean Marina Chalets (08) 9535 8173 Murray River Caravan Park (08) 9537 6140 Footprints Preston Beach (08) 9739 1111

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. 84

FEBRUARY 2019

Boats & Guided Fishing Tours Directory MOORE RIVER – LANCELIN – CERVANTES Guilderton Caravan Park (08) 9577 1021 Branchys Holiday Homes Guilderton (08) 9577 1321

JURIEN BAY – GREEN HEAD – LEEMAN Jurien Bay Tourist Park Jurien Bay (08) 9652 1595 Green Head Caravan Park Green Head (08) 9953 1131 Leeman Caravan Park Leeman (08) 9953 1080

DONGARA – GERALDTON Seaspray Beach Holiday Park Dongara (08) 9927 1165 Dongara Tourist Park Port Denison (08) 9927 1210 Leander Reef Holiday Park Port Denison (08) 9927 1840 Port Denison Holiday Units (08) 9927 1104 Double Beach Caravan Park (08) 9921 5845 Batavia Coast Caravan Park (08) 9938 1222 Drummond Cove Holiday Park (08) 9938 2524 Horrocks Beach Caravan Park (08) 9934 3039

KALBARRI

Chandlers Marine Service Wangara (08) 9303 9366

DERBY Kimberley Entrance Caravan Park (08) 9193 1055 West Kimberley Lodge & Caravan Park (08) 9191 1031

Mobile Marine WA Osborne Park 0428 225 877 GP Marine Cockburn Central 0408 913 104 Hitech Marine Wangara (08) 9309 2888

KUNUNURRA Town Caravan Park (08) 9168 1763 Wyndham Caravan Park (08) 9161 1064 Lake Argyle Caravan Park (08) 9168 7777 Discovery Parks - Lake Kununurra (08) 9168 1031 Kimberleyland Waterfront Holiday Park | Kununurra (08) 9168 1280 Ivanhoe Village Caravan Resort (08) 9169 1995 Lake Argyle Resort (08) 9168 7777 Hidden Valley Caravan Park (08) 9168 1790 Kununurra Lakeside Resort (08) 9169 1092 El Questro Wilderness Park 1800 837 168 Kona Lakeside Caravan Park (08) 9161 1139

BOATS Aquasports Marine Midvale (08) 9250 3339

Bravo Marine Services Bayswater (08) 9272 9300 Seasport Marine Kelmscott (08) 9498 1799 The Boat Business Henderson (08) 9437 5144 Total Marine Repairs Mandurah (08) 9582 7211 West Coast Boat Works Perth Landsdale 0439 969 459 Boat Lifters Blue HQ Perth (08) 9239 9333 Bravo Marine Services Bayswater (08) 9272 9300 Perth Boat Mechanics Huntingdale 0405 593 786 GP Marine Cockburn Central 0408 913 104 Platinum Boating Maintenance Wangara 0402 477 656 Parker Marine Fremantle (08) 9336 6979 Westmarine Boating Services Fremantle WA 0425 177 700

MARINE ACCESSORIES

Murchison River Caravan Park Kalbarri (08) 9937 1005 Kalbarri Anchorage Caravan Park Kalbarri (08) 9937 1181 Kalbarri Tudor Holiday Park Kalbarri (08) 9937 1077 Murchison House Station Kalbarri (08) 9937 1998 Kalbarri Beach Bungalows A & B Kalbarri (08) 9937 0400 Murchison caravan park Kalbarri (08) 9937 0400 Kalbarri Blue Ocean Villas Kalbarri (08) 9937 2442

Challenge Batteries Osborne Park (08) 9446 6122 JPW Marine Wholesale Distributors Perth (08) 6253 3000 Whitworths Marine & Leisure - Leerderville (08) 9381 1442 Crackpots Marine Supplies O’Connor (08) 9337 2211 Hydrowave – www.hydrowaveaustralia.com

SHARK BAY Denham Seaside Caravan Park, (08) 9948 1242 Shark Bay Caravan Park (08) 9948 1387 Blue Dolphin Caravan Park and Holiday Village Denham (08) 9948 1385 Oceanside Village Denham Shark Bay (08) 9948 3003 Bay Lodge Denham Shark Bay WA (08) 9948 1278 RAC Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort (08) 9948 1320

$449 USD

CARNARVON Wintersun Caravan and Tourist Park (08) 9941 8150 Capricorn Holiday Park (08) 9941 8153 Outback Oasis Caravan Park (08) 9941 1439 Carnarvon Caravan Park (08) 9941 8101 Norwesta Lifestyle Park (08) 9941 1277 Coral Coast Tourist Park (08) 9941 1438

CORAL BAY Peoples Park (08) 9942 5933 Bayview Coral Bay (08) 9385 6655 Ningaloo Club (08) 9948 5100 Ningaloo Reef Resort (08) 9942 5934

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recfishwest

Innovative steps for plastics free fishing Mendolia Seafoods with the support of Recfishwest have taken a huge step toward plastic free fishing, with the launch of a new berley and bait product. The packaging for the new product, named the ‘Burley Brick’, is made from biodegradable cardboard and is filled with locally sourced fish (sardine) products, making the entire product plastic free! WA owned and operated Mendolia Seafoods have been catching sardines for 30 years in WA and have come up with the design, using unwanted ‘offcuts’ of their famous sardine catches. Fishers can either place the whole cardboard box directly into their berley bucket or their cray pot bait baskets and the cardboard will breakdown, or alternatively, the contents of the box can be placed in bait baskets and the box discarded in the bin. Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said this product will save thousands of bait bags coming into contact with the aquatic environment,

The Burley Brick uses biodegradable cardboard for its packaging. It is great for demersal fishing as well as crayfish. The Burley Brick is also ideal for cray potting. “The product can also be used as your bait source for your next trip or it can be placed in your cray pots as bait,” Dr Rowland said. Sold as frozen 1kg bricks, the Burley Brick is a great way for fishers to become even better stewards of the aquatic environment by going plastic free when

Tim Grose with a quality western rock lobster giving recreational fishers better stewardship over their fishing resources. “The Burley Brick is an ideal product for fishing for demersal species where a constant burley trail is required,” Dr Rowland said.

choosing their bait. “We are always looking for new innovative ways to improve fishing practices, and this product moves us in the right direction but more importantly reduces plastic waste,” Dr Rowland said.

Recfishwest are proud to promote and support clean environment initiatives such as the Fishing Line Disposal Bin program, clean up days, developing recreational fishing Codes of Conduct for the Kimberley, Pilbara and Shark Bay, supporting shellfish reef restoration, working with our Fish Habitat Partners to build better fish habitats. Another great benefit of the locally sourced Burley Brick is that it has very minimal biosecurity concerns, as we’re all aware of the current risks surrounding international and nationally sourced bait products entering WA waters. MOVES AFOOT TO CHANGE CRAYFISH MANAGEMENT Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly recently made an announcement about changes to the way crayfish stocks are to be managed in WA. Below is a media statement released by Recfishwest on 11 December, as well as updated information published on 19 December. Please be sure to read information from across the timeline to ensure you are kept up to date on the issue. Update: 19th December 2018 While the Ministers announcement relates to the commercial quota available for harvest, Recfishwest will continue to monitor

the situation to ensure that recreational fishing experiences are not impacted by a reduction in nearshore abundances of crays. Media statement: December 10 2018 Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly made an announcement on Saturday about changes to the way crayfish stocks are to be managed in WA. In a statement, the Minister said the Government and the industry’s peak body, western rock lobster (Council), have agreed on the broad terms of a development package that will “grow the industry to provide more benefits to the Western Australian community”.

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must be avoided to protect the current high-quality fishing the community is experiencing.” “Recfishwest believes this inshore portion of the stock must be carefully managed and protected so WA locals who enjoy fishing with the friends and family can continue to enjoy good catches.” “There is much more to fisheries management than simply the sustainable exploitation of a resource for economic gain, it’s also about managing the stock to ensure high abundance in the right areas.” “Good management needs to protect rec fishing opportunities so the WA public can continue to enjoy catching their own fresh seafood,” he said. Despite the recreational fishing sector not being included in any discussions to date regarding future plans, the Minister has assured Recfishwest that a process will be put in place so the views of the recreational fishers can be considered. “While the current situation creates more questions than answers, Recfishwest will now be involved in discussions going forward, and will continue to provide the rec fishing community with updates,” Dr Rowland said.

There’s action in play to change how the cray fishery in WA is managed.

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The Minister said the Government is looking to change current management to provide the state with the best return from the community owned western rock lobster resource. In doing so, the Government is considering a plan to increase the annual catch of crayfish by 1,700 tonnes over the next five years to improve revenue to the State Government and increase local lobster supplies. Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said high numbers of crayfish close to shore in the last few years have significantly increased the catchability for recreational fishers which has lead to record high participation rates. “In recent years fishing experiences for recreational fishers had been boosted and participation has grown to almost 60,000 licence holders thanks to high abundances of crayfish on inshore reefs,” Dr Rowland said. While details of any future management changes are yet to be decided, Dr Rowland believes that any new arrangements must ensure people have the best chance to catch crays whenever they go fishing. “Increasing commercial exploitation of inshore stocks at popular fishing areas

FUN PAGE AND COMPETITIONS SHARK SPECIES

GREAT WHITE TIGER MAKO BULL WHALE GUMMY LEMON BASKING GREENLAND BLACK TIP HAMMERHEAD

DTD - REAL FISH OITA

WHITE TIP DUSKY SANDBAR NURSE CARIBBEAN BLACK TIP BLUE SILKY GREY COPPER SCHOOL

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WA FEBRUARY 2019

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FINS SCALES & TALES by A. Both

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

SPOT THE

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ORIGINAL

FIND-A-WORD

Congratulations to, Sharon Mercovich who was last month’s winner of the Find-aWord Competition! Monthly winners receive a Fishing Monthly prize pack. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – WAFM

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE

The subscriber prize winner for December is S King of Singleton, who won a Okuma Prize Pack valued at $300. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – WAFM

R Mulder of Gosnells, N Metcalfe of Falcon, D Werder of Dawesville, R Pascucci of North Beach, P Baskerville of Broome, J Boyce of Gosnells, G Warren of Dwellingup , R Warren of Wagin, S Bastick of Two Rocks, J Groos of Halls Head, K Finn of Two Rocks, D Elkerbout of Dunsborough, D Gibb of

Huntingdale, J Bremmell of Brunswick , J Cuthbert of Busselton, D Culshaw of Banyo, Z Lord of Goomaling, S Piercey of Eaton, I Williams of South Yunderup, J Addenbrooke of Maddington, B Bizjak of Boddington. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – WAFM

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS

FIND THE GAMAKATSU LOGO

GUESS THE FISH?

The answers to Find the Gamakatsu Logo for December were: 8, 10, 12, 17, 19, 24, 25, 32, 35, 36, 41, 44, 55, 60, 61. – WAFM

This month’s Guess the Fish Answer: Carp

The Find the Gamakatsu Logo prize winners for December were: G Uren of Ballajura, S Aldred of Baldivis, A Hogan of Parmelia , V De Souza of Duncraig, A Honey of Oldbury,

Answer: FEBRUARY 2019

Kayak fishing with Ned BRISBANE

Justin Willmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

Over the years there have been many US lure developments and techniques that have been adapted and refined to suit our species. Some

rigging, Texas rigging, spinnerbaits, ChatterBaits, skirted jigs and more. In recent years it has been the Ned Rig that has exploded in parts of the US and I have been putting this technique to work in our local waters over the last year, landing a mixed bag of species, including plenty of flathead.

A happy angler and 80cm of Ned Rig eating flathead. have become popular, others have found a niche application and some have failed to leave their mark in this country. Many of us have tinkered with Drop Shotting, Carolina

BACKGROUND There have been modifications of techniques pioneered in the US by angling icons like Chuck Woods, Guido Hibdon and Charlie Brewer. The Ned Rig

was conceived and brought to mainstream attention by Ned Kehde, an avid angler and veteran fishing industry writer from Kansas, USA, hence the ‘Ned’ Rig. The rig centres around small finesse plastics, with anglers cutting down larger Senko (worm) style plastics to create a finesse presentation that is rigged on a light mushroom jighead. When combining this mushroom jighead with a buoyant plastic, you have a presentation that has a slow fall, can be dragged, hopped, darted and shaken, before hinging back upright on the pause to create a realistic defensive or feeding pose. This technique is renowned for producing cricket score catches of bass in the States and the plastic is always working and attracting strikes. GEARING UP As the Ned Rig has grown in popularity, fishing tackle companies have developed more plastics and jigheads suited specifically to this technique. An example is the ZMan 2.75” Finesse TRD, a small buoyant plastic that has no appendages, resembling a short plastic worm. The lack of appendages allows it to hinge back up with minimal resistance on the pause, giving it a rapid flee and defend action. For those looking for more action, other models include the 2.5” TRD CrawZ, a realistic craw or crab profile, the 3” TRD HogZ creature bait and the 4” Hula StickZ. Team these plastics up with a TT Lures NedlockZ, mushroom style Ned Rig jighead and you’re ready to fish. Currently most Ned Rig plastics and jigheads are

A leader of at least 10lb is a good idea as flathead inhale the Ned Rig. small, with jigheads around the 1/15-1/5oz, so light spin gear is the go for casting these light lures. Rods around 7’ in length and rated 1-3kg or 2-4kg are a great starting point, teamed up with a 20-30 size spinning reel, 6-10lb braid and 10lb leader.

sand and mud edges, dropoffs, weed edges, around low tide structure such as rock bars and timber, and in the mouths of drains. On the higher stages of the tide I target mangrove edges, weed edges, sand flats and my absolute favourite, fishing

The light jighead and quick hinging of the Ned Rig, thanks to the mushroom head and buoyant plastic, also assists in minimising snagging and fouling in the weed, making this presentation even more effective for

The mushroom jighead and buoyant soft plastic is the key to the Ned Rig success.

One of the author’s favourites, the NedlockZ and TRD CrawZ combo. 88

FEBRUARY 2019

Although I have landed bream, grunter, trevally and a few other species, it’s flathead that have really loved the Ned Rig, and being a finesse presentation it is perfect for kayak anglers. The kayak allows me to access skinny water, shallow water, weed flats and other areas where a finesse presentation excels. When targeting flathead on the lower stages of the tide, I fish the Ned Rig along

the sandy patches on the broken weed flats. These sandy patches are often not much larger than the kayak, however, it’s amazing how often these patches produce flathead. I call this picking the pockets and these sandy patches offer the perfect ambush point for flathead to bury themselves and burst out to eat prawns and baitfish that wander into their strike zone.

picking pockets across the weed flats. ON THE WATER On a recent adventure I decided to launch the kayak halfway through the run-in tide, use the tide to carry me out to some broken weed flats and prospect the sand patches with the Ned Rig for the last two hours of the run-in tide. While I was gearing up the kayak I noticed that the breeze had started to pick

up, so I decided to throw an anchor in. I didn’t have an anchor running rig (anchor trolley) on the little kayak,

and then tied the other end of the rope to the grab line on the kayak, near where I was seated. I could simply deploy

One in the net on a TRD CrawZ cast into a sandy pocket. so I just had to put something together on the fly. I decided to keep the anchor setup simple as I wanted to get on the water. I simply attached a small Cooper poly anchor to a few metres of rope and tied it to the front handle of the

the anchor when required, then grab the second rope and pull it in, allowing the anchor rope to slide through the loop and come back from the front handle to myself. I could then grab the anchor rope and pull the anchor in. I approached the flat

over the flat once, before paddling back to anchor and work some sandy pockets. The water depth was only a couple of feet, so I was fishing a 1/10oz NedlockZ jighead, rigged with a little TRD CrawZ, casting ahead or across the drift and focussing on the sandy patches. With the sun out and a decent pair of polarised sunnies it was easy to spot the lighter coloured sand amongst the dark weed patches and I fired a cast to the far edge of a pocket, hop, pause, hop and fish on! The take was solid and nice flathead screamed across the shallows, pulling drag and putting a smile on my face. The fish ran a few more times and then I slid the net into the water and guided the fish home. During the fight I saw that it was securely pinned, so that allowed me to rest a little easier and enjoy the fight. With the wind now howling in the same direction as the tide, I had no option but to anchor and target selected areas. My anchor rig was okay, however I probably needed a bit more length in the anchor rope, with the wind and tide working together I couldn’t get it to hold in the muddy, weedy areas so that I could effectively work the sand pockets. Instead, I had to anchor in the sandy patches where the anchor held securely. This ruled out fishing the smaller sand patches, as dropping anchor in them would surely spook any fish.

a cloud and I saw another section of sand, about 8m in diameter, not too far away. A quick paddle and I anchored on the down current edge of the patch, allowing me to fish both sides of the kayak as well as fanning casts in front of the yak. With the wind blowing hard I upped the jighead weight to a 1/5oz NedlockZ and paired it up with a 2.5” paddle-tail plastic. This would give me some tail action, along with that buoyant, tail up kick of the Ned Rig. I fanned half a dozen casts to the left of the kayak without interest, then fanned another half a dozen in front of the kayak with the same result. The way the kayak had settled on the anchor there wasn’t a lot of room to cast to the left before landing in the weed, so I made a short 3m flick that landed right on the edge of the weed. The plastic hit the bottom. Hop, pause and hook up. The hook-set was solid and felt like a snag, before those tell-tale headshakes of a big flathead, followed by a strong run across the flat. I knew this was a big fish by the weight and power, but when it came into view my heart rate lifted, along with the stress levels. It was bigger than the 60cm fish I had hoped to see and maybe even a fair bit over 70. Without thinking I found myself saying, “don’t bite me off,” over and over, as a solid fish had bitten me off a week earlier. A couple more runs and the fish was close to the kayak. It made my kayak feel small and the kayak landing

returned the fish to the water. My plan was to leave the flathead in the water, attached to the lip grips on a leash and tow it to

I had landed in a while, measuring in at about 80cm and the best part was watching this impressive fish swim away.

There’s not much room in the kayak with the big girl on board! a sand bank nearby where people were swimming. This would allow me to get a few photos, keep the fish in good condition, swim it

The swimmers were interested in the lure that the flathead had eaten, so I left them with some Ned Rig jigheads and plastics in the

A selection of Ned Rig plastics.

The Ned Rig is always working for a bite with its changes between fleeing and defending. kayak. Now, how to get the anchor rope back to myself to retrieve the anchor? I simply grabbed a second short piece of rope, tied a loop around the anchor rope

and worked a couple of sand banks without a bite. The wind was blowing and the tide was running fast as it was working up to a big high, so I decided to fast drift

I worked a couple of large sections of sand with no luck and was starting to think the weather was going to beat me, when the sun came out from behind

net feel even smaller. After one failed attempt with the net I took a deep breath, readied the net and tried to glide the fish straight in. Half of the fish fitted in the net, it went crazy and I lifted it into the cockpit. It was onboard, but I wasn’t sure for how long, so I snapped a couple of quick photos and then attached the lip grips and

for a while and then release it. Sliding the kayak onto the bank, I yelled out to the swimmers who were pretty stoked with the big fish as well. We took a few photos, admired the fish, with its shovel sized head and beautiful markings, as it swam in the shallows and then sent it on its way. This was the biggest flathead

hope that it will help them land a big flathead. Not only had the Ned Rig produced plenty of flathead for me recently, it had also now produced one of my most memorable flathead captures and it was sure to be tied on again soon, especially when pick pocketing the weed flats. See you on the water. FEBRUARY 2019

WHAT’S NEW BOATING STACER 529 ASSAULT PRO

The Stacer 529 Assault Pro Tournament is a true fishing machine. The front and rear carpet casting areas have enough space for multiple mates to fish off at all angles. Standard with useful accessories, the 529 Tournament comes fitted with a thruster plate bow mount for an electric motor, and anglers with a large quiver can easily store and organize their rods in the centre underfloor storage compartment. This boat is equipped with Stacer’s Revolution Hull. The pressed hull increases strength by 50% and the stretch formed shape creates an extremely smooth ride. This, in combination with a raised chine, keeps occupants safe in rough conditions and following seas. Stacer’s Ready 2 Go turnkey packages mean you can hit the water right away, and the five-year Stacer warranty provides peace of mind. www.stacer.com.au

RAYMARINE ELEMENT

Raymarine Element is a new generation of advanced, combination sonar and GPS displays. Building on the success of Axiom navigation displays, the Raymarine Element incorporates RealVision 3D sonar technology, improving your underwater view with 3D bottom imagery and more precise location of fish targets. Element also introduces new HyperVision 1.2MHz sonar technology, featuring ultra-high CHIRP sonar frequencies. HyperVision enhances the DownVision, SideVision, and RealVision 3D sonar, allowing anglers to see structure, vegetation, and fish with lifelike detail. The new LightHouse Sport operating system and intuitive keypad controls let anglers quickly mark spots and create high-definition bathymetric maps using the new Raymarine RealBathy real-time sonar map generator capability. The quad-core processor delivers instantaneous chart redraw, smooth RealVision 3D imaging, and fast response. The Element series consists of 7”, 9”, and 12” display models, and it will begin shipping in the first quarter of 2019. www.raymarine.com/element

JOHN DEERE 4.5L MARINE ENGINE

The new John Deere PowerTech 4045SFM85 marine engine is now ready to ship to customers worldwide. The new 4045SFM85 offers high powerto-weight ratio for repowering and new boat construction, and is ideal for planing and semi-displacement hulls. The engine uses a waste-gated turbocharger that provides more torque capability at the low and middle rpm range, and features replaceable cylinder liners, making it possible to rebuild the engine for extended service life. Additional features include: standard front fuel service, optional left- or right-hand oil filter options for twin engine applications; upgraded valve train (delivers a 40% increase in power and a 9% reduction in total engine weight for a 53% increase in power density compared to its predecessor); low-profile heat exchanger (reduces height by 4.3cm); and water-cooled exhaust manifold creates a cooler and quieter environment. For a complete list of specifications visit the Power Equipment website. www.powerequipment.com.au 90

FEBRUARY 2019

HYDRODRIVE STEERING

PRODUCT GUIDE

Small boat owners with craft up to 150hp are typically limited to mechanical cable style steering systems.This push/pull cable setup often requires higher maintenance than hydraulic steering, and can result in diminished performance over time. Hydrodrive is a hydraulic steering system for small boats up to 150hp. This affordable, quality product is available in four complete kits ready for installation or refit. It’s an economical and flexible alternative to mechanical steering, providing the capability of a hydraulic system typically only seen on 8m+ boats. Users will benefit from smoother operation, lower maintenance, and straightforward installation. Complete all-in-one kits with universal fittings compatible with most outboards up to 150hp. Hydrodrive provides smooth positive steering, fitted to the outboard with tube mounting. Each kit contains a pump with fitting, cylinder with fitting, twin hose set with required connections, and 1L of oil. Components are over-engineered to prevent leaks, even under extremely high pressure, and anodised for superior corrosion resistance. Hydrodrive Systems are backed by a 3-year manufacturer’s warranty. www.amisales.com.au/hydrodrive

MERCURY NVH CENTRE

Mercury Marine has opened a new stateof-the-art Noise, Vibration, Harshness (NVH) Technical Centre at its global headquarters in Wisconsin, USA. The A$14 million NVH testing and research centre, which covers some 1900m2, is the largest and most expansive facility of its kind in the marine industry. NVH is the engineering practice of studying noise, vibration and harshness characteristics. The new centre houses structural dynamic testing bays, listening rooms, and two marinespecific, hemi-anechoic chambers (high-tech spaces with sound-absorbent materials on the walls and ceiling along with a sound insulated floor). “The NVH building and its capabilities will set a new benchmark in the marine industry,” said Tim Reid, Mercury Marine vice president of product development and engineering. “We are looking forward to giving our engineers a worldclass facility where they can study every noise, movement and performance indicator on every engine we manufacture.” www.mercurymarine.com.au

ACTIVE TRIM VIA VESSELVIEW

Mercury Marine’s Active Trim system can now be controlled through VesselView information screens. Active Trim automatically trims an engine(s). It makes boating easier, mproves engine performance and cuts fuel costs. Originally, Active Trim was controlled through a separate dash-mounted key pad. Now drivers have the option to buy an Active Trim computer module to provide control via VesselView’s multi-function touch screen. The GPS-based control system takes into account both speed and rpm when deciding on the ideal trim position. It also solves the issue of the engine trimming up too early or too late while the boat is getting up on the plane. There are five trim profiles, and you just select the best profile for any application. You can personalise Active Trim to your driving style and/or compensate for changes in boat load, and conditions. You can easily disengage and re-engage the system with the manual trim buttons. www.mercurymarine.com.au

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Tow tow tow your boat PART 2 BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

In last month’s issue I covered a fair amount of country between home and boat ramp on the topic of towing a trailerboat. Some of the important topics raised were statutory requirements, limitations imposed by manufacturers, the laws of physics plus some common sense issues.

This is very true, so let’s look a little further into this vital topic. DON’T BREAK THE RULES ON BRAKES First, a reminder on the statutory requirements for brakes on trailers. When a single axle trailer and load has a gross trailer mass (its GTM) exceeding 750kg there has to be a braking system! It’s normally an override (mechanical) brake system, so long as the GTM does not exceed 2000kg. If GTM exceeds 2000kg,

They are called upon to work in one of the most hostile conditions on the planet: sea water. It’s vital to always give your trailer a thorough wash down after salt water immersion – and that’s not just a quick spray with the hose. A failure to wash down thoroughly, followed by a fair amount of down time, can be a major threat to all trailer brake systems. That’s because inaction might cause components to seize up. Remember the old cliché: use it or lose it. It applies to

Brakes on each wheel are the norm with big craft like the Sea Jay Trojan. Because it’s virtually impossible to launch or retrieve it without immersing the wheels, the brake assembly needs a good washdown after saltwater immersion. the bigger the wash down, the better. And don’t overlook the override brake system’s brake lock. This small tab comes down on the actuator bar to prevent it sliding forward

obstacle that could stop or slow it. This is because when more rearwards thrust comes from the prime mover, it will cause the actuator to come forward to immediately engage the brakes and lock

CORRECT CABLE TENSION IMPORTANCE The heart of many override systems is the cable connected to the brake system. This needs correct tensioning to function, and

In this image we can see the override system’s trailer’s brake lock in the ‘off’ position, as well as grease nipples to keep the slide moving freely. In this issue we’ll take things further. We’ll look at some often overlooked matters that are worth considering when you’re towing and racking up the kays. One thing to remember is that although towing regulations are pretty similar from state to state, it’s a

brake systems become more sophisticated. Each axle requires brakes on it, and braking must be controlled from within the cabin of the tow vehicle. When your foot touches the brake pedal, both the car and trailer are braking. The system sees an electric control module applying power to

brake systems on boat trailers as well as the human body! Override (or inertia) brakes are activated by a sliding hitch actuator just behind the tow ball. This hitch actuator either tightens a cable or pushes a hydraulic piston to initiate braking action via brake pads gripping onto a rotor

The trailer’s override braking system’s cable and slide actuator. Little maintenance other than greasing is required up here, as it doesn’t get inundated with saltwater. to engage the cable. Why prevent it from working? That brake lock tab would certainly be lifted up out of the way when travelling on the road but would be required to be down in place if the trailer is to be reversed uphill or perhaps over an

the trailer wheels. At that point the trailer starts sliding with wheels locked! The point is that because of its usually infrequent use, this small tab can seize in its ‘off’ position. To avoid this, give it a bit of spray lubricant from time to time.

as the brake pads wear down with use, that cable must be tightened to ensure efficient braking. There should be just enough free play to prevent friction between pads and disc when rolling along, yet a tightening cable should bring the pads into play

Upping the sophistication stakes from the override brake system, the Hydrastar is a state-of-the-art unit. different story overseas. For example, in New Zealand a couple of years ago I was treated to the sight of a family wagon towing a caravan with a 4.5m boat hooked up to the caravan! This spectacle immediately brought to mind something a mate once told me: “You can tow anything, but stopping can be the problem”. 92

FEBRUARY 2019

a hydraulic brake actuator. There is a brilliant system for larger craft, but as such there are more components to consider (and service) to ensure that it remains in tip-top working order. SERVICE THOSE BRAKE SYSTEMS Both of these brake systems are quite reliable if kept in good condition.

or disc. These systems are quite effective if the actuator is kept lubricated within its housing (grease nipples are always provided), and those vital components tucked behind the wheels are kept as free as possible from corrosion. There will be springs and other bits and pieces down there that can suffer from salt corrosion, so

With brakes on both axles, this big trailer is ready for heavy-duty towing.

when braking action slides the actuator forward. Correct cable adjustment via a turnbuckle under the draw bar (and behind the actuator) is the clue there, but once tightening adjustment is no longer available it’s better to replace the pads. With

boat trailer along and pull up the park/hand brake lever. The trailer should come to an abrupt stop if correct adjustment has been made. DON’T NEGLECT HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS Regular service for electrical/hydraulic brake

is well. The reality is that things cannot be taken for granted as we do with our car’s hydraulic brake system. Hydraulic fluid within a tow bar located reservoir – often out in the weather – can degrade as it actually attracts moisture. For this reason,

No brakes, no worries! Small boats are a joy to tow and lots of fun to use.

An override brake system that hasn’t been looked after. Corrosion is rampant, and you could put money on the brake lock tab being seized in place. new pads fitted it’s wise to slacken the cable a bit to avoid friction. How can we test efficiency? Simply push the

systems is arguably more important than TLC for override systems. With a hydraulic system up front it’s too easy to assume all

keeping an eye on a reservoir makes a lot of sense. Most manufacturers recommend that you replace the brake fluid every two years.

WHAT, NO ABS? Whether we like it or not, trailer ABS (antilock braking systems) are confined to heavy vehicle usage, not standard boat trailers. Your car has ABS to prevent wheel lock-up and skidding (which might see the car moving forward although the wheels are locked and maybe turned in another direction!), but your trailer doesn’t. This is a significant factor you have to consider when towing. It’s not a big deal when you’re towing

steadily in dry conditions, but it’s important to keep in mind when you’re towing on a wet road. If you slam on the brakes on a wet road, your car’s ABS will stabilise the vehicle. However, if the trailer brakes prevent the wheels from turning – as they certainly can – the trailer simply slides and pushes the car forward. Or worse, inertia will flip the trailer off to one side. Disaster! The stressful experience of a boat helping to push the car forward is one all boat

owners can do without. You can trust me on this! The only answer is to maintain a much greater than usual distance behind other traffic if you’re towing on a wet road, and always be very vigilant for brake lights ahead. We have all heard of mindfulness, right? Here is a perfect time to use it. You have to be very mindful when towing your boat in wet or slippery conditions because this is a whole new ball game. And the heavier the tow mass, the more cautious you need to be.

$25,000 IN PRIZES UP FOR GRABS!

INSURE WITH CLUB MARINE AND SUBSCRIBE TO CLUB MARINE MAGAZINE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN! We’re giving away 25 prizes of $1,000 to spend at any of our Member Rewards partners. All you have to do is hold a current Club Marine Pleasure Craft Insurance policy and Club Marine Magazine subscription at the time of each prize draw to be automatically entered. The sooner you qualify, the more chances you’ll have to win! We will draw 5 lucky winners each month between 1 November 2018 and 31 March 2019.

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Insurance is underwritten by Allianz Australia Insurance Limited (Allianz) ABN 15 000 122 850 AFSL No. 234708 of 2 Market Street, Sydney. Club Marine Limited (Club Marine) ABN 12 007 588 347 AFSL No. 236916 is a related body corporate and issues boat insurance as agent of Allianz. Before making a decision, please consider the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) or Policy Wording. Full terms and conditions available at clubmarine.com.au. Authorised under NSW Permit No.: LTPS/18/28567, ACT Permit No.: TP18/0191, SA Permit No.: T18/1749. FEBRUARY 2019

Stessco Bowrider 520 with Yamaha F90HP - SC

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Length..........................................................5.1m Beam..........................................................2.29m Bottom.sheet ..............................................3mm Side.sheet....................................................3mm Hull.weight ................................................500kg Max.HP .......................................................... 115 Fuel .............................................................. 110L Capacity .............................................. 6 persons Main: Chasing a locally made aluminium plate boat that will keep the whole family happy and not break the bank? You need to check out the Stessco Bowrider 520. Above: The bowrider was right at home in the Noosa River on the test day. means that it’s affordable for plenty of families. It also means that you probably won’t have to upgrade the family car to tow it. S e c o n d l y, the configuration is pretty easily interchangeable between ‘fishing mode’ and ‘fun mode’. Drop in a few cushions up the front and add the removable ski pole and

RPM................... km/h.................... km/L 1000 ...................... 6.5 ....................... 3.4 2000.................... 10.7 ....................... 2.3 3000.....................27.9 ....................... 3.4 3500 .................... 35.6 ....................... 3.4 4000.................... 42.2 ....................... 3.3 5000.................... 54.8 ....................... 2.7 6000.....................67.2 ....................... 1.7 * fitted with SDS alloy 13 1/4 x 16” propeller FEBRUARY 2019

easily interchangeable,” Biel continued. And that’s exactly what they’ve done. Tweaked a great seller to make it just that little bit better. For more information on the 520 Bowrider, or any of the complete Stessco range, visit their website on www. stessco.com.au, make sure

SPECIFICATIONS

PERFORMANCE

s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

Stessco’s Adrian Biel reckons that when your hull is a good thing, you don’t change it. And that’s exactly what Stessco has done with their 520 Bowrider hull. They’ve kept the popular shape and improved the layout. But let’s backtrack a few steps before we dig into the details. Where does the Bowrider sit in the Stessco range and why would you buy one? Well, it’s definitely a more comfortable boat for the less hardcore anglers in the family. Especially compared to something like the Gulf Runner. And sometimes, the fishing alone isn’t the reason you buy a boat. Yes, I know. It’s a strange concept, but shade, comfort and the ability to use a boat for a variety of activities ticks a lot of boxes with modern outdoor families and this Stessco fits right into the hitting zone. Firstly, it weighs in around the high $30K mark (and at around 1,000kg on the weighbridge), which

formula from the Brisbane based company. There aren’t many drawbacks of this rig, however the fact that most of your underfloor storage will still let water dribble through in the rain is a problem for local manufacturers. “Look, from the gunwales down, there’s

Steve Morgan

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AN THE

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you’re ready to go tubing. If you’re really clever, you’ll even have an electric motor on a bracket that takes a few seconds to pop off and on, which will really turn this into a fishing machine. Thirdly, this boat is cheap to run. A boat over 5m in length with this level of fitout and that delivers well over 3km/L at cruising speeds really is giving you great value for money. The 110L tank fitted in this boat will get you over 300km of range at cruising speeds. The best we saw was at 3,5004,000 RPM where it nearly reached 3.5km/L. And finally, it’ll definitely turn heads at the ramp. The smooth plate aluminium sides look great with Stessco’s standard

colours, or alternatively take a vinyl wrap if you really want to make a statement. Other improvements like the new, smoother windscreen just add to an already winning

nothing much we wanted to change in this boat,” said Adrian on the 2018 Media Day at Noosa, “so it’s just the small things that we’ve made better.” “Things like the removable ski-pole and bait board, these needed to be

you Like their Facebook page (Stessco Boats) for social media updates and definitely scan the QR Code hereby to watch the video review of this rig on your smartphone. It’s also available direct on the Fishing Monthly YouTube channel.

Everything is economical in the rig – from the mid-to-high $30K purchase price (depending on options) to the best fuel economy of 3.3km/L at 4,000rpm.

Driven at the best economy, the 110L fuel tank will give over 300km of theoretical range.

Back in the cockpit you can sit in the shade and swivel the seats around to watch a skiier or talk with your passengers on the bench seat. The ski-pole is removable.

Obviously, there’s a mountain of storage space under the front seats, although it’s not totally waterproof.

Drop some batteries in here if you choose to add an electric motor to the front of the rig.

Stessco’s Bowriders are a fun and good-looking rigs that really hit the spot with family boaters.

Here’s what the front deck looks like with the foam cushions on top of the infill.

You can remove the centre cushion and the deck section to allow for comfortable seating forward.

You can shut the split windscreen and the bulkhead door to keep the breeze and spray out.

The rear bench sits starboard while the transom door allows easy loading and is on the port transom side.

The helm is simple and can hold smaller electronics flush-mounted.

Here’s how you transform the bow into its various forms. First remove the cushions and stow under the decks. Next remove the floor infill. It provides everything from lounging to fishing in a bit of a swell. FEBRUARY 2019

SAVE UP TO $800 ON 40-60HP FOURSTROKE The Mercury Sale is now on, with savings across the entire 40-60hp FourStroke range. But be quick to enjoy the performance, fuel economy and the reliability of Mercuryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advanced FourStroke technology this summer.

HURRY OFFER ENDS MARCH 22ND, 2019 For participating dealers go to mercurymarine.com.au Terms and Conditions apply.