Western Australia Fishing Monthly March 2019

AWESOME AUTUMN ACTION

Features Barra council at the watering hole • South Coast beach fishing • Live baiting tips •

Tried & Tested Whittley CW1950 with Yamaha 115 4-stroke • Kayaking in the wind • Bar crossing for beginners • Yamashita Eginno Pyonpyon •

NEW FIND THE

LOGO COMPETITION

SEE INSIDE!

March, 2019 ISSN: 2209-3354

03

Fishing Monthly G R O U P

Registered by Australian Post Publication No: 100003847

$6.95 (GST inc.)

9 772209

335009

issuu.com/fishingmonthly

fishingmonthly

Fishing Monthly Magazines

www wp.fishingmonthly.com.au FishingMonthly

AUSTRALIA’S BIGGEST

SUNDAY 17 MARCH 2019

RIGHT ACROSS AUSTRALIA

210,000

$

IN CASH & PRIZES REGISTER NOW FOR ONLY $25* & Receive a Limited Edition Cap, Brag Mat & Sticker!

Stacer 469 Outlaw Tiller Steer Powered by Evinrude E-tec 75hp plus trailer valued at $29,000

Lowrance Hook 2 12inch * Plus Postage

Including tripleshot transducer (sidescan, downscan & chirp) & Nav chart.

$2,000 Berkley Fishing Pack

$1,700 BCF Spending Spree

TO REGISTER

pirtekfishingchallenge.com.au For full terms, conditions and licensing log on to pirtekfishingchallenge.com.au. Permit Nos: ACT Permit No TP 18/02404; NSW Permit No LTPS/18/30405; SA Permit No T18/2158.

Peter Duncan Neurosciences Research Unit

NEXT STRONG

www.daiwafishing.com.au

Introducing new Rapala BC400.

Whether you’re casting large swimbaits for murray cod and barramundi, or slow pitch jigging reefs for demersal species, the BC400 is the ultimate oversized bait cast reel.

• Line Capacity 0.33mm - 200m • Precision Machined Brass Gear • Carbon Fibre Drag Washers • One Way Clutch System • CNC Machined Aluminium Spool • Aluminium Handle • Quick Switch Side Covers • Switch on/off Ratchet

• 6 Ball Bearings • Gear Ratio 6.3:1 • Drag Output 10Kg/22Lb • Centrifugal Brake System • Graphite Side Covers • Aluminium Body • Comfortable Eva Knob

CLEARER, SHARPER, GLARE FREE VISION

hobiepolarized.com.au

hobieasiapacific

HobiePolarizedAsiaPacific

$6.95

RRP (GST inc.)

March 2019, Vol. 1 No. 7

Contents 8

METRO Perth Metro/Cockburn Sound

12

Swan & Canning Rivers

13

Metro Offshore

14

SOUTH COAST Esperance 19 Bremer Bay

20

Albany 21 WEST COAST Augusta 22 Busselton 24 Bunbury 26 Mandurah 28 Lancelin 30 Jurien Bay

31

Geraldton 33 Kalbarri 32 GASCOYNE COAST Shark Bay

15

17

26

From the Editor’s Desk...

It is March and the autumn weather patterns should soon kick in to give us some of the best fishing conditions for the year. For many, however, it is the time of the year to prepare for the last fishing outings for the year before putting the boat in storage for the winter months.

If you are intending to store the boat up after winter, be sure to book your boat in now to get all of those little jobs done that have built up over summer. Leaving them until later will only cause headaches down the track.

With autumn upon us, just about every angler in the southern half of the state will be starting to think about salmon, and for good reason, because as far as a recreational species go these fish are hard to beat, and are accessible to every angler whether they

are land or boat-based. The only downfall is when the currents do the wrong thing and push the fish off the coast when they round the corner at Cape Leeuwin and Cape Naturaliste.

The run on the South Coast should start later this month, although it seemed

that last year everything was running about 6 weeks late, so it will be interesting to see whether it is an early or late start, but more on the salmon next month!

As always be sure to check out the competition pages and get your entry in to be in the draw for some great prizes,

Ian Sewell and if you have something to say on anything fishy, feel free to drop me an email!

Whether you are reading this in the digital format or in print, I hope you enjoy the read and don’t forget isubscribe.com.au for any fishing friends that need a gift this month!

35

Exmouth 34 NORTH COAST Broome 36 Dampier 37

Kayak fishing

56

Phone: (07) 3387 0800 Fax: (07) 3387 0801

Advertising Enquiries: Ph: 0417 901 301 Nick Cuccovia nick@fishingmonthly.com.au Peter Jung pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

Fun Page

47

Website: www.fishingmonthly.com.au

Printing: APN – Print

Managing Editor: Steve Morgan

Production: Keith Hawley Karen Millward

Boating 60

Recfishwest 54 Tournament News

44

Trade and Services Guide

52

What’s new fishing

48

What’s new boating

58

Barramundi council at the

Sub-Editors: Bob Thornton Nicole Penfold Annie March

8

Subscriptions: Kym Rowbotham Office Manager: Marie Dykstra

Western Australia Fishing Monthly magazine goes on sale the last week of each preceding month (latest sale date 31st of the month).

Published by:

Qld Fishing Monthly Pty Ltd ABN 72-010-542-195 IN

G

FISH

IN

G

’

TU

RE

All material is © copyright, and cannot be reproduced in part or in full, by any means, without written permission of the Managing Editor. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher.

A

LI

SUBSCRIPTION HOTLINE FREECALL 1800 228 244

TO SUBSCRIBE SEE PAGE 43 FIND THE GAMAKATSU LOGO COMPETITION PAGE 59

FU

Annual Subscriptions: $65 for twelve issues (GST inc.)

Make cheques payable to Queensland Fishing Monthly PO Box 3172 LOGANHOLME QLD 4129

A Peter Fullarton image.

S

16

Advertising: Ph: 0417 901 301 Copy and materials should be sent direct to: ads@fishingmonthly.com.au

Distribution: Gordon & Gotch Pty Ltd

David Lanigan recently scored a personal best dhufish at 101cm and 18kg.

RA

6

MARCH 2018

Editorial Manager: Jacqui Thomas

OUR OUR COVER COVER

AUST

Hit the sand on the South Coast

Editor: Ian Sewell ian@fishingmonthly.com.au

Publishers: Steve Morgan Matthew Drinkall

SPECIAL FEATURES

local watering hole

Business Office: Unit 1, 11 Knobel Court, Shailer Park, Qld, 4128

Come and visit Fishing Monthly Group’s official Facebook page for all your monthly fishing information. Download QR Reader to access.

ION

42

SINCE 2018

AT

Black Magic Masterclass

WESTERN AUSTRALIA FISHING MONTHLY

62

CI

38

60

N

O

Back to Basics

36

CT

30

REGULAR FEATURES

TE

40

PRO

FRESHWATER

FI

SH

ING TRADE

AS

S

“Where pride is the difference”

NOW PERTH’S BAR CRUSHER SPECIALISTS Quintrex 570 Fishabout Yamaha 130hp 4 Stroke

Was $60,852 Now reduced to $54,990 Quintrex Dinghys

From $1,990

Quintrex Frontier Mercury 115hp 4 Stroke

Was $55,990 Now reduced to $49,990

Quintrex Top Ender Yamaha 90hp 4 Stroke

Was $56,966 Now reduced to $48,990

Stejcraft SS58 Bowrider

Bar Crusher 575C

Mercury 115hp Pro XS 4 Stroke

Mercury 115hp 4 Stroke

Was $65,000 Now reduced to $59,990

Ph: 9250 3339 www.aquasportsmarine.com.au

From $67,630

Barra

Barramundi council at the local watering hole KIMBERLEY

Michael Tropiano

As a somewhat accomplished fisher in WA’s South West, I recently moved up north and stepped into life in the Kimberley. Of course, catching a few more barra was high on the agenda, but after realising I’d missed the peak barra fishing time

status yet myself, I would like to share with you some simple tips, so that if you’re a southerner spending some time up in the north this winter, this quick barra council will have you to successfully catching one of Australia’s most iconic fish.

BARRA SCIENCE First things first... barra science. As a marine scientist I have always been fascinated by the fish I target and have

as males and as they grow they change into females, generally around the 80cm mark, which is a fish around 4 years old (but this can vary greatly).

The bigger a female gets, the more eggs she can produce, with the big metre plus girls producing over 32 million eggs a year! So protecting big females means loads more barra to catch, it’s a pretty simple equation!

This huge GT was a by-catch while trolling for barra in a mangrove lagoon on high tide that was loaded with bait and predators.

Chris Hicks got a hat trick of 70cm+ barra during the middle of the dry season. by several months and a handful of failed solo missions, I went back to the drawing board. Many of the methods I had used so successfully in the South West to catch fish were not working in this new arena, so I swallowed my pride and tracked down a few local ‘barra gurus’.

After spending a few hours at the local watering hole with these guys — in a session that was later termed the ‘barra council’ — they shared with me some simple barramundi fishing wisdom that has now got me catching barra year round. While I’m nowhere near barra guru

generally found that this knowledge can give you that extra edge over the fish — or at the very least something to talk about when the fish aren’t biting. Barramundi are one of only a handful of species that can survive in both full salt and freshwater.

As a fisher, this means that the environments you can target them in varies greatly from oyster-encrusted rocks at the mouth of a major river or estuary, to a small isolated freshwater billabong down a dusty 4WD track.

Barra are also a unique fish, in that they actually change sex throughout their life cycle. They are first born

We are lucky in WA that our rules protect these big girls, with all fish over 80cm required to be released. This is fatastic, as it gives us the best chance of catching that Holy Grail of barra fishing — a metre long fish — while also allowing us to take home and cook up a feed of good eating size fish.

Barra will spawn in saltwater during the wet season and once the little baby barra hatch they slowly work their way upstream and across floodplains to safe, food rich areas. This movement across floodplains during the wet is one of the reasons you can catch barra

Just an hour before the tide receded, this was a flat teeming with life.

8

MARCH 2019

in billabongs, which at the time you fish them in the dry season, can be be completely isolated water bodies. Barra can grow to 40cm in their first year and quickly move off the bottom of the food chain as they grow into a veracious predator that will have a go at and eat almost anything that moves up to half their body size. While barra are a top predator that will eat almost anything that will fit in their mouths (including baby crocs and water birds), they are largely piscivorous, which means they mainly eat fish.

FINDING BARRA Whether it’s by boat or land, when you first start looking for barra you will realise there is so much promising ground that just has to be holding barra, that it can become overwhelming working out where to fish.

The first thing to realise is that barra move around, a lot! It’s not unheard of for a barra to travel hundreds of kilometres in its lifetime, so it’s more than likely that at some stage most of this promising ground will hold fish, however the key

to success is working out exactly when the fish will feeding there. Over the whole season, the wet season weather patterns with its warmer waters and plentiful food are the biggest factor influencing barra movement

Their strength means they concentrate weaker swimmers like baitfish in certain areas, while also controlling the access for these vulnerable smaller fishes to safer waters such as mangrove forests and creeks.

The author found this bait enjoying a few hours of peace in the safety of the mangroves before the falling tide forced them back out into more open waters. and behaviour, but from day to day, the most important factor influencing saltwater barra activity is the tides.

The tides in the Kimberley are some of the biggest tides on the planet.

To give you an example of their impact, a spot that is full of bait and barra activity in the morning can be a dried out mud flat by the afternoon!

As we now know, barra

After casting all morning in a back eddy behind a rockbar, Sophie Comes finally hooked up a quality barra but dropped it soon after. Fortunately, she hooked up again the next cast and landed this beautiful fish.

Photo courtesy of The Great Escape.

Barra predominantly feed on fish and above all, mullet are their favourite, so if you can find the mullet, you will find your barra. The mullet spend their days constantly playing a cat-and-mouse game of escape the barra. As a general rule, this involves a daily movement from the deeper waters that they are forced into on a low tide up into the safety of shallow creeks, snags and the complex maze of roots of a mangrove

forest as the tide rises. This cat-and-mouse game means that as the water just starts to rise at the change of the tide, the mullet will start to make their run upriver and creek systems.

At this stage of the game the mouths of creeks and rivers can go absolutely ballistic for barra, which are hot on the tail of the fleeing mullet. Once this bite shuts down, and the water continues to rise, you can

join the barra in chasing the mullet upstream. As the mullet search for protected waters upstream in the mangroves and shallow rock pools, they will often have to play a dangerous waiting game before the tide comes up enough to give them access to these areas.

Just before the water level is high enough for the mullet to get into safer waters, they are often concentrated into corners of small creeks,

This ripper 79cm fish came on a fresh mullet and stitched Maria up twice on snags before she coaxed it from the mangroves.

Photo courtesy of The Great Escape.

This diagram shows back eddies where the water spins and flows in the opposite direction to the main current. This will concentrate the baitfish, with the predators usually hunting below.

which soon become all you can eat buffets for any barra in the area. Once the tide rises enough and the surviving mullet make it into the safety of the mangrove roots, I have generally found that the fishing action will slow down a bit. However as the tide soon begins to fall, the game starts up again in reverse and it’s back on.

As far as what structures to fish, snags, rocks and creek mouths will all work at different times and tides,

so it’s worth giving all a go to find the fish. Again, the most important thing is understanding how the water currents will bring food to the structure you choose to fish. If there is a back eddy created where water is flowing in the opposite direction of the main current flow, then this is a great start, as this type of water movement in particular can concentrate fish. Also, do not be afraid of fishing shallow waters. Structures

in 0.5-1.5m provide plenty of water for barra and are always worth a cheeky flick.

CATCHING BARRA Bait If you are coming up north to escape winter and are serious about catching your first barra or want to boost your success rate, then before you leave you must get yourself a throw net (and netting licence) and some lessons from someone who can throw one.

To page 10

Since 1973 Strike Pro have been producing high quality lures that have earnt a proud reputation all over the World.

Available in over 90 countries, Strike Pro has designed and developed lures that have won many fishing tournaments & hold records around the globe including here in Australia such as ‘ABT’ Grand Finals and record breaking ‘Big Bream’ and ‘Biggest Bream Bags’.

Give yourself that winning edge and use Strike Pro.

Strike Pro has a lure for any situation!

Armour Braid, IGFA Pro Tournament Mono ‘SFC’ Fluorocarbon Visit & Subscribe to JuroOzPro for all our videos

Adverts 2018.indd 5

Strike Pro Lures 35 models available in Australia at Strike Pro Australasia

www.jurofishing.com MARCH 2019

18/06/2018 10:35:02 AM

9

Barra From page 9

Fresh mullet is irresistible to a barra, and the only way to get them is with a throw net. Fishing with fresh mullet can be a busy pastime as jacks, trevally, sharks and every other predator trying to get in for a piece of the action.

While the by-catch is often welcome, this often means that your hard-earned fresh bait supplies can quickly be diminish. Even more frustrating is that at times mullet can be notoriously difficult to catch. Being every predators’ favourite food means they are extremely well adapted to not only water-based attacks, but are also the masters at avoiding aerial assaults from ospreys, sea eagles and throw netters!

On days when they are hard to catch, getting a good haul can seriously cut into prime fishing time.

Lures If you have ever been involved in a conversation around fishing for barra, then it’s more than likely it was lure fishing for barra which drove the conversation.

Flicking lures is one of the most popular and effective methods of fishing for barra.

It has the distinct advantage of allowing you to cover more ground, which can help you find the fish when they aren’t out actively hunting.

Barra are often termed a ‘lazy’ fish — which I think is a bit harsh on a top predator that covers such big distance – but what is meant by this term is that when barra are

There are so many great places for a barra to hide in these systems. The key is to work out where and when the fish will be there.

10

MARCH 2019

not in a feeding frenzy they can be incredibly hard to coax into a bite.

However, if the right lure is placed in just the right spot a barra still can’t resist the urge and will often be persuaded into biting. When they are in this lazy mood, a slow retrieve with small twiches and sometimes very long pauses is needed.

Another important tip to remember is to keep casting.

They say it can sometimes be 1000 casts for a barra, and they aren’t wrong. Those who keep putting in the casts and push through the tough times when the fishing is quiet are generally the ones that catch the most fish.

PUTTING ‘BARRA COUNCIL’ INTO PRACTICE If you’ve seen the The Castle, then you will understand when I say that Dale Kerigan’s lawyer put it best when he said, “it’s the vibe of the thing.” Once you start to put some of these pieces of the puzzle together you will develop a 6th sense known to those that possess it as the barra vibe.

This sense will allow you to work out when and where the barra will be feeding, giving you the best chances at catching these elusive fish.

As a fisher, you will naturally be developing this sense over time without even realising

Dave put in the hard yards for his first barra and reckons it came on cast 1001. Keep casting and you will be rewared!

Photo courtesy of The Great Escape.

it, but when you start paying closer attention to it and trying to understand the your target in more depth, you can use it to more actively seek out fish. For example, as you develop your barra vibe you might find a big school of mullet, but notice that they are cruising very slowly and confidently around, concluding that they most likely are not being hunted by big barra — where on the contrary if you found a only a couple of mullet, but they look as nervous as

a tailender when Mitchell Stark is steaming in, then it’s likely there are a few big barra hiding below giving them some grief.

It’s important to remember that like us humans, all fish are individuals and have their own individual behaviours.

So while this barra council shares some generalisations that I have found work really well for me, my biggest lesson I have learnt when fishing for barra is keep trying new things, and it’s

always worth putting in a couple casts where you don’t expect the fish to be.

I don’t know how to explain this phenomenon, but on so many occasions I have seen casts that land in the least likely looking spot pick up some of the best fish.

Hopefully this article has set you on the path to becoming a barra guru yourself and I look forward to you one day sitting me down and returning the favour the next time we meet for a barra council!

VS VS VS VS VS VS SUZUKIVS OUTGUNS SUZUKI OUTGUNS

SUZUKI OUTGUNS SUZUKI OUTGUNS SUZUKI OUTGUNS SUZUKI OUTGUNS SUZUKI OUTGUNS SUZUKI OUTGUNS SUZUKI OUTGUNS SUZUKI DF70A

70HP OPPONEN

DATA TALKS

SUZUKI DF70A

70HP OPPONENT

SUZUKI DF70A SUZUKI DF70A SUZUKI DF70ADF70ASee SUZUKI SUZUKI DF70A

SUZUKI DF70A for yourself.

70HP OPPONENT 70HP OPPONENT the results 70HP 70HP OPPONENT OPPONENT

DATA TALKS DATA TALKS

70HP OPPONENT

70H

DATA TALKS DATA TALKS See the results for yourself.

MAX SPEED 50.4 DATA TALKS DATA TALKS SUZUKI DF70A See OPPONENT DATA TALKS See results for yourself.

See the70HP results for yourself. thethe results for yourself.

See the results for yourself.

6.8 SECONDS for yourself.

SUZUKI DF70A See the results0–40KM/H OPPONENT 9.3 SECO SUZUKI DF70A

60KM

SUZUKI DF70A SUZUKI DF70A 60KM 7.6 LITRES/H SUZUKI DF70ADF70A SUZUKI 60KM 60KM SUZUKI DF70A 60KM 6.8 SECONDS 60KM 9.8 LITRES 6.8 SECONDS 60KM 6.8 SECONDS

OPPONE

See the results for yourself.

OPPONENT SUZUKI DF70A OPPONENT MAX SPEED 50.4KM 8.0 LITRE 3500RPM OPPONENT OPPONENT SPEED 50.4KM 60KM MAX SPEED MAXMAX SPEED 50.4KM OPPONENT MAX SPEED 50.4KM 0–40KM/H 9.350.4KM SECONDS 13.4 LIT MAX SPEED 20KN CRUISE SPEED 0–40KM/H 9.3 SECONDS 6.8 SECONDS 0–40KM/H MAX SPEED 50.4KM 0–40KM/H 9.3 SECONDS

DATA TALKS

6.8 SECONDS 0–40KM/H 9.3 SECONDS 0–40KM/H 9.38.0 SECONDS 6.87.6 SECONDS LITRES/H 3500RPM LITRES/H 7.6 LITRES/H 3500RPM 8.0 LITRES/H 7.6 LITRES/H 3500RPM 6.8 SECONDS 0–40KM/H 9.3 SECONDS 7.6 LITRES/H 3500RPM 8.0 LITRES/H See the results for yourself. data is indicative and will depend on sea conditions, weather conditions, loading, driving style and hull condition.

7.6AllLITRES/H 3500RPM 8.0 LITRES/H 3500RPM 8.0 13.4 LITRES/H 7.6 should LITRES/H LITRES 20KN CRUISE SPEED LITRES This data9.8 not be used as a navigational aid. All data is gathered

by Suzuki Technicians using factory instrumentation.

9.8 LITRES 20KN CRUISE SPEED 13.4 LITRES 9.8 LITRES 20KN CRUISE SPEED 7.6 LITRES/H 3500RPM 8.0 9.8 LITRES 20KN CRUISE SPEED 13.4 LITRES/H LITRES 9.8 LITRESLITRES 20KN CRUISE SPEED SPEED 13.4 LITRES 20KN CRUISE 13.4 LITRES SUZUKI9.8AllDF70A OPPONENT 9.8 LITRES 20KN CRUISE SPEED 13.4 LITRES data is indicative and will depend on sea conditions, weather conditions, loading, driving style and hull condition.

All data is indicative and will depend on sea conditions, weather conditions, loading, driving style and hull condition.

All data is indicative and will depend on sea conditions, weather conditions, loading, driving style and hull condition.

This data data should should not not be be used used as as aa navigational navigational aid.

All data data is isnot gathered by as Suzuki Techniciansaid. using factory instrumentation.

This aid.

All gathered by Suzuki Technicians using This data beSuzuki used astyle navigational All factory data is instrumentation. gathered by Suzuki Technicians using factory instrumentation.

This is data should notwill be depend used as a navigational aid.weather All data isshould gathered by Technicians using factory instrumentation.

All data indicative and on sea conditions, conditions, loading, driving and hull condition.

All data is indicative and will depend on sea conditions, weather conditions, loading, driving style and hull condition.

This data should not be used as a navigational aid.

All data is gathered by Suzuki Technicians using factory instrumentation.

ThisAll data should not be used as adepend navigational All data isweather gathered

by Suzukiloading, Technicians using factory instrumentation. data is indicative and will on seaaid. conditions, conditions, driving style and hull condition.

This data should not be used as a navigational aid. All data is gathered by Suzuki Technicians using factory instrumentation.

60KM TO YOUR LOCAL SUZUKI MAXMARINE SPEED TALK DEALER TODAY! 50.4KM 6.8 SECONDS 0–40KM/H 9.3 MUHLING SECONDS TO– BAYSWATER YOUR LOCAL SUZUKI MARINE DEALER TODAY! BRAVOTALK MARINE MANDURAH MOTOR MARINE MARINE – OSBOR TALK TO YOUR LOCAL SUZUKI MARINE DEALER TODAY!

TALK TALK TO YOUR LOCAL SUZUKI MARINE DEALER TODAY! TOLOCAL YOUR LOCAL SUZUKI MARINE DEALER TODAY! TALK TO SUZUKI MARINE DEALER TODAY! 9272TALK 9300YOUR | TO bravomarine.com.au 9581 5020DEALER | mandurahmotormarine.com.au 9242 3600 | muhlingmarine.c YOUR LOCAL SUZUKI MARINE TODAY! 7.6 LITRES/H 3500RPM 8.0 LITRES/H BRAVO MARINE – BAYSWATER MANDURAH MOTOR MARINE MUHLING MARINE – OSBORNE PARKMUHLING TALK TO YOUR LOCAL SUZUKI MARINE DEALER TODAY! BRAVOMANDURAH MARINE – BAYSWATER MANDURAH MOTOR MARINE BRAVO MARINE – BAYSWATER MOTOR MARINE MUHLING MARINE – OSBORNE PARK

BRAVO MARINE – BAYSWATER 9272 MANDURAH MOTOR MARINE MUHLING MARINE – PARK OSBORNE PARK9242– 3600 9272 | bravomarine.com.au 9581 | mandurahmotormarine.com.au 9242 3600 | muhlingmarine.com.au COBRA MARINE – –KARRATHA MIDWEST MARINE SEABREEZE BOATING WAN 9300 | 5020 bravomarine.com.au 9581 5020 | 3600 mandurahmotormarine.com.au BRAVO MARINE –9300 BAYSWATER MANDURAH MOTOR MARINE MUHLING MARINE OSBORNE 9272 9300 | bravomarine.com.au 9581 |5020 mandurahmotormarine.com.au 9242 |–muhlingmarine.com.au BRAVO MARINE BAYSWATER MANDURAH MOTOR MARINE – GERALDTON MUHLING MARINE – OSBORNE PARK

9.8 LITRES

| bravomarine.com.au 9272 9300 |9272 bravomarine.com.au 9185 1644 |9300 cobramarine.net.au 9272 9300 |MARINE bravomarine.com.au BRAVO – BAYSWATER

9581 5020 | mandurahmotormarine.com.au 20KN CRUISE SPEED

13.4 LITRES

9242 3600 | muhlingmarine.com.au

9581 5020 |MANDURAH mandurahmotormarine.com.au 9242 3600 |MUHLING muhlingmarine.com.au 9964| mandurahmotormarine.com.au 9874 | midwestmarine.com.au 6406– 1800 | seabreezeboatin 9581 5020 9242 3600 | muhlingmarine.com.au MOTOR MARINE OSBORNE PARKSEABREEZ COBRA MARINE – KARRATHA COBRAMIDWEST MIDWEST MARINE – GERALDTON SEABREEZE BOATING – WANGARA MARINE –MARINE KARRATHA MIDWEST MARINE BOATING –MARINE GERALDTON COBRA MARINE – KARRATHA – GERALDTON SEABREEZE – WANGARA 9272 9300 | bravomarine.com.au 9581 5020 | mandurahmotormarine.com.au 9242 3600 | muhlingmarine.com.au 9185 1644 | cobramarine.net.au 9964 |9874 | midwestmarine.com.au 6406 1800 |– seabreezeboating.com 1644 | MARINE cobramarine.net.au 9964 9874 |BOATING midwestmarine.com.au COBRA – KARRATHA MIDWEST – GERALDTON WANGARA COBRA MARINE – KARRATHA 9185 MIDWEST MARINE – GERALDTON SEABREEZE SEABREEZE BOATING – WANGARA 6406 1800 9185 MARINE 1644 | cobramarine.net.au 9964 9874 midwestmarine.com.au 6406 1800 | seabreezeboating.com COBRA MARINE – KARRATHA MIDWEST MARINE – GERALDTON SEABREEZE BOATING – WANGARA GB MARINE – ALBANY MILLARD MARINE – BUNBURY WEST COAST SUZUKI MARI 9185 1644 |9185 cobramarine.net.au 9874 |9964 midwestmarine.com.au 6406 1800 |6406 seabreezeboating.com 1644 | cobramarine.net.au 9874 | midwestmarine.com.au 1800 | seabreezeboating.com 9185 1644 |MARINE cobramarine.net.au 9964 9874 | midwestmarine.com.au 6406 1800 | seabreezeboating.com COBRA – KARRATHA GB9964 MIDWEST MARINE – GERALDTON SEABREEZE BOATING – WANGARA GB MARINE – ALBANY MILLARD MARINE – BUNBURY WEST COAST SUZUKI MARINE MARINE – ALBANY MILLARD MARINE – BUNBURY WEST COA 9842 9989 gbmarine.com.au 9721 3033 | millardbunbury.com.au 6477 HENDERSON GB MARINE –|1644 ALBANY MILLARD MARINE – BUNBURY WEST COAST MARINE – 9437 9185 cobramarine.net.au 9964 || midwestmarine.com.au 6406 1800 |SUZUKI seabreezeboating.com 9842 9989 gbmarine.com.au 9721 |9874 3033 millardbunbury.com.au 6477 HENDERSON – 9437 All data9989 is indicative and|| will depend on sea conditions, weather conditions, loading, driving style and hull condition.

9842 9989 | gbmarine.com.au 9721 3033 | millardbunbury.com.au HENDERSO GB9842 MARINE – ALBANY MILLARD MARINE – BUNBURY WEST COAST SUZUKI MARINE | gbmarine.com.au 9721 3033 millardbunbury.com.au 9437 6477 HENDERSON – GB GB MARINE – ALBANY MILLARD MARINE – BUNBURY WEST COAST SUZUKI MARINE westcoastsuzukimarine.com.a MARINE – ALBANY MILLARD MARINE – BUNBURY WEST COAST SUZUKI MARINE westcoastsuzukimarine.com.au This9989 data should not be used as a navigational aid. All data 3033 is gathered

by Suzuki Technicians using factory instrumentation. westcoasts 9842 |GB gbmarine.com.au 9721 |MILLARD millardbunbury.com.au 6477 HENDERSON – 9437 westcoastsuzukimarine.com.au 9842 9989 | gbmarine.com.au 9721 3033 | millardbunbury.com.au 9437 6477 HENDERSON – MARINE – ALBANY MARINE – BUNBURY WEST COAST SUZUKI MARINE 9842 9989 | gbmarine.com.au 9721 3033 | millardbunbury.com.au HENDERSON – 9437 6477 westcoastsuzukimarine.com.au westcoastsuzukimarine.com.au 9842 9989 | gbmarine.com.au 9721 3033 | millardbunbury.com.au HENDERSON – 9437 6477 westcoastsuzukimarine.com.au

TALK TO YOUR LOCAL SUZUKI MARINE DEALER TODAY!

westcoastsuzukimarine.com.au

SUZUKIMARINE.COM.AU SUZUKI SUZUKIMARINE.COM.AU SUZUKIMARINE.COM. SUZUKIMARINE.COM.AU SUZUKIMARINE.COM.AU SUZUKIMARINE.COM.AU SUZUKIMARINE.COM.AU

Metro

Cooler days make for hot fishing METRO/COCKBURN SOUND

Kurt Blanksby

It’s funny how after a long, cold winter we long for the summer with its long days, high temperatures and the numerous fish and crustacean species to target. By the time March has arrived, we are continuing to get some hot days, but the sting of the heat just seems to be letting go, and the winds are finally starting to back off as we head into my favourite time of year – autumn.

numbers as the days start to cool and the wind drops. Not only is this technique deadly on herring, but also skippy and even some thumper sand whiting. Letting the rig sink deeper creating a longer time in the strike zone helps get the results.

Any of the metropolitan rock walls will produce a good mixed bag of these species at this time of year, and the so-called ‘bread and butter’ species will keep many of us amused. Yellowtail, slimy and scaly mackerel might be considered the only baitfish for many. If kept fresh in a

Always a popular small species, herring can be easily caught from many of the local beaches and rock walls.

The reason autumn is my favourite time of year is because you can still find all the popular summer species like tailor, whiting, flathead and crabs. Although, surprisingly, you will also see the first arrivals of the cooler species start show up in better numbers. Skippy or silver trevally are what I consider a winter species around Perth and the first good numbers of them are suddenly start to show up. The deeper rock walls including the North and South Mole are your best bet in search of these fish.

Casting wire berley cages will soon bring results.

Packing them with a cake-like mixture of pollard, fish oil and water. Gearing them with a dropper, down to a small hook and baited with cut pieces of coral prawn. Most anglers using this method are targeting herring, which also have begun to pick up in

bucket of cool seawater or ice filled esky, you might be quite surprised how delightful these fish cook up on a grill. If you have lost the urge to enjoy smaller species; char grilled and fresh from the ocean then I feel like you are really missing something.

After all, we can’t always have dhufish, and these ‘bread and butter’ species are really delicious with a light coating of olive oil and lemon juice!

OK so, it’s bigger species many of you are looking for and March is well known for occasionally turning on the first of the early season salmon around Perth. Sure, they are never in big numbers that can follow in April and May, but there are thousands of anglers who get excited about hearing or seeing the first big salmon turn up.

Shore based spots like Point Peron, jetties

in Cockburn Sound from Rockingham to the Ammo Jetty or the ends of South and North Mole; all get a mention over the years. But each year is different and you just have to be in the right place at the right time when those first few salmon schools move through.

Prospecting with lures or bait fishing with whole pilchards on a set of gang hooks is the best way to hopefully tempt a salmon or two. An added bonus of a few bonito that can be hanging around is a treat, especially from the Moles.

Often a trip over on the ferry to Rottnest Island can provide some truly amazing shore-based fishing options in March. The numerous bays, beaches and reef ledges can be fished for many species that often are strangely absent from the mainland. Again, early season salmon and skippy spring to mind! Throw in yellowtail kingfish from the West-End of the island and you will soon see it can be worth the effort to reach these spots. Here a few big tailor could be lurking. Many of the sheltered bays will be swarming with herring and a few decent sand and King George whiting. The lighter outfits and small baits will make your day a whole lot more thrilling. Arm yourself with a couple of two-piece rods that can be taken down and strapped to a backpack with your lunch, water

and tackle. You can also ride a pushbike around the island to many great shorefishing spots.

A much cheaper option than a day trip to Rotto is Penguin Island. Again, a ferry ride over with a light backpack and fishing rod will see you fishing into some delightful reef spots.

Including the Western side or sheltered sand and seagrass beds on the Eastern side. Penguin Island sand spit should not be used as a method to reach the island, as it is very deceiving and dangerous. I recommend catching the ferry to make sure you get there and back safely. Species like herring, flounder, flathead, sand and school whiting, squid and the occasional blue swimmer crab are likely targets from the sheltered Eastern side.

The deeper reef and sand holes on the Western side will produce skippy, herring, silver bream (tarwhine) and the occasional King George whiting or even an early season salmon is also not unheard of.

The mild nights in March are when I really like to target squid from the shore in Perth. The numerous jetties in Cockburn Sound or rock walls are ideal spots that when the wind drops off in the evenings. Casting squid jigs from dusk and into the early evening can be very productive and rewarding. But be warned as it can be very popular

March sometimes sees the first few salmon turn up from local waters like this Woodmans Point specimen. and finding a spot can be difficult, especially from the jetties.

Beach fishing can be delightful in March with the sea breeze starting to back off from its relentless summer blasting. Beaches settle down and pesky seaweed becomes a thing of the past as the calmer conditions of autumn make surf fishing very productive and enjoyable. Warm evenings

Willing to take a range of baits and even lures, skippy will put up a strong fight on any tackle and good numbers will be about in metro waters as the weather cools.

FREE PHONE

(07)

EXPRESS SHIPPING *For orders over $125.00 (conditions apply)

Follow us on:

5536 3822

anglerswarehouse.com.au 12

MARCH 2019

will still be producing good numbers of tailor and school mulloway from the surf, and to add to this; a few small sharks, shovelnose rays. Big stingrays can be a problem at this time of year. Although they do give you a bit of an arm stretching after they soon bury themselves and become a painful tug of war that wastes valuable fishing time. Add to this the risk of a venomous spike swinging around if you do manage to land one and you will see that they are usually best broken off once you have seen it. Don’t go breaking one off until you are really sure it’s a ray as many good mulloway have appeared in the surf on the end of a line that everyone was calling as a ray. Please don’t kill stingrays, once you have safely removed the hooks please let the poor ray swim free; with hopefully nothing more than a sore mouth from the hooks and a small gaff hole in the wing to aid dragging it from the surf.

So get motivated and enjoy the next couple of months fishing metro waters as you will soon discover why this is my favourite time of year to be wetting a line!

Metro

Light tackle needed for results SWAN & CANNING RIVER

Kurt Blanksby

This is the month to be targeting black bream in both the Swan and Canning rivers on light tackle and lures; both hard bodies and soft plastics. With

Fish won’t just be hiding up in the snags like they do during the hotter periods of summer, but will also be actively moving out into more open waters and feeding over mud and sand beds near deeper channels. Don’t ignore these snag haunts as they will also be dynamite, although be

sand and mud across a shallow section where predatory bream will charge it down thinking it is a fleeing prey item. Small surface lures will also be very effective upstream amongst the snags, especially early mornings or at dusk.

Soft plastic lures rigged on light jig heads and fine fluorocarbon leaders are a must when fishing at this time of year. Carefully and slowly twitching them around any structure, mussel bed or reedy shoreline like in the Canning around Rossmoyne can be deadly. Fishing the higher tides will see the best results.

Summer flathead will

now be widespread through the river systems, and it is not uncommon to catch a dark coloured bar-tailed flathead well upstream when chasing black bream. Big flatties are always a bonus and especially in the Canning they can be a very common catch. Again, lures are the best way to prospect and search for these fish as many will be very aggressive, creating an active chase down and devouring a lure in the shallow water.

Keep an eye out along the edge of the deeper drop-offs.

For example, near Canning Bridge, Rocky Bay or Claremont, as these are prime

Some surprisingly good-sized flathead are still showing up from the shallow banks and are pretty widespread through the river. the summer heat starting to back off and calm, ultimately creating cooler conditions, the bream will now be actively hunting small baitfish, prawns, crabs and shrimps to supplement their diet of mussels and marine worms.

prepared to fish more barren open areas where schools of bream will be congregating.

Hardbody lures will trigger some aggressive strikes.

Whether twitched amongst the logs of a tree snag, jetty pylons or rock bars. But also if allowed to shovel and stir up

This upper Canning River black bream ate a hardbody lure. Late afternoon is producing the results around the reed beds and tree snags.

Good–sized blues are coming from drop nets during the day in deeper water but scooping at night still pays rewards. big flathead spots. Many of the jetties in the Swan will also be worth checking out. Fishing a soft plastic lure down close to the pylons and staying prepared to get hassled by a few blowfish when doing this.

Sure, you might go through a few lures getting destroyed by these pesky fish but if there is a decent flathead or big black bream under the jetty you might just get a surprise!

Crabbing will now be much quieter as the crabs have been hammered over the summer months. Although, the deep water of Mosman Bay or out from Claremont through to East Fremantle will still be holding some big blues. The lower reaches from Rocky Bay, East Fremantle and into

the Harbour will be worth prospecting after dark with a squid jig as many get taken each year in the lower reaches.

E-Shed in Fremantle Harbour is always a good spot to put in an after dark fish, especially for big mulloway that start to move back down to the lower reaches as the weather cools. Live baits and whole pilchards are the go and the best time is the rising tide through to slack water when it slows at high tide, especially late at night. Drop nets with long ropes used from the wharf will also pick up some decent blue swimmer crabs, whilst smaller baits of cut coral prawn on lighter line will turn up a few silver bream and skippy.

MEGA MARCH MADNESS

Established 1996

UNBEATABLE SOFT PLASTIC SPECIALS

Buy any 2 packs of McArthy Soft Plastics and get another 2 packs of McArthy Soft Plastics for FREE!

Buy any 2 packs of Soft Plastics and get 1 pack for FREE! (Excludes McArthy & any already discounted soft plastic)

Yes! That’s Right!

Buy 2, Get 2 FREE! VOTED AUSTRALIA’S BEST FISHING TACKLE STORE 2018

ANGLERS FISHING WORLD UNIT 1, 24 MEWS ROAD, FREMANTLE WA 6160 Located on the corner of Mews Road & Capo d’Orlando Drive In the Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour.

Ph: (08) 9433 4768 www.anglersfishingworld.com.au MARCH 2019

13

Metro

Be prepared for a mack attack this autumn METRO OFFSHORE

Allan Bevan

The year is moving along at a blistering pace. I cannot believe we are into March already and getting the fishing report out!

Starting close, the fishing is all about mackerel, the gleaming chrome slabs providing blistering runs that most anglers’ dreams are made. The inshore temps of 22-24°C with a supply of bait are the requirements for Spaniard action. When

trolling hardbodies or garfish, find and work the bait, as the mackerel will not be too far away. Once found, a good trick is switching to a casting lure. This is fantastic fun with some spectacular launches, as the mack attack takes inshore fishing to a new level.

Victor Sim travelled from Singapore to play with the samsonfish around Fremantle.

Inshore stickbaiting for mackerel is fantastic fun, as Wazza Upton would attest.

Inshore, squid are all over the weed flats for those wanting a feed, and for those after a bit more thrill, you can put a squid out as a live bait, as the yellowtail kings can show up anywhere.

A squid will ensure an instant hook up.

I have had some reports from the mulie boat working out of Fremantle that some large fish have been around when hauling up the nets. The

gut feeling is some good tuna are also getting around. These could be yellowfin or the northern bluefin, but the good word is they are large fish!

The inshore snapper have been a bit quiet, but they have copped a flogging over the last few months. A good storm will get things stored up and replenish the inshore reef systems. Crays are still around, and for those still potting it’s worth

shifting out to the 30m line and fishing for jumbos. It’s just a matter of getting the pots out to the depth and pulling every 3-4 days.

Further offshore, there has been a lot of bait marking on sounders. Schools are being sounded from the back of the five fathom bank out to the 30m line, so it’s worth pulling a lure with kingfish, mackerel and tuna all possible.

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

High Quality Tackle Half Day Charters Full Day Charters IGFA Captain / Guide Phone 0412 131 958

www.shikari.com.au

14

MARCH 2019

Metro

In about 35-45m west of Garden Island has fished well for baldchin groper, breaksea cod, dhufish, samson and sharks. The RFW fish towers have been holding schooling skippy, with samsons and yellowtail kings taking hooked fish. The base of the towers have had snapper and dhufish taking jigs, just don’t get too close, as it appears there is a bit of rubbish line getting moved in the current, resulting in gear loss.

Rottnest has been fishing well, from snapper and dhufish close in on the 14m reef edges, rat kingfish to unstoppable monsters at Parker Point and West End. West End has been the pick, with the outer southern marker a great spot. As you move in a southwest direction, you’ll follow the reef system out to the drop-off and if the kings are home, it won’t take long too hook up.

Just a word of warning about the yellowtail kings.

Ev with a tasty dhufish for tea. few strays can still be jigged up, but the season is well over. Overall it’s been a better samson season this season, with sharks not being a huge

deep dropping continues to produce amazing fish, and it’s good that it’s not just anglers with electric reels, but also those fishing very

Squid are always a tasty treat, but also make a fantastic live bait for big predators.

They are a great fun fish and very tasty, but they do have worms. If this puts you off, just catch and release them, and refrain from telling social media that you are throwing out this fillet because of a worm.

Deep water wrecks are quiet with the samson schools now broken up. A

problem like past years. This could have something to do with the water temperature and the lack of current.

With the cooler water this year fishing out at the FADs has been a bit quiet.

Mahimahi are out there, but you need to search around and I’ve found some berley helps bring them around. The

specialised jigging outfits and producing some of the better captures.

• 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.

DISTRIBUTED BY

power-pole.com.au (02) 4441 8400

powerpoleasiapacific info@power-pole.com.au

As the old saying goes, find the bait, find the fish!

MARCH 2019

15

Hit the sand on the South Coast METRO

Kurt Blanksby

From Augusta heading east towards Esperance, the Southern Ocean coastline is truly unspoilt and wild. Rocky granite and limestone headlands and ledges make up a big part of this coast and hold a reputation for being some of the best land-based fishing spots in the state.

GETTING THERE Although these beaches can be fished all year round, it’s the period from March through to early May that I prefer, as they often provide calmer conditions and clean water, allowing easy identification of fish holding gutters and channels. Beach access to most is via many well-worn 4WD tracks leading off the main roads, and these can be easily found by studying

access these locations, so it is a small price to pay.

Once you near the coast and finally descend onto the beach your sand driving skills will be tested, and dropping your tyre pressure down to about 15psi is the go.

GETTING SET It’s best to arrive at the beach during the day so you can easily spot the best gutters and channels running close enough to

SPECIES Smaller species are usually the first to turn up, with the ever-popular herring being the most common. These great little fish not only make pretty good eating, they are also great whole or filleted into strips to use as bait for bigger species. Small hooks and a bean sinker rig on a light rod will usually see you into the herring pretty quick, and the same goes for shiny metal slice lures wound back through the surf. Sand whiting are also another common catch on light tackle and small bits of bait, and this species also make a good meal or whole bait.

From March onwards the annual salmon run makes this part of the coast very attractive to beach anglers, as big numbers of these fish migrate along the coast and invade every beach gutter looking for a feed. Averaging around the 4-6kg mark, they are a very popular fish and will give you plenty of thrilling moments and a tough, jump-filled fight in the surf.

Usually caught on baits of whole pilchards on ganged hooks or pieces of squid,

Salmon of all sizes are a common catch along the South Coast, and juvenile specimens like this are known as ‘salmon trout’. outfits and lures like metal slices and poppers will turn a hoard of hungry salmon into a ravenous pack, all shouldering each other out

This is the type of water you will be looking to find – a deep gutter being fed from both ends and flowing out to sea.

In this part of the world, it’s the beaches that stretch between the rocky sections that are not only much safer to fish, but also turn on the goods when it comes to fishing!

Google Earth or Nearmaps if you have access to it.

If you are precious about getting scratches on your paintwork, then this is probably not for you, but a 4WD is the only way to

Although annoying, big stingrays need to be released back into the water, just be careful of their powerful tails armed with venomous spikes.

16

MARCH 2019

cast into, as this is where the fish will be feeding.

These are easy to spot, as the deeper water will be a darker colour next to the many sand banks where the water will usually be feeding in from one end and funnelling back out to sea at the other. Once located, the car is parked and set up back near the dunes and a basic camp is established.

Thankfully, camping on the South Coast beaches is still permitted, and I must say that rubbish is never a problem as those who fish these spots are smart enough to take it out with them.

Keep the place clean and don’t give the authorities any reason to ban it.

The next step is a very important one that many don’t bother with, and that is establishing a good berley slick to start attracting fish into your casting area. Using a steel or wooden stake and a scaling bag you can set up a berley bag that washes around on the shore with each wave, spreading a good scent back out with every receding wave. Crushed up pilchards, prawn heads, fish scraps and a good splash of fish oil and you will have a mixture that will attract fish into the vicinity.

Fishing after dark is the best way to pick up a gummy or two, and these make fantastic eating and are a prize catch from the surf. salmon will keep you on your toes from the moment they are hooked until you finally land them.

If you feel like a bit of fun, then lighter spinning

of the way to get to the lure first. Again, if bled and iced down soon after capture they are actually pretty good to eat, but many are targeted as a sportfish and released

back into the water.

Smaller salmon around the 0.5-2kg size are known as salmon trout and resemble a very big herring. The lack of black spots on the tip of the tail is a dead give away that it is a juvenile salmon, and they can be in big numbers at times from the southern beaches.

Sharks of several species are often hooked from these southern beaches, especially if the salmon are about, as they are often followed by them right into the beach line. Bigger baits on heavy tackle set out will usually get the interest of any sharks cruising in to find out where the berley smell is coming from. It goes without saying that heavy gear is needed and wire trace and strong hooks are a must, as some of these creatures are practically unstoppable.

It’s mostly whaler sharks that are encountered, but other species do turn up from time to time and can provide some exhausting battles on the right gear.

Thankfully, most are released after a few pictures, as they do serve a purpose in our ocean and shouldn’t be killed for no reason. Smaller whaler sharks and the muchprized gummy shark are top eating and fishing baits at night will be the best way to hook into these species.

Mulloway are the number one prize from the beach anywhere along the South Coast and some truly massive specimens over 20kg get landed every year.

Most seem to be around 3-12kg and usually turn up after dark on larger baits and heavy beach tackle. A

good rising tide is always best, and if you can find this happening after dark then you are in with a real chance at picking up gummy sharks and mulloway.

baits on ganged hooks are most effective on these South Coast tailor, and they actually make good eating if bled and iced soon after capture. It is not uncommon

When allowed to wash into the surf with each wave, a loaded up berley bag will bring lots of species of fish into the area.

Big silver trevally, otherwise known as skippy, are also high on the target list for many anglers from the surf, and they like the deeper gutters and respond

to pick up the occasional large tailor from amongst the salmon schools when they are moving through.

Blue spot flathead, like the tailor, are usually big

The only problem with setting up a good berley trail is that big stingrays will no doubt pay you a visit and result in a long tug of war.

It’s best to carefully drag them ashore where they can be flipped on their back and hooks removed. They should then be flipped back upright and allowed to swim fee. Usually they don’t hang around, and you can wait for more desirable species to turn up. Be extremely careful of their powerful tails armed with long spines coated in venom, and never get complacent around a sting ray, as they can deliver a deep wound and intense pain if you suffer a sting.

Safety again springs to mind when handling any sharks armed with teeth, so remember that these are dangerous creatures.

A FEW LITTLE TIPS The species mentioned are all a chance when you spend a couple of days and nights fishing a good gutter on a beach and there are a few other things you will definitely want to remember when doing so.

PVC sand spikes and lots of them will keep your reels out of the sand and allow you to set out baits and sit back and relax. On that note, don’t forget to pack the camping chairs, as an upturned bucket soon becomes a very uncomfortable seat.

Warm clothes are a must, as even though the days might be balmy and pleasant, at night – or if a southerly wind picks up – you will need layers

This is when the action begins to hot up for bigger species like mulloway and gummy sharks. well to a good berley trail.

Most are hooked on a whole pilchard fished with gang hooks, but occasionally they’ll take lures.

Tailor on the South Coast are usually always big, with fish from 2-5kg being the norm. Whole pilchards or fish fillet strip

on the South Coast surf and some truly bragging-sized flatties are caught each year at the end of summer. It’s not as common, but certainly a welcome sight to see one wash up on a wave on the end of your line, and without doubt one of the best eating species you will catch.

of clothes to keep warm.

Throw in a beanie to keep your head happy as well.

Good lights around camp and a head lamp for night fishing is also a must, and make sure you have fresh batteries fitted in them.

A decent-sized esky with enough ice to keep

your catch fresh is a good idea, and a decent car fridge will keep drinks and food cold and fresh for your stay.

Don’t forget to take enough bait if you are there for a few days, and this can be supplemented with smaller species like herring and whiting that you catch.

Plenty of spare rigs, hooks, sinkers and leader material should be on hand to cover both light and heavy options. Pack wire trace and stronger hooks if you are chasing sharks, and a gaff is always handy if something big is eventually brought close enough in to land in the surf.

Finally be courteous to other beach users, and don’t just rock up and set up camp right on top of others who arrived there first, even if the gutter they are fishing looks amazing.

It is first in best dressed, so keep a reasonable distance between you and others.

This is not such a stupid idea, as setting up a berley trail in your own gutter away from others will mean that any decent fish moving in to feed will be finding your baits first.

Remember to stick to size and bag limits, clean up your mess and stay safe, and you will enjoy the beach fishing the South Coast has to offer.

Big tailor are a common species on South Coast beaches.

WESTMINSTER -

Boat City

08 9345 4311

BUNBURY -

Sports Marine Boat Centre

08 9721 4390

Check out the full range of Polycraft Boats at

www.polycraft.com.au

or contact us on 1800 336 603

MARCH 2019

17

F2.5 - F90

Promotion available from 01/02/19 to 19/04/19 on all newly purchased Yamaha F.25 - F90 four-stroke Outboards from all participating Yamaha dealers. Savings are based on current RRP and subject to change without notice. Available to Private buyers only on specified models installed and registered during the promotional period. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer. Terms and conditions apply. While stocks last. Visit your local dealer for more information.

South Coast

DROP INTO YOUR LOCAL DEALER TODAY

Fantastic weather ESPERANCE

WESTERN AUSTRALIA DEALERS ALBANY

WATERCRAFT MARINE

Boat Pens, ALBANY Ph: 08 9844 1819 info@watercraft.com.au

BALCATTA BOAT CITY

430 Wanneroo Road, WESTMINSTER Ph: 08 9345 4311 sales@boatcity.com.au

BIBRA LAKE CHIVERS MARINE

Jaimen Hudson

I can hardly believe that it is March already! We have had one of the busiest seasons on record down here in Esperance, where tourist numbers have accumulated from all around Australia.

People are here to visit our pristine white beaches, turquoise water and to catch some of our rare fish species.

Our fishing charters have been taking advantage of the fantastic weather that has been on offer. Operating on regular trips 15 to 30 nautical miles offshore and fishing between 50 and 70m of water on both granite and limestone.

Our regular catches include red snapper, queen snapper,

The fishing charters have been making the most of the great weather offshore. of baits. Taylor St jetty in town has been teeming with families over the summer holidays and weekends. Plenty of squid, herring, garfish, whiting and small skippy are

31 Port Kembla Drive, BIBRA LAKE Ph: 08 9434 1822 peter@chiversmarine.com.au

BROOME BROOME BOAT SHOP

23 Clementson Street, BROOME Ph: 08 9193 6777 sales@broomeboatshop.com.au

BUNBURY

SPORTS MARINE

57 Strickland Street, BUNBURY Ph: 08 9721 4390 sales@sportsmarine.com.au

DUNSBOROUGH BOSUN MARINE

214 Naturaliste Terrace, DUNSBOROUGH Ph: 08 9755 3439 bosunmarine@aapt.net.au

GERALDTON BAYSIDE MARINE AND MOTORCYCLES

Fishing deep could find you a good haul of queen snapper, like these beauties. breaksea cod & harlequin fish.

On top of that, we have also encountered some nice big samson fish!

The lakes have been great for bream lovers! Both Quallilup and Woody lake appear to be the hot spot with river prawns being the best

being caught. Arm yourself with pre-mix berley, coral prawns, squid, lures and a squid jig. Thumping squid and herring are being caught in the bay. You can also troll out towards Cooks Rocks from the Esperance Bay. This strip is aptly named “Squid Alley”.

Beach fishing on the 10 Mile has been great for keen salmon anglers. Park your car in the car park at the top and walk down the stairs turning left at the bottom.

Walk approximately 500m up the beach where I have had at least 10 reports of people fishing out into the lagoon using either metal slugs or using a gang hook rig with salted pilchards for bait. I would recommend taking both and seeing what works best on the day.

Our schools of Australian salmon start to come through thick around Easter time so although it is only March there is a chance you will begin seeing schools close to the shallows. If salmon isn’t your thing then I have seen people catching skippy along the beach that stretches between Twilight and Observatory.

They have once again been using salted pilchards, metal slugs and squid.

Regardless of where you go fishing or what you are in search of this month, autumn is one of the best seasons in Esperance. As we get very little sea-breeze, giving you optimal opportunity to spend your time fishing.

As always once you get to town don’t hesitate to pop in for more tips or a chat.

284 Place Road, GERALDTON Ph: 08 9964 3477 baysidemarine@westnet.com.au

MIDVALE AQUASPORTS MARINE

331 Great Eastern Highway, MIDVALE Ph: 08 9250 3339 info@aquasportsmarine.com.au

PORT HEDLAND PILBARA BOATS N BIKES

3756 Cajarina Road, PORT HEDLAND Ph: 08 9172 2279 tony@boatsnbikes.com.au

ROCKINGHAM

ROCKINGHAM BOATING

7 Crocker Street, ROCKINGHAM Ph: 08 9527 2999 sales@rockinghamboating.com.au A range of species, including red snapper, have been in solid numbers.

MARCH 2019

19

South Coast

March madness in the bay BREMER BAY

Kurt Blanksby

It’s funny how at the start of the salmon run all you want to do is find these fish, by the time they are on the back run in a few months most anglers have had their fill. Bremer Bay thankfully is one of the first locations that decent numbers of salmon invade from their annual run and you will find it hard to miss out from any of the local beaches or rock locations.

Fosters and Reef beaches are prime salmon spots at this time of year. With deep gutters and turbulent surf you only have to sit back and soak baits to get into the action as the hungry salmon move in close to feed. From out on the safer rock ledges you can have a great time bait fishing or spinning lures to passing schools of big salmon averaging 5kg+.

Rock anglers actually can find the swarms of salmon a bit of a pest as they devour live herring and other baits intended for bigger species like yellowtail kingfish and samsonfish. With the calmer weather of March and coming into April, many

brave the stones in chase of bigger species that are normally only the domain of boat anglers. With lighter winds and picking days of low swell you can hike your way out to the more remote spots. While trying your luck on prize species including dhufish, breaksea cod, queen and pink snapper and of course big yellowtail kings and samsonfish!

As the weather cools, big skippy will now be appearing from many of the rock locations and along the beaches. If you can get past the salmon by fishing smaller baits deeper, you should be able to pick up some good size skippy from the stones. Just keep safety in mind – never fish alone and get into the habit of wearing a PFD when out on the rocks.

The annual migration of salmon along the coast means some exciting fishing from March onwards, with fish averaging 5-8kg.

Herring are also everywhere along the coast and often the target of big hunting packs of salmon. It is not uncommon to see them beach themselves trying to avoid the salmon. A feed of herring is always worth the effort and it’s almost too easy at this time of year.

A little bit of berley in the water in any location will attract the attention of these fish, then just bait the fish with small hooks or cast tiny lures to easily catch a feed.

By now the landlocked estuary systems near Bremer Bay are usually pretty low and very salty but the black bream are still in there for those who know how to find them. Kayak anglers will really take advantage of these conditions by being able to cover big areas of water to locate where the bream are holding up. Most will choose to use small hardbody lures, but soft plastics will also get results, just as prawn or herring fillet.

March is also the time many boat anglers manage to finally get out and target the demersal species offshore. Cooler conditions and calmer seas usually result in good catches of pink, red and queen snapper,

Cooler conditions result in the arrival of good numbers of skippy into the Bremer area. There have been some decent specimens, like this fish caught on squid from the stones. breaksea cod, harlequin fish, dhufish and of course the arm stretching samson and yellowtail kingfish.

Many are now using various weighted jigs, depending on the depths to drift the spots with good results. Bait anglers will also be reaping the rewards, although the ease of using a demersal jig and their effectiveness is fast converting even the

424 PRO

biggest critics. Closer to shore there are some great boat fishing opportunities for big King George and sand whiting, skippy, flathead and squid.

In conclusion, March is a great month to take advantage of what Bremer Bay area has to offer before the cold south coast weather sets in and keeps all but the keen from wetting a line.

514 PRO

The highly refined skills of a Sniper means they can not only hit their target with precise accuracy but apply their skills in any environment.

That’s how we designed our deep V side console. It’s the ultimate cross over. Stable and capable in enclosed waters and tough and comfortable in the rough stuff.

The Sniper is fully equipped to target fish, anywhere. 3mm and 4mm construction with aggressive ribbing support means you can have total confidence in your hull strength.

A Deep V dead rise means you don’t have to slow down in the chop. The interior features the decking, storage, tanks and electronics you need to enjoy fuss free fishing.

The sniper package will give you the confidence to step your fishing up to the next level.

524 ELITE 20

MARCH 2019

For more information or to find your nearest Anglapro dealer visit www.anglapro.com.au

484 PRO

South Coast

Estuaries low but the action is still at a high ALBANY

Callum Dowell

Easter holidays are just around the corner and it’s time to start planning your fishing trips!

For the full-time employee, a sneaky ten days for the price of three is on offer as Easter slips into the same week as Anzac Day. So if you have not jumped on it yet, I bet your co-workers have!

With record low annual rainfall since the 1970s, the closed estuaries are starting to become weedy and low.

It’s a testing time for some of our best bream and whiting fisheries along the South Coast, as they’re in desperate need of a drink. Bremer Bay, Pallinup and Nannerup are all low, but still seem to be fishing well.

The Kalgan receives plenty of fishing pressure, but still produces some unbelievable fishing.

Local angler Deacon Plant managed a cracking 96cm mulloway on a 170mm floating swimbait. The fish smashed the lure in plain view at his feet as he was fishing one of the many rock platforms along the river.

Ryan Munday with a solid South Coast bass groper.

It’s always worth throwing a different lure around occasionally.

Doing this recently, I have discovered that big bream really enjoy pink lures!

A 49cm 1.96kg horse reassured me of this during a hot session in January on the Oyster Harbour flats.

Just a slow rolling action seems to be doing the trick.

Make sure that you slowly retrieve your lure all the way to your rod tip, as big bream do tend to follow your lure before making the decision to eat.

Ryan Munday took advantage of some calm conditions recently. He gradually worked his way out to 400m of water, picking up hapuka, blue eye trevalla and a giant Bass groper. Keeping his 350-500g jigs close to the bottom had the esky full in no time.

Western blue groper seem to be the most common capture on my Instagram feed recently, with the species in good numbers and sizes. Since the one fish bag limit, these fish have come back big time. I couldn’t imagine someone keeping four of these slow-growing fish! Although they are still vulnerable, they cannot resist a hook full of crab legs wafted past them.

A heavy set up with leader sizes anywhere to 200lb is required to wrestle these fish out from the nearest bommie. Their power is quite dangerous during a close quarters battle, so it’s important you have a bit of a plan and take in the surrounds before you even make your first cast.

Groper are nice to eat, but it’s nice to see a big fish like this swim away. A fish of 20kg plus can be over 50 years old, and is an important breeder for the population.

Salmon season draws record numbers of tourists to our coastline each year.

Unfortunately, there has been on average a death a year

over the past 19 years from those fishing on the rocks. If you are determined to catch a salmon and want to fish from the rocks, please make sure you have a lifejacket on and fish with a partner.

Keeping a close eye on the conditions and looking at your fishing area on a map will reduce the risk of an accident. Albany’s coastline has many different angles but if the wind is predicted

to turn southerly, you will become exposed very quickly and easily. Weather apps such as WillyWeather are great for finding out wind direction, speed and swell height.

The Daiwa Double Clutch 60mm has been a standout lure for many years on the South Coast.

JOIN THE CLUB’s Tackle Club is Australia

n box.

#1 Fishing Subscriptio

High quality fishing delivered to your door at an unbeatable price.

For just $49.99 a month + Free Shipping*

10% OFF use code FISH10

*Off your initial subscription price

See what box is right for you at www.tackleclub.com.au Products will vary monthly dependant on season. *Applies to subscriptions only.

Discount code only applies to monthly subscriptions

Ph 08 9844 7937

info@kalganrivercaravanpark.com.au www.kalganrivercaravanpark.com.au Set on 18 hectares with 900 metres fronting the beautiful Kalgan River surrounded by magnificent gum trees and native flora and fauna. We are Albany’s only river front caravan park that offers harbour and open water access for fishing, crabbing etc from our privately accessed on-site boat ramp.

• Boat ramp and jetty with fish cleaning area • 9 hole golf course • 2 camp kitchens • BBQ’s • Chalets and dongas • Powered and unpowered sites for caravans, motor homes, campers and tents.

MARCH 2019

21

West Coast

Catch a biter when it’s brighter AUGUSTA

Anthony Gillam

What a difference a few weeks of sunshine makes to your outlook on life.

When the sun is out and the days are long and warm not only do you feel happier and healthier, I think it also improves the mood of the ectothermic water dwellers of the South West.

The bright days have resulted in some great catches of yellow fin and King George whiting in the Hardy Inlet especially now that the sandbars have created many shallow flats and narrow channels. It is not unusual to see schools numbering in the hundreds cruising with intent just waiting to monster a stickbait or surface popper.

The bream fishing has likewise shown vast

improvement with much of the activity being located in the brackish waters of the Blackwood River heading upstream to the fresh water.

Fish sizes have been great, however, juveniles well outnumber the trophy fish. The short and sharp marron season had many people trying their hand at bagging a few in the Blackwood and Scott rivers with some mixed success.

While numbers were up

A typical bronzie caught off the beach in Augusta.

It was released to continue on its way.

on previous seasons, it was apparent that many spots were fished out of keepers within the first week. Reports of trophy size marron appear to have centred further north in clearer waters this year.

Tourist numbers around Augusta during the summer holiday period have vastly increased and as a result spots on the beaches have been a premium resource.

Most people have reported good catches of sand and King George whiting from the beaches from Jays Beach around the coast to Skippy Rock Beach with some big specimens making it all worthwhile. Fishing from the rocks has been hit and miss, and there is currently a distinct lack of herring feeding. Those that have been caught however, have been mature fish well worth the time spent bringing them around with berley.

Boating weather has been great with many back–to–back flat days in the ocean allowing for plenty of deep–water forays or exploration trips along the coastal reefs. Dhufish and pink snapper numbers have been exceptional. The

1

GULF RUNNER SERIES

2 3 4

5

All on Stessco Softride Premium Hull offering 5 years structural warranty if purchased as factory boat and trailer package.

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Small sharks like this are a common boating by-catch and probably the best eating size. number of juveniles caught and released has shown that there is an abundance of next season’s keepers out there. With the flatter water and brighter days,

Large front casting deck for 4 x access hatches and sub-floor Premium side console with plenty of real estate for electronics Standard with Hydraulic Steering Standard with Electrical Pre-Rig, Nav lights, Anchor lights, 500gph bilge pump and 5 gang switch panel with charging socket Underfloor Keeper Tank Underfloor Fuel Tank Fully plumbed live bait tank Large baitboard with 2 x rod holders Swim Style Transom Heavy Duty Boarding Ladder 4 x Rod holder standard 2 x Long Side Pockets Large Alloy Anchor Well, c/w structure for drum winch install

OPTIONAL Electric Motor Bracket Bow and Side grab rails

For more information or to find your nearest Stessco dealer

visit www.stessco.com.au 22

MARCH 2019

the members of the diving fraternity were scrambling to get tanks recertified and refilled in time to take advantage of the glass off conditions. Reports of

West Coast jumbo rock lobster, dhufish and various demersal species gracing the catch bags were common.

As the summer season moves on to autumn, the southwest winds that can cause havoc drop away creating warm still days and clear evenings which are ideal for planting yourself in a camp chair on the

at bunnings. Often taken, as boat fishing by catch the bronze whaler shark not only is one of the better tasting members of the grey coat brigade, they are also the most abundant sharks here. The advantage of targeting the bronze whaler is that your equipment doesn’t have to be that specialised to catch them

baited herring or mackerel.

Using a heavy mono leader on a paternoster rig or simply sight casting an unweighted bait works well.

Casts don’t need to be far, 50m or so is usually quite sufficient as the sharks mooch around very close to shore. If you are worried about being bitten off then a short wire trace of 80lb will

This 3.5kg rock lobster captured while diving made a welcome addition to the dinner table for Ryan Montgomery. beach. It doesn’t take much encouraging to have the whole family interested in an afternoon at the beach especially once they have witnessed some of the action that can be had with the various species of shark that cruise the coastline.

Augusta is well known for “bronzie burgers”, which are as common at fundraisers here as the ubiquitous snag in bread is

and they are generally clean fighters. If you are patient, more often than not when you hook one it will be going home with you.

For beach fishing it is common to use a standard beach rod and reel loaded with at least 400m of braid or mono. A rod bucket or gimbal belt will make things a lot more comfortable if a prolonged fight occurs. Bait is as simple as a live or dead

A pair of demersals from the pristine waters of Flinders Bay speared by Trent Buckland.

be well and truly sufficient.

Berley will definitely attract sharks to you, however, if in an area where people like to swim then I would definitely think twice. Any minced fish with a decent streak oil will pay dividends when used frequently but sparingly.

When boat fishing, a similar berley trail can be created and a floating line out the back will often pick up small sharks around the 1m mark as they hone in on the source. These small sharks are probably the ideal size for eating. It is important to know that there is a maximum size limit for any whaler caught and this is currently 700mm interdorsal fin length. Basically it is a measurement from in front of the dorsal fin to the back of the rear dorsal fin.

I have found that generally this is any shark around 1.8m+. So why not give shark fishing a try, not only is it something to do on a lazy afternoon with the family but they taste great on the plate as well.

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

MARCH 2019

23

West Coast

Cooling weather opens up more options BUSSELTON

Stephen Norman

January’s conditions followed on into last month, with anglers finding success from the shore and from the boat.

in numbers. Interestingly, scooping from the shore seemed to be produce better results than those dropping nets from their boats.

That’s not to say they were missing out, but the larger of the crabs seemed to be hugging the shoreline on

A solid dhufish taken on a 160g Ocean Legacy Contact Jig near Canal Rocks.

WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING? Tailor finally began making an appearance in the bay, with solid numbers coming mostly from Port Geographe Marina rock wall and Forest Beach. Fishing from 7pm until around 9pm seemed to yield the best results, and while they’re not huge tailor, anglers were still bagging a feed and even bumping into the occasional juvenile mulloway.

Those chasing the chopper tailor were also rewarded with a decent number of blue swimmer crabs. The crabbing scene has taken a steep decline over the holiday break, but February saw a complete turnaround

the warm evenings. Again, Forest Beach and Wonnerup seemed to yield the best results, but most areas along Geographe Bay saw a rise in crab numbers.

Whiting numbers in the bay remained strong all month long, with yellowfin schools frequently roaming the shallows. Anglers fishing shallow areas such as the drains and river mouths between Busselton and Dunsbrough with bloodworms have bagged the best catches on those hot days. Despite some relatively cool sea surface temperatures, boat anglers have still been keeping busy.

Dhufish numbers have been among some of the

best in years, with numbers seemingly solid from legal size fish, right up to the odd 23 and even 24kg donkey. The majority of these fish have come from the West Coast and north of Cape Naturaliste in depths from 35-50m.

Breaksea cod and particularly harlequin fish catches have been far more common than usual. Most fish are coming as by-catch in the same areas as dhufish. Landbased anglers have even stolen a little of the thunder from the boat anglers, with a few solid dhufish taken from the rocks! Rocky Point or Sugarloaf Rock are both good areas to try.

WHAT TO EXPECT IN MARCH With sea surface temperatures plateauing out around the 20-21°C mark, pelagic action hasn’t been as hot as it was last year. While anglers off Perth have been getting into solid Spanish mackerel, they have only been seen here and there in the South West, with only a few catches confirmed.

Tuna are also a little quieter than usual, but still around. Trolling skirts or bibbed minnows around the 160mm size near the 25m-30m mark has been most effective for either mackerel or bluefin tuna in the bay and on the West Coast. Carefully monitoring your sounder for temperature breaks and bait schools is important here.

If you’re looking to take the kids fishing, then there are a few options available in March. Herring and squid numbers are due to increase right across the bay, so hit the jetty late in the afternoon or evening for some easy, accessible action. Try using some dry bread for berley when chasing herring, as this will bring the herring to the surface without attracting plagues of trumpeters.

Warm temperatures should see the yellowfin whiting continue to patrol

This mulloway ate a 3” soft plastic intended for a flathead, and this is as good as by-catches come from a rock wall! the beaches in good numbers, which makes for an easy feed. Use a simple running sinker rig with a small size 8-10 long shank hook and bloodworm for bait. In March last year, we had a large storm in the South West caused by a tropical cyclone

some larger tailor along our southern beaches towards Cowaramup and Gracetown.

The turbulent weather this time of year often creates solid gutters for the tailor to hang in, and they are often accompanied by some thumper herring. Try Redgate

we have had warmer air temperatures but colder sea surface temperatures thus far. This means we should see a much more productive salmon run than last year.

Initial hot spots last year seemed to be Hamelin Bay and Injidup Beach, so

A good size tailor taken from a West Coast beach just before sunset.

This healthy samsonfish smoked a bright purple DTX Minnow in 35m of water.

24

MARCH 2019

to the north. This unseasonal weather bought about an early run of pink snapper in the bay and even from our beaches. So be on the lookout towards the end of the month for some possible shifts in weather and if so, the snapper won’t be far behind.

Depths from 22-28m seemed to produce consistently throughout this period last year for anglers targeting snapper from a boat.

Should some early winter weather pass over us, then expect good conditions for

Beach, Injidup, Moses Rock Beach and Contos.

Toward the end of this month we should see the annual salmon run begin to crank up. Going by last year’s events, we began seeing small schools passing the Cape around the 25 March and gradually increasing in numbers from then on. Although we didn’t have a bumper season last year due to warmer water, thanks to the El Niño this year we should see a turnaround as

these are both worth a go in the early stages of the season. Once in full swing, salmon can be plucked from just about any beach from Meelup, right around Cape Naturaliste and all down the West Coast.

• 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.

ESTA

BUNBURY

BLIS

1976 BUN

HED

BUR

Y

Since 1976 Sportsmarine has been servicing the West Australian boating scene with a wide range of quality boats, accessories and great workshop service.

2018 YAMAHA FX SVHO Only $23,475 saving $3,000

2018 YAMAHA VX LTD

Only $16,875 saving $1,500

250hp top of the range ski with 3 yr warranty • Ideal to fish from and all the power to tow with • Tow away on licenced roller trailer

115hp high output engine still delivers plenty of get up & go with 3 years warranty • Ideal to fish from and enough power for towing Tow away on licenced trailer

685 Cruisecraft Targa

625 Cruisecraft Targa Top Now Only $97,500 All New

Tow away all new $149,999

All new 2019 model f/glass off hore boat foam filled for safety • a/winch • 16’’ raymarine sounder/gps deckwash • 250hp Yamaha • Full deluxe drive on trailer

As tested by WA Fishing Monthly

Toilet • Bunks • D/Wash • Shower • Anchor winch • VHF,HDS10 with 1Kw Transducer • 200HP G2 E TEC with Power Steering • Drive On Cruisecraft trailer

660 Assassin Cuddy

All new $125,775

Proven tough offshore performance • Big spacious cabin to sleep in with massive rear deck • Full i beam drive on trailer Powered by 225hp Yamaha

660 Assassin Island Cab (7.2 MTR O/A)

All new $114,775

200HP Yamaha 4 Stroke Drive by Wire • Dual batteries • Heavy duty drive on trailer • VHF,NAV,DECK LIGHTS • 250L fuel • Kill tank • Awesome build quality • Fantastic riding

Also tiller models in stock for $38,675

5.0 Seajay With 60hp Yamaha 4 stroke..all new $36,999 Tough Mate With 70hp 4 stroke & sounder..all new $39,500

460 Seajay Ranger Sports Side Console All new $41,500 Self drain deck with checkerplate floor

All sealed checker plate floor • 80 L fuel tank • Ice box/padded seat Licenced trailer • Safety gear package

Masive storage • Welded in stubby holders • 70HP Yamaha 4 Stroke Hydraulic Steering • Heavy Duty Galvanised Trailer

630 Seajay Trojan

Was $99,750 Save $9,750

Buy NOW at $89,999 all new bargain Big tough hardtop Sealed deck/checkerplate floor • Deckwash • Alloy tandem trailer • Dual battery • Offshore safety gear • 150hp Yamaha 4 stroke

57 Strickland Street, Bunbury WA

(08) 9721 4390

sportsmarine.com.au

West Coast

Offshore Bunbury is delivering the goods BUNBURY

Ben White

Offshore Bunbury has been epic lately with boaties reporting King George whiting in the 17-26m marks off Binningup.

The artificial reefs have also held their usual fair share of samson fish giving anglers and their fishing gear a good work out. If targeting samsonfish, try metal jigs worked at a fast pace through the water column as they can’t resist. Remember to hold on once hooked up as they pull very hard!

The prized dhufish has been a constant in our fishing reports over the past month with a variety of methods proving their worth. Jigs in the 100g – 250g range and in the

red and pink colours have been popular. Successful soft plastic colours on the other hand have been the glow and pearl colours in the six to eight inch range.

My favourite being the “RO” jig, which has been accounting for countless dhufish and even a few pink snapper. Rigging one of these jigs with a twin assist and working the bottom five metres of the water column is a sure way to get some dhufish action.

Salmon, the time is now!

Grab you surf and light flick rods and go and have some fun. Lures are a great ‘mess free’ way to target these hard fighting sportfish. Look for the schools of salmon, which will look like a weed bed, only moving. Any weighted or metal lure are popular due the fact you can get a decent cast. Attempt

Steve Timmins with a cracking 21kg dhufish caught on jig.

Josh Italiano ticked one off his bucket list – a dhufish on fly! to lob your cast 5-10m in front of the moving school and watch as fish peel away from the school and attack your lure. Reports along the local Buffalo and Belvedere beaches have been steady, as well as Binningup and Myalup beach which are showing some great numbers.

Blue swimmer crabs are still on offer in the Leschenault Estuary. If you’re happy to get your feet wet and spend a bit of time walking the flats, you should be able to manage a feed. For the boaties out there, try dropping your nets on the edge of the sand bar drop-offs.

The Collie River has been fishing really well with reports of black bream over the 40cm mark. Fishing river prawns as bait rigged on a 1/0 bait holder style hook with a small running ball sinker is a simple but effective way to target these fish. If lures are your thing then the Keitech plastics seem to be out fishing everything else.

Harvey Dam has been fishing well for redfin

perch, look for rocky banks with plenty of structure as this is where the redfin hide out. The norm is generally spinners but don’t discount soft plastics. I personally rig a slightly heavier jig head

(around the 1/8oz) to ensure my plastic is getting down where the fish are.

Beach fisho’s can expect to find good numbers of yellowfin whiting cruising the beaches. A simple

running ball sinker down to a long shank hook with either bloodworm or sandworm as bait is proving to be most successful. A tip for chasing yellowfin whiting from the beach is not to cast too far! They normally sit in the wash only 8-10ft from the shoreline. We are still getting good tailor reports from south of Buffalo Beach, these fish have not been in huge numbers but the size are certainly making up for it with most fish well over the 40cm mark. On those still nights when the wind is behaving I find it best to bait cast a mulie or scaly with little to no weight, while using a very slow retrieve.

• 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.

Steven Murphy with a monster dhufish weighing over the magic 20kg mark.

TURN FISHING INTO CATCHING This back to basics echo sounder book has brought many new insights to even the most experienced fishers

$

ONLY

SECOND EDITION OUT NOW!

95

49

TAGE FREE POSUS IN A 26

MARCH 2019

Over 130 diagrams, screen captures and colour images Easy to read and understand - Now includes Imaging Sonar and CHIRP

View sample pages and purchase online at www.howtouseafishfinder.com ONE DAY INTENSIVE SOUNDER COURSES ARE AVAILABLE - John 0405 209 101

GET ONBOARD

FULL RANGE OF MODELS AVAILABLE...

500 CUDDY

550 CUDDY

600 CUDDY

650 CUDDY

550 RUNABOUT

650 WALK AROUND

650 HTG

650 HARD TOP

750 HARD TOP

Western Australia Dealer:

Northbank Fibreglass Boats @northbankboats

18 HAWKINS ST, EAST BUNBURY, WA 6230

(08)

9791 1499

West Coast

Get upriver for action MANDURAH

Jesse Choy

March is looking good for anglers out on the water this month. There is a lot going on around Mandurah!

There’s whiting, crabs and tailor all very much still on offer, and plenty of

Offshore, there is plenty of great-sized dhufish, pink snapper, King George whiting and also tuna being captured. Mackerel are also showing up from time to time around the rock walls in Mandurah, so it is definitely paying to have a line in the water when you can. These fish are very opportunistic,

If you get them at the right time, the bream have full bellies and pull twice as much string. mulloway are being caught by beach anglers, although reports are showing that there is a bit of sifting to be done through the smaller fish before reaching the bigger specimens. Fresh baits are proving to be key, with mullet and tailor being popular choices for those setting a line out from the beach.

and follow the abundance of bait schools into the shorelines, trying to narrow their meal’s escape route and quite often those who are catching them are not quite expecting them.

All of this action only encourages the fish to come in a bit closer than they usually would, as the expenditure of energy is

quickly replenished through eating the schools of bait, making it worthwhile.

Trolling baits or shallow diving lures is proving quite effective for boat and kayak anglers, as you are able to cover a lot of ground, increasing your odds of putting your offering into the face of a hungry fish.

Who knows, with the way things are you might find yourself also catching a tuna, mahimahi or kingfish while you try, as there are a few showing up here and there on in the inner reefs.

As this warmer weather begins to escape us, so do our chances at targeting these fish, which we do not come here too often, and this means that those who are keen to try their luck are best to do so before the nastier weather becomes more prevalent.

There are reports of some larger Australian salmon being captured from around the rock walls, groynes and southern beaches. This indicates that it really should not be long before we start to see the thick dark patches of salmon cruising up our coastal waters.

While drifting back a pilchard is quite effective when targeting these fish, there is plenty of fun to be had when it comes to

Tim with a nice chunky salmon on the Dr Hook School Bully, a favourite sinking lure that many go to when chasing salmon. catching the salmon on lures.

As long as you are putting the cast out when there is fish about, there isn’t a whole lot you can do wrong in most cases. Stationing yourself near points that act as highways for the fish can often be beneficial, as the fish quite often follow the shoreline closely, picking up bait while on their way north.

These fish are also more than willing to take lures ranging from soft plastics to surface lures, meaning that it’s never been a better time to try your luck at lure fishing if you have been holding back.

Bream are being found throughout the Murray and

Submerged trees, jetties, bridges and boats are all great places to start. Both of the river systems, offer plenty of these good areas and quite often hold numbers of resident fish that do not move overly far from their homes. A kayak or boat is preferred when chasing these fish on lures. Those fishing with baits like prawn or worms, however, are finding that they are able to get stuck into a few by casting hard up on the base of bridge pylons like the ones at Pinjarra Road.

Fish are also being caught well upstream in both of the systems, which

out, encouraging these fish to gorge themselves more than usual. Often if there is too much competition, the bream will be a lot more hesitant to commit and reject offerings, preferring to save energy.

In April we can expect to see many anglers out on the water as the biggest schools of salmon start to show up. Year round you are able to target the smaller salmon trout, but quite often you will not find many over legal or a couple of kilograms. These fishing turn up around April, however they are of a much better quality and often become the focus of fishers

Cruising the rivers of Mandurah is a very peaceful activity.

FLUSH YOUR ENGINE WITH

MULTI-FUNCTION ENGINE FLUSH AND SPRAY GUN

Massimo with a solid chunk extracted from the timber on the upper Murray.

KILLS SALT CORROSION SALT REMOVING TREATMENT

Most value for money • Most concentrated (512-1) Compatible with most hose fittings WARNING 9 out of 10 engines fail due to salt corrosion. ACT NOW and flush your engine!

FREEPHONE

1800 091 172

www.salt-away.com.au 28

MARCH 2019

Serpentine rivers, but to find the sizeable fish you are going to need to work, particularly when you are chasing them on lures. At this time of the year your options are going to be plentiful, but also dependent on whether or not you are bound to the shore or if can move around by boat or kayak.

reflects that there has been a string of finer weather around the area. These fish go well upstream, not only to spawn, but also get away from the competition other species bring further downstream. Since the water salinity levels change the further you go up, less fresh tolerant species are filtered

who are not able to get stuck into big fish too often.

Tims thicket, White Hills and Preston Beach are all great starting points, as they are known holding grounds for these fish when they arrive and often provide insight to how the rocks just north will be fishing very soon.

Outboards

MANDURAH MANDURAH

Finance & Insurance Finance & Insurance

www.mandurahoutboards.com.au www.mandurahoutboards.com.au

®

®

MERCURY SALE SAVE 800

$ $ SAVE UP TO

UP TO ON ON 40/60HP 40/60HP

FourStroke FourStroke Models Models

OFFER ENDS 22ND MARCH 2019 OFFER ENDS 22ND MARCH 2019 Weekly payments based on 8.95% 60 month. Terms and conditions apply.

Weekly payments based on 8.95% 60 month. Terms and conditions apply.

$ $

18,284 18,284

420 RENEGADE TS Packaged with a Mercury 420 RENEGADE TS 40hp EFI FourStroke with electric start and power aluminium trailer, bow mount Packaged with atrim, Mercury 40hp EFI FourStroke with thruster electric bracket, safety packagetrailer, and 12 months and start and inshore power trim, aluminium bow mountboat thruster trailer license, yousafety are out on the water $18,284boat and bracket, inshore package and 12for months trailer license, you are out on the water for $18,284

$ $

47.92 47.92 WEEKLY $ $

WEEKLY

WEEKLY

49.32

$ $

49.32 WEEKLY WEEKLY

13,378 13,378

420 BUSTA 420 BUSTA Featuring Blade Hull, casting platform, carpeted low Featuring Blade Hull, there casting platform,room carpeted low floor and side pockets, is enough in this 4.27 flmeter oor and pockets, in this 4.27 to fiside t all the fishingthere gearisasenough well as room seat four people meter to fit allallthe shing gear asprice well as seat four people comfortably, at fian affordable with Mercury 30hp comfortably, all at an from affordable price with Mercury 30hp FourStroke packaged only $13,378 FourStroke packaged from only $13,378

$ $

43.33 43.33 WEEKLY $ $

$ $

$ $

33,990 33,990

460 RENEGADE 460 RENEGADE It’s time to get ready for a fishing adventure the new Quintrex It’s to get ready a fishingQuintrex adventureAluminium the new Quintrex 460time Renegade SideforConsole Trailer 460 Side Console Quintrex Aluminium Trailer with Renegade Mechanical Brakes, Mercury 60hp EFI FourStroke with Mechanical Brakes, Factory MercuryFitted 60hpBimini EFI FourStroke Command Thrust, Quintrex Lowrance Command Thrust, Quintrex Factory Fitted Bimini Motorwell Lowrance Elite 7 Ti GPS/Sounder Combination, Renegade Elite 7 Ti GPS/Sounder Renegade and Rear Live Bait Tank,Combination, 12 Months Rego on BoatMotorwell & Trailer, Inshore Package, VHF Marine Radio, Bow and RearSafety Live Bait Tank, 12 GME Months Rego on Boat & Trailer, Mount Thruster the water go $33,990 Inshore Safety Bracket Package,onGME VHF ready Marineto Radio, Bow Mount Thruster Bracket on the water ready to go $33,990

$ $

49,990 49,990

59,990 59,990

530 FREESTYLER Perfect for the family, the 530 Freestyler offers safety and 530 FREESTYLER plenty offor Storage.

The new Raised Side deck hassafety increased Perfect the family, the 530 Freestyler offers and freeboard by 80mmThe to increase internal and improve plenty of Storage. new Raised Side volume deck has increased safety for by the Family.

Packaged withvolume the Mercury 90hp freeboard 80mm to increase internal and improve FourStroke, Quintrex and loads for 90hp only safety for the Family.trailer Packaged with of theextras Mercury $59,990 FourStroke, Quintrex trailer and loads of extras for only $59,990

490 FISHABOUT 490 FISHABOUT Packaged with the Mercury 75hp EFI FourStroke and Packaged with the 75hp EFITop, FourStroke and aluminium trailer, with Mercury a 6 foot high Bimini stainless steel aluminium with aElite 6 foot7Ti high Bimini Top, stainless steel rear ladder,trailer, Lowrance Sounder/GPS combination, rear Lowrance Elite Sounder/GPS combination, GMEladder, 27Mhz marine radio and7Ti front & side clears all for only GME 27Mhz marine radio and front & side clears all for only $42,150 $42,150

$ $

53 Gordon Rd, Greenfields, Mandurah PH: 9581 7224 53 Gordon Rd, Greenfields, Mandurah PH: 9581 7224

54,200 54,200

530 FISHABOUT The perfect companion for your next fishing trip, this 530 FISHABOUT runabout can companion carry five people andnext their fifishing shing gear The perfect for your trip, and this delivers fuel economy withand a 95L fuelfishing tank packaged runaboutgreat can carry five people their gear and with a Mercury 90hp four stroke aluminium trailer, delivers great fuel economy withQuintrex a 95L fuel tank packaged of extras won’t aluminium last long attrailer, only with aloads Mercury 90hp this four package stroke Quintrex $54,200 with loads of extras this package won’t last long at only $54,200

$ $

530 RENEGADE The in the Renegade Centre Console Range this is for 530largest RENEGADE the serious Complete the Millennium The largest infisherman. the Renegade Centrewith Console Range this isHull for and serious includesfiall the bareComplete essentials for the a fishing adventure. the sherman. with Millennium Hull Mandurah water for drive awayadventure. package, and includesOutboards all the bareon essentials a fishing Quintrex Aluminium with drive Mechanical Brakes, Mandurah Outboards Trailer on water away package, Mercury 115hp EFi FourStroke with Mercury Vessel View Quintrex Aluminium Trailer with Mechanical Brakes, 4, Painted115hp Hull, EFi Lowrance Elite with 9 Ti Mercury GPS/Sounder combo, Mercury FourStroke Vessel View Renegade Well & LiveElite Bait9Tank, 12 Months Boat and 4, Painted Motor Hull, Lowrance Ti GPS/Sounder combo, Trailer License, marine Battery Renegade MotorCentury Well & Live Bait Battery Tank, 12 and Months BoatBox, and GME VHF Marine Radio, marine Hydraulic Steering Offshore Trailer License, Century Battery and and Battery Box, Safety Package.

GME VHF Marine$49,990 Radio, Hydraulic Steering and Offshore Safety Package. $49,990

42,150 42,150

105,536 105,536

650 TRIDENT HARD TOP The top design meansTOP you can enjoy your boat in all 650hard TRIDENT HARD weather with Mercury The hardconditions. top designPackaged means you canthe enjoy your 200hp boat inDTS all V6 FourStroke on a Quintrex aluminium Simrad weather conditions.

Packaged with the trailer, Mercury 200hpNSS9 DTS Sounder & GPSoncombo, Deckaluminium Wash, plus loadsSimrad more extras V6 FourStroke a Quintrex trailer, NSS9 for only $105,536 drive away.

Sounder & GPS combo, Deck Wash, plus loads more extras for only $105,536 drive away.

www.mandurahoutboards.com.au www.mandurahoutboards.com.au

West Coast

Sensational fishing on the sand LANCELIN

Peter Fullarton

March and April are the peak months to chase Spanish mackerel. We have already seen some solid fish hooked that were caught following schools of tuna

back edge and any of the reef breaks has also been a good spot for a Spanish and shark mackerel. Trolling over reef in the shallower areas there is always a chance of a demersal or sambo taking a lure. If there are tuna schools around, be sure to concentrate some effort

If you only have a small dinghy, it is a good time to catch some quality fillets of the prized dhufish. They are spawning and can be found in close to shore on lumps in less than 10m. Pink snapper will be also moving inshore and each night they come in close to the beach, giving

Jason Gill nailed this mammoth tailor, which exceeded 90cm. and James Smith notably caught a 12kg specimen casting mulies from the beach at Guilderton.

Trolling hardbody lures is the most popular method.

I have had a lot of success using the Halco Laser Pro 190, with the red head and white body pattern being my favourite lure. I also like the X-Rap Magnum 14-16cm in silver/ blue or green/gold. It is best to use a spread of lures that run at different depths and have the deepest divers on the shorter distance out from the boat, as this will stop them tangling as you turn the boat as well as increase the fishing efficiency, targeting several depths at the same time. A good speed is around 6-10 knots.

Trolling around the lumps out in 35m has proven to be a good ploy. Luckily enough for the smaller boats, they can also be found close into shore from 17-21m of water. There is often plenty of bait schools moving through these depths, along with flying fish, which are one of the favourite foods for Spanish mackerel. Just outside the outer edge of Lancelin Bay and off the

trolling around them, as the mackerel stalk these schools picking off the smaller fish.

If there is a lot of weed about, then you’re best switching to skirted lures, which should be trolled 10-12 knots. You could also try trolling a spread of differently weighted skirted garfish, for which you can slow the pace down to 4-5 knots, saving a lot of fuel.

There have also been tuna caught, mainly southern bluefin to date, but more recently the striped tuna have been becoming more prevalent.

Yellowtail kingfish have been caught trolling across lumps and along the white bank, and also by casting lures or bait towards reef breaks.

Boats chasing demersal species have been reporting bags of a mix between dhufish, snapper, breaksea cod and baldchin groper with the odd fox fish, queen snapper and red snapper in the mix. When the weather allows for boats to get out wider for a deep drop, there have been some absolute monster hapuka and Bass groper caught along with trevalla and grey band cod.

shore anglers a chance to get amongst the demersal fish. A number of groups have managed to bag out on overnight sessions on the pink snapper.

While you are on the move in the boat keep an eye

out, as there have been good numbers of hammerhead sharks moving along the surface. They are usually pretty quick to take a bait cast in their direction.

Herring numbers have been steadily increasing and they can be caught along the beaches and from the jetty. They are attracted to the lights of the jetty at night.

Most nights you can expect schools of fish around the jetty. Bait fishers do well on cut prawn and using bread or pollard berley to get the fish feeding. If using lures, they are at their most aggressive from just on sunset. Good lures to use are soft plastics jerk shads around 8cm long.

You can also expect to catch skippy, snook, pike and tarwhine while chasing the herring on lures.

At times the herring can be frustrating, not fully taking the lure into their mouths. They hang on to the tail until you attempt to lift them onto the jetty. On those nights, using a small metal lure around 5-10g with the hook at the rear of the lure will be a lot more successful.

They have been in very good numbers along the northern and southern beaches as well, with fish of a better size some 30cm or more. They have

James Smith caught this impressive mackerel casting a mulie off the beach at Guilderton. been readily taking mulies intended for tailor, and if you buy the smaller mulies and downsize your gang to suit with 3/0 hooks, you can land some great mixed hauls of both tailor and herring.

Autumn is when some of the biggest mulloway are caught from the beaches, as they will be finished spawning and have a good appetite. The mullet run will be in full swing, which means big mulloway will be close to shore where the mullet are moving through.

It is a good time of year to use mullet for bait to tempt a

There have been some jumbo crays caught recently, like these ones from Kirk Dewar taken from 26m.

FREE PHONE

(07)

EXPRESS SHIPPING *For orders over $125.00 (conditions apply)

Follow us on:

5536 3822

anglerswarehouse.com.au 30

MARCH 2019

bigger fish.

There is plenty of tailor being caught from both north and south of town, with the fish being of a good size and in great condition. There have been some interesting by catches chasing tailor lately, with sharks, solid flathead in the 45-60cm range and guitar fish up to 40kg. The guitar fish are more commonly caught when using berley.

They are similar to the shovelnose ray, in that they are very efficient at detecting the berley scent. They are a much more powerful fish than the standard shovelnose, so if you hook into a big one it will give you some big strong fast runs and take a while to get in. They will do a lot of direction changes during the fight and have you guessing about what you’ve hooked. The tell tale is the solid whacks on the line each time the tail hits it when it is swimming away from you.

Samson have also been getting into the act. The best place to find a land-based samson this time of year is along the south side of any reef structure adjacent to the beach where they lay in wait for the passing mullet schools.

The lobster potters have been having a ball catching jumbos from outside the white bank. Now we can expect a good run of red crayfish in very close to the beach over the March new moon period. Make sure to get those pots right into the reef and you should do very well over this period!

West Coast

Pelagics and demersals flying over the gunwales JURIEN BAY

Jason Harris

The fishing off Jurien Bay continues to fire, with Spanish mackerel on the troll and plenty of dhufish on the bottom.

jumping from the jetty.

There have been plenty of catches of dhufish in the 10-15kg range, with good numbers being reported.

Anywhere from Cervantes up to Leeman has been producing. Fish are in anything from 30-60m of water and

Jack caught this Spanish mackerel trolling a lure around a reef just outside the bay.

The Spanish mackerel have been caught trolling just outside the reef, and also in the bay as well. There was even a report of one caught off the beach down near Hill River. They are chasing the big schools of hardiheads and herring that are in the bay at the moment. The mackerel have also been sighted free

are loving jigs. Kane from Turquoise Coast Safaris says the metal jigs are killing it on the dhufish in around 60m of water.

Schools of small tuna have also turned up out on the bank. The fishing conditions are expected to remain good for the next couple of months.

With the winds starting to back

off, there should be plenty of good days through March to get among them.

Inside the bay there are still plenty of squid around too.

Catches have been best when drifting squid jigs over weed bank areas in the bay. The herring catches are good, with some bigger herring coming in. Fishing around the islands with plenty of berley is best.

The good tailor run continues, with good-sized tailor being caught from the beaches. Late afternoon, evening and into the night have been working best. Keeping a good berley trail going is essential, and don’t forget to put a bait out for mulloway.

They are still around, with the best reports of late coming from Sandy Cape. The usual baits like hardiheads and mulies are doing the damage.

Tailor are still around at dawn, with best success coming from around the reefs near the shore. You will find them some mornings off the beach just south of town. Schools of mullet are coming through and the tailor can be found harassing them.

Early morning with a light easterly is best.

Shane from Seasport Tackle says that there are big whiting coming from the

beaches, with sandworms being the bait of choice.

The jetty is still firing for herring, tailor, skippy, squid and snook. Tailor are mostly being caught late in the afternoon and into the night. There are big herring around the jetty, and it seems that you will either hit a big school and catch heaps, or see none. Persistence and plenty of berley is the key.

With so much bait in the bay and Spanish mackerel sighted free jumping off the jetty, it’s a good time to float a

bait out under a balloon. A bit of easterly wind helps to push the bait out. It’s best to use a large bait, like a big mulie, scaly mackerel or mullet, and even better if you can catch a small live bait.

There’s still plenty of squid around taking squid jigs, with the green and yellow colour schemes still the best producers.

There are still catches of skippy, herring and tailor coming from the marina. The fishing is still slow, but the numbers are increasing.

The crab numbers are good, with plenty of large crabs being caught in the nets.

Make sure you put the nets on good clean sand. Keep out of the areas with the slimy weed.

Crays are still coming in from the usual areas in the bay. They should finish their breeding cycle during February, so late February through to March we should stop seeing crays with tar spots and berries. The crays are still around the usual spots, such as Wire Reef, Pumpkin Hollow and behind Favourite.

A 10kg dhufish caught by Alvin with a metal jig.

THE outboard of the FUTURE

Evinrude E-TEC G2 The outboard of the future. AVAILABLE TODAY Introducing a revolutionary concept in outboards – a choice.

Now, choose cutting-edge over commonplace. Choose more torque over more talk. Choose more time on the water over more time in the shop. Choose the outboard that performs, and looks like no other outboard in the world.

Contact your local dealer today

BIBRA LAKE

Chivers Marine

31 Port Kembla Drive, Bibra Lake 08 9434 1822 www.chiversmarine.com.au • sales@chiversmarine.com.au

OSBORNE PARK

MANDURAH

Mandurah Motor Marine

97 Park Road, Mandurah 08 9581 5020 www.mandurahmotormarine.com.au scott@mandurahmotormarine.com.au

Muhling Marine

6/4 Burgay Court, Osborne Park 08 9242 3600 www.muhlingmarine.com.au enginesales@muhlingmarine.com.au

MARCH 2019

31

West Coast

Take your chances to get out as they come GERALDTON

Graham Maunder & Michael Triantopoulos

Traditional summer weather patterns of constant southerly winds and swells have pushed banks of weed and sea grass along many of our most popular local surf

options. These northern areas have had the normal summer species like dart, whiting, herring, tailor, striped sea pike, school mulloway and sharks. This summer there has been more than the occasional catches of fork tail catfish and bonefish.

Port Gregory through to Sandalwood Bay has

The beaches and reefs south of Geraldton have been hard work due to the weed movement, but if you can find enough clear water there are plenty of dart, herring, tailor and mulloway. If you can get a calmer morning there are lots of school whiting up to 30cm and a few larger yellowfin whiting.

Jonti Rutherford with a coral trout caught on soft plastic not far from the marina.

One of the authors with a dhufish caught on a recent trip 8nm northwest of the marina in 33m. beaches, so having a look at the areas away from your home turf can widen your experience and give some unexpected results.

BEACHES Bowes River mouth, Horrocks Beach, Little Bay and Port Gregory are only an hour or two north of Geraldton, but even though they are also affected by the same weather conditions, there are enough protected areas and surf channels inside the coastal reefs to provide a good variety of fishing

had catfish up to 65cm in bag limit quantities and in Sandalwood Bay north to Wagoe a large number of bonefish in the 60-90cm size, tailor and school mulloway have been taken. With small windows of easterly offshore winds there have been Spanish mackerel in the 8-15kg size range caught from north off Lucky Bay to Wagoe. Sharks have also been an issue eating balloon baits and being a nuisance at night to the anglers chasing mulloway and pink snapper.

LAND-BASED Around 60km south of Geraldton, the coastal towns of Dongara and Port Denison have an excellent harbour with surrounding rock walls that protect the local fishing boats involved in the cray fishing and wet lining industry, as well as an active recreational fishing community. Fishing from the jetties inside the marina and off the rock walls both inside and out is a bit seasonal, but in recent weeks the black bream fishing inside has

Nat Gedero caught this coral trout in 33m of water.

32

MARCH 2019

been very productive with 30-40cm fish not unusual.

School mulloway, orange spotted rock cod, yellowtail, tailor and herring are reasonably common captures. When the odd unexpected larger fish takes the bait in amongst the ropes, pylons and rocks, your chances of seeing the fish are not very likely, but if you beef up your tackle the bite rate drops off; sometimes you just can’t win!

The rock wall and fishing platform on the northern side of the marina are the easiest areas to fish in the afternoons, as the road access and parking is close at hand and afternoon southerly helps with casting. Over the last week or two tailor, herring and whiting have been reasonably regular, with some of the Tailor over 50cm. Bait casting pilchards for tailor is a method that not only produces tailor but will also attract most of the pelagic species we would usually see further out to sea. Spanish mackerel over 10kg, school sharks and cobia have all been landed from the rocks and platform on tackle meant for much smaller species.

BOAT As the weather has slowly started to improve so has the fishing. Days have been limited by work and weather, so the opportunities have been limited.

The inshore fishing has been on fire, with lots of schools of baitfish around.

Sounding the schools up on your sounder then dropping a good quality bait jig will get you some premium bottom fishing baits. The bait fish consist of yellowtail, slimy mackerel, scalies, pike and herring. There has also been some larger predators amongst these including Spanish mackerel, striped tuna, longtail tuna and the unwelcome sharks.

Fishing inside Pensioners

Bank in 8-15m has been producing good fish for those putting the time in.

Anglers are having success with dhufish, coral trout and baldchin groper, with the majority of these fish being captured on soft plastics.

The areas around the shipping anchorages in 27-33m have been fishing

kingfish. Unfortunately, the sharks in some areas are so ferocious that landing a fish is almost an impossibility, so continually moving is necessary to land a fish.

Fishing the protective waters around Pages Beach, Point Moore, Seal rock and St Georges Beach has been successful, with bread and

Jack Baker with a yellowfin tuna caught trolling on a recent trip to the Abrolhos Islands. well for dhufish, gold spotted rock cod, coral trout and baldchin groper. South West of the Lighthouse in 28-33m has had reasonable numbers of dhufish and baldchin groper.

Anglers fishing the African Reef area have had some quality mixed bags of fish including dhufish, coral trout, pink snapper, baldchin groper and Spanish mackerel.

Southern Group around Wreck Point has been fishing well for dhufish, pink snapper, coral trout, red throat emperor, and samsonfish, and for the anglers trolling, yellowfin tuna, Spanish mackerel, shark mackerel and yellowtail

butter species including herring, whiting, striped sea pike, skippy and the occasional school mackerel.

Along the town beach there has been a reasonable number of blue swimmer crabs for those putting the time and effort in chasing them.

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

West Coast

Kalbarri is on fire KALBARRI

Robbie Leck

As the year has well and truly set in and autumn is now upon us, many local anglers are patiently waiting

and swell have managed some respectable catches.

The coastal cliffs south of town have produced a decent range of fish in recent weeks with spots such as Goats Gulch and pot alley being among the most productive.

there is noticeably more tailor action on dusk.

The Murchison River has seen not only an increase in swimmers over the holiday months, but also an increase in temperature providing anglers an array of species to target.

Rankin cod are always popular at the dinner table. of sizeable red emperor with fish being caught primarily around the 40’s and 50’s North West and due West of town. Anglers preferred pilchard and octopus baits

also a mackerel weighed in by land–based angler helium ballooning from Wagoe beach.

The month to come will continue to show an increase of pelagic action

happen we would without a doubt get another mulloway run after the initial flow subsides. Predicted smaller swells over the next few weeks will also provide

A couple of happy anglers with their quality catches of the day. for the weather gods to look a little more favourably upon Kalbarri. March has not always been kind

Numerous species such as black spot trevally, tailor, samsonfish, mulloway and pink snapper all falling to bait

Big or small – redthroat emperor are always a welcomed addition to the esky. to those wanting to wet a line – with only a few good days available through the month. Although those willing to brave the wind

fished on paternoster rigs.

Anglers report casting from the rocks on the rising, early morning tide, to be the most productive time. However,

Blue manna crabs continue to fill the nets of those working the upper sand flats and rocky drop offs with mullet being the favourable bait. The upper sand flats are continuing to hold decent numbers of respectable yellowfin whiting with anglers targeting these fish with small poppers and stick baits. Small peeled prawns have also been successful, fished on the dead low tides to entice the hungry fleck of silver. Those anglers making the 4wd trip to the upper reaches of the Murchison have also found good numbers of sizeable black bream with mullet again being a favourite.

Braving the wind and swell of February is no small feat for anglers departing Kalbarri’s river mouth.

However, for those that did were rewarded with some great demersal fish. Anglers fishing the local monthly comp managed decent numbers of coral trout, dhufish, snapper and a couple

Superb weather has been creating more opportunities to head offshore and battle with the dhuies.

Warmer currents have been bringing mackerel back into the area. when chasing these fish in the deeper water.

Increasing mentions of pelagic action from anglers both north and south of town suggest that the warmer currents are bringing both mackerel and tuna back into the area. Over the past month there have been several reports of small yellowfin tuna being caught on the troll at the 3–mile reef along with several Spanish mackerel captures north of town around the ‘bald face’ area caught whilst trolling. There was

as the waters steadily warm – bringing a flow of bait along the coast. The summer southerlies should soon begin to subside making way for light morning easterlies and calmer, clearer waters – allowing boaties to push further offshore.

The possibility of the river coming down seems increasingly likely with the looming northern cyclone threatening to overflow the upper Murchison River catchments. However, on the bright side, if this were to

more options for land based anglers, especially those fishing the coastal cliffs and with mackerel on the cards helium ballooning will not be completely off the table.

• With the annual Kalbarri Sports Fishing Classic on 1st, 2nd and 3rd March, with over $15,000 in prizes, it’s a great competition for young and old alike and well attended.

We are looking forward to the results of some very stiff competition and seeing if we can get some record– breaking fish in!

Coral trout will be on the hit list during March.

MARCH 2019

33

Gascoyne Coast

Visit beautiful Exmouth

580

EXMOUTH

Jeni Gates

FUNSEEKER

SPECIFICATIONS • BEAM – 2400mm • DEPTH – 1600mm • BOTTOM – 4.0mm 5083 • WEIGHT KG BOAT ONLY – 600KG • SIDES – 4.0mm • PEOPLE – 5 • MAX HP – 90

• SHAFT – X LONG

CALL YOUR LOCAL DEALER TODAY Dinghy World 252 Canning Highway Como 6152 Perth City, WA Phone: (08) 9367 6555

For more information visit www.stessl.com.au 34

MARCH 2019

We managed to stay clear of a few cyclones early in the season, so let’s hope it stays that way. Cyclones can be daunting and unpredictable, but they are a part of the yearly calendar that the locals have to be prepared for in the north of the country.

If you are a visitor to the region through this time, don’t be alarmed, but do ensure you have travel insurance in case it is a severe weather system.

Generally speaking, cyclones are relatively quick for us in Exmouth and can pass swiftly with little effect. It can bring on the fishing prior and post event, as the fish seem to go in to a frenzy before and after it gets rough.

March is the event month for Exmouth, with the major tournament of GAMEX each year, along with a smaller three-day billfish event. If you have never fished GAMEX, you should, as it is the premier game fishing event in WA! Teams from all over the country and overseas compete each year for the $100k+ worth of prizes on offer while fishing for over

Chinaman are just one of the amazing species that call Exmouth waters home.

40 different game species on all line classes.

If tournaments do not take your fancy, then it is a great time to be here regardless.

April, of course, is what I call my favourite month of the year, with temperatures still warm and generally calmer with more periods of glamour weather (touch wood!)

Camping on the beach is sensational at this time, and shore-based fishing is very productive, not to mention pleasant.

Fly fishing is very rewarding and April can see some of the best times to be wading the flats either

on the west side or in the gulf for a wide range of fish, including the highly sought after species such as bonefish and permit.

No matter what time of year you come to Exmouth, make sure you catch up with the locals to find out what is biting where.

• 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.

FISHING NEWS

Artificial Reef update Ecologically sustainable coastal infrastructure such as living harbours and fish friendly marinas are receiving global focus from stakeholders.

Purpose-built artificial reefs can be deployed into marina’s and harbours to create habitat and stimulate increases in the number and types of fish in the local area. This study assessed changes to habitats (seaweeds, seagrass and sand cover), macroinvertebrates (e.g. sea snails, sponges, corals, sea squirts) and fish communities at an artificial reef in Port Coogee, Western Australia.

The Port Coogee Maritime Trail was built in 2016 by Cockburn City Council and Subcon International, establishing the Oceania region’s largest marina habitat project. Funding was received from Lotteries West and Subcon International to support the project.

The diversity and abundance of macroinvertebrates increased on the artificial reef after installation but remained reasonably constant at nearby locations.

This change at the artificial reef was driven by an influx of colourful sea squirts, sponge and sea snail

species, popular with divers and snorkelers.

For fish, an increase in diversity and abundance occurred at all sites over the duration of the survey. A greater number of recreationally targeted fish were observed after implementation of a new fishing closure around the reef, the adjacent breakwater and the historic Omeo shipwreck.

A number of species popular with recreational fishers and snorkelers were recorded on the artificial reef following its installation, including; crested and dusky morwongs, western king wrasse, mullet, whiting, western striped grunter, trevally, tarwine, pink snapper, juvenile baldchin grouper, seapike and snook. Many of these species were not recorded, or were recorded in low numbers, at the artificial

reef location prior to its installation.

The habitat, macroinvertebrate and fish species recorded at the Port Coogee artificial reef changed from being similar to the adjacent sandy bay to being more similar to established reef-like structures such as the breakwater and the historic Omeo wreck.

Continued assessment of in the marine community is planned at this location and will provide further insights into the ecological value of habitat enhancement to coastal infrastructure, to recreational activities including diving and snorkelling in the Perth Metropolitan area and into positive effects of fishing protection. – University of Western Australia

Gascoyne Coast

Strong winds abate SHARK BAY

Kurt Blanksby

March is a great time to head up to the bay as finally the strong winds and hot conditions will begin to back off allowing boat anglers the chance to spend more hours out on the water.

Out from Denham, the run over to Dirk Hartog Island becomes a safer option for most medium sized trailer craft, and once there the fishing options are fantastic. Being over 90km long, the island offers many options when it comes to species and different styles of techniques used to target them. The sheltered eStrong wiastern side is often overlooked by many, although the shallower, sandy waters that have deep channels running through the Bay are home to truck loads of pink snapper of all sizes. Keep an eye out for birds diving or fish busting up on the surface as bragging sized longtail tuna and Spanish mackerel are often caught in the sheltered waters.

Try casting stick baits, metal slices or poppers to any surface breaking fish, or just troll bibbed minnows around the area to see if you can get any interest from these speedy predators. By anchoring and using lightly-weighted baits, you should be able to pick up pink snapper, cod, black snapper (blue lined emperor) and various species of trevally. Keep in mind to use a berley trail to increase your chances of a hook–up.

The rugged western side of the island is not only spectacular but very dangerous, so make sure you have a reliable motor, safety gear, plenty of fuel and keep clear of the cliffs.

Just about anything that swims will be on the cards

here. The fishing can be mind blowing throughout areas including Steep Point and further south. Baits dropped down will be taken by rankin cod, pink snapper, coral trout and spangled emperor. Pelagic species such as Spanish mackerel, wahoo, shark mackerel, many species of tuna and even billfish are all regular catches within the area.

Shore based anglers will also be enjoying this

Baits of fresh fish heads will attract plenty of crabs, but stay prepared to put up with pesky sharks stealing the baits and tangling your nets. You could be better off using meat baits of spleen if you bring them with you as the sharks find these less attractive.

The Denham jetty after dark should never be overlooked, especially if you like a feed of fresh squid. Put in a few hours

Keep an eye out for feeding tuna schools out in the channels and from the deeper water spots like Steep Point and Dirk Hartog Island. time of year, therefore, finding a fishing spot at Steep Point will be very hard as this is the start of the popular holiday season. Closer to Denham the shallow waters will be alive with big yellowfin whiting, yellowfin bream, flathead and tailor. If you’re feeling lucky, it would be worth heading out in the evening. Casting pilchards off the Monkey Mia sand point into the channel will reward you with a decent mulloway or two.

If you have a dingy, it will be worth heading out from Monkey Mia, whilst taking a few drop nets out into the Eastern Gulf. Spend a few hours picking up a feed of shark bay blue swimmer crabs and persist in the area.

flicking around a squid jig from this spot at the end of a day and you will hopefully be pleasantly rewarded with some good squid. In fact, it would also pay to set out a few bigger baits as mulloway, small sharks, tailor and pink snapper all move into the dredged channel at night to feed.

The bluffs south of town are also worth a look, especially after dark where a pilchard on ganged hooks cast out with a sinker will usually result in some good tailor. If in the area, mulloway and pink snapper are also a chance using this style. Even the smaller sharks make good eating, so if it is fresh fish you are after for dinner then be sure to hit up the bluffs close to the town.

CREATE YOUR ADVENTURES

485 SUNRUNNER • Length Overall 5.00m • Length Bow to Transom 4.90m • Beam 2.40m • Depth 1.23m • Bottom Sheet 3mm • Side Sheet 3mm • Transom Long Shaft • Weight (boat only) 392kg • Horsepower Rec. 60hp • Horsepower Max 90hp • Max Transom Weight 178kg

Scan the QR Code to view the complete boat test

For more information visit

www.horizonboats.com.au or call your nearest dealer

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

With better boating conditions in March, many trailer craft can now reach the fish-rich waters, such as Dirk Hartog Island, where mackerel and wahoo can be caught by trolling.

MARCH 2019

35

North Coast

Fishing frenzy in March in the North West BROOME

Troy Honey

The great run of threadfin and barramundi continues with February providing multiple reports of good fish.

The Broome jetty has proven to be a go to spot for locals chasing barra on the high tide change during the spring tides.

Barra Classic lures are doing the trick when cast around the pylons, with this method also being effective for by-catches such as queenfish.

Both threadfin and barramundi have been caught in Roebuck Bay and areas such as Crab Creek and the Fingers further south from there. Mullet baits, either live or strip bait, have worked well on many occasions, with lures cast and retrieved around the snags in the creeks also doing the trick on the barra.

Land-based anglers have been working the areas from the jetty right up to Willie Creek using metal lures chasing queenfish. Casting them over and around rocky outcrops has provided the most success, with quite a few queenies over the metre mark coming in.

Reports of very large sharks up to 10ft have come in from the jetty, and although they can be a pest at times, they are well regarded as a trophy fish for the land-based angler.

Local angler Tyler Brown proving he is one of the bluebone kings of Broome. He caught this fish off Gantheaume. to Gantheaume Beach. One local angler that is highlyregarded as a master of the bluebone in Broome is

a big boat and to travel long distances in Broome to catch such trophy fish.

Working the tides and

that is available in stores around the country.

Another local angler that has really been setting the benchmark in the last few weeks is Chris Cole.

During a trip out in the bay, while Chris and his wife Katie were targeting triple tail around markers and moorings on spring tides, the water was moving fast and they set their boat to drift right past where they had just spotted a

solid tripletail. Chris cast a small, whole mullet on a 4/0 hook out behind the mooring in the hope it would drift right past the fish. The bait sank just out of sight as it was engulfed. Chris thought he had hooked a massive triple tail, but after a few screaming runs what was a very large queenie launching out of the water. After a good fight the metre fish was landed for a quick photo before being sent back to trick another angler!

Chris’s next fishing adventure out on the Fitzroy River resulted in many beautiful barramundi being caught in the pools during a full moon. Chris, who was accompanied by his good mate Dan, scouted the pools using his sounder’s structure scan and spotted a great amount of fish in the 34°C water. After rigging up they lined the boat up and trolled right through the fish. Over the day they landed 30+ fish between a few different pools.

Chris’s best fish of the day was caught after a few lure changes between green and gold patterns.

After quickly dropping a solid hook-up, he launched the A Barra Classic lure straight back out to where they had previously marked fish, and after a couple of sharp twitches of the rod and a long pause he hooked straight up.

The upgraded BKK hooks on the lure didn’t budge and his mate Dan netted the fish first shot.

After a few hoots and some photos the fish was given a quick swim and powered away into the depths to fight again another day. Working the structure and not sticking to just one lure type or colour is what fishing

for barra successfully is all about, and if you are serious about experiencing a barra trip like Chris and Dan had in February, you need to put the time in to try different options.

Heading into March the barra and threadfin run will continue around Broome. If the roads open you can try the many creeks adjacent to the Cape Leveque Road up the Dampier Peninsula that are certain to hold fish. Crocodile sightings are common at this time of year, so you need to be very aware of your surroundings when fishing the waters in this area, especially with the warmer waters, which induces far greater crocodile activity.

Offshore the northern bluefin tuna will be in abundance during March and April, with the Spanish mackerel due to start showing up by the end of April and early May. Chasing tripletail in the bay around the buoys and under drifting weed is certainly worth trying in March, with small minnow lures on a light rod providing a perfect setup to entice a strike.

There have not been too many reports of mud crabs yet, but we should start seeing some larger ones over the next couple of months come in. It is certainly still worth a try for them now by throwing out drop nets while fishing up the creeks.

The waters will start cooling in May and will provide preferred conditions for the demersals out deep, and I will be focusing my time during March chasing threadfin in Roebuck Bay on the lead up to high tide during the spring tides.

I hope everyone manages to enjoy the ending of the wet season by battling some iconic Kimberley fish.

One of the blessings of fishing in Broome is what may come along as a by-catch when you are targeting a certain species. Queenfish, like this one taken by Chris Cole, put up a feisty fight and are certainly nothing to complain about when hooked by mistake.

There are plenty of bluebone about in shallow waters just off the coastline around Broome, and the best place to target these is from the jetty right around 36

MARCH 2019

Tyler Brown. Tyler has had great success recently on bluebone around this area from his tinny just 100m or so off the coastline. It proves you do not need

spending the time to learn and acquire the preferred bait always sets anglers up for far greater success than fishing with the same purchased packaged bait

During a magic day out on the Fitzroy River during a full moon, Chris Cole and his good mate Dan landed over 30 barramundi.

North Coast

Action will heat up in the wet Pilbara region DAMPIER/KARRATHA

Troy Honey

The wet season is finally here with solid rains coming from tropical cyclone Riley that luckily didn’t quite make landfall, but did help to soak the inland creek and riverbeds.

Also helping to kick off a small flush of food for the fish that feed around the mouths and the river, which they have longed for.

There is still plenty of rain needed to get the rivers flowing through to the start of the dry season. Although having another month of the wet season up our sleeve, we may still enjoy a fishing frenzy yet.

barramundi. The Karratha region and associated creeks proving best results along with the stretch from Point Samson through to Balla Balla in the north also offering great opportunities.

Tracks from the highway lead to most creeks with several locations to launch a tinny or be able to fish land based. The tracks can be corrugated, wet or closed, which can be tricky at times, so check the conditions before you head out. Be mindful of the many salt pans around the creeks as these have caught even the most experienced four wheeled driver, and retrieving vehicles from them is a challenge all in its own. Just after neap

heads that I coat myself with the Pro-tec powder paint in fluorescent green.

I combine these with the ‘Ultimate Squid’ in the larger 200m size and crystal colour. Before dropping I like to leave them in the sunlight for a short time to allow the glow to take effect. Coral trout also find this combo and colour irresistible when trolled at low speed of around 3 knots behind the boat of a shallow reef. Although I will use a smaller jighead of around 1.5oz and the 150mm size squid for this style.

This time of year sees the large low-pressure systems rolling through.

Learning how the fish feed during this time is critical.

Local angler Reuben Bufton found good ground in 40m off Dampier, producing this beautiful 700mm crimson snapper.

Russell Millar fought this beast of a GT while casting large poppers over the flats in the Dampier Archipelago.

For now the action is on! The threadfin, jewfish and barramundi are all congregating in the murky water around the areas of the rivers and creeks where the bait is being pushed. This easy feeding zone is also an advantage for anglers trolling lures and drifting lives baits from either land or boat.

These three fish species aren’t the only species on the list; mangrove jack, queenfish, trevally and small mackerel have also been on the bite. Especially along with barramundi, which I have seen countless metre plus fish reported throughout February.

The travelling angler in search of that trophy barramundi often overlooks the Pilbara. I have to say, after having fished the Kimberley, Northern Territory and Queensland for these fish, that once the water temperature is above 27°C here, the Pilbara will certainly stand up in any challenge.

March and into April you can expect to see many more good catches of

tides is the best time as the pans and areas around the creeks have had a chance to dry out to an extent and lower the risk of becoming stuck. If you are up for the adventure, this is where I would be focusing my time chasing barra, mulloway and threadfin in March.

Out on the blue water, the water temperature is also high and this tends to increase the shark activity.

For those chasing the demersal fish species such as red emperor and rankin cod (which are certainly out there in abundance) are best to keep moving after the first sign of big bronze whalers. You will often have two or three drops before the numbers build, then pull up and move onto another lump. I prefer to fish the change of the low tide for demersal fish and the hour either side. Although I will work three areas of ground over that two hour period to avoid the sharks as much as possible.

Most of my success on the reds and rankins have been with the Ockta jigs of 4oz to 6oz, with jig

Pelagics verses the demersal species will also differ during a large low-pressure system. Personally I find the demersal species like to feed at the start of the drop in barometric pressure.

This enables them to ride out the storm hidden away in protected areas before coming out to feed aggressively as the pressure is back up over 1010hpa, which is usually around two days after the low has passed.

Between the weather patterns in the region at this time of year there is always plenty of action on the pelagic front. Reports of quality Spanish mackerel have been coming in from Point Samson and out past the north end of the islands in the Dampier Archipelago. A Another species for the hard–core sports fisher are the powerhouse GTs. There have been some absolute monsters being caught on poppers. Quality fish have beeb caught over the flats in the Archipelago by one local angler, Russell Millar, who consistently lands trophy sized fish. Targeting

GTs in Dampier requires examining the tides and conditions closely for both good results and safety.

Waves can come from nowhere as the swell or tide rolls in from the deeper water and up over the shallower reef and it pays to sit back and observe before entering the area in order to gauge the formations. The low swell and neap tide days are safest and also offer ideal conditions to enjoy casting poppers. Use larger surface poppers with heavy tackle for these brutes as they can make a meal out of the lighter gear. Boats that are set up with front casting decks and electric motors are well suited for this type of fishing as they provide a higher point of view on the raised deck, making it be easier to sight cast fish.

My preference is to remove the trebles from the poppers and replace with single hooks for both a better hook up and safety on the boat.

As GTs are predominately released it also causes less damage to the fish using a single hook over a treble.

March has plenty of options for anglers especially those with boats.

Land based can at times be a problem at this time of year if the rain sets in and tracks become boggy, so sticking to the areas with good access is recommended.

Also, the irukandji jellyfish are known to frequent the area at this time of year.

They can become tangled in your fishing line so show caution when retrieving.

Blue bottle jellyfish have already turned up and although not as poisonous as the irukandji, they still

hit you with a good sting that can put a dampener on a good day of fishing.

If anything, they are the challenges to enjoy overcoming in the wet season and if you are serious about landing big fish then March is the month for you. Diverse ranges of species are on the bite at the moment including barramundi, threadfin salmon, spanish mackerel or even the bill fish that are always about – even in the warmer waters.

One last mention is the amount of northern bluefin tuna that have been busting up on baitfish in waters past the archipelago islands. Just look for the birds feeding and try to match your lure size to the baitfish that the tuna are feeding on, which are usually smaller lures in the 150mm or less range.

These tuna are great fun to catch and tend get about in huge numbers. Good luck and remember safety first is paramount during the Pilbara wet season!

Examine the tides and conditions closely when fishing for GTs. MARCH 2019

37

One eye on the weather NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.fishotopia.com

More than most other sports, hobbies or pastimes, recreational fishing is incredibly weatherdependent.

Having a reasonable idea of what’s likely to unfold on the weather front over the coming hours and days can

much has changed. Were the same patterns to be repeated today, that intense tropical low would be accurately tracked from the moment it formed over the Arafura Sea, with clear alerts issued to those in its path well before any significant impact was felt. Combined with modern building standards and today’s communication networks, this level of preparedness would dramatically reduce the threat

localised variations can have far reaching impacts.

If you’ve ever done any reading about a baffling branch of science called chaos theory, you’ll likely have heard of something called the ‘butterfly effect’. This is defined as ‘the sensitive dependence on initial conditions in which a small change in one state of a deterministic non-linear system can result in large differences in a later state’.

That sounds tricky, and it is!

What it effectively means is that a tiny variation in initial conditions can create significant outcomes, and that these outcomes can potentially occur far away in

One look at violent storm conditions such as these should be enough to instantly rule out any rock or offshore fishing plans.

The fish are biting, but the sea is rising fast as the wind picks up. Knowing when to pull stumps and run for home can potentially save your life. not only improve your catch rate and keep you dry, warm and happy, it might actually save your life!

Weather forecasting has certainly evolved in my half century as an angler. When I was a kid, the best way to get a handle on what was happening in the sky was to open a window and stick your head out! Official forecasts were notoriously untrustworthy, especially over time spans

to both human life and physical infrastructure.

While it’s still a popular Aussie sport to bash and even ridicule the much-maligned Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), the truth is they do a reasonably good job these days. Inputs of data from satellites, weather balloons, human observations and remote sensing stations are continuously fed into giant computers running complex

Always watch the skies. These clouds preceded a violent storm on the Tweed River in Far Northern NSW. both space and time from the initial influence. The extreme example cited is that a butterfly flapping its wings on the banks of the Amazon River in South America could (theoretically)

It’s lovely and calm now, but are those clouds telling a story? beyond 24 hours. You need only look back at Darwin’s lack of preparedness for Cyclone Tracy on Christmas Eve in 1974 to get an idea of how

models that the forecasters of my youth could only have fantasised about. The outcomes are impressive, but they aren’t perfect. That’s because tiny,

influence the weather in China! So, it’s not surprising the weather people still get it wrong from time to time.

My other observation

about the government-run BOM is that it’s a cautious, conservative and highly riskaverse organisation. In fact, as an angler, if I relied solely on the Bureau’s forecasts I reckon I’d hardly ever venture outside my front door, let alone offshore in a trailer boat! I have a theory that this risk-aversion intensified following the disastrous Sydney to Hobart yacht race of 1998, in which six lives and many vessels were lost, and 55 crew members were saved from mountainous seas in the largest peacetime rescue mission ever witnessed on Australian waters.

The Bureau copped a merciless flogging from the media and others over their failure to correctly forecast the severity of that 1998 storm, and they appear to have modified their predictive models and forecasting language as a result. Suffice to say that these days, they seem far more inclined to

FREE PHONE

(07)

predict ‘fresh to frightening’ conditions (my terminology, not theirs!) than in the past.

In my opinion, serious anglers need to consult a number of sources when attempting to assess likely conditions for a planned trip, especially if venturing offshore or out onto large, exposed bodies of open water in small craft. The BOM should still be your first port of call, but it also makes sense to check at least a couple of other weather modelling sites or apps. Popular ones include Seabreeze, WillyWeather and Buoy Weather, along with my own personal favourite: Fish Ranger. Try all of these for yourself and assess which ones are most accurate in your neck of the woods.

My biggest tip is not to rely solely on any single source of forecasting. Even more importantly, listen for regular radio updates and maritime warnings while you’re on the water, and keep

High, wispy clouds and so-called ‘mare’s tails’ indicate strong winds in the upper atmosphere and often precede strong winds at ground or sea level, too.

EXPRESS SHIPPING *For orders over $125.00 (conditions apply)

Follow us on:

5536 3822

anglerswarehouse.com.au 38

MARCH 2019

your wits about you and your eyes open for telltale signs of unexpected weather shifts. In the end, sticking your head out the window (or above the boat’s console) is still the most effective and immediate forecasting tool.

I’ll never forget the day, half a century ago, when my old man suddenly craned his neck, sniffed the air and sternly declared that it was time to wind up our handlines and head in from the flathead drifting grounds off Tathra, on the Far South Coast of NSW. As an impressionable 11-year old, I was in awe, and ready to acknowledge his God-like powers… until I turned and looked south myself at the boiling mass of darkly bruised storm clouds quickly blotting out the horizon. Half an hour later, as we winched the little tinnie back onto the trailer, we were lashed by icy horizontal rain driven by the southerly buster from hell. It’s hard to beat a weather eye.

Over the hump of summer FRESHWATER

Peter Fragomeni

March sees a change in the weather, with some cool days occurring towards the later part of the month.

size specimens caught in metro waters and public dams as well.

DAMS Waroona Dam This dam fished extremely well for redfin over January and February,

Keep an eye on water temperatures, and if it is under around 23ºC, then you should give it a good go.

Soft plastics bounced on the bottom in water up to 20m deep have done most of the damage on the larger

Wendy Jane with a decent redfin from Wellington Dam caught trolling a deep diving lure.

Trout become more comfortable, feeding closer to the shoreline, making them more accessible to the bank anglers walking the shorelines of our dams.

On the contrary, our rivers are extremely low, making the trout very wary and easily spooked by a careless approach.

Redfin start to school in our dams, making it an exciting time of year to dust off the freshwater gear and chase them.

Aussie natives are very active, with some nice reports coming in of trophy

so March is shaping up to be a mirror image, if the previous months are a hint of things to come.

The average size has been higher here than previous years, and I put it down to the flooding event of spring and the available food. If trout survived the hot months, then they will show up around the barren shoreline in the evenings and mornings.

We are hoping the big browns have come through summer and are available to the keen few who chase these exclusively on fly.

Mitchell Morris with a quality redfin from Drakesbrook Weir.

40

MARCH 2019

redfin, with black, brown and red curly-tails being the preferred presentations.

Those trolling deep-diving hardbody lures have also had success in 5-10m of water.

There have been no reports of trout, but that’s not to say they have not been caught recently.

Drakesbrook Weir This dam is fed by cool, clean irrigation water being let out of Waroona further upstream, providing slightly cooler water than normal.

Reports have been slow recently, but redfin are always present and willing to hit lures higher up the water column than other waters. I usually only troll lures that run down to 4m, as the dam is shallower than most in the area.

If you have a boat with a sounder, look for small schools that form in late March and fish these areas by throwing soft plastics over the schools.

Logue Brook Dam Some nice trout have come out over the summer, but only to those who have fished very deep using soft plastics or full sinking flylines fished on the bottom out of boats or kayaks.

This dam is my favourite summer trout fishery, but the ski boats can dampen the experience on occasion.

Drifting around using small Mrs Simpsons or nymphs fished in the deep creek line always turns the occasional rainbow trout up for me. The only downside is they don’t release well, as they get

pulled up into the warmer water on the surface.

Harvey Dam Some very large redfin have been reported, but again most have come from those using boats or kayaks fishing the deeper water from 6-20m. This dam is an electric only dam like Drakesbrook and now Wellington Dam (outside the ski area).

You must use a deep diving lure that gets down to within a metre of the bottom, so if the lure of choice only gets down to 4m, then fish water that is around 5m if trolling.

Remember to have a good lure retriever with a decent weight or you will lose a lot of gear in the timber that abounds in this water.

A dropshot rig is deadly, as you can fish in water that is 20m+ with ease. I use a yabby and minnow pattern on the two hook rig and change until I find what’s working. There are plenty of good videos on the internet that shows you how this technique works.

Wellington Dam Redfin are still showing up all over the dam, but it seems the area around the ski zone is producing bigger and better fish. It could be the case that most people launch from this area. I spent a few days

Some think that introducing East Coast natives will pose a threat to other species, yet redfin are already a bigger threat in most waters.

Photo courtesy of Ben Kelly.

my fingers crossed that the authorities will come to their senses and approve the application to stock this water with eastern natives that I and many others have devoted countless hours on.

and tackle sales will be huge, as has been the case in many rural areas on the East Coast.

Redfin are still present, although the numbers aren’t as high as they are in dams

Rainbow trout can be caught in the heat of summer in our tailrace fisheries like the Collie River. over summer at the dam and trolled all the way from the new pump station in the Hamilton arm to the farm, around 5km towards the wall with varying success.

A shallow dive revealed a massive school of tiny redfin only 70mm long in the Collie arm around from Hamilton River arm, plus a few native minnows and schools of the introduced gambusia.

March will be a good time to explore the many bays and arms this dam offers, and I’m keeping

The benefits to the local community will be huge, as it will attract a devoted group of sportfishers not seen in this area before.

The spin off in food, fuel

to the north, however the size makes up for the lack of numbers. The secret to success is to locate the fish on a good sounder, as you can travel a long distance

PREDICTED DAM LEVELS All dams are well up on this time last year, with Waroona being the highest in a decade Waroona Dam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77% Drakes Brook Dam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82% Logue Brook Dam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63% Harvey Dam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58% Glen Mervyn Dam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74% Wellington Dam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62%

without seeing a single fish.

For this reason, I would not advise fishing from the shore, but if you choose to, then move around until you find them.

of March is the time when the trout become active.

Big Brook Dam Some nice little brown trout were caught here as a result of the stocking of

Eric Kirsch with a lovely rainbow caught in a South West stream.

Glen Mervyn Dam No reports have come through, however redfin are always present and the end

two-year-old fish from the hatchery in late spring.

Redfin are still taking small spinners and

hardbodies trolled off kayaks in the deeper water.

Rainbow catches have been slow, but that will change with the cooler days coming up.

RIVERS Serpentine River This once mighty river is a shadow of its former glory, however it receives a small environmental flow these days, combined with an annual stocking of yearling rainbow trout, making it a destination close to the city for the intrepid angler. The area is small, with a couple of kilometres above and below the highway bridge being the preferred location.

Murray River No reports of trout have come forward, although the summer months are always slow due to the low water and warm conditions.

Redfin have been caught through the entire length, however the upper area around Hotham River has produced the bigger specimens this summer for those using soft plastics fishing the fallen timber.

Brunswick River The water is extremely low, making the trout very wary and timid, so most avoid fishing until the rain comes and there’s a steady flow.

Collie River (above Wellington Dam) There were good reports

Huge silver perch are widespread in most waters, and having a tiny mouth they offer less of a threat to our native species in WA.

Bass are turning up in a number of locations. This one was caught in one of the irrigation dams south of Perth. of large redfin being caught in the vicinity of Collie town site by those using soft plastics and red spinners over summer.

Collie River (below the wall) This section always fishes well through the summer, as it’s fed by cool water let out for irrigation.

Some nice little rainbows have been caught by flyfishers using weighted nymphs cast up in the current, and soft plastics on heavy jigs have been taking a few as well. Make sure you keep an eye on the flow, as it can be tough if they are letting out too much water.

Take care when walking on the rocks, as they are very slippery Blackwood River There are currently no reports for the Blackwood River.

Warren River The water is extremely low, making fishing challenging for people chasing trout, but redfin have been caught in the deep pools by those in kayaks or walking the banks flicking lures into the structure.

Lefroy Brook This is the go-to water if you’re down in Pemberton over the warmer months.

The Cascades have been fishing well for small rainbows, and the section above the hatchery has also had a few fish come out lately. The water is low, so a slow approach is needed to

get results.

Donnelly River There have been no reports from Donnelly River, however the section below Boat Landing is always worth a go if you have a boat or kayak.

AUSSIE NATIVES We are unlucky not to have a fishery like they do on the East Coast of Australia.

Australian bass are turning up in everincreasing numbers, even though there’s not an official stocking program in place.

BOATS FOR SALE on STRATOS 201 PRO XL

There’s a program in place to change this, but it’s a slow process, as they are currently classified as feral species over here.

A few have been caught lately, including a nice silver perch from Harvey Dam. Some nice bass have also come from local lakes for those in the know.

Like us on facebook for automatic updates

POLAR KRAFT 195 PRO

Location: NSW

Location: VIC

$37,500

$24,999

TRITON 1885F

EDGEWATER 1700CC

Location: QLD

Location: NSW

$34,000

$57,000

SAVAGE 485 SCORPION PRO Location: NSW

$42,000 MARCH 2019

41

BLACK MAGIC

MASTER CLASS

/

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

No more waiting, get into some live baiting On the Mid North Coast of NSW live baiting the inshore reefs, islands and headlands is an extremely good way to get connected to some serious fish, but this great technique will also work in waters all around Australia. Kings, black marlin, longtail tuna, Spanish mackerel, mac tuna, bonito, cobia

longtail tuna will also move right up into shallow rocky bays and coves looking to feast on schools of garfish.

Often these kinds of areas are accessible by land, which dedicated hardcore land-based anglers take full advantage of, landing some spectacular catches from the rocks every year.

If you’re boat-based the live baiting options

For larger reef systems and around islands it’s best to cover as much territory as you can, which is why slow trolling these parts will work best.

On the flip side, if you’re fishing for kings in a small bay full of garfish, or for a cobia on an isolated bommie, or a particular point that juts out then anchoring up and sending live baits out under floats will be the better option.

TROLLING When it comes to trolling there are a range of baits that will work.

When baits tough to find a yellowtail or even a pike will do the job, however slimy mackerel are probably the best all round bait. Big kingfish and cobia also love a slow trolled calamari squid or small bonito.

It’s best to run two rods

Even small boats like this can get amongst the action, this small crew is pulling a solid cobia aboard. will need around 3m of 80-100lb leader coupled with 60-80lb braided or 24kg mono outfits. Black Magic fluorocarbon leader is the best leader for this type of work, as it’s super abrasion resistant making it ideal for brutal kingfish fight in rugged terrain.

Hook choice you’ll

KLT 7/0 circle hooks.

All baits when trolling should be bridle rigged using either elastic bands or a loop of mono. Trolled

is simple with the length of your leader giving you your depth and a torpedo float running up the leader between your joining knot and hook. For the deeper bait a small pea size sinker can also be added on top of the hook.

A good hook for this is the Black Magic DX 6/0.

They are deadly sharp and since switching to them last year, I don’t think I’ve missed one tuna.

Live baits under a float are best pinned gently behind the shoulder just above the lateral line, with the exception being garfish that last longer when hooked just behind the

Longtail tuna are a prime candidate for a live bait suspended under a float. and even the odd stonker snapper are all live baiting possibilities.

While you can potentially catch any of the above species with a range of live baiting methods your success rate improves dramatically when know what and where works best for each fish.

This is why it’s important to know what fish your targeting and how to identify potential

are greatly increased for the above species, as shallow reefs and islands close to the coast become accessible. Here you are less likely to catch longtail tuna as they prefer to hug the coastline, but have a great chance of hooking into a black marlin.

This is especially the case on those inshore reefs holding baitfish in 20-40m of water.

The two most popular

Black Magic DX 6/0 are a lethal live bait hook.

Black Magic’s very own Chris Firkin in the closing stages of a tuna fight. when trolling, with one up high in the water column and one deeper. This is where a downrigger really comes into its own, allowing you to set the ideal depth you want your bait at. If you don’t have a downrigger an elastic band with snapper style sinker attached to the leader will be a good substitute.

Leader size and main line will depend on what you’re targeting. If it’s big hoodlum kings you

find it hard to go past the Black Magic DX 6/0 or KS 7/0-8/0, depending on bait size.

For black marlin the same leader size will also be perfect for handling the scuffing caused by bills even in a long fight on 100kg inshore fish – I’ve never had it wear through.

For marlin stick with mono line, preferably IGFA class, something like Black Magic IGFA 10-15kg, and use BM

baits should be fished in free spool to give the fish a chance to get the bait down before hooks are set. This is why overhead reels are the preferred reel for this type of work, however, baitrunner style spinning reels are gaining popularity for 10-15kg mono line classes and up to 50lb braid.

anal fin on the underside of the fish. For the leader try Black Magic flourocarbon around 60lb, unless you’re targeting big kings, then up it to 80-100lb.

Outfits can be either overhead or spin with 15kg mono or 50lb braid ideal for this type of fishing.

If you do opt for the spin

This Spanish took a slowly trolled garfish. areas for them.

The first thing you should be looking for are environments holding common food sources.

For species like longtail tuna, Spanish mackerel, kingfish and cobia prime areas are ocean headlands with deep reefy bottom, where schools of slimy mackerel and yellowtail concentrate. Kingfish and 42

MARCH 2019

ways to fish live baits are to either drift them out suspended under a float or to slow troll them through high-potential areas.

While the preferred method for tuna is live baiting under a float, the best way to target marlin is slow trolling. For the other species the most productive style will largely depend on the areas you’re fishing.

The author putting the breaks on a longtail tuna.

This solid king took a liking to a slow trolled slimy mackerel.

USING FLOATS The best bait to run under a float is again a slimy mackerel, with garfish pike and yellowtail as good back ups.

I like to fish with two rods out at different depths, one at around 2m and the other one around 5m. The rig

option, baitrunner reels are the way to go as you want your reel to be in freespool when the fish takes the bait then easily engaged into gear when it’s time to strike.

That’s live baiting in a nutshell, now you’ve just got to get out and do it.

4

ant to go again and no matter how many fish you catch

You’re an Angler, and no matter how many times you go fishing

y catch) it will never be enough.

you’ll want to go again and no matter how many fish you catch

ll be days when the fishing is better than one’s most

(or nearly catch) it will never be enough.

c forecast, others when it is far worse.

LUCKY SUBSCRIBERS HAVE A CHANCE TO

WIN!

a gainThere over just staying home.when the fishing is better than one’s most will be days

forecast, others when it is far worse. ooked,optimistic along with us.

A PAIR OF TONIC TANGO SUNGLASSES

Either is a gain over just staying home.

You’re hooked, along with us.

You’re an Angler, and no matter how many times you go fishing you’ll want to go again and no matter how many fish you catch (or nearly catch) it will never be enough.

ARE TONIC!

There will be days when the fishing is better than one’s most optimistic forecast, others when it is far worse.

Either is a gain over just staying home.

CONTACT:

You’re hooked, along with us.

WE ARE TONIC! YOUR SUBSCRIPTION WILL START WITH THE NEXT PUBLISHED ISSUE

QLD FISHING MONTHLY VIC/TAS FISHING MONTHLY

NSW FISHING MONTHLY WA FISHING MONTHLY

inc. gst

24

or

Name: Address: Suburb:

P/Code:

Daytime Contact No: Email:

PAYMENT DETAILS Cheque

AVAILABLE AT SELECTED BOATING, FISHING &

$115

issues

BUYERS DETAILS

SUBSCRIPTION FOR

WE ARE 12 TONIC! for issues $65

If you wish to purchase any other combination of magazines please phone FREE CALL 1800 228 244 for a special price.

inc. gst

Name: Address: Suburb:

P/Code:

Daytime Contact No: Email:

As the buyer, do you wish to receive annual subscription renewal notifications?

Money order

Mastercard/Visa

Yes

No

Signature:

VAILABLE AT CAMPING SELECTED Credit Card No: STORES OATING, FISHING & AMPING STORESCard Holder’s Name:

Credit Card Expiry Date:

CCV:

Daytime Contact No:

IF THIS IS A GIFT - PLEASE COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING AND A GIFT CARD WILL BE MAILED TO THE LUCKY ANGLER OR THE GIFT BUYER! Mail voucher to:

Subscriber

Buyer or Email blank voucher to:

To: Happy Birthday!

From or Happy ____ Birthday!

SUBSCRIBER

ADVANTAGES Free Delivery Entry into the monthly draws Save $$$

Doug Phillips 0466 112 681 e: doug@toniceyewear.com.au

n Angler, and no matter how many times you go fishing

Other

(20 characters max)

Love From:

Happy Fishing!

Merry Christmas!

OUR GUARANTEE Every now and again, a copy may not arrive through the Australia Post System. If this happens to you, a quick call to us and we will post out another FREE OF CHARGE

Happy Fathers Day!

1800 228 244 or

07·3387 0800

Fax coupon to:

07·3387 0801

Email details to: subscribe@fishingmonthly.com.au

OR visit www.fishingmonthly.com.au and follow the links to isubscribe

Mail Coupon to:

FM Subscriptions PO Box 3172 Loganholme Q 4129

Online - ANYTIME

Pirtek Fishing Challenge

Ready to enter the world’s biggest fishing comp?

Australians across all states and territories are being encouraged to prepare their fishing

gear for the 2019 Pirtek Fishing Challenge. The Challenge is a major fundraising initiative

the disease. More than 17,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in Australia every year.

Pirtek has been partners with Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia since 2009 to help raise

Australia’s biggest single day fishing competition.

The challenge is also a major fundraising

these locations at www. pirtek.com.au.

This year’s challenge will take place on Sunday 17 March 2019 between the hours of 6.00am-6.00pm.

Competitors need to fish for their chosen species, photograph their catch on the brag mat with their angler number and upload the photo to the website for judging.

The list of 25 target species will be released to competitors on Sunday, 24 February to allow all anglers time to plan their fishing trips.

This year, the Challenge is offering a record $213,000 in cash and prizes. Just by entering,

all registered participants will be in the running to win a boat, outboard and trailer package valued at over $29,000 courtesy of

Stacer/Evinrude. Along with two $2600 Snap On Tool chests, $2000 worth of Berkley/ABU Garcia fishing tackle, a $2000

partner for the Peter Duncan Neurosciences Research Unit.

The challenge is an online national fishing competition open to all ages and experience levels.

All competitors receive a limited-edition cap, brag mat and sticker, along with a redemption voucher for a bottle of Pirtek Protect, which is lanolin grease that has been designed specifically for the marine and fishing industry. It can be redeemed at any one of the 98 Pirtek outlets around Australia. You can find YOUR CHALLENGE • Enter the challenge via the website and be sure to read the terms and conditions.

• After you have registered, a limited edition Fishing Challenge cap and Fishing Challenge brag mat will be posted to you.

• The list of target species will be available via the website www.pirtekfishingchallenge.com.au at 1200 hours AEDST on Sunday, 24 February 2019.

that helps to raise funds for Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) and awareness of

vital funds for prostate cancer research, awareness initiatives and support programs by hosting

• On Saturday, 16 March 2019 (after 6:00pm) you will be sent via email a repeat list of the target species plus your angler number. You can also log on to the website to download this information.

• Fishing will commence at 6:00am and finish at 6:00pm on Sunday, 17 March 2019.

• All lines must be out of the water at 6:00pm on Sunday, 17 March 2019.

• When you catch your target species simply lay the live fish with the nose in line with the ‘0’ (zero) measurement on the Pirtek bragmat.

• Photograph the fish so the entire length can be seen in the photograph along with your angler number.

• Check out the Photographing Your Fish page for information on how to correctly photograph your catch.

44

MARCH 2019

• If you do not receive your brag mat before Sunday 17 March, you may measure and photograph your fish using last year’s brag mat, a fisheries measuring sticker, another competitors mat (with your Angler Number), or a generic brag mat (BCF sell them).

• If you are not happy with the photograph, simply take another one.

• Quickly release the fish and try to catch a bigger one.

• Only a fish caught by the registered angler can be entered.

• Any photograph that shows a fish not alive or damaged will not be accepted.

• Any photograph which has undergone digital manipulation, i.e., photoshop, will be disqualified.

• You can only upload one photograph per angler to the website. This needs to be your biggest fish.

• Follow the directions on the website to upload your photograph.

• The upload needs to be complete by 7:00am AEDT, Monday, 18 March 2019.

• Any photographs uploaded after this time will not be accepted.

• Remember to write your angler number clearly in the white box provided on the brag mat.

• If your photograph is damaged, blurry or the overall measurement of your fish is not clearly seen with your angler number the photograph will be disallowed.

• Check your photograph to ensure the whole fish is in the photograph and the nose end of the fish is in line with the ‘0’ (zero) measurement and the overall length along with the angler number is clearly visible.

• Check the website on Saturday, 23 March, 2019 to see if you’re a winner. The National Fishing Challenge committee’s decision will be final and no correspondence entered into.

Pirtek Fishing Challenge

BARRAMUNDI Tactics: Barramundi are veracious predators of the estuary, and love eating the baitfish and prawns that abound in these waterways. It’s for this reason that live baits, lures and flies work so well for this iconic species.

Rigs: An unweighted live bait rig is perfect for barramundi fishing, and a running sinker rig should be employed if you want to get the bait down a bit.

NORTH

Size Range: Up to 1.8m, common around 50-70cm.

Bait: Live baits of mullet, herring, whiting and prawn are excellent for barramundi.

Lures: There are so many purpose-built barramundi lures on the market, ranging from soft plastics, hardbodies (shallow and deep), topwater baits and flies. The tricky part is finding out which will work on that particular day.

TREVALLY (ALL SPECIES)

Size Range: Many trevally species can exceed 1m, however are common in the 40-70cm range.

Tactics: Trevally generally prefer fast-moving prey, and will happily chase down lures and flies wound as fast as an angler can wind or strip. There are times when a slow approach will outshine a fast one, particularly for species like golden trevally in shallow water.

Rigs: An unweighted live bait rig is a great way to tangle with a large trevally on bait, however simple weighted rigs may be needed if concentrations are found deep. Heavy monofilament or fluorocarbon up to 100lb or more may be necessary.

NORTH

polarized eyewear.

One of the big attractions of the challenge is the $90,000 in cash supplied by Pirtek Fluid Systems and divided across the 25-target fish nationally.

This is awarded via a ‘mystery length’ a secret measurement determined by the event organizers.

Michael Guest, Event Director, says the challenge is designed to allow people of all ages and experiences to get involved and enjoy a day outdoors.

“It doesn’t matter whether you are an experienced angler or picking up a rod for the first time, the Pirtek Fishing Challenge is all about getting together with your friends and family, having fun and supporting our charity partners,” he said.

“Prostate cancer continues to affect thousands of families each year, and sadly almost every Australian knows someone who is affected by the disease.”

“The Pirtek team and I will continue to do all we can to give PCFA and The Peter Duncan Neurosciences Research Unit the support they need.”

For more information and to register visit www. pirtekfishingchallenge. com.au.

Registrations cost $25.00, plus postage and handling. – Pirtek Fishing Team

Bait: Live fish, squid prawns and even crabs will bring the bigger and more predatory trevally unstuck.

Lures: A huge range of lures will work, but particularly those that can be worked quickly. Hardbodies, soft plastics, surface lures, flies and metal lures will all catch trevally.

BREAM (ALL SPECIES) Size Range: Up to 50cm, common from 25-35cm.

Tactics: Bream are incredibly widespread and can be found in just about every saltwater river, creek and coastal lake in the state. Bream love structure – especially rock – and if you find rocks or other hard structure in the intertidal zone, you can be sure that bream hang around it at some time of the day. Bream will also aggregate around weed an flooded grass at times. Keep the gear light when bream fishing, as this will get you more bites. If you want to catch a bream on a lure, make sure that it’s small. They’ll eat nearly every bait you can find or buy, it just needs to be presented in a natural way.

Rigs: Running sinker onto a #1 or 1/0 hook will work for the bait anglers. For the lure brigade, 2-6lb braided line connected to 6-10lb fluorocarbon or monofilament leader is ample.

SOUTH

at $600 and a Valvoline $500 oils and lube pack.

Spotter sunglasses are also supplying their awesome

Bait: Because they are omnivorous almost anything found or bought should catch bream, including white bread, which is an under-used favourite.

Lures: Small hardbodied divers, smaller than your little finger, cast around rocky shores, mangroves or bridges and worked with a slow, steady retrieve are hard to beat. When fish go deeper, tiny soft plastics and blades with according jighead size is a sure-fire way to pin a bream. At times, they will also rise to small surface lures.

AUSTRALIAN SALMON Size Range: Up to 90cm, common from 30-60cm.

Tactics: Salmon make migrations along the coast and come in close to beaches and headlands to chase bait. Anglers use this aggressive behaviour to their advantage, and rack up huge scores of fish casting baits and lures from the beach and headlands.

They will also occasionally head up into rivers.

Rigs: A lightly-weighted live bait or moving dead bait is hard to beat when concentrations of salmon have been found.

SOUTH

Lowrance Hook2 12 Sonar/ GPS, $1700 BCF spending spree; eight Snap-On Tools 100-piece tool kit valued

Bait: Any readily available baitfish rigged live is dynamite, with squid and a variety of dead flesh baits also great for salmon.

Lures: Salmon can be highly aggressive and willing to chase down a huge range of lures, from metal slices, hardbodies, soft plastics, surface lures, flies and even improvised presentations! Offerings that resemble the available bait tend to get more attention, however matching the hatch is not always necessary.

MARCH 2019

45

Heavy Tackle Tournament escapes cyclones The recent Exmouth Game Fishing Club Heavy Tackle Tournament was held in Exmouth with two looming cyclones that headed west and had little effect on the

area. It did bring some swell and a sprinkling of rain, but did not dampen the enthusiasm of the 27 teams with over 100 anglers that went out to

water depths over 250m in search of big fish.

The small black marlin started to show up the weeks prior to this event, and despite boats fishing in waters over

the 60-80kg mark. Many boats managed to get some awesome catches and take home some tasty sashimi.

Captain Eddy Lawler managed to attain his 20th

RESULTS CATEGORY WINNER SCORE First Marlin Tagged Day 1 Haulin’ Last Marlin Tagged Day 1 Cin Bin First Marlin Tagged Day 2 The Hulk Last Marlin Tagged Day 2 Tie – Evolution & On Strike First Marlin Tagged Day 3 VACANT Last Marlin Tagged Day 3 VACANT Highest Point Boat Day 1 Lockout 1500 points/3 tags Highest Point Boat Day 2 Mangrove Jack 1000 points/ 2 tags (winner on time of last tag countback from five other teams) Highest Point Boat Day 3 VACANT Best Dressed Team on Australia Day Ballzdeep Heaviest Other Pelagic Species Day 1 Pandamonium 10.55kg wahoo Heaviest Other Pelagic Species Day 2 Haulin’ 12.00kg wahoo Heaviest Other Pelagic Species Day 3 VACANT Heaviest Other Pelagic Species Overall Haulin’ 12.00kg wahoo Heaviest Weighed Marlin >500lb VACANT Heaviest Yellowfin Pandamonium 82.15kg Most Meritorious Capture Pandamonium Beau Cartledge

220kg blue on 37kg Champion Boat Overall Lockout 4 tags Champion Boat Runner Up Mangrove Jack 3 tags (winner on time of last tag countback from four other teams) the 250m contour, small blacks ranging from 10-60kg were encountered. One of the smaller vessels managed to raise two big blues in just 20 minutes, while a tag was placed in a 220kg blue by another.

The talk of the event though was without doubt the consistent strikes from large yellowfin tuna around

anglers are willing. During January last year, Reel Teaser went to a particular spot to try for broadbill and got one first drop. I’m sure it won’t be too long before Fantasy Slams will be on the record books for this region.

Overall, the Heavy Tackle Tournament was a success, with anglers from all around the country travelling to Exmouth to lock horns with some of the biggest predators in the ocean. – Jeni Gates

Grand Slam on billfish in mid January, only to be followed the next week by two more that almost made it to Super Slams.

There’s no doubt that this time of year is exceptional for getting slams with blue, black, striped marlin and sailfish prevalent. It is also worth a broadie shot or two if

TOURNAMENT STATS 27 boats 105 anglers 104 billfish raised, 71 hooked, 38 tagged Tagged billfish: 30 blacks, 7 blues, 1 stripe 7 yellowfin tuna over 50kg caught Last day cancelled due to forecast strong winds from Cyclone Riley

Ryan Turner’s huge yellowfin tuna was a highlight of the competition.

Big yellowfin tuna were around in good numbers during the tournament.

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR MARCH

2019

Mar 10

WA Bream Classic Boat Series Round 1 – Swan River

watournamentanglers.com.au

30 Apr-1 May

ABT BREAM Rnd 4 Albany

www.abt.org.au

4-5 May

ABT BREAM Rnd 5 Blackwood

www.abt.org.au

19 May

WA Bream Classic Kayak Series Round 2 – Swan River

watournamentanglers.com.au

JUNE

Jun 9

WA Bream Classic Boat Series Round 2 – Murray River

watournamentanglers.com.au

OCTOBER

Oct 6

WA Bream Classic Kayak Series Round 3 – Moore River

watournamentanglers.com.au

APRIL MAY

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.

46

MARCH 2019

FUN PAGE AND COMPETITIONS CRACKER WHOPPER DECENT IMPRESSIVE THUMPING NICE BEAUT DELICIOUS MONSTER PANSIZED MAMMOTH FIGHTER FLIGHTY

WORDS TO DESCRIBE YOUR CATCH

NIFTY DELIGHTFUL BEAUTIFUL CHUNKY AVERAGE ARMFUL HUMBLE ADMIRABLE SOLID QUALITY FEISTY ARM STRETCHING

DTD - REAL FISH OITA

Name: Address:

P/Code:

The first correct entry at the end of each month will win the prize pack.

SEND ENTRIES TO: WA Find-a-word Competition, PO box 3172, Loganholme Qld 4129

WA MARCH 2019

Phone (day):

BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

The ‘Real Fish Oita’ is an incredible, award winning squid jig manufactured in Europe by leading Croatian company - DTD. Taking out the coveted ‘best new product’ in its class at the EFTTEX 2015 Expo in Warsaw, this wonderful range is now available in Australia through Dogtooth Distribution.

The product imitates real fish species. This coupled with DTD’s use of only the highest grade materials available, ensures great balance and results in superior catching ability. With the unique ‘fish parasite’ feature, aimed at luring predators in for an ‘easy kill’, these truly unique jigs are set to explode into the Australian market.

FEATURES - Double weight system with inner weight designed to produce sound while squid jig is in action.

COLOURS - 7 different designs representing popular fish species.

ADDITIONAL - Luminous body, fish parasite, great balance, sound effect, quality stainless steel hooks SIZES - 5 Sizes available www.dogtoothdistribution.com.au

SPOT THE

10 DIFFERENCES

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

ORIGINAL

FIND-A-WORD

Congratulations to, J Ainslie who was last month’s winner of the Find-a-Word Competition!

Monthly winners receive a Fishing Monthly prize pack. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – WAFM

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE

The subscriber prize winner for January is G Uren of Ballajura, who won a pair of Mako polarised eyewear.

All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – WAFM

E Wouter of Dunsborough, D Brazell of Beeliar, G Higgins of Eaton, D Culshaw of Banyo, Y Hwangbo of Ballajura, D Morris of Inglewood, B Simmonds of Silversands, A Hogan of Parmelia , T Dale of Nambour, K Lockwood of Rockingham, J Bremmell of Brunswick, D Werder

of Dawesville, T Alderson of Mindarie, R Taylor of Rockingham , D Gibb of Huntingdale, V De Souza of Duncraig, J Ainslie of Warnbro, J Addenbrooke of Maddington, and P Baskerville of Broome.

Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks.

– WAFM

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS

© A Cordelia Adams original artwork. Instagram: clausdoesart

GUESS THE FISH?

FIND THE GAMAKATSU LOGO 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: Tilapia

The Find the Gamakatsu Logo prize winners for January were:

Answer: MARCH 2019

47

WHAT’S NEW FISHING POWERDOLPHIN WATER DRONE

1

ATOMIC HARDZ SLAPPA

4

PowerVision is launching the world’s first multi-functional water drone.

Equipped with a 220° dual-joint rotation camera, the PowerDolphin can capture 4K UltraHigh-Definition footage. The camera can rotate 70° above water and 150° below the water, sending real-time 1080 pixel footage wirelessly to your phone through the Vision+ app, with a maximum transmission distance of 1000m. The drone includes adjustable front lights to capture stunning illuminated photography in various water conditions.

The integrated PowerSeeker detects fish within a range of 40m and travels by waypoint to the perfect fishing spot, utilising the built-in sonar GPS to plot the ocean floor. It will tow hooks, lure fish, release bait and capture fish at a distance of up to 1000m. Once the fish takes the bait, the PowerDolphin will automatically drag itself back to the controller.

The PowerDolphin can travel at a speed of 5m per second. A helpful technology for Australia’s lifesavers, PowerDolphin’s robust design and 3 speed gears enables it to tow and remotely release lifejackets, lifebuoys and other rescue equipment.

Price: SRP $1299 www.powervision.me

The Atomic Hardz is one of the most popular lure brands in Australia, and the new Slappa has just arrived and has quickly proven itself on Murray cod up to 70cm and larger bass.

The Atomic Slappa is a classic surface crawler designed to make maximum disturbance on the water. It is 90mm long and has large aluminium wings that fold against the body, enabling anglers to deliver a long accurate cast time and time again. The wide body displaces water and provides the point upon which it waddles across the surface. The small cupped face also spits water as it moves across the surface.

Cast them for bass and cod, wind slowly and hold on!

The Slappa is available in 14 colours, including both natural and brightly visible patterns, and also some glow colours for anglers casting at night.

For more information on this and other new releases, visit the Atomic website or check them out on Facebook at facebook.com/ atomiclures. www.atomiclures.com.au

DAIWA FUEGO NATIVE CUSTOM

MAXIMA CLEAR

2

Bold in looks and impressive in design, the Fuego Native Custom is a baitcaster that definitely stands out from the crowd.

The Fuego’s striking low profile aluminium frame sits effortlessly in the hand and combines with its advanced technologies and designs to ultimately impress in style and engage in performance.

Weighing in at 215g, the Fuego Native Custom is lean and mean where it counts, yet refined and precision designed where it’s needed. It’s a combination that many reels aspire to have but few budget priced reels fully achieve.

Featuring many of Daiwa’s best baitcaster design features including Magforce Z, UTD, Swept Handle, and a spec sheet that includes a 6.3:1 and 7.3:1 retrieve ratios, six ball bearings, the Fuego Native Custom is pimped and ready for baitcaster excellence. www.daiwafishing.com.au

NIKWAX SOLARWASH

3

In just two weeks of summer exposure, synthetic materials can lose up to half their strength, making them much more vulnerable to tearing and puncture. To save your expensive gear, and double its lifespan, simply apply both Nikwax SolarWash and SolarProof. Their combined presence forms a protective coating which helps to maintain the product’s exterior.

Both sprays also individually increase UV resistance by 50% and form a waterproof shield against unwanted leakage.

With the ability to remove dirt and other barriers that decrease water repellency, SolarWash is the perfect high-performance tool for protecting outdoor equipment. It increases the durable water repellency of a product to the highest testable standard after just one spray and rub-in.

Both water-based sprays can be applied to wet or dry equipment that has been cleaned.

For the best results, apply Nikwax SolarWash and SolarProof to brand new equipment.

All Nikwax products are palm oil free, nonhazardous, water-based, biodegradable and contains zero fluorocarbons.

Price: SRP $25.95 (SolarWash), $34.95 (SolarProof) www.nikwax.com

48

MARCH 2019

PRODUCT GUIDE 1

2

3

5

Maxima, a company that has produced quality monofilament fishing lines for decades, has now upped its game once again, with the introduction of Maxima Clear!

The new Maxima Clear fishing line is incredibly strong and easy to handle, yet retains the tough, high-durability finish that maxima has always been known for. It has outstanding knot strength, exceptional abrasion resistance and low memory to improve casting distance. On top of that, its clear finish makes it difficult for fish to detect under water.

Maxima Clear meets a wide range of freshwater and saltwater fishing situations, from casting and jigging to trolling and bottom fishing.

It is available in Leader Wheels, with poundages between 1-30lb, Guide Spools, with poundages between 6-50lb, and Service Spools, with poundages between 2-130lb. There really is a Clear spool to meet just about any fishing situation. www.jmgillies.com.au

ZEREK GADGET Z TRAYS

5

4

6

Zerek has released an airtight range of storage trays to keep your tackle in the best shape possible.

Worm proof and TPE plastic safe, the Gadget Z range from Zerek makes use of a large rubber seal to keep these boxes airtight, and this serves to prevent water from getting in to destroy the lures inside.

Made from polypropylene material, the Gadget Z trays comes with removable compartment separators to allow the angler to design their own internal layout how they want, while maintaining the airtight seal to protect expensive lures.

Additionally, three extra strong locking clasps are fitted to ensure the tight seal remains locked tight, regardless of how the boxes are stored or transported.

Initially two models are available, the large size coming in at 360x230x50mm and the small at a compact 275x185x50mm. www.wilsonfishing.com

6

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

SCAN THE QR CODE!

PRODUCT GUIDE

WHAT’S NEW FISHING SHIMANO REVOLUTION SERIES 7

7

The newly revamped Revolution series brings 20 different rods to choose from in spin, jig, troll and surf, they’ve got you covered, whatever the target species.

This is a wide-ranging series, consisting of light, medium and heavy spin, baitcast, jig, bluewater troll rods at value for money prices – in effect, almost every fishing style available in Australia.

The new Revolution models have been updated with all-new fittings. Using Fuji O Ring guides, which have increased protection for the insert, Soft Touch reel seats for greater comfort during long fishing sessions, which complement the hard-wearing customshaped EVA fore and butt grips. The twopiece rods also have subtle ferruling system that you’d be hard pressed to pick.

Utilising Shimano’s 24-30 Ton Toray graphite, the blanks the new Revolutions are built on combine casting performance – where applicable – with incredible lifting and fish fighting power. www.shimanofish.com.au

8

9

ZMAN TRD CRAWZ

10

12

Joining the already incredible line-up of various soft baits ZMan offers, the new TRD CrawZ is sure to fill a gap for those chasing crustacean-eating critters in fresh and saltwater.

One thing that makes the TRD CrawZ so unbelievably effective is the fact that when it’s rigged on a NedLockZ jighead, it stands on its head, waving its claws like a real yabby defending itself. The buoyancy of the 10X ElaZTech material serves to make this feature even more life-like.

The fins on the tail of the yabby resembles a tucked in tail, but also aids in helping this great bait glide naturally to the bottom on a slack line. Additionally, if rigged backwards, it can also glide in under structure!

With 8 colours to choose from, this 2.5” bait will be perfect for the likes of bass, bream, yellowbelly and many, many more. www.tackletactics.com.au

SAMAKI WINDCHIME

11

8

9

The new Samaki Windchime shirt is saturated in colour; with a scale base for depth, they’ve added some key species to make your fishing senses come alive.

Sailfish, barramundi, jewfish and mangrove jacks feature on the front and back, all erupting out of their hiding places to inhale lures.

The lightweight fabric is perfect for all outdoor elements, protecting from the harsh sunrays with UV50+ resistant technology.

The soft touch 100% polyester material is comfortable on the body, plus has the added feature of being breathable, keeping the angler cool and dry.

Samaki designs are brought to you

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

Price: RRP from $49.95 www.samaki.com.au

DUO ROUGH TRAIL HYDRA

10

WARLOCK COD LOLLY

11

Long and lean and designed as the ultimate sinking stickbait for large predators, the new Duo Rough Trail Hydra 220 is the lure to pack for your next offshore adventure.

Slim-profiled and with a fixed weight in the tail to maximise casting performance and enhance its action, the Hydra 220 features a dynamic skipping action when worked across the surface, while a twitch and jerk retrieve will see it move from side to side to enhance strikes.

A hyper realistic garfish imitation when worked across the surface, the Hydra is ultra long (220mm) in length to reduce fishing swallowing and biting off the lure, while its tail-heavy, 58.2g body weight allows for long, tangle free casting on the water.

If you’re looking to call up the predators to the surface the new Duo Rough Trail Hydra 220 is the lure to reach for. www.duo-australia.com.au

Just in time for big cod season, the Warlock Cod Lolly is here and ready to make an impact on the Murray cod fishing community.

The Warlock Cod Lolly is suitable for the deeper dwelling fish that are a challenge to reach with other lures, and it has the ability to dive quickly to the required depth. This lure will get in the faces of big predators in their hidey-holes and put you I with more chances at landing that dream fish.

The Cod Lolly has an incredibly enticing sideways swaying action that is irresistible to most predatory fish, especially big Murray cod in rivers and dams.

The Cod Lolly is available in a range of striking colours and is very well built, with quality materials to handle the toughest predatory fish, and will see you through many memorable cod captures. www.jmgillies.com.au

SHIMANO TRANX 200

12

Shimano’s Tranx baitcaster series has been expanded, with the addition of a 200 size in two retrieve ratio options. Whether you’re chasing barra and threadies upstream or even big Murray cod, GTs and the like out the front, these are perfect for the job.

These reals feature the CoreProtect system, which offers superior saltwater resistance through an internal water repellent and water resistant seal system.

A large 48mm throw handle with double paddle assists cranking power and complements the 7.2:1 gear ratio (the 200A has a 6.2:1 retrieve speed).

Featuring Shimano’s Hagane Body, the Tranx holds 170m+ of 30lb braid, and boasts a 5.5kg Cross Carbon drag.

The new SVS Infinity casting controls make these reels a precision caster’s dream by adjusting the external brake adjustment dial. A longer handle and three SA-RB bearings plus one roller bearing provide almost effortless winding.

Shimano recommends pairing the Tranx 200 with a JDM Dialuna or revamped Revolution series rod. www.shimanofish.com.au

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

49

WHAT’S NEW FISHING SAMAKI SKITCH X

OKUMA KOMODO 13 SS 273

Samaki Skitch X offers you a new range taking Skitch into the future.

With an extended history of Skitch and Skitch Nano, Skitch X has combined all of its predecessors fantastic features and rolled them into the one. The X factor in the Skitch X is obvious in its ultra slick cosmetics with a sleek black blank encased in X weave wrap, a powerful performance feature, ultra hard EVA grips for comfort and support as well as striking blue details and carbon fibre locking rings.

The Samaki Skitch X has been created for every angler across the nation, from Barra fishing enthusiasts with a 6’0ft cast and spin model , to the estuary fisherman taking advantage of light and medium spin 7’ models, offering the ever so popular slug spinning 9’ model plus the famous 6’6” and 7’ heave models which are designed to give you the grunt you require when fishing heavier slugs.

Price: from SRP $99.95 www.samaki.com.au

ZEREK AFFINITY

14

The Zerek Affinity is a 220mm long, 3-jointed floating swimbait originally designed for large bass and pike, but built to accommodate the brutal fisheries that are Murray cod and barramundi.

Constructed with a tough ABS plastic body that is supported by through wire construction to ensure durability, the Affinity features a unique joint section that creates a smooth sliding action during retrieve.

With its large profile, the Affinity is the prefect size for massive predators that are feeding on larger baitfish in the fresh or the salt, and with the addition of the two provided removable weights (10g and 20g), the Affinity can target them at any depth. The removable weight concept keeps the extra weight perfectly hidden, and balances the lure’s action whether you’re using the lure unweighted or with the chin weights.

Unweighted, the Affinity weighs in at 96g and comes in 10 very lifelike colours. www.wilsonfishing.com

RAPALA BC400

50

MARCH 2019

16

The Okuma Komodo SS Series of baitcast reels has made a name for itself in big fish circles, taking on species such as barramundi, Murray cod, PNG black bass and offshore jigging targets, thanks to its stainless steel main gear, pinion gear, drive and spool shafts, offering the ultimate power, combined with impressive drag outputs.

The compact and much anticipated 200 Series models are now available, including the KDS-273 and KDS-273LX (left hand). Both models fit neatly in the palm, boast 9kg of drag, a gear ratio of 7.3:1 and a line capacity of 0.29mm/205m. They boast a heavy-duty build, heavy drag capabilities and plenty of line capacity in a compact size.

This feature-packed reel also includes precision Japanese ABEC-5 spool bearings, 6-pin Velocity Control casting system, Spool Access Port, rigid diecast aluminium frame and side plates with CRC: Corrosion Resistant Coating process, A6061-T6 machined aluminium, anodized spool, multi-disc high output Carbonite drag system, dual antireverse for maximum reliability, Zirconium line guide, synchronized level wind optimized for braid, and more.

Price: SRP $389.90 www.okuma.com.au

SKY RIGGER

14

15

17

A new drone fishing device invented by NSW anglers Jaiden Maclean and Byron Leal has launched after more than two years’ research and development.

The pair created the patented Sky Rigger following the viral success of their Drone Fishing for Tuna video, which achieved hundreds of millions of views across the world.

At the time, they used a makeshift device to attach their rig to a drone and deliver the bait from the beach out beyond the breakers, and within 24 hours they landed a 20kg tuna.

The success of the video inspired them to develop a new drone accessory to make the sport safe and accessible for everyone.

The Sky Rigger, distributed by Sea Ulcer, attaches to DJI Phantom drones. Its unique, foolproof design ensures the safety of the drone while allowing unimpeded use of its camera so anglers can capture unique unseen fishing action.

Price: SRP $199 www.seaulcer.com

BLACK MAGIC 15 FLEA

The new Rapala BC400 is the ultimate all-round oversized baitcast reel. Whether you are casting large swimbaits for Murray cod and barramundi, or slow pitch jigging reefs for demersal species, the BC400 is the ultimate crossover reel.

It also features six ball bearings and a large over-sized handle, and the 6.3:1 gear ratio allows the angler to wind fast when needed, making this reel a very versatile fish catching weapon.

The CNC machined alloy spool has a line capacity of 200m/0.33mm of 50lb braid, and is easily accessible with a quick switch side plate, allowing for quick and easy maintenance on or off the water.

Carbon fibre drag washers with a drag output of 10kg/22lb, centrifugal brake system, precision machined brass gear and a one-way clutch system will see you stopping and landing that fish of a lifetime.

Check it out at your favourite tackle store. www.rapala.com.au

PRODUCT GUIDE

16

13

18

Like the Maggot lure before it, the wellknown Black Magic Flea has had a refresh with some great looking new skirt colours added to the range Coupled with some of the old favourites, anglers can now select from 10 colour options to suit their preferences.

For those who aren’t familiar with the Flea, it’s a 200mm lure ideally suited for tuna, but it’s got a great record with other pelagic species like mahi mahi, sailfish and marlin. The head itself is 30mm in length and is a cup face pusher with a small reverse taper. That gives it a nice wriggly trolling action with a good bubble trail.

Black Magic recommends using up to 200lb leader with this lure and a 7/0 game hook.

The last point worth noting is that all the heads have good UV content which you’ll see if you place them under a UV light. You’ll notice UV content in some of the skirts and there are glowing lumo versions too – all extra attraction for your target species. www.blackmagictackle.com

17

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

SCAN THE QR CODE!

PRODUCT GUIDE

WHAT’S NEW FISHING

Unique Yamashita Eginno Pyonpyon new on the squid scene

TESTED

Anybody who enjoys squid fishing, whether it is an obsession or an occasional flirtation, would or should know the Yamashita brand of squid jigs.

Yamashita’s innovation is second to none, and the jigs in their various iterations are available at an affordable price.

I have accumulated a significant collection of Yamashita jigs over the years. It has been difficult to walk past them in a tackle store and not at least grab one or two.

Eginno Pyonpyon It can be interesting to find out the translations of Japanese product names. In this case, ‘Eginno’ is the combination of egi (squid) with innovation, and Pyonpyon means ‘jump jump’, like the flicking of a prawn.

Like all Yamashita jigs, these new jigs have some unique and interesting features to attract cephalopods to them. All of these features are based around mimicking a prawn in the water.

The first thing you’ll notice is the folding front flap. It is designed to fold back on the cast to assist with casting distance, and will then fold out during your retrieve to create a unique water resistance. The goal is to create an effect that’s similar to

The author with a handful of South Australian cephalopod. that of a prawn swimming. I assumed that the design would give the jig a bit of a sideto-side action like it does with a lure, but this was not the case. There was no visible action created by the bib, but it does slow the decent of the lure. This is ideal when you’re fishing shallow water for the likes of tiger squid in Queensland, as you can fish far more slowly, keeping the jig in the zone for longer.

The next feature that’s a bit different is the addition the leg feathers. Video of the jig underwater show that these feathers need minimal movement of the jig for them to move and sway, similar to that of a prawn swimming. I suspect that for squid, with their high sense of vision, this additional movement would further spark interest in the jig.

The Search Rattle in Yamashita jigs is a feature I have always liked, and I am glad it is in the Eginno Pyonpyon. I was lucky enough to speak to one of the members of the Yamashita research and development team a number of years ago about this.

He explained to me that they had put a huge amount of hours into creating the correct pitch in the Search Rattle – 600hz to be exact. At 600hz the Search Rattle mimics a feeding sound that hungry squid

The Yamashita Eginno Pyonpyon looks a little different from conventional squid jigs. Different in this case is full of Yamashita innovation. are attracted to. How’s that for attention to detail?

My experience with the Yamashita rattling jigs is that you will have occasions where if you are not using a rattling jig, you may as well not be fishing. It really can make all the difference.

Last but not least are the 490 Glow Beads. These have been inserted into the body of the jig to create the unique glow a prawn emits in the water. This is not a feature of all the colours in the range, however, as some are UV enhanced instead.

From the packet to the water It is one thing to be different, but that difference also needs to work. I was given a couple of jigs in the 3.5, 18g size, and my plan was to use them in the squidrich waters around Port Vincent in South Australia. From a squid fishing perspective, this is a magnificent place as you have plenty of options, whether you’re landbased or fishing from a boat.

Even the smallest squid enveloped the jig. There was no questioning they wanted it!

The marina wall was my first port of call, and I realised pretty quickly that I had to fish the Eginno jig a little differently from other jigs. With traditional jigs I generally use quite a strong whipping action, with a short to medium pause in between. I found that although this retrieve did work with the Eginno, the 3.2 second per metre drop rate of the jig meant that my pause needed to be longer.

I also found that the Eginno didn’t whip from side to side like a standard jig, but instead hopped up and up, moving out of the strike zone. More subtle hops were better, and I didn’t have to worry about the jig plummeting into the structure below.

Looking back at it now, it was a more finesse presentation, which was ideal during the Christmas holiday break. There was certainly plenty of fishing pressure on the local squid, and we had more success than most.

This also proved to be the case out of the boat. The slower presentation had the jig in the zone for longer, and the squid couldn’t resist them.

I think part of the reason for our success was the hook-up location of the Eginno jigs. In 10 days of fishing them I had zero just tentacle hook-ups. Even the smallest squid enveloped the jig.

The majority of the hook-ups were in the

The author was impressed with the hook-up points when using the Eginno jig. Most squid were hooked in the prime location between the eyes, with no tentacle hook-ups.

The result of a couple of hours testing the Yamashita Eginno Pyonpyon.

sweet spot between the eyes. You get maximum result for effort when you are hooking them there.

Final thoughts I didn’t think I needed more squid jigs, but I have now changed my mind. There are enough differences in the Eginno jigs, and situations where they would be the best option, that I’ve decided to get a few more.

Bring on the squid season here in Southeast Queensland, because I can’t wait to use the Yamashita Eginno jigs on the tiger squid around the Moreton Bay islands. I think the Eginnos will be perfect for the shallow water presentation required to target these squid.

The Eginno jigs are available in two sizes (3.0/15g and 3.5/18g). Both sink at the same rate and are available in eight colours. To find out more about the Yamashita Eginno range, and the other Yamashita jigs available, go to www.ejtodd.com.au or check out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ Yamashita.Australia. - Peter Jung

MARCH 2019

51

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

ONLINE TACKLE PRODUCTS FG Wizz www.fgwizz.com.au

NOW YOU CAN TIE THE PERFECT FG KNOT EVERY TIME

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

MARGARET RIVER

NO MORE bulky braid/leader joins

SEE IT! .. BUY IT! .. www.fgwizz.com.au HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION ESPERANCE Esperance Bay Holiday Park Esperance (08) 9071 2237 Bathers Paradise Caravan Park Esperance (08) 9071 1014 Pine Grove Holiday Park Esperance (08) 9071 4100 Pink Lake Tourist Park Nulsen (08) 9071 2424 Esperance Seafront Caravan Park Castletown (08) 9071 1251 Ocean Beach Holiday Units Esperance (08) 9071 5942 Esperance Chalet Village Bandy Creek (08) 9071 1861 Esperance Beachfront Resort Esperance (08) 9071 2513 Munglinup Beach Holiday Park Munglinup (08) 9075 1155

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

(08) 9433 4768

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.

52

MARCH 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

WA DEALER OF THE YEAR

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

WHY DEAL WITH ANYONE ELSE? 331 Great Eastern Hwy, Midvale, WA 6056

Ph: (08) 9250 3339

GET ONBOARD

All Boats and Caravans Kingsley (08) 9309 4200

MARINE TRIMMERS

John’s Motor Trimmers Auto & Marine Upholstery Welshpool (08) 9470 5531 G.K. Trimmers Canning Vale (08) 9455 7144 Prestige Marine Trimmers Perth (08) 9303 9536 McCarroll Motor & Marine Trimmers Osborne Park (08) 9244 1449 Exclusive Marine Trimming & Upholstery O’Connor (08) 9314 6882 Universal Marine & Automotive Upholstery O’Connor 08) 9314 1770

DAMPIER

Broome Caravan Park (08) 9192 1776 Discovery Parks - Broome (08) 9192 1366 Broome Vacation Village Caravan Park Broome (08) 9192 1057 Cable Beach Caravan Park Broome (08) 9192 2066 Tarangau Caravan Park Broome (08) 9193 5084

Searano Marine Malaga (08) 9248 2242

Waters Edge Marine Trimmers Leeming 0412 204 085

Discovery Parks - Onslow (08) 9184 6007 Ocean View Caravan Park (08) 9184 6053

BROOME

Whitworths Marine & Leisure - Mosman Park (08) 9385 5877

Mason Marine Trimmers O’Connor 0418 923 787

ONSLOW

PORT HEDLAND

Offshore Marine Guildford (08) 6278 1299

The Trim Shop (08) 9430 5332

Ningaloo Lighthouse Holiday Park (08) 9949 1478 Yardie Homestead Caravan Park (08) 9949 1389 Ningaloo Caravan and Holiday Resort (08) 9949 2377 RAC Exmouth Cape Holiday Park 1800 871 570 Exmouth Escape Resort (08) 9949 4800 Mantarays Ningaloo Beach Resort, Exmouth (08) 9949 0000

Discovery Parks Port Hedland (08) 9173 1271 Port Tourist Park Port Hedland (08) 9172 4111 Blackrock Tourist Park South Hedland (08) 9172 3444 Landing Resort Port Hedland (08) 9172 4111

www.hydrowaveaustralia.com

Bluewater Marine (08) 9791 1499

EXMOUTH

Dampier Transit Caravan Park (08) 9183 1109 Discovery Parks - Pilbara, Karratha (08) 9185 1855 Karratha Caravan Park (08) 9185 1012 Discovery Parks - Balmoral, Karratha (08) 9185 3628 Harding River Caravan Park (08) 9182 1063 Aspen Karratha Village Baynton (08) 9185 2726 Karratha Apartments Karratha (08) 9143 9222 Searipple Village Karratha Bulgarra (08) 9158 7400 Karratha Village Karratha 1300 321 669

(includes shipping)

John’s mobile trimmers Jandakot (08) 9417 4414 Cutting Edge Marine Trimming O’Connor 0432 062 834 Mandurah Motor Trimmers Greenfields (08) 9581 8180

WELDING & MANUFACTURING 18 HAWKINS ST, EAST BUNBURY, WA 6230

(08)

9791 1499

CSD Designs Bayswater 0407 772 010 XFactor Signs 0413 113 828

Northbank Fibreglass Boats @northbankboats MARINE MECHANICS Falcon Services Australia Midvale 0458 852 591 Bay Marine Maintenance Crawley (08) 9386 7059 Pleisure Marine Maintenance O’Connor (08) 9337 9569 Boat Fix Balcatta (08) 9240 8778 Parker Marine Fremantle (08) 9336 6979 Matich Marine East Fremantle (08) 9339 7722

Boat Wrap Specialist www.xfactorsigns.com

Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call 0417 901 301 or email nick@fishingmonthly.com.au MARCH 2019

53

recfishwest

Crayfish industry growth plan must protect reefs WA has the best recreational crayfish fishery in the world and Recfishwest will fight to protect it.

There are concerns over impact on recreational lobster catch and participation. Nearshore crayfish abundance is critical

Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said Recfishwest has significant concerns about the plan, which is currently open for consultation.

“Recfishwest will never support anything that adversely impacts on recreational fishing

crayfish on inshore reefs,” Dr Rowland said.

“We are keen to understand how these inshore reef areas will be protected under any proposal to grow the western rock lobster industry.”

“The last thing we want to see is increased

The Minister for Fisheries announced a plan to grow the rock lobster industry by increasing the quota available to the commercial sector by 1700 tonnes, but what effect will this have on the lobster fishery?

Recfishwest believes that all WA fish stocks must be managed to provide optimal benefits to the WA community, and this is especially true for the lobster fishery. to supporting quality fishing.

Recfishwest will never support any proposals that adversely impacts on our fishing experiences.

Recfishwest believes that all WA fish stocks must be managed to provide

experiences,” Dr Rowland said.

He said high numbers of crayfish close to shore in the last few years thanks to conservative management has significantly increased the catchability for

divers who enjoy catching crayfish along our coast.”

“We look forward to further engagement with the Government that results in a plan that recognises the

was deployed!

Who is Graham?

Graham is an inaugural member of the Esperance Deep Sea Angling Club and is one of the driving forces

as Angel Rings, Rock Anchor Points, to be installed at highrisk fishing locations along the South Coast.

Graham is also a Recfishwest lifejacket

exploitation of these reefs by ramping up commercial catch by 1700t. That’s over three times the annual recreational catch!”

“There is much more to fisheries management than simply the sustainable

In WA, there are around 60,000 licences, meaning management of the fishery is extremely important.

Western Australia boasts the best recreational lobster fishery in the world, and Recfishwest will fight to protect it. optimal benefits to the WA community.

In December, the Minister for Fisheries announced a plan to grow the rock lobster industry by increasing the quota available to the commercial sector by 1700 tonnes.

54

MARCH 2019

recreational fishers, which has led 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

exploitation of a resource for economic gain, it’s also about managing the stock to ensure high abundance in the right areas.”

“We are seeking more details on the plan to ensure any management changes do not impact on potters and

benefits of all stakeholders in this fishery” Dr Rowland said.

COOPER REEF A REALITY January marked a very special occasion for the community of Esperance, as their long-held dream of an artificial reef close to town has been realised.

Cooper Reef, named after local community champion Graham Cooper,

to getting a new reef for his community.

Graham has also played a huge role in the fishing safety space by educating almost 10,000 school students on the South Coast about fishing safety over the last decade. Graham has also been instrumental in leading fishing safety initiatives in Esperance, Ravensthorpe and Hopeton by pushing for public safety equipment, such

ambassador for our Fish and Survive campaign. Graham remains the Chairperson of the South East Coast Recreational Fishing Council and still enjoys fishing for demersal species around the islands after many years.

We’re proud to have been a part of this project from the beginning, however full credit must go to the tireless team of local volunteers who made this vision a reality.

A New Era in FourStroke The game has changed… The ALL NEW Mercury 15-20hp FourStroke The game has changed… The ALL NEW Mercury 15-20hp FourStroke battery-free EFI range changes the way you will think about portable outboards. battery-free EFI range changes the way you will think about portable outboards.

Lighter, more powerful, more efficient, more durable, more intuitive…

Lighter, more powerful, more efficient, more durable, more intuitive… unlike any other portable fourstroke. unlike any other portable fourstroke.

The all new 175hp – 225hp Mercury FourStroke V6 Outboard Range Taking performance, efficiency and reliability to a level you have only dreamed about.

Contact or visit us for more information.

See your authorised Mercury Marine Dealer today.

See your authorised Mercury Marine Dealer today.

MIDVALE AQUASPORTS MARINE

EXMOUTH EXMOUTH AUTOMOTIVE & BOATING

MANDURAH MANDURAH OUTBOARDS

331 Great Eastern Hwy MIDVALE Phone: (08) 9250 3339 | Fax: (08) 9250 8339 Email: info@aquasportsmarine.com.au Website: aquasportsmarine.com.au

5 Griffiths Way EXMOUTH Phone: (08) 9949 2795 | Fax: (08) 9949 4795 Email: exautomotive@bigpond.com Website: exmouthautoandboating.com.au

53 Gordon Road MANDURAH Phone: (08) 9581 7224 | Fax: (08) 9581 6305 Email: james@mandurahoutboards.com.au Website: mandurahoutboards.com.au

BUNBURY BLUEWATER MARINE

WEBBERTON MIDWEST MARINE

HENDERSON THE BOAT BUSINESS

18 Hawkins Street BUNBURY Phone: (08) 9791 1499 | Fax: (08) 9791 1497 Email: bluwater@bigpond.net.au Website: bluewatermarine.com.au

61 Anderson Street WEBBERTON Phone: (08) 9964 9874 Email: admin@midwestmarine.com.au Website: midwestmarine.com.au

COMO DINGHY WORLD 252 Canning Hwy COMO Phone: (08) 9367 6555 Email: info@dinghyworld.com.au Website: dinghyworld.com.au

1/5 Contest Link HENDERSON Phone: (08) 9437 5144 | Fax: (08) 9437 6144 Email: mark@theboatbusiness.com.au Website: theboatbusiness.com.au

10 top tips for tackling yakking in the wind BRISBANE

Justin Willmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

I had a few things in mind for this month’s article: setting myself the challenge of targeting a big fish from the kayak, catching a number of species in a session, hitting the freshwater or a kayak

degree. Here are a few things that I consider when fishing in windy conditions.

ANCHORING Anchoring can allow you to fish an area more effectively, even when there is no wind, however when you are at the mercy of the wind and especially when in a paddle kayak, an anchor of one form or another can make it possible to fish, instead of

includes a stake out pole, driven into the bottom through a scupper hole or driven into the bottom and attached to an anchor line. If you are fishing around timber you can create a simple ‘grab anchor’ by attaching a spring style builder’s clamp to the end of your anchor line and attaching it to the structure.

On my recent adventures I have used a Cooper anchor

A simple anchor set-up: Cooper anchor, length of rope and locking carabiner.

A handful of windy weather bream that was feeding aggressively on the flats. bait fishing article. After a few sessions of facing 15-20 knot winds I decided it might be a good idea to share some tips for kayak fishing in the wind.

The fish don’t mind the wind, in fact sometimes it even fires them up, however it can make for a tough day on the water if you don’t take the wind into account.

sailing along at speed with your lure skipping along on the surface.

An anchor can be set-up to slow your drift or fix you in position. A sea anchor (drift chute) is designed to slow your drift in the wind and is basically a funnel made of a synthetic material that opens, fills with water and creates drag in the water

with a suitable length of anchor line for the depth I am fishing for the day, simply attached to my kayak grab rope with a locking carabiner that allows me to shorten the rope and lock it in if required. This anchor line is run through the front handle of the kayak so that when the anchor is deployed the nose of the kayak is pulled into

and the anchor retrieved to the front handle. This is a quick and simple option I use on my smaller kayak, while a full anchor running rig is connected on my larger kayak.

One important note that I would make is be careful when deploying an anchor, especially in wind and current, as the anchor line may drift under or behind the kayak and then when the anchor locks into the bottom and everything goes tight it can make your kayak unstable and even roll it. I prefer to paddle slightly further than where I wish to anchor, allow the momentum of the kayak to cease, the drift begin and then deploy the anchor line carefully and so that the nose of the kayak is already pointing into the wind or current, to avoid any sudden stops or spins.

PADDLE BLADE ANGLE One trick that I have learnt over the years is to use the blades on your kayak paddle as a sail to adjust your drift angle in the wind. The wind can force your kayak to drift at an angle that makes fishing difficult, however, by laying your kayak paddle across or along the yak so that the blade catches the wind, you can adjust the position of the paddle blade

to in turn adjust the drift angle of your kayak.

Catch the wind toward the nose of the kayak to turn the nose or catch the wind toward the tail to turn the tail. Get the angle of the kayak right and it can make casting, controlling your lure and catching fish a lot easier.

You may also find that iceboxes, landing nets in rod holders and other objects

session and the direction that they are blowing from.

This information can be important as it may impact your decision when it comes to where to launch, where to fish and how long to fish for. You can use the wind to assist you to your spot, assist you home when it increases or blows up with a tide change or afternoon change, use it to slow

A weedless rig can save you time, frustration and distraction when fishing in the wind. that catch wind may also influence your drift angle and on windy days you may have to decide whether to include them and how to carry them so as to not negatively impact your drift angle.

WIND DIRECTION It’s worth taking some time to research the winds that are expected for the

your drift against the tide or to make note of banks that will have wind blowing onto them, which can oxygenate the water and also blow bait into the area.

Wind direction and speed is also important as you can make note of sheltered launch points, sheltered areas to fish and also

A sea anchor or drift chute is ideal for slowing your drift in windy conditions.

Over the past 30 years of fishing from a kayak I have had some great success with numbers and size of fish in windy conditions, however I go into the session with the mindset that I may need to approach the area I’m fishing systematically and grind out the bite to a 56

MARCH 2019

to slow your drift. Another drift option is weight attached to the anchor line that is allowed to drag across the bottom.

When it comes to holding you in position I have had great success with a 1kg Cooper Poly anchor, however another option

the wind or tide, whichever is stronger.

When I want to retrieve the anchor I simply paddle back toward the anchor, the slack anchor line floats and can be grabbed and the anchor retrieved. If there is any issue the anchor line can be accessed at the carabiner

Creeks and rivers are good places to seek sheltered banks in windy conditions.

alternative points to exit the water should the wind make fishing dangerous or too uncomfortable. Remember safety first – you don’t have to go out, but you do have to come home.

WATER CLARITY Wind direction can also create another variable: water clarity. If you aren’t finding

the wind is blowing in the same direction as the tide it can mean a drift speed that is impossible to fish, so you may need to look at sheltered banks or anchoring options. I have used the wind against the tide to create an extremely slow drift, allowing me to effectively fish an edge or flat. It’s

Grunter are a regular occurrence in the author’s local along wind blown, murkier banks. fish on the sheltered banks that often have better water clarity, then don’t discount the windy banks, as you may find increased bait activity and more oxygenated water and in turn more fish activity.

I often have better success

important to remember though that in some areas this can create rough and even dangerous conditions as the wind and tide collide.

CASTING When casting, it is much easier to cast with the wind,

and how fast it is moving.

JIGHEAD WEIGHT The bulk of my lure fishing involves casting soft plastics and I generally use two different strategies when it comes to selecting jighead weights in windy conditions.

If I am fishing deeper water and sandy/muddy bottoms without weed I will go a little heavier with the jighead, cast long, get it down quick and cover ground.

On the other hand, I fish over the weed a lot and it can be a nightmare in the wind. It becomes difficult to control the line, keep the jighead out of the weed and drive the lure effectively over the weed. One technique that has worked well when fishing the weedy flats in the wind is to drop the jighead weight down from a 1/4oz to a 1/6oz, 1/8oz or even lighter. The wind allows a long cast with the light jighead, so your lure is a long way from the kayak and the fish are often feeding aggressively and up in the water column as the water is a little murkier and the surface disturbed.

WEEDLESS RIGGING The wind is blowing, the fish are biting and

strike zone.

SCENT UP I apply scent on my lures at all times, with the theory of applying a little scent more often, about every thirty or so casts. It masks

fishing in windy conditions, but it can be. I never head out in 15-20+ knot winds and think I’m going to smash it. I do however give myself the best chance by considering the

always safety.

My latest session in the wind only resulted in a handful of bream, however, it was great to get out, catch a few and it was rewarding to make a plan and catch some fish, despite

Keep it simple in the wind. The author’s basic anchor set-up with minimal clutter. foreign scents, attracts fish and triggers strikes.

In windy conditions when I may not have as much contact with and control of my plastics, I believe that scent is even more important. Anything that I

aforementioned variables, making a plan around them and knowing that I am going to have to apply myself, have patience and maybe even grind it out.

Many of the same general rules of fishing often apply

the conditions. I still managed to scratch the fishing itch.

If the wind kept me off the water I wouldn’t have landed the 80cm flathead pictured in last month’s article ‘Kayak fishing with Ned’, a fish that was landed

The wind is blowing, there’s some chop on the water, but it’s still too nice a day to be stuck at home.

If the call wasn’t made to fish in the wind then this would never have happened. An 80cm flathead in 20 knot winds. on flathead where the water is clearer, while bream and grunter seem to love feeding on a wind blown bank or flat.

Wind also creates dirty water lines that can be extremely productive. These dirty water lines are where the stirred up, murkier water meets cleaner water.

It can be an area where bait concentrates and also the perfect ambush point for predatory species.

TIDES When considering wind direction it’s also important to consider the direction of the tidal flow and how wind with tide and wind against tide impacts the area that you area fishing. When

especially if it’s blowing hard and it also makes it much easier to retrieve your lures without the wind blowing your line around too much. Remember, if you’re drifting fast you may be retrieving quite quickly, however this is counteracted by the drift speed and the long casts; so you should still be able to monitor contact with the bottom, cover plenty of water and keep your lure working.

You can also cast across the wind and allow the wind to drag your line and cover water, however, it takes a bit more experience to get a feel for where in the water column your lure is tracking

weedless rigging allows me to effectively and systematically work a bank, flat or structure with much less chance of fouling or snagging. This can take away a bit of the frustration of fishing in the wind as you will spend less time rigging and clearing weed off your soft plastic and more time fishing.

Accurate casts can be trickier in the wind and the weedless jighead means that if you cast a little too far onto the bank, miss the pocket in the weed or your lure gets blown into a tree by a gust of wind, then a slow wind should see you out of trouble and in the

can do to attract the fish, trigger a more aggressive strike or get that fish to hold on for a millisecond more, gives me more chance of feeling the bite and setting the hook in time.

PLAN AND PATIENCE It’s often not going to be as easy or productive kayak

in the wind, including find the bait, find the structure, match the hatch and look for eddies, pockets, points and so forth. Don’t let the wind distract you or drag you away from what has worked in the past. If an area looks good, anchor and grind it out. The main thing to consider first is

after persisting in 20 knot winds, anchoring in and pick pocketing sandy patches on the weed flats.

If it’s blowing and you feel the need to catch a fish, consider the variables outlined here, make a plan, stay safe and hook in!

See you on the water.

This mum and bub dugong didn’t mind a bit of breeze on the flats.

MARCH 2019

57

WHAT’S NEW BOATING FULTON XLT WINCH RANGE

1

The new Fulton XLT Winch range provides premium performance at an affordable price. It comes in four sizes, from single speed through to two-speed, and rated from 680-1450kg.

With a stamped carbon steel frame, the range is built for strength and durability. The internals have a Z-Max 600 zinc coating for superior corrosion resistance and a 600-hour salt spray rating. The polypropylene cover protects the internal hardware from the harsh marine environment, and provides safety from moving parts. The carbon steel frame is built tough, providing all-important rigidity necessary for accurate gear alignment resulting in a longer life.

The single-speed winch features an efficient gear ratio, full-length drum bearings, oil-impregnated shaft bushings, and an 8” comfort-grip handle for ease of cranking. The two-speed winch also has a shift lock design.

All models are backed by a 5-year limited warranty.

Price: from $149 www.fultonperformance.com

FUSION EL SHALLOW-MOUNT

2

Fusion’s EL Series of shallow-mount marine speakers feature a modern design in two styles with LED lighting options, durable construction and accessory grille options.

The shallow basket design makes the EL Series ideal where mounting depth is limited.

The two grille styles, Classic and Sports, provide the ultimate in cone protection while complementing the vessel look, with the choice of seven LED lighting colours.

Designed for functionality that lasts in harsh outdoor and marine environments, the EL Series is rated IP65 for water and dust ingress protection from the front face when correctly mounted. It also meets industry standards for UV and salt fog protection.

Offered in 80W, 6.5” speakers, the powerful EL Series is engineered with a compact basket assembly for simple and versatile installation.

Extra grilles are available in Sports White, Sports Grey, Classic White or Classic Black. www.fusionentertainment.com

LOWRANCE HDS LIVE

3

Lowrance HDS LIVE, available in 7”, 9”, 12” and 16” display sizes, delivers powerful real-time sonar, charting and connectivity features including Active Imaging, LiveSight, Genesis Live and LiveCast smartphone integration.

Active Imaging lets you see structure and cover with a new level of refined detail, and at a range unmatched by any other structure imaging technology. Active Imaging 3-in-1 sonar combines Lowrance CHIRP with SideScan and DownScan Imaging, and Livesight sonar delivers the most detailed views of fish as they swim in and around cover.

When using LiveSight forward in conjunction with the Lowrance Point-1 GPS antenna, an on-chart indicator shows the direction the transducer is pointed, letting you line up on a waypoint or pinpoint structure.

Delivering real-time, custom-mapping capabilities, HDS LIVE harnesses the power of Genesis Live charting, which uses digital depth to create depth-contour overlays on charts.

HDS LIVE also allows anglers to display fishing info and entertainment from their smartphones on their 12” and 16” sunlight viewable displays.

Price: from SRP $1549 (7”) www.lowrance.com 58

MARCH 2019

MERCURY SALE NOW ON

PRODUCT GUIDE

4

Mercury is kicking off 2019 in the best way, with savings of up to $800 on its outstanding 40-60hp FourStroke outboards.

These are the most popular outboards on the water – for good reason. Ideal for a huge range of activities, these engines will revitalise your boat with the power, efficiency and reliability of Mercury’s advanced FourStroke technology.

Weighing in from just 93kgs, these engines have everything you need and nothing you don’t.

And to make a good decision even easier, Mercury Finance is available with deals at 3.99% allowing for easy, weekly repayments.

This offer is subject to engine availability so if you want to take advantage to repower, refresh, and rejuvenate your boat, then you’d better act fast.

This offer lasts until 22 March 2019 and is only available at participating Mercury dealers.

Terms and conditions apply. www.mercurymarine.com.au

NAVICO DISTRIBUTE 5 CLARION Navico, parent company to leading marine electronics brands Lowrance®, Simrad®, B&G® and C-MAP®, has announced its distribution agreement with Clarion Marine Systems, via JL Audio. Navico Australia and New Zealand will be able to offer a range of Clarion Marine audio products to its existing dealer network.

Under an exclusive long-term Licensing Agreement made in Q3 of 2018, JL Audio assumed responsibility for Clarion’s Marine Audio Electronics and Accessories business in North America, South America, Australia and New Zealand. Navico APAC has been the distributor of JL Audio products since 2016 hence was the logical choice to distribute Clarion Marine products moving forward.

Mathew Hooper, Navico Australia and New Zealand Sales Director, commented on the recent partnership.

“The well-established and quality proven Clarion Marine products complement Navico’s extensive product portfolio,” he said. “We can now offer a complete and premium range of marine electronics to our customer base and look forward to developing our partnership with JL Audio with the distribution of Clarion Marine Systems.” www.clarion.com/au/en/top.html

MERCURY’S 80TH ANNIVERSARY

1

2

3

6

4

6

Mercury Marine will celebrate its 80th anniversary throughout 2019 with events around the world, reflecting on its strong heritage of innovation and leadership in the marine industry.

On January 22, 1939, E. Carl Kiekhaefer purchased a bankrupt engine manufacturing plant in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. Now, 80 years later, the business that emerged from those modest beginnings – Mercury Marine – is a company with 7,000 employees across the globe and is heralded as the world’s leading manufacturer of marine propulsion systems, as well as marine parts and accessories.

“Eighty years ago, Carl Kiekhaefer had a vision for Mercury and that was based around product innovation and technology – and it’s that vision that built the foundation for us to continue to innovate today,” said John Pfeifer, Mercury Marine president.

Mercury will celebrate its 80th anniversary throughout the year and showcase some of its strong heritage during the 2019 boat shows. www.mercurymarine.com.au

5

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

SCAN THE QR CODE!

MAJOR PRIZES

FIND THE

LOGO COMPETITION

1st PLACE

1000

There are 15 logos hidden throughout the pages of Fishing Monthly.

$

Find the logo and page number, fill in the entry form and go in the draw to win!

RRP worth of Frogley’s Offshore products

2nd PLACE

The first 40 correct entries drawn at the end of each month will win a packet of the world’s finest hooks from

500

$

All entries will go into the major prize draw (APRIL 30 , 2019).

RRP worth of Frogley’s Offshore products

www.frogleysoffshore.com.au

3rd PLACE

200

$

RRP worth of Frogley’s Offshore products

PAGE NO: 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

NAME ............................................................................................................

MAIL ENTRIES TO: WAFM Find the Gamakatsu Logo Competition, PO BOX 3172, Loganholme QLD 4129 Entries must be received by 31ST MARCH 2019 Original entries only. No photocopies.

SUBURB .................................................................P/CODE ...........................

PHONE ..........................................................................................................

EMAIL ............................................................................................................

WAFM MARCH 2019

ADDRESS .......................................................................................................

The crossing to greater fishing opportunities BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Crossing our coastal bars seems to be almost a rite of passage for boaters that love fishing. Owners of most larger trailer craft sooner or later seem to find a reason to leave the somewhat gentle confines of the estuaries and bays, opting to head offshore in pursuit of bigger and better fish.

mahimahi or yellowfin tuna.

Offshore reef fishing is made more accessible by modern sounders that allow anglers to navigate the deep water’s rough ground.

A SENSE OF POWER These are just some of the incentives for heading well away from the launching ramp into an environment where wave height and timing between swells can dominate the day.

It is not just the impressive captures that keeps people heading offshore, it is

way out – but there’s always a big smile on the return.

Been there and done that!

However, to enjoy the blue water and all it offers usually involves crossing a coastal bar; the place where a channel, river, or other major place of outflow or entry is in direct contact with the oceanic wave action.

The channel or river is usually easy going on initial approach to the main bar area, but as the craft gets closer you should expect the conditions to change

carefully at what’s ahead and proceed with caution. Bar crossings can be hazardous and not something to be taken lightly.

Yet, bar crossings will vary. Several factors are at play here: waves always run ashore, that’s a given, with their strength varying according to height and

for reasons discussed later.

MAKING A START Now that we’ve covered some of the variables and issues associated with bar crossings we can get into the thick of things, start the motor and see what’s ahead! In fairness, nothing can take the place of hands on experience in regards to bar crossing but

give an insight into what’s happening in the wave/swell department.

A 1-1.5m swell does not sound like much to contend with, but even little waves have a lot of power. If there has been an onshore breeze blowing all night there might be wind chop on top of the swell, say half a

Little wave means little strength? Try to hold a tinny side on against a little wave and you might change your mind.

The Southport Seaway is a great place to gain experience at bar crossing work. This image gives an insight into some of the confused conditions that can be encountered.

Marlin are one of the pinnacle sportfish in the ocean, and enjoying the spectacle and sheer strength of these stallions of the sea will most definitely require deeper water.

In that same environment we might also stretch a line with some tasty wahoo,

very satisfying work. It combines assessing your environment, your ability as a skipper and your confidence in your craft.

There is a great sense of accomplishment at the end of a trip.

There’s no shame in being a little nervous on the

frequency. However, waves are only part of the problem.

Bar crossings, all so different in topography and characteristics, are always influenced by the state of the tide and the amount of current making its way in or out of the main waterway.

In many smaller coastal bars – think Tallebudgera or Currumbin Creek, both

we all have to make a start somewhere, so let’s consider some sensible starting points.

You should always start by getting a good look at the bar from land prior to approaching it in the boat.

Things can vary from day to day, so an idea of what lies ahead from a safe vantage point is a huge bonus. Tide status is vital. There must be

metre. It may not sound like much, but if that carefully planned daylight departure coincides with a tide that has been ebbing for around a couple of hours and that outflow is the result of a higher than normal tide then the larger the mass of water being moved the stronger the tide. If there is a swell coming in and big current

as waves and current come together in water that’s often significantly shallower – a feature of many of our bars.

POTHOLES IN THE ROAD Suddenly it’s the equivalent of a potholed or badly corrugated road. You’ll need to slow down, look

The Seaway on a great afternoon with an incoming tide, with waves around the half metre mark.

Life jackets are essential for bar crossings in the author’s opinion. The law requires them to be worn when crossing a bar in a craft less than 4.8m in length.

60

MARCH 2019

gateways to Palm Beach Reef – low tide means the lowest water with waves breaking merrily and shallow water sometimes preventing travel.

Low water on the Southport Seaway is no issue; there is plenty of water under the hull, but that same bar area can be a nightmare of white water and confused surface

enough water to allow the propeller to do its job – once the boat’s aground you have lost control of the situation.

Next consideration should be the sea conditions and studying the coastal observations on the Internet.

Taking a look at a bar crossing’s real time camera (several have them) will

heading out then there is going to be some pressure waves ahead and the boat must have sufficient power to counter the force of incoming waves.

NEWBIES WISE TO WAIT FOR BEST CONDITIONS The smart boater should consider all aspects of the

proposed crossing well in advance: the prevailing weather, the swell and wave action plus tidal state.

For an absolute beginner, it’s common sense to take

THE SEAWAY In considering bar crossings I could nominate at least a half dozen bars of varying degrees of difficulty.

Instead I’ll suggest one that

sight of the high rise ashore and the Palm Beach Reef is just a short run south. Marlin and other gamefish are well worth a try and there is plenty of reef scattered about as

of hundred metres, but that’s standard for the course, so the idea is to move close to the action and watch the swell for a short time to ensure there are no big ones coming. As soon as the wave set has gone it is good by the rock walls and then say hello to the blue water. Don’t forget, the life jacket must be on if the craft is less than 4.8m in length.

GAINING CONFIDENCE Experience in any bar in varying conditions

is very useful in building confidence and sometimes heading outside on the last of an ebb tide will involve pressure waves ahead, but taking on differing conditions is the only way to build confidence. You’ll want to plan to return at the top of the tide or very shortly after before it gets too much of a gallop on during the ebb, especially if the high tide was a larger one.

Overall, a just making tide is the right choice especially if there is some wave action as waves and tidal flow are going in the same direction and are more easily assessed and managed. As mentioned, it’s the ebb tide, pushing against wave action, that’s the main troublemaker on a coastal bar.

In the next issue we’ll have discussions on important tactics and suitable boat designs for bar work.

Make the effort and gain the reward. Steve Shephard with a serious trevally taken from offshore rubble grounds. on a bar crossing when the conditions are as close to ideal as possible. Very light winds, small waves or swell and a flood tide are all ideal for a first go at a bar.

is relatively user friendly on a good day and makes it ideal for beginners: the Southport Seaway.

There’s plenty of great blue water fishing within

well, so with a flood tide and no more than a metre of swell heading towards shore it should be a breeze.

There might well be some swells during the last couple

Andrew ‘Deddy’ Fedorowicz caught this barracuda off Karratha, which measured 1.35m and was kept for the table.

More room, more features, more stability.

More of everything for a great day on the water… all thanks to our revolutionary Apex Hull.

The radical, variable flared bottom sheet

Our new Apex Hull.

Forget everything you know about boats.

extends to the bow gunnel as does the wide chine. That means more internal consoles, casting platforms, upholstery, transoms and storage (depending on the model). We’ve also added thicker and

Our new Apex Hull.

Forget everything you know about boats.

QXAPEXCM001

space and storage, which lets us build new

higher topsides and raised the side deck,

More room, more features, more stability.

DROP IN TO YOUR LOCAL QUINTREX DEALER!

BIBRA LAKE 9401-QXAPEXCM001-ClubMarine-Apex.indd

1

QXAPEXCM001

platforms, upholstery, transoms and storage more (depending freeboard. on the model). We’ve also added More of everything for a great day on for the water… thicker and higher topsides and raised the side all thanks to our revolutionary Apex Hull. more The radical, variable flared bottomGet sheet deck,of foreverything more freeboard. extends to the bow gunnel as does the wide Get more of everything with our new Apex Hull chine. That means more internal space and with our new Apex Hull storage, which lets us build new consoles, casting Quintrex at your Quintrex dealer. at your dealer.

MANDURAH

storage More room, more features, more stability.

Chiversplatforms, Marine upholstery, transoms and Mandurah

Outboards

More of everything for a great day on the water… (depending on the model). We’ve also added Bibra Lake WA and raised 53 Gordon Road, Mandurah WA thickerDrive, and higher topsides the side all thanks to our revolutionary Apex Hull. 31 Port Kembla 08 9434 1822 ph 08 9581 7224 fax 08 9581 6305 The radical, variable flared bottom ph sheet deck, for more freeboard. www.mandurahoutboards.com.au extends to the bow gunnel as does thewww.chiversmarine.com.au wide Get more of everything chine. That means more internal space and with our new Apex Hull storage, which lets us build new consoles, casting at your Quintrex dealer.

MIDVALE

Aquasports Marine

5/05/2017 3:11 PM

331 Great Eastern Highway, Midvale WA ph 08 9250 3339 fax 08 9250 8339 www.aquasportsmarine.com.au MARCH 2019

61

Whittley CW1950 with Yamaha 115 4-stroke - SC

TENT -

RE ONLINE MO

T MARCH 2019

hit 60km/h at 5900rpm.

Naturally, economy suffers and WOT will yield 1.5km/L. Overall, the CW range is a great compromise between price, quality, comfort and fishability. Can you get better value for money on the market for $60,000? We dare you to try.

For more information, visit your local Whittley dealer or www. whittleymarinegroup.com. au. Also, make sure you like the Whittley page on Facebook for updates on the latest models.

Main: The Whittley CW1950, paired with Yamaha’s 115hp 4-stroke is designed to sell for under $60,000, positioning it right in the market for boaties who want to upgrade to some luxury from a tinnie.

Above: Whittley makes boats in the spectrum from luxury through to fishing boats. The CW 1950 sits at the fishing end and does the job well.

Indeed, Alan seems perpetually excited about all of the boats in the Whittley range and as a company head that’s not scared of getting out and selling rigs, he realises the price points that tick boxes with boating families.

“This rig is put together to sit under the $60,000 mark, and that’s a level which seems to keep a family happy that wants to move up into

SPECIFICATIONS Overall.Length......................................... 6.17m Length.on.trailer ........................................7.1m Height.on.trailer ......................................2.45m Width.on.trailer .......................................2.22m Beam..........................................................2.2m Deadrise.at.transom....................................19° Fuel ............................................................ 115L Tow.weight ............................................ 1500kg Rec.hp ......................................................... 115 Max.hp ..................................................... 150hp 62

DE FOR EX

I’d never been to Queenscliff before and by all reports it was going to be like a washing machine, So when we met Alan Whittley on the docks at the marina, we were surprised that the entrance of Port Phillip Bay looked like a mirror. Even after putting up the front to check out the surroundings, they were impeccable in every way – in short, a crappy day for boat testing.

Sure, we can take a pile of awesome looking images, but we don’t really get to test the chops of the hull when things get nasty.

That’s not to say that this Whittley hull is untested. It’s derived from the old Mako hull from John Savage, which has subsequently been increased in beam and has a pair of air-filled pods in the position where you’ll usually find bolted on duckboards.

“That’s an important way that we can make the boat more stable but still able to go out and fish offshore for tuna,” said Whittley cheek, Alan Whittley.

CO

s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

R

Steve Morgan

Q

RA

CON

AN THE

one for your pinkies and one for your lunch. Either way, the cockpit flows forward into the open cabin, which is ample to get the family out of the sun, wind and rain.

Hammers down on the Yamaha and the rig was surprisingly quick onto the plane, which was surprising because the CW1950 is rated to 150hp. The best economy from the boat came at 4500rpm, where at 43km/h the Yamaha delivered 2.2km/L of petrol burned. Need to get back to the ramp in a hurry? Drop the hammers and you’ll

FMG

PERFORMANCE Rpm...... speed.(km/h).. economy.(km/L) Idle ....................... 4.6 ....................... 4.2 1000 ...................... 5.4 ....................... 6.6 2000.................... 10.0 ....................... 2.2 3000....................... 14 ....................... 1.5 4000....................... 34 ....................... 2.1 4500 ....................... 43 ....................... 2.2 5000....................... 50 ....................... 1.8 5900 ....................... 60 ....................... 1.5 a bigger, more comfortable fibreglass boat from a tinnie,” Alan continued.

The fact that the boat/ motor/trailer rig weighs in at only 1500kg is another bonus. It means that many family cars will be able to tow it without having to upgrade a tow vehicle.

Stepping onto the boat through the transom door, you immediately notice that the customer decking

on the floors look fantastic.

This synthetic, fibreglass floor covering is becoming incredibly popular in modern boats and Whittley’s treatment of the material looks the goods.

The cockpit is clean and the gunwales padded.

Both driver and passenger helm seats are comfortable and set up with a system to cover a splitlidded cooler box – maybe

The 115hp supplied on the test boat is 35hp less than the maximum, however the boat ran with good economy (2.2km/L) and hit 60km/h at 5900rpm.

Top: The front cabin is open to the cockpit and the bunks are long enough to stretch out and get some rest between bites.

Above: Moulded in footrests allow the driver and the passenger to support their weight when the conditions get rough.

We didn’t need them on the test day!

The cockpit is lined with custom-sized and designed SeaDek. It looks great and is easy to wash down. Of course, it’s non-slip.

There’s room on the dash to flush mount large electronics. The test craft was set up with no frills, just a simple combo unit and the Yamaha gauges.

The whole aft of the cockpit is useful fishing space and the transom door design is unobtrusive.

Quality seats and clever cooler mounts underneath maximise the use of space.

Top: The CW 1950 boasts the near-standard rocket launchers to get the rods up and out of the way.

Left: Side pockets get some of the essential fishing gear out of the way and padded gunwales make it comfortable to hang a line over the side in deeper water.

Right: Instead of bolt-on duckboards, there are pods, which are an extension of the hull. These offer extra buoyancy.

Top Left: Keep your live baits in here – the tank is on the port side and the transom door on the starboard.

Top Right: You’d be amazed how many boats lack a decent grab rail for the passenger. The Whittley has a great one.

Left: The rear pods are designed to add stability to the 1950 hull.

Right: Easy to drive and quick onto the plane, the Whittley CW 1950 is a sweet way to move up and into the Whittley family.

MARCH 2019

63

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 Mercury’s advanced FourStroke technology this summer.

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