Western Australia Fishing Monthly March 2020

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March 2020, Vol. 2 No. 7

Contents 13

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From the Editor’s Desk...

8 METRO Metro 12 Metro Offshore

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SOUTH COAST Esperance 14 Bremer Bay

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WEST COAST Augusta 16 Bunbury 19 Busselton 20 Mandurah 22 Lancelin 26 Geraldton 28

Autumn is that time of the year where many decide it is just about time to pack up the fishing gear and the boat for the year, but for the rest of us it is the time of the year that we know the fishing and the weather is about to take off!

Salmon is probably the biggest talk around fishing circles at the moment, and rightly so, there is probably no better sportfish available to the southern WA angler than the amazing Australian salmon. It’s big, relatively easy to catch, generally hungry and moves close to shore in big schools. The fact that it is a good fighter and leaps from the water also make it a prestigious fish to catch, and for those in the know and who practice a bit of after catch

care, they are also pretty good on the plate. They are not everyone’s cup of tea, but for the haters of salmon, carry on catching whatever it is you like to catch.

If you have never done the salmon chasing thing along the beautiful South Coast beaches, then this year might just be the year you should give it a go. Pack the four-wheel drive or convince a mate with a four-wheel drive, get some mates or the family, and go and have a weekend away to remember.

It will be sure to be a talking point for your children for years to come. Even if you don’t catch anything, I can guarantee you will have a whole lot of fun just looking around and hearing the stories of “you should have been here yesterday.”

It is not just about the salmon, there are plenty of

other fish to catch at the same time, just have a read of the area reports in this issue to see what else is going down on the South Coast!

For the rest of the state it is the beginning of a cooler change and the time when us southerners start deciding when and where we will be heading north for a break from the chill that is soon to come.

Mackies are also a hot topic at this time of the year, with good numbers getting caught in Perth metro waters all the way up the coast. It is also one of the best times to try your luck at getting one from shore. If this is your thing or it is something on your fishing bucket list, get out there now!

The new bream tournament season has kicked off and looks like being another great year,

Ian Sewell with some great venues and great prizes up for grabs. If you are keen on getting into catching bream on lures the tournaments are a sure fire way to accelerate your learning curve. There is no better way to learn than fishing with some of the state’s best bream anglers.

They are always happy to share their knowledge to get you catching fish on lures faster. You never know, you might even have a whole lot of fun and meet some new friends at the same time!

As always I hope you enjoy reading this issue and that you all get out on the water and enjoy some of the spectacular weather that we are due for. Finally, whether you are in the boat or on the roads or fishing from the rocks, stay safe out there.

GASCOYNE COAST Kalbarri 30 Exmouth 30 NORTH COAST Dampier/Karratha 32 Broome 33

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What’s new fishing SPECIAL FEATURES Get en route to Onslow 12th Pirtek Fishing Challenge

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Get en route to Onslow DAMPIER/KARRATHA

Troy Honey

Onslow, located around 300km south of Karratha and 490km north of Carnarvon, is a small oncebustling export facility for wool and pearls. These days it’s better known for the huge Wheatstone and Macedon Gas Plants

When you speak of Onslow with other budding fishing enthusiasts, it’s usually referred to as the gateway to the ‘Mackerel Islands’, which include Thevenard and Direction islands.

Thevenard Island is 22km from Onslow, with Direction Island approximately 10km.

These islands offer some of the best sportfishing in the country and they are very

not finding good demersals, work the deeper waters between 50-80m where it is cooler, and they will likely be there.

There’s plenty of pelagics around the island including Spanish mackerel, wahoo and yellowfin tuna.

The majority of mackerel hook-ups are from anglers trolling bibbed minnows in 10-25m of water. Around

The Ashburton River is full of big mud crabs all year round. They can be caught by either hooking for them in the mangroves or using drop nets from the shore or a boat. The author caught this massive buck from the shore using lamb necks in drop nets. the perfect environment for irukandji and box jellyfish, so diving for crayfish or spearfishing is not reccomended unless you have a full body stinger suit.

There are plenty of crayfish about for those who do have full protection, and it is well worth a dive around the shallow reefs both near the islands and coastal areas.

BEACHES Back on the mainland, the town itself offers magnificent fishing at this time of year, and you don’t need to go

yellowfin bream, gold and black spotted cod, whiting and permit. The two main areas we fished were out the front of the beach resort and also in Beadon Creek at the dock.

If fishing Onslow landbased it is recommended you fish the high and low tide changes, as these are the best fishing times. If they line up with sunrise or sunset, even better. The high tide change at sunrise on a new moon is a particularly productive time to fish.

the bluebone to swallow the bait with no resistence. Once it swallows the bait, he will feel the line, so be prepared for a blistering run. Keep your rod tip high to ensure the line doesn’t brush any rock, because if you are using braided line it will all be over in an instant.

In the same area out front of town right around to the rock groyne at Beadon Creek you will find flathead in good size. Trying walking over a big area rather than working one spot and cast

Beadon Creek holds a wide variety of fish species, such as bluebone.

This one was caught off the accessible dock by the author. as well as the Onslow Salt Mine. Onslow has a lot of history to explore, which includes its role in World War II, as well as the atomic bomb testing at the Monte Bello Islands.

Today commercial prawn fishing operates out of Onslow, but for us avid recreational fishing, Onslow is an off the highway haven for an abundance of highly prized fish species.

popular for those wanting to escape the cold winter months further south.

OFFSHORE The Thevenard Island area has been producing great catches of rankin cod, red and spangled emperor, coral trout and crimson sea perch. Further out in deeper water, jobfish (goldband snapper) have been plentiful at times and taking both fresh baits and jigs. If you are

the island and over the shallow reefs there are plenty of big GTs and queenies being caught. Blue marlin and smaller striped and black marlin have been encountered out wide, and a few sailfish have also been raised closer in over the reefs.

From December through to April, the water temperatures are much higher, and this provides

The beautiful flats of Beadon Bay is the perfect landscape to sight cast for bluebone and flathead.

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MARCH 2020

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far at all to pursue quality fish. The stretch of coastline right on the town doorstep is quite rocky and, in this area, there is an abundance of fish species to put your tackle to the test. Over just two days of recent land-based fishing in town we caught big bluebone, queenfish, flathead, mangrove jack, trevally, northern and

Working these conditions we were blessed with many big bluebone over the rocky flats in less than 1m. We sight cast for the bluebones, strategically placing fresh prawn and crab baits a few metres in front of the direction they were swimming. Leading the fish in this way helps to not spook them. Leave plenty of slack in your line to allow

small shallow diving lures and weighted soft plastics, working them back to shore slowly with several pauses. It is the pauses in retrieve when the flathead will strike. The area is full of big flathead, but you will also encounter bream, whiting, mangrove jack and queenfish.

Through the warmer months of December to

March, the opportunity to have your larger tolled lures and vibes hit by barramundi along this stretch of coast is also a good probability.

Only a few days before we visited, one of the helpful locals who came down to chat while we were fishing told us about a big barra being caught the week prior right out the front of the caravan park on a trolled lure from shore. Always wear good-soled footwear when wading the flats, as stone fish are common and one sting from these fish will put a fast end to your day’s fishing.

RIVERS AND CREEKS The creeks around Onlsow such as Beadon and 4 Mile creeks are full of barra, mangrove jack, mud crabs, bream, jewfish, queenfish and trevally.

Threadfin salmon also reside in the waters off Onslow, and there has been a few reports of catches in the muddy areas near the creek mouths.

Both creeks have good landbased access, as well as very well accessible boats ramps, which makes fishing the mangrove areas much easier. February is the perfect month to be targeting barra in these creek, and if you

Flathead can be found all along the coastline of Onslow, especially in the rocky and muddy flats in front of the beach resort.

Drop your mud crab nets out first around the mangroves towards the mouth. Finding good banks with drop-offs and deeper water is a good idea, as

middle of the river, but it is here in these holes you will find the big jewfish, which are best caught by anchoring up and lowering live baits down into the

One of many bluebone that hunt and fossick in the shallow water flats of Beadon Bay in Onlsow. This 52cm bluebone was caught by the author while casting fresh baits. have a 4WD able to tow a tinny or small boat off-road, then it is recommended to head out to the Ashburton River just south of Onslow on the Minderoo Station.

The Ashburton River is one of the best rivers in the Pilbara to fish due to having water for a good length of it almost all year round. Right now there is access on good tides for many kilometres upstream, and here you will find the barra, jewfish, jacks and mud crabs in good numbers and size.

these are the most likely spots to produce the big bucks. While waiting out the duration between net pulls, it is the ideal time to troll bibbed minnows or vibes for barra. If chasing mangrove jacks, they tend to hide amongst the mangroves and snags, so casting lures from a stationary boat into the shadows to lure them out is great fun.

If your boat has a sounder, then search around for deep holes in the river.

This may even be in the

deeper water. Heavier tackle is recommended for jewfish, as they are a strong fighting fish and make powerful runs.

Onslow has something for every angler during the wet season and is well worth the trip. The locals are all only too happy to help out, which makes for a memorable visit. This combined with an array of fish photos will be a trip to Onslow last a long time in the memory bank, and will keep you coming back for more!

MARCH 2020

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Fishing after the fires NSW STH COAST

Steve Starling www.fishotopia.com

Drought and bushfires have plagued much of the country in recent times, but there are still plenty of viable fishing options, especially if you know where to look.

fish kills in places like the upper Macleay River of northern NSW, there have been hundreds or even thousands of smaller and more localised events.

Some waterways have lost most if not all of their fish as a result.

It’s all extremely disheartening, especially for keen anglers like us. It

A live well full of slimy mackerel could be the key to a great offshore session!

What a tumultuous summer it was! Coming on top of one of the most protracted and widespread droughts in our history, the record-breaking bushfire season presented a whole new set of challenges for many parts of the country.

Tragically, lives were lost and thousands of homes and other assets destroyed or badly damaged. It will take years for some communities to fully recover.

Impacts on the nation’s natural environment have also been dire. Hundreds of millions (if not billions) of native animals have perished. Fish haven’t been spared, either. Following on from the massive, drought-driven fish kills of 2019 have come a whole

unscathed, or are recovering quickly from relatively minor impacts.

The trick lies in keeping up with ongoing reports of major fish kills and obviously leaving those specific locations off your list of potential fishing destinations for at least the next few years, while also working to identify waterways that have dodged the worst of the recent impacts.

As a rule of thumb, smaller creeks and streams in especially dry or burnt regions have tended to fare very badly, while larger systems and those away from the main fire grounds are likely to offer much better opportunities. Similarly, dams or impoundments now generally represent better chances of reasonable fishing than rivers, but only if they still hold a reasonable amount of water. Once our dams fall into single digit

A beautiful catch of snapper kept in immaculate condition after being brain-spiked and held in a saltwater-and-ice slurry. major dams — especially where flow rates have been maintained in order to produce hydro-electricity and supply water for

There are quite a few wild bass waters that have escaped the carnage of this past summer. irrigation — are also likely to have escaped the worst impacts of fire and drought, as are larger estuaries with

relatively deep entrances and plenty of tidal flush. And of course, our inshore and offshore ocean waters have remained comparatively untouched.

It’s a hard time for our poor old country and the folks who call it home, but it’s not quite the ‘end of days’. There may even be glimmers of light at the end

of the tunnel. Meanwhile, communities and businesses that depend on anglers like you and me for a big part of their survival are desperate to lure us back. We can all do our bit to help the recovery by making the best of a bad situation and continuing to pursue the pastime we’re so passionate about. So keep fishing… and tight lines!

The news isn’t all bad. Like many other anglers, your columnist is tending to head offshore more often for his fishing fix as the country recovers from a dire summer. When the rewards look like this, it isn’t such a big sacrifice to make!

Many of our dams remain at low levels, but some are still fishing quite well. series of new catastrophes.

Ash and fire-retardant chemicals washing into already depleted waterways following the fires have taken a huge toll on freshwater and estuarine fish stocks. In addition to well-publicised mass 10

MARCH 2020

would be easy to give up, pack your rods and reels away and turn to other pastimes. But thankfully, the news isn’t all bad.

For every waterway decimated by drought and fire, there are a dozen others that have escaped largely

capacities, their resilience and ability to provide refuge for decent numbers of fish diminishes markedly. Look for those impoundments that have remained above 10-15% capacity through the worst of the summer.

Tail-race fisheries below

A beautifully dark-hued little bass from a small creek that dodged a bullet this past summer.

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Metro

Time to have a crack at a land-based mack METRO

Jacob Crispe

March is a great time to be fishing in the metro area, even if you don’t have access to a boat! If you make some time over the next few weeks you should be rewarded for your efforts.

Live baits of scalies or herring on a single strand trace is the most popular rig for these toothy terrors, and for best chances of solid hook-up, use the best quality trebles. A live bait is essential if you’re going to fish with bait.

Spinning lures will also work well too, you just need to keep casting until they

might get mulloway as by-catch, and there’s a good chance of small sharks as well. If the sharks move in, a wire trace is handy to have rigged, as without it you may end up losing a lot of gear.

The beaches are all been producing good whiting and flathead, particularly around Scarborough and Pipadini.

Left: Chin Moy with an absolute kraken of a squid he caught down at the North Mole.

Right: Adam Smith caught this big Spanish while surface ballooning a live scaly from Woody’s Ammo Jetty.

Neil Williams getting the job done with a great Spanish mackerel taken land-based from Cockburn Sound.

SOUND Spaniards should have moved into the sound by now, and if they’re in the sound, fishing off some of the rock points within the sound will put you in with a shot. Woodman Point Ammo jetty is probably the most well known spot for land-based Spanish in the area.

move through. Stickbaits and metals will get the attention of a hungry mackerel if it’s there – just don’t give up and keep casting!

BEACHES AND ROCK WALLS The beaches and rocks walls around Freo have produced good numbers of tailor, particularly at night.

While chasing tailor you

At Trig Point you will find good tailor and resident salmon, and tossing metals is a good way to find these fish.

There is a possibility of bonito or two in March around North Mole and Woodman Point jetty, as this has happened in past seasons.

Any local rock walls

Dom with a lovely beach tailor caught at Guilderton.

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MARCH 2020

should see herring as an easy target, and it seems they are always there. Again, berley is a must, and this can’t be stressed enough.

Squid, too, are along all of the rock walls from Rockingham to Hillarys, and if you find it’s hard going, try using a smaller jig.

If we do see early storms, then there will be snapper caught from North and South Mole. There has already been random catches of snapper there so far, so with a bit of storm activity we should see these fish fire up.

RIVER Coming into the river, there’s lots of chopper tailor around.

Crabs are getting caught off jetties, with the Bicton and Blackwall reaches producing some quality crabs.

Mulloway have been found around lower reaches of the Swan, and persistence has been the key to bringing these fish unstuck.

There’s still some

great numbers of flathead available on the flats, and East Freo to Crawly is a good area to start your search if you haven’t already.

Just a reminder that the Anglers Fishing World Squid Comp is coming up in April, so now is the perfect time to start finding spots.

Josh Nowicki with a beautiful little hammerhead shark he caught while chasing mulloway at night.

Another great shot from Dom Magoo showing his spoils of big bull herring and solid tailor from an early morning beach fish at Guilderton.

Metro

Demersals, pelagics and crustaceans available METRO OFFSHORE

Jacob Crispe

Lately the weather has been very pleasant, and getting offshore has been quite easy with the light winds. The variety on offer is amazing, with just about everything you can think of on offer.

seen Bass grouper, hapuka and blue eye trevalla coming out of the depths, and this is worth doing if you have the right equipment.

WRECKS Samsonfish have been on barges and wrecks for those looking for good arm workout. Fishing jigs on purpose-built gear is probably the most popular

bait have all been effective, it just depends how you want to fish! For dhuies on softies, bigger is better. For or those using bait, fresh is best, and that goes for all species.

PELAGICS Southern bluefin tuna have been found in around the 30m mark and heading south. They have been a common catch, and certainly

Daniel Da Silva with a spangled emperor he caught near Rottnest Island – a very rare Perth metro capture!

George Raffa strikes West Coast gold with a true trophy dhufish that tipped the scales to 21.5kg!

OUT WIDE AND FADS Starting out wide, the FADs are certainly doing their job, with plenty of mahimahi and southern bluefin tuna getting caught. The best way to catch mahimahi is live baiting with herring or trolling small bibbed minnows and skirts. For those who like to cast lures at pelagics, stickbaits and metal lures are getting the job done.

While out there, people have a chance of a Spanish mackerel or wahoo around the FADs. It certainly isn’t a sure thing, however each season there are a few caught, so you might just get lucky.

As we come in, deep dropping from 250-500m has

way to tangle with these beasts of the deep, however if you do drop a livey or good dead bait, you should also attract some attention.

You’ll also have the chance to cross paths with a rogue kingfish or mulloway.

DEMERSALS Closer again, dhufish have been widespread from around 20-50m. Amongst them is some quality baldies and breaksea cod, which always make a tasty addition to the esky.

There’s been a few surprise visitors coming down on the Leeuwin Current, such as spangled emperor, among other northern species.

Soft plastics, jigs and

provide great sport along with their great eating qualities.

Look for birds, and bear in mind that tuna schools can be spooky, so let your lures a long way back if trolling, and try swing wide and loop around to drag lure through the middle of the school.

This should result in a hookup! Small Richter Lures Jelly Babes and Halco Laser Pro 120s have been good. If you want to cast, small metals are a great way to go if you find a feeding school.

There’s been big bait schools out from Bathers Beach, and most of the time they have predators in tow.

Spanish and samsons will shadow these baits schools, so you can throw stickies and

Kurt Wilson with a beautiful looking mahimahi he caught casting a stickbait at the FADs recently.

metals in these areas if you’re after some fantastic sport.

There has been a lot more Spaniards in the sound, and trolling garfish is best way to go. Alternatively, you can slow troll live herring.

Whatever you do, just be sure to use a single strand wire trace to prevent bite-offs.

INSHORE GROUNDS Coming in closer again, sand and King George whiting have been taken recently in 10-20m. KG’s are commonly being found on any broken reef, and on sand patches amongst weed.

Squid are still in good numbers, and any structure in water between 3-10m is worth working over with jigs.

There’s skippy on most inshore reef systems, and with them are a lot of smaller samsons and kingfish, so be prepared in case you hook one of these pocket rockets!

For people who want to head out with kids for an easy feed, herring are

great. Berley is always the key to get them there and feeding. Once you do, lures will work too, and casting soft plastics and metals at these guys is great fun for

the kids and kids at heart.

Just a reminder that the Anglers Fishing World Squid Comp is coming up in April, so now is the perfect time to start finding spots.

Emilio Orifici is happy knowing he has fresh whiting for dinner.

Joe Orifici proves you don’t have to go far to get a nice feed of blue swimmer crabs.

MARCH 2020

13

South Coast

More chances for bluefin ESPERANCE

Murray Johnson

We’ve had some great sunny weather in recent weeks, with plenty of opportunities to get out on the beaches and the boat.

Shore-based fishing continues to be reliable.

Fishing off the jetties at Taylor Street and James Street has been producing plenty of herring, the occasional King George whiting and small skippy, along with squid and garfish at night. If you’re

after a feed of herring, use a pre-mix berley to get them biting, and then use lures such as a blue 7g Tassie Devil or a red 10g Halco Twisty.

Bandy Creek Boat Harbour has been producing King George whiting in good numbers. They have been a little on the small side, but that will improve. Along with the whiting, there are still good numbers of herring, skippy, flounder and small flathead.

In the bream lakes the water level is still dropping in the summer heat, and it’s fairly shallow, but there are

still good fish up to 45cm being caught. Anglers heading out to Quallilup are getting big numbers of bream, with plenty up to 40cm+. A couple of catch-and-release bream fishos have been getting up to 150 fish in a session, with most caught on 2.5” ZMan Slim SwimZ in mood ring and 3” ZMan GrubZ in a in motor oil, rigged on a TTs Head Hunter in 1/12oz no. 2 or 1/8oz no 2.

Salmon are continuing to be caught in small numbers along the beaches. At Salmon Beach you can pick up one

Mitch Johnson loves getting amongst the samsonfish. Image courtesy of Mitch Johnson.

A better way to fish

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Jackson Wild was happy with this tasty red snapper. or two at first light, and later on a rising tide during the day. Mixed in are plenty of smaller salmon trout, herring and small skippy.

10 Mile Lagoon has been producing some big bull herring, flathead around 45-50cm and the occasional salmon.

Anglers over at Thomas River are getting big numbers of small bronze whalers, mulloway to 20kg, big bull herring, skippy around 1kg, and flathead up to 50cm. The preferred bait for bronzies is a strip of either herring or mullet.

The guys fishing further out at Poison Creek have been encountering bigger schools of salmon, with sizes up to 6kg. A few tailor are in the mix, with the average size being around 1.5-2kg.

Mulloway up to 1m are being caught too, and there are lots of bronze whales around as well.

Munglinup Beach has been yielding plenty of herring, mulloway, a couple of gummy sharks, and plenty of small skippy.

If you’re fishing out of a boat in the bay, you can still get good numbers of squid. There are also plenty of herring, sand whiting, and a few King George whiting up around the 1kg mark.

Bluefin tuna have been

back in close to town, with specimens going up to around 10kg. Most have been caught blind trolling, as there are no big schools or birds harassing bait balls.

Good places to try your luck include Charlie and Cull islands, Magistrate Rock and Lion Island.

Bigger boats heading out wide between 20-50km are seeing good numbers of nannygai up to 65cm.

The bite periods tend to be longer during the new moon.

There are still plenty of

Billy McLeod with a 6ft bronze whaler caught on spin gear on one of the town beaches. Image courtesy of @olistevensonn.

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breaksea cod and harlequin along with groper around the islands. Yellowtail kingfish are also in big numbers, taking lures meant for tuna.

Two of the most productive lures have been the Halco Laser Pro in H57 and the Richter Junior Tornado. To maximise your catch rates, use mono rather than wire.

Samsonfish are being caught by anglers fishing knife jigs, with one of the standouts being the Black Magic Deepwater Slim Jig in extreme pilly.

Michael Godfrey with a bluefin tuna. In recent weeks they have been back in close to town.

FISHING IN MARCH This month we can expect the salmon to school up in bigger numbers, as they start working their way to the west. Bronze whaler numbers will also start to increase with the salmon schooling up, and you can expect to see more tailor caught as well.

It’s also a good month to target mulloway.

• Southern Sports and Tackle specialise in the supply and servicing of fishing equipment. They have an extensive knowledge of the local area and provide all brands, whether you’re fishing from beach, jetty or boat. Drop in for a chat at Shop 16, The Boulevard, Esperance, give them a call on 08 9071 3022 or look them up on Facebook.

South Coast

Time for the salmon BREMER BAY

Keith ‘Fisho’ Morris

Over the past month there has been a bit of rough weather all along the coast, but there are still a few salmon around on most beaches. Lots of campers have been enjoying the fishing.

Herring, skippy and flathead are coming from the Pallinup beaches, and the Pallinup River has plenty of bream and mullet.

Reef Beach is a pretty good option this month.

The sand is pretty wide and firm, and there’s plenty of herring, skippy and the occasional salmon and flathead.

Forsters Beach is also quite wide and firm, and you can catch herring, skippy and flathead, and possibly the occasional gummy shark at night.

Short Beach is good for the occasional salmon and herring, and some of the herring are pretty big at the moment, around 15cm long. The skippy are a little on the small size, but there’s the occasional big one about 20-25cm long.

At Back Beach you can catch squid around the abalone farm pipes.

There’s also the occasional King George whiting plus herring, skippy and flathead.

At Main Beach there are plenty of herring providing fun for locals.

There haven’t been too many reports from Peppermint Beach lately, but the holes are usually good for a few herring and flathead.

Trigalow has some good sand whiting at times, if you pick the gutters, along with herring and

skippy. It’s also a likely spot for a gummy shark late in the afternoon or at night.

The Bremer River is very low at the moment,

OFFSHORE Offshore there are nannygai, breaksea cod, dhufish, queen snapper, pink snapper and samsonfish.

March is a good month to target salmon. to the point where you can hardly get up the river with a boat. However, there are still mullet and bream in there – you just might have to do a bit of searching to find them.

T h e black bream are hiding in the deep holes and bends to escape the heat. A lot of the mullet are upriver and largely inaccessible, but you can still catch some in the estuary; just look around for the telltale swirls. The numbers are better at high tide, and will improve after we get some rain.

Anglers have been getting some pretty good feeds anywhere from 14 mile out to the shelf to right inshore.

In the inshore reefs off most headlands, just find a bit of a lump and you should catch some fish. Just be sure to keep an eye on the weather because it can change.

MARCH FORECAST The salmon will be running again this month on all beaches, taking ganged mulies and chrome slices.

Sometimes the dolphins and sharks chase the salmon up on the beach and you can catch them by hand!

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Soppy Gray on Reef Beach with a nice skippy.

MARCH 2020

15

West Coast

Fish biting no matter what!

AUGUSTA

Anthony Gillam

What an unbelievable month of weather we have had in Augusta! It went from one extreme to the other, with rain, hail and shine happening all in the same day. That being said, the fishing delivered no matter what. It didn’t matter where you went, the fish were on the bite!

The Dukes Head cut at Colourpatch continues to become ever narrower as the sandbars progressively become the dominant feature of Hardy Inlet wherever you look. The outgoing tide through to the ocean is a sight to behold, however, as a few inexperienced kayakers found out in the last month, it is nothing to be messed with. If it wasn’t for some quick thinking locals there could have been a sea rescue or two on the cards. Narrow, deep channels tend to produce a dangerous pull when all the water from the Blackwood River is trying to get out of a 30m gap. Time your fishing adventure, know your limits and play it safe.

If you fall out of a small craft without some form of buoyancy then you will end up in trouble.

On the subject of rescuing people, on a recent trip into Flinders Bay a pan-pan call came over the radio from a vessel that had lost its engine at the back

of St Alouarn Island. The marina carpark was full of trailers that day for vessels of all sizes, so it was a fair bet that someone would be in the area to help. We were in a vessel quite some distance away however, and hearing the call we decided to head towards

Dhufish of this size are a regular catch in the Augusta area, and this one was caught in relatively shallow water in Hamelin Bay.

the area to see if we could assist. Unfortunately the only reply to the pan-pan was from the divers at the abalone ranch who would have to bring divers in from the bottom to go and assist.

We responded and advised we were 15 minutes away, but it would be quicker for us to get there than for the divers. As the weather was quite choppy we headed to a vessel that was in the area we expected to find the boat, only to be told by the three people on board that they were all fine. Locating the vessel in distress a short time later we were dismayed to find that there were three other vessels line fishing in the immediate area and in close visual contact. Not one skipper had responded to the call, despite being positioned to assist within one minute. If this had been a mayday call and the vessel sunk before being able to set off a flare, what would have happened?

You are required to have a radio fitted to your boat, so please turn it on!

That day was a classic example of weather predictions being well off the mark, but also being

A nice yellowtail kingfish taken on squid bait from the pristine waters of Flinders Bay. absolutely correct. A gentle breeze was predicted, dropping to 5km/h as the day progressed. On this day it went from the mid-20s in the early morning to 55km/h

mid-morning before dropping as expected in the afternoon, just an hour later than expected. For those who were unprepared, this could have presented some

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MARCH 2020

West Coast challenging conditions, however, when it did drop, all that could be heard was the drone of engines revving to max speed as the flotilla that were hiding in the shelter of islands and coves took off for the deeper waters as things calmed off. The results were mixed, with many reports of small catches in Flinders Bay, better catches on the western side of the lighthouse and some really good results around Hamelin Bay and Deepdene.

If you can locate live squid then one on a livey hook will soon be converted to a kingy. Be aware that there is a sanctuary zone near Flinders Island and this must be avoided.

Recfishwest have a handy app that is not only great for fish identification, but it also has an extensive GPS linked map that will advise you when you are entering or leaving a sanctuary zone.

South easterlies punishing most of the South West made beach fishing an interesting

Flinders Bay flathead of this size are perfect for grilled fillets on the BBQ and are a most welcome addition to the bag when whiting fishing.

The reported catches over the month have been consistent, with dhufish being prevalent, however they were generally in a smaller, 50-65cm range.

Queen snapper, western foxfish and bight redfish were definitely on the chew, with 6-7” soft plastics in white or fluoro green getting smashed. Big numbers of breaksea cod have been aggressively taking everything that is thrown at them, especially whole small squid or thick strips of cuttlefish, octopus or large squid. Their sizes are variable, with many too small to keep, but it’s another good sign for the future.

There are lots of yellowtail kingfish around the islands taking jigs, live baits and hardbodied lures.

Send a lure out the back running at about 5m and you should get some hits. Once you find the general area you can either keep trolling through the spot or switch to your favourite technique.

proposition in many places.

People taking advantage of fishing spots sheltered from the wind soon found that they were fishing in conditions similar to those on metro beaches, where you can shake hands with your neighbour. Hamelin Bay was very popular and looked more like the middle of the salmon season than summer. Sand whiting and King George whiting again became the staple catch, with some monster herring and medium-sized tailor being caught around some of the reefy areas.

The beach areas south of the Augusta Marina have been made less accessible due to all of the parking near the water being blocked off with large rocks all the way to Dead Finish. It would appear to be so that the multi-use pathway destined to eventually end at the Cape Leeuwin lighthouse can be completed. One would hope that it is only a temporary issue, especially as these are prime salmon season

beaches where hundreds of people flock for the duration.

Speaking of salmon it is not long before the schools begin the trek along the coast, through Augusta and towards the metro area. Generally they begin moving through at the end of March and continue on throughout April, but this does vary somewhat, so you need to keep up to date by checking their run up the coast with the various social media pages dedicated to them. It’s time to gear up now so that you can get on the road as soon as they show up. Get some heavy duty hooks and rings and switch out the ones on your favourite salmon slayers, as there is nothing surer than losing fish if your gear is not strong enough. Fill the spools with new braid or mono and get your reel serviced or sure as eggs you will get a critical failure at the worst possible time.

For those who like a more sedate fishing experience, there are still plenty of King George whiting, herring and yellowfin whiting getting about in the Blackwood River and in the ocean around Deere Reef. Try sand or bloodworms, glass shrimps, cockles or river prawns for best results. Any of the jetties will produce fish, however from evening onward they become more active.

Blue swimmer (manna) crabs have been light on in the river, however numbers are increasing and some meaty males have been caught on the east Augusta side of the Hardy inlet.

There are plenty of big rays in the river and they are net wreckers, so try spleen or chicken necks if you find them active.

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

Unpredictable weather can quickly affect the fishing conditions and slippery rocks are a recipe for disaster. Please remain vigilant when rock fishing; wear a life jacket and tie off to something solid.

• You can hire life jackets for free from Augusta Xtreme Outdoor Sports at 66 Blackwood Avenue Augusta, the local tackle shop and font of all local fishing knowledge. Look for the big green sign on the roof, it’s right next to the Better Choice Fuels Service Station.

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

MARCH 2020

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Josh Italiano

This has to be my favourite time of the year for a landbased assault. Whether you’re fishing the local beaches, the cut or inside the marina, our famous Australian salmon can pop up out of nowhere and in huge schools.

I’ve spent many mornings and afternoons chasing the salmon up and down jetties, rock walls and beaches around Bunbury just to feel that screaming run on light gear that we don’t always have the opportunity to experience fishing landbased. If you’re fishing the jetties and rock walls I’d suggest a well balanced soft plastic around the 6” length, as I find those areas to have more sharp dropoffs or ledges that benefit from having your lure get close to the bottom. This is something a diving lure can’t always accomplish.

While fishing the beaches, I’ll take the heaviest metal slug or minnowprofiled hardbody lure that my rod will allow. Having that bit extra weight with a well matched line can be the difference of 20m on your neighbour’s cast and

otherwise the Mandurah mullet we have delivered weekly have been enticing them well.

Blue swimmer crabs are still on offer in the Leschenault

Phill Wallis joins the 20kg club with this beastly dhuie.

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ultimately give you first punt at the school of bruisers.

With no surprise, shark catches have escalated lately, with the salmon running up the coast coaxing the toothy critters along with them.

Plenty of tigers and bronzies have been taking the baits recently, particularly around Dalyellup beaches, making for some exciting sports fishing. A slab of stingray is the most popular bait,

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

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 baitholder hook with a small running ball sinker is a simple but effective way to target these fish. If lures are your thing then plastics seem to be out fishing everything else.

Harvey Dam has been fishing well for redfin. Look

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

Beach fishers can expect to find good numbers of yellowfin whiting cruising the beaches, and 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, and while these fish have not been in huge numbers the size is 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 cast a mulie or scaly with little to no weight and use a very slow retrieve.

• Whatever your preference, get out there and give it a go!

The boys down at Whiteys Tackle and Camping in Treendale live local and fish locally, so if you have any questions on what you have read, or if you just want to say hi, pop in and the crew will always be happy to chat!

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MARCH 2020

19

West Coast

March madness in South West BUSSELTON

Stephen Norman

January’s fishing conditions continued into February, with anglers finding success from the shore and boat.

crabs seemed to be hugging the shoreline on the warm evenings. Forest Beach and Wonnerup seemed to yield the best results, but most areas along Geographe Bay saw a rise of some kind in crab numbers.

Whiting numbers in

southern regions.

Breaksea cod and particularly harlequin catches have been far more common than usual, with most fish coming as by-catch in the same areas as dhufish.

Land-based anglers have even stolen a little of the thunder from the boat anglers, with a few solid dhufish taken from the rocks! Rocky Point, Sugarloaf Rock and Contos are all great areas to try, and by-catch such as breaksea cod and harlequin isn’t uncommon.

UPCOMING Since the introduction of the new FADs in late 2019, the talk has been focused largely on sea surface temperatures.

Now that there are areas for pelagic fish to hold in decent numbers, all anglers were carefully monitoring the sea surface temperatures in hopes of it rising enough to entice some of those

pelagic species.

While anglers off Perth have been getting into solid Spanish mackerel and mahimahi they have only been seen here and there in the South West, with only a few catches confirmed.

Yellowtail kingfish have been caught from the FADs, along with a few reports of schooling mahimahi, but no large catches confirmed.

Bluefin tuna have remained relatively thick all summer long and are still harassing baitfish throughout Geographe Bay this month. Trolling skirts or bibbed minnows around the 120-160mm size near the 25m-30m mark has been the most effective method 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.

If you’re looking to take the kids fishing, then there are a few options available

Yellowfin whiting are a common target for anglers over summer. Larger models, like this one, are one of the tastiest fish in the ocean.

WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING? Tailor have been in consistent numbers from our local beaches in Geographe Bay, with anglers having no issue bagging a feed in the late afternoon and evening.

The scene was a little slow out of the gate in 2020, but February saw a decent turnaround 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

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.

Dhufish numbers have been strong, with numerous larger models frequenting angler’s lines more often than usual. Areas around Cape Naturaliste have been the hotspots and fishing much better than

It doesn’t get much better than land-based dhufish!

Small boat, big dhufish! Tinny lord Mitch Fagan with a solid example of a dhuie at first light. in March. Herring and squid numbers are due to increase right across the bay, so hit the jetty late in the afternoon and 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 pesky trumpeters.

Expect yellowfin whiting to continue in good numbers along our beaches, which will make for an easy feed. Use a simple running sinker rig with a small size 8-10 long shank hook and bloodworm for bait.

Should some early winter weather pass over us then expect good conditions for 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, Injidup, Moses Rock and Contos beaches.

Closing out 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 25 March and gradually increasing in numbers from then on. Initial hot spots last year seemed to be further south, with Hamelin Bay definitely holding the most fish early on in the season, but Injidup Beach was also worth a shot, so these are both worth a go.

Around 20 March last year saw the influx of some larger schools around Hamelin Bay and Augusta, so be on the lookout around that time this month for some action. Once in full swing, however, salmon can be plucked from just about any beach from Meelup right around Cape Naturaliste and all down the West Coast.

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

Live baiting for longtail tuna March through to May is a fantastic time of year to be fishing and one of the reasons for this is longtail tuna.

It’s easy to see why these torpedos are such a popular fish for anglers to target –

yellowtail and garfish. If you have a boat, you will be able to get to many parts of the coastline that landbased anglers targeting these fish can’t get to.

For this reason, it’s best to show some courtesy and stay clear of ledges

berley and a size 6-10 bait jig. The best jigs for this are the Black Magic Sabiki Rigs in midnight mackerel.

They come with four hooks rather than six so they’re a bit more tangle-friendly, especially when you’re catching full strings of

Evan Hoskins landed this solid longtail. they have incredible fighting qualities, grow well in excess of 30kg and make fantastic sashimi. On top of that, they are a coastal species of tuna rarely straying more than a few kilometres offshore, meaning they can be targeted

backed off considerably since going to Black Magic 40lb fluorocarbon. This stuff has superior abrasion resistance and has built up my trust after never letting me down over a long period. For mainline, mono is far better suited to this style of fishing than braid and 8-10kg line is ideal.

I use Black Magic IGFA 10kg line.

On the business end of the rig, I use nothing but Black Magic DX Point Hooks. I can’t stress how good these hooks are when live baiting – they have the highest hook-up rate of any hook I’ve come across. Sometimes on your deeper bait when fishing with wind or current, you may want to run a size 0-1 ball sinker to keep your baits at their desired depth. I pin all my live baits just behind the shoulder and above the lateral line. The only exception to this is when using garfish, which will last and present better when rigged just behind the anal fin.

where LBG anglers are fishing. These fishos are very dedicated and will often trek great distances just to get to a spot, so it’s not really fair to drop your anchor in front of perhaps the only accessible place for them to fish when you have so many more options to choose from.

That’s a lot of sashimi!

The Black Magic DX Point Hooks rarely miss their mark. from the ocean rocks as well as in some estuary systems.

WHERE TO FISH The prime areas to target longtail tuna are headlands or shallow, close-to-shore reefs that hold baitfish such as slimy mackerel,

TECHNIQUE While you can spin for longtail tuna with a variety of stickbaits and metals, the most effective and popular method is to use live bait. These can usually be caught in the same area you’re fishing by using a bit of bread as

slimy mackerel. They also have the sinker already attached so they are ready to go out of the packet.

Once you’ve caught your live bait, send them out suspended under a torpedo float. The rig is very simple, with the torpedo float running along the leader until it hits the joining knot of your mainline. This knot acts as a float stopper and the leader length determines the depth your bait will sit at. It’s good to have a couple of baits in the water at a time and I like to run one around 1.5m and the other about 3m.

While I used to think 60lb was your best bet for leader size on longtail, I’ve

The closing seconds of a longtail battle.

Once you’re rigged and ready, it’s important to anchor up in a position where your live baits are going to drift back over the area of reef where baitfish

are holding. It’s no good if you’re on the spot but your bait’s drift is taking the baits away from the strike zone, so spend the time to strategically work out your position.

While you have a chance of catching tuna all day, by far the best time to fish is early morning and late afternoon, especially when you have a corresponding tide change.

PREPARING If you do catch and want to keep a longtail for the table, it’s very important you look after the fish after capture.

Like all tuna, longtail should be immediately bled and placed on ice.

Black Magic also make some of the best knifes for preparing sashimi; their Japanese made Wasabi kitchen knives are the perfect tool for the job.

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MARCH 2020

21

West Coast

March mayhem in Mandurah MANDURAH

Jesse Choy

February has been an exciting time around Mandurah, with regular catches coming from

and is making things much more enjoyable for those out giving fishing a crack.

Reports indicate that there are still whiting and blue swimmer crabs being caught throughout the estuary and in the lower reaches of the

allowing them to work daily patterns out of where these blue swimmers are and how they’re behaving.

Going into March, we can expect some of the warm water fishing to slow down as conditions change with

Brad Patman shows us that you can even fish plastics for big pink snapper at night. boats and plenty also being caught from the surrounding beaches.

Some notable catches have been coming from both the north and south beaches of Mandurah. While the odd fish has been taken at midday

rivers. Scoopers have found that there is plenty of crabs about, but a few smaller specimens to sort through before reaching some of the bigger ones. Scoopers are also finding that they are presented with more

There are some good quality blue swimmers about, with this one taken in a drop net in the estuary. on a soaked bait, there has definitely been a lot of activity as expected around first and last light. With a warmer days still making their presence felt, anglers found that more cooler weather is starting to turn up

opportunities to stalk some of the more hesitant whiting that become less active as the warmer days thin out and colder days start to take over.

Drop netters are spoilt for choice when chasing a feed, as the mobility has been

the season, though there will still be opportunities if you are looking in the right places and at the right time. Beach anglers will find that tailor fishing starts to back off, as will fishing for yellowfin whiting, but there will certainly be some bigger specimens around the local beaches that have some good structure nearby. Less small fish have been around means that the bigger fish can start to feed up properly without competing so much for the food and spending too much energy. Keeping this in mind, it is always worth having a crack, as you never know what you will end up with!

Good broken ground with surrounding weed beds are a great place to target some squid or cuttlefish.

Although there isn’t many spots around Mandurah to enthusiastically target these specimens, Dawesville Cut (if land-based) and around the more northern beaches can be a good option. Natural colours, as well as whitebased jigs are going to do

A very healthy pair of black bream released back into the river to see another day.

22

MARCH 2020

quite well and are likely to pick up some attention when things get quiet. Bright colours on the other hand are still effective when it comes to picking up a few numbers, but have more of a place when the water visibly starts to change. Dirty water clarity, cloud cover and low light conditions are all great times to give your brighter colours a go, as they are much more visible and easier for cephalopods to find.

Good pink snapper are still likely to be caught in the shallows, but in lesser numbers. If you are willing to put in the fuel, heading out to the 20-40m mark and running a berley trail is quite effective. Fresh baits with plenty of hook exposure on a paternoster rig is bound to attract some attention if soaking baits.

Quite often you will find that the dhufish aren’t far from the pink snapper grounds, so having a bait out can be a good way of appealing to more species or particularly to those fish that can be quite partial to an artificial offering. When targeting these fish on soft plastics, finding the bottom

Big squid are a lot of fun, but sometimes big specimens can feel like the bottom when they hook up, like this one did! with weighted baits as well as diving hardbodies will be effective, with shallow to medium running lures offering you some of your best chances at catching fish

Redfin perch can provide a lot of fun at larger sizes. They taste incredible too! is important. Fishing with weights just heavy enough to reach the bottom will mean that your offering works more naturally and you are likely to get more hits. When retrieving, some of your slower action approaches will work more effectively on dhufish, whereas faster approaches are more likely turn up pink snapper. In any case, trying new things with your retrieve can reward quite well.

Kingfish, tuna and mackerel are all still very much about. Although they have been a bit quieter than in previous years, there is definitely a high chance you will come across these speedsters of the ocean if you approach with intent to target them. Trolling your reef structures is usually productive, as reefs attract a variety of different species, thus acting as great hunting grounds for some of these bigger predators. Trolling

and covering ground.

Looking for signs, whether that be from mother nature or your electrics, plays an important role in the success of an angler. Always be ready, whether you are catching bait or are just on

the move to your spot, as you never really know when an opportunity might arise.

When fishing offshore, long drifts to cover ground and targeting structures from different angles will help you key into the fish and how they are behaving on the day. Working to understand things like why fish take shelter on structures in order to preserve energy, or stalk, as well as understanding why they leave and come back to areas is a great knowledge to build if you want to get better at fishing the blue water.

Going into April, we can expect the heat to fade away even further and the days to become more comfortable. What we lose in heat however, we gain in overcast rainy days, which can make our local inshore fishery an exciting prospect if you can brave the weather.

It will certainly be worth checking out the rivers and the surrounding freshwater bodies, as they begin to offer some better opportunities in these conditions!

Wrapping your baits help them stay on the hook when making big casts. It also prevents the pickers from getting your bait too easily.

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recfishwest

Salmon is king in WA – long live the king!

As legions of salmon anglers gear up for another awesome autumn of salmon fishing, Recfishwest’s Aaron Moses takes a look ahead at some

to get the latest information on the whereabouts of the main body of fish in their migration west, as they approach key landmarks and major population areas.

amazing sportfish. These fish are readily accessible to fishers of all ability, as schools of fish hug the coastline throughout the autumn migration. Each

Peter Hill loving the Cheynes salmon bite after landing another solid specimen.

This’ll get the heart pumping – voracious salmon chasing down a lure in the surf. of the great activities being organised to celebrate one of southern WA’s most iconic and valued species.

As the days shorten and the weather cools, one thought comes into the minds of tens of thousands of West Australian fishers, and that thought is salmon. Many keen fishers spend countless hours researching and trawling through social media, trying

Salmon underpin one of Western Australia’s most valuable fishing experiences and it is fair to say in the annual South West Western Australia salmon run, we have one of the world’s best sport fisheries on some the world’s best beaches. Every year tens of thousands of WA families eagerly await the annual run of these

to descend on the pristine sandy beaches of the South West, along with jetties and boat ramps over the upcoming weeks for the salmon season, this is the

These trips to the South West bring an influx of visitors who frequently explore the towns nestled along the coast, spending money on fuel, bait, lures,

commissioned through the Recreational Fishing Initiative Funds (RFIF), looking into the economic dimensions of salmon fishing estimated that

season, the lure of catching a salmon attracts new participants to the sport, with an expectation to experience an exhilarating catch. The link between salmon abundance and fishing experience is clear – simply put, more salmon means bigger fish and better fishing.

With an excess of 40,000 people expected

Adrian Wong hooked up to a salmon on the aptly-named Salmon Beach. Where else do you get the chance to hook quality fish on such stunning beaches?

This is what pulls thousands of anglers southwards every autumn – big schools of salmon tantalizingly close to shore on some of the most majestic beaches in the world.

Photo courtesy of Scott Coghlan.

24

MARCH 2020

prime time to tussle with a Western Australian salmon and one that is not to be missed. Each year when the migrating schools of salmon move along the South West coast, they in turn attract a migration of fishers to the same area.

fishing gear, food, drinks, accommodation, camping gear and clothing. The economic return to these coastal towns cannot be ignored; every year WA recfishers spend more than $2.4 billion on fishing in the state. Another study

fishers spend around $400 million per salmon run (typically 6-12 weeks) on their salmon fishing adventures in Western Australia. More than 80% of this expenditure occurs in the areas people go fishing, so salmon make

recfishwest an enormous contribution to many regional and remote areas.

Recfishwest will be celebrating Western Australian salmon this season like never before.

These celebrations will have several components, namely a family weekend fishing competition in Albany held over the Easter weekend and school holidays, a three-month long salmon competition and our annual Great Southern Salmon Campout held at Cheynes Beach on the last weekend in March.

The event in Albany will be held over the Easter long weekend, encouraging local and visiting fishers to participate in and experience the amazing salmon fishing the region has to offer.

What’s more, we expect the three-month long fishing competition dedicated to salmon – the Salmon Slam 2020’ will make a big splash with salmon enthusiasts and casual anglers alike. By downloading the specially designed free Salmon Slam 2020 app, and logging their captures, anglers of all ability will be in the

running to win a range of amazing prizes. Registered fishers will need to take a photo of their salmon next to a ruler/tape measure of some sort alongside a unique tournament code, which will be provided, and

submit it directly through the app. This competition is open to all fishers, with no registration fee and the multiple categories means that anyone is in for the running to win one of the many prizes. This

competition runs from 1 March to 31 May, so keep an eye on the Recfishwest website for more details or salmontracker.com.au (expected to go live around 1 March) – the website behind the highly popular

Salmon are on at Cheynes! Participants in the 2018 Salmon Camp-out getting in on the action.

FISHABOUT PRO Designed and built for Aussie conditions, trust Quintrex to be the best boat your hard earned money can buy.

Salmon School Tracker Facebook page with whom we’re joining forces to help celebrate and promote salmon fishing. The catches you upload through the app will also be shared through the Salmon School Tracker Facebook page, adding to the salmon fever!

Putting the icing on the salmon cake, Recfishwest will this month be hosting (27-29 March) our annual Great Salmon Campout at Cheynes Beach. Here, fishers will be shown how to fillet and prepare salmon, 4WD teach-ins, how to read a beach and other tips and tricks to track down and catch salmon.

This is a great opportunity for newcomers to salmon and beach fishing and also those who want to take their fishing prowess to the next level. In previous years, this event has been a great success, with plenty of fish being hooked and landed, to the delight of the whole group, who form a close-knit bond over this great weekend. Anyone and everyone is invited to join us for this weekend and, for a small fee, will have a great time fishing for salmon, meeting some

new mates and leaving with some seriously advanced salmon fishing knowledge!

Fishing for salmon is an experience in itself, whether you catch and keep your fish to share a meal with your family, or release them after the fight. Just to be able to bring your fish onto the sand and take some snaps with the kids is something that is ingrained in West Australian culture and an experience that should be celebrated and protected. Beach fishing provides for a safe and enjoyable form of fishing for families, where kids have the opportunity of fighting a big fish and catching their first salmon. So, if you haven’t yet caught a Western Australian salmon, why not give it a go? It’s a great opportunity to explore the southern coastline of our state, experience amazing fishing, scenery and make lasting memories with family and friends.

Make sure to keep checking the Recfishwest website to see what event is next on the 2020 salmon calendar. Visit recfishwest.org.au and/or salmontracker.com.au.

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MARCH 2020

25

West Coast

Dive into diversity LANCELIN

Peter Fullarton

This month we are moving into a period with some of the best and most diverse fishing options for the year. It is peak period for warm water species passing from the Leeuwin current, adding to the mix of our usual temperate species.

distance of the shore. If you have access to a drone, then the possibilities of reaching some deeper near shore reefs increase your chances greatly. There have been some good sessions on the land-based pink snapper by some of the local fishers recently, so it is shaping up to be a good run.

Samsonfish also have also reappeared along these nearshore reefs, returning

is quite spectacular to see numbers of 20kg+ fish flying through the air. They also turn up at times to raid the baitfish like hardiheads around Lancelin jetty, and these fish are local celebrities and are best released if caught.

Tailor will be in prime condition and hungry, as this is height of spawning season along our section of the coast.

It has been a great tailor season so far, and Dan was happy with this model (one of many) from a recent session. abundant this year. There have been plenty of them schooled up over the sand holes in the southern part of the bay. Casting a 5-10g metal lure quickly finds a feed. There is also a better size class of whiting along the beaches and tarwhine become more abundant near structure. Both will be happy to take a paternoster

Baldchin can be caught out from just behind the White Bank and have been in great numbers this year. There has been a few red throat snapper landed, so if the warm water keeps pushing down more should follow.

Deep droppers can take advantage of the lighter winds we get this time of year to chase red

It is a good possibility a cobia or two will be present with the warm water we have at the moment. We have been seeing quite a few large turtles out wide this year. Cast ahead of any large cruising marine animals like turtles, rays or sharks with a heavy weighted lure for your best chance. Allow the lure to

Dana and family had a great holiday at Lancelin. They caught some excellent fish while they were there, which included landing her first dhufish in 32m west of town.

On the beaches we have had a great run of tailor, sharks, guitarfish and a few mulloway. Now it is time for the big mulloway to come out and play. March, April and May is when the really big ones are more likely to be encountered from the sand along the Lancelin coast, with fish up to 1.5m and 30kg a real chance. If you are going to be chasing one of these beasts, it is time to do a make-over on all your fishing gear, as they will test it to the limits. After putting a lot of effort into finding and hooking the fish of a lifetime, the last thing you need is something simple break that could have been avoided. Check your reels for servicing needs, make sure the line is in top condition, and if not, replace it. Be sure to re-tie and test all leaders and rigs and make sure they are up to the task each fishing trip. The best bait to tempt a big mulloway is always a fresh caught whiting, tailor or herring, and live bait is even better. If you need to use frozen, then mullet is the way to go.

It is also time to start thinking pink snapper from the beaches. Places like Mile, Fence, Tailor, Horseshoe, and Virgin reefs, Didie Point and Narrow Neck can all produce fish within casting 26

MARCH 2020

from their offshore breeding aggregations. There have been some schools of big fish within the bay, and recently they have been pushing the herring schools around until they’ve become concentrated, before they all violently simultaneously attack. It

There should be plenty of herring along the beaches as we move into the peak time to be catching them.

Using a weighted berley cage with a pollard and oil mix and a paternoster type rig usually gets them interested. Herring have been a great size and

Clinton showing you don’t need to travel far from town to get amongst them. He caught a number of tailor at the northern point of the bay.

The author with a good size striped tuna, which is just one of the speedsters on offer at the moment.

rig intended for the herring.

With the warm water temperatures, it would be well worth a crack at a land-based Spanish mackerel. They have been seen free jumping just out the back of the breakers from the back beach, well within reach of live baits or garfish ballooned out from the beach.

There is no shortage of options for the boat fishers either. Demersal species are available to catch whether you have a large boat to go out deep, or only have use of a dingy. Dhufish will be in spawning aggregations, with some schools found inside the White Bank.

snapper, eightbar cod, Bass groper, hapuku and blue-eye trevalla.

It’s the best time of year to be targeting pelagic species. The tuna species of bluefin, longtail, striped or yellowfin could all be encountered.

Mackerel species like Spanish, shark or spotted are all a chance too. It is even possible to find a marlin or wahoo out wide. Look for feeding birds, baitfish schools, current lines or troll along the back edge of some of the reef systems like the White Bank. Some of the bottom features also create pressure points that concentrate the baitfish.

sink below before starting a retrieve to pass under it.

If any cobia are there, they will quickly peel off and nail the lure, just be very careful not to cast too close and snag the turtle.

Yellowtail kingfish have been in good numbers along the fringing reef breaks this year, albeit a little on the small side, but they are still good fun on matching gear.

Skippy and squid numbers should be improving inshore and inside the bay.

If you’re chasing some of those tasty lobsters, you can find them in close to the beach over the March new moon period.

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West Coast

Watch the wind and pick your fishing window GERALDTON

Graham Maunder & Michael Triantopoulos

Strong winds have made getting out amongst the fish a little difficult, but those determined enough have

BEACHES Our summer tailor run is still going strong, with plenty of ‘choppers’ being caught both morning and evening, depending on location.

The beaches and ledges at Greenough, South Gates,

pre-dawn until about 7am or until the southerly picks up and makes bait casting or using lures too much to manage.

In general the beaches north and south of Geraldton tend to be better fished in

northern side of Coronation continues to be the most consistent spots for tailor, with regular bag limit catches from early afternoon until after dark.

As mentioned before, weed and wind has made some areas hard to fish with lighter tackle, but if you take the opportunities when possible there are plenty of good-sized yellowfin and school whiting around Morning Reef, Buller River and the windmill at Coronation.

Our shore-based mackerel season has been

mid-morning making getting out extremely difficult.

The northern end off Pensioners towards Drummonds there has been reports of mackerel, with the water temp being around 24°C consistently. Trolling lures and slow trolling baits such as garfish and pike is regularly producing bites.

The fishing southwest of town in 28-32m has seen some good dhufish to 80cm, goldspotted rockcod, pink snapper, sweetlip emperor and sand snapper. Fish have been caught on fresh fillet baits and live baits.

the occasional cobia. Fishing closer around the islands there has been lots of baldchin groper and coral trout.

SMALL BOATS AND KAYAKS Herring, whiting, skippy and squid fishing has been fairly slow. The Pages Beach/Explosives stretch of water has been a little more consistent, with a few squid still about, but only when the water is clean enough.

Whiting catches out from the Pages Rock Groyne has been consistent, with school whiting up to 25-30cm being taken regularly.

Brendan Hughes pulled up this nice goldspotted rockcod recently fishing over a reef. managed to make it out to bag some great demersals and pelagics. Otherwise, there’s been plenty of action on the beach!

Tarcoola and the southern end of Drummonds Bay have been fishing well for tailor, striped sea pike and a few herring most mornings from

Nat Gedero with a nice dhufish caught off Geraldton.

the afternoons and into the night, and while the tailor, pike, whiting and herring will be the most likely catch, mulloway and school shark catches are improving as well. The SFT Fisher Swift and Swift Baits have been working sensationally on the local tailor, pike and herring.

Preferred colours have been blue, green/black stripe, olive/natural and purple.

The locals fishing south of Greenough to Wakeford Road south of Flat Rocks are reporting larger tailor up to 70cm, and while the mulloway are mostly school fish up to 4-6kg, the summer run of bigger fish has started, with reports and brag pictures of mulloway up to 20kg.

The beaches north of Drummonds through to the

Laurie ‘Grumpy’ Parke was decidedly happy with this quality dhuie. slow at best, but there’s plenty of bait schools close inshore and the annual migration beginning, reports of mackerel, sharks and early cobia catches are increasing.

While mackerel are mostly caught ballooning, sharks and cobia are a possible for anyone either bait casting or set bait fishing with standard surf tackle.

BOAT The summer wind pattern still hasn’t eased much, with strong southeasterly to southwesterly wind by

South West Bank reports have been fairly slow due to the strong northerly currents making the fishing tough. Those who had the conditions more favourable have found dhufish, pink snapper, coral trout, baldchin groper, sweetlip emperor and mahimahi, the latter of which have been very fussy and don’t seem to be interested in many baits or lures.

Fishing around Hummock has been good for pelagics such as Spanish and shark mackerel, striped tuna and

There have been reports of blue swimmer crabs inside the Batavia Marina, and early morning to mid-afternoon seems to be the best time, with evenings not being as successful.

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MARCH 2020

Advertorial

HOOK Reveal 9” review I have been fishing for the majority of my life. Looking back now with 30 odd years of experience I can see how valuable the humble fishfinder has been over the years and how far they have progressed. While fishing with my Dad in the Victorian lakes in the early 90s our little 4” black and white sounder was an invaluable tool when fishing for big winter rainbow trout and salmon.

Fast forward to 2020 and the need for a sounder is much the same, however the technology available is vastly different.

A recent move to the Northern Beaches of Sydney and a new fishery prompted me to purchase a new boat to explore the diverse fishery that is Middle Harbour. A little Haines Hunter Seawasp was the perfect option and I was so surprised when asked to do a review of the Lowrance HOOK Reveal 9”. Little did I know at the time that this little sounder was the perfect choice for a small boat like mine. The powerful unit has a HD 9” screen, GPS Chartplotter with built-in maps and a triple shot transducer, providing a multitude of ways to differentiate structure and fish. Never has finding fish been so easy!

The Details Picking up the box I was surprised at the lack of weight after reading up on the multitude of features that Lowrance has stuffed into the HOOK Reveal 9” unit.

Navigation is a breeze for those early morning starts with the preloaded AU/NZ C-MAP mapping charts and the ability to use Genesis Live to create your own detailed maps in real-time. The triple shot transducer delivers a triple threat of performance with proven Autotuning Sonar, SideScan and DownScan Imaging. The new Fish Reveal feature makes fish easier to see by combining Lowrance CHIRP sonar and DownScan Imaging on one display.

Setting Up Fitting the sounder to the little Haines Hunter Seawasp was very straight forward. In the box was the head unit, mounting bracket, transducer with cable and a power supply cable. As well as some helpful info on installation and a manual detailing the ins and outs of the unit. I had decided to mount the sounder centrally on a swivelling RAM mount to give me a good view when on the run and also whilst up on the casting deck prospecting with

The HOOK Reveal definitely makes finding fish easier.

A swivelling RAM mount is the perfect mounting option for this sounder, as it can be turned to face the angler whether they’re driving from the stern or casting on the front deck.

The author found the HOOK Reveal to be the perfect sounder for his little Haines Hunter Seawasp.

Finding the fish may be easier, but catching them is still up to the angler!

Side Scan is a fairly standard feature on sounders these days, but at 9” this unit is big enough to split with another function and still give great detail.

the electric motor. The install was very easy and the once the layout and transducer position was decided I was finished within an hour or so. The unit powered up straight away and after a quick registration via the Lowrance App it was ready to go.

Hitting the Water After playing with the settings and getting a feel for the layout it was time to hit the water. The one thing I did notice straight away is the simplicity of the unit. Upon start up the Autotuning Sonar started doing its thing and produced a crystal-clear image of the bottom and some small bait schools as I headed out into the harbour. Using the pages button, I was able to quickly switch between pages layouts for navigating the waterway and looking for structure and fish. Where this unit comes into its own is the new fish reveal feature combining Lowrance CHIRP sonar and DownScan Imaging. The ability to see the structure clearly and reveal the fish amongst it is a real game changer and one I have been relying upon heavily.

Finding More Fish I have found myself taking advantage of the auto features with this unit a lot. Straight out of the box I was able to find fish and key structure points without having to make any adjustments at all. The huge amount of

information the unit pulls in is translated with detail that is easily interpreted even for a newcomer to sounders but is a valuable asset to the experienced as well. You will definitely find more fish with this unit if you make the most of the data presented to you with HOOK Reveal.

How Much Will It Cost?

The HOOK Reveal 9 Triple Shot with AU/NZ Charts I have been trialling for this review surprisingly has a RRP of $999. When I looked up the price of this unit I was expecting it to be much higher. To get all of these features for under $1000 dollars is real value and only a few years ago it would have cost you double that for a 9” sounder with all the same features.

Final Thoughts When I was approached to test this unit, I was excited to fit the sounder on my Seawasp. It is extremely easy to use and can be best described as a plug and play sounder with all of the advanced features you can expect from much higher priced units. As a small boat sounder, the HOOK Reveal is the perfect choice and I am getting more out of the unit every time I hit the water.

If you are in the market for a new sounder, definitely consider the Lowrance HOOK Reveal range of sounders from your local retailer. I am certain you will find the pure ease of use a game changer, and you’ll be happy with your purchase. – Brett Habener

Gascoyne Coast

If you have the need, the need for speed…

KALBARRI

Stephen Wiseman

If speed is your thrill, then there are plenty of near ‘unstoppables’ around to play with, and out in front of the sand patch in depths from 15-20m is a good starting place.

The warm water around 25°C has brought all the pelagics in to feed on the large bait schools. A local angler was spooled on 8kg by something he described as a missile, and its run sounds like a typical wahoo just having brekky!

Davo Waite managed to catch and release a nice small cobia up near the sand patch, so these are a possibility as well.

Mackerel have been active all along the cliffs to the south and around the point to Wagoe, with some

very nice specimens going close to 18kg.

Cobia have been in amongst the weed, along with hundreds of small tuna surfing the waves at high speed chewing on the small bait. Casting from the boat to a school is the best way to get a hook-up, as they spook really easy and go down only to reappear somewhere else.

Whiting activity has been quiet, although the sand spit still seems to produce a few for the early morning for avid anglers, and they normally hang around until well after sun up.

The reefs out west in depths past 60m have produced some nice snapper and cod, but sharks are still a problem and you have to be prepared to move after getting your first few fish, because it won’t be long

Davo Waite was pleased with this lovely little cobia taken just out the front.

before the sharks move in.

The imbalance of the ocean will take a while to settle and sort itself out, so get smart and outplay the shark problem by moving more.

For those wanting a few crays, there are plenty around just out the river mouth, both north and south, with the reds expected to fire well and make a good season.

River fishing has been quiet, with the odd bream being taken at the pens and further upstream around Goat Island. Some small mulloway are still around, but be patient as they are very shy at the moment.

Dredging activity will bring all sorts into the river on the tide change, and good fishing should occur downriver from the dredge on a falling tide as the mulloway move up to inspect the silt.

Plenty of pelagics to target this autumn sizes and small stickbaits.

There are also quite a few spangled emperor being caught, thanks to the turtle hatching. Most of the queenies have been taken on mulies floated off the beach and Nomad Madscads.

There are also quite a lot of mac tuna and little frigate mackerel being caught by boat-based

EXMOUTH

Scott Owens

The 2020 Heavy Tackle Tournament was pretty disappointing, with only around a dozen fish caught, but before that there were a lot of yellowfin tuna around.

Right up until the day before the tournament, yellowfin from around 40-60kg were being caught wide off Tantabiddi. Most were caught on trolled skirts meant for blue marlin.

There have been quite a few blues around, in a range of sizes, and one of the standout lures has been the Bonze BTK. Inshore, the Spanish mackerel bite is looking pretty good, with fish up to 20kg. Trolling behind the reef with deep diving lures such as the Laser Pro in

Sashimi on the line! Quite a few yellowfin tuna have been taking trolled skirts meant for blue marlin. Image courtesy of On Strike Charters.

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MARCH 2020

are plenty of pelagics to chase. Black marlin numbers are usually at their peak at this time of year, so it’s the perfect time to target them.

• For all the latest news on what’s biting and where, drop in to Tackle World Exmouth at 3 Maley St, Exmouth or give them a call on (08) 9949 1315. You can also

colour H79 and the Samaki Pacemaker in stripes. The most productive times are early in the morning and late in the afternoon, but you can get them during the day as well.

Anglers are still getting a lot of yellowfin whiting off the beach, and they have been taking peeled prawns and topwater lures such as the Jackson Pygmy Popper.

Higher tides tend to fish best, and all you have to do is head down and look for the reflection of whiting in the water. Sometimes they’ll be on the rocky bars and other times they’ll be over the sand.

We’re also seeing a fair few queenfish off the beach, taking little metal

The crash bite from this guy off the rigger was spectacular! Image courtesy of On Strike Charters. anglers inshore, along with the odd longtail.

A few GTs have been caught in recent weeks, mostly on big stickbaits such as the Black Ledge Peanut, Jackson Kaiken and Halco Slidog.

FORECAST FOR MARCH The whiting will taper off next month, but there

view the range at www. tackleworldexmouth.com. au, and see the latest catch photos on their Facebook page. This family business stocks a large range of tackle, from light spin to big game. The staff have a wealth of local knowledge and expertise, and are always happy to help.

Cooking

Spice up your summer with smoked trout dip BRISBANE

Lynn Bain

Dips are one of the most versatile snack foods, whether you are having a party or just an attack of the nibblies. Savoury crackers, bagel chips, vegetable straws (carrot, celery),

melba toast and corn chips are all good choices to act as carriers for the dip from bowl to mouth.

HANDY HINTS Any type of hot-smoked fish could be used in this recipe. Smoked mullet or smoked tailor are two options that spring to mind. You can also substitute natural

yoghurt for the mayonnaise.

There are various options for sprinkling over the top of the completed dip – chopped capers, fish roe, finely chopped cornichons, additional finely chopped chives or dried chilli flakes.

You could even use a combination of two or three of these options.

Ingredients • 200g smoked trout fillets

• 1 clove garlic, finely grated

• 3tbsp chives, finely chopped

• 2 tbsp mayonnaise

• 1tsp fresh dill, finely chopped

• 200g cream cheese, softened

• 1tbsp horseradish sauce

• 1/4 cup lemon juice

• Pinch dried chilli flakes

Fish roe for the topping (optional)

2

1

Flake the smoked trout flesh into pieces, discarding the bones.

Place the chives, dill, horseradish, chilli flakes, garlic, mayo and cream cheese into a large bowl. Use the back of a wooden spoon to combine until the mixture is smooth.

4

Stir the lemon juice through the cream cheese mixture.

5

Add the smoked trout flesh and fold into the mixture.

6

When combined, spoon the mixture into a serving bowl.

7

Spoon or sprinkle the top of the smoked trout dip with your choice of toppings.

8

In this recipe I have used fish roe as the dip topping.

9

Serve the smoked trout dip with a variety of crackers, toasted breads and chips.

3

Add the lemon juice.

MARCH 2020

31

North Coast

Endless options regardless of conditions BROOME

Troy Honey

We are now coming to the end of the 2020 wet season in Broome and due to a couple of good tropical lows passing through, the region has had a fairly good amount of rain. Wind has been testing at times but that doesn’t mean you have to keep the fishing rods packed away. Broome has a unique coastline that offers protection from wind regardless of which direction it is coming from. Using this to your advantage, the options are many, and many locals in know have been landing some very nice fish over the last month.

The southerly and westerly winds will keep all but the largest of boats off the deeper waters out wide and the can also cause a stir in Roebuck Bay for the tinnies trying to access the fingers and Crab Creek on the eastern side of the bay.

In these conditions fishing land-based in Dampier, Willie and Barred creeks or by towing your tinny up to the two latter creeks mentioned and launching

from there can scratch the itch. Once tucked up in the mangroves the wind is far less of a problem and by also removing your bimini (if you use one) the tinny becomes less of a sailboat.

Barra action has been great in all of the local creeks as well as the coastline from the Broome jetty around to Dampier Creek. Experienced local angler Josh Meeuwissen has landed some magnificent land-based barra over the last month, with some locations being best described as main tourist spots. This really highlights not only how good the barra fishing is in Broome, but also that when and how to catch them can be much more important than where.

At a recent local fishing club comp, with many competitors it was very hard going, with only three barra landed. There can be many factors that come into play, so doing your research and spending lots of time experimenting with different tactics including moon phases, tides, time of day, lures and live bait as well as speed and depth will certainly help you in the long run to land more

Josh Meeuwissen landed this barra right on a spring high tide change in 2m of water on a live bony herring. The barra came in at 77cm and is Josh’s first legal fish for Dampier Creek, which is considered a prize catch in the popular creek. fish. Always take notes of all the factors and over a period go back through them and work out what worked best and then concentrate in fine tuning and you will end up with a proven method for landing barra. This can save you countless hours in the long run.

The threadfin salmon have been coming in thick and fast, with many over the

metre mark. Looking forward to March you can expect to see the continuation of these numbers and size coming in.

With threadies able to be caught both land and boatbased, again they are a great fish to target if the wind picks up. Dampier Creek right around to the fingers and beyond is your best bet. Creeks such as Willie and Barred to the north of

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MARCH 2020

Broome are also producing good fish.

Golden snapper are being caught just off the coast and these are one of the preferred species of nearshore/demersal to target in the warmer waters at this time of year. Queenfish have been a by-catch on nearly every outing for both landbased and boat anglers, with many in the smaller size

range of 400-600mm. Larger queenfish are coming in up at James Price Point and being caught mostly on stickbaits on the low and high tide changes. Some of these are exceeding 1m in length and providing anglers with a great day of sports fishing.

Bream, perch and javelin fish can be found in all of the creeks, and although they can be frustrating when chasing barra on live baits, they also provide good fights when using very light tackle, which is perfect if taking the kids out for the day.

Mud crabs are about at the moment, but many are in the smaller range. Come April and May you can expect to see them larger, but you can still catch a good feed of just size brown mud crabs in the creeks at the moment. Using drop nets with red meat for bait such as lamb necks is an almost no fail method. Work closer to the banks, especially where there are some deeper holes.

It won’t be very long before Broome anglers will start to transition to demersal fishing as the water cools, but for now, making the most of the barra, threadies and feisty queenfish is a sure bet to a great day’s fishing.

North Coast

Adapting target species with the seasons DAMPIER/KARRATHA

Troy Honey

Karratha and the Greater Pilbara Region has enjoyed above average rainfall this wet season, with a couple of cyclones bringing muchneeded rain with them.

From the Pilbara Kimberley border right down to Onslow and inland past the Karijini to Newman, the iconic rolling Pilbara hills are displaying their spinifex in a stunning green that really sets off the pindan red earth.

It will certainly be the year many have been waiting for to pack up the four-wheel drive to explore the beauty of areas such as the Karijini and Millstream Chichester National Parks, with plenty of fishing along the coast before and after your trip inland.

The weather experts are predicting 2020 to be the start of a few years of above average rainfall for the Pilbara, with the end to the series of dryer years now behind us.

Rainfall plays a big part in fishing in all regions, but for the Pilbara it is one of the most predominate factors.

Species such as barramundi rely on good rainfall for their breeding cycles and fish such as mangrove jack and bream can push up the rivers and creeks to populate the water holes that provide countless hours of family fishing fun through the dryer seasons.

Helping fish move around, populate and breed is a direct result following good rainfall and it is recommended to study the weather from preceding years when planning for fishing trips and location targets. Another result is the immediate angling opportunities after rainfall when the creeks and rivers are flushed with what can be years of algae, micro-organisms

The author is often asked where he catches the magnificent bluebone in Karratha. The bluebone are everywhere around all of the rocky outcrops and reefs.

It is more important to learn how and when to catch them. This bluebone was landed on a fresh caught rock crab at high tide a few days before a new moon. and freshwater fish build-up.

Knowing which rivers haven’t run to the coast for some time or have just been flushed from the heavy rains is a distinct advantage to a successful day of fishing.

Fish species such as barra and mangrove jack can be very lazy. They prefer to have the food brought to them if the opportunity arises and good rainfall following a long dry spell offers just that. It is often said to catch a fish you need to think like a fish, and here it has never been so true. When fishing the lower reaches of the creeks and rivers, looking for areas with clearer water passing snags, bars and holes is the first place I would try.

You also don’t want the water moving too fast, as this causes the fish to work hard against the current and they won’t hold there for long, preferring to opt for slower current areas such as on the inside of bends rather than the outside where the water runs at full speed.

Fast flowing muddy water immediately after rain is when it is too difficult for barra to

feed, so wait a couple of days or more for it to settle a bit.

The flow will generally persist for a few weeks and it is during this time that the best fishing opportunities in the rivers are presented at both the lower and upper reaches. Matching the freshwater flow from the rain with the incoming saltwater from the tides is the trick here. It will be in the saltwater that you will find the fish, so if the freshwater flow is strong, work the lower reaches and mouths.

Most of the creeks around Karratha won’t have a lot if any flow. It is the larger rivers such as the Maitland, Fortescue, Sherlock and Balla Balla that will endure the big freshwater flows for many days if not weeks following heavy rain from cyclones.

January and February in Karratha has already seen many anglers with catches of 5-10 legal barra per session and that really puts the region among the best barra fishing in Australia. There has been many threadfin salmon amongst the barra landed, and

those who prefer to cast lures into the snags and mangroves on the creek banks have been rewarded with some healthy mangrove jack as well.

The demersal scene in general has been a bit slow, and this is mainly due to the higher ocean temperatures, although there have been quite a few coral trout and bluebone catches reported. A couple of months of working on my boat has led to land-based fishing only for me, so I have used this time to explore for more bluebone locations.

The Karratha Dampier region is littered with great bluebone locations, but accessing them can be tricky.

What might look like an easy access track on Google Earth can turn into a nightmare, with your four-wheel drive stuck in a salt pan waiting for the next high tide to come in and claim it from you. I cannot stress enough the importance of being prepared when you are out in search of a new land-based fishing location in the Pilbara. You can lose your life just as easy as your vehicle and no fish is worth that. With all that being said, don’t ever look past locations right in front of you. Yes, I like to get out and explore remote locations for bluebone, but I have also caught them with my car never leaving the bitumen.

These more accessible areas along the Dampier foreshore also produce coral trout, Spanish flag, golden trevally, queenfish, Moses perch, squid, mangrove jack and many more top-rated species. Lures and baits both work well and this area is perfect for the whole family to get in on the fun.

As mentioned there have been some good catches of threadfin salmon this season, and it is a fish not as targeted here in Karratha as it is in the northern regions such as Broome and Derby. Threadies

fight hard with powerful runs, they can be caught on lures and baits and you will be hard pressed to find a better fish to serve up in your favourite beer batter. The majority of local creeks hold threadies, with Nickol Bay being the most popular area to search.

Threadies will follow the dirty water in on the incoming tide while they forage the bay and creek beds for crustaceans such as prawns and crabs.

Karratha is not as well known for its prawns as towns such as Exmouth further south are, but the bays here hold very healthy stocks. This is by far the preferred meal

this happens it is only a matter striking. Trolling lures such as vibes or one of the many new brands offering very lifelike prawn imitations also works well. I prefer to follow the tide in, while slowly trolling the shallows in water often as shallow as one metre. Once the tide is in, troll up and down the banks of the creeks near the mouth, concentrating on sand and rock bars and especially those holding bait fish.

March and April will be even better for creek fishing in Karratha than the previous two months, so now is the time to get out and beat the masses of tourists to the best

William Burns caught this fantastic coral trout on a popper at one of the many rock walls in Dampier while holidaying with friends. for threadies in the area, so mimicking this food would be the best place to start when targeting them.

If fishing from a boat, try floating prawns with little or no weight down along the colour change lines in the water in the bay or around sand bars in the creeks. Always leave your drag set light or bail arm over when waiting for a run. Once

fishing spots and get out to the national parks to see the waterfalls in the gorges that are currently at full flight. It is a spectacular region, with so much to offer but again, it is highly recommended to spend the time doing your research and prepare accordingly, as it is also one of the most unforgiving locations in the country.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO FIND A STESSCO DEALER NEAR YOU

VISIT WWW.STESSCO.COM.AU

MARCH 2020

33

Conditions are improving for WA freshwater FRESHWATER

Peter Fragomeni

Those of you targeting trout over other species are quite aware that March can be the start of the trout season, with the mild days and cool nights towards the latter part of the month resulting in

the case for me on a trip to Wellington Dam recently, with long periods between fish on most days. The trout at the hatchery are doing well considering the warm summer, and one other grower has recorded some good growth rates of his advanced yearlings, so hopefully the guys down at the government hatchery

to those of our neighbours.

I can say there’s a lot of red tape concerning translocation and I believe all is being done to achieve the outcome we all so want for freshwater anglers in this state.

DAMS Waroona Dam A few nice redfin have been caught in the deeper

A nice little summertime brown from the Collie River. and I can confirm the availability seems to have subsided for me as well. Whether this is due to fishing pressure or the dozen or so pelicans that patrol the shoreline is still

shore and out on the water, with one redfin of nearly 50cm landed recently by a lucky angler casting in amongst the drowned timber by the solar panels.

Trout have been harder

unproductive, but others have fared better, with a few nice redfin coming to the net recently. Don’t expect large numbers, but normally a few in the high 40s are possible if you’re

Big bass are being caught in increasing numbers in WA. colder water in our inland areas, creating better conditions for trout to forage closer to the banks.

This is the time when the shore angler has better success, although I have found that sometimes

can match his efforts this year.

AUSSIE NATIVES Some good bass, silver perch and a huge Murray cod were caught by the few in the know, but unfortunately locations are

Large Murray cod like this one are a dream for any East Coast angler, but this one was taken in WA! Oliver Kirsch entered the metre club with this hefty specimen. you need to wait until April some years. I’ve had a few reports coming through of nice trout being caught in our dams, but the majority of the better fishing has come from the Pemberton areas.

Redfin have not let down those who chase them, however that wasn’t 34

MARCH 2020

kept close to their chest. It was good to see Recfishwest vision for 2020 in their newsletter including Aussie natives, but going on some of the comments being put forward it sounds like some anger is building by those that are not happy with the progress being achieved here in this state, opposed

water around the wall, but dodging ski boats can be a problem over the busy periods. Try a few soft plastics down deep and you may also hook a trout for your efforts.

Fly fishing the back area around Fishtail with long fine leaders and small flies over the creek channels is a great way to entice a trout if the water has cooled to under 22°C in the shallows.

Drakesbrook Weir Surprisingly some nice trout were caught over the warmer months, including a few nice browns, so hopefully a number have pulled through and will be available this autumn.

Most of the popular lures are working, so just mix it up until you find what they taking.

Redfin are always available, but numbers are lower than in previous years.

Logue Brook Dam This lake can be hard at this time of the year.

This dam has its secrets, where most who fish it go home empty-handed, never to return. Those who have best success use boats with good sounders and move around until they find where the trout are holding.

Trolling at a faster pace can produce the goods if the trout are sitting high in the water column.

Harvey Dam Undoubtedly our heaviest fished water, this dam can turn it on for those who know how to fish it. Some are concerned that redfin numbers have dropped in recent times,

Look for fast water like this section of the Collie River that is fed by irrigation water released out of Wellington Dam. not clear. Others blame the stocking of large trout, but I’m yet to find a redfin in the stomach of a rainbow, and as I don’t kill the browns I can’t comment on them.

Even still, some good fish are being caught from

to locate, but as the water cools, areas like Quarry Bay, Wokalup Bay, Cattleyards and the Sticks should start to fire.

Wellington Dam As stated earlier my trip to this water proved to be

lucky enough to be at the right spot.

Glen Mervyn There’s been no reports lately, but the water level is so low that they have banned skiing, so it would be a good time to chase

Cody Willis with a superb silver perch caught at night from an undisclosed location. It’s a dream that one day this species will be stocked into more landlocked impoundments in WA.

redfin. With 500 advanced yearlings getting stocked each year, that’s another reason why this area is worth a visit if you are in the area.

Norilup Dam This is only a small water,

Collie River Above Wellington Dam The stretch of river around Collie has turned up the occasional nice redfin, with soft plastics and red spinners working well in close to timber and snags.

report on at the moment.

Warren River This river did not disappoint those who fished it for redfin, and it seems that anywhere from above Rooney Bridge to the sea turned up some nice bags.

Unfortunately a number of our dams are extremely low, as seen here.

Exposed muddy banks will make launching difficult in some places.

Using the ‘spot lock’ function on your electric motor enables you to get in close to structure and drop plastics deep to where the fish are holding. but if you’re going through Greenbushes, it may be worth a look Big Brook Dam A few trout have been on the bite lately, with a well known local fly fisher landing a dozen one evening. He’s one of the many who practice catch and release and it seems

Collie River Below Wellington Dam Trout have been active from the wall all the way to below Honeymoon Pool.

I have seen one lucky angler land six on his lure from one run recently, including a nice little brown. Unfortunately the

Most techniques have been working, but I love casting plastics to timber and letting them sink before slowly rolling them back.

The water is low so trout are harder to locate.

Lefroy Brook The small flow out of Big Brook Dam has

the small trickle at the head of the runs being the preferred method Donnelly River It seems that all the opposition to the new dam in the area has paid off with the authorities looking at different ways of gathering water other than drawing it from this river. For more information go to the ‘Save the Donnelly’ Facebook page.

On the positive, it seems the browns are doing well, but the water is extremely low, so I would try Boat Landing and downstream if you have a kayak or boat.

We have a variety of options available as it cools this autumn, and while our

freshwater fishing can’t match what’s on offer on the eastern side of Australia, it can still be a joy to be amongst the beautiful

scenery on offer. Just get yourself a freshwater licence and remember to watch out for snakes, fire bans and please keep the scene clean!

DAM LEVEL PREDICTIONS FOR MARCH Unfortunately, Harvey, Glen Mervyn and Wellington dams are extremely low, resulting in skiing being banned at Glen Mervyn.

The others are still in reasonable condition, considering the dry summer we experienced.

WAROONA DAM 58% DRAKESBROOK WEIR 83% LOGUE BROOK DAM 64% HARVEY DAM 32% WELLINGTON DAM 40% GLEN MERVYN DAM 35% BIG BROOK DAM 71%

Ultralight 403 Ultralight Outboard Motors

1

HP

equivalent

Kayaks / Canoes / very light boats The controversial section of the Donnelly River where the proposed weir will be built to extract water for the Record Brook Irrigation Scheme.

Photo courtesy of Simon Holland.

it’s a growing trend these days, especially amongst our younger generation RIVERS Murray River Redfin have come out of the deeper pools around Dwellingup and even bigger models have been caught as far up as the Hotham River. Trout have been harder to locate, but small rainbows are still coming out of Nanga Brook.

section below the wall to the lower bridge was closed after the fires, so access was a problem. The fishing can slow down when they shut flow off in autumn, so it pays to note this if you are planning a trip down that way.

Blackwood River The Blackwood River has been very quiet recently, with nothing to

resulted in cool water in the upper section, but this was not the case with the water coming over the town weir.

This is normally the time the hatchery activates their cooling towers to drop the water down a couple of degrees so the trout don’t stress. Late March is a great time to wander this stream, with small lures and small flies cast into

For anglers and adventurers unwilling to compromise + With a total weight of 11kg including battery, the Torqeedo Ultralight won’t limit your paddling performance + Compatible with the steering system of all popular kayak models + Capable of travelling up to 10km/h and covering up to 100km + Waterproof to IP67 Technology that is clean and state-of-the-art Find your closest dealer: email: torqeedo@powerequipment.com.au web: www.powerequipment.com.au phone: 1800 069 469

MARCH 2020

35

Pirtek Fishing Challenge

World’s biggest fishing comp enters 12th year!

The world’s biggest fishing competition the Pirtek Fishing Challenge is now in its 12th year. It’s a one-day catch, photo and release event to be held on Sunday March 15, 2020. Keen anglers of all ages will compete right across Australia fishing their favourite locations.

men, their partners and families, recognising the diversity of the Australian community. The Peter Duncan Neurosciences Research Unit has recently been lauded as the number one Neuroscience Research facility in Australia.

The focus of the Unit is to study adult stem cells

plus postage. Everyone who registers receives a limited edition Pirtek Fishing Challenge cap and brag mat. New in 2020 is that each Junior who enters receives a pack of Berkley Powerbait Nemesis lures.

There are target species in each state of Australia, plus the Murray

The Pirtek Fishing Challenge raises funds and awareness for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and the Peter Duncan Neuroscience Research Unit. The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia is a broad based community organisation and the peak national body for prostate cancer in Australia. It is dedicated to reducing the impact of prostate cancer on Australian

and their role in causing and exacerbating neurological diseases. The goal is to find and apply new neuroscience techniques for patients suffering from diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s, and other neurological infections and stroke. Proceeds from the Pirtek Fishing Challenge will be split between these two leading medical research organisations.

Registration is $25,

Darling Basin, ‘East Coast Freshwater’ and ‘Mountain Trout’.

For the longest fish in each species, there are prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd, and 1st and 2nd in the Juniors.

Plus a $4000 cash prize if your catch is closest to the ‘Mystery Length’ in your category.

The list of target species is now available on www. pirtekfishingchallenge. com.au.

36

MARCH 2020

Even if you don’t catch the biggest fish, (or any fish at all), just by entering you’re in the draw to win one of our ‘On The Water’ prizes – a Stacer 469 Outlaw tiller steer boat and trailer package, including an Evenrude E-Tec 75hp outboard engine (valued at $31,990), Snap-On Tools tool kits (two valued at $2600 and eight valued at $600), a Lowrance Hook 2 fish finder (valued at $2000), a Berkley fishing tackle pack (valued at $2000), or a $500 Valvoline product pack.

Altogether, the prize pool is worth a massive $215,000.

Another first for 2020 is the Lowrance Fishing Club competition. Ten lucky fishing clubs will win

a Hook 2 Split Shot 7 inch sounder GPS units valued at $800. The registered club with the most members entered for the 2020 Pirtek Fishing Challenge in each state plus the Northern Territory will win this terrific prize. There are two units for NSW/ACT, QLD

and Victoria along with a unit for WA, SA, TAS and NT. All competitors need to do is enter their Fishing Club’s name at the time of registration.

Remember, the idea is to grab the family or a couple of mates for the day, have a great time

fishing and raise dollars for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and the Peter Duncan Neurosciences Research Unit at St Vincent’s Hospital. Hopefully you can also grab some big prizes for yourself! – Pirtek Fishing Team

Pirtek Fishing Challenge

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.

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 is available via the website www.pirtekfishingchallenge.com.au.

• On Saturday, 14 March 2020 (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.

• Anglers will commence fishing at the official sunrise time in their State/ Territory on Sunday, 15 March 2020 and cease fishing at the official sunset time in their State/Territory on Sunday, 15 March 2020.

• No Lines in water prior to the official sunrise time (State/Territory of the competitor) on Sunday, 15 March 2020 and all lines out of the water at the official sunset time (State/Territory of the competitor) on Sunday, 15 March 2020.

• 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.

• Remember to write your angler number clearly in the white box provided on the brag mat.

• 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.

• If you do not receive your brag mat before Sunday 15 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.

• 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.

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 and 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.

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.

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.

KING GEORGE WHITING Size Range: Up to 70cm, common from 30-40cm.

• The upload needs to be complete by 7:00am AEDT, Monday, 16 March 2020.

Tactics: Summer and Autumn are the best times of the year. Plan your trip so that you fish around high tide and during the first two hours of the run-out tide. A good technique is to wind in very slowly and drag the bait along the bottom. If using squid for bait use small thin strips and tenderise it by hitting it with a blunt object.

• Any photographs uploaded after this time will not be accepted.

Rigs: A small paternoster rig with a small circle hook is a dynamite rig for KGs.

• 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.

Bait: Locally sourced baits such as pipis, Bass yabbies, mussels and squid pieces are very effective.

• Check the website on Saturday, 21 March, 2020 to see if you’re a winner. The National Fishing Challenge committee’s decision will be final and no correspondence entered into.

Lures: KGs aren’t known as much of a lure target, but have been known to hit small soft plastics intended from other things, and can also be caught on pieces of scented soft plastics fished in the same way as bait.

• Follow the directions on the website to upload your photograph.

SOUTH

Bait: Live baits of mullet, herring, whiting and prawn are excellent for barramundi.

SOUTH

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.

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.

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.

SOUTH

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.

NORTH

Size Range: Up to 1.8m, common around 50-70cm.

NORTH

TREVALLY (ALL SPECIES)

BARRAMUNDI

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING SAMAKI SQUID JIG BOX

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The new Samaki Squid Jig tackle box is now available. This box stores your squid jigs individually without spike hook-ups, thanks to foam compartments which keep your jigs separate from one another. It makes life a lot easier being able to store your jigs in a box free from other jigs and saltwater damage.

The double-sided box holds a variety of sizes and weights, and each spike sits within its own foam casing. You also have the ability to place your jig weight within the foam slits for extra jig preservation.

Samaki Split Foam tackle boxes come in five sizes, each designed for a variety of lure storage options, holding the smallest of flies up to your favourite vibes, hardbodies, jigheads and squid jigs. The range starts with a small single-sided model, and moves into four double-sided options of medium, large, extralarge, and jig extra-large.

The soft slit foam insert has slits and holes for you to use your tackle box to the max, all without hook tangles. The UV-resistant lids reduce lure fade, and the waterproof o-ring and stainless steel hinges safeguard your lures and terminal tackle. www.samaki.com.au

DAIWA TD HYPER RODS

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Daiwa has revamped the TD Hyper Series, delivering high-end performance at a mid range price.

The heart of TD Hyper is Daiwa’s HVF Nanoplus blank that combines precise resin control with unidirectional graphite fibre to produce a blank with maximum graphite density.

Light, responsive, and crisp in action, TD Hyper blank performance is further enhanced courtesy of X45 blank technology, working seamlessly to eliminate blank twist and distortion to increase rod strength, function, and sensitivity.

The new TD Hyper receives a significant componentry upgrade in the form of Daiwa’s Air Sensor reel seats. Air Sensor reel seats are made from carbon-infused resin, making them lighter and stronger than traditional reel seat designs. Partnering the Air Sensor reel seats are new taper grips that enhance comfort and control. There is an extensive array of models to choose from, ranging from multi-piece travel rods to technique specific light tackle and heavy models. www.daiwafishing.com.au

BLACK MAGIC SLIM JIG COLOURS

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The Black Magic Deepwater Slim Jig range just received these five new colours: candy stick, blinky, mahi mahi, night rider and fire tiger, which join the original colours of extreme pilly, pink frost and mad max.

Deepwater Slim Jigs are all high in UV and lumo, and are all rigged with super strong 8/0 assist hooks, Kevlar thread and split/ solid rings. These low-resistance, long narrow jigs offer a faster retrieve with less effort, and they are great for deep water fishing. They are available in two models, 200g (246mm) and 300g (266mm).

For more information on the Deepwater Slim Jigs, check out the Black Magic Tackle website.

You can also find more information, news and catch photos on Black Magic’s Facebook 38

MARCH 2020

PRODUCT GUIDE

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

page (www.facebook.com/blackmagictackle), Instagram (@blackmagictackle) and the Black Magic YouTube channel. www.blackmagictackle.com

BONE DASH 60S

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The Bone Dash is a sinking pencil bait that flutters on the fall and slides on the retrieve giving the angler options like never before.

By attaching the line to the front eyelet, the Dash will work like a sinking pencil bait, fluttering on the fall with a side to side glide on a straight retrieve. Smart anglers can give the Dash a realistic sliding, darting action with clever rod work.

Attaching your lure on the top eyelet will enable the vibe mode, giving the Dash a tight wobble on a straight retrieve. This tie off position also creates less resistance through the water on the retrieve and still maintains the fluttering sink.

Small in profile, but big on action and options, the Dash 60S is a dual function lure that will appeal to predators in any water. It measures 60mm, weighs 10g and comes in 11 colours. www.wilsonfishing.com

TICA EZI CAST BAITCASTER

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TiCA’s new Ezi Cast Baitcasting reel offers excellent quality at an affordable price, with an attractive bright white and black finish.

The TiCA Ezi Cast Baitcaster has a robust frame with a V-shaped double anodised aluminium spool, brass main gear, Magforce brake system that helps eliminate backlash, star drag with Micronic Click, Quick Remove sideplate and instant anti-reverse.

The Ezi Cast Baitcaster comes with five bearings, of which two are stainless steel, one RRB (Rust Resistant Bearing) and two nylon bearings that help to make this reel cast effortlessly and allow the spool to spin freely.

The Ezi Cast Baitcaster comes with a 6.3: 1 high speed ratio and delivers 7kg of drag pressure. It is available in both right- and lefthand wind and it holds 150 yards of 20lb braid. This reel is ideal for the likes of bass and estuary perch, and anglers looking for a small, low-profile reel. www.jurofishing.com

SPEED SKIRT AND SPEED PLUG

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Gillies has expanded its Bluewater range of lures with the addition of the Speed Skirt and Speed Plug.

The Bluewater Speed Skirts are a high speed trolling skirt capable of searching waters at 15-18 knots, making them ideal for tuna, wahoo and other high speed pelagic species.

They are available in four colours – purple black, lumo green, lumo and pink.

The Bluewater Speed Plugs are constructed from a hard polyurethane material, are keel weighted in the front for casting, have a luminous ball in the body section, and feature a rubber hook lock that secures the rig. They are available in four colours – smoke, green, purple and blue.

You can find more information on the range at the JM Gillies website, or for the latest news, catch photos and competitions, check them out on Facebook (facebook.com/jm.gillies) or follow them on Instagram (@jm.gillies). www.jmgillies.com.au

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING

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NEW RAPALA 3X COLOUR

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Rapala has added a new colour to the Shadow Rap 3X range: ROL (live roach).

It’s available in the 3X, 3X Deep, Shad 3X and Shad 3X Deep models.

The 11cm suspending Shadow Rap 3X makes tight turns when twitched, turns to look back and then settles to a head down position with a quiver before starting a slow fade-away dive on the pause. It can be fished almost in place with short twitches.

The 3X Deep version dives to 1.8m, and is ideal for a slow moving dying minnow presentation. It can be fished with little forward movement, yet a lot of side-to-side action.

With a fast twitch followed by slack line, it turns almost 180° before settling with a flicker to a dying dive.

The 9cm Shad 3X swims with the infamous horizontal struggle with a vertical rise on the pause, mimicking a baitfish in trouble.

The versatile Shad 3X Deep model can be fished finesse or aggressively, matching the mood of the fish. www.rapala.com.au

The Shimano Tiger Baku Baku is a Japanese designed kabura jig. The Baku Baku’s 3D holographic eyes enhance the colour combinations, and the specialist silicon skirts have been developed to entice fish to bite. The Oceania model has been beefed up with longer, curly skirts, a line-through head design and larger heavyduty hooks to handle the toughest fish in the ocean.

The Baku Baku design uses a low centre of gravity head shape that creates a resonance when moving through the water. Its shape also produces a complex flow of water behind the head, which creates a unique fish-attracting action from the silicon skirts. The line-through head design allows the skirt to flutter naturally to the bottom, and once hooked the freerunning head means the fish can’t use the weight of the jig to throw the hook.

The Tiger Baku Baku is currently available in six colours: red gold, orange silver, red silver, chartreuse glow, blue sardine and black gold.

Price: SRP $19.95 www.shimanofish.com.au

NEW EGILICIOUS MODELS

LIVETARGET FLUTTER SHAD

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Tackle Tactics have teamed up with their Pro Anglers to create a stack of new colours, including foil and glow patterns, in the Fish Inc. Egilicious range of squid jigs.

TTs has also added Fast Sink models in the 3.0 and 3.5 sizes, which during testing proved priceless when fishing deeper water, faster currents and when drifting and fishing in windy conditions.

The popularity of Egilicious jigs is due to their affordable price, quality, durable tight cloth, super-sticky Japanese Owner squid hooks, a buoyant tail for a natural stand-up presentation, and a tail angle designed a few degrees higher to reduce snagging and fouling.

The addition of 15 new colours has the nation covered, with the Pro Team already proving the worth of colours such as bleeding belly, bleeding black, red rack, fluoro green, fluoro orange, neo glow (glow), blue beans (glow) and hot pink (glow). This brings the total number of colours to 27.

Price: SRP $11.95-$12.95 www.tackletactics.com.au

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NEW DAIWA LUGGAGE

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SHIMANO TIGER BAKU 10 BAKU

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The Daiwa luggage range has been expanded with four new additions.

The Tackle Backpack holds nothing back in strength and design, and features multiple zippered storage pockets, a front chest strap, and a front access tackle tray compartment preloaded with four 3600-sized Daiwa tackle trays.

The new Soft Top and Hard Top bags provide room for all your angling goodies, with external zippered pockets, double handle and padded shoulder strap, and single 3700-sized Daiwa tackle tray, making them an essential item for your next trip away.

There are few pieces of luggage more essential than a water-resistant boat bag, and the new Daiwa Hard Base Boat Bag sets the standard in ruggedness. Constructed from durable vinyl material and featuring a waterproof hard bottom, this is the bag to help keep your gear safe and dry. www.daiwafishing.com.au

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Winner of Best Saltwater Hard Lure at ICAST 2019, the LiveTarget Flutter Shad jigging spoon mimics a shad fluttering in distress.

The Inner Core produces a vibrant flash, the feather hook creates drag and holds the hook in the ideal strike position when falling.

You can lift and drop to create a falling shimmy action, or snap the rod tip to impart an erratic twitch action. The result is a strobing flash which triggers a bite. The Flutter Shad comes in two sizes (60mm, 21g and 80mm, 42g) and 10 colours.

LiveTarget also took out the Best Freshwater Hard Lure at ICAST, with the firstever anatomically precise spoon: the Erratic Shiner. The lure has a life-like Inner-Core with a pulsating vibrant flash, an Exo-Skin that produces an erratic wide-wobble, and a darting effect imitating an injured baitfish. It has been designed for long casts and is also excellent for trolling. It comes in two sizes (55mm, 11g and 70mm, 21g) and 10 colours. www.ejtodd.com.au

SAMAKI BIG BARRA

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Samaki’s newest barra shirt features a dark, stormy sky in the background as the beautiful girl leaps from the depths to engulf a Mega Bomb Shad.

This brand new barramundi design has been drawn from the ground up, with amazing detail in the mouth, gills and every scale, and the eye is next level fish art at its finest.

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

Samaki designs are brought to you by Australian anglers who love to design Australian species. Big Barra shirts are available in adult, youth and kids sizes from a size 2 through to a 5XL, allowing the whole family to get in on the action and out onto the water. For more information and stockists visit the Samaki website, and like them on Facebook and Instagram to keep up to date. www.samaki.com.au

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au MARCH 2020

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING DOBYNS SKIRTED FOOTBALL JIGS

JIG STAR TWISTED 13 SISTA RODS

Dobyns Football Jigs are hand-tied with custom coloured skirts in a combination of round rubber and premium silicone for a natural flowing action. They are built to the specs of professional bass angler Gary Dobyns, who has won over a 100 major tournament victories in the US. These jigs feature a football head shape that easily crawls over rocks and other hard structure, and have chip-resistant paint. They are built around a razor sharp Gamakatsu 604 Round Bend Hook, which Gary has used on his own jigs for 20 years because of its superior hook penetration. Each jig features a special 4-barb bait keeper to hold the jig trailers securely in place. They are available in 12 proven colours and two weights – 3/8oz and 1/2oz. www.ejtodd.com.au

PLANO RUSTRICTOR 14 SERIES Plano’s Rustrictor Series brings unbeatable rust-proof protection to the StowAway line.

The Volatile Corrosion Inhibitor (VCI) infused walls and dividers provide 360° of protection that blocks rust and corrosion for five times longer than other tackle boxes.

The Rustrictor 3700 model (35.5 x 23 x 5cm) brings this technology to Plano’s most popular StowAway size – the classic 3700.

It has four fixed compartments, or you can add the provided dividers to create up to 24 compartments. It’s the perfect companion to any Plano 3700 Series tackle bag or system.

There’s also a slimmer 3700 Thin version (35.5 x 23 x 3.5cm), and the roomy 3700 Deep (35.5 x 23 x 8cm) for your biggest lures.

Designed for terminal tackle, the Rustrictor Terminal model (31.5 x 22.5 x 3.8cm) surrounds its contents with a corrosioninhibiting vapour that won’t leave any residue, odour or film.

Other models in the range are the 3600 (28 x 18.5 x 4.5cm), 3600 Deep (28 x 18.5 x 7cm), and the compact 3500 (23 x 13 x 3cm), so there are sizes to suit all situations and angling preferences. www.jmgillies.com.au

SALTIGA 12 BEX UVF PE+SI

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Made with UVF (Ultra Volume Fibre) and Evo Silicone, Saltiga 12 BEX UVF PE+Si line is the ultimate high-density braid, exhibiting supreme abrasion resistance and ultimate strength.

With 72% improved abrasion resistance, 20% more strength, an 18% more slippery surface and 30% less line stretch compared to 8-braid premium PE lines, our Saltiga 12 Braid UVF is the ultimate in line technology.

A reduced diameter provides an ultrasmooth surface for less friction/resistance on the guides and spool rim allowing for longer smoother casting, less noise, minimal water penetration and incredible sensitivity.

Saltiga 12 is perfect for heavy-duty jigging and casting line for big gamefish, and it’s color-coded in 10m, 5m and 1m increments to allow full line control. It’s available in a range of sizes from PE0.6 (200m spool) up to PE8 (400m). www.daiwafishing.com.au 40

MARCH 2020

PRODUCT GUIDE

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BROUGHT TO YOU BY

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Jig Star evolved after NZ jigging expert Chris Wong spent years jigging with renowned big fish anglers, testing his products on XOS kingfish and hapuka.

The Twisted Sista rod has an innovative ‘acid’ or ‘spiral’ design which draws on the inherent advantages of both overhead and spin rods. The design alleviates blank twist associated with poorly-built overhead rods, and allows the blank to develop its maximum potential. These rods have excellent power and resilience as a result of the carefully tapered nano blank with a perfect acid guide flow. Bend the Twisted Sista to its max and you’ll see what all the fuss is about.

There are three models, all with Fuji PSS, PLS palming reel seats with Fuji KWAG and LC Guides, and a lack of binding between the guide feet, reducing ‘dead spots’ caused by excessive binding. The MK-II rod has been redesigned with slightly more butt power and finished with custom artwork and detail. The grips have changed to short, chunky grooved EVA for a greater, more comfortable grip. All rods come with a padded rod bag. www.jurofishing.com

BLACKWOLF STRATO 40

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The BlackWolf Strato 40Technical Daypack might look like an ordinary backpack, it’s equipped with a range of handy features.

For sticky situations in the bush, there’s a safety whistle and a night reflective daisy loop. There’s also an internal pocket for a hydration tank.

Designed with a waterproof rain cover, you can count on this backpack to keep your valuables dry, and the heavy-duty no. 10 zippers are built to last.

Say goodbye to an aching back and say hello to relaxed shoulders; the padded waist and shoulder straps mean you can feel balanced, secure and confident no matter the terrain. For heavier loads, the sternum strap across your chest takes the pressure off your shoulders and give you extra cushioning.

You can even use this backpack in the city, because it has a padded laptop holder and hardcase, as well as RFID protection from digital theft. There’s also a removable key holder and external headphone port.

Price: SRP $199.99 www.blackwolf.com.au

NEW BIO TOUGH COLOURS

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Two effective new colours have joined the growing Squidgies Bio Tough lineup range. These new offerings greatly expand the range’s appeal to finesse fishers seeking downsized offerings for finicky adversaries, ranging from trout, yellowbelly and bass to bream, flathead, whiting and more.

The classic Squidgies favourite ‘UV jelly prawn’ colour is now available in the Bio Tough Grubs, Crawler and smaller Fish and Wriggler models.

The black grub is a staple lure in many angler’s tackleboxes, and the new UV Black Onyx is now available in the Grubs and Crawler.

These new colours perfectly imitate bottom-dwelling critters including yabbies, crabs, nippers and shrimp, as well as all manners of other creepy crawlies living in salt and fresh waters. www.shimano.com.au

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING

Versatile Palms Turn Pop 50 I have had many years of success using surface lures in the estuaries and creeks around Sydney, catching a range of species. The ones have been particularly successful are the Bassday Sugapen, Nomad surface lures, Rapala poppers and some Prolure surface pencils, both on the flats and near weed and structure targeting Australian bass, whiting and bream, along with the occasional flathead that took an interest.

walk-the-dog style retrieve which was great for a lure of this design and shape.

Being a chunky lure with a transparent body it imitated a fleeing prawn very well.

With the constant winding and twitching it really brought in the bream, and you could easily see them tailing it like a pack

The pink prawn colour was the most successful during testing

This time I wanted to try something different – the new Palms Turn Pop 50. This popper is 5cm long, which is the perfect size for the species that I target. It has a centre treble and twin rear assist hooks, weighs 3.9g and comes in six colours: clear prawn, black bar prawn, pink prawn, yellow prawn, red/ green prawn and brown prawn.

At first glance the Turn Pop appeared to be an overdone popper that was confused as to what it wanted to be. Was it a surface pencil or was it a popper? Would it swim well or would it drag with the assists and be balanced incorrectly with the differing hook shapes and sizes?

of dogs from behind. It wasn’t long before it got smashed by numerous bream, and it was even smashed by an opportunistic longtom and a pike!

WHEN TO USE IT In comparing this to a Bassday/Prolure or similar pencil, I still feel they have their own league and can’t be topped in that particular arena. However, for the popper fanatics who need something in windy conditions to create some further attraction, the Palms Turn Pop really is a standout. The assist hooks with attractant tinsel and coloured line adds to the appearance of prawn legs fluttering Something I didn’t expect to encounter during a bream session – a hungry pike. the fish would have a go at the rear but not connect. It’s possible that this was my error in not letting the lure stay in the zone long enough, or perhaps it needed to be worked a tad slower, allowing the assists to flutter more freely, encouraging a stronger hook-up.

The one thing I learnt with these style lures is to maintain a constant retrieve.

The minute you stop, the fish quickly lose interest, unlike when you’re fishing a Bassday or similar.

Overall I found the Palms Turn Pop 50 to be quite a versatile lure.

If the wind is up or you are targeting unknown waterways or flats and want to have a crack at targeting a number of species, this lure is definitely something you’ll need to have in your arsenal. It’s dramatic in how it lands, and its motion through the water creates plenty of disturbance that draws the fish in.

To view the full colour range, or to find your nearest stockist, visit www.ejtodd. com.au. - Ben O’Brien

The Turn Pop 50 in green/red, ready to be put through its paces.

A bream that took a liking to the yellow prawn colour.

TESTING The first cast saw it rocket through the air like a bullet, perfectly weighted, and it definitely got the distance I wanted.

The landing is heavy, with the assists and trebles causing a bit of commotion as it hits the water. It certainly makes its presence known.

On the first retrieve I noticed that it dispersed a lot of water from the cup face, which was great. With further winds of the reel and twitches of the rod tip I could really get it moving, doing the

along as the lure is whipped from side to side, splashing enticingly. The pink prawn was by far the best performer on my trips; I imagine that the colours would really stand out when it’s moving through the water, and the fish home in on it.

Bream found these poppers to be super enticing, and they just couldn’t resist having a swipe at the Turn Pop as I worked it past pylons and around submerged timber structure. I found that the hook-up rates weren’t overly improved with the assists; I found that

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au MARCH 2020

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Results are in: $200 spinning reel comparison FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

It’s been a while since we’ve done some head-tohead reviews at Fishing Monthly, so we thought we’d start up again having a look at small spinning reels. Threadlines in the 2500 size range are one of the most popular items sold

in tackle stores, and there are usually a couple in every estuary or freshwater angler’s kit when they head out on the water.

We reckon that the $200 price range represents the first jump up into a quality reel when anglers begin their journey into fishing, and there are plenty of reels around in that price range.

You can spool them with anything from 3lb straight-

through fluorocarbon right up to 20lb braided line and leader, and can catch anything from bream and trout to barramundi and small pelagics.

We asked all of the major suppliers to provide a sample of their reel(s) in this price range and size, and most were happy to participate. Some manufacturers (like TiCA) didn’t have anything in the

Scoring started with first impressions.

Our testers at Tide Apparel HQ preparing to face the simulator.

Okuma helios sx

Daiwa TIERRA

zone, while others (like Shimano) didn’t respond to our requests.

In the end, we ended up with nine reels to test, with reels from Rapala, Daiwa, Alvey, Quantum, Okuma, Penn and Abu Garcia lining up for some testing in the office and in the field.

THE METHODS Rather than get the

internal staff to rate the reels, we recruited three local anglers from near our office in South East Queensland: Aaron, Jarryd and Brian.

They all responded to a social media call-up and made themselves available for half a day to give these reels the ‘shop treatment’ at the Fishing Monthly offices.

These three anglers all

Daiwa EXCELER

have plenty of experience fishing and were great testers who took their job seriously. I know that some of my snobby mates would turn up their noses at testing $200 reels, so thank you to the tackle test team!

To baseline the scoring, I dragged an old Shimano Aerocast out of the archives. After 20+ years of

Rapala Maxwell

Rapala R-Type Quantum Smoke

Alvey Orbiter

Abu Garcia Roxani

Penn Conflict ii

SPECIFICATIONS Brand ........... Model .................Size ......... Bearings................Gear Ratio ............. Max Drag .............. Line capacity ............. Weight ........... Warranty ........ RRP Daiwa ............ Exceler LT ...........2500 ........ 4+1.........................5.3:1 ....................... 10kg ....................... 0.18/230m ................... 205g ............... 1 year ............. $149 Rapala .......... Maxwell...............2000 ........ 6+1.........................5.1:1 ....................... n/a .......................... 0.25/160m ................... 278g ............... 1 year ............. $150 Daiwa ............ Tierra LT ..............2500 ........ 4+1.........................5.3:1 ....................... 10kg ....................... 0.18/230m ................... 235g ............... 1 year ............. $179 Quantum ....... Inshore Smoke ....25 ............ 11+1 .......................6.0:1 ....................... 8.2kg ...................... 0.26/140m ................... 227g ............... 3 years............ $189 Rapala .......... R-Type ................25 ............ 9+1.........................5.2:1 ....................... 6kg ......................... 0.25/225m................... 290g ............... 1 year ............. $190 Okuma .......... Helios SX ............30 ............ 8+1.........................5.0:1 ....................... 6kg ......................... 0.25/200m .................. 202g ............... 10 years .......... $199 Penn ............. Conflict II.............2500 ........ 7+1.........................6.2:1 ....................... 6kg ......................... 0.25/180m ................... 225g ............... 1 year ............. $219 Abu Garcia.... Roxani ................2500 ........ 6+1.........................6.2:1 ....................... 5.2kg ...................... 0.235/170m ................. 226g ............... 1 year ............. $249 Alvey ............. Orbiter SR ...........100 .......... 9+1.........................5.8:1 ....................... 8kg ......................... 0.30/145m ................... n/a .................. 2 years............ $259 46 42

MARCH 2020

inactivity it provided a pretty good indication of what a reel shouldn’t feel like (due to no maintenance for two decades) and it really showed where reel technology is sitting today. Infinite antireverse and balanced rotors are standard, as are roller bearings, efficient bail-return mechanisms and incredibly light frame materials.

We rated each reel out of 10 with respect to the testers’ judgement of ‘initial feel’, ‘smoothness’, ‘looks’, ‘handle feel’ and ‘anti-reverse’.

After the ‘shop’ test we visited Nick Richardson

by our friends at Tackle Tactics, so each reel had the same line, filled to the same point on the spool with Peter Jung’s line spooling machine on the kitchen table at the office.

The team then rated each reel out of 10 for its ‘drag smoothness’, ‘winding under pressure’, ‘drag range’, ‘drag amount’ and ‘overall feel’.

There was plenty of sledging, but each tackle tester took a turn fighting the same fish with the same outfit and the same settings. For consistency, we coupled the reels with

We ended up with a matrix of scores that we took away for analysis, and got some great video footage. You can check it out by scanning the QR code on this page on your phone, or just search for ‘Fishing Monthly’ you YouTube.

THE ANALYSIS There are plenty of ways to skin a cat when it comes to delivering results from the data collected. We have broken it up in a number of ways. First, we collated the overall scores to give us a highest scoring reel from the nine. Second, we compared the ‘shop’ scores

VIDEO

Scan the QR code for testers’ interviews and to see the reels in action.

Brian was perhaps the most thorough tester, he could barely keep his hands off the drag knob.

All nine reels were strapped to the same Okuma Duo spin rods we give to subscribers at boat shows. at Tide Apparel to take advantage of his fishfighting machine, and put the reels through their paces in a situation as close to fishing as we could get.

We spooled all of the reels up with 12lb Platypus Platinum mono, supplied

a trio of Okuma Duo-tip rods (the same ones we give away to subscribers at boat shows). These rods copped a flogging but survived the experience well. We have even more confidence giving these to you at the shows now.

to the ‘fishing’ scores to see which reel walked the walk better than expected.

And finally we divided the combined scores by price to give a ‘best value’ rating.

This is important, because the most expensive reel was nearly twice the price in

The author couldn’t stand around watching any more.

He had to strap up and have a go for himself.

SEASON

7

IS HERE!

Every Saturday 5.00pm on

stores as the cheapest one.

Of course, we could have increased the data accuracy by sourcing a large number of testers and a more objective measurement of drag smoothness and limits, but our goal isn’t to get published in a scientific journal – rather we are collating opinions to help you direct or justify a future purchase.

Also, note that there were only small differences between the best and the worst in each category. Every reel in class will do the job well and there’s only a 22% difference maximum in all of the scores. It shows that our testers were pretty precise when it came to rating the reels on a spectrum from rubbish to brilliant.

Let’s have a look at the results, one at category at a time.

SHOP VS FISHING This is where we compared the two scores from each tester – the ‘in shop’ score (how the reel looked and felt) vs the ‘fishing’ score (how it performed on the fishing simulator). We averaged the scores per reel per category, and added the five averages together for the ‘in shop’ ratings. We did the same for the ‘fishing’ ratings, and then

subtracted the shop score from the fishing score.

That means a positive score is a reel that fished better than it looked and felt, while

In this category, the two Daiwas, the Quantum, one Rapala and the Penn Conflict all fished better than they felt, but this result is only part of a bigger picture. All it means is that some reels felt better loaded up than unloaded. You need to look at the reels in several different ways to get a thorough assessment.

After all, when we researched pricing on the internet, we found that the most expensive reel in the cohort ($259 for the Alvey) was around twice the price of the cheapest ($126 for the Daiwa Exceler).

So the next way we worked the numbers was to divide the total point score by their price. We worked off the MO Tackle website

The simulator that kept reel drags singing and the boys smiling! a negative score meant that it scored better in the shop than with a fish on the end.

Here is how the reels ranked: 1. Daiwa Tierra LT...... +4.5 2. Daiwa Exceler LT ... +3.9 3. Quantum Inshore Smoke ................... +3.6 4. Rapala R-Type ....... +1.1 5. Penn Conflict II ...... +0.3 6. Alvey Orbiter.......... -0.5 7. Okuma Helios SX ....-0.8 8. Abu Garcia Roxani...-1.0 9. Rapala Maxwell.......-2.8

for most of these prices, because MO had nearly all in stock. Alvey’s pricing was taken from their online store, and we used the RRP for the Rapala Maxwell, as we couldn’t find it for sale online.

We felt that price was important, because if you do have limited money to spend, you can get two of the cheapest reels for the price of the dearest.

Here’s what we found.

The higher the score, the To page 48

OUTDOOR & FISHING SHOW

Listen on 5am-6am Every Saturday MARCH 2020

47 43

From page 47

better the value for money in this review.

If you were to look at these results only, the 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Daiwa Exceler LT ... 0.52 Rapala R-Type ....... 0.51 Daiwa Tierra LT...... 0.49 Okuma Helios SX ... 0.40 Rapala Maxwell ..... 0.39 Quantum Inshore Smoke ................... 0.38 7. Penn Conflict II ...... 0.34 8. Abu Garcia Roxani . 0.34 9. Alvey Orbiter.......... 0.31

MOST POINTS WINS? A third way to judge the reels may well be to add up all of the ‘shop’ and ‘fishing’ points averages.

With this method, you’re getting the best feeling and performing reel, irrespective of price.

With this rating, the Alvey Orbiter came out on top. Indeed, more than one of the testers were impressed by the looks, feel and fishability of this new entrant into the market

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Daiwa Tierra LT...... 6 Daiwa Exceler LT ... 8 Rapala R-Type ....... 10 Alvey Orbiter.......... 16 Quantum Inshore Smoke ................... 17 Okuma Helios SX ... 18 Abu Garcia Roxani . 18 Penn Conflict ......... 18 Rapala Maxwell ..... 23

see which one came up with the lowest number. This is for entertainment purposes only, as it’s takes none of your individual needs

FINAL WORDS FROM THE TESTERS “They’re all good reels and have a different target species.

My personal favourite was probably one of the Rapalas – the robustness was right up there for me.” - Brian Smith.

“Probably the Alvey for me. Trying that out for the first time I was really impressed.

I had it locked up and it was pretty smooth. All of the reels were great for value for money.” - Jarryd Parkinson.

“In all honesty they’re all good reels, and they all have their place. I particularly like the Daiwa Tierra. Nice looking, good drag and it makes fighting the fish quite easy.” - Aaron Walker.

WHAT’S BEST FOR YOU? If there’s anything we have learned from this experience, it’s that none of the reels failed the fishing test. The difference between the best and the worst drag

Anglers just love the sound of line peeling off a reel.

Everyone went home with a Fishing Monthly goodie bag and a reel of their choice. two Daiwas and the Rapala Type-R represent the best value for money. That’s great if money is the sole

segment. One may also say that this is to be expected, given that it was the most expensive reel entered.

into account.

We are prepared for the complaints and tears from some distributors, but hey – we can only report on what the testers told us!

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Alvey Orbiter.......... 79.5 Daiwa Tierra LT...... 73.9 Abu Garcia Roxani . 71.0 Rapala R-Type ....... 69.1 Daiwa Exceler LT ... 65.3 Penn Conflict II ...... 64.1 Okuma Helios SX ... 63.8 Quantum Inshore Smoke ................... 61.0 9. Rapala Maxwell ..... 57.8

Aaron put plenty of thought into his scores.

Tide Apparel’s fishing simulator had the testers playing everything from 2lb bass to 50lb GTs. basis of your decisionmaking, but you may be buying a reel for a specific purpose and it’s very likely that a reel’s unique feature(s) may be more important than value.

48 44

MARCH 2020

JUST FOR GIGGLES Finally, how about adding all of the rankings together? In all of the analysis, we ranked the reels 1 (first) to 9 (last). Let’s add all the rankings together and

Our independent testing group took their work very seriously.

was bugger all, so it all may just come down to personal preference.

After all, you might need a high speed reel, and if that’s the case the Quantum Inshore or Penn may fit the bill the best. Maybe you need the lightest reel to balance that fancy rod of yours?

Or maybe you want a reel with a long warranty?

The Okuma wins this race hands down, with 10 years of guaranteed back-up of their product.

I can 100% say that $200 in 2020 gives you a much better reel than it did 20 years ago.

We are also aware that we didn’t test for corrosion resistance or any other measures of durability. That’s because we had neither gear, time or inclination to destruction-test these reels.

We’d much rather give some away to our readers!

FUN PAGE AND COMPETITIONS COLOURFUL CATCHES

BUTTERFLYFISH DAMSELFISH BLUE BANDED GOBY PARROTFISH SURGEONFISH MANDARINFISH CORAL TROUT BLUE GROPER MAORI WRASSE

FAIRY BASSLET DISCUSFISH BLUE TANG CORONATION TROUT MAHI MAHI FLAME SNAPPER HARLEQUIN FISH VENUS TUSKFISH

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 2020

Phone (day):

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

Complete the Find the Word and go in the draw to win a Fishing Monthly Prize Pack containing a limited edition neck scarf and a Fishing Monthly environmentally-friendly tote bag.

SPOT THE

10 DIFFERENCES

FINS SCALES & TALES by A. Both

ORIGINAL

FIND-A-WORD

Congratulations to Keith Andrews, 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 winners for January are A Cane of Port Kennedy, J Gleeson of Mullaloo, D McGillivray of Moora, A Sammarruco of Craigie, and L Spencer of Millars Well, who won an Remington Ultimate Series RX5 Head Shaver valued at $150.

All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – WAFM

Dawesville, B Culshaw of Banyo, D Myers of Sorrento, D Elkerbout of Dunsborough, R Stoddart of Denmark, A Honey of Oldbury, M Curry of Ballajura, P Baskerville of Glenfield, G Higgins of Eaton, S Piercey of Eaton, L Doecke of Byford, R Waters of Temora, B Pitt of Yakamia, L McFarlane of Brookton, G Uren of Ballajura, S Bastick of Two Rocks, C Walker of Canning Vale, G Olver of Two Rocks, J Maiolo of Pinjarra,

J Chessells of Sorrento, P Dunlop of Capel, R Crossingham of Secret Harbour, B Simmonds of Silversands, K Lockwood of Rockingham, N Gill of Kalbarri, E Liu of Parkwood, G Jeanes of Coodanup, F Zanatta of Marangaroo, D McGillivray of Moora, A Chatfield of Dawesville, B Jacobs of Safety Bay, S Szabo of Albany, J Curley of Falcon.

Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – WAFM

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS

GUESS THE FISH?

FIND THE ZMAN LOGO

This month’s Guess the Fish Answer: Threadfin Salmon

The answers to Find the ZMan Logo for January were: 9, 10, 14, 16, 20, 23, 26, 31, 34, 39, 41, 49, 53, 54, 59. – WAFM The Find the ZMan Logo prize winners for January were: C Warren of Wagin, N Martin of Winthrop, G Duncan of Duncraig, C Carey of Bentley, A Hogan of Parmelia, D Werder of

Answer: MARCH 2020

45

Tech Tricks

How to decommission your expired EPIRB BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

For anglers venturing more than 2nm from shore in open waters, carrying a 406mhz digital EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) is not only sensible, it’s the law. Even for those fishing smooth or partially smooth waters, an EPIRB is advisable as it could save your life in an emergency.

For those not familiar with this piece of safety equipment,

an EPIRB is a small electronic device that, when activated, will assist search groups to pinpoint your position so they can rescue you. If your craft was to overturn, get damaged and begin sinking, or even if you have an injured person or a person suffering a medical condition aboard, being able to be found promptly could avoid disaster and save lives.

EPIRBs come in several forms and brands. The best one to get is an EPIRB with GPS as this is much more accurate and will put rescuers within 100m of your position.

EPIRBs without GPS will not give such an accurate signal and will only put rescuers in the general area.

All EPIRBs must be registered to the vessels on which they are to be used.

The details kept will include the name of the vessel’s owner, emergency contact details (phone and email), the beacon Hex ID/UIN, beacon serial number, model and manufacturer. In most cases, registering a beacon is required by law. It is a simple task on the website (https://beacons. amsa.gov.au/registration/) and

is free. Details of the vessel are also kept in relation to craft type, colour or other distinguishing features to assist rescuers in finding you promptly.

EPIRBs must be re-registered every two years with AMSA. This ensures details are kept accurately, especially if someone has bought a different boat and previously forgotten to change details. Beacons generally have a 10-year battery life and the entire beacon will need replacing after the battery expires. With EPIRBs costing

around $250-350, this is cheap insurance at a yearly rate.

Once your beacon’s battery life has expired, you need to dispose of the beacon.

Do not discard it in a bin at the boat ramp or anywhere else as I have seen some people do. If the beacon goes off, rescue groups will be wasting time and money looking for the beacon. I had a faulty beacon go off at my house some years back and was called immediately by the rescue group. I told them it was a false alarm but still had to get to the beacon and turn it

off within 30 minutes or they were going to bash down the door to locate it. I left work and got there in time but it was awesome to see such a prompt response.

Expired beacons must be disposed of correctly.

Some battery shops will take the EPIRB, then remove the battery and dispose of it for you (generally a fee is charged for this service).

However, this is easy to do yourself. Following is a basic instruction on how to decommission your EPIRB to make it safe and inoperable.

2

1

This GME Accusat 406MHz EPIRB is one of the more commonly owned models available for boat owners. While other brands are out there, this model offers good value and reliability. The decommissioning of most EPIRBs will be similar to this regardless. The only tools required are a Phillips head screwdriver and a pair of cutters or snips.

3

Details on the other side of the beacon will be permanently printed on.

This will advise of the date when you need to replace the beacon with a new one. Once the expiry date is reached, it should then be decommissioned.

5

When you separate the top and bottom, you will see there is a wire still connecting the two together. This connects the working parts with the power source.

46

MARCH 2020

It is advisable to confirm with AMSA that you are decommissioning your beacon and removing it from use, especially if you are not replacing it for some reason (such as you no longer own a boat). If you are selling it with a boat, you should notify them and remove your details from the beacon.

This sticker is provided by AMSA each time you re-register your beacon and they will contact you to remind you to re-register it every two-years. It must be affixed to the beacon.

4

The top and bottom half of your EPIRB will be held together with four screws. These must be removed to separate the two sections.

6

Pinch the clasp together and pull up to remove the wires from the panel in the top section.

Tech Tricks

8

If you look inside the base section, you will be able to see the battery inside. Use the screwdriver to remove the two screws holding it in.

7

With the wire detached, the EPIRB is now inoperable and safe.

The two sections can now be separated totally.

10

Peel the rubber casing off one end to expose the wire connecting them.

9

Pull the entire battery out of the base. Generally, it will be two batteries held together with a casing of some kind.

12

11

Cut the wire connecting the two batteries to avoid a short.

Remove the batteries entirely from the rigid casing and separate.

You can take the rope off the EPIRB casing and retain the stainless steel screws to re-use if you wish. The batteries are best disposed of at a battery recycling depot. These 3v lithium batteries are about the same size as a standard D-Cell and can be disposed of at any ALDI stores or battery shops that have a disposal method in place. The casing can just go in with the regular trash, or you could use it as a practice device in case you need to activate an EPIRB in the future.

MARCH 2020

47

Trades, Services, Charter BAIT & TACKLE METRO Castaway Tackle Malaga (08) 9248 3800 Earlybird Bait Rockingham (08) 9527 3333 Gun-Mart & Tackle Midvale (08) 9274 5699 TackleHQ Kingsley (08) 9309 4200 WA Bait Supply O’Connor (08) 9314 1755 Tackle West Beckenham (08) 9350 6278

EXMOUTH

HOPETOUN – BREMER BAY

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

Anglers Fishing World

(08) 9433 4768 www.anglersfishingworld.com.au Getaway Outdoors Balcatta (08) 9344 7343 Getaway Outdoors Cockburn (08) 9417 4644 Getaway Outdoors Joondalup (08) 9300 1330 Getaway Outdoors Kelmscott (08) 9495 4444 Getaway Outdoors Mandurah (08) 9581 8877 Jet Cycles & Compleat Angler Gosnells (08) 9398 2359 Tackle World & Outdoors Mandurah (08) 9581 6953

Cheynes Beach Caravan Park Cheynes (08) 9846 1247

Achievement Charters Fremantle 0418 655 188 Apache Charters South Fremantle (08) 9339 2432 Black Jack Charters Bandy Creek 0429 106 960 Blue Horizon Fishing Charters Exmouth 08) 9949 1620 Blue Juice Charters (08) 9401 4666 Diversity Bluewater Adventures Exmouth Exmouth 0488 009 989 Duke Charters Condingup (08) 9076 6223 Esperance Diving And Fishing Esperance (08) 9071 5111 Evolution Fishing Charters 0477 901 445 Fly Fishing Frontiers Exmouth 0427 366 142 Great Southern Discovery Albany 0455 105 127 Jazz Charters Fremantle 0433 521 297 Kalbarri land Based fishing Carters 0418930695 Mills Charters Hillarys (08) 9246 5334 Perth Fishing Safaris 0422 686 363 Port Bouvard Charters Wannanup 0477 347 465 Set The Hook Exmouth 0433 049 988 SHIKARI Charters Fremantle 0412 131 958 Spinners Charters Emu Point (08) 9844 1906 Specialist Fishing Charters 0407 259 399

SPECIALIST FISHING CHARTERS FAD’s Squiding and Whiting Crayfish (craypots) and Whiting Deepwater Wrecks / Samson Fish

Tailored Treks - Lancelin 0427 941 126 Top Gun Charters EXMOUTH 0418 925 131 West End Charters Winthrop WA 6150 (08) 9332 4303

ONLINE TACKLE PRODUCTS

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

ESPERANCE Esperance Camping & Workwear Esperance (08) 9071 2142 Southern Sports & Tackle (08) 9071 3022 Tatey’s Bait ‘n’ Tackle Castletown (08) 9071 5003

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

CARNARVON Carnarvon Tackle & Marine (08) 9941 4161

KALBARRI Kalbarri Sports & Dive (08) 9937 1126

Lilacs Waterfront villas & cottages Robinson (08) 9841 2390 Two Peoples Caravan Park Kalgan (08) 9846 4024

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

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

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

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

Dunsborough Beach Cottages (08) 9756 8885 Yallingup Beach Holiday Park 1800 220 002

Ideal for braids and leaders large and small.

MODIFIED DESIGN

allows braid tension adjustment

CHECK IT OUT ONLINE ORDERS

King River Palms Caravan Park Willyung (08) 98443232

Caves Caravan Park Yallingup (08) 9755 2196

GET THE ULTIMATE FG KNOT TOOL

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YALLINGUP – DUNSBOROUGH

FG Wizz www.fgwizz.com.au

ROCKINGHAM

Emu Beach Chalets Emu Point (08) 9844 8889

MARGARET RIVER

Bookings/Enquiries 0407 259 399

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 Holiday Units Middleton Beach (08) 9841 7817

Departs Fremantle

Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour Mews Road, Fremantle WA 6160

Wavecrest Village & Tourist Park Hopetoun (08) 9838 3888

Albany Holiday Park Albany (08) 9841 7800

BlueSun2 Boat Charters Ardross 0405 353 353 Boating West O’Connor 0429 887 798 Boat Hire Perth Mindarie 0403 095 868

Demersal / Reef Fish Exclusive Fishing Charter Deep Drop

Hopetoun Caravan Park Hopetoun (08) 9838 3096

Albany Happy Days Caravan Park King River (08) 9844 3267

FISHING GUIDES/CHARTERS

Baitmate-Bricap Wangara (08) 9309 5474 Bluewater Tackle Mindarie (08) 9407 9766 Bluewater Tackle World Joondalup (08) 6244 0344 Bluewater Tackle World Morley (08) 9375 9800 Bluewater Tackle World Myaree (08) 9330 7766 Compleat Angler Nedlands (08) 9389 1337 Dawe’s Bait & Tackle Mandurah (08) 9534 6661 Fishing WA Pro Tackle Wangara (08) 9409 2253 Hillarys Boat & Tackle Hillarys (08) 9401 4331 Sportsmarine Bunbury (08) 9721 4961 Tackle World Miami (08) 9534 5533 Tim’s Tackle Plus Bassendean (08) 6161 0044 Anglers Fishing World South Fremantle (08) 9433 4768

Bremer Bay Beaches Resort & Tourist Park Bremer Bay (08) 9837 4290

www.fgwizz.com.au

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

BUNBURY

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION ESPERANCE Bathers Paradise Caravan Park Esperance (08) 9071 1014 Esperance Chalet Village Bandy Creek (08) 9071 1861 Munglinup Beach Holiday Park Munglinup (08) 9075 1155 Ocean Beach Holiday Units Esperance (08) 9071 5942 Pine Grove Holiday Park Esperance (08) 9071 4100 Pink Lake Tourist Park Nulsen (08) 9071 2424

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

This section in WA Fishing Monthly consolidates the trades and services in your area that are relevant to your fishing and boating. Whether you’re a local looking for more options or a travelling angler fishing around the state, this guide will direct you to reputable businesses in the area you’re searching.

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MARCH 2020

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

MOORE RIVER – LANCELIN – CERVANTES Branchys Holiday Homes Guilderton (08) 9577 1321 Experience Lancelin Holiday Park (08) 9655 1056 Guilderton Caravan Park (08) 9577 1021

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

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49

Placing rod holders in the yak BRISBANE

Justin Willmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

When purchasing and fitting out a kayak for fishing, an important consideration is the rod holders and rod storage.

Many kayaks come fitted with some form of rod holders, from basic flush mount rod holders to more comprehensive horizontal rod storage.

Let’s take a look at rod holder options, their applications and some of the pros and cons.

WHY ROD HOLDERS? Rod holders can have many different purposes, such as storage and transport, lure or bait trolling, and static bait fishing. You may require rod holders to protect and secure your rods when punching out into the surf, navigating rapids or for keeping multiple rods secure and at the ready when fishing a tournament situation or socially. They

is formed into a flat plate that sits flush against the deck, generally sealed with Sikaflex or similar and

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MARCH 2020

must be cut into the kayak to accept the pipe. I avoid storing rods in flush mount rod holders, as I believe

A track mounted adjustable rod holder allows for easy repositioning. height of the tube, plus are quick to remove for easy kayak transport and storage. Quality extenders feature attachment points to anchor the extender to the kayak, along with attachment points for rod leashes. As the saying goes, leash it or lose it!

holders are now readily available from brands such as RAM, Scotty and Railblaza, who all step above the budget models with corrosion resistance, more horizontal and vertical adjustability, locking mechanisms to keep the rod secure, and sturdy

Multiple rod holder options allow you to have several rods rigged and ready. fixed with rivets. The butt of the rod is simply slid into the holder to secure it in place.

When purchasing and fitting your own flush

Carrying a selection of rigged rods allows you to be ready for different scenarios, as Jason Milne aka ‘Paddle Guy’ can attest with this solid queenfish. may be mounted to extend your rods horizontally from the sides of the kayak when trolling or for keeping your reel away from the water and the rod secure when waiting for a bite while bait fishing.

TYPES OF ROD HOLDERS Flush mount The most basic form of rod holders is the flush mount rod holders that come fitted in many fishing kayaks. Your kayak may include two flush mount rod holders behind the seat, with some also offering two additional rod holders in front of the paddler, one on each side of the cockpit area. Flush mount rod holders generally consist of a section of plastic pipe that is sealed at one end to ensure water cannot enter the hull of your kayak, while the other end

are available with the pipe running vertically and also with the pipe angled from the mounting plate.

mount rod holders, it is important to ensure that they are sealed at the end of the pipe, as flush mount rod holders available for boats often have an opening to allow water to drain out of the bottom of the pipe.

It is also worth noting that flush mount rod holders

You will need to decide if you want the rods sticking straight up in the air, or if you would like them angled back out of the way when casting or out from the sides when trolling. You will also need to make note of the internal space that is available.

Before drilling holes and mounting any type of rod holder, it is important to ensure the rod holder is in a position that is practical and functional. I will generally use cloth tape to mark where the rod holder will be placed or to hold an adjustable rod holder in place temporarily while I take the kayak for a paddle and fish. You will soon realise if you are unable to reach the rod holder once seated on the water, if the rod holder is going to be in the way when paddling or anchoring, or any other reason why you may need to adjust the position of the holder prior to mounting it.

Flush mount rod holders are inexpensive, included in the price of many kayaks and readily available. However, they do take up internal space to house the pipe of the flush mount rod holder as well as the large hole that

that the reels are too close to the water and I have witnessed two rod combos being lifted from rear flush mount rod holders in the process of paddling and lost overboard. The latter could be overcome by attaching a rod leash to your rods, especially when left stowed in the rod holders. However, I use the rear flush mount rod holders for stowing my landing net instead, with an accessory float attached to ensure it is not lost if dislodged with the paddle.

Your marine or kayak dealer will be able to supply both flush mount rod holders and the appropriate rivets for mounting them in your kayak.

A selection of adjustable rod holders.

Adjustable rod holders With the growth of kayak fishing, it has also become more common for kayaks to come fitted with adjustable rod holders.

Back in the mid-1990s when I fitted out my first

Rod holder extenders come in the form of pipe extensions for flush mounts or extenders for adjustable rod holders.

An icebox or crate allows you to stow gear as well as attach rod holders and accessories.

Flush mount rod holder extender As kayak fishing has grown rapidly in popularity in recent years, anglers have realised the need to extend the flush mount rod holder and lift the reels away from the water, especially when fishing the salt. You can now get simple extender inserts that slide into the flush mount rod holder and extend the

kayak for fishing, I attached a primitive anchor running rig, a sounder with a shoot through hull transducer, and an adjustable rod holder for storing and transporting my rod away from the saltwater, along with trolling lures and fishing baits. I basically took three of the key components from my boat fishing and transferred them to the kayak.

Quality adjustable rod

mount release systems that allow the rod holder to be installed and removed quickly and easily from the attached mount as required.

Running one mounting system across your watercraft allows you to interchange rod holders and other accessories between vessels. I have opted to run the Railblaza system as it is light, affordable, durable and it has a variety of StarPort mounts to suit a variety of mounting positions and applications that mount on a track system, which is then in turn mounted on the kayak. They also offer a comprehensive range of accessories, like rod holders, safety flags and lighting, camera booms, storage, platforms and sounder mounts that use the universal mount system.

Crate systems Another popular option for storing and mounting rod holders is a crate system like the Hobie H-Crate. Many kayak anglers will simply secure a milk crate in the rear well of their kayak and mount a few basic side mounts or adjustable rod holders to it. This allows vertical storage of rods, plus the space in the crate can store a water container, tackle, wet weather gear and other accessories.

MOUNTING TIPS When planning the fit out of your kayak with rod holders, you will need to consider how many rods you wish to carry, whether you will be storing and transporting them horizontally or vertically, and if the rod holders will be used for trolling lures, holding rods while bait fishing or other applications. These considerations will assist

ideal option is to mount your rod holders where you have internal access, allowing you to use bolts, washers and either two nuts or a nut with a nylon washer for a secure fixing.

• For heavier trolling applications, you have the option with Railblaza mounts to cut a larger hole and mount the base section of the StarPort inside the kayak and the top section on the outside, sandwiching

Forward mounted rod holders can be useful as they provide a clear sightline for bites and paddling clearance when trolling.

This yak has rods in the front rod holders and landing nets in the back. you in deciding the number of rod holders, the style of rod holders and where on the kayak the rod holders will need to be mounted.

• As mentioned earlier, mark with tape where you are thinking of mounting your rod holder or alternatively tape the mount on so that you can test the proposed position for accessibility and reach, clearance when paddling or pedalling, rod butt clearance, etc. prior to mounting.

• It is much easier to drill or cut than it is to patch. Measure twice, cut or drill once!

• Use quality rod holders, mounts and mounting hardware with marine grade stainless steel bolts, nuts and washers. They will pay for themselves in no time.

• Where accessing inside the hull of the kayak is difficult, due to lack of hatches and access ports,

more kayak between the mount. Alternatively, I have mounted through backing plates made of rotomoulded

Vertical storage may be perfect for those fishing open water, while those fishing smaller creeks with overhanging vegetation may require horizontal rod storage with some sort of protection for the rod tips. Explore what options are out there and don’t be afraid to invent, design and create your own solution if you can’t find what you’re looking for. Kayak fishing has a history of innovation.

two Railblaza StarPort mounts and a TracPort Dash 500 attached to house four adjustable rod holders securely. It’s not the cheapest option to store four rods vertically and isn’t one that I have seen before, but it has served me well, stood up to plenty of use and allowed me to easily access four pre-rigged rods. The fact that I can have different presentations rigged for different situations or multiple similar presentations rigged in case of a snag or bust off has definitely increased my catch rate.

Spend some time thinking about your needs

especially if fishing the salt. Many anglers opt for a single adjustable rod holder in front of them, mounted to an available mounting point or centre hatch, and this can be very effective when fishing with one rod.

From here, anglers may opt for an adjustable rod holder on each side of the kayak in front of them, allowing two rods to be stowed, used for bait fishing or trolling, with the option of trolling from

Longer tube style rod holders keep reels clear of the saltwater. horizontally and milk crates with rod holders for rear vertical storage. I created my own solution for securing four rigged rods behind my seat with

so you can plan and fit out the best rod holder solution for your fishing. It will make your sessions simpler, safer, more productive and more enjoyable.

Depending on your kayak, rail mounting can be a good option. polyethylene or stainless steel placed inside the kayak to reinforce the mount.

LAYOUT OPTIONS The best rod holder selection and layout

Some of the most popular layouts include the basic two flush mount rod holders behind the angler and two in front, however I would suggest investigating rod holder extenders in this instance,

either side of the kayak or both simultaneously.

For storage solutions, anglers often use sections of PVC pipe to protect tips and elastic strap holders for securing the lower section of the rod when stowing

Track mounting rod holders are becoming more popular as they’re easy to adjust and fit.

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR 2020

MARCH

8 Mar

WA Bream Classics Kayak Round 1 – Perth

www.watournamentanglers.com.au

APRIL

4-5 Apr

ABT BREAM Round 5 Mandurah

www.abt.org.au

MAY

2-3 May

Hobie Kayak Bream Series 12 Round 4 – Blackwood River

www.hobiefishing.com.au

24 May

WA Bream Classics Kayak Round 2 – Guilderton

www.watournamentanglers.com.au

JUNE

14 June

WA Bream Classics Boat Round 2 – Mandurah

www.watournamentanglers.com.au

SEPTEMBER

13 Sept

WA Bream Classics Boat Kayak 3 Mandurah

www.watournamentanglers.com.au

A side mount increases the available mounting possibilities. the only option may be stainless steel screws to mount your rod holder. In this case, use Sikaflex or similar to assist the screws in fixing the rod holder or mount to the kayak. The

depends on what best suits your needs. Over the years I have seen a myriad of different rod holder options and mounting ideas, many of which served a specific function for the user.

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.

MARCH 2020

51

Assessing your deck options BRISBANE

Wayne Kampe wkff@aapt.net.au

Back when I first started boating, a deck was not even considered. Boats were open, dinghy-style craft or half cabin jobs, so the boats of today are a huge step forward in watercraft evolution.

purchase. A deck can be very useful because of its elevation from floor height, which can assist anglers with more ready assessment of nearby features plus provide a stable place to fish from. For fly anglers, there’s also the benefit of unobstructed floor area for ease of casting – a huge bonus.

Under deck compartments can provide storage space, catchwells, live bait wells,

That’s a mighty neat deck but your toes might take a beating on the prominent hinges.

Today, a deck is generally regarded as an important part of virtually every larger craft although we might easily find one on a smaller, under 5m rig as well, given the way that manufacturers are packing in desirable features into smaller and smaller boats nowadays.

A deck is pretty much any flat area that is added on

perhaps an auxiliary or other battery compartment and even engine related accessories such as fuel or other filters.

It’s also quite common to find an under deck compartment set up with tackle trays for easy access of those working in the immediate area.

Heights vary; a deck can be set up at a level lower than

If you’re considering buying a boat, it’s a good idea to assess how much of the craft is taken up with the front deck and how it’s going to influence things elsewhere.

Too large a deck might encroach on other sections of the craft and it’s wise to consider if the deck will suit the majority of the fishing and other boating plans on the horizon. One thing’s for certain, what you see is what you get and it might be very difficult to change things down the track. If it’s possible, a comparison of deck layouts noted in different makes of boats can help you decide.

DECK SURFACE Decks can be covered or simply left unadorned as part of the finished product. It’s normal for most fibreglass craft to have some form of non-skid surface, which provides excellent underfoot grip but might be hard to get really clean after extended fishing time. Cleaning it after a week away of fishing with grime quietly building up and without a chance to use a hose or a pressure washer can be difficult.

With aluminium craft, a large expanse of shiny alloy tread plate might look impressive, but it is going to be hard on bare feet and will truly test the worth of your sunglasses in really hot, sunny weather. For some reason, different boat makers persist in leaving their plate alloy decks in the open for the sun to cook so it’s not surprising some owners opt to cover exposed alloy with products such as Seadeck or similar insulating material, as it’s not hard to apply and will be great to walk on. Likewise, some fibreglass owners might

the line keeps catching on them, it’s a constant curse.

Another vital issue just for fly anglers will be deck height.

A recessed deck can contain the fly line admirably while a deck that finishes level with the gunwales is a pain in windy or sloppy conditions, as the fly line will quickly slip over the side if allowed to sit on the deck between casts.

Without a stripping basket, fishing in such a craft can be very difficult indeed.

KEEPING WATER OUT Check how freely the hatch covers open, hinge back and whether the seals are snug enough to deny water

This well set up front deck features six different compartments – note the divided catchwell. maintained. Stains, mould and furry stuff are all indicative of some possible neglect, so buyers beware.

AFT DECK While a deck in front of the engine is usually standard fare on dedicated sportcraft,

Nitro’s dedicated sportfishing rig boasts a very large deck section aft of the cockpit seating with a livewell under the carpet. entry when closed. Most glass rigs seem to take care of water with neatly moulded channels but alloy rigs with flush contact hatches don’t do so well and few things are more annoying than having a session fishing out in the rain and coming home to find just about everything under the deck slopping about in water. Most anglers won’t begrudge their craft some TLC after fishing but when all under deck compartments are inspected and found to be wet

it’s normal to have a pair of small decks each side of the engine on punts and the like because these smaller

some compartments are dedicated to engine related items – batteries, filters and the like – a live bait well in this area is fairly common as well. In such cases, it’s good to have livewells plumbed to ensure total ease of draining and to be certain no smelly bits are left there after fishing.

COVERINGS It’s par for the course to see front and rear decks with a carpet covering. It’s always worth considering the type of carpet.

Carpet is a lot easier under foot than fibreglass or alloy and it’s even better if the carpet is one of the ‘hookless’ varieties which, when a rigged rod is placed on the deck while moving to a new location, allow a lure or bait rig’s ultra sharp hook to touch it without digging in from the vibration of the craft.

Don’t be afraid of carpeted decks. Yes, a spill on carpet at home can be a

Neatly fitted carpeted hatches, seen here, can sometimes allow a bit of water ingress. If you’re fishing in wet conditions, it will pay to have a look under them once back at base.

Who said a rear deck wouldn’t be useful! The author displays his capture while his son Scott stands on the rear deck of the tinny to play a fish. to the front or rear of the main floor of a boat either as a place to work from, a mounting place for a seat or simply part of the overall framework of the craft. The term ‘deck’ can also apply to the bow rider area in these styles of boats, as that forward section certainly makes a handy place to fish from. Many a fish has been dragged flapping into the forward seating of a bow rider rig!

STANDARD FEATURES If a boat is going to soon grace the back of the car, it’s important to assess whether or not a deck will be one of the major considerations prior to 52

MARCH 2020

the gunwales, level with them or even stand above to provide extra storage room beneath it.

In a purely sportfishing craft, it’s usual for the main deck area to be up front with a lesser area to be aft of the main cockpit seating area, in order to pack in as much fishing area as possible.

FRONT DECK Typically, a front deck provides somewhere to cast or play a fish from and also houses the aforementioned storage areas set up to the best advantage for the anglers aboard. In some cases, there’s a handy seat spigot in the bow area to allow flexible seating.

Exposed check plate is a feature of some plate alloy craft and while it certainly looks the part, it can get very hot in mid-summer. throw a bit of Seadeck or carpet down up front over the non-skid surface to facilitate cleaning up later.

Hatch access covers up front will all have hinges on them and you should assess whether they are out of line with the floor height or are set up to be level with the rest of the deck when closed.

Kicking your pinky toe on a protruding hinge is agonising; plus if you’re a fly angler and

and soggy, there’s no option but to open up the covers and let the cleaning up begin. It doesn’t sound like much fun (and trust me, it’s not!) but the alternative of leaving things as they are has a much higher ‘yuck’ factor.

If you’re intending to purchase a used rig, looking within the under deck hatch compartments will reveal a lot about water ingress and how well things have been

decks can still be handy for casting when a few anglers are aboard.

On the other hand, a deck the full width of the craft is standard for dedicated sports boats (the so called ‘bass’ boats) and other wellpowered planing craft. Hatch covered compartments are normally featured and while

real worry but on boats the marine carpet coverings are really easy to maintain in the grand scheme of things and can stand up to some sugar soap or hard carpet cleaner after fishing.

So, before you invest, consider the features you need from a deck for your kind of fishing.

The Nitro’s front deck would easily fish two anglers in comfort. Note the recessed hatch cover latches and hookless carpet.

WHAT’S NEW BOATING PURSUIT DC 235

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The Pursuit DC 235 is packed full of comfortable seating and storage with classic styling throughout.

The value and affordability of the DC 235 is delivered through a fully appointed boat with popular options. Notable standards include plush cushions, porcelain marine head, cockpit bolsters and an array of fishing features. A single Yamaha F250 delivers consistent performance for every activity, from fishing to board sports.

All Pursuit boats have proven hulls, refined lamination techniques, vacuum-infused stringer grids, and verified installations. These boats are designed and manufactured in the USA. The premium gelcoat is backed by a 5-year hull blister warranty, and there’s also a 5-year hull and deck structural warranty with a 2-year component warranty, all of which are transferable to subsequent owners.

The hull bottoms are reinforced with a resin-infused, fibreglass structural grid system, and the lined roto-moulded polyethylene fuel tanks for maximum fuel capacity are designed to eliminate condensation and the effects of ethanol in the fuel.

Base price: SRP $134,000 (engines not included) cobaltaustralia.com.au

LOWRANCE HOOK REVEAL

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The new Lowrance HOOK Reveal (available in 9”, 7” and 5”) delivers powerful performance with proven fish-finding tools.

Anglers will have an easier time seeing fish with FishReveal, which combines on one screen the target separation of Lowrance CHIRP sonar and the high-resolution images of fish-holding structure from DownScan Imaging.

Genesis Live lets you create custom 0.5ft contour maps of your local waters in real time on the HOOK Reveal screen. Genesis Live maps can also be created and saved on HOOK Reveal non-mapping GPS plotters by placing a blank microSD card into the card slot.

A simple interface and HOOK exclusive Autotuning sonar make HOOK Reveal easy to use. Autotuning sonar delivers the best sonar image every time by automatically adjusting settings as fishing conditions change, making it easy to pinpoint humps, drop-offs and so on.

You can choose your preferred combination of display size, sonar type and navigation, from TripleShot (High CHIRP, SideScan and DownScan Imaging) or SplitShot (High CHIRP and DownScan Imaging) transducers and mapping chartplotters or non-mapping GPS plotters.

Price: from SRP $529 www.lowrance.com

BIRD STAIN REMOVER

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Droppings from birds ruin the looks of any boat and can’t be removed with just soap and water. However, just spray on Star brite Spider and Bird Stain Remover and they will begin to break down instantly.

The non-abrasive, non-toxic formula won’t harm fibreglass or painted surfaces, and won’t remove waxes or polish. The droppings simply dissolve without hard scrubbing.

The formula is all-natural, contains no bleach and is safe for use around kids and pets. It is safe for all marine surfaces and fabrics.

To use, spray it directly on droppings, saturating them. Allow it to penetrate the droppings for 30-45 seconds before gently scrubbing with a boat brush. Rinse well with fresh water. Stubborn or sun-baked droppings may require a second application. www.starbrite.com

SUZUKI 3+3 YEAR WARRANTY

PRODUCT GUIDE

4

Suzuki Marine has announced an upgrade to their 3+2 year warranty to 3+3 year warranty on all outboards (DF2.5hpDF350hp) purchased from 1 January 2020 for recreational use.

This upgrade provides customers with further support, security and peace of mind, and endorses the superior build quality and reliability of Suzuki outboards in the Australian marine environment.

This means that from 1 January 2020, any 4-stroke outboard from 2.5hp to 350hp purchased by a recreational operator in Australia can be covered for up to six years in total. The first three years is covered by Suzuki Motor Corporation warranty and the additional extended warranty of three years is covered by Suzuki Marine Australia.

To maintain the new warranty period, owners must have and continue to have all periodic servicing (within the servicing guidelines and timeframes) and all maintenance carried out by an authorised Suzuki Marine dealership. www.suzukimarine.com.au

SOUTHERN FORMULA 19

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The new Southern Formula range is set to be one of the best bluewater fishing boats produced in Australia, and the new Southern Formula 19 model has all the critical features that fishers have been asking for.

Built tough for offshore conditions, standard features include a hinged dive door, full-length bunks, dual live bait tanks, long range fuel tank 280L, underfloor storage, heavy-duty deck hardware, 4x cabin storage shelves, full foamfilled hull and ECM stringer system.

The Southern Formula 19 is 6.4m long with a towable beam of 2.4m. Horsepower is 175250hp, the weight (boat only) is approx. 1100kg, the fuel capacity is 280L. It has a variable 21° deadrise for a soft, stable, economical and performing hull, and takes a maximum of five people.

Southern Formula boats are built in Australia, and the design and manufacturing team consist of qualified boat builders and a full-time naval architect. These boats have been designed to produce superior performance, with better ride quality, better stability, more efficient hull, dryer ride with overall features and benefits internally. www.southernformula.com.au

QUINTREX TOP ENDER PRO

6

A good thing just got even better with the release of the new Quintrex Top Ender Pro, which is available in 430, 450, 481, 500, 520 and 540 models.

The Top Ender Pro features the current Blade Hull with a new and improved Flared Bow. The stretch-formed aluminium side sheets have more curve that run further down the boat’s length to deflect more spray away from passengers.

The range introduced the 430 Top Ender Pro, a smaller and more versatile boat with the same pod transom as the other models.

The side-console configuration maximizes fishing space, and there’s heaps of underfloor storage for tackle, iceboxes and fish. In the front casting platform, you can chose to have the standard storage or a livewell.

Standard features include a marine VHF radio, rear ladder, four rod holders, three seats and a 5-year warranty. Options include a burley bucket, cutting board, twin battery system for electric motors, lockable rod storage and upgraded seats. www.quintrex.com.au

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MARCH 2020

53

Sea Jay 473 Territory with Yamaha F60 4-stroke - SC

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launch and retrieve the rig by himself on the decidedly shallow ramp at The Spit.

Height-wise, it’ll fit into a standard garage.

This rig is a blank canvas for someone who wants to fit out a great little fishing boat that’ll be comfortable anywhere from a freshwater

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Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

I love dealing with local manufacturers. Fishing Monthly is located between Brisbane and the Gold Coast in South East Queensland and we are surrounded by local boat makers – possibly more than anywhere else in the country.

Sea Jay boats are designed and built in Bundaberg, a few hours north of Brisbane, but their National Sales Manager Garry Fitzgerald is located in the South East. The cool thing is that he’s always giving us a sneak peek of all the new models coming out.

We snuck this new 473 Territory up to Somerset Dam on a weekday to keep it on the down low, but SPECIFICATIONS Length............... 4.73m Beam................. 2.24m Depth ................ 1.14m Capacity ..... 5 persons Sides ................... 3mm Bottom ................ 3mm Hull.weight ....... 400kg Max.hp ........ 75 (116kg) Fuel ....................... 80L I’ve subsequently seen it in the yard of Stones Corner Marine. It’s the smaller sibling of the larger 493 Territory that was launched at the Brisbane Boat Show late last year. That boat was such a hit the smaller model went into R&D immediately.

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You can see this boat in action in the video boat test (by scanning the QR code on your mobile phone at the top of this article) or by searching on the Fishing Monthly Magazines YouTube page.

For more information on Sea Jay boats, visit www.

PERFORMANCE

Main: The 473 Territory is a great looking boat and definitely suits a buyer who wants their first ‘serious’ fishing boat that can be customised for most inshore situations.

Above: The test model was fitted with Yamaha’s F60hp 4-stroke, which yielded over 3km/L economy at cruising speeds.

Like most Sea Jay hulls, this one performs well with power less than the maximum allowed. Sea Jay calls the hull design used for the Territory the Adrenalin Next Gen hull.

It’s their old Adrenalin hull with the full transom of a Samurai hull added. For me, that full transom (rather than a cut out with a low point where water can splash in) gives you serious peace of mind when you decide to take out this boat and catch your first mackerel or marlin.

“We had a lot of feedback from dealers and customers that smaller versions of this boat would be in demand so we got moving on the designs straight away,” said Garry, “and I reckon the team got it right with this boat.”

Indeed, after a morning’s boating and fishing on Somerset, I can really see

how Aussie anglers can fall in love with these locally made rigs. The hull is beamy (2.24m) for its 4.73m length and the three of us on board for the day had no problems at all with stability and had plenty of room to fish and film. The spacious front casting deck also has a mile of storage underneath and this space now includes an underfloor anchor locker that gives you unimpeded casting access right up to the bow.

The test boat was fitted with an F60hp Yamaha 4-stroke outboard. At 15hp under the maximum allowed, it could definitely do with some extra ponies on the back. At wide open, it hit a modest 45km/h at 5,600rpm at 2.3km/L. Drop it back to 4,500rpm and the economy tops 3km/L at 36km/h.

Supplied on a single

axle trailer, this rig is easily towable by basically anything with a tow bar.

Fitzy was able to easily

RPM....... Speed.(km/h)....... Economy.(km/L) 700 ............................ 5 ............................ 5.6 1000 .......................... 7 ............................. 7.2 2000.........................11 ............................ 3.4 3000.........................15 ............................ 2.1 4000........................ 31 ............................ 3.0 4500 ........................ 36 ............................ 3.1 5000........................ 40 ............................ 2.6 5600 ........................ 45 ............................ 2.3 lake to Moreton Bay. Add your own combination of electric motor and electronics to customise it to the types of fishing you like and enjoy!

seajayboats.com.au and check out Sea Jay Boats on Facebook to stay up to date with the latest products and boat show appearances.

With the 60hp, the 473 Territory is definitely no rocket ship, maxing out at 45km/h.

Top: It’s good to have a test boat fitted with the electronics you’d put on yourself. The Minn Kota adds a fair bit of weight to the bow and makes the boat behave a little differently out on the water.

Above: You’ll be able to mount as big a sounder as you like on top of the dash. There’s also a compartment for your wallet, keys and mobile phone.

Top: The 473 Territory has a full transom with neat rigging and a fold down step.

Above: Like all boats with a raised casting platform, you’ll find plenty of storage underneath.

The Yamaha F60hp definitely matches the styling of this rig.

The front casting deck is high and beamy. Moving the anchor well to under the deck gives unprecedented access to the bow of the boat.

It would be a challenge to fill this room with all of your camping and fishing gear. There’s plenty of open space on the deck.

Top Left: The inbuilt transom gives you covered space for batteries and other storage.

Top Right: Concealed under the foredeck, the repositioned anchor well is definitely big enough to keep your anchor stowed while travelling.

Bottom Left: There’s a livewell in the port transom, which pumps in and has a gravity overflow onto the duckboard.

Bottom Right: The Territory is light enough to tote on a single axle trailer.

Left and Right: Sea Jay typically keeps their consoles and seating simple. Additional seat bases can be added to help you get weight distribution right for the best ride possible.

MARCH 2020

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