COVER PIC: Lubin Pfeiffer with the sort of massive South Australian kingfish that makes eastern staters green with envy!
It’s the VIBE of the thing, Your Honour! What is the colour pattern of the Atomic Metalz that caught the above whiting? We are giving away five Atomic Vibe packs for the first five correct answers. Check out the Atomic website www.atomiclures.com.au or visit your local tackle store for info on the Atomic lure range. To enter just visit www.fishlife.tv and follow the instructions. 4
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If there is one style of South Australian fishing that gets anglers pumped, it’s chasing yellowtail kingfish in shallow water. These fish are utter bastards!
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Even the toughest of vampires would cower upon sight of these flesh-tearing canines. This painstakingly reconstructed mangrove jack skull highlights their intricate but sophisticated predatory weapons. 39
It’s sensational fun seeing jacks annihilate lures in clear water creeks, and in productive systems jacks will fight and compete for the first bite. Promptly steer hooked fish clear of structure before easing off the pressure.
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As the quality and selection of small vibes in the industry improves, so too does there propensity to catch fish a little outside their normally accepted species range — such as this lovely sand whiting.
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14. STOP !@#$ WINDING! In their enthusiasm to get that marlin to the boat (or in the boat, it seems), rookie anglers often wind the snap swivel into the rod tip. This can do one of three things: If it’s a fixed guide, it will probably crack the insert. If it’s a roller tip, it will damage the roller and/or frame, creating a line-shredding rough spot that will ultimately cost fish. The third scenario is that the swivel will jam solid in there and when the fish bolts, the line, the rod — maybe even both — will break. If fishing wind-ons, there are a couple of solutions. A piece of rubber tubing slipped over the crimp, or a lumo bead wider than the roller and sitting above the crimp, will prevent this happening. If using beads though, they must be tied in place with dental floss, as we don’t want them sliding up onto the whipping when the fish runs, as any damage to this key point may see the wind-on fall apart.
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Photo: David Granville
15. THE SHOES OF THE FISHERMAN As demonstrated in the preceding article, the correct footwear when game fishing is super important — whether taking the leader, riding high in the chair harness with a brutal drag setting, or just moving about the cockpit. Depending on where you fish, sandals or sea boots with a non-marking, non-skid sole are the best option. Runners and deck shoes are fine for a while, but take an age to dry once wet, and on an extended trip in the tropics, your feet will rot away before your very eyes. Also, having some protection on your feet might just save you from being bitten when a lively wahoo or mackerel is sliding around the deck.
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This fish and the blue damselfly imitation it ate (tied by Tasmanian trout guide, Roger Butler) works as well on the New England as it does in Tassie.
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