29 JULY, 2015
MONTHLY
VOLUME 11
G ood day and welcome readers to this month’s
JTSM, your local sportfishing news. It’s been a tricky month for local anglers to add some fish to their chips; unsavoury cold weather, snow in the border country and high winds and rain on the coastline. Before Hughie sends us the westerly wind later next month, fingers are crossed for stable conditions throughout the coming weeks. We appreciate the reader feedback and stories about the one that got away and encourage everyone to send in their favourite fishing pictures. This month Australian fishing tackle retailers were invited to the annual AFTA Trade Show held on the Gold Coast. The AFTA show gives the
Steve Kelly
EDITOR
IMAGE: Mighty Mouse - Alaska Mouse Fishing
wholesalers an opportunity to display their exciting new lines of product for the upcoming year. The Australian fishing community is in for a range of exciting new products to hit our shelves later this year. Should you be in the market for a crisp new graphite rod, or a shiny new reel, be sure to drop into the store and have a yarn about the “must haves” for the 2015/16 season. Like us on Facebook and check out some of the exciting new tackle we saw at the show.
Mighty Mouse - Alaska Mouse Fishing
A change of pace with this month’s short fishing video. Whilst discussing the benefits of a relatively new variation of down scaled double hand fly casting called “skagit” I stumbled across this quirky little video from the crew at Fly Out Media. “Mighty Mouse – Alaska Mouse Fishing” was a spontaneous production compiled by the Fly Out Media crew on a trip to the Aniak River Lodge in Western Alaska. The anglers found themselves amongst a memorable “mousing” trout session whilst “single hand swinging” artificial mouse patterns down the river; the crew with limited equipment put this little video together. Not the level of cinematography or high scale production used in many short films in recent times, however the footage gathered is very entertaining. For a range of “A La Carte Marketing and Consulting” services or to simply check out other short fishing videos, follow the link to Fly Out Media.
flyoutmedia.com
Offshore Fishy
REPORT
IMAGE: The boss with another quality RTE taken on her new Evergreen outfit, great job Lyn!
Rising swells coinciding with rain squalls and
SEQ’s best amberjack. The three fingers of reef that
generally bleak overcast days have made it difficult
make up Wide Caloundra are a popular fish haven
to fish offshore in June. The month started on a
throughout the winter months, offering
positive note with reasonable squire coming from
piscatorial opportunities from 50-110m of water.
most reef systems in 60-80m of water to the south
The typically low laying coffee rock structure
of Cape Moreton. In the coming weeks anglers
provides the perfect winter time wonderland for
should look to employ float lining techniques,
pearlies with darker moon phases and late
using bait or soft plastics, at locations like the 29
afternoons proving most productive.
anglers
and 35 fathom reefs. Those venturing into deeper waters have tangled with hard fighting kingfish and
The majority of the summer time pelagic fish have
amberjack, some of these brutes exceeding the
now headed for warmer waters, the exception being
1.2m mark. Both species should continue to
small numbers of quality spanish mackerel and
improve in numbers and start moving toward the
wahoo. The rough conditions have seen these
shallower reef systems with the cooler waters to
speedsters move into the shallow waters off Cape
come. High pitch jigging has been a popular
Moreton and Point Lookout. Keen lure casters have
technique over the past 15 years and still proves to
been fortunate to encounter multiple aerial attacks
be the most successful sportfishing approach for
on surface lures; many of the fish boated exceeding
targeting kings and AJs. Pearl perch are in full
the 20kg mark. Caution must be taken when
swing with consistent quality fish coming from the
chasing these speedsters in relatively shallow
waters to the south of Deep Tempest and on the
unforgiving waters when large swells and poor sea
70-80m line of weed to the north east of South
conditions are present. The month of July typically
Passage.
marks the start of the SEQ offshore snapper fishery.
This time of year also sees the waters off Caloundra
Here’s hoping favourable weather and boating
rich with both quality pearl perch and some of
conditions are on the horizon.
Moreton Bay Fishy
REPORT
Well it’s that time of year folks, bust out your
pitch style jigs are all effective choices when
favourite plastic prawn imitation and invite a
selecting a lure to entice threadfin salmon and
cephalopod home for dinner. The cooler waters
jewfish. Present your offerings in the bottom few
have brought an abundance of squid that have now
meters of the water column, the majority of the
spread throughout the entirety of Moreton Bay.
time both these species are reasonably lethargic and
The expanse of flats stretching from the Bulwer
slow moving until hooked.
Wrecks to the Tangalooma Wrecks is producing
Snapper numbers are continuing to improve
good squid either side of the high tide change. The
throughout the southern bay islands with the
greater Scarborough Reef system and the myriad of
average size increasing as we approach August.
weed covered sandbanks throughout the bay are all
Successful anglers have been targeting the hard reef
home to quality squid and cuttlefish during winter.
fringes and weed beds late in the afternoons or at
Southern bay anglers should target the fringing bay
first light. Long casts into your drift line using
island reefs, keen nocturnal land based fisho’s are
lightly weighted jig heads should produce results
reporting excellent quality squid from Manly
this winter. As the tide falls casting deep diving
Harbour and Victoria Point.
crank baits to the reefs edge is another popular
Schooling size jewfish are now frequenting the
technique for targeting the larger specimens. Both
deeper structures throughout the southern bay,
tailor and juvenile kingfish are frequenting our
quality specimens above the metre mark being
shallow reef flats and make for entertaining
captured on a regular basis. Hot locations have
sessions when casting surface plugs and shallow
been the sunken pipes and broken structure at
diving minnows. When targeting tailor or kings,
Harry’s Reef, the Tiwi Pearl wreck and the ever
look to cast toward the sections of reef with
reliable Peel Island Artificial. As always anglers are
turbulent water and bait fish activity. While the
best served by quietly sounding and structure
speedsters have all but said hooroo, we welcome
scanning these areas to pin point the schools of fish
the thought of a long snapper season and calm
prior to presenting sinking lures. Jackall Mask
afternoons on the bay throughout August.
Vibes along with Tranzams and a variety of slow
IMAGE: Now’s the time for XOS amberjack Lyn with a fine example falling to a Smith jig.
A micro fish on a micro jig, what a beauty!
THE DINNER BELLS ARE RINGING. JACK WITH A PERFECT TABLE SIZE SNAPPER CAUGHT ON A BERKLEY SLOMO JIG.
New PRODUCTS
“QUATTRO 100% FLUOROCARBON combines HI-SEAS exclusive Quattro 4-color camo technology with fluorocarbon line! The unique colouring process does for fishing line what camouflage clothes do for the hunter – it breaks up visual patterns making the line blend into its surroundings. Four scientifically selected colours are alternated along the fluorocarbon reducing light transmission and creating a whole new level of invisibility. The line is smooth and supple, and is the best handling fluorocarbon yet! Now you can increase your line and leader rating without sacrificing stealth or fishability.”
Hi Seas Fluorocarbon is one of only a few 100% fluoro leaders available on the Australian market. If you’re after a premium fluorocarbon leader that offers the ultimate in abrasion resistance and invisibility under water, drop on down to the store to see our range of Hi Seas Quattro Leaders.
EstuaryFishy
REPORT
IMAGE: Ross Bodger with a very sandy looking dusky flathead, one of five he landed over 70cm in a morning session.
South East Queensland’s month for spawning
tributaries like the Pimpama River, Hayes Inlet
bream is certainly not disappointing. Excellent
(below the green zone) and Ningi Creek. Towards
schools of quality silver fish have been on offer to
the mouths of these locations can be a real hot spot
anglers right down the coastline, with both size and
during the height of winter.
quantity improving as every tide passes. The deeper
Tailor are now frequenting our local estuaries
channels at Jumpinpin, Gold Coast Seaway and the
providing sportfisho’s excellent light tackle action.
Tweed River Mouth have all been productive
These fish are particularly aggressive and known to
havens for these winter time spawning fish. Sinking
eat a broad range of lures, from the humble
lure offerings like small shrimp style soft plastics,
3”minnow soft plastic to a surface lure 5” long.
blades and the ever reliable deep chubby style
Surface lure fishing for tailor is an exciting way to
crank baits have all put fish on the decks during
either start or finish a day’s fishing, especially when
July. Typically these fish will remain in the deeper
some of these brutes have been upward of 80cm in
channels and passages until the full moon in
length. High current flow over shallow structure,
August,
rock walls or locations that have turbulent water
upon
which
they
should
disperse
throughout the estuaries and open front beaches.
are all good places to run a surface lure across.
Schooling size male flathead have also been wide
Soapy jew are becoming an increasing catch
spread throughout July, the occasional large female
amongst estuary anglers and usually oblige to a
still falling to a well presented lure in the deeper
gently presented sinking lure or live bait. As this
channels.
steadily
cold weather continues we should see these
continue to increase over the coming weeks with
schooling jew fish joined by much larger female
the male fish becoming very aggressive during the
specimens.
Flathead
numbers
should
run out tide over our estuarine flats. The Broadwater, Jumpinpin and Bribie Passage are all well known spots but don’t discount the smaller
THE ESTUARIES ARE ALIVE WITH SOAPY JEW THIS WINTER.
CHRIS BAMFORD ENJOYING SOME “LONG WAND ACTION” ON A CRISP, CLOUDLESS WINTER’S MORNING.
New LURES
The 3DB Crayfish is a slow sinking crayfish pattern hard-bait, a forage favourite for Largemouth Bass. The design includes the patented internal 3D Prism Finish along with Yo-Zuri’s Wave Motion Technology. In addition to these features, each 3DB Crayfish includes a realistic prism egg sac with UV properties. The 3DB Crayfish has a jointed tail that articulates as the bait is fished as a jig, or slow swimming action, just above the bottom. The hook is held in strike position by a heavy duty cable weed guard. Although designed for largemouth bass, the new Yo-Zuri 3DB Crayfish is sure to tempt our local species. Easy on the angler’s eye, its slow sinking, natural crayfish swimming action should prove deadly on our Aussie natives. Nibble your way down to Jones’s Tackle to see our favourite new weedless jointed tailed crayfish.
“The Shiverstick 125 has a vibrating, shivering action when allowed to sink through the water column & a strong side-to-side action when twitched and retrieved - perfect for shore game or boat angling.” Shiverstick 125 is the latest edition to our comprehensive range of sinking stickbaits here at Jones’s Tackle. Perfect timing sees CID’s new stickbait arrive just as the tailor are moving along the beaches of SEQ. Sure to be just as popular with the boaties as it is the land based sportfisho’s, any keen pelagic enthusiast should have one of these little champions in their box!
Final
WORD
Folks that’s just about all for the piscatorial happenings in and around SEQ for another month. We would love to thank all the regular contributors for sending in their pictures and invite any of our readers to send us a fishy happy snap for next month’s edition. It’s a great time of year to pick up a super deal on any of our clearance stock as we make way for the exciting new 2015-2016 models. If you have any enquiries or just fancy a chin wag about what’s biting around the pond, be sure to drop us a line at jtsm@jonestackle.com.au or come past the store and say G’Day. Until next month the crew at Jones’s Tackle wish everyone tight lines and we hope there are favourable boating conditions to come. Here’s hoping we all get a chance to rug up and enjoy what the outdoors have to offer this winter. Hooroo
Steve Kelly
EDITOR
A large Tarpon charges bait off the edge of a Florida flat, something we should go and see at least once... (photo credit: Sam Root @Salty Shores) http://www.saltyshores.com/
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