BNB Fishing Mag | August 2022 by bnbfishing

Estuary • Offshore • Freshwater • 4WD • Camping • Touring

495

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August 2022

Flat out with flathead Lessons in light gear

Print Post Approved PP100001534 Volume 33, Number 8

Tips to target arrow squid

Trip to K’gari Beach Resort ISSN 1832-4517

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Boat test Invincible 33' Catamaran

9 771832 451001

21-28 AUGUST 2022

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Page 2 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing June August 2022 2022

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From the Bush ‘n Beach Fishing editor

ith the snapper closure half over, it has been great to see a mix of other fish being targeted and caught. We are very lucky that here in Queensland there is no shortage of species to target yearround – winter action can be as hot as summer. Jewfish have been around in good numbers, with prawns hanging around the latest I have seen them for a while – I managed a feed mid-July and they were massive in size. With prawns running late, this is likely to change the movement of jewfish, so keep that in mind when chasing them. Snapper will still be active once the closure finishes on August 15 – only a few more weeks to wait, so please don’t target them and let them do their thing. Inshore, winter whiting are around – remember, they have a bag limit of 50 in Queensland and 20 in NSW. While there is no size limit on winter or trumpeter whiting, I generally only keep them if they are around 23cm or more – the same size limit as summer whiting – because you get a better feed. Flathead are also starting to fire, but the cool water has meant that casting plastics has been working a lot better than trolling. Spanish mackerel survey After initial consultations with stakeholders, three different scenarios were modelled to achieve the rebuilding of spanish mackerel www.bnbfishing.com.au

within a time frame of 13-14 years. One scenario was the closure of the fishery for two years, which would have dramatically impacted both the recreational and commercial fishing industries. Thankfully, this scenario was ruled out as the socioeconomic impacts were too severe. This leaves two options and what you can have your say on in the current survey. Both options include a closed period and also reduced bag numbers – but remember, I think for the recreational industry this is better than having a two-year closure. The main difference between the two is that option one has 12 weeks of closure, a possession limit of one fish per person and a boat limit for two or more people onboard of two fish, while option two has double the closed period of option one, but double the possession and boat limit. It is up to everyone to have their say but for me, I’m leaning towards option one. The ability to get on the water more often outweighs the need to take home double the fish. You get plenty of meat on a good spanish, plus they are great sportfish, so being able to chase them more throughout the year is a bonus. Option one also has a lesser total allowable catch for the commercial sector, which should help numbers increase faster. It is worth noting that the commercial sector has not filled their

TAC for several years, so I think the numbers are on the mark for the commercial sector as well. I personally don’t envy the people making these decisions – they are tough. But I think a number of fishos need to get over how Fisheries Queensland has behaved over the years and accept that the team there now is trying to get the formula right to rebuild stock and support both the recreational and commercial sectors. As I said, not an easy task, but I think they are on the right track with this – now it’s time for you to have your say. Submission to the survey can be done online at daf.engagementhub. com.au/spanish-macker el-2022 There will also be a post on bnbfishing.com. au that will take you straight to the survey section. It is also possible to print and post in your survey – it is at the end of the EC Spanish Mackerel Fishery Discussion Paper 2 – this will also be on the BNB Fishing website with the address of where to send it. Submissions to the online or print and post survey are due by no later than August 5, 2022. Changes Over the past six months or so there have been changes to BNB Fishing – it is now printed in Sydney and we have a new distributor – the old printer and distributor ceased operating. Unfortunately, it now takes a little longer to get the magazine from

the printers to us for mail out, and to the distributor who also takes a little longer to get the mag to retail outlets. It is important to remember, you can still get the online version of the mag for free if you subscribe to our e-news – and more and more people are doing this. If you still get yours

from a newsagency, and heaps of people do this as well, take note of the date on the bottom of this page as to when it will be available. It is a little later than what it was previously and as a rule of thumb, the first Thursday of the month marks its on-sale date. Ben Collins

OUR COVER Estuary • Offshore • Freshwater • 4WD • Camping • Touring

495

Includes GST

August 2022

Flat out with flathead Lessons in light gear

Print Post Approved PP100001534 Volume 33, Number 8

Tips to target arrow squid

Trip to K’gari Beach Resort ISSN 1832-4517

Proudly produced and printed in Australia

Boat test Invincible 33' Catamaran

9 771832 451001

21-28 AUGUST 2022

ENTER NOW!

REGISTER NOW TO WIN A STACER BOAT, YAMAHA & TRAILER PACKAGE THANKS TO WYNNUM MARINE! Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 1

www.bnbfishing.com.au

PLUS THE FIRST 50 KIDS TO REGISTER SCORE A ROD & REEL THANKS TO WILSON FISHING!

LUKE with a spangled emperor. Picture by Mark Templeton. Read his article about catching this species and more on page 8.

NEXT EDITION: September edition will be on sale in newsagents from September 1. AUGUST SUBSCRIPTION OFFER: See the subscription form on Page 84 and subscribe this month to go in the draw to win a half day fishing charter with Sean Conlon valued at $350. JUNE PRIZE WINNERS: Congratulations to Brett Groves, Moorooka; Craig Bolin, Pimpama; Kirwan Barr, Cleveland; Mark Masson, Redland Bay; Matt Hedger, Manly; Ray Pearson, Redland Bay; Raymond Stewart, Kippa-Ring who each receive a Top Dog Tackle pack valued at $50.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 5

August 2022 contents Moreton Bay fishing magic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Mark Templeton . . . . . . . . . . . . . P8 Tide Times ��P10 Solid snapper and flatty sessions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Sean Conlon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P14 Moreton Bay Fishing Classic is back ��P18 Mixed results on recent outings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Mick Clutterbuck . . . . . . . . . . . P20 Flat out with flathead. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Keith Stratford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P24 Tips to target arrow squid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Clint Ansell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P26 Mixing up offshore techniques. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Ben Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P30 Fantastic flathead and jewfish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Gavin Dobson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P34 Cracking close reefs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Brett Hyde . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P38 Consistent catches from the Clarence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Tye Porter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P40 Rainbow Beach Family Fishing Classic and Expo ��P42 Winter fishing heats up on Sunshine Coast. . . . . . . . . . . . . by Grant Budd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P46

Competition Calendar ��P47 Trip to K’gari Beach Resort. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Sean Thompson . . . . . . . . . . . . P48 Experience K’gari’s natural beauty ��P52 Woodgate Beach Hotel Fishing Classic ��P53 Less is more with light gear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Tri Ton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P54 Improving catches when times are tough offshore. . . . . . by John Boon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P58 Product News ��P61 Insights in to boat insurance ��P63 Ocean Craft develops multipurpose Camper Cruiser. . . . by Ben Collins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P64

Invincible 33’ Catamaran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Ben Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P65 Stacer sets the standard with 2022 line-up ��P67 Tips from Move Boat Trailers - Part 3 ��P68 Recipe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Melissa Frohloff . . . . . . . . . . . . P71 Kurrimine Beach Fishing Competition ��P72

Toyota upgrade Hilux range ��P74 Charter Directory ��P76 Correctly handling fish for safe release. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Neil Schultz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P78 Water and stock reserves. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Brian Dare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P80 Dam Levels ��P80 Trading Post ��P82 Readers’ Forum ��P83 Subscription Form ��P84 Page 6 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

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The Team

EDITOR: Ben Collins ADVERTISING: Tiffany Brown PRODUCTION: Vyvyan Black Lisa Jones

Bush ‘n Beach Fishing magazine is published monthly by Collins Media Pty Ltd ABN 43 159 051 500 ACN 159 051 500 trading as Collins Media. Phone 07 3286 1833 Email: ben@collins.media PO Box 162, Wynnum, Qld 4178 PRINTER: Spotpress DISTRIBUTION BY: Ovato Max. recommended retail price $4.95 (includes GST). CORRESPONDENTS: Editorial contributions are welcome, as is news from clubs, associations or individuals; and new product news from manufacturers. Entire contents copyright. Nothing may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. It is the responsibility of advertisers and contributors to ensure the correctness of their claims and statements. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 7

A cracking cobia for Joel.

Moreton Bay fishing magic Dan out in his repaired tinnie learnt the finer art of snapper fishing.

Tony landed a cracker snapper on Luke’s new boat.

–WANTED– Pre-trained old fishing gear!

We will come to you if you have bulk gear!

0402 703 519 Page 8 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

T didn’t matter what report you looked at, snapper catches were prolific in June and July this year, prior to the closure. And it didn’t matter if you were land-based, on a kayak or kicking back in style – quality snapper were being landed left, right and centre! Guy nailed a very nice 57cm snapper when fishing in the Scotts Point area. As you can see, he was very impressed with this catch – the smile tells the tale! Well done Guy, we look forward to more great catches in the future. Surprisingly, we have seen an increase in the use of local octopus bait – these are producing some of the larger snapper from further out in the bay in water a little deeper. Though there are a whole host of bait types that will be readily smashed by snapper that you can either gather yourself or buy from your local tackle shop. Yellowtail pike is always a popular goto bait – either whole or cut in half – and strip-baited and floated

Northern Moreton Bay by MARK TEMPLETON

down under a pea sinker is a very effective technique. Pillies, local squid, cuttlefish and large green prawns all have their place on the snapper menu – prior to and after the closure, of course. We have a few fishos who will take the kids out whiting fishing, keep a couple for the table and convert the rest to snapper bait. This is a great way to get younger kids interested in wetting a

line, while staying safe in sheltered water until they are confident enough to try bigger fish in deeper water. I find that in the past, slimy mackerel have always brought the larger models to the table. I was taught to rig them backwards on a two-hook rig and send them down with minimal weight, keeping the current in mind, as they tend to take the bait headfirst. A large number of continued P10

Guy was impressed with the very nice 57cm snapper he caught prior to the closure when fishing in the Scotts Point area. www.bnbfishing.com. au

21-28 AUGUST

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 9

Moreton Bay fishing magic

Tide Times 2022

Time

0604 1131 1726 2358

from P8 up with pillies and got one for themselves? people are using jigs straight to work. Imagine this... such as the Oceans You sell your boat, Using his wife’s favLegacy Contact and the ourite setup, Rod land- you wait 12 months or Nomad Gypsea series, ed a nice feed. so for the new one to with great success eiRod also landed him- arrive, it’s delivered but ther actively working self in the other ‘deep the weather is shocking, them or simply dead water’ when he told his so you can’t get out. sticking them as they wife. At the first great do a drift. weather opportunity, I think Dell knows he AUSTRALIA EAST COAST Plastics are another needs all the help he you hit the water and slayer – can get.BAR EASTsnapper COAST – BRISBANE your dad lands the first BRISBANE BAR AUSTRALIA, great LATeverything 27° 22ʼ S LONGZ-Man 153° 10ʼ E Jokes aside, well done from cracking fish from the Time Zone –1000 Times and Heights of High and Low –1000 Slim SwimZ, Molix RTWaters newZone boat! Rod – a great fish and Time AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER Shads, Atomic Plazos good to see you had a Personally, I think Time m Time m Time m Time m Time m Time m Time m Time m Time m Time m Prongs and a0041 variety of 0238great first in, 0242 best 1.59 dressed. 0009 2.36 0038 1.76 1.49 0216 1.42 0000 2.14 0018 1.79 1.49 session. 0600 0.56 0345 1.70 1 1138 1.85 16 0647 0.40 1 0629 0.44 16 0656 0.52 1 curl 1re-0927 0.71Tony 16 0826thought 0.65 0.84 0.85 0630 0.45 0.67 16a0757 tails16in0643 a mix of1 0817 Here’s so question MO 1737 0.51 TU 1240 2.02 TH 1240 2.03 FR 1329 2.04 SA 1312 2.17 SU 1335 2.03 TU 1518 2.22 WE 1450 2.00 TH 1557 2.23 FR 1454 2.07 colours. 1841 0.57 1948 0.88 2020 0.91 2156 0.83a new 2147 he 0.71landed a 2355 2.33 2254 too 0.52 when 1849 0.67 1945 0.76 2229 0.64 garding buying Everyone has1.38their 0408boat. 0.55 0045 2.16 1.98 0116 1.57 1.62 0135 0342 1.46 1.83 0354 cracker of a 1.67 snapper on 2 0632 2 0037 2 0111 2 0945 1.56 2 0455 0703 0.48 17 0732 0.63 0717 0.55 17 0730 0.77 0.69 17 0915 0.88 1044 0.73 17 0938 0.89 1219 1.86 17 0720 0.46 go-to colour, 1415 2.13 1.95 so 2.23 there 2.00 rules 2.15 SA new 1551 boat. 2.02 TU 1816 0.59 WE 1325 2.00 FR 1329 2.03 SA 1421 1.96 SU own MO 1434 WE 1631 Are TH 1555 any FR 1658 Luke’s 1943 0.78 2056 0.97 2107 0.81 2146 0.92 0.55 2256 0.74 1927 0.74 don’t be afraid to mix 2334regarding Well 2242 done0.64 Tony – the boat2346 0.46 0029 2.25 0122 1.94 0123 1.80 0213 1.41 0228 1.48 0305 1.33 0523 1.71 0457 1.59 0556 1.98 0503 1.81 range and try3 1108owner christening the 3 0707 0.55 18 0755 0.53 3 0746 0.53 18 0823 0.74 3 your 3 1155 though 0825 0.64 18 0842 0.86 0.65 18 1033 0.85 0.72 18 that 1053 may 0.88 be your 1533 2.13 TU 1549different 1.92 2.25 FR 1655 2.03 2.08 trip 1.99 WE 1304 1.87 TH 1415 1.96 SA 1430 2.02 SU 1530 1.92 MO something TH 1738 SA 1755 last SU 1650 for a while! decks with the first 1901 0.69 2021 0.89 2057 0.86 2240 0.97 2242 0.76 2307 0.86 2347 0.64 2335 0.55 – you might find your continued P12 great fish or is it every2.13 0204 1.73 1.63 0351 1.33 0409 1.47 1.40 0.44 0554 1.76 0.41 0603 1.99 4 0107 4 0228 4 next 19 0450 4 0030 4 0034 0745 0.55 19 0835 0.60 0847 0.58 19 0938 0.81 0955 0.67 1014 0.87 0624 1.89 19 1142 0.78 0649 2.14 19 1205 0.82 favourite lure. TH 1356 1.89 FR 1515 1.94 SU 1549 2.06 MO 1651 1.93 TU 1656 2.19 WE 1701 1.97 FR 1219 0.57 SA 1748 2.07 SU 1259 0.69 MO 1749 1.96 Dan saw his share of 1956 0.79 2133 0.99 2232 0.85 1834 2.27 1846 2.01 snapper to the 0152 1.99 0300 1.55 0400 1.53 0002 0.87 0000 0.63 prior 0003 0.75 clo- 0117 0.35 0033 0.52 0.37 0027 0.46 5 0830 0.55 20 0927 0.66 5 1007 0.60 20 0533 1.40 5 sure 5 0715 2.06 20 0643 1.95 5 0117 0536 1.59 20 0552 1.55 0736 2.27 20 0657 2.19 – he was able to FR 1459 1.93 SA 1627 1.95 MO 1713 2.16 TU 1104 0.79 WE 1122 0.60 TH 1130 0.78 SA 1319 0.52 SU 1243 0.70 MO 1355 0.67 TU 1313 0.74 2106 0.87 2310 0.98 1758 2.02 1807 out 2.30 in the 1759awesome 2.06 1923 2.24 1837 2.10 1933 1.94 1845 1.94 get 0252 1.84 0425 1.45 0007 0.73 0054 0.75 0101 0.48 with 0047 0.64 0159 0.30 0115 0.41 0156 0.34 0.37 weather his tinnie 6 0927 0.55 21 1032 0.69 6 0530 1.56 21 0631 1.53 6 0642 1.77 21 0638 1.71 6 0800 2.20 21 0728 2.13 6 0819 2.36 21 0115 0747 2.37 1236 0.49repaired! SA 1614 2.02 SU 1738 2.02 TU 1129 0.55 WE 1213 0.70 TH finally FR 1229 0.67 SU 1412 0.49 MO 1338 0.62 TU 1445 0.64 WE 1415 0.64 2232 0.88 1825 2.31 1849 2.12 1905 2.39 1845 2.14 2006 2.18 1923 2.10 2016 1.87 1940 1.91 Good to see you out 0408 1.72 0031 0.89 0119 0.57 0135 0.64 0151 0.36 0127 0.52 0234 0.27 0156 0.33 0230 0.33 0202 0.31 7 1033 0.53 22 0551 1.46 7 0645 1.68 22 0715 1.66 7 there 22 0719 a1.87great7 0841 2.30 22 0812 2.29 7 0859 2.42 22 0837 2.52 0735 1.94getting SU 1729 2.16 MO 1141 0.67 WE 1243 0.45 TH 1305 0.59 FR 1337 0.39 SA 1319 0.57 MO 1500 0.49 TU 1431 0.55 WE 1530 0.63 TH 1514 0.56 feed and learning 1836 2.11 1926 2.46 1932 2.22 1955 2.43 1927 2.21 the 2045 2.09 2008 2.07 2057 1.81 2035 1.89 finer art of snapper 0002 0.80 0126 0.77 0215 0.42 0212 0.55 0235 0.29 0203 0.42fish- 0307 0.27 0235 0.26 0303 0.34 0.26 8 0528 1.68 23 0653 1.54 8 0746 1.81 23 0752 1.79 8 ing 8 0919 2.37 23 0855 2.42 8 0935 2.44 23 0249 0821 2.07 23 0759 2.02 0926 2.63 Dan! MO 1143 0.48 TU 1241 0.61 TH 1347 0.34 FR 1351 0.49 SA 1430 0.34 SU 1406 0.50 TU 1543 0.51 WE 1523 0.50 TH 1613 0.63 FR 1609 0.49 1838 2.33 1924 2.21 2018 2.56 2011 2.29 2038 2.41 and 2005 2053 2.01 2135 1.76 2130 1.87 Daryl Ian 2.23 hit the 2121 2.00 0122 0.66 0209 0.67 0303 0.33 0245 0.48 0313 0.25around 0238Mud 0.34 Is- 0336 0.28 0314 0.23 0335 0.36 0335 0.24 water 9 0642 1.70 24 0740 1.63 9 0838 1.94 24 0828 1.90 9 0903 2.18 24 0838 2.16 9 0956 2.40 24 0940 2.53 9 1012 2.44 24 1015 2.70 1515 0.34 0.46 Ian early, and TU 1249 0.40 WE 1331 0.53 FR 1442 0.26 SA 1433 0.42 SU land MO 1452 WE 1624 0.55 TH 1615 0.48 FR 1651 0.65 SA 1703 0.45 Joel boated this personal 1938 2.49 2006 2.29 2104 2.59 2045 2.33 2116 2.35 2043 2.22 2156 1.89 2140 1.94 2211 1.72best monster 2223 1.85 cod. hooked up to something 0226 0.51 0246 0.60 0318 0.41 0404 0.31 0406 0.40 0.24 0345 0.27 0346 0.24 0313 0.28 0352 0.23 10 0748 1.77 25 0818 1.72 10 0924 2.03 25 0904 2.00 10 quite 10 1031 2.40 25 1025 2.58 10 1046 2.41 25 0422 25with large, 1104 2.72 0943 2.25 0917 the 2.27 bat1352 0.32 1415 0.46 1514 0.39 1702 0.60 1727 0.68 1757 0.44 1530 0.24 1559 0.37 1538 0.44 1706 0.48 WE TH SU TH SA SU SA MO TU FR tle on2120for2.17some 2033 2.62 2044 2.35 2119 2.34 2230 1.79 2245 1.68 2317 1.84 2145 2.57 2152 going 2.24 2228 1.86 time. 0.40 0321 0.55 0432 0.36 0438 0.45 0511 0.29 0424 0.26 0351 0.36 0417 0.26 0.25 0432 0.26 11 0321 26 0346 0846 1.84 26 0854 1.80 11 1006 2.11 26 0942 2.09 11 1020 1107 2.36 26 1113 2.59 11 1121 2.36 26 1153 2.69 0958 He 2.30 almost got2.36it 11 to TH 1449 0.26 FR 1454 0.41 FR 1740 0.67 SA 1800 0.51 SU 1801 0.71 MO 1848 0.45 SU 1615 0.27 MO 1554 0.38 TU 1639 0.44 WE 1623 0.45 2122 2.69 2119 2.39 2321 1.65 2224 2.48 2152 2.31 2226 top 2.10 when 2200 boom 2.08 2320 1.76 the – 2303 1.69 0501 0.44 0513 0.51 0011 1.82 0411 0.34 0354 0.51 0459 0.27 0423 0.32 0445 0.29 0419 0.25 0515 0.33 it went for another 12 0938 1.91 27 0928 1.86 12 1047 2.15 27 1019 2.16 12 off 1058 2.31 27 1040 2.41 12 1142 2.30 27 1202 2.56 12 1157 2.31 27 0600 0.37 1817 0.73 1837 0.75 1541 0.22 1532 0.38 1657 0.34 1634 0.41 1718 0.54 1709 0.48 1858 0.54 run where it managed to SA MO TU 1242 2.60 FR SA MO TU WE TH SU 2338 1.59 1938 0.48 2208 2.70 2152 2.40 2300 2.34 2226 2.24 2258 1.95 2240 1.96 pop the hooks. 0455 0.31 0426 0.47 0530 0.31 0453 0.31 0511 0.34 0453 0.29 0533 0.53 0016 1.68 0000 1.62 1.81 Ian 2.28 thought was 13 a 1219 2.22 28 0604 0.43 13 0550 0.59 28 0106 28 1123it 2.42 13 1026 1.97 28 1003 1.92 13 1127 2.17 28 1058 2.21 13 1133 0655 0.48 1757 0.64 FR 1758 0.55 1859 0.79 MO 1256 2.48 1235 2.25 WE 1330 2.48 SA 1629 0.23 SU 1610 0.38 TU 1737 0.46 WE 1715 0.47 TH cracker SU TU jewfish, 2251 2.65 2224 2.39 2333 2.16 2300 2.12 2330 1.79 2323 1.82 but 1959 0.57 1916 0.77 2027 0.51 we was a 0017 1.51 0558 0.36 0538 all 0.42decided 0529 it0.35 0119 1.63 0044 1.59 0205 1.81 0535 0.32 0458 0.44 0523 0.33 29 1210 14 1112 2.01 29 1041 1.97 14 1205 2.15 29 1138 2.22 14 grinner 1210 2.22 with 2.39 14 0610 0.64 29 0700 0.54 14 0632 0.68 29 0753 0.62 attitude. WE 1817 0.60 TH 1758 0.56 FR 1836 0.75 SA 1852 0.63 MO 1301 2.13 TU 1353 2.40 WE 1315 2.18 TH 1421 2.32 SU 1714 0.30 MO 1647 0.41 2059 0.58 2001 0.78 2115 0.53 2331 2.53 2255 2.35 2336 1.97 Meanwhile, Daryl ap- 1947 0.84 0005 1.96 0002 1.63 efficiently 0014 1.67 and 0108 1.45 0230 1.63 0137 1.58 0613 0.35 0528 0.43 0554 0.38 0309 1.85 parently 15 1156 2.03 30 1118 2.01 15 0626 0.43 30 1221 2.21 15 easily 0607 0.52 30 0611 0.45 15 0656 0.75 30 0810 0.64 15 0724 0.77 30 0858 0.75 2.33very TH 1245 2.11 FR 1845 0.66 SA 1249 2.13 hauled SU 1303 a TU 1351 2.05 WE 1454 2.31 TH 1401 2.12 FR 1514 2.16 MO 1757 0.42 TU 1725 0.47 1859 0.75 1920 0.84 1959 0.69 2158 0.56 2053 0.76 2327 2.26 2204 0.54 nice feed of snapper 2048 0.86 0558 0.42 0116 1.55 0415 1.92 over the 31 rails. 31 1158 2.03 31 1010 0.84 0704 0.57 2.26 WE 1804 0.57 MO 1406 SA 1611 2.00 Well done Daryl, and 2115 0.70 2255 0.53 better luck next time Ian © Copyright Commonwealth of Australia of Meteorology – when2021, youBureau both go out New Moon First Quarter Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide again. Full Moon Last Quarter a solo Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon Last Quarter New Rod Moon went for First Quarter Last Quarter Asher with a hefty feed of spangled emperor. trip on the bay, stocked 8 9

0.39 1.90 0.33 2.64

0649 0.41 1222 1.90 1815 0.43

0042 0731 1312 1904

2.50 0.46 1.90 0.57

0125 0814 1405 1958

2.32 0.50 1.90 0.72

0209 0855 1503 2059

2.12 0.54 1.91 0.86

0258 0940 1607 2212

1.93 0.57 1.95 0.95

0355 1030 1713 2333

1.77 0.58 2.03 0.95

0501 1.66 1122 0.58 1813 2.12

0045 0607 1215 1904

0.88 1.62 0.56 2.22

0143 0705 1305 1949

0.79 1.62 0.53 2.31

0230 0755 1350 2030

0.70 1.66 0.49 2.36

0311 0836 1431 2108

0.65 1.70 0.46 2.40

0348 0913 1510 2144

0.62 1.73 0.43 2.42

0422 0947 1545 2217

0.60 1.77 0.42 2.42

0455 1023 1622 2250

0.59 1.80 0.42 2.41

0528 1100 1659 2322

0.58 1.83 0.45 2.39

Full Moon

Page 10 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 11

Daryl hauled a nice feed of snapper over the rails.

Luke hit the water in Moreton Bay in his new boat and bagged an awesome spangled emperor.

Moreton Bay fishing magic from P10

Rod used his wife’s favourite setup to land a nice feed of snapper.

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Page 12 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

Well, it is not all about Moreton Bay snapper being caught. We have seen other species putting a smile on the faces of local fishos. Asher hit the bay in the ‘not so great’ weather we experienced recently and came home with a hefty feed of spangled emperor. We’ve had a bit of a run of this fish and the sizes have been outstanding too. Fishing the shallows close to Moreton Island, Asher was rewarded with a nice feed of gold spot wrasse, tuskfish and this personal best local spangly! Well done Asher, I am sure you will be getting plenty more! Not to be left out, Luke hit the water in Moreton Bay in his new boat – leaving his dad Tony behind – and bagged a few nice local species, including an awesome spangled emperor. Since the arrival of his new boat, Luke has certainly been on the fish. Well done Luke. I‘m sure we’ll be see-

ing more cracking fish in the months to come. Oh, and your dad’s snapper was still better. Being a little different, Joel bagged a couple of beauties on the same day as Luke. As part of his haul, Joel boated an amazing cod – which may have been a personal best for him – and also landed a cracking cobia to top it off. All in all, these anglers had a great day on the water. I think it is safe to say that Luke’s new Surtees is performing very well and has been suitably blooded. Well done Luke, we are looking forward to the photos when you start trolling the bay! Boating safety is not something people discuss much, however it doesn’t matter how experienced you are, the risks are always there and we should not treat boating safety with a ‘she’ll be right’ attitude. If you are going to stay out at night, remember to check your night-time running gear to ensure it actually works and

that you can be seen! You don’t want to ruin a great night picking up a fine because of unsafe lighting. Another consideration is wearing your life jacket – most important at night – particularly with so many things that can happen that end with you being in the drink, either conscious or worse, unconscious. Play it safe out there and ideally put your jacket on for the duration of your trip, regardless of whether you’re alone or if you have crew. It only takes a split second for things to turn catastrophic. Many rods have come in for repair or replacement because someone stood on them in a boat in the middle of fighting or landing a fish. Practice good housekeeping. It’s not only the broken rod but could also be an unplanned trip to the emergency room to remove the hook that was on the unsecured rod at your feet. Stay safe out there and maintain the passion.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 13

Simon caught this nice southern bay snapper on a Mustad Mezashi Z-Tail Minnow. Simon with a nice bit of by-catch while drifting for snapper.

Solid snapper and flatty sessions W Simon with another nice southern bay flathead.

ELL, it’s been a long time since I wrote my last article. I’ve been writing articles for a fair few years now and I’ve never seen a year quite like this one.

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WITH SEAN CONLON

Southern Moreton Bay by SEAN CONLON

So, for that reason I haven’t written anything – simply because with all the rain, wind and poor water quality, for the first five months of the year I didn’t get out on the water unfortunately. As soon as the weather settled, the rain went away and the water cleaned up, obviously we were straight back out and getting a few clients on the water chasing several of our southern Moreton Bay winter species. I do have to say, the first day back was a dead-set cracker. So that’ll be my story for the month. Yes, basically other than me going out to have a look at water quality, there has been no real fishing. This was our first trip

out on the water since before Christmas, and coincidentally the trip I did then was with the same clients. Simon and Rebecca have been regulars for the past 10 or more years. A lot of things have to coincide to make a trip like this happen. One is many years spent on the water fishing the same areas. I believe that when you catch fish in a certain spot, they will keep coming back to that area each year with the right conditions. Yes, we do have cycles but, on average, areas that hold fish will always hold fish. So, I tend to have a lot of marks in the sounder and try to remember things. continued P15

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Solid snapper and flatty sessions from P14

If you can’t remember, a diary to write things down about your fishing trips is handy. At certain times during the year, I will go back to those marks and check to see if fish are there. The second thing is that, with over five months of poor conditions, there hasn’t been a lot of fishing pressure, which helps too. So, with it being rather cold, I picked Simon and Rebecca up at a leisurely 8am – nothing too early – and went to the first location, where at that time of year there should be a few squire or snapper around. With the tide size and type of ground, drifting with soft plastics

was the technique I felt would put a bend in the Wilson Blade N Tails rod. For this technique, most of the time you’re not going to go to an area and the sounder lights up with fish. As I said, it’s a drifting technique, so fish are scattered over a large area grazing on the rubbly bottom, similar to cows in a field. So, I lined the boat up for the first drift and Simon and Rebecca deployed the lures. Now, in this case we were using a lure I hadn’t used before. The lure was a Mustad Mezashi Z-Tail Minnow 3.5, a bit of a mouthful but to make it simple, a 3.5” paddle tail.

So, we made the first drift and a couple of undersized squire and one nice flathead in the 50cm range came over the side – not a bad start. We made another couple of drifts and the same result – a few undersized fish and another nice flathead in the 50s. Then suddenly everything changed. With the next drift, Simon and Rebecca got themselves a couple of nice snapper in the 50s. This went on drift after drift through to 1pm, with fish in the mid-40cm to high 50cm range, one following another to come over the side – it was fantastic! I didn’t even get to continued P16

Ash with a nice flathead caught in the Jumpinpin area.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 15

Solid snapper and flatty sessions from P15

Even the flathead were keen on the Mustad Mezashi Z-Tail Minnow.

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Page 16 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

put a cast in the water as I was too busy netting fish and taking photos. Goes to show, you don’t always have to be out there super early in the morning or late at night freezing your backside off to get yourself some nice fish. For me this session was awesome. I hadn’t been on the water for months and it was my first real day back. The fish were chewing their heads off – it couldn’t get any better. Also, this was a bit of a confidence booster for me because when you haven’t been out on the water for a fair while, you second-guess yourself. Eventually, as it was getting close to low tide, we had to make a decision. So, I asked Simon and Rebecca what they wanted to do – keep fishing or chase some flathead. They decided to chase a few lizards, so we left the snapper biting. As I said, at 1pm, it was an awesome session on light gear – drags screaming, plenty of fish, good laughs, and it was great to see a bend in the Blade N Tails again on southern Moreton Bay snaps – they could not resist those little Mustad paddle tails. We packed the snapper gear away and headed to our first flatty spot. The same deal at this time of the year – those areas usually hold fish. We cast in that spot for about 40 minutes and got a few good

bumps and taps, but no real takers. Fish were there but they weren’t keen on taking the lures. We moved to another location that, for the time and tide we were fishing, should have held flatties. On the second cast, Rebecca hooked herself a nice 50cm lizard. Simon’s next cast hooked him a flathead of roughly the same size – not a bad start. At this location, we were using a combination of Zerek Flash

Minnow Wriggly and Mustad Mezashi Z-Tail Minnow soft plastics. Both worked as well as each other, with the anglers catching their bag of flatties in about an hour. So, I decided I may as well have a cast and bang, I got myself a nice lizard roughly in the 50s. To put it bluntly we caught plenty of fish. Even though we caught a lot of fish, we practice catch and release on the boat, so continued P18

In the coming months, let’s hope there are plenty more like this nice 70cm flathead, released to fight another day.

Caught from around the Jumpinpin area, Ash was happy with this flathead. www.bnbfishing.com. au

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 17

Solid snapper and flatty session from P16

Rebecca picked up this nice flathead on a Zerek Flash Wriggly.

A little double hook up for two brothers, these were their first ever fish on soft plastics.

Rebecca getting into the action with a nice southern bay squire.

the clients kept two snapper each and two flathead each. The rest of the fish were all released unharmed to fight another day. So, even though you can catch your limit, you don’t always have to take your limit home – a little food for thought. At around 3pm, it was time to head home. It had been a fantastic day – we caught plenty of fish and left them biting in both locations. For me as a charter operator and spending so much time off the water, to come back and have a day like that is why I’ve been doing this job for all of these years. We’ve been very lucky to get a fair few jobs out in a row and while not every charter went as well as this one, we have caught some nice squire, snapper and plenty of good flathead. Let’s hope the weather behaves itself and gives us all a bit of a break so we can get into a nice winter routine on the water.

By the time you read this, it will only be a couple of weeks before the snapper closure is over, and you’ll be able to get into a few of these nice fish in southern Moreton Bay. Remember, at the time of writing this article, all the snapper we’re talking about and those in the photos were caught before the July 15, 2022 snapper closure. Hopefully the weather plays the game and we can all get out there when the snapper are on again.

As we all know, with our jobs and lives, we are time poor, so to optimise your time on the water and remember knowledge is key. Until next month, stay safe on the water and if you’re interested in any of our off or on the water tuition classes or you want to do a fishing charter, give me a call 0432 386 307, send an email to seanconlonsfishing@hotmail. com or check out the Facebook page, Seano’s Inshore Fishing Charters & Tuition.

The author had a chance of a couple of quick casts prior to the snapper closure.

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Page 18 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

per cool Stacer boat, Yamaha motor and trailer package – with a few awesome extras – thanks to our friends at Wynnum Marine! Don’t tell anyone… but, you don’t need to even catch a fish to win! And that’s not all, the first 50 children to register, score a free rod and reel, thanks to

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 19

Mixed results on recent outings

A sortie to northern Moreton Bay was topped off for Rob with this rather nice jewfish.

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HE westerly wind had been up and down all week but finally settled to let a trip go ahead. That said, quite a few boaters had been turned off the prospect of wetting a line, only three boats signed on for the trip – one north side and two from the south. John, Steve and Rob headed out early across a very flat bay, arriving at the cape at sunrise with very little fuss. Down south, Chris, Robin and Dave on Little Bit and Roy and his son in their Haines left slightly later, arriving to a non-existent bar, then heading out through the Rainbow Channel. The sun was glowing brightly as it emerged on the horizon while the north side crew sounded around looking for a fish or two in 20m. They weren’t thick but once located, plastics were quickly dispatched. After a couple of casts, the sound of drags singing filled the morning air and they had a ball, winning and losing the occasional battle before they had their boat limit of eight snapper, with the sun barely off the horizon. The sharks bagged a couple of larger fish and shortened the tail on another. Sharks had never been an issue in this area previously, but now they seem to be everywhere. The two boats on the

Power Boat Anglers by MICK CLUTTERBUCK

south side had split up, with the fortunes of each slightly different. Roy and crew had been float lining off Stradbroke Island and bagged a nice catch of snapper in the 2-3kg range, while the anglers on Little Bit were doing it a bit tougher, from all accounts moving around the 35s and not getting too many scales. Team north side moved down to Shallow Tempest to see if they could rustle up something different. Live bait used to be thick in this area at this time of year, but for the past couple it has been a bit lean, and that day was no different. Steve persisted though, eventually landing a couple of mini yakka that were hit as soon as they got back to the bottom, producing some nice gold spot wrasse. Out of livies and with the plastics drawing a blank, they headed out to the 80m ground looking for pearl perch. The conditions were still perfect and made for a fast trip out and, after sounding a few marks, they found a good show of fish slightly off the bottom. The pearlies they were hoping for turned out to be more snapper, so it was off again to search for those elusive fish, but to no avail. At that stage, the tide

had turned and the current was starting to race. Using the electric made it worse, so it was back to drifting. This was no better because the current was ripping down deep, so reversing back to keep the lines down was about the only solution. They did land a couple of pearlies but then the northwesterly wind picked up and it was time to pull the pin. A testy day in the end but everyone did crack a feed. Mid-week evening trip in Moreton Bay After his previous morning snapper session on plastics, John Myers wanted to see if an afternoon evening trip might produce a longer bite into the dark, as the morning bite had lasted only about an hour. He, Andy and Schomby departed Scarborough for a lunchtime trip across the bay in the Triumph and Schomby, being a Polycraft owner, found it nice to be travelling in a different breed of plastic for once. On the water, the new 70hp Suzuki pushed the 17’ boat with ease at 50km/h, getting them to Moreton Bay in quick time. The first drop produced a decent legal snapper but very little else. continued P21

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Mixed results on recent outings from P20

The next try was in deeper water around Roberts Shoal, but again nothing came aboard to set the world on fire. They tried a few other spots with little success, so decided to head back in for the highly anticipated sunset bite. As the sun set, they waited for the action to start… but nothing happened, apart from a 5kg giant trevally that got the blood pumping early. They kept drifting as night descended, though with no action, decided to wait for the moon to show before they called it a night. As the moon slowly rose above the water, both John and Andy grunted when they

were hit by nice fish, and they soon had four decent snapper in the boat. Up the front, Schomby had not had a tap on his plastic and was thinking of changing tactics when he was slammed mid-thought. The line was being deleted from the spool fast, leading him to think it was another GT, therefore not much finesse was being used to fight it. That changed quickly when a different type of silver emerged from under the boat in the form of a rather nice jewfish. Things suddenly became a little more urgent and, after a couple of attempts with the net and hand gaff, they finally had it on the deck.

The bite soon stopped, so they headed home, hopeful of dodging the whale superhighway. The big beasties had been trucking up the coast all afternoon, with many seen and a few passing under the boat. While the trip didn’t exactly go to plan, it was well worth the outing and it definitely won’t be the last. Meetings Meetings occur on the first Wednesday of every month at ‘The Club Manly’ (bowls club), 26 Faine St Manly from 6.30pm for a 7pm start. Upcoming meetings are on Wednesday August 3 and in September on Wednesday 7. Until next month, safe boating.

John Myers scored a decent snapper in Moreton Bay as the sun went down.

Rob Schomberg was happy with this solid snapper.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 21

Women in Recreational Fishing Network

The Women in Recreational Fishing Network Qld Facebook group is a safe space for women who love to wet a line or are keen to grow their fishing knowledge. The network has been established as a place for women to pick up handy fishing tips, share and trawl through impressive catch pics, and hook into leadership opportunities and events for women in fishing. While the group is primarily for women living in Queensland, you are welcome to join the discussion if you’re from another part of the world too. Search Facebook for ‘Women in Recreational Fishing Network Qld’ to find out more.

Murray Cod

Mary River Cod

Murray cod are a no-take species from 1 August to 31 October in all Queensland waters in the Murray–Darling Drainage Division.

Mary River cod are a nationally listed endangered species in the wild and may only be taken in certain stocked dams or weirs outside of the Mary River catchment. A possession limit of one and a minimum size of 60cm applies.

This closed season protects Murray cod during their breeding season in the northern Murray–Darling Basin. It is also illegal to deliberately target Murray cod for catch and release during the closure, as the stress of capture may prevent fish from spawning or protecting their nest. Murray cod caught accidentally must be immediately returned to the water unharmed. Murray cod can be taken in Beardmore, Connolly, Cooby, Coolmunda, Glenlyon, Leslie and Storm King dams during the closure.

To further protect the Mary River cod population during breeding, you must not possess or use a fishing line from 1 August to 31 October at the following locations: • Albert River (upstream from the junction of Canungra Creek and Albert River –includes Canungra Creek) • Christmas Creek • oomera River (upstream from the junction of Guanaba Creek and Coomera River – includes Guanaba Creek) • Mary River and adjoining waterways (upstream of its junction with Six Mile Creek at the creek’s northern bank, other than waters up to the full supply level of Baroon Pocket Dam, Borumba Dam and Lake MacDonald) • Running Creek Stanley River (above Neurum Creek and Stanley River junction).

Murray Cod Search fisheries.qld.gov.au for ‘closed seasons’ or ‘closed waters’ to find out more. Head to qld.gov.au and search ‘SIPS’ to purchase your permit to fish in Queensland’s Stocked Impoundment Permit Scheme dams and weirs.

Mary River Cod

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Page 22 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

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Fad-tastic time to switch fish Snapper (also known as ‘pink snapper’ or ‘squire’) and pearl perch are no-take species from 15 July until 15 August. The closure of snapper and pearl perch stocks applies to all fishers (commercial, charter and recreational). It protects snapper during spawning and helps rebuild stocks. The closure also provides temporary protection for pearl perch stocks, which are often caught with snapper. There are lots of other great fish to target during the closure. Mahi mahi are one of the most common fish found around the fish aggregating devices (FADs) installed off southeast Queensland, along with other pelagic fish such as cobia and amberjack Search qld.gov.au for ‘FADs’ to find out where they are and how to fish them.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 23

Flat out with flathead

The Pine River has been full of school size flathead such as this one.

Most of the jewfish in the Brisbane River have been around this size lately. This one took a prawn imitation.

HE last month of winter is upon us. June and July provide excellent fishing around southeast Queensland and August should continue to produce just as well. Flathead have been the most common capture, with excellent numbers turning up in all of the rivers and creeks around Brisbane. The ocean-fed rivers on the Sunshine and Gold coasts will see big numbers of spawning flathead move towards the entrances. Big female flathead will line up in deep water with huge numbers of smaller males to spawn over the next few months. The Flathead Classic is on again this year and there will be plenty of anglers out pre-fishing for the competition. The Gold Coast is an enormous area to chase flathead and there is always somewhere to get out of the wind. All of the main rivers hold flathead and the maze of islands around Jumpinpin Channel provides plenty of shelter

Corey and Gavin Stratford had a good trip chasing jewfish in the Brisbane River recently. Page 24 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

Local Luring by KEITH STRATFORD

and holds a lot of fish. It’s an excellent time to play around with different lures and techniques to find out what the fish are feeding on. They can be quite temperamental with weather changes, especially the dreaded north westerly wind. The water around the Jumpinpin area can turn from crystal clean to brown in a matter of an hour when a northwesterly wind picks up. The fish hate it and can shut down, particularly after a couple of days of wind. The northwesterly breeze doesn’t affect the fish as much in the rivers running off northern Moreton Bay – the water clarity isn’t affected and the fish just keep biting. Flathead have been widespread throughout the bigger rivers such as the Pine and the Caboolture, and also in Pumicestone Passage. Paddle tail soft plastics have been the standout for me, with baitfish profiles between 3-4” producing good results. Prawn imitations and curl tail plastics have also been working well. It’s a good idea to carry a variety of plastics on each trip, and a few different colours in each style of plastic will also help you get results. Some days, fish will only take a certain colour and if you don’t have it, you’ll be watching your friend catch all the fish. The Brisbane River has been fishing well this winter.

Snapper and jewfish have been the most common species caught by anglers fishing vibes and soft plastics. Threadfin salmon, tailor, grunter and flathead have also been turning up. Most of the jewies have been between 6075cm – I haven’t found any legal fish yet this winter but that will change during spring. Each year, good numbers of jewies between 80-90cm turn up towards the mouth of the river feeding on small prawns. At this time of year, I keep a few of these fish and their stomachs are always full of small prawns and mantis shrimp. I rarely fish the Brisbane River without some sort of prawn imitation – they catch everything – even the smaller models entice big fish. Snapper have been turning up everywhere there is bait. They will happily feed in close to the edges in 1m or so of water, so if you see any bait, be sure to have a few casts at it. Mangrove jack will be getting active towards the end of the month. It can be a good time to target them because they haven’t seen many lures swimming past their snaggy homes for quite a while. The northerly wind that starts up towards the end of the month can get them very excited. Hope to see you on the water.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 25

This large arrow squid fell for a white silver Ecogear jig early in the morning.

Dave and Shaun had a fun morning catching a feed of 20 squid with Clint.

Tips to target arrow squid

Ecogear Dartmax 3.0 in purple is the author’s favourite squid jig on cloudy days.

UGUST is a bumper month for flathead, flounder, winter whiting, tailor, school mackerel, bream and squid in the Gold Coast Broadwater and the Nerang River. I love catching all of these species for the customers on my daily charters and prefer to release most of the fish, though keeping a few legal fish for a

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feed is also fine. I have never reached the bag limit of anything, and our own boat limit is to release flathead measuring 60cm or over. It was a later start to the usual winter run here due to the massive floods we had over summer, with a staggering 4m of rain falling over upper Springbrook!

We are now starting to reap the benefits of the major flush out. In July, arrow squid arrived with a bang – exploding in numbers and size daily. I have written about squid before, but I am constantly learning more about them and will continue to share the knowledge with the faithful readers of continued P28

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Alan with a nice flathead from a Jumpinpin Channel charter with the author. www.bnbfishing.com. au

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 27

Noel with the biggest mangrove jack of the day, an unusual catch for the middle of winter.

On holiday from Sydney, Jonathan caught and released his personal best 68cm flathead on a 3” Berkley Powerbait soft plastic.

On the Tweed River with Brad Smith, Noel with one of the three mangrove jack he caught and released using Samaki Vibelicious.

Arran caught and released this beautiful hard-fighting tarpon on a Samaki Vibelicious.

There were a few runs of mack tuna in the Broadwater. Page 28 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

Tips to target arrow squid from P26

this magazine. Anyone who watches my videos on Facebook and YouTube will notice that I use a number of techniques to target and catch arrow squid. One of the biggest tips I can give is to slow the retrieve right down. Arrow squid tend to reside in sandy hollows in channels around this area. You can sometimes see them showing as vertical squiggles on a fish finder, though often they sit so close to the bottom they’re invisible. There they wait for prey, using their amazing camouflage to match the colours of the sand, then shoot up to grab food passing by with the current. The trick is to keep your squid jigs suspending close to the sandy bottom in 3-6m of water, with subtle lift and drop jigging. If you are in the right area, it will be only matter of time before

the squid latch on and get hooked on the prongs. Often the best technique is to leave the rods in holders while drifting with the wind and tide in the same direction. When you first see the rod bend, allow them a few more seconds to fully grab the jig then gently wind in and net them. Try different coloured jigs to find what works. My favourite is green and gold colour on a clear day with some wind, white or orange in the morning, pink for late afternoon and purple on cloudy days. My favourite jigs are Ecogear Dartmax 3.0, RUI and Daiwa Emeraldas. Don’t let anyone tell you that arrow squid are only good as bait. Prepared and cooked correctly, they are as delicious as any fresh seafood. It’s as simple as cleaning them, cutting them in to rings or strips,

dusting in flour and frying for two minutes each side in oil in a pan on medium to hot heat, then adding salt and pepper. If you’d like to book a private charter with me to learn the finer points of squidding, my links are at the bottom of this article. Brad Smith has had some great fishing from the Tweed River and this will continue for months ahead. Big flathead, tailor, mangrove jack, bream and trevally have all been on offer on Smithy’s lure-fishing charters. To contact him, call 0419 028 704 between 4-6pm daily. To book on a charter with myself or Brad, or if you have any fishing related questions, visit goldcoastrivercharters. com, SMS 0432 990 302, email fishingwith clint@gmail.com or find us on Facebook at Brad Smith Fishing Charters.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 29

Testing the new Catch Fishing Tackle range of products on some local amberjack, samson fish and kingfish off the Gold Coast.

Mixing up offshore techniques

Paul Anderson had been testing some of his new product lines when he came across this 65cm snapper (before the closure). Drop in and ask him what he used and check out his new products. Page 30 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

O you ever ask yourself why some fishing sessions are successful though others are a bit of a dud? I often ask myself this question because it’s not every time we go fishing that we are able to come home with a trophy fish. In fact, sometimes we are barely able to even catch our bag limit. For years I’ve been using similar rigs and techniques that have, in the main, been quite successful, however over the past month or so I’ve been trying new ways of catching fish. I’ve taken inspiration from some of the techniques used by our friends across the ditch

Gold Coast

by BEN SMITH

in New Zealand. Many of their rigs are dressed up with feathers, all sorts of coloured-rubber skirts and tinsel. So recently, I’ve been shoppi ng around for something unusual and tying my rigs up in a totally different way to what I usually do. Catch Fishing Tackle – a New Zealand based company – recently sent me some of their gear to test on our local Gold Coast fish. Somewhat sceptically, I decided to use these rigs – even though I knew my old rigs

worked very well. To my surprise – or maybe it was luck – we’ve been able to land some remarkable fish simply by using these new methods. I often wonder if the bigger older fish have become used to seeing the same old presentations being offered and they shy away from something they’ve seen before. Tempting a big fish that has been around for a while and seen all sorts of bait presentations and lures can sometimes make the continued P32

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 31

A large 12 bar cod, such as the awesome specimen Michael captured, can be caught on jigs as well as baited electric reel set-ups.

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Absolute joy and excitement filled the faces of the author and his son as they landed this trophy snapper before sunset (prior to the closure).

Mixing up offshore techniques from P30

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hook up difficult. You know they’re there because you can see them on the sounder, but they don’t seem to want to bite. The most successful rig I’ve used recently has been a small rubber skirt glued to my sinker that slides along, resembling a Kabura rig. I run this down on top of my main hooks – two snelled 5/0 suicide-style hooks around 7-8cm. It works particularly well because when a fish takes the bait, the sinker in the skirt can slide up the main line

freely, which creates no resistance for the fish to feel and therefore drop the bait. We’ve used this rig float lining with great success on snapper, kingfish, amberjack and cobia. Success rates seem to be higher than normal with this change in terminal tackle. This could possibly be because it’s something different that the fish haven’t seen before and therefore creates a situation for an impulse bite. I use the words ‘impulse bite’ because many of the fish we’ve

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caught on this rig have been taken well and truly after the main bite period of the day, when the fish generally stop feeding until hungry again. Consequently, I think the addition of the extra attraction played a part in instigating the reaction. The photograph shows this rig using a pink luminous sinker and the green lumo skirt in a couple of suicide hooks snelled together. Needless to say, the offshore fishing has been great over the past month and, as we come into August, the cold water will have brought many of the winter species in close to the coast. On the past couple of trips we did at the start of July, snapper between 80-90cm became common, with a lot of fish around 65cm being caught also. Water depths of between 35-45m have continued P33

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Mixing up offshore techniques from P32

been working well, with float-lined pilchard and squid doing the job on most occasions. Afternoon sessions have possibly been the best we’ve had in years, with trips out to the close grounds producing good numbers of fish. On these trips, we tend to be out on the water at about 2pm, so we’re set up on the fishing grounds and ready to go by 3pm. Once we get to the general area, I work out the drift and sound over the isolated rocks and reefs that I expect will be holding fish. Then, if we’ve worked out there are good fish in the water column, we’ll start to slowly drift out our bait. You generally know within one to two drifts if the fish are active on the mark – if they aren’t, it’s a good idea to move on to the next. Usually, we’ll take one maybe two fish from a particular spot and then move on to another. This is because most of the time the fish you have just caught will

spook the others in the area – the spot goes quiet and is not as fishable. For those who have bigger boats with a good range to get to the deeper water, the deep dropping has been particularly good recently and, with snapper and pearl perch off limits until the middle of August, it’s a great winter option because the current has slowed down and the wind decreases. Using electric reels is the most effective way of fishing the deep water off the Gold Coast. Your local tackle shop will be able to help with setting up all the gear you need for deep dropping. Good catches of flame tail snapper and 12 bar cod have been regular occurrences for those able to get out and fish in depths between 120280m. Whole squid and mullet fillets are great bait and having some form of flashing light on the rig is also very important. There are a few hot spots out there, so if you ask the tackle shop owner nicely, they may give

you some GPS marks to sound around. Remember to try to pick a day with light wind and follow the sea current charts on the internet because it makes it very hard to drop a bait down 200m when the wind is pushing you along in the opposite direction to the current. A reminder too that the Australian Fishing Tackle Association will be having an ‘open to the public’ day on Saturday August 6 at the Gold Coast Convention Centre at Broadbeach, so come along and see the future of fishing. I’ll be at the Catch Fishing Tackle stand if you want come and say hello August is going to be a great month on the water, so enjoy it as much as you can, and always support our local fishing community. Until next month… good fishing!

Paul Anderson, owner of The Bait Shop Gold Coast, with a solid brace of spangled emperor and snapper taken before the closure from the close grounds off Southport.

Michael with a beautiful flame tail snapper taken on the electric reel in 280m of water before the closure.

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Mark North in his lucky tie-die top displayed the perfect eating-size snapper (caught prior to the closure). www.bnbfishing.com.au

www.custommarinewelding.com.au Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 33

Steve made the most of the good conditions catching quality reef fish such as this jewfish.

Fantastic flathead and jewfish

Page 34 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

INALLY, I’ve sat down at the computer and haven’t whinged about the weather. And we’ve had sunshine over the past month and some good fishing with it. August often brings a hint of warmth towards the end of the month and a slight change in some of the species. Though, it’s a bit too soon to be looking for mangrove jack yet. That’s not to say you won’t catch a jack, but they aren’t as mobile as they will be in a couple of months. However, this month whiting usually spread through the Tweed River and, being a bigger system, the water temperature remains a little more stable and fish feed reasonably freely. The Brunswick River is a different kettle of fish – pardon the pun. Being highly influenced by ocean temperature and weather, the

Tweed to Byron Bay by GAVIN DOBSON

river water constantly changes temperature and while whiting are in the river, they’re often harder to catch until September-October. Flathead on the other hand will lay up in the shallows and warm themselves with the sun and bite readily. Speaking of flathead, there have already been good numbers in both the Tweed and Brunswick rivers. Toby and Damien Hart have been catching quality fish on lures and live bait recently, with some undersized school jewfish thrown in for fun on the light gear. In the Tweed this month, look for whiting up in the lake systems at Terranora and Cobaki, and from Chinderah to Condong, depending on how fresh it is.

Don’t let a bit of fresh scare you – it is surprising how our saltwater species can tolerate the lack of salinity for a period of time. Bream are still on fire in our lower reaches, with bumper catches coming for those using light line. The clarity of water is fairly clean, especially on an upper tide, so go as light as you dare because these fish are very shy. Offshore has been great, with good weather and flat bar crossings. In close, there have been jew and snapper from the local reefs to Black Rocks. The morning bite seems far better than the evening bite for some reason, so get out there early. continued P36

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www.tohatsu.com.au Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 35

Fantastic flathead and jewfish from P34

This jewfish copped a shortening from a shark. Due to the trauma, the remaining flesh was as tough as an old boot.

Steve with a beautiful longtail tuna from the Brunswick local reef.

Kristian Frey with a Tweed River flathead. Page 36 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

Out wide, there have been good fish coming in. The current hasn’t stopped this year, though it has slowed down to a fishable level. The 32-fathom line has been producing parrotfish, teraglin and small snapper, while the 50-fathom line has seen a few good pearl perch caught and slightly better-sized snapper. Whether in close or out wide, sharks are getting worse. Recently, I did a trip in close for jew. At the first spot, I hooked two jewfish and sharks ate them both. I moved nearly 2km away and hooked two jew at this spot… and a shark ate them both. I snapped a picture on my phone in the dark of what was left of the second jew – I got the front section back. It was a solid jew and what I recovered weighed 14.5kg – and the bite mark doesn’t have much curvature in it! I came home after this session a bit demoralised because jewfish are too important to feed to sharks. My most recent trip

was out to the 50s and once again, I was sharked. The big mongrel showed up on my sounder, holding slightly off the bottom. And when I hooked a fish, it would lift up and follow the fish, not eating them at first. It wasn’t long before it got brave and ate a fish. After that I couldn’t land a thing. The picture of my sounder shows the shark following a good pearl perch I’d hooked on some flat wireweed country. The perch felt about 3kg, but I’ll never know because about halfway up – as per the pic – the shark ate my fish and then returned to the bottom. I moved down the reef and caught a couple more fish and then it showed up again, so I had to travel a fair distance in the end to get away from it. This was a pain because apart from leaving biting fish, who wants to burn more fuel than they have to with prices the way they are? Anyway, while sharks are the new normal these days, they are taking a toll on our fish stocks, that’s for sure.

A sounder shot of a shark following and then eating a pearl perch before returning to the depths. www.bnbfishing.com. au

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 37

Cracking close reefs n Ballina is back in business

Makaira with a school mulloway that took a soft plastic.

SIGN UP FOR WEEKLY FISHING NEWS! Subscribe to the FREE BNB e-news to receive a weekly email with the latest fishing news and local fishing reports!

ELLO and welcome to August. First, I apologize for not having an article for the past few months. For those not aware, both my house and business were impacted by the floods back in March. The shop Ballina Bait and Tackle is back up and operating – thanks to some amazing friends and customers who came to the rescue with help to clean and moved stock out of the shop so it could be repaired, and then moved stock and fixtures back into the shop after the repairs were completed. Our home – like so many others around the region – is still badly damaged, so the rebuilding process will continue, and we look forward to getting our lives back on track. The help and support that came from within the local community and from other parts of the country was amazing, and so gratefully ap-

BALLINA

FREE BAIT & TACKLE Hop on to bnbfishing.com.au

Ballina West Shopping Centre Pacific Hwy, Ballina NSW

02 6686 2527 Page 38 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

Ballina Bait & Tackle by BRETT HYDE

preciated and accepted. With all of this in mind, if you are thinking of taking a holiday at some point, there are plenty of amazing places to visit in and around the Northern Rivers. Many of the local businesses and families would appreciate every bit of support from visitors during this time, as we rebuild our lives and our towns. As far as local fishing goes, winter has certainly hit us over the past month. The temperature has dropped, signalling for snapper to make their way from deeper water to the close reefs. Some quality fish have been taken using vibes and soft plastics in recent weeks, but it will also be worth trying some unweighted live bait or pilchard with minimal weight on them. We have had a number of days that have been overcast or had poor light conditions, so the brighter coloured lures have enjoyed a little more success of late. Lennox, Black Head and Riordan reefs have all produced fish. Along with snapper, there have been a number of mulloway that I suspect were pushed out after the floods and have remained on the close reefs. With the usual mullet run virtually non-existent, I am assuming there has been no real enticement for mulloway to move into the river sys-

tem and thus they have remained offshore. Out wider, the current remains slightly inconsistent, which has meant that pearl perch, kingfish and amberjack have also been a little hit and miss. Hopefully in the next month the current will settle down and we can move out to the shelf to chase some extra-deep species, such as bar cod and blue-eye trevalla. For now, we will have to stick with some 150300g jigs and bait such as squid, mullet or bonito. Back in the river, bream have been in good numbers, but they have not been in their normal winter pattern. We are still seeing plenty of them fairly high in the water column and they have been taking diving hard-body lures and lightly weighted prawns or pilchard. Usually at this time of year, we would expect to see them closer to the bottom and responding to metal blades and soft plastics with heavier weights being hopped off the bottom of the river. Either way, plenty of anglers have enjoyed landing good quality bream on both run-in and run-out tides. Mulloway have also kicked into winter mode, with some quality specimens up to 20kg being landed in the lower reaches of the river. As is typically the case continued P40

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 39

Consistent catches from the Clarence n Flathead, jewfish, luderick, bream

This nice pan-sized flathead bit off more than it could chew when it attacked Mischa’s jewfish lure.

ISHING along the Clarence Coast of northern NSW has improved markedly over the past month, due mainly to the absence of any substantial rain – something I was wondering if I was ever going to be able to say, given the previous six months. From the mighty Clarence River excellent catches of bream are being taken far and wide throughout the lower reaches, with some of the

Cracking close reefs from P38

for winter, live bait have accounted for the bulk of fish at night. The high tide at night has been the most consistent to try your luck, and I suspect this trend will continue for the next couple of months. Unfortunately, luderick haven’t shown up this winter – probably due to the lack of weed after the floods. Though there seem to be quite a few fish hanging around rock platforms such as those at Shelly Beach and Iron Peg. Most anglers are having to use the cabbage that they’ve pulled from these rock platforms as a bait alternative due to no weed being available. The beaches have probably been the most disappointing as-

pect of local fishing over the past month. The formation on the beaches was considerably affected for quite a while and is slowly coming back, but the water quality close to shore was one of the last areas to improve. In recent weeks, we have seen better numbers of bream showing up on the beaches, along with a few flathead that have been sitting in fairly shallow gutters. Soft plastics in 3-4” and white pilchard have been the most effective way to target them, but keep your weight choice light, given the shallow water they seem to be favouring at present. There have also been the occasional dart and whiting that have been keen to attack a pipi or worm.

Page 40 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

The concerning aspect of beach fishing so far this winter has been the lack of tailor. We are seeing decent numbers north and south of us, so there’s still hope as the season is far from over. My concern is that a large number of tailor stayed wide of the coastline while the floods were happening, and that they moved in closer to shore once they were north of Tweed. I’m hopeful we will see more consistent numbers move up the coast as we continue through winter because I for one am keen to get some sand on my waders this season. Well. that’s about all from me for this month – it is good to have a little normality back, so until next time, tight lines!

Just Jew by TYE PORTER

most consistent catches coming from boat anglers fishing the reef upstream at Browns Rocks or the deep water at the eastern end of the Middle Wall. As the clean water continues to push further upstream with each tide, so too will the fish and, while we did have a minor flood warning issued for the Orara River last month, thankfully it did not send a heap of dirt downstream as it does normally. Both the Yamba and Iluka breakwalls are yielding plenty of bream and school jewfish from the back of the surf, with bait such as yabbies, beachworms or white pillies being the best by far. Luderick are another

species that have finally come on the chew in a big way inside the river, which is to be expected with July and August being the best months of the year for this fish. The old ferry approach at Iluka, both breakwalls and the approaches to Oyster Channel Bridge at Yamba are the pick of the spots for land-based anglers, while those folk with a boat are cleaning up along Middle Wall, Turkeys Nest and Collis Wall over the high-water period. Flathead can be found year-round, both in the river and along the beaches, which is great for those of us who enjoy chasing these tasty little critters. Even though the sea continued P41

Yamba angler Travis Porter couldn’t hide from the pesky little bream on a recent trip to Goodwood Island. www.bnbfishing.com. au

Consistent catches from the Clarence from P40

mullet run has ended, there are still plenty of nice jewfish being taken from the river during a slack tide at night, with Collis and Middle walls being the best spots for boat fishing. Lismore angler Guy Stewart spent a couple of nights inside the river, standing in knee-deep water hooking and landing sharks on bait meant for jew and all I can say to that is… he’s a braver man than I. To me, the words ‘night, knee-deep water and sharks’ don’t sound quite right together. Though speaking of jewfish by-catches, my son Mischa hooked a nice pan-sized flathead on a 6” hard-bodied lure meant for a jew, while his girlfriend Rebekah landed two smelly forktail catfish on live mullet that were also meant for jewfish. There has been no shortage of jew along either breakwall, with both Yamba and Iluka walls providing solid numbers of school jewfish to 15kg on soft plastic lures during low water.

Meanwhile, the T-Piece at Yamba has been producing a good run of bigger fish to 24kg on both lures and live mullet during the slack high water at night. Iluka Bluff and Lovers Point on the Yamba side have fished very well for jew around the 15kg mark on shallow-running hard-bodied lures, along with ample numbers of chopper tailor around 1kg. Talking of tailor, these toothy critters finally showed up in good numbers along Main Beach and Back Beach Iluka, with the average fish tipping the scales around 1.4kg and the occasional bigger fish to slightly under 5kg. Hopefully, tailor hang around this month and don’t do one of their disappearing tricks, because August is one of the best months to see great shoals of pillies move along the coast. Back in the 1980s, my friends and I would always fish the headlands at Evans Head during August, as huge schools of big mack tuna used to come in to feed on

the bait shoals travelling along the rocks. Snapper, teraglin, sand flathead and the occasional small lost and lonely longtail tuna have kept the offshore brigade happy during the past month and, as long as the sea continues to behave itself, August should fish in a similar vein. Given all the talk of an early La Niña starting soon, fishing will continue to be a month-bymonth or even a weekby-week proposition, so you should be out there making hay while the sun shines, so to speak. All things being equal, August should see the rivers fish best for bream, luderick and jewfish, while along the headlands and beaches tailor, jewfish and bream will be the most prolific species being taken. I am yet to pick up a rod in anger this year. Though I reckon this could be the month I fire up. But then again, maybe not. Until next month, safe fishing.

Mischa Porter of Iluka with a nice 16.8kg jewfish taken on a hard-bodied lure inside the Clarence River.

find us on facebook • Win prizes • Post your brag • Chat to readers shots and writers • Join in on the fun • See who’s catching banter what • Have a laugh Lismore angler Guy Stewart with a river whaler shark that took his live bait meant for a jewfish inside the Clarence River. www.bnbfishing.com.au

www.facebook.com/bnbfishing Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 41

The tournament gets underway in August, from Sunday 21 to Saturday 27, and this year is going to be bigger than ever!

Rainbow Beach Family Fishing Classic and Expo

T The Rainbow Beach Family Fishing Classic and Expo focusses on family and community.

Page 42 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

HE countdown is on! The Rainbow Beach Family Fishing Classic and Expo gets underway in August, from Sunday 21 to Saturday 27, and this year it’s going to be big!

In 2021, we had to make the unfortunate decision to cancel the event due to COVID-19, which would have been the thirty-fifth year that the event had been going. So this year has now been branded as the thirty-fifth anniversary of the Rainbow Beach Family Fishing Classic and wow, hasn’t it grown! There’s a whopping $100,000 in cash and prizes to give away across the fishing tournament week. This year’s competition hosts nightly prize presentations after the daily weigh-ins, and we’ve added some extra-special prize presentation days into the mix. These are: • Tuesday 23 – Veterans Day • Wednesday 24 – Ladies Day • Friday 26 – Kids Day Throughout the tournament week, every night there will be three adult competitors, two cadets and two juniors drawn randomly and who will go in the major drawdown prize presentation

at the grand finale on Saturday 27 August. There are cash prizes and trophies to be won for the heaviest fish in each category, which will be handed out at the grand finale also. There is a $10,000 major draw down cash prize to give away for the adult category. And the cadets and juniors don’t miss out – during the major draw down, there is a great assortment of prizes to giveaway for these categories too! We take this opportunity to thank our sponsors old and new for their unwavering support of this amazing event. And in the spirit of the tournament, we hope all entrants take the time to check these fantastic sponsors and business houses out, because without their support we couldn’t host this amazing annual event. You can get your fishing classic entries from trybooking.com/BXZPS and via rainbowsports club.com.au Helen Shadbolt Event Coordinator RBFFCE

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TUESDAY 23rd VETERANS DAY

Fish weigh-in 4pm - 6pm Prize presentation

WEDNESDAY 24th LADIES DAY

Fish weigh-in 4pm - 6pm Prize presentation

THURSDAY 25th

Fish weigh-in 4pm - 6pm Prize presentation

FRIDAY 26th KIDS DAY

Fish weigh-in 4pm - 6pm Prize presentation

SATURDAY 27th GRAND FINALE

Fish weigh-in 2pm - 4pm Prize presentation

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 43

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 45

Northshore Bait & Tackle staff member Rhyder Worth with a cracking 79cm snapper from Barwon Bank.

Raynard Tippo with a colourful trout.

Winter fishing heats up on Sunshine Coast

ITH this winter feeling colder than previous years, most days gave way to clear skies and the classic winter westerly wind. This saw offshore conditions clear up and reef fish on the chew. The end of June provided anglers with a few great opportunities to land mackerel and snapper before the rain arrived and cooled the water even further. For many anglers, July meant trying to head out for snapper before

Sunshine Coast by GRANT BUDD

the annual snapper and pearl perch closure. From July 15 to August 15, all snapper and pearlies are off limits to all angling in Queensland. This is to allow the fish time off from angling pressure to spawn. If fishing during this time and you accidently land either fish, they must be returned. With many anglers uncertain on how to vent

Ava Church with her first sweetlip going 46cm. Page 46 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

fish – not popping the swim bladder when exposed in the mouth – now is a great time to learn, or buy a release weight. For help with this, drop in and we can step you through the process. Winter is the time of year when swell on coastal bars is around 1m or less, making the Noosa Bar safer to navigate. For those heading out under the cover of darkness, remember that whales are in migration, so go slow and keep radios turned on. Should you require any flairs, jackets and boating goods, be sure to pop into Noosa Outdoors, which is next to Tackle World Noosa. With offshore water at its coldest for a couple of months, you can target jewfish, cobia, amberjack and even longtail tuna in the deep. These fish make excellent lure-fishing targets and you can get very

specific if you prefer a challenge. Depending on your chosen target, you could decide to hit up North Reef for jewies and cobia, with AJs coming further afield from Double Island. As lure anglers, it is important to know your target so you can get kitted up accordingly. The inshore reefs will most likely hold sweetlip, tuskfish, cod and smaller cobia, with Sunshine Reef the more popular system. If you are a bait angler, you may want to drop the berley trail while snapper are on pause and try drift fishing. Drifting with the aid of a parachute or electric motor can yield amazing results. This method can be very successful at North Reef, Double Island, Barwon Bank and other reefs and wrecks on the coast. Not only does it let you fish a large part of the reef system while creating new waypoints, you may experience a more aggressive bite. When a drifting bait

or lure passes, a predatory fish has only a short amount of time to attack or your offering drifts away. This can see massive takes, where rods are almost taken out of hands! You would be best to run 20-30lb on 5000 size spin reels and 8-10kg or PE3-4 rods. Check out the many eight-strand braids we carry – from Shimano, YGK, Sunline and Varivas to name a few – which let you feel the smallest of bites from the biggest of fish. The beaches from Noosa, Sunshine and Castaways have been popular with tailor and jew anglers throughout July. The rain at the start of the month saw baitfish getting flushed out and big spring tides in combination with cool weather saw some great fish landed. With tailor yet to show up in numbers, jewfish have been the better target. Around the river mouths along the coast, lots of trevally and sizacontinued P47

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Winter fishing heats up from P46

ble flathead have shown up with chopper tailor. The most popular method has been casting small micro jigs and slugs in the 5-10g range. Flathead require a soft plastic around 3-4” in size, with Keitech and Berkley PowerBait the more popular brands. In the Noosa River, bream, jewfish, queenfish, tailor and flathead along with giant, golden, bigeye and diamond trevally are on the catch list. Sizes of flathead are reaching beyond 75cm, so these must be returned, with many anglers returning fish at 60cm. Try to fish around the turn in the tide from high to low, especially if we have had flooding rain. Bream anglers can start getting excited because big winter bream will start to school up and can be found throughout the lower estuary. Chunk bait of mullet, squid and pilchard on light-running sinker rigs will work well for both fish, however a heavier leader may be required for flatties. No matter where you fish, you should always carry a landing net.

Big fish around the 1m mark weigh a lot, especially if you are trying to beach them, and this is when light leaders will snap. With many telescopic nets available to suit all budgets, make sure you check out our range because there is nothing worse than losing a trophy fish at your feet. Prawn lures are popular in the Noosa River and the many options from MMD, Zerek and Chasebaits have you covered. Work these along the drop-offs with the current of the dog beach, river mouth and sandbags. Make sure you carry a good selection of jig heads when using soft plastics, so you change weight when the current or water depth changes. This ensures your presentation looks natural and moves with the current correctly. The TT Lures Estuary Pack features the most popular estuary-sized jig heads, allowing you to make changes as required. Finally, for those wanting to keep something other than fish, why not try setting a line of pots? As a single angler, you

continued P48

Dylan Versteegen with a big buck from the mangroves. www.bnbfishing.com.au

FISHING EVENTS COMPETITION

DATE

LOCATION

2022 Australian Fishing Aug 4-6 Trade Association

Gold Coast, QLD afta.net.au/trade-show

Rainbow Beach Aug 21-27 Family Fishing Classic & Expo

Rainbow Beach, QLD rainbowsportsclub.com.au/ rainbow-beach-family-fishingclassic-2021/

Green Beacon and Aug 21-28 Manly, QLD Wynnum Marine mbtbc.com Moreton Bay Fishing Classic Catch a Catty Aug 27-28 Family Fishing Competition

Burnett River, QLD facebook.com/Paradise-FishStocking-Association105544657844248-

Exmouth Game Aug 29-31 Fishing Club Ladies Day

Isisford, QLD egfc.weebly.com/ladies-day

Garmin Research & Sep 9-11 Fishing Competition

Sunshine Coast, QLD scfaustralia.com/sunshine coast-comp

Woodgate Beach Sep 16-18 Hotel Fishing Classic

Woodgate Beach Hotel, QLD woodgatebeachhotel.com/wbhfc

Kurrimine Classic Sep 16-18

Kurrimine, QLD kurriminebeachfishingclub.com.au

Baffle Creek Family Sep 19-24 Fishing Festival

Baffle Creek, QLD bafflecreekfishing.com

Flathead Sep 27-30 Classic

Gold Coast, QLD flatheadclassic.com.au

Fitzroy River Oct 16-19 Barra Bash

Fitzroy River, QLD fitzroyriverbarrabash.com.au

Wyaralong Dam Oct 29 Carp & Tilapia Eradication Comp

Wyaralong, QLD lafma.org/

To have your competition listed in the calendar, please phone (07) 3286 1833 or email ads@collins.media Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 47

A beautiful sunrise at Poyungan Rocks, a great tailor spot.

Trip to K’gari Beach Resort

Free pool after dinner at the McKenzie’s on 75 restaurant is a great way to wind down after a big day of fishing.

Winter fishing heats up from P47

can have four pots and you can even catch fish in them. If fishing upriver, it’s always worth setting a few while you nose around the mangroves because you may return to a big buck. If you need crabbing kit, we stock entry level and pro gear to get you started. Away from saltwater, freshwater impoundments have started to fish better following the major flooding experienced earlier in the year. Bass are trying to spawn and have been found in good numbers around dam walls. Though not wild, dam bass still have a natural instinct to want to travel downstream to breed and this is why they are found in big numbers during winter. With the cool water,

many big fish will be hard on the bottom. Using a slower retrieve on lures such as the Ecogear ZX Blade and Hot Bite Gang Banker Spoon will work very well on schooled up fish. Don’t forget, the end of August is the end of the wild bass closure, meaning you’ll be able to once again target our aggressive little native. Now, for all the latest information, log on to fishingnoosa.com.au for up-to-date bar and fishing reports, don’t forget to drop into Tackle World Noosa, Noosa Boating and Outdoors and Northshore Bait & Tackle in Marcoola for all the right equipment, bait and advice to get you catching. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and remember, tight lines and bent spines!

Page 48 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

NY trip to K’gari – which aptly means ‘paradise’ – is special to me. But an early winter trip with my youngest son Josh was extra special – the chance to spend five quality days together, just the two of us. So, off we went to stay at our favourite K’gari Beach Resort – formerly known as Eurong Beach Resort. The resort K’gari Beach Resort is located on the east coast of the world’s largest sand island and is literally right on the beach. There are two ways of accessing it. First, you can come via River Heads near Hervey Bay and take the Kingfisher Bay Ferry, which is about a 50-minute ride to Kingfisher Bay Resort. From there, it is about an hour’s drive across the island to the resort. Alternatively, you can come through Rainbow Beach and Inskip Point and take the short ferry to Hook Point. From there it is about 35km or 40-50 minutes to Eurong, where the re-

Beach Fishing by SEAN THOMPSON

sort is behind the sand dunes. Our family have been going to the resort at Eurong for 25 years, including my wife and I pre-kids. We keep going back for so many reasons but basically it is a good value, very comfortable and relaxed resort. It has all the facilities you need, with beach or pool and garden views and it’s right on the beach. There is plenty of parking for your fourwheel-drive in the resort carpark, along with a handy paid car-washing facility. You can leave your fishing gear safely on or in your car or keep what you want to rig up or prepare for the next day on the huge balconies off the rooms. In terms of the accommodation, you have a choice of spacious resort or king hotel rooms, or two-bedroom or king two-bedroom apart-

ments – all which have been recently renovated. We stayed in a king two-bedroom apartment that was fully refurbished with all new fixtures, including cooking facilities, new dining and lounge furniture and reverse-cycle air-conditioning, which was perfect to take the chill off winter nights. Our room had an awesome view of the pool and ocean, along with two huge TVs and a relaxing living area. Though we kept things simple and ate at the McKenzie’s on 75 restaurant for breakfast and dinner – the recently launched menu has everything from burgers to lamb shanks. You can also order takeaway pizzas, which are delicious too! If you keep an eye out, there are regular deals such as ‘Breakfast for a $1’, ‘Stay 3 and get $150 worth of fuel for free’ or ‘Stay 3, Ferry continued P50

www.bnbfishing.com. au

ON K'GARI (FRASER ISLAND)

K'GARI BEACH RESORT King room upgrades available Beachfront base, perfect to rig up for the tailor season Village store, bakery, fishing supplies & BBQ facilities Located on 75 Mile Beach (self-drive 4WD access only)

FILL YOUR TANK WITH $150 OF FREE FUEL THREE NIGHT 4WD GETAWAY

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 49

Trip to K’gari Beach Resort from P48

Plonker Pads, owned by a Wynnum local, are a great way to protect your rod and vehicle.

Free’ – follow the K’gari Beach Resort Facebook page and you will see the regular specials. Of course, additional bonuses of staying here include the fact that it is fully-fenced – offering protection from dingoes – with huge grounds for

A magic view to wake up to at the resort.

Heaps of cash and prizes to be won in the Gardiner Fisheries Tailor and Whiting Competition. Page 50 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

worry-free kids’ play, tennis courts, pool, barbecues, an absolutely awesome bakery with coffee as good as if not better than most Brisbane cafés, a general store, petrol, bottle shop and more! But best of all, when you are ready to hit the beach for a fish, you simply drive out of the carpark for a couple of hundred metres and make the big decision on which way you are going to turn onto the beach – left or right! Beach driving Because Josh had got his learner’s permit the week before our trip, after some intensive training with him in a big carpark near home before we went to K’gari, I figured some long straight beach driving would help him as well. What better place to spend his first few hours driving than on the long wide 75 Mile Beach at and around low tide? Before I let him hit the sand, I drove the beach and talked through everything he needed to watch for and more. This included slowing near any sign of beach wash-outs and corrugated sand bumps – or ‘whooptie-doos’ as we call them – indicating your intention to stay left to oncoming traffic, slowing around anglers and kids, as well as learning the angles to take deeper wash-outs and creek crossings such as Eli. Josh did them all and I bet there aren’t too many learner drivers who can say they had to slow for a dingo to pass or pull over to watch a whale put on a show! Fishing – tailor time Of course, when this

August edition is in the stands, it will be peak season for tailor at K’gari. Tailor season generally runs from June to about late November. The peak would have to be around mid-July to the end of September, with bigger fish coming in late September-October. Good spots to try include the regular deep gutters that form around the rocky outcrops of Poyungan and Yidney Rocks, the bottom end of the island near North Point around from Hook Point and beach gutters anywhere along the beach from Eurong, the Maheno and further north around Dundaburra and Cathedrals. Outside the closure periods of August and September, you can also fish on and around the rocks of Indian Head and Waddy Point, though of course I’d suggest off the rocks only if you are experienced, are fishing relatively calm seas and are fishing with a friend. You can also chase tailor further north at Orchid Beach and South Ngkala Rocks, though it is a long drive if staying at the resort. Check out the videos on my Ontour Fishing Australia Facebook page on the types of beach formation you should be looking for. But basically, you want to be looking for darker green rippled water close to shore, ideally with a back sandbank within casting distance and an entry and exit point – known to swimmers as ‘rips’ – for the fish to enter and exit. Ideal times include dawn, dusk and into continued P51

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Trip to K’gari Beach Resort from P50

the evening, though you can also spin for tailor during the day out on the back sandbanks by reaching these on some of the lower or neap high tides, or by looking for birds down the bottom end of the island around North and Hook points. A cold westerly wind is ideal to bring tailor schools in close, as they feed on the bait taking shelter in the gutters. A westerly wind means calmer water flattened by the offshore wind blowing from the land towards the sea. While on the topic of tailor, for anyone fishing from Point Cartwright to Sandy Cape at K’gari over August, be sure to enter the great tailor competition at Gardin-

ers Fisheries, Rainbow Beach. What’s more, the annual whiting comp also starts August 1, yet another reason to pop in to see Drew and the crew on the way to K’gari. Other species While Fraser is renowned for its tailor, there are so many more species you can successfully target on K’gari. These include whiting, bream, tarwhine, dart and mulloway off the beach and even spanish mackerel, huge giant trevally, sharks and more using specialist slide bait or drone fishing gear. Of this list, whiting are an extremely popular target for all ages and are available in good numbers off the beach all year-round.

Shallow low tide beach gutters are the places to target, as are shallow sandbanks covered at high tide at the north Sandy Cape and Hook Point ends. Then of course there is the brilliant flats fishing available on the calm western side of the island. Spots include slightly north of the Inskip barge landing and on the sand flats full of yabby banks around creek mouths such as Kingfisher, Woralie and Wathumba. Here you can target whiting, bream and flathead on yabbies and beachworms, as well as fish such as flathead, bream, grunter, trevally and more on lightly weighted 1/8-1/6oz TT

continued P52

A nice early season tailor.

A great mixed bag from the western flats, and a morning tailor from the beach.

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Trip to K’gari Beach Resort from P51

Lures jig heads and soft plastics such as Z-Man Slim SwimZ, MinnowZ and Curly Tailz. I use plastics during the last couple of hours of a falling tide around drains and drops-offs and then fish the sand spits and darker softer sand in the shallow drains and channels on a rising tide. Our fishing report As I mentioned earlier, a westerly wind is ideal to bring tailor into shore. Unfortunately, we lucked out after 10 straight days of a westerly to get 4-5 days of a strong southeasterly wind before we arrived. This pushed tailor off the beaches to nearby reefs. As the conditions calmed during the week, we saw birds working the surface, indicating schools of tailor slightly out of lure-casting reach at the back of gutters in close.

We managed a couple of fish, but the icy westerly of early July should certainly have brought them back in. We had more luck on the western flats with flathead, bream and even sole on plastics on the flats and trevally jigging at high tide off the Kingfisher jetty. We also had a great bait-fishing session catching a solid feed of whiting and bream on live beachworms caught from the beach on a rising tide on the sand flats. Fishing accessories Finally, as always I carried a couple of my favourite beach-fishing accessories during this trip, which came in very handy. First, a set of Plonker Pads – awesome Velcro pads that simply pull apart and are placed over the sinker or lure on your rigged-up rod. This stops it banging on the windscreen or roof of your 4WD. They are great for stop-

ping your rigged rods on the boat getting tangled too. The other essential fishing accessory I always take on K’gari trips is my Hard Korr T440 rechargeable head torch. This incredibly bright headlamp is 440 lumens with a few brightness settings, but best of all it is rechargeable and has an incredibly handy hands-free sensor control function to turn it on and off with simply a wave of your hand. Best of all, it lights up the beach like day! So, there you go. I hope you’re now keen for a K’gari trip soon. If you haven’t already, book into K’gari Beach Resort to experience a memorable family or friends trip for yourself. For more tips, reports and giveaways check out my Facebook page OntourFishingAustralia as well as my Instagram and YouTube pages.

Throwing 40 and 65g metal lures is a great option after sunrise around rocky outcrops. Page 52 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

Experience K’gari’s natural beauty

’GARI is the world’s largest sand island and an area of remarkable natural beauty. It was listed as a World Heritage Area in 1992 to recognise the island’s internationally significant natural features. Those include evolving dune, lake, soil and forest systems, the extent and age of which are outstanding examples of ongoing geological and biological processes, and unique landscapes, which are examples of superlative natural occurrences. Growing on seemingly infertile sands are a great variety of plant communities ranging from coastal heath, mangrove forests and swamps to subtropical rainforest.

The many archaeological remains found on K’gari record thousands of years of culture and tradition and provide important links to their past for the Butchulla people. The island is 123km long and covers an area of 166,038ha, so you need to allow plenty of time to explore and appreciate it. Some ‘must see’ places include Lake Boomanjin, Central Station, Boorangoora (also known as Lake McKenzie), Lake Wabby, Eli Creek, Kingfisher Bay, Lake Allom, the Wungul Sandblow, Waddy Point headland, the Binngih Sandblow and Ocean Lake. More information is available from visit frasercoast.com www.bnbfishing.com. au

Woodgate Beach Hotel Fishing Classic

HE sixth annual Woodgate Beach Hotel Fishing Classic is on this September from Friday 16 to Sunday 18, located at the newly renovated Woodgate Beach Hotel. This event has grown from strength to strength over the past five years of competition, seeing over 500 entrants registered last year and a whopping prize pool of nearly $65,000. This being our sixth year, we have set new targets and new goals to go bigger and better and hope to draw in over 750 competitors. We have not only raised our entrant num-

bers in 2022 but also our prize pool, which is up to a massive $90,000 plus and growing. This will be our biggest year to date. We have some exciting features for the 2022 comp, with the return of the Shimano Reef Science Fishing Show and My Kitchen Rules winners Dan and Steph are coming to demonstrate their skills in the kitchen and show you some great ways to cook and serve your catch! We also have the return of our crowd favourite and ever-popular best dressed team event. Last year’s winners, the Stunned Mullets,

will be there in force in their custom outfits from our friends at Mad Keen Fishing ready to judge and crown our 2022 winners. On Saturday morning, we will play host to the Bundaberg broadcasting team Matty and Trace from Hitz 939, where we will be giving away a swag of prize packs from Yeti and Spotters. We have so much in store this year – we’re just warming up as we head into September! We have worked hard over the past 12 months to improve our comp and, to make it more user friendly, we’ve launched our new website.

The Woodgate Beach Hotel Fishing Classic is a great family fun weekend. Photos: Lisa Maree Carter Photography

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You will find all things 2022 fishing comp related via our new website, from rules to prizes, what’s on and accommodations – we have you covered. Oh, and you can also register online this year! In addition, we are super excited to introduce our online shop, which is proving to be a huge success. You can pre-purchase all this year’s comp apparel prior to the event, so it is ready for collection on your arrival to the Woodgate Beach Hotel Fishing Classic. Be sure to jump online and check out the website, see the sponsors

that helped make this year possible and look at last year’s gallery of photos to get a feel for what’s in store for 2022. There is even a recap video on our home page what will definitely get you excited for what’s to come! For updates and information between now and September, be sure to jump on to our socials and give them a follow or like – Facebook: WoodgateBeach HotelFishingClassic, Instagram: wbhfc_22 or website: woodgate beachhotelfishingclas sic.com.au Brandon Lindeberg Event Coordinator

The crowd favourite and ever-popular best dressed team event. Last year’s winners, the Stunned Mullets.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 53

Ming with one of the winter grunter that have been by-catch while chasing snapper and trevally.

Alan, representing Z-Man, with a nice afternoon snapper.

Less is more with light gear

T Mav with a cracker longtail that was snapper bycatch.

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HOUGH horrible weather persists, we managed to get out in June, after the wreck that we will call May! There have been quite a few days of cold weather, which signifies the return of snapper and the deeper schools of yummy grunter. Fishing around the full moon was fairly good however, I do expect the fishing to get a bit tougher, especially around the neap tides. Here are some things I try when the bite is tough. Lighter lures, lighter leaders and frustrate the hell out of them. Lighter lures often waft

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and sink more realistically, sometimes fished with slower actions and retrieves. Think of a soft plastic and holding the lure, have you noticed how difficult it is to hold the lure dead still? It is impossible, so sometimes less is indeed more. Dead sticking can be extremely effective on fussy fish, though be sure the lure is actually in the vicinity of some fish. Often teamed with a light lure is a light leader. It can be important to help the lure sink and transmit soft bites on the bottom. Light leaders are obviously skinnier and hence harder to see, which is something to consider with the smaller winter tides and cooler water – two factors that control water clarity. So far this winter, I have not been required to use silly weights or light leaders yet. Though time will tell. The above should catch you anything from snapper to tuna… yes, tuna. You may not see them boiling on the surface, but they are often schooled with trevally

and snapper. Regularly they eat the lure on the bottom. It is crazy how regularly we multi-hook up with snapper and tuna, particularly longtail. Great fun, when the sharks go on holiday, are trevally. Hard-running diamond, stoic golden and brassy trevally. Thankfully, these fish are generally manageable on light snapper gear. Though tuna can be a handful, especially when they exceed the 1m mark. A few nice queenfish are around too. Mostly under 1m queenies, but there has been the occasional horse mixed in. It would be nice to see these numbers hang around. Especially if a few big horses stay in the game. Do not fish light leaders with queenies because they will often rub the leader to failure. I recommend a quality hard-wearing 30lb leader as a minimum on fish that might be around or over the 1m mark. In the past, I’ve had them wear out 40lb leaders, they have highly continued P55

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Less is more with light gear from P54

abrasive teeth. Queenfish are a fast and honest sportfish. In winter, they don’t seem to jump as much and hence do not burn themselves out – exhausted to the point of death. If you catch them, be quick with photos. And sometimes, a swim before release is a good idea, especially

when the water is warm. Diamond trevally are another fish you need to be careful with. They too will burn themselves out. And if caught from deep water – anything over 15m – will at times suffer from barotrauma. If required, I use a release weight to plumb the fish down. Though if that doesn’t work, it’s into the Esky.

Mav the grey mackerel slayer.

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They are good table fare. Fast photos will also reduce mortality rates. As a general rule, only keep fish out of the water for as short a period as possible. However, if you are eating the fish, it doesn’t matter. But do not kid yourself about catch and release. Do so with care and attention, because what is the point of throwing back a compromised or dead fish? Remember what catch and release is meant to be about… putting the fish first. The photo is nice to have, though it doesn’t compare to a fish that is re-caught after packing on a few more pounds and potentially spawning another generation.

Phu with a cracker trout on an equally cracker afternoon.

Quang with a hard-fighting slatey bream caught on the jig.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 55

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 57

Geoff Elliot recently visited Corooman Creek and nailed this top flathead.

The author with a quality Corio Bay flathead taken on a small Vertrex Soft Vibe.

Improving catches when times are tough offshore

I How’s this for a nice surprise while trying to cast net some bait? Geoff Elliot nailed this pair of threadfin salmon when fishing Port Alma.

This is the author’s wife Amanda after receiving some helpful advice about landing tiger squid. Rumour has it he was only recently allowed back in the house. Page 58 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

’VE been speaking to a lot of anglers who have been heading wide from Yeppoon targeting red emperor and large-mouth nannygai, and many of the reports are that the fishing has been quite tough. The first thing I ask most anglers who are struggling is how far they have headed out from the marina and what tactics they used. Some people do get their back up a bit with these questions, until I explain that I’m only trying to get an understanding of what they are doing to give them some ideas to improve their catch rates next time they head out. One of the most common mistakes I see anglers make is not dedicating enough time to secure fresh bait. There are heaps of different ways to acquire fresh bait. One of the easiest is to have a light rod rigged with a small Flasha lure.

Capricorn Coast by JOHN BOON

If you find any bait schools on the surface getting busted up, then pull up and have a cast. Most of the time you’ll be able to hook a mack tuna or bonito that you can fillet for slab bait. Having a bait jig at the ready is another top idea. They are a bit of a pain to use with all those small hooks, but the rewards speak for themselves. I can remember a trip I went on with a friend in his big plate boat. The bite was super tough, but we did manage to secure a heap of yakka – also known as yellowtail scad – on the way out. None of the frozen bait we had onboard put a keeper in the boat, everything we got was on either live or butterflied yakka.

If we hadn’t put the effort in, we could have quite easily gone back to the boat ramp and written that trip off as ‘they just weren’t chewing’. During winter, when we get our good weather periods, we will see a bit of westerly wind. Westerly wind seems to play havoc with the closer ground up to about 60km, I believe. You can still catch good quality fish, but it seems to be a lot tougher. If you want to fish the closer ground, it may be a case of putting in a big effort for a few quality fish. Generally, if I want to do well during winter and a westerly is predicted, we head as wide as possible. My opinion is, the further you get away from continued P59

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Improving catches when times are tough offshore from P58

the coastline, the less effect wind direction seems to have. We normally don’t start fishing until we are a good 80km from the marina, unless we find something interesting on the trip out. We then concentrate on fishing from the 80100km area. I’ve been out that far with a consistent 10-12 knot southwesterly and fish have still chewed hard. You may not agree with some of the information supplied and that’s OK, these are a few of the tips and techniques that have worked for me when times have been tough. So, what has been happening locally? Tiger squid have been

surprising for the first two months of winter. I’ve been out a couple of times and only managed a dozen or so both times. The size has also been down on previous years. I think it may be a slow start to the season and will ramp up during August, so make sure you’ve got all the gear prepped and ready for action for when the wind drops. With the Fitzroy River still a mess, I’ve been concentrating on other systems such as Corooman Creek and Corio Bay. Corooman has been fantastic for bread and butter species. I was running around Corrie not too long ago and was absolutely amazed at the amount

of winter barramundi in the system. Though it was hard to get them to bite on lures – I guess the 18C water temperature will make them a little sluggish. I only managed a few hits but nothing that would commit. So, I put the barra gear away and got the light out… and had an absolute ball. The amount of small fingermark that were keen to have a chew was surprising. I also got in to bream, flathead, steel back salmon and cod. While nothing was massive, a lot of fun was had. Corio has still been a bit murky though has also been fishing well for bread and butter species.

Recently, I went there with good friend Mick Slade and we had a lot of fun on the light stuff. Flathead were being a bit harder to find on top of the tide, with only one decent fish and two pups for our efforts. Once the tide dropped and we started working gravel patches and drains, we had a steady supply of flatties com-

ing over the side. The stand-out plastic for the trip was the 3” Molix RT Shad – if you haven’t had a swim with this lure yet, I highly recommend you check them out. Well, that’s it from me for this month. I’m looking forward to some warmer water and warmer weather. Need me a barra fix.

Big impoundment barramundi are still on offer during the cold months. Matty Arnold with a genuine 120cm beast.

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Samurai Rod Sock Mustad Mini Ink Vaders

THE Mustad Mini Ink Vaders were developed in response to requests for a smaller and more finesse Ink Vader to target shallow and still water fisheries. Available in two styles – the Tenya and Double Assist – the Mini Ink Vader delivers a staggeringly real lure that fish cannot resist. The Tenya variant features both a fixed Tenya hook and an assist hook on a 55lb braided line. The two eyes on the Tenya hook offer the option to fish vertically or horizontally, improving the chance of landing the big one. This jig is so realistic that the current can give enough action to the tentacles to get a bite. Lures with the 20g zinc weight have a red eye, while those with the 30g lead weight have a gold eye. The Double Assist rigged Mini Ink Vader offers anglers more options for technique and presentation with the same proven lifelike TPE body for which the Ink Vader is known. Similar to the original, this jig’s assist hooks hang side by side among the tentacles, hiding in the action. Short slow jigging presents the Ink Vader with the most realistic action. Lures with the 20g zinc weight have a red eye, while those with the 30g lead weight have a gold eye. Visit wilsonfishing.com

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differently with each movement of the rod tip. Perfectly suited to both fresh and salt, the Double Clutch suspends in freshwater and slowly rises in saltwater. Fitted with ultra-sticky BKK Spear 21SS treble hooks, the DC48 is ready to fish straight out of the pack and is available in an expansive array of fish catching colours. The legend and the family continue to grow with the new finesse Double Clutch 48SP. Visit daiwafishing.com.au

DO you get annoyed when you are trying to carry multiple fishing rods and guides get tangled or worse still, get tangled and end up bending or breaking off? It is hard enough to put a pile of tangled rods down, let alone a couple of damaged ones. The Samurai Rod Sock aims to reduce the tangles and improve the precision of your rod carrying, so you can get your rod out of the sock easily and in the water faster. Available in Spin and Casting models at a recommended retail price of $11.95. Visit frogleysoffshore.com.au

Shimano Metanium MGL

Double Clutch 48SP

THE famous Double Clutch family welcomes its newest and smallest member with the arrival of the 48SP. Designed as the ultimate finesse twitchbait, the Double Clutch 48 features Daiwa’s patented silent gravity oscillation weight transfer system, delivering unmatched casting performance and Double Clutch’s unmatched responsiveness when twitched and worked. The key to the S-GOS system is that it shifts the bait’s centre of gravity on every twitch, making the lure shift and pivot

THE Metanium MGL sets the standard for baitcasters in the Australian market. This flagship baitcast model features a magnesium CoreSolid body, which is designed to deliver unmatched durability, rigidity and sensitivity. Taking this to the next level is the addition of the Magnumlite Spool III, which decreases spool inertia by 17 percent. To further enhance castability and control, the new SVS system has been included to provide a wider range of brake adjustment via the external dial. The micro-module main gear is made from a solid brass construction and Silent Tune technology reduces spool bearing vibration for smooth reeling. The Metanium MGL has been extensively tested by Shimano field testers for over 12 months in Australia’s top end region, which is renowned for extreme saltwater conditions. Visit shimanofish.com.au

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 61

McArthy Buzz N Frog

THE McArthy Buzz N Frog will be a massive hit with anglers chasing the ultimate buzz – big bad impoundment barramundi on surface! Rigged with a weighted worm hook, the Buzz N Frog becomes a deadly barra lure that can be fished on the surface or slightly below. Designed to be fished in heavy cover such as weed mats, reed banks and lily pads, the Buzz N Frog sends out incredible sonics with its paddle tail legs and ribbed belly. Rigging couldn’t be easier with a shallow hook channel along the centre line of the lure’s back, guiding the worm hook into perfect rigging position, while the angled and ribbed belly area allows anglers to insert the hook in exactly the right place every time! At its absolute best fished over the top of heavy weed beds, the Buzz n Frog can easily be fished subsurface by simply slowing down the retrieve. This is a deadly tactic if big barra are following but not fully committing to the lure. It’s also a great way to explore the dark nooks and crannies found in lily pad beds where saratoga and barra love to hunt. At 10cm in total length, the Buzz n Frog is the perfect snack size for other species as well, with mangrove jack, estuary trevally and even Murray cod in duckweed-covered gorge country rivers all falling to this lure’s charms. Visit wilsonfishing.com

Page 62 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

Atomic Hardz new colours

TWO exciting new colours have landed for the Atomic Hardz range. These are the first to launch of several new colours on their way. Bumble Bee and Grey Assassin were hand designed by pro angler Jamie Bowden. The new colours have been tested and proven in a wide range of estuaries, offshore and impoundments. Available in Crank 38 mid, Crank 38 deep, Bream Crank 38 double deep, Shad 40 deep, Shad 50 deep, Shiner 60 deep, Shiner 75 mid, Shiner 75 deep, Shiner 85 mid, Shiner 85 double deep, Jerk Minnow 65, K9 Pup, K9 Walker, K9 Bulldog, Pop 50, Pop 75, and Vib 60. Recommended retail price $21.95. Visit frogleysoffshore.com.au

Daiwa 22 Sensor Surf 45 SCW

SURF’S up with the newest addition to the Daiwa surf reel line-up with the release of the Sensor Surf 45 SCW. An evolution in surf-reel design and performance, Sensor Surf is tailor made for the avid surf angler wanting precise line

control and the ability to punch long casts well beyond the shoreline. The Sensor Surf 45 SCW’s long-stroke design spool combines with Daiwa’s new Slow Cross Wrap oscillation system to improve casting distance and line management, while air rotor and air bail combine to lower cranking inertia to enhance line management and provide smooth effortless winding. Magseal delivers the Holy Grail for surf anglers, providing protection and performance as only Magseal can – by limiting water ingress in the reel. Sensor Surf 45 SCW continues to deliver with the addition of Digigear II for perfect gear meshing and ultra-smooth performance, ATD drag for precise drag control when fighting fish among the wash and waves, and Infinite anti-reverse for ultimate reliability and cranking precision. Life among the waves has never been better than with the new Sensor Surf 45 SCW. Visit daiwafishing.com.au

Shimano Coltsniper BB

SHIMANO’S newly designed Coltsniper BB rods will ensure you are never under gunned when fishing shore based. With four models ranging from 9’6” and 10’ in length, this series are built on Hi-Power X blanks, which are carbon wrapped for added strength and casting distance. Fitted with Fuji K guides and a DPS reel seat that secures your reel with a lock nut, the Coltsniper BB is equipped with componentry designed for performance. The lightweight two-piece design allows you to easily transport them down to your favourite beach gutter or rock platform. Available in ratings across PE2 and PE4 with varying maximum casting weights from 60-100g, this rod series is ideal for a range of spinning and shore jigging scenarios. Visit shimanofish.com.au

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BOATING & marine Insights in to boat insurance

It’s all good fun until it’s not Y

OUTUBE is peppered with videos of Americans having fun in their boats. And some of the boats are truly spectacular – banks of outboards on the back, perhaps 1-2000hp behind $1-2 million worth of boat. The only thing small on them are the swimsuits. At the other extreme, there are the compact runabouts and every other vessel in between. But as you watch them entering and exiting waterway bars at places such as Haulover and Boca inlets in Florida, you’ll also see sights that defy belief. With not one life jacket in sight – ever – folks seem to be trying their hardest to turn a delightful day on the water in to a visit to Davy Jones’ locker. Water gushing over the foredecks of centre consoles and bow riders as the poorly credentialled skippers charge at speed headlong into sharp and dangerous pressure waves on an outgoing

tide. You’ll see them jump the first wave only to land nose first into the leading trough of the next. And people being flung about as if they were in a washing machine – it’s chilling viewing. You’ll even see some folks thinking it’s fun to steer a party pontoon boat into the foam. Boat after boat… the maniac parade continues. There’s a major lesson in it for all Australian boaties and that is, your marine insurance is there to give you peace of mind while you have a sensational day on the water. Nautilus Marine will do the worrying – you create the magical memories with your family and friends. Unlike what you might think when watching those horrifying YouTube videos, an insurance policy is not a free ticket to behave recklessly, foolishly or dangerously. It’s there for protection against misfortune and mishaps.

It’s not a deal that lets you virtually welcome the opportunity to create an artificial reef while someone else picks up the tab. In fact, if you check your insurance policy, you will most probably find exactly that, spelt out in one form or another, in paragraphs relating to appropriate use of the vessel and compliance with regulatory processes. Bar crossings at Haulover and Boca are filmed regularly – in fact, there are weekly and monthly updates. So, when things go pear-shaped, there’s a reasonably good chance that someone is going to have video footage of it. Likewise, here in Australia – there always seems to be someone taking video footage of what’s

happening, whether directly or indirectly by people doing the a l m o s t- o bl ig a t o r y ‘selfie’ shot. Act like a clown and, like any circus performance, someone will probably get a photograph or video of it. Though there’s a big difference between the safety net of a good marine insurer and a safety net used by circus acrobats. One is there so you have back-up for the unexpected, the other is there for back-up when thrill-chasing entertainers push the envelope too far. Any ridiculous action stands a fair chance of being recorded in Australia. And if it’s a particularly frightening shot, it might even make the newspaper or nightly television news along with a

host of social media outlets. Bottom line, any claim of a ‘rogue wave’ – when someone has been behaving totally irresponsibly for the past 20 minutes – is not going to cut it if that footage lands in the hands of a marine insurer. What is and what may not be covered in terms of marine incidents will be decided in accord with the terms of insurance as defined in your insurance policy’s Product Disclosure Statement. Similarly, any special conditions and excesses should always be explained clearly in your insurance policy’s PDS. If you need further information, you can contact Nautilus Marine Insurance on 1300 780 533 for any boat insurance requirements.

Advice in this article is general and might not apply or be right for you. Before acting on it, consider its appropriateness having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs. Nautilus Marine Insurance is a business name of NM Insurance Pty Ltd ABN 34 100 633 038 AFSL 227 186 (NM Insurance), the issuer of Nautilus Marine Boat Insurance. Consider the Product Disclosure Statement at nautilusinsurance.com.au before deciding whether to purchase a policy.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 63

BOATING & marine

Ocean Craft develops new multipurpose Camper Cruiser

O The 6000 Camper Cruiser can be used for camping, exploring, fishing and cruising.

Even with a tent set up, there’s plenty of room for other camping and fishing equipment.

With the addition of a couple of ramps, there’s the option of loading dirt bikes or a quad onto the cruiser for the ultimate adventure.

The hull design means the 6000 Camper Cruiser is capable offshore too. Page 64 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

NE company that is always looking to develop unique multipurpose boats is Caloundra-based boat builder Ocean Craft. Its latest vessel is the 6000 Camper Cruiser and, as the name suggests, it can be used for camping, exploring, fishing and cruising. Based on the proven Beamy hull design with a Posi Lift bow, the new Camper Cruiser has plenty going for it in terms of versatility. On the test day, we did a quick trip out through the new Caloundra bar, past the shark nets and around the broken reef. Conditions were good, though the hull design means this boat is capable offshore too. The massive deck space, which is around 2.4m wide, provides a substantial amount of fishing room. Alternatively, the deck area could be fitted out with outdoor furniture such as a corner lounge, deck chairs, barbecue and table, which would make it the perfect day cruiser. This setup would be well suited to cruising up and down your local waterway, with family and friends – the HIN capacity of this boat is 10 people. Another option – and this refers to the name – is using this boat

Boat Review by BEN COLLINS

to explore the remote coastline of Australia and setting the boat up as a camper. Under the deck, there is a massive amount of storage – you could even sleep in there if you wanted to. With around 7sq m of area under the deck, there is plenty of room to stow basically anything. Access to the underdeck is via two hatches. However, I would prefer to camp on the deck in either a tent or swag and use the underneath for storage. Even with a tent or swags set up, there would be room still for a table and chairs, Esky and other camping and fishing equipment. Plus, with the addition of a couple of ramps, you could even load dirt bikes or a quad onto the 6000 Camper Cruiser for the ultimate adventure. These are only some suggestions that would be well suited to this boat. Ultimately, the decision is yours – which is the bonus of getting a custom-built boat. If you did want to make this rig the ultimate all-rounder, I would also look at getting a stainless sink and either a built-in or

fold-down table. With the amount of room and railings or floor area you can attach or join items to, your options are endless. In terms of the ride, the hull design means you can get away with lower horsepower. However, if you were looking at loading the boat up, you will need a larger motor than the 18hp that was on the demo boat. Frankly, a larger outboard and larger fuel tank would get the hull working to its full potential. The base model comes with a 75-litre removable tank, which I’d look at moving from the deck to under the floor, as this would increase stability at rest. Admittedly, on the test day, we only had basic safety gear, a tote tank and two people onboard with a light engine – so there was plenty of payload left, which is the beauty of this boat and what it allows you to do. For more information on the Ocean Craft 6000 Camper Cruiser, check out oceancraft. com.au where there are more pictures and links to videos of the boat running offshore. www.bnbfishing.com. au

BOATING & marine

An extremely dry and safe ride in the choppiest of conditions.

Invincible 33' Catamaran

HE exhilaration of having 800hp at your disposal on a 10m fishing platform with gunwale-to-gunwale fishing space is an experience that many of us don’t often get. Recently, I was very privileged to be able to test such an incredible machine. The Invincible 33' Catamaran is not only one of the best fishing platforms I’ve ever been able to experience but it doubles as the perfect day boat for cruising offshore and bay waterways. What made the experience more impressive was the 1m of chop and the 20-knot wind we encountered on the day of testing. First, let’s talk about the boat. To put it in simple terms, it’s an offshore racing hull underneath with the ultimate fishing platform on top, and the designers of www.bnbfishing.com.au

Boat Review by BEN SMITH

this fusion have absolutely perfected it. Of fibreglass construction, measuring 10.3m long with a beam of 3.1m and a weight of around 5 tonnes, it’s a big boat. It has a fuel capacity of 1500 litres, which is held in two separate 750-litre tanks each side. The boat we tested was running twin 400hp Mercury L6 supercharged motors that propelled this vessel to a top speed of almost 55 knots with four crew on board and almost 400 litres of fuel. The vessel’s finish and design detailing are incredible. All the right things are in the right places – including spacious helm seating adequate for three people, with

additional seating for a total of 12 people onboard. There is a massive live bait tank in the transom as well as plumbed under-floor bait or kill tanks. There is also an onboard toilet under the continued P66

The forward lounge lifted, with an insulated and drained storage compartment underneath.

Enough room at the helm for electronics and displays. Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 65

BOATING & marine

Invincible 33' Catamaran from P65

Transom-mounted live bait well, with the capacity for large bait for a full day on the water.

Attention to detail with all the electrical and plumbing.

centre console and enough room to have a sleep if staying somewhere overnight. The dash is large enough to flushmount any sized displays or sounders and all come factory-fitted with functional and good-looking switch panels. No need to say anything about rod storage… have a look at the pictures. There must be over 30 rod holders, with those either side of the centre console perfectly matched up with holes in the roof above for them to pass through. A favourite feature is the full self-draining deck – large drains

are located either side for those days when a wave comes over the bow or using the deck wash hoses to clean up after some serious fishing. All of the in-floor storage compartments also have channels leading down either side of the boat to drain off. Being a catamaran, the design of this vessel makes for an incredibly stable and soft ride. Through the choppiest sea and with the addition of an aerated hull, you don’t feel how fast you’re travelling. And doing 40 knots is a walk in the park, which makes this vessel perfect for getting

The Invincible 33 at rest showing the massive amount of fishable deck space. Page 66 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

out to those deep fishing grounds in good time. Travelling at speed is very comfortable and noise levels are incredibly quiet, due to the shape of the windscreen on the centre console that channels air around you. Motor noise is not a concern either, we were easily able to chat with each other while at speed. The fuel economy was great considering the size and weight it displaces and at cruising speed, this boat has a massive range. We stood four people on one side and had no movement of the hull – even with eight people, I don’t think it would lean over. It gives the feeling of safety and confidence, and in the 20-knot cross wind and heavy chop we had, not one of us got wet. All the water and spray channels away and is deflected down due to the shape of the hull. This vessel is quite possibly the ultimate choice for anyone wanting a serious fishing platform. With so many options, I could go on for ever but the best way to find out more about this incredible boat is to contact Rod at Australian Marine Centre on 07 3808 733 or email sales@am cboats.com.au

www.bnbfishing.com. au

BOATING & marine

Stacer sets the standard with 2022 line-up

T’S only up from here – Stacer sets its sights on an exciting future as it releases an updated fleet of boats. Redefining customer expectations with a next-to-none product offering, the brand raises the bar for all Australian boaties. Launching a newly updated fleet of boats, Stacer again showcases why it has fondly become one of Australia’s leading boat brands – epitomising quality, versatility, longevity and effortless boating. First founded in 1971, Stacer has established a token name within the boating community, with an ingrained history in exceeding customer expectations through its finessed designs and build quality. Stacer is set to further raise the bar, with consumer demands and product evolution at the core of all design updates. Stacer general manager Sam Heyes said, “We are passionate about taking the feedback of our customers and dealers on board to continue enhancing our overall product experiences.” “Together with a strategic market research approach, we also have a dedicated team who solely work to form product enhancement recommendations based off wider societal trends, latest technologies, overall performance and all areas of opportunity.” www.bnbfishing.com.au

Taking to the water as at June, the new line-up will comprise the Sea Master, Crossfire, Sea Runner and WildRider. Rolling out across the hottest models in the most popular lifestyle segments, the new lineup serves almost every boatie, with the Sea Master serving as an ideal versatile boat, featuring a car-like layout, inclusive of a spacious deck, sleek dash and vast customisation capabilities. While the WildRider meets the needs of families and friend-groups big and small, delivering an expansive person capacity, comfortable forward and rear seating, watersports capabilities and more. The Crossfire delivers the ultimate crossover boat – designed as a barramundi-bass and bowrider hybrid to meet the needs of any boatie, with the convertible casting platform for fishos or bow lounge area for the family and expansive customisation for endless opportunities. Or take adventures to diverse waterways with the Sea Runner – designed around the Revolution hull to expertly handle offshore conditions for some serious fishing, while its spacious cabin provides protection from the elements for all passengers. “With decades of expertise, Stacer has invested in the devel-

opment of a product for every boatie while making the purchasing process straightforward to continue bolstering the number of new entrants,” Sam said. To revolutionise boat buying, Stacer will release an all-new boat package system, providing customers with easy boat configuration options suited to the most popular on-water lifestyles. Informed by market research, entertainers packages will comprise key options for a comfortable day out on the water, travel packs entail options designed to enhance the driving experience and anglers packs will include the most commonly purchased fishing options. Alternatively, customers can opt for the base model for no-frills boating at an entry-lev-

el price, or upgrade to the SE model to enjoy the ultimate on-water experience. As the need for protected storage space continues to evolve, Stacer has reviewed its product designs to deliver improved or completely new underfloor storage capacity, while a number of models have also seen enhanced fuel tank sizes. To enhance the overall ergonomics of all newly updated models, for all captains of all ages, tilt steering will become available on a range of models. For the first time, 429 Sea Master models will come standard with an underfloor fuel tank, plus both 429 and 449 models will see an infloor battery box location. Along with many other design updates

across the 2022 range, Stacer will also see an all-new model added to its line-up, with the 539 and 589 Crossfire rear centre console added to the mix. Designed to meet the needs of Top End boaties, the rear centre console layout boasts a 360-degree uninterrupted forward deck and bow area. Together with the optional CrossFisher casting platform, the rear centre console becomes a game-fishing beast. Owned by Bombardier Recreational Products, a global leader in powersports, the future is only up from here. Become part of the Stacer community or find out more about the 2022 Stacer range by contacting your local dealer via stacer. com.au/buying-a-boat/ make-an-enquiry

Stacer is set to further raise the bar, with consumer demands and product evolution at the core of all design updates. Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 67

BOATING & marine As the power beneath all vessels while on the road, trailer maintenance is as important as maintaining your boat.

Tips from Move Boat Trailers n Part 3: Key information from experts on trailer maintenance

S part of its newly released trailer tips series, trailer powerhouse Move Boat Trailers looks to debunk trailer maintenance and to simplify the process for all boaters. As the power beneath all vessels while on the road, trailer maintenance is as important as maintaining your boat. A good quality well looked after trailer ensures your prized possession is as safe on the road as it is on the water. To achieve the most seamless and safe trailering experience possible, the most important first step is having a high quality and strong set of wheels under your vessel. The second step is having an accessible, trusted contact to assist with all your trailer questions and needs, including servicing, such as the Move Boat Trailer experts.

MBT has your back, with an expansive line-up of high-quality builds crafted to suit a variety of boat sizes and makes – including fibreglass, aluminium and plate – all of which have been expertly fine-tuned following decades of production. Built on the Gold Coast from the industry’s best marine-grade aluminium, MBT products are robust and reliable, while the metals’ chemical properties achieve a lightweight, rust resistant and easy to manoeuvre trailer. Manufactured using C-Channel and I-Beam frames, Move trailers guarantee water runoff, preventing water retention and logging. With a network of the industry’s best marine dealers located across the country, a MBT dealer is always nearby. Together with its impressive line-up of trailer builds and extensive dealership network, MBT looks to reinvent

Page 68 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

trailering – delivering an easy, accessible and reliable option for all boaters. Transcribed by its team of professionals, the latest series of Move trailer tips is driven towards debunking maintenance and general care, with ten tricks to ensure your trailer lasts the long haul. Boat trailer maintenance is an important part of trailer care to extend its lifespan, below is a general checklist to simplify the process and ensure safe towing on the road. General check Whether you are towing short distances to the local ramp, trekking long distances along the highway or traversing across rugged dirt roads, any condition can take its toll. Generally over time, trailer components wear. In turn, you will always want to give your boat trailer a good once-over before hit-

ting the road, to avoid any unwanted surprises. Here are some key areas to monitor and check the condition of before, after and even during a trip: • Is the coupling fitting tight on the tow ball and do you have an R-clip for the release handle • Are the tyres inflated and in good condition • Are the safety chains securely fastened • Are the skids and rollers adjusted to the right heights and in good working order • What condition are the suspension springs in – are they cracked, corroded or heavily rusted • Always inspect the frame for stress cracks, rusted fasteners or loose nuts and bolts • Finally, are all your lights working – brake, indicator and clearance lights? General trailer checks mean safer travels.

It also means you are more aware of what’s going on with your trailer, and to get issues resolved before they cause major damage. The beauty of buying a new Move trailer is that you know it is in prime shape from the get-go and these checks will simply keep your trailer in good condition to ensure the longest lifespan possible. With its network of experienced and knowledgeable dealers located across the country, an MBT expert is always at your fingertips to help make trailer maintenance easier than ever. Here are the maintenance points compiled by our MBT experts. Brakes The braking system on your trailer is a disc brake system, either a mechanical override cable-operated or hydraulic fluid-operated braking system. Hydraulic callipers continued P69

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BOATING & marine

Tips from Move Boat Trailers from P68

should be sprayed with an anti-corrosion spray after each use and serviced every 6-12 months. For trailers fitted with hydraulic braking systems, these should be covered when stored for long periods of time to protect against the elements – they are not waterproof, so never directly hose or high-pressure clean the system. It is good practice to change the hydraulic oil in the system every 12-18 months – subject to usage – as condensation can mix with the hydraulic oil. The mechanical callipers and components are fully galvanised using stainless-steel bushes and bolts. This braking system is easy to maintain and providing you wash your callipers, discs and cables straight after use, either at the boat ramp or at home, will require minimal servicing. Mechanical brake cables generally last some time, however when you see signs of deterioration, the cable needs to be replaced. The cable can be adjusted. Hydraulic brake systems require a higher level of maintenance than mechanical override systems. Though hydraulic brake lines are coated, the joiners and hose www.bnbfishing.com.au

fittings need to be regularly sprayed with a protectant. The callipers and pads will require yearly servicing. For the best assistance and maintenance support, contact your local MBT dealer. With all new Move trailers, you will have peace of mind with three years free warranty. Inspect and replace wheel bearings Your boat trailer’s wheel bearings should be serviced and resealed or repacked every six months, depending on use. Trailer bearings allow the wheel to spin with minimum friction under a constant supply of grease. Without grease – which should be marine grade – the bearings will generate excessive heat, which will burn out and damage the bearings, wheels and even axles. Seek help from your MBT dealer to replace your wheel bearings when: • Grease forms around the wheel hub’s exterior – this means grease that once lubricated the bearings has seeped out through the seals and needs to be replaced • You hear squeaking or grinding noises while the wheels rotate • The wheel doesn’t spin freely or there is some resistance.

Replacing, repacking and resealing bearings should be done by a qualified mechanic or experienced person. If unsure, visit your local Move dealer for advice. Manual winches The winch fitted on your trailer is of high quality, they are particularly chosen for that trailer load capacity. Do not overload your winch, use it only for the application it has been supplied for on normal ramp conditions. All Move trailer winches are fitted with webbing straps, the same material as a vehicle seat belt. This material is designed for higher load rating and braking strain, compared to cable equivalent. When you finish with the trailer for the day, check that the winch strap is dry.

If it’s still wet, unwind the strap off the winch and let it dry out. This will avoid rusting on the winch drum. Oil the winch shafts and gears monthly or when needed, subject to use. Trailer tyres – condition and age There are many types of trailer tyres on the market, the more common being light truck tyres. It’s always important to do the following: • Avoid letting tyres sit on the bare ground when not in use to prevent flat spotting – lay a sheet of plywood underneath the tyres or park the trailer on hard standing • Check the tyre walls regularly for wear and tear • Check for tread depth – most tyres have wear markers, so if the tread is close or past the wear markers, the

tyre tread is worn and the tyre needs to be replaced. Manufacturers recommend replacing tyres 10 years after the manufacture date printed on them – regardless of appearance, mileage or actual wear. However, most tyres will need replacing before they reach the 10-year mark. Move trailers are built with alloy wheels, which are not only lighter but also better able to dissipate heat from the brake componentry compared to steel. Tyres inflated Trailer tyres are the unsung heroes of towing and shouldn’t be ignored. A tyre blow-out, worn-out bearings and improper tyre pressures all mean trouble. As with any road vehicle, proper tyre continued P70

A good quality well looked after trailer ensures your prized possession is as safe on the road as it is on the water. Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 69

BOATING & marine

Tips from Move Boat Trailers from P69

inflation is essential. What are signs that tyre inflation is too low or too high? Signs of low pressure after long periods include wear on the inside and outside edges of the tyre. Signs of over inflation are the opposite, the tyre will have wear on the centre of the tread. To correct both instances, simply follow the manufacturer’s recommended suggested pressure rating. Most trailers have a vehicle identification plate indicating the correct tyre size for the trailer and recommended pressure. If not, most tyres indicate this on the sidewall of the tyre. You should check the tyres before, during and after every trip. If the pressure is low, take a few minutes to

inflate the tyre to the manufacturer’s rating. All new Move trailers are built with the VIN plate affixed to the frame to ensure the best and safest on-road experience. Check the lights and electrical connector There are strict laws regarding trailer lights. Each state has its own legislation but are governed by the Department of Infrastructure. Regardless of the state or territory you are in, you need them. Boat trailers are required to have stop lights, taillights, indicators, clearance lights and reflectors. Many trailers have the wiring for lights running through the trailer frame, yet wires that are not should always be securely tied down. While checking your trailer lights, wiring and electrical connec-

tor also double-check for: • Burnt-out bulbs on older style light clusters that need replacement • Damaged wires or connectors • Cracked or loose lenses • A functioning fuse – electricity runs from your tow vehicle to the trailer, meaning that when the fuse fails, so do your trailer lights • Electrical connector intact and pins are not corroded. All new Move trailers come standard with LED lights and harnessing systems, which are installed inhouse by industry experts at the Queensland factory, so you can be assured that you have the essentials. Axles and springs MBT recommends that trailer suspension components are inspected twice yearly, subject to use, for

To achieve the most seamless and safe trailering experience possible, the most important first step is having a high quality and strong set of wheels under your vessel. Page 70 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

any evidence of loose mounting bolts, U bolts, corrosion or broken leaf springs. Where Rocker Roller suspension is fitted, keep moving parts filled with grease at the grease points fitted. Painted suspension components should be sprayed regularly with anti-corrosion spray protectants to increase the life of the axles, springs and hubs. Galvanised suspension requires a similar inspection and spraying with the same products – this will add to the life of the components. Couplings Connect the coupling to the tow ball on your car – if the coupling handle does not bottom out, check that the tow ball pressure bolt on the front of the coupling is not screwed too far in and stopping the coupling from going completely down over the ball. Mechanical, hydraulic and standard couplings need to be greased every six months or when there is no grease present on the shafts. At the same time, all the bolts and nuts need to be checked for tightness. Wash down with freshwater Whenever you take your boat into a marine environment, you must remember that saltwater corrodes. Move trailers are

well-built and can hold up against the harshest marine environments due to their aluminium build. But if you do not wash your steel trailer with freshwater, rust will eventually catch up with it. A wash down with freshwater is even important for alloy trailers. Though alloy doesn’t corrode in the same way as steel, there may still be steel components on the trailer. Without a good wash down, those components can quickly fall victim to rust. Rollers and skids Check your boat trailer rollers and skids, brackets, bolts, nuts and split pins for cracking or breaks. It is important that your rollers are spinning freely and are clean of any grease or product that may be stuck between the spindles and rollers. Skids should be in good condition with no cracks or damage. Clean working rollers and skids will allow for a quick and easy launch and retrieval, making sure rollers and skids are adjusted to the correct height to support the boat as required. Over time, boat trailer maintenance will become almost second nature, and recognising the need for repairs becontinued P71

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Tips from Move from P70

fore breakages, faults or failures occur will result in more enjoyable experiences on the road, as well as at your destination. Regular servicing with an expert will simplify the process to keep your trailer in tiptop shape. In a nutshell, the following trailer parts should be serviced as outlined: • Brakes – spray hydraulic callipers after every use, change hydraulic oil on relevant trailers every 12-18 months and service brakes every 6-12 months • Wheel bearings – service every 6-12 months • Manual winches – ensure winch straps are dry before winding them in and storing for lengthy periods • Trailer tyres – prevent sitting on solid ground for extended periods, check tyre condition before, after and during every use and replace when due, ensuring it does not exceed manufacturers guidance • Tyre inflation – follow manufacturer’s recommended tyre

pressure and check tyre condition before, during and after every use • Lights and electrical connectors – check sound functioning before, during and after every use and replace as needed • Axles and springs – subject to use, inspect twice yearly, spray painted or galvanised suspension units with anti-corrosion spray regularly and keep moving parts filled with grease on Rocker Roller suspension • Couplings – check coupling connection before, during and after use, grease every six months or when no grease is present and check nuts and bolts for tightness before, during and after use • Washing – wash down with freshwater after every use • Rollers and skids – check before, during and after each use. For the best advice on trailer maintenance and care, or to find out more about the MBT range, speak with your local Move Boat Trailer dealer at moveboat trailers.com.au/dealers

by MELISSA FROHLOFF

Pork curry with bok choy and kaffir lime from camp oven.

Ingredients • 1kg pork fillet, cut into strips • 10 kaffir lime leaves, torn • 1 tbsp grated ginger • 250ml chicken stock

3. Add chicken stock, curry paste, ginger, garlic, lime leaves and bring to boil.

• 2 tbsp light soy sauce • 540ml coconut cream

4. Reduce to a simmer. Add fish and soy sauce, tamarind water, coconut milk, palm sugar, cook until pork is tender. Remove lime leaves.

• 4 tbsp tamarind water • 2 tbsp fish sauce • 2 tbsp palm sugar • 6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced • Bunch of bok choy

5. Cook black rice as per packet instruction.

• 4 tbsp sesame oil

6. Add bok choy to dish until wilted.

• 1 cup black rice • 4 tbsp red curry paste

7. Serve on a bed of black rice and a squeeze of lime to taste.

• 1 cup plain flour • 1 lime Method 1. Heat 2 tablespoons sesame oil to moderate on stovetop in a camp oven and fry garlic, ginger and red curry paste until fragrant. Remove You will always want to give your boat trailer a good once-over before hitting the road to avoid any unwanted surprises. www.bnbfishing.com.au

2. Dust pork strips in plain flour. Add remaining sesame oil to oven and brown pork in batches.

Tips Use baby spinach or your favourite Asian greens if bok choy isn’t available. The lime juices will intensify the flavour of the curry.

Prep time: 15 min | Cooking time: 45 min | Serves 4-6 Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 71

Kurrimine Beach Fishing Competition

HE Kurrimine Beach Fishing Club is located at a small seaside town on the beautiful far north Queensland coast. The warm tropical waters of Kurrimine Beach are always teeming with fish of every variety. From the flathead and whiting that kids love to catch on the beach, along with a kaleidoscope of pelagic fish, to the barramundi that keen fishers wrestle in Maria and Liverpool creeks. Without a doubt, per-

haps the most common species are mackerel, caught at the Patches and Silver Sands, only a few kilometres offshore. The pristine waters of King Reef, 100m offshore, is a diver’s playground. In shallow water with notable bommie hotspots, divers can selectively target prized table-eating reef fish species, including coral trout and tropical crayfish. The hard-working competition committee extends a warm wel-

Page 72 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

come to all competitors and spectators to the tenth annual fishing and spearfishing competition. As always, our family friendly event will have plenty for the whole family. With a DJ, food vans, bar, jumping castle, Lara the clown and beach games – to name a few highlights. Our sincere appreciation to our wonderful sponsors – their generosity provides the event with many fantastic prizes. Remember, you don’t have to catch a fish to win the promotional super and nightly draws. The event kicks off on Friday September 16, with new nominations available until 7pm, fol-

lowed by the official briefing of competition rules. The big screen will telecast the football and we will have our nightly promotional draws throughout the event. Saturday will be all about fishing, with weigh-ins being conducted from midday to 6pm. Brag night provides a great opportunity to brag about the one that got away and the one that made it into the boat. Sunday will be the final chance to land the big one, with weigh-ins from 10am to 2pm. And the official presentation will take place on Sunday, when the category winners, champions and overall champions are present-

ed with their prizes. The final draw will be the promotional super draw, where one lucky adult angler will win $25,000 and one junior angler will win $2000. This year, with the support of an anonymous donor, we invite a family whose child is battling an illness to attend our competition. The family is provided with a free weekend away to relax and enjoy our beautiful beach, as well as having the opportunity to catch a big fish. So, if you’re looking to get away from it all, come and visit us at the beautiful Kurrimine Beach. We look forward to sharing our piece of paradise with you.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

2022 10TH ANNUAL

KURRIMINE CLASSIC 16th - 18th September 2022

Thanks to our 2022 Sponsors Thanks to our PLATINUM SPONSORS MAJOR SPONSORS 2022 Sponsors Thanks to our PLATINUM SPONSORS 2022 Sponsors

2022 Kurrimine Classic Fishing Competition Taifalos Park, Robert Johnstone Parade, Kurrimine Beach

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Kurrimine Beach offers some of the most amazing fishing and diving opportunities anywhere on the east coast of Australia, unique for its family friendly nature and incorporating superb beach fishing with easy access to local estuary systems.

Entries Close Online nominations close 7pm Wednesday 14 Sept 2022.

The close proximity of King Reef brings prized reef fish just a few hundred metres from the beach, while the warm tropical waters of Kurrimine teem with flathead, whiting, pelagics, mackerel, coral trout and tropical crayfish.

Cash nominations available at Taifalos Park 4:30-7pm Friday 16 Sept 2022.

Conditions and more info at: kurriminebeachfishingclub. com.au/terms-andconditions-of-entry/

Promotional Superdraws Adult: $25,000 cash Junior: $2,000 cash Gates Open 4:30pm Friday 16 Sept 2022.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 73

TOURING & exploring

Toyota upgrade Hilux range

Toyota has announced upgrades for the HiLux Rogue 4x4 flagship pick-up.

At the rear axle length has been extended, dampers have been moved further out towards the wheels and, for the first time on HiLux.

To house the increased track width, wide track overfenders and mudguards have been installed. Page 74 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

OYOTA Australia has announced a significant performance and capability upgrade for the HiLux Rogue 4x4 flagship pick-up, which will be enhanced with a wider track and updated suspension package in the fourth quarter of 2022. The new dual-cab HiLux Rogue boasts a track increase of approximately 140mm in the front and rear, while the vehicle’s ride height has also been increased by approximately 20mm, with both changes helping aid off-road ability while also improving on-road performance. Toyota Australia vice president sales, marketing and franchise operations Sean Hanley said the introduction of the updated Rogue demonstrated Toyota’s dedication to offering ever-improved vehicles for customers. “The significant suspension upgrades to the HiLux Rogue not only improve off-road capability but create a more stable and comfortable on-road driving experience,” Mr Hanley said. “Continuous improvement is a key facet of Toyota’s philosophy and has been clearly achieved by this latest HiLux premium model.” To accommodate the track increase, Toyota engineers overhauled the HiLux suspension by extending the

front suspension arm and front stabiliser bar length and adjusting shock absorber angle to improve efficiency. At the rear axle, length has been extended, dampers have been moved further out towards the wheels and, for the first time on HiLux, a rear stabiliser bar has been installed to enhance cornering stability and ride comfort. As a result of the suspension changes, roll rigidity has been enhanced by 20 percent, improving steering feel when cornering and changing lanes. Stopping power has also been upgraded for the Rogue, with new rear ventilated disc brakes replacing the existing drum brakes for enhanced braking performance. The new 17” front disc brakes have also been enlarged by 1”. To house the increased track width, wide track overfenders and mudguards have been installed, while the front body extension has also been widened to seamlessly integrate with the front bumper. Coinciding with the arrival of the wide-bodied Rogue, Toyota is introducing upgrades to core variants of Australia’s best-selling vehicle. SR extra-cab and double-cab models receive new black 17” alloy rims, replacing steel wheels.

Body-coloured door handles have also been adopted for a more premium look. SR5 double-cab pickups gain extra active safety equipment as standard, with the addition of blind-spot monitor and rear cross-traffic alert for greater onroad peace of mind. These features are also included on the Rogue. A panoramic view monitor has also been added to SR5 double-cab pick-ups to help manoeuvre in tight spaces, as have puddle lamps which replace heated exterior mirrors. The steering column lock has been replaced by an ID Box anti-theft immobiliser on automatic SR5 grades and above, which adds an extra level of security when starting the car with the smart key. In a further upgrade to the HiLux range, Toyota plans to launch a new apex off-road variant, replacing the HiLux Rugged X. Details including launch timing will be announced in due course. Since their arrival in 2018, HiLux Rogue and HiLux Rugged X have amassed more than 17,000 sales, establishing themselves as the halo vehicles of the HiLux range, offering customers even greater choice for their lifestyle needs. For more information, visit toyota.com.au

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 75

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Contact Bill Corten M: 0447 233 247 / 0447 ( a f f a i r ) E: reel_affair@yahoo.com Page 76 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

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0428 753 293 Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 77

Correctly handling fish for safe release

’VE written articles about the correct handling of fish destined for release previously, but the message needs to be delivered to each new generation of anglers to ensure best practices are being used. Catch and release is becoming a part of the lives of more anglers every day. This is partly due to the realisation by the general angling public that our fisheries are finite resources.

Fishing for Sport by NEIL SCHULTZ

Catch and release has also been made necessary by the bag limits that apply to many recreational species. For many years anglers who have scoffed at the idea of releasing fish have been unwittingly engaging in the practice every time they’ve tossed back an undersized fish.

Levina demonstrates the correct way to use a jaw gripper. Support the fish horizontally with the other hand and always, repeat always, wear the wrist strap. Page 78 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

However good our intentions may be, it is of no value releasing fish if they are not going to survive due to incorrect handling. By adopting a few simple practices, we can greatly increase the survival rate of the fish we all release. Handling Probably the easiest step towards ensuring the safe release of fish is to prevent their contact with dry surfaces – this includes your hands. Fish are covered with a protective slime. Any contact with dry surfaces can remove this coating, which can lead to fungal infections that in severe cases can be fatal. To avoid damaging the slime coating, wet your hands before handling fish destined for release, or better still handle

them with a wet cloth. The simple act of dipping your hands over the side or into the yabby bucket before touching the fish can be a life saver. A fish’s gills are very susceptible to injury. Never put your fingers into the gills of any fish to be released. If the gills have been damaged and there is a lot of bleeding, the fish will usually die. Also, keeping fish out of water for more than a few minutes can dry the gills and lead to the collapse of their gill functions. Otherwise healthylooking fish with gill damage when returned to the water will suffocate. The warmer the water, the less dissolved oxygen it carries. A fish with slight gill damage and little bleeding that might easily recover in cold water will have greatly reduced chances of survival in warm water.

Fish have evolved to live in a relatively weightless environment under water. Therefore, their internal organs are not designed to cope with being removed from that watery weightlessness. A short period of time out of water is not a problem – if they are handled carefully. Flapping about on the deck or the bank can cause damage, not only to the fish’s slime coating but to internal organs, bones muscle and spinal column. The bigger and heavier the fish, the more serious the damage is likely to be. Small fish can be gripped by the lower jaw or placed upside down and cradled in one hand to remove the hook. Fish up to about 5kg can be balanced on one hand in what is known as the ‘comfort lift’. This will usually keep the fish immobile for continued P79

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Correctly handling fish for safe release from P78

a minute or so – that should be ample time to remove the hook. When using this method, don’t bring the fish into the boat. Hold it over the side while removing the hook, so that if the fish struggles, it will fall into the safety of the water, not on to a hard dry deck. Never lift large fish by the jaw or tail – this will cause damage to the spine and internal organs that will kill the fish. Yes, the fish you’ve seen released on television have swum away after being held up, suspended by the jaw. However, just because a fish swims away, does not mean it will survive. Most big fish having been mishandled will die

within 24 hours. This was proven in the most painful way by staff at a north Queensland barramundi hatchery many years ago. The practice was to weigh the brood stock by hanging them by the jaw on the scales. All of their mature barra subsequently died after being handled in this manner. Once they abandoned the practice, mortality rates plummeted to almost zero. Always support the weight of the fish by placing a hand under it and holding it horizontally. If possible, release large fish without lifting them from the water. Equipment Use knotless landing nets – either rubber or

Lucky draws and raffles

vinyl, never those cheap knotted nylon mesh ones that are essentially scaler bags on a frame. Carry wet rags in the boat so that you don’t place fish on carpet, which is abrasive. Barbless hooks should be used wherever possible – they substantially increase survival rates without decreasing hookup rates. A pair of long nose pliers allows unhooking to be a quick and safe process for the angler and the fish. The golden rules for handling fish destined for release are: • Keep them wet • Keep them cool • Keep them supported • Keep them out of the water for no longer than you can hold your breath.

Flathead are a difficult species to handle without damaging them or ourselves in the process. A purpose-built cradle – such as this one that Kevin fashioned from PVC pipe – are ideal to keep them contained for measuring and unhooking for release.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 79

Liam Pascoe with a nice 91cm cod.

Water and stock reserves

W Scott Donnelly from Lismore and a monster 109cm Murray cod.

E’RE heading towards spring and in two months, with the promise of warmer days and nights, we’ll be thinking about bush camping and fishing.

DAM LEVELS CURRENT AS OF 19/07/2022

DAMS

PERCENTAGE

MAR APR MAY JUN JUL Atkinson * 100 100 104 102 100 Awoonga 57 54 57 61 61 Bjelke-Petersen * 102 100 106 101 101 Boondooma * 100 98 102 100 100 Borumba * 101 100 102 100 100 Burdekin Falls * 98 89 123 101 105 Callide * 63 63 63 61 60 Cania * 27 27 27 31 32 Coolmunda * 100 99 98 101 101 Dyer/Bill Gunn * 95 100 101 99 100 Eungella * 73 73 81 83 89 Fairbairn * 20 18 22 22 21 Glenlyon * 100 100 100 100 100 Hinze* 103 101 108 101 100 Julius * 97 92 93 90 89 Kinchant * 74 68 82 86 86 Leslie * 100 100 100 100 100 Macdonald* 103 101 109 102 101 Maroon * 100 100 103 100 100 Monduran/Fred Haigh * 54 53 87 100 101 Moogerah * 105 101 106 100 100 North Pine/Samsonvale * 67 67 66 68 68 Peter Faust/Proserpine * 54 53 54 54 55 Somerset * 81 80 81 83 83 Teemburra * 90 88 95 95 98 Tinaroo* 85 88 97 97 99 Toonumbar 101 101 102 101 101 Wivenhoe * 89 89 115 90 90 Wuruma * 69 67 68 68 69 Wyaralong* 100 100 102 100 100 For updates on dams, visit sunwater.com.au or seqwater.com.au *This symbol indicates that a Stocked Impoundment Permit is required to fish these dams.

Page 80 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

Glenlyon Dam

by BRIAN DARE

Most regions have nearby camping grounds on Crown land areas and stock water points. It’s only a matter of finding out where they are. For all locals of the Goondiwindi Regional Council area, this has been well catered for. There are locations along the Macintyre River that have been set up as weekend access points to the river and for public use. The council have well signed sites and large rubbish bins at the en-

trance to these areas. While this is wonderful for those proud of their area, as usual, there are people who turn up to these spots and trash them by not cleaning up when they leave. The use of these sites is part of our lifestyle and it’s up to all of us to show we have had enough of this type of behaviour. Simple actions such as using our phones and taking photos of registration numbers and the mess they have left or continued P81

Katie Hartill-Low from Goondiwindi with a huge 108cm cod taken on a Jackall Mega Pompadour. www.bnbfishing.com. au

Water and stock reserves from P80

of other illegal conduct will help. If it comes down to security cameras being placed in and around the sites, well and good. It is getting tough to find fishing locations, and our regional councils work hard at keeping them tidy. If this behaviour continues, the upshot will be the closure of these locations. So, with this a possibility, we all need to put an effort into keeping them open. For what’s coming, see the picture of the piece from a small newspaper called the Country Journal and the links below: • About the Queensland stock route network qld.gov.au/envi ronment/land/access/ stock-routes/about • Stock route management qld.gov.au/envi ronment/land/access/ stock-routes/manage ment • Stock route travel permits qld.gov.au/en vironment/land/access/ stock-routes/travel-per mits • Grazing agistment permits for travelling stock qld.gov.au/envi ronment/land/access/ s t o c k- r o u t e s /g r a z ing-permits • Review of local gov ernment decisions qld. gov.au/environment/ l a n d /a c c e s s /s t o c kroutes/reviews • Stock route water fa cility agreements qld. gov.au/environment/ l a n d /a c c e s s /s t o c kr o u t e s / wa t e r- a g r e e ments • Stock route management system qld.gov. au/environment/land/ac cess/stock-routes/man agement-system www.bnbfishing.com.au

So, there you have it, we may stock river reserves if possible, but access remains the big questions, along with the word ‘bio-security’. All too often, there are risks of losing fishing locations. On the storages, we will be at a loss as to which dam to fish. Reason being that all are full. All the native fish, and golden and silver perch have had a chance to travel upstream to breed in the months of October through to December last year. What’s more, the stocking of fingerlings will add weight to what can be caught. Given that, within the range of 14-16 months of birth, some golden and silver perch will be of a size to eat this Christmas. It will also be great fishing on the rivers as well. Though it is a matter of water flow.

Which for the past 16 months on border rivers has been dangerous, with flows of over 400 megalitres a day. When assessing the risk, keep in mind that a manual blow-up life jacket is best. In river use, if you do flip over, forget the gear – all too often we worry about the loss of tackle. With fast flows, gear will move up to 200m downstream – you’ve seen the rocks in rivers being pushed down river. Do not pull the cord on your jacket straight away. Try to get your bearings first, look out for logs and rapids, then set up actions in your mind to safe yourself first. For cod watching at the wall at Glenlyon this month and next, bring a camera with a lens filter and take your time between 8.30-11.30am. Calm days are the best for snapping shots of cod over 140cm.

A cutting from the Country Journal on the State Government reducing the red tape on stock routes.

GLENLYON DAM TOURIST PARK A great place to fish! • Powered and Unpowered Sites • No Domestic Pets or Generators • Kiosk • Ice • Gas • Petrol • Amenities Blocks and Laundry • BBQs • Hire Boats • EFTPOS • Fishing Permits

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GLENLYON DAM TOURIST PARK via STANTHORPE 4380 Contact Debbie or Brian Dare for more information or for bookings Ph: 02 6737 5266 E: glenlyondamtouristp@bigpond.com Visit our new website at

glenlyondamtouristpark.com.au Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 81

TRADING POST Jay. Make selling your late model trailer boat simple and hassle-free through John Crawford Marine, Queensland’s Used Boat Specialists since 1964 – johncrawfordmarine. com.au Call Matthew or Jim on 3890 2322.

REDCO SPORTSMAN RS610T-MO ‘SLIDER’ TRAILER – Brand new 2022 now in stock and ready to go! To suit aluminium monohulls or a rigid hull inflatable 5.7m to 6.2m. Nine keel rollers aft, supporting the keel, port and stb long Teflon skids that greatly reduce friction, making launching and retrieving that much easier. Walkway/Predator alloy wheels and matching spare inc. $7,288. John Crawford Marine, Queensland’s Used Boat Specialists since 1964 – johncrawfordmarine. com.au Ph. 3890 2322

LATE MODEL TRAILER BOATS WANTED – We are seeking premium condition boats including Signature, Quintrex, Cruise Craft, Stacer, Haines, Stessco and Sea

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September Edition Copy Deadline – Advertisements must arrive NO later than August 4, 2022

POST TO PO BOX 162, Wynnum QLD 4178 or EMAIL with a photo to ads@collins.media When completing this form please leave one square of space between each word (Hyphens, full-stops, commas, word spaces count as one letter) ALL ADS MUST BE PRE-PAID 1 1 2

Cost per insertion: 2 lines $15, $1.10 per line thereafter. Contact details must be included in ad. NAME: ...................................................................................... PHONE NO. ................................................... MONTHS OF INSERTION: ...................................................... AMOUNT: $ ................................................... CREDIT CARD NO.: ___ ___ ___ ___

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Page 82 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

AQUAMASTER 420 RUNABOUT – This runabout is a cool little boat that can provide loads of fun for family and friends. You could go tubing with the kids up the dam, chuck a few pots in the creek, cruise the bays, or fish with your family and friends. Can be easily towed behind your car and be manoeuvred single-handed on the boat ramp. It’s also easy to store or garage, what more could you ask for? This is a boat the whole family can get onboard! $21,990. Contact AMC Boats on 07 3808 7333 or visit am cboats.com.au

HAINES SIGNATURE 675C – Love fishing? This boat was built for you! With long-range capabilities, walkaround access, generous storage, bait board, live bait tank, the list goes on… Perfect for a fishing trip getaway or cruising with family and friends, there is certainly ample space to comfortably accommodate an overnight stay. As a fishing and leisure craft, this Haines Signature 675C will not disappoint and won’t last long in our yard! $149,990. Contact AMC Boats on 07 3808 7333 or visit amcboats.com.au ADVERTISERS – To organise a classified ad in theTrading Post, call 07 3286 1833 or complete the form and post it to the address provided or email it through to ads@collins.media www.bnbfishing.com. au

Caught in 5m of water and landed on bream gear – a 1-3kg rod and a Shimano Nexave 1000 – this jewfish measured 85cm. Dom and Kia

A decent 76cm Moreton Bay flathead that was released. Troy Rice This big flathead came in at 71cm and was caught on a slow retrieve with a pillie head on an incoming tide. Serena Sullivan

A solid green jobfish caught at Swain Reefs on a recent Carlo Fishing Charters trip. Rod Peters

Prior to the closure this nice snapper was caught off Yeppoon. Livia Gow

To have a photo of your catch featured in Readers’ Forum, simply email ads@collins.media with a good quality picture, your name and details or hop onto our Facebook page and send us a message.

www.bnbfishing.com.au

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 83

Subscription offer for August! Subscribe this month to go in the draw to win a half day fishing charter Valued at with $ Sean Conlon*!

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Send your cheque, money order or credit card details for $50 or $95 (inc. GST) to Bush ’n Beach. We’ll advise you when your subscription runs out. Return completed form to: Bush ’n Beach Fishing PO Box 162 Wynnum 4178, ph 07 3286 1833 or go online www.bnbfishing.com.au Name: ..........................................................................................Email: �� Address: �� .......................................................................... Postcode: .............................. Phone: ......................................... Date: �� PAYMENT DETAILS

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Page 84 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing August 2022

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BRISBANE NORTH Brisbane Yamaha 07 3888 1727 www.brisbaneyamaha.com.au BUNDABERG Adrian’s Marine Centre 07 4153 1819 ILIT IL B A T Also available in TAB IT Also available in www.adriansmarinecentre.com.au GOLD COAST TR Marine 07 5532 5812 www.trmarinegoldcoast.com.au MACKAY S NOIS S NOIS ES Sugar ES City Marine 07 4951 4711 www.sugarcitymarine.com.au SUNSHINE COAST Port O Call Boating 07 5493 2255 Also available in Also www.marinecenter.com.au available in TATIO TATIO O L LO TOWNSVILLE Rising Sun Townsville 07 4759 3233 www.risingsuntownsville.com.au Y

480 Brumby

CE AN

Also available in

or money” “great value for money”

beamy”

450 Drifter

SEE YOUR LOCAL DEALER... INTE INTE

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

410 Challenger

LOW

Aussie or contact usOwned on

and 1800 336 603 Operated

30/03/2020 8:46 pm

www.bnbfishing.com. au

03 5022 7 03 5152 3 03 5562 6 03 5443 5 03 5822 2 03 5174 1 03 9397 6 02 6024 6

BESPOKE HAND-CRAFTED FIBREGLASS FISHING BOATS

NOW AVAILABLE AT

AUSTRALIA’S BEST HARDCORE FIBREGLASS FISHING BOAT • Built and designed by experienced anglers for anglers of all experience levels • Highest quality materials and manufacturing practices • Hand-laid fibreglass constructions

500

• Unique Deep-V / wide reverse hull • The most fishing features of any boat available on the market • Unparalleled performance with exceptional stability and handling • Safety and quality is never compromised

552

600

EXCLUSIVE DEALER FOR QLD

652

3888 1727 BRUCE HWY,(174 BURPENGARY EASTERN SERVICE RD) BRISBANEYAMAHA.com.au CALL NOW

www.bnbfishing.com.au

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2022 – Page 87

DRIVE AWAY $

DRIVE AWAY

55,300

$93,900

481 FISHABOURT PRO - 90HP

630 FRONTIER - 225HP

Includes: 4 stroke Mercury engine, Lowrance FS sounder, 6 years Quintrex warranty on BMT

Includes: 4 stroke Mercury, deck wash, seat upgrade, ski pole, 6 years Quintrex warranty on BMT DRIVE AWAY $

DRIVE AWAY $

61,500

54,422

520 OCEAN SPIRIT - 115HP

510 TERRITORY LEGEND - 115HP

Includes: underfloor 95L fuel tank, upgraded seating, safety gear, registration, alloy trailer

Includes: 92L fuel tank, 115hp Pro Xs, Elite FS9 sounder, safety gear registration, alloy trailer

DRIVE AWAY $

65,411

88,000

540 OCEAN SPIRIT - 135HP

5800 YELLOWFIN FOLDING HARD TOP - 135HP

Includes: hydraulic steering, underfloor 95L fuel tank, registration, safety gear, alloy trailer

Includes: Platinum pack, registration, offshore safety gear, alloy trailer

Finance & Insurance available

* Mercury Finance terms and conditions apply. Photos for illustration purposes only.

Can’t make the yard? Shop online! For quality new and used boats! www.brisbaneboatingleisure.com.au 1743 Road, Rocklea | Call 07 3875 1600 | Formerly Karee Marine au Page 88 – Bush ’nIpswich Beach Fishing August 2022 www.bnbfishing.com.

BNB Fishing Mag | August 2022

Articles inside

Less is more with light gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Tri Ton

Fantastic flathead and jewfish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Gavin Dobson

Flat out with flathead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Keith Stratford

Consistent catches from the Clarence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Tye Porter