BNB Fishing mag | Jun 2019

Winter escapes to the Cape

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June 2019 Print Post Approved PP100001534 Volume 30, Number 6

4WD & caravan adventures

Rainbow Beach offshore action

Building the dream boat Tactics for flathead SEQ dam round-up Gold Coast inshore alive Getaways near Gladstone Boat review

Land-based locations around Moreton Bay

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Estuary • Offshore • Freshwater • 4WD • Camping • Kayaking

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 1

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Page 2 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019

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Inside this month Moreton Bay

Flathead

P20

P16

Fresh water

Central QLD

P52

OUR COVER

ROB SCHOMBERG captured this quality pearl perch during a recent Power Boat Anglers competition trip off Rainbow Beach. For more PBA action, check out MICK CLUTTERBUCK’S article, Page 38.

EDITOR: SUBEDITOR: ADVERTISING: PRODUCTION:

Ben Collins Daniel Tomlinson Gabi McCaig, Kacie Hubbert Jo Hendley

Phone (07) 3286 1833 Fax (07) 3821 2637 Email: ben@bnbfishing.com.au Internet: www.bnbfishing.com.au PO Box 387, Cleveland, Qld 4163 Unit 2, 39 Enterprise Street, Cleveland, Qld 4163 AFTA PRINTER: Rural Press DISTRIBUTION BY: Fairfax Max. recommended retail price $4.50 (includes GST).

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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.

AUST

JULY edition will be on sale in newsagents from June 28. See subscription form on Page 68 to go in the draw to win one of 24 bottles of ReelX high-tech reel lubricant valued at $24.50 each.

More exposed beaches tend to fish better for tailor, though schools will be found chasing baitfish within casting distance of shore, even along some of the calmer beaches such as Bribie Island.

Along the more exposed beaches, a few key beach formations can be looked for.

These include deep holes, gutters and deeper areas of channels.

I have spoken a bit about these formations in previous Bush ‘n Beach articles and on my Facebook page Ontour Fishing Australia.

Along calmer beaches that don’t have the telltale gutters of the more exposed beaches, drive along and keep an eye out for diving terns attacking baitfish on the surface.

This is a sure sign predators are chasing bait to the surface and in winter, close to shore, this is usually tailor (though surprises like tuna and mackerel can turn up as well).

Tailor are best targeted at dawn or dusk and into the evening.

The afternoon bite period can start a bit earlier if you fish in front of a high sand dune or even in front of the Gold Coast skyscrapers, as these throw a big shadow on the gutter.

At Fraser Island, I have fished in shadowed gutters catching fish after fish from about 4pm in winter, while anglers in nearby sun-drenched gutters don’t get a hit.

Ganged pilchards on three 4/0 hooks (or 5/0 hooks for bigger pilchards) connected with swivels for ease of manoeuvring are your best bet for average size tailor.

Bigger specimens can be caught at night using a more targeted approach involving strips of bonito or even tailor.

In terms of line strength, generally 15lb mono main line is about the minimum

ATI ON

off the beach and how to catch them.

Tailor Queensland’s famous tailor run starts to shift gear in June and only gets better as winter progresses.

Great spots to target tailor in winter include the beaches of northern NSW right up to Fraser Island.

Fraser Island is of course renowned for this species and for very good reason.

Fraser sees its peak fishing action for tailor from early to mid-July through to September.

CI

This means with Queensland’s beautiful mild winter upon us, it’s time to chase the cool water species.

Whether you are fishing off the beach, rocks, in the estuary or Moreton Bay, you have plenty of options this winter.

In this article we’ll focus on the beach.

To maximise your chances of success targeting cool water species, you need a plan of attack.

This article outlines some of the common winter species you can chase

Fishing Tips

by SEAN ‘SKIP’ THOMPSON

O

O

NE of the best ways to ensure more fishing success is to target fish that are in season.

Winter beach fishing .................by Sean ‘Skip’ Thompson .................P3 Moreton Bay land-based ..........by Brian Webb.....................................P7 Tuna Tales .....................................by Joseph Cormack ...........................P9 Offshore .........................................by Bill Corten .....................................P10 Flathead frenzy ............................by Keith Stratford..............................P12 Game fishing methods...............by Barry Alty ......................................P13 Northern Moreton Bay ..............by Mark Templeton ..........................P16 Winter is upon Gold Coast .......by Scott Van Burck...........................P17 Jewfish in June ............................by Wayne ‘Youngy’ Young ..............P18 Fishing set to impress................by Darren Rama ................................P19 Targeting flathead.......................by Brad Smith ....................................P20 TV talent in Brunz........................by Gavin Dobson ...............................P22 Ballina................................................. by Brett Hyde ...........................................P24 Blackfishing prime time ...........by Gary ‘Squidgie’ Palmer..............P25 Just Jew ........................................by Tye Porter ......................................P26 Sunshine Coast............................by Grant Budd ....................................P29 Puzzle page...................................................................................................P30 Classic Characters .....................by Paul ‘Chief’ Graveson ................P31 Bundaberg Region ......................by Brad Young ...................................P32 Lunacy ............................................by Peter Layton..................................P34 Pelagics putting on a show .....by Tri Ton .............................................P36 Jigging the Great Barrier Reef...by Joel Johnson................................P37 Rainbow Beach offshore ..........by Mick Clutterbuck ........................P38 Boating & Marine .................................................................................P40-45 Building the dream boat ...........by Mati Bats.......................................P40 Insights into boat insurance ....by Nautilus Marine ..........................P40 Formosa Centre Cab review ....by Daniel Tomlinson ........................P42 Paddling for rehab ......................by Heath Zygnerski ..........................P46 Readers Forum.............................................................................................P47 Charter Directory ................................................................................. P48,49 Getaways around Gladstone ...by Gary Churchward........................P50 Stanage Bay .................................by Pee Wee ........................................P50 Cap Coast in beast mode ..........by John Boon .....................................P51 Fishing Mackay estuaries ........by Jason Kidd ....................................P52 Hinchinbrook News ...................by Team Crackajack ........................P53 Fishing Cairns ..............................by Brett Parks ....................................P54 Weipa Wonders...........................by Ryan Jamieson ............................P55 Recipe ............................................by Melissa Frohloff ..........................P55 Fly Fishing .....................................by Dave Donald .................................P56 Tackling the tip ............................by Matt Potter ....................................P57 Daintree to Cooktown................by ‘Billabong’ Bazz Lyon .................P59 Levuka 4x4 Park ..........................by Greg Bell .......................................P60 Uluru and the Olgas....................by Todd Eveleigh ..............................P61 Monduran Dam ............................by Les Gane........................................P62 Borumba bass ..............................by Callum Munro ..............................P63 Glenlyon Dam...............................by Brian Dare.....................................P64 Freshwater Impoundments ......by Matthew Langford ......................P65 Fishing for Sport ..........................by Neil Schultz ..................................P66 Trading Post.................................................................................................P67 Subscription form ......................................................................................P68

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Winter beach fishing options in southeast Queensland

P65

PRO TE CT

Giant trevally are a bonus by-catch off the beach, with much bigger specimens than this available when slide baiting.

A

S we start to pull on the beanies and retie the snapper rigs, a few changes to fishing regulations have occurred throughout Queensland.

HIN G T R A D E

First, in Moreton Bay there is now a total ban on harvesting of molluscs, so gastropods and bivalve molluscs, including mud arks, mud whelks and cockles can no longer be taken.

However, pipis can still be taken, though a bag limit of 50 per person applies.

While I personally have never taken any of these species, plenty of people obviously have, and in order to maintain a well-balanced ecosystem the rules have been changed.

As always, ignorance of the rules is no excuse, so make sure you are up to date with all the regulations, and if you suspect anyone of breaching these rules, be sure to call the Fishwatch hotline on 1800 017 116.

Another regulation change has been issued, this time pertaining to black jewfish.

Over the past year to year and a half there has been a reported increase in black jewfish catch numbers and the Queensland Government feels there is a strong risk of black-marketing due to the high prices fetched for their swim bladders.

In order to maintain sustainability, there is now a 20-tonne per year quota for commercial catch on the east coast and six tonnes per year in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

The recreational bag limit has also been reduced from two to one and black jewfish are required to be in whole form only when on a boat.

This requirement will prevent the processing of fish at sea to remove the valuable swim bladders.

It is disappointing to say the least to see that this rule has had to be introduced, but it is a direct result of the high demand from the Asian market for these swim bladders.

In this day and age, why are people so keep to ‘rape’ the system in order to make a few dollars?

Though in this case it is more than a few dollars, with dried swim bladders apparently selling for $500 per kilogram!

To put this in perspective, a jewfish of about a metre in length will have a swim bladder weighing around a kilogram.

Let’s just hope the fines for people caught breaking this regulation follow the same high-dollar trend.

A statement needs to be made by the Queensland Government, especially to those who have a blatant disrespect for our fishing regulations.

Let’s get tough on these people who are destroying the future of our fishery by implementing large fines, boat seizures and criminal records for offenders.

I’m sure if that was the case, a lot fewer people would flaunt the rules and there would be more money in the coffers to employ more Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol officers.

It’s a win-win if you ask me – I just hope our government sees it that way.

In other news, don’t forget to check out the BNB Fishing Facebook page where you can find plenty of current catches, funny posts and cracking competitions to enter.

We are also running an Instagram competition, so make sure you post your pics with the #bnbfishingmag tagline to go in the draw to win a monthly prize.

I know not everyone is on Instagram and Facebook, so we are also looking at increasing the number of prizes and competitions in the mag, so stay tuned!

It is also worth noting that all new, renewing and extending subscribers now get a free digital subscription as part of the print subscription offer.

This is an extra $25 of value for oneyear subscribers and $45 for two-year subscribers, so sign up now to ensure you don’t miss an issue.

Ben Collins

April prizewinner

Congratulations to Paul Cornelius, Mt Gravatt who has won a pair of Mako Edge sunglasses valued at $299.95!

☛ continued P4

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 3

Metal lures are a great option for tailor when the fish are on.

Dusk is not only productive but also a magic time to fish with sunsets like this.

Winter beach fishing options in southeast Queensland ☛ from P3

Ganged hooks and tailor go hand in hand off the beach in winter.

you want to use, though 20lb gives you a bit of extra insurance against breakage when casting big sinkers or in case a large mulloway takes your bait.

I make sure I use thindiameter 20lb because it casts further and is less prone to sideways drag than thicker-diameter line.

Braided line also casts very well off the beach, though you need to be careful in your choice of reel because sidecasts like Alveys generally require you to guide the line on the reel and this can cut

Big sharks are among some very large predators available when slide baiting the beach in winter.

A nice shallow low gutter, perfect for whiting in winter.

Page 4 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019

your fingers badly.

In terms of leader, I find 30lb fluorocarbon generally sufficient, however if targeting big tailor at night, 50lb trace can be added to handle their sharp teeth.

Bream and tarwhine Like tailor, bream and tarwhine (which have a rounder head than bream) will be available in good numbers along our beaches this winter.

They can be targeted in similar deep beach formations, though you will often find bigger concentrations of them around patches of coffee rocks.

You can also catch them in shallower water than tailor during the day, including low tide gutters.

While I’ve caught a few bigger specimens of these fish on ganged pilchards meant for tailor, downsizing will result in more captures.

In fact, if you are fishing with ganged pilchards and notice bites out of the stomach of the bait, bream and tarwhine are normally the culprits.

Changing to a size 1 or 1/0 suicide hook with a pilchard tail or head will usually result in a quick hook-up if you fish light enough (2-4 ball sinker) in light to medium surf.

These fish also respond well to berley of cut pilchards or your own concoction such as old bait, bran, tuna oil, sand and a bit of water.

They will also take pipi baits eagerly and of course beach worms and yabbies.

In terms of line strength, 6lb is all that’s needed if you play your fish carefully in the wash, however 10-12lb can be a better option around the rocks.

Dart While not everyone’s cup of tea due to their inferior eating qualities compared to whiting in particular, dart are still great fun to catch and make good live bait.

Dart can be found on most Queensland beaches year-round and winter is no exception.

They are a great option for the kids too because they can be prolific during the day and in fact it

can be hard to get a bait past them!

Dart can be caught on a variety of baits, but the easiest are right under the sand at your feet: pipis.

Dart are also less fussy than whiting and will happily take frozen worms if you can’t get your own live worms.

Bigger dart will also hit ganged pilchards, but if targeting them I suggest using smaller baits and hooks, as with bream and tarwhine.

Smaller dart tend to feed just behind the shore break, with bigger specimens out in the deeper water of gutters and holes.

Once again, 6lb line is fine but if targeting bigger dart 8lb can be added insurance against those surging runs in the wash.

Summer whiting While regarded as a ‘summer species’, summer or yellowfin whiting can still be found in reasonable numbers through winter.

In fact, towards the end of winter in August, catches can be very good off beaches close to big bays and inlets such as Bribie Island, Inskip Point and Hook Point at Fraser Island.

Live worms are the number-one bait, with yabbies and pipis your next best bets.

Fine 6lb line and leader is ideal in the shallow waters where they reside.

Long traces are also a good option to allow the fish to pick up the bait and run before feeling the resistance of the sinker.

In terms of beach formations, I prefer either low tide gutters that close at one end or have a small shore break.

At high tide, again I will look for shallow gutters or drains that are almost empty at low tide and fill on the incoming tide.

Deeper gutters tend to attract more dart and bream.

Mulloway Mulloway are the holy grail for most beach anglers.

Mulloway or jewfish are best targeted off Queensland beaches at night in the deeper holes and gutters, preferably those with

both a north and south entry and exit point.

Nearby structure such as offshore reef and coffee rock close to shore or beach corners with deep permanent holes near the rocks are prime spots.

Anglers are in two camps as to whether new or full moon is best.

Either way, the bigger tides associated with these moon phases tend to bring them in closer to the beach to hunt and tide changes can also see an increase in their activity after dark.

Jewish specialists will use either live baits such as tailor, very fresh squid or big bunches of beach worms.

Big slab baits of tailor and bonito will also work but can attract their unwanted share of big toothy critters under the cover of dark.

Other species In recent years, the popularity of slide baiting and drone fishing has taken off on the beach and for good reason.

Some big captures of sizeable fish including spanish mackerel, giant trevally, snapper and sharks can be targeted from deep water accessed by long casts at low tide or baits dropped from a drone.

Good places to start are beyond the breakers in beaches with nearby reefs and in the outer channel past the back sandbank of an inner channel that runs parallel to the beach.

Live baits tend to catch more ‘edible’ desirable species, while big fish slab baits will hook more sharks, as does slide baiting later in the afternoon.

For more tips and specialist tackle for slide baiting in particular, jump onto the Kingfisher Australia Facebook page and website (www.kingfish eraustralia.com.au).

Winter is a fantastic time of year for beach fishing in southeast Queensland and northern NSW, with a bunch of species on offer.

For more tips and reports, please jump on and like my Ontour Fishing Australia Facebook page.

See you on the beach! www.bnbfishing.com. au

New rules to protect black jewfish ■ Safeguarding Moreton Bay molluscs

B

LACK jewfish are now better protected under new rules that apply to commercial and recreational fishers, and the take of gastropods and bivalve molluscs has been completely banned in Moreton Bay to protect sustainability.

Minister for Agricul-

tural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said this was in response to feedback from the community concerned about overfishing of these species.

“We’ve seen a significant increase in black jewfish catch over the past 12-18 months and there is a risk of black-marketing due to the extremely high

Photo: Dave Donald

market prices for their swim bladders,” Mr Furner said.

“Black jewfish are vulnerable to overfishing and stock collapses have been previously seen in Australia and overseas.

“Urgent management action is needed to protect this resource and its longterm economic viability.”

To ensure the sustainability of black jewfish, the following new rules have been introduced: • A commercial catch limit of 20 tonnes per year on the east coast and six tonnes per year in the Gulf of Carpentaria; • A reduction in the recreational in-possession limit from two to one; and • A requirement for black jewfish to be in whole form only on a boat in order to prevent pro-

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cessing of the fish at sea to remove the valuable swim bladders.

The Minister said excessive harvesting of molluscs within Moreton Bay meant a total ban was now necessary.

“Gastropod and bivalve molluscs, including mud arks, mud whelks and cockles, can no longer be taken,” he said.

“You can still take pipis and collect empty shells.

“The closure applies within the northern, eastern and southern boundaries of the Moreton Bay Marine Park including the existing foreshore closures at Wynnum, Nudgee Beach, Bramble Bay and Deception Bay. “Gastropods and bivalve mollusc species are highly susceptible to depletion because they remain

in one place and can be easily accessed in fishing grounds close to urban centres.”

Fisheries Queensland made considerable effort over the past 12 months to educate the community about the limits in place to protect molluscs, however there was still a serious level of non-compliance.

“Signage is being installed around Moreton Bay and the Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol will undertake compliance checks over the coming months,” Minister Furner said.

“These restrictions are necessary so we can build a legacy of a sustainable fishery for our children and grandchildren.”

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Not knowing fishing rules results in $4000 fine

F

ISHERS are being urged to make sure they know Queensland’s fishing rules after five Sunshine Coast fishers were recently fined a total of $4000 for taking undersized fish.

Minister for Agricultur-

al Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol officers found the fishers with 150 undersize fish on Chambers Island in the Maroochy River on New Year’s Day 2018.

“The fishers had used a

Calling all Queenslanders

I

T is time to wave the greenback flag for the Sunshine State and stand up for our fishing mates!

A Queenslander knows what it is like to bleed maroon, so fish in your Queensland hot spot and bring those big fish to Pottsville and take home the shield.

Game on!

Enter the 32nd annual Lions charity Pottsville Beach Sports Greenback Fishing Comp from June 8-9, 2019.

Register online at lionsgreenback.com and sign on in Queensland at the Gold Coast (ticket QR/barcode scan only, no cash at the Mad Keen tent at The Bait Shop Gold Coast located at 22 Kendor St Arundel), Pottsville (at Pottsville Beach Sports Club; ticket scan or cash) or Ballina (ticket scan only at three shop locations).

If you can’t register online, you will need to go to the Pottsville sign-on location and pay cash to register.

The first State of Origin game is the Wednesday before Greenback weekend, which is a great lead-

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in to the Greenback Fowler State Shield.

Fish Queensland and NSW tidal waters and be part of the NSW v Queensland challenge.

Weigh-in is 9am sharp on Sunday, June 9 at Pottsville (30 minutes south of the border).

Try your luck with the $1000 Mad Keen prize for the secret fish.

Enter to go in the draw to win over $37,000 in cash and fishing/camping prizes including signed Alvey reels, with 48 categories.

Entry includes the Sunday breakfast, heaps of lucky draws, a charity fish auction and a ticket in a charity raffle where the prize is a choice between a $6000 Tweed Coast Marine boat package or $5000 cash.

Buy a Team Queensland fishing shirt ($59.99) or T-shirt ($34.99) and don’t forget to grab your $5 raffle tickets online.

And if you decide to fish in NSW, don’t forget to buy a NSW fishing licence from dpi.nsw.gov. au /f ish ing/recreational/recre ational-fishing-fee For any more information, head to lions greenback.com

cast net to take the fish and, when approached by QBFP officers, claimed to have no knowledge of Queensland’s fishing rules,” Mr Furner said.

“We cannot stress enough that fishers have a responsibility to ensure they understand and are up to date with Queensland’s fishing rules.

“Fishing rules exist to protect fisheries resources and ensure a sustainable fishery for our children and grandchildren.

“That is why we passed our Fisheries reforms to give QBFP officers stronger powers and increase penalties for breaching the rules.”

QBFP District Officer Russell Overton said, “Ignorance is no excuse and, in this instance, not knowing the rules has ended in a very costly day out.”

“All the fishers pleaded guilty in the Maroochydore Magistrates’ Court and were each fined $800 with no conviction recorded.”

Mr Overton said the case also highlighted the value of QBFP’s Fishwatch hotline.

“Officers responded quickly after a concerned member of the public called the Fishwatch 24-hour hotline to report suspicious activity on the island,” he said.

“The call allowed the officers to promptly intercept the fishers who tried to hide most of their catch, which included whiting, bream and flathead, and flee the island with the rest of it.

“QBFP relies greatly on the community’s support to provide relevant and timely information relat-

ing to potential offences concerning our valuable fishery resources.

“People who suspect illegal fishing activity should report it to the Fishwatch hotline on 1800 017 116.

“The registration details of the alleged offender’s car and/or boat should be collected and reported to the Fishwatch hotline but don’t engage with the person, as this can compromise an investigation and possibly your safety.”

For more information on Queensland fishing rules and regulations, visit fish eries.qld.gov.au, call 13 25 23 or download the free Qld Fishing app from Apple and Google app stores.

You can follow Fisheries Queensland on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@ FisheriesQld).

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Squire from the Brisbane River.

Moreton Bay land-based B RISBANE’S foreshores offer many fishing opportunities for novice and land-based anglers.

If you’d like to relax and catch a fish or two with the family and kids, many places from Bribie to Coochie allow you the opportunity to fish from the banks or beaches.

Around Brisbane, anglers can travel to a variety of places along the western shoreline of the bay to try their hand at catching a fish.

From soaking a bait in the Brisbane River for a thready or fishing the endless shallows of Moreton Bay for bream, whiting and flathead, you have so many options.

Brisbane cops very heavy fishing pressure, yet despite this, anglers with patience, skill and timing still produce fish on lures and bait.

The most popular catches from Brisbane’s foreshores are whiting, bream, flathead, trevally, cod and the odd catch of mangrove jack, threadfin salmon, jewfish and snapper.

Most of the year, whiting, bream and flathead are around and during winter bream school around the mouths of creeks and rivers, while in spring larger flathead move up the estuaries.

For example, Breakfast Creek is a small tributary joining the Brisbane River at Newstead, and all year it can produce good fish including bream, cod, flathead, squire, threadfin salmon, tailor, sharks, and of course plenty of catfish.

Like most fishing spots, it can be hit and miss, with some days producing great catches in short periods and others leaving you wondering what a bite felt like.

Nonetheless, it’s a fantastic spot if you’re not interested in travelling very far for a chance at quality fish.

The best place to set up for your fishing session is Newstead Park, a prominent loca-

Moreton Bay

by BRIAN WEBB

tion that will be familiar to many people.

Parking can be found in the surrounding streets around Newstead Ave and next to Newstead House.

A quick walk to the riverfront and you will find yourself with many fishing options.

A pontoon can be fished from and you can gather bait here if you know how to use a cast net.

Common bait catches include herring, poddy mullet and live prawns, all of which make excellent bait.

You can also grab a pack of frozen prawns or pilchards from the service station, but if you have time, get to a bait shop for a wider variety of baits.

Prawns and mullet from Woollies make great baits.

Just make sure the prawns are Australian, as imported prawns are safe for human consumption but can introduce disease into our waterways.

So, you have bait, now where to fish?

Walking to the left of the pontoon and into the creek will see you fishing along a stretch of pathway and grass leading to the main bridge crossing the creek.

Park benches line the waterway here, and from around these benches I have caught almost every species inhabiting Breakfast Creek.

A walkway also stretches alongside the river and is a good place to set rods up.

You can use a variety of rigs, starting from a 0-5 ball sinker depending on current, with a heavier trace running from the swivel to the hook, or you can just use a sinker straight onto the hook.

If you’re unsure of how to set up your rig, your local tackle

shop will give you a few lessons on how to do so.

Any of the locations listed below can be fished during the day, but for better results nighttime is always best, especially on tide changes.

They will all fish better on tide changes, as fish always feed on tide changes, no matter where you’re fishing.

Bribie Island This is one of the better beach fishing spots near Brisbane.

The northern end of Bribie provides better fishing and four-wheel-drives can get you north along the beach.

This is a good time to look for deeper gutters.

The Bribie beaches are best fished on an incoming tide.

A light to medium beach rod and reel is the go, and strip baits of mullet or pilchards can produce bream, flathead, dart, tailor (mostly during spring) and the odd jew.

Caboolture The beaches of Caboolture mostly give up whiting and a rising tide is the best time to fish.

Yabbies are the best bait as the odd bream and flathead will move onto the flats during the incoming tide.

Scarborough foreshore The foreshore has a tonne of structure at which to cast lures and bait for bream, whiting and flathead.

Dedicated anglers can walk the rocks in search of fish, and summertime provides fun fishing on poppers.

The odd sweetlip and snapper can also be caught in the deeper sections.

Redcliffe Jetty There is good structure and shelter here for baitfish, which attracts bream, flathead and tailor (in spring). ☛ continued P8

A threadfin landed in the Brissie.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 7

Squid taken off a rock wall.

A jewfish from Clara Rocks.

Moreton Bay land-based fishing locations ☛ from P7

A hard-fighting trevally.

Prawns from the Pine River banks.

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Woody Point A green zone runs from Scotts Point to the jetty, but anglers can fish from the jetty into deeper water.

Incoming tides produce the best results for bream, flathead and the odd tailor.

Bait fishing is the way to go, with prawns, pilchards and mullet strip baits working well during spring.

Tailor will take metal slugs.

Hays Inlet mouth The mouth of Hays Inlet has good land-based access and an outgoing tide can produce catches of flathead on soft plastics.

Jewfish and jacks are also caught here in the deeper holes.

Live baiting early of a morning or late of an afternoon into the night on the smaller tides and an hour either side of the tide change will give you the best chance.

Decker Park To the north off Hornibrook Highway is good scattered rock and pylon structure that fishes well for bream on an incoming tide.

The bridge pylons have deeper water and bait is best here.

Mangrove jack and jewies have occasionally been caught here.

Pine River You don’t have too many land-based options along the Pine.

Deepwater Bend Reserve produces OK fishing for mostly bream and flathead and it’s ideally fished with bait.

Shorncliffe The rocky shoreline at the mouth of Cabbage Tree Creek fishes well for bream on an incoming tide.

Shallow-diving hardminnow lures, preferably suspending, are the go.

The jetty gives anglers access to deeper water, with bait a great choice.

Cabbage Tree Creek Sinbad St offers good access to the creek, with some jetties as structure for bream and flathead.

Keen anglers can get to the southern side through Boondall Wetlands.

Walking along the shoreline here is a good way to cover ground in search of bream and flathead.

Nudgee Beach The foreshore is a popular spot during summer to target whiting on poppers, while the river mouth is a good place to chase bream during winter.

A bit tricky to access, the snags and mangroves around the mouth are great places to target bream on an incoming tide.

Boggy Creek Boggy Creek is known to produce bream, flathead, the odd mangrove jack, threadies and jewies.

Around the boat ramp, live baiting works well in summer for mangrove jack as the tide slows.

Further downstream are several more access points off Piped Rd. The water here can be hit and miss but it’s worth jigging a few vibes for flathead and bream.

Newstead Jetty Breakfast Creek meets the Brisbane River on a bend, creating a deep hole.

Strong currents make lure fishing hard but during the slack tides, anglers have hooked threadies, jewies and the odd jack.

Live and dead baiting from the jetty at night is the go at this spot.

Port Bridge Land-based access is possible under the bridge and to the west down Howard Smith Drive.

Under the bridge you’ll find deep water best fished with bait during a turning tide.

The main species to target here are jacks, jewies and the usual bream.

Wynnum Creek The rock wall along here is popular among anglers.

The weed shallows on the south side of the rock wall produce bream, whiting and flathead on the incoming tide.

Summer is a great time to target whiting in the shallows on popper lures.

Wynnum Jetty The jetty gives anglers access to deeper water and the main catches here are bream, flathead, whiting and the odd trevally, however during late-winter and spring, tailor are around.

This area gives up better results when fished with bait.

Wynnum shallows There is good access for land-based anglers to plenty of shallow and

weedy waters around Wynnum.

Exploring the area with light soft plastics and shallow-diving lures can produce flathead, bream and whiting.

Manly Boat Harbour rock wall The rock wall extends into deeper water, making this a popular spot for anglers.

The wall attracts bream, flathead, trevally, squid and the odd jack and jewie.

Because it’s so popular, it’s best fished at night with mullet strip baits for better-quality fish.

Lota Creek mouth The stretch from Queen Victoria boat ramp to the creek junction is a good place to target flathead on soft plastics, while the shallows also produce whiting.

Tingalpa Creek mouth Land-based fishing access is possible around the mouth, however it is a bit of a walk.

Around the mangroves, anglers can target bream on an incoming tide.

Suspending minnow lures work well.

Flathead will also push up into the mangroves.

Aquatic Paradise Park The water around the mouth of Tarradarrapin Creek is deeper and fishes well for bream.

Soaking baits here on an outgoing tide, anglers can expect mostly bream and a few flathead.

Wellington Point This is a beautiful spot

to go fishing near Brisbane.

Fishing the flats with shallow-diving lures, soft plastics and poppers is a good way to find bream, flathead and whiting.

Wellington Point Jetty The odd snapper has been caught from the jetty, particularly after rough seas.

Other catches include tailor, bream and the odd jew.

I’ve found mullet strips, pilchards and squid baits all work well.

Raby Bay Esplanade With good access to deeper water, anglers can expect mainly bream, particularly during winter.

Jacks also lurk around the rock wall in summer.

Cleveland Point Rocky structure around Cleveland Point makes it a great place to go fishing.

It’s best fished during the high tide, walking around the point casting soft plastics or 2m-diving hard-bodies.

The point produces cod, bream and odd snapper on bait.

Grab a 7’, 4-6kg graphite rod with a 4000 size reel (tackle shops will give you a variety of combos for your needs), 12kg braid and 15kg leader.

Use hooks ranging from size 2-4.

A landing net will come in handy too.

Grab some fresh bait and get down to one of the above areas and give it a try!

Plenty of baitfish can be found in most creeks around Brisbane.

The Moreton Bay foreshore.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

A strange longtail tuna season

P

LENTY of tuna one day and gone the next… the fishing truly has been all over the place this season.

As well as being even more sporadic than normal, the size of fish is well down on our usual season average.

Looking back through

Tuna Tales

by JOSEPH CORMACK

my records over the past four years, I had caught only one fish under a metre, until this season where the average fish was mid-90cm.

I’ve caught a few of our

Another one fell victim to the Flat Shad.

The author’s little deckie with a longtail hooked on a Zerek Flat Shad soft plastic.

normal 105-110cm school fish and seen some of the big boys around but most fish have been under the metre mark so far.

Here’s hoping for an influx of big fish to finish the season off.

I can see no real reason for the size difference this season.

The bait schools have been where they should be, when they should be, and water quality has been good most of the season.

It’s been a fairly typical season overall, just the fish size is well down.

Thankfully the same techniques still work on the smaller fish, with plenty being caught on stickbaits, with soft plastics always there for backup.

Slow rolling 3” Zerek Flat Shads through the bait schools has again proven deadly this year.

When secured to a 3/8oz jig head with a 3/0 hook, Flat Shads have scored the majority of our deeper bites.

The Zerek Zappelin 160 stickbait has once again proved its worth, getting some amazing topwater strikes.

What the fish lack in size, they make up for with enthusiastic surface strikes, often making an

explosive watery Shad.

Impressive as always.

You simply can’t beat the topwater bite.

The tuna schools have been in all the usual places, from Peel Island to past Tangalooma.

Most congregations have been around the middle bay and Four Beacons region.

The one downside to lots of tuna is lots and lots of sharks.

We have at times had up to seven sharks under the boat at once, and they’re not small!

Most are over 2.5m in length and looking for an easy feed.

Apparently my stainless prop looks like a tuna in distress because a few sharks have taken a liking to it.

I have also heard a couple of stories about sharks grabbing electric motors and making a right mess of them, so be careful out there!

June is about the end of the season most years, so get out there and into them while they hang around.

If you have never tried surface fishing for tuna, now’s the time to get out and give it a crack!

Get yourself some stickbaits around the 160mm mark and go and chase some schools.

One fish on a topwater lure will more than make your day.

Matt with a topwater tuna after a spectacular strike.

Tyler with a tuna caught on a 6.5” plastic during a double hook-up while fishing with his dad around Harry Atkinson Artificial Reef.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 9

Post-Easter period sees offshore improve

W

ELL it’s time to put the fingers to the keyboard again after an absence from BNB over the past two months.

Dan Faux with a Moreton Island 37s pearl perch.

Alan Eames landed a fairly typical 37-fathom reef pearl perch.

Some quality amberjack and friendly rivalry was shared by Adam Woolley and Andrew Gillespie.

Quite a few people have been asking “where are ya mate?” but the reality is the fishing has been quiet and I’ve been kept busy with bar crossing work because it has been an excellent season of swells on the coastal bars.

Let’s face it: a day working on the bar is never dull or boring and I really enjoy bringing people on that journey of discovery for their benefit.

In comparison, the fishing opportunities have been fairly limited and the good news is we have now weathered the worst of the year as far as reef fishing is concerned.

The water temperatures are reducing, so it’s onwards and upwards from here as the season improves.

I’m also of the opinion to hold fire until there is something noteworthy to talk about, rather than just pen a column of boring meaningless crap and put it out for public consumption.

The post-Easter period has seen a big improvement in conditions offshore and I put several fishing trips together locally that held my interest.

For those trips I decided to work up along Moreton Island to avoid some of the pretty constant strong current that had been running out wider as there are lines of reef to work that get you out of the worst of the current.

A typical example is the 29-fathom reef.

A lot of broken sections run along and adjacent to this reef line, hence plenty of options.

Typically, the spots that work best are the lesserknown ones, so the effort went into arriving at those locations when the tide was more suitable to ensure the best result.

Snapper were a bit slow inshore but pearl perch numbers had built up in the months since my last visit, so it basically became one drop per drift due to the combination

Offshore

by BILL CORTEN

of current flow and wind direction skewing most drifts.

Fortunately, the crew members didn’t mind the regular winding because they were happy to get onto some nice fish.

After the initial burst of hot bites, the fish seemed more aware of our presence and went a tad shy, so the tactic was to swap baits over to the ‘cock in a sock’ combination of a small pillie stuffed inside one of those long Californian squid bought from my local tackle shop.

This worked a treat and brought the good steady bite back on again for a while.

On one of those days I had a crew of two dads and two 16-year-old sons who are schoolmates.

They hadn’t fished offshore before and it was a great experience for them.

When they had done enough work closer inshore and put some fish in the box while getting a good feel for the Venom rods and braid combinations, we headed out to Square Patch on the 42s for a live bait session to stretch the young blokes’ arms.

That was an after-lunch session they will probably never forget as both lads got onto the fish and learnt a lot about striking after the initial hook-up to set the Mustad hooks and then developed excellent timing and co-ordination as they brought the fish to the boat.

As an old Villanova boy, I will pay them a compliment and admit they did very well for St Laurence’s boys.

Gotta keep those old rivalries alive!

While not big amberjack, in the 80cm-plus range they provided a good workout and a big feed of fresh fillets.

The bag limit of two per person is probably generous when you consider the size of the fillets and the need to bleed them and preferably eat while still fresh.

The ambos can be overfished as we’ve observed at a number of other locations over the years along Moreton, so perhaps a boat limit on a sliding scale would be a good means of managing this thinning resource.

The same thing has happened to the kingies at Square Patch.

It wasn’t that many years ago you would go there with an expectation of yellowtail kings and maybe a few amberjack.

These days a good-sized kingy at that location has become a rare catch, but not impossible to achieve.

I headed back out that way some days later and made it a morning session.

The current was at least a knot slower and surface conditions were much better, allowing an easier introduction to some good arm-stretching exercises with the rod and reel.

It was interesting to observe a few guys in another boat jigging without any hook-ups, so I made a point of asking if they had any livies.

Once they made the switch, they got a nice feed, as did my crew.

Again, no sharks were around that day and one of the crew hooked up to a much bigger than average amberjack, but sadly

it snapped the leader after much of the hard work was done and will makes someone else’s day for them.

We never got to work over any of the nearby 50-fathom ground, but headed inshore towards the 37-fathom pinnacles and then south to the back ledges of the 35s.

Sounding around these grounds showed plenty of fish on the sounder, with good pearl perch caught, and then around the 35s in particular we found plenty of smaller pearlies and

the occasional midrange snapper.

While it was a bit early for them at the time of writing, it was an encouraging sign.

This winter will be the real test of the strength of the snapper fishery as it is a species identified as being overfished, depleted and therefore under threat.

The word is to expect to see some closed seasons for snapper in the rocky reef fishery next winter as part of a rebuilding process – something that is long overdue.

Zac Oberthur and Jacob Faux held a pair of solid amberjack taken with live baits.

Brad Cecil caught this early season snapper on a back ledge of the northern 35-fathom reef line.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 11

Flounder have been very active this season. They will happily eat a lure aimed at flathead.

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Flathead frenzy as winter chill sets in

B

REAK out the jumpers and beanies and get ready for excellent fishing.

Winter is here and with it comes red-hot action.

Flathead will be very active through June, with early signs suggesting it will be an excellent season.

I went for my first serious flathead session at the start of May and landed 40 flathead and eight flounder.

The quality wasn’t great, but it’s a certainly a good sign.

They were caught casting plastics and trolling small hard-bodied divers.

The quality will improve this month and the numbers should get even better.

Jewfish and threadfin will also be a good option during June.

Both species like to push upstream in rivers like the Pine and Caboolture.

Threadfin salmon

Local Luring

by KEITH STRATFORD

schooled up out the front of Clontarf again this year and have only just moved on at the time writing.

Anglers had a ball catching these fish in a couple of metres of water.

They’re a lot more fun to catch in the shallows than in deep water like the Brisbane River.

They are also much easier to release.

Last year saw plenty of big threadfin push into the Pine River, which I’m guessing were the fish that were hanging out the front of Clontarf.

A number of good fish also pushed into the Caboolture River, so hopefully the same thing happens again this year.

Many small jew have been feasting on prawns in the upper reaches of the Caboolture River over

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Trolling with the rod in a holder will help prevent the hooks from tearing out of the flathead’s mouth when it eats the lure.

the past couple of months, which is a good sign for the future.

These little jewies are a heap of fun on light gear and really belt a lure when fired up.

They aren’t too fussy about what they eat.

Soft vibes, blades, prawn imitations and a wide variety of soft plastics all work well.

This month should see better size jewies showing up.

They’re loads of fun to catch in our local rivers.

Flathead will be very active this month and will only get better as winter goes on.

They turn up in huge numbers in all the rivers and creeks around Brisbane every winter.

They’re a great species to target, for everyone from beginners to the more experienced.

They eat a wide variety of lures and baits, fight well and are one of the tastiest fish you will eat.

I prefer to target flathead with lures and find this to be the most productive way to catch them.

Trolling small diving hard-bodies is a deadly technique and an excellent way to locate good numbers of fish.

A few popular models to try are Lively Lures Micro Mullets, Zerek Tango Shads and Pig Lures.

Plenty of others are out there, but these are all proven flathead catchers.

A lot of people class trolling as boring and think it’s just a matter of throwing a lure out the back of the boat and driving up the middle of the river until a fish eats it.

This is far from the truth and it takes a lot of practice and trial and error to consistently catch good numbers of fish by trolling.

Flathead move around a lot when they are feeding.

When the tide is rising, they will follow the bait up into the shallows and feed close to mangrove edges, drains and over yabby banks.

Trolling in the areas where fish are feeding will see you catching lots more fish.

As the tide starts to fall, the fish move off the flats and push back into the channels.

I like to troll with the current rather than against it.

Most fish will sit facing into the current waiting for baitfish to swim past, so giving them what they are used to will produce results.

These small diving hardbodied lures are generally fitted with light-gauge and sharp trebles, so it’s important to fish with a light drag setting and fight the fish smoothly.

It’s also important not to strike at the fish when it initially eats the lure.

This is a good way to rip those sharp little hooks out of the flathead’s mouth.

I prefer to troll with the rods in holders.

The drag needs to be set lightly to stop hooks pulling and ensure the lure doesn’t snap when it finds a snag.

Next month I’ll run through a few ways to catch flathead on soft plastics and vibes.

I hope to see you on the water.

Small diving hard-bodies will catch plenty of fish this month.

Flathead will be fired up during June. This one came from the pylons in the background.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Game fishing methods – part two C ONTINUING on from last month, I will run you through more successful game fishing methods I’ve picked up after decades in the industry.

Trolling dead baits for sailfish and little blacks The preferred baits to troll are mullet and garfish, which in the US are called ballyhoo.

I am not going to write about how to rig them, because once again plenty of info and video is on the internet.

Mullet are usually swum on the flat lines but garfish can be either swum or skipped.

When skipped, it is ideal to put a small green or pink octopus skirt over their heads, which we think acts as added attraction to the marlin but also protects the gar from the rigours of bouncing along the surface.

The skip baits are run from rigger clips, usually Blacks clips with reels set in the now-familiar ‘freerunning’ drag.

To prevent the line from running through the clips and disappearing into the distance, before you attach the line to the clip, make a small loop in your fingers and twist the line a few times.

Then attach it with very light release pressure on the clip.

You can do the same with your flat lines using Blacks clips run from the

Game Fishing

by BARRY ALTY

usual stern cleat through the hawse pipe on a bit of Dacron.

On Mistress we pull two dredges from teaser rods equipped with electric auto-retrieve teaser reels when trolling dead baits When you get a shot that doesn’t hook up, always assume it is some kind of billfish.

Leave the reel in free spool for a little while but just put a thumb on the side of the spool to control or slow the loss of line and be ready to release the reel again if the fish comes back.

It is very common for sailfish in particular to just whack the bait with their bill and then come back to eat it.

Troll these dead baits at about four knots through the water, not four knots over the ground.

Trolling and drifting live baits for little blacks and sailfish We on Mistress usually troll lures or dead baits until we mark a likely looking bait school on the sonar or a depth sounder.

Get the boat in a position where you are able to access the school by drifting to and through it.

Drop sabiki jigs to the depth at which the skipper tells you the bait is holding.

Keep slimy mackerel and yakkas in your live bait tank.

Throw pilchards overboard because they are useless.

Now bridle rig your livies and either troll them at about one knot near the surface and one on a downrigger, or drift them if the baits (and presumably the marlin) are deep.

If the baits are deep, you will need a weight attached at the top of the leader to get the baits down to the required depth.

The procedure is essentially the same as trolling dead baits, with freerunning drag and lines in Blacks clips.

Many anglers prefer to hold rods with their thumb on the spool.

Fair enough if you don’t mind being in the sun all day and getting burnt to a crisp.

Many crews also keep jigging baits all day whether they need them or not because they believe marlin will follow the bait-filled sabiki jig to the surface.

Often you will have one eat a bait while it is still on the jig.

Usually all that happens is you get a couple of jumps before you lose the

jig on a marlin’s bill.

Some people fishing live baits also like to put one on a balloon so it gets well away from the boat.

A good idea unless you are in a carpark with boats all over you.

When fishing for little blacks, select the most appropriate method for the resident fish.

Reading the obvious signs will give you a guide as to which method to use.

• If the baits are down deep, as is often the case when currents are strong, use weighted live baits to get down to where the marlin will be.

• If you are on a large bait school that extends from the surface or near surface to a depth of many metres, drifting or very slowly trolling live baits at different depths will be the most effective method. Downriggers and troll valves on your engines will be a great help with slow trolling, but I have

seen outboard-powered boats towing a bucket to slow themselves, or even using a low-powered auxiliary.

• If baits are showing right on the surface, lures, dead baits and slowly trolled live baits can be equally effective, but on occasion

☛ continued P14

Yakkas, slimy mackerel and mullet make excellent live and dead troll baits for smaller marlin and sailfish.

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one of these methods will clearly outfish the others.

• If there are no large concentrated bait schools, rather small patches of bait spread all over the place, then trolling lures and dead baits is most effective I have not spoken about live baiting for giant blacks in Cairns because it is a method not often used due to the prevalence of sharks.

Sharks hang around tuna schools because they are one of the prime sources of food in the ocean and full of omega

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Even fish wants to eat the best-quality food possible.

If you want to try this in Cairns, use a mono leader so you don’t waste valuable time fighting sharks.

I have not included any instructions on how to rig livies or set up kite rigs in this article because once again all sorts of videos are available on the internet, principally on YouTube.

Dead bait fishing for big blacks in Cairns is essentially the same as dead bait fishing for little blacks, except the scale is larger.

Most boats run three lines these days: left rigger, shotgun and right rigger.

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Page 14 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019

knots through the water with reels in free-running drag.

Quite a long drop-back is generally used and the setting and securing of this is a technique you have to learn.

First, secure your line in the rigger clip with a few twists to stop the line running out from your light level of drag.

Pull it up the halyard, then move to the rod tip and holding the line to the halyard, pull your desired length of drop-back off the reel into the water.

Once reached, put the line going to the halyard into a Blacks clip, which is attached to a piece of Dacron coming from a

below-cover deck cleat out through a hawse pipe.

You can even use a piece of copper wire with a short ‘hook’ at the end of it attached to your cleat, or even to a screw in the belting around your coverboards.

The objective is to stop your drop-back loop blowing around too much in the typical Cairns wind, and also allow you to avoid too much loss of line if you get a false trip from the outrigger clip.

You can usually get to the Blacks clip before it trips, allowing you to rest the line in the outrigger clip without too much hassle.

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Usually it’s skip baits on one rigger and the shotgun and a swim bait on the other rigger.

The most commonly used skip baits are scaly mackerel, various tuna and spanish mackerel, though the latter are quite soft and will not last long.

Scad and queenfish are the most preferred swim baits, and rainbow runners, a common bait catch, can be used as either skipping or swimming baits.

The days of clothes peg clips are over and almost everyone uses a heavyduty red clip similar in construction to a Blacks clip.

Baits are towed at four

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the mechanism from time to time, with no need to clean out hard, old grease lubricant.

ReelX displaces moisture and won’t harm monofilament, rubber, neoprene, PTFE, plastics, anodising or paint.

On the contrary, it stops and prevents corrosion like oxidisation and electrolysis through polar bonding.

Which is why Greg from GoFish Tackle, one of New Zealand’s finest reel service shops, has decided that: “Nothing leaves our reel repair department without ReelX.” Catching big fish on small reels puts a lot of

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Milan from Big Angry Fish summed it up one day by stating: “We think the product is the best we have used to date and it keeps our gear running well.”

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ReelX is non-flammable and the right super-fast penetrant when you are struggling to dismantle corroded or frozen parts.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 15

The aftermath of a stonefish sting.

Young Zac caught a little snapper.

Sand movement in Moreton Bay ■ Species to avoid ■ Land-based action ■ Mystery fish

W

E have seen a few good weather windows over the past month and hopefully June will prove to be a cracker and we can all get out there and grab a feed.

Dave landed a solid flathead.

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Christopher’s cracking 110cm land-based cobia.

I have been getting around the Moreton Bay area and have received encouraging reports as well.

Everything is pointing towards a good season for tailor, whiting, flathead and bream for the Moreton Bay fishos.

A lot of sand has been moving around in the bay and out wide.

Don’t be surprised if a few of your secret spots really have become ‘secret’!

The upside is this sand movement will uncover other spots for you to explore and hopefully give you a chance to add a few new marks for filling the Esky.

During early May we saw decent numbers of winter whiting around the Caboolture River area and they have been of a reasonable size too.

The traditional Nudgee Beach area was a bit slow to kick into gear, but numbers and sizes are increasing here as well.

Woody Point Jetty and Shorncliffe Pier are favoured spots for gar and whiting fishers.

Good numbers are generally taken while the waters are calm and cool.

A safety point here for the kids and those new to the sport is to be aware ‘happy moments’ are commonly encountered by gar fishos.

The person who gave them the name happy moments really has some explaining to do, as there is nothing happy about getting stung by one of these fish.

Take it from someone with first-hand experience!

If you are new to fishing, cut your line and sacrifice a hook if you pull one up.

It’s much better than hours of pain!

If you are unfortunate enough to be stung, hot water quickly becomes your friend.

While it will not completely relieve the pain, it

Northern Moreton Bay

by MARK TEMPLETON

will take some of it away.

And if you are really concerned, seek professional medical help.

If you are not sure what happy moments, stonefish and blue-ringed octopus look like, drop into Tackle Land Sandgate and check out the ‘No Touch’ tanks where you can see the live ones.

While talking about the nasties, it is a good time to remind people about stonefish.

These fish blend in so well that you really don’t have much of a chance to avoid them.

One of the best solutions is to always have solid footwear on while around boat ramps and rocky areas near beaches and jetties.

If you have the misfortune to step on or touch one, get yourself to hospital right away because the pain very quickly becomes unbearable.

Here is a small extract from ‘Medscape’ for the treatment of stonefish stings: “Prehospital care should address recognition of the injury as a potential envenomation, gentle removal of visible spines, direct pressure to control bleeding, administration of analgesia and transport for definitive medical evaluation.

Recognition of serious systemic symptoms and prompt institution of appropriate life-saving procedures, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation and treatment for anaphylaxis, should be paramount in the prehospital care setting.”

The photo of the two feet shows the swelling one week after standing on a stonefish at a boat ramp!

Now for a few of the locals and their stories.

Dave Forsythe was scouting out a few spots and ended up at Toorbul.

Before long he had a 69cm flathead in the bag.

Dave was fishing the flats using a bit of mullet when the bruiser decid-

ed she was going to give Dave a run for his money.

Well done Dave, great photo and flathead.

Zac is a very active young fisho who had told his dad Michael: “All I want to do this year is fish!”

Well you cannot get any more determined than young Zac! Zac and his dad are best fishing buddies and Zac is doing his best to put a feed on the table every trip.

The nice snapper pictured is a great way to warm into the challenge.

Though Michael owns the boat, Zac is the skipper and he is going to be one to watch over the next

few years.

Tyler has been a junior staff member at Tackle Land for a while now and he brings so much passion for the sport.

If he is not doing homework, he is playing sport, but he always wants to be fishing!

Tyler puts in a lot of time around the Redcliffe to Shorncliffe area and anywhere else he can con Mum and Dad’s taxi to go.

Tyler and I have been getting absolutely bricked by big fish under the Shorncliffe Pier lately.

A lot of tackle has been lost and frustration has set in a few times, but this just strengthens the determination to find out what is down there.

In fact, Tyler may have solved part of the mystery when he landed the awesome grunter pictured.

It could well be one of

the bruisers, but I think there is more to the story.

I picked up a few hardyheads and went for a flick about a third of the way out on the Shorncliffe Pier.

I dropped one under the pier on a Mustad size 2 Bronze Kirby and 00 ball sinker, and in less than a minute I was trying to work out how to get a 52cm flathead onto the pier.

Luck was with me and I was able to lift the fish and grab a photo before releasing it.

Just a follow-up on the 103cm cobia Christopher caught on the Shorncliffe Pier (pictured in April).

Well he doubled down a couple of weeks later with one measuring 110cm.

It is all happening in our awesome Moreton Bay and we’ve got plenty more stories to come!

The author’s 52cm flatty.

Tyler persevered on the Shorncliffe Pier and captured this grunter.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Winter is upon the Gold Coast

E

ASTER came and went but the poor conditions left most boats tied to their pontoons.

Strong wind and unsafe conditions in the Pacific Ocean kept tourists indoors or at the theme parks.

School holidays did not produce plenty as the same weather dogged everyone for most of the break.

Our Chinese regulars and tourists kept the boat afloat on the better days.

These Chinese groups are expanding rapidly and Fish the Deep is finding they now make up about 20 percent of our market.

When seasickness is not

Fish the Deep

by SCOTT VAN BURCK

overtaking the Chinese enthusiasm, they are very competent fishers.

They always ask for kingfish and amberjack, even when out of season.

Lately the amberjack have been in decent quantities, so each of our fishers has had an amberjack to put on the barbecue.

With only four or five fishers on the boat, the seas are not being pillaged.

Mackerel seem to have moved on from the Gold Coast, with just the odd

school mackerel being caught.

This season mackerel were late turning up and ran hot and cold.

Arriving at Palm Beach or Mermaid reefs early did not guarantee a catch, so only the ‘die hard’ were prepared to sit and wait for the ‘maybe’ catch.

Marlin was the pick of the summer/autumn fishing, with solid numbers caught and released and many a bucket list filled.

One of the best catches was a 100kg black marlin

Ash Lin landed a spanish mackerel.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

caught by a buck’s party group.

The groom to be was not the lucky fisherman but his father hooked and fought the marlin for 40 minutes before finally landing the spectacular fish.

A tale will be told of this day for years to come, with many an expansion on the story.

Sharks have been looking for an easy feed, with many mackerel and amberjack coming to the surface a bit short on one end.

Pearl perch were on the menu when perfect weather shone through.

We saw mixed boxes of pearlies, snapper, good size tuskies, moses perch, trag jew, goldspot wrasse and a few reef sharks.

With reef fish returning in better quantities, the art of fishing is becoming more enjoyable again and putting smiles on the faces of those venturing to the open seas.

Anglers have been gratified as they enjoyed the Gold Coast’s extended summer.

Who thought we would be experiencing 27C days in May? Mahi mahi have made a late run, with solid catches being taken.

This season was much improved on the last.

These catches meant a good feed for all and mahi mahi have been the most sought-after fish this season.

Wahoo, with their ra-

zor teeth, have bitten off many an expensive lure this season.

When finally landed, they have been impressive in size and weight.

Tackle shops have been in luck as fishers and charter operators are constantly restocking their all-important lures and lines for dynamic fishing.

Winter woollies, brilliant sunrises and magical whales will form the next part of Fish the Deep’s tales.

Big reef fish season is fast approaching, so the next chapter should have tales of big knobbies, cobia, kingfish and samson fish.

These spanish mackerel were boated by Bob Wann.

A cracking spanish mackerel for Alan Champion.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 17

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coomerahouseboats.com.au Page 18 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019

Phoebe snared a quality winter daytime whiting on bloodworms.

Brett boated a good size trag. These fish can be found in large numbers at times.

Jewfish everywhere in June

H

I everyone, this month sees the start of some of the best fishing of the year, with jewfish, tailor and snapper all being caught and plenty of good quality fish among them.

Jewfishing has been getting better and better off the Gold Coast since Fisheries Queensland changed the legal size limit several years ago.

Jewfish have gone from being hard to find to common by-catch.

The minimum size limit of 75cm allows them a couple of years to breed before they reach legal size.

This has seen a huge increase in the numbers of these fish around for us to catch.

In fact, most of the fish caught offshore are normally between 110cm and 130cm and put up a great fight.

They are beautiful eating as well, being one of the few fish that eat better as they get bigger.

They are fairly easy to catch and will take most baits, with large baits on ganged hooks my preference.

I like to run a gang of three Mustad 7766 5/0 hooks with swivels between the hooks.

It is amazing the difference the swivels make.

They ensure a much better bait presentation as well as giving a better hook-up rate.

While fishos who target jew will normally use livies and a single hook or two hooks snelled together, you will have just as much success with baits like pillies and squid on ganged hooks.

We only use 20lb main line and leader because we find it the best for all types of reef fish, however, if I was targeting metre-plus jewies offshore, 30lb main line and 40lb leader would be a better option.

My favourite bait for big jew is definitely a good slab of tailor flesh – they just love it.

The best fishing times are sunrise, tide changes and late afternoons into the evening.

The close reefs in 3040m of water work best because they hold a lot of bait.

Broadwater Region

by WAYNE ‘YOUNGY’ YOUNG

After all this, please remember the bag limit of two per person.

Excellent quality tailor have started moving up the coast and this month it will be worthwhile breaking out the waders and checking out the local beaches.

You’ve got plenty of beach options as well, including Black Rock and Cabarita beaches down south.

Just remember to obtain a NSW fishing licence if fishing south of the border.

The Gold Coast beaches can be good but mainly after dark when the swimmers and surfers have left.

Both South Stradbroke Island and North Stradbroke Island beaches are well worth trying for tailor.

The bottom end of North Stradbroke is quite good for jewfish off the beach.

It wasn’t until I started fishing offshore that I realised why this beach fishes so well for big jew.

The wreck of the Dragon is just offshore and at night the jew move off the wreck onto the beach to feed.

The best and easiest bait to use for tailor will always be pillies, but if you want to target big tailor or even jew off the beach, then bonito fillets are best by far.

Fresh-caught tailor fillets on ganged hooks are also well worth trying for big tailor and jewfish.

Run two ganged hooks with swivels in between for flesh baits and three ganged hooks with swivels in between for pillies.

For smaller chopper tailor, my preferred rig is always half a pillie on a two ganged 3/0 hooks.

This rig is great for catching tailor and the big bream that hang around them.

For this outfit, 12lb Schneider mono line and a 20lb leader is fine.

For bigger fish, 20lb main line and up to 40lb leader would be better.

Some fishos will use a small wire trace above the hooks but this reduces the number of bites you may get.

For those with offshore

boats, an easy option for catching tailor can be trolling lures along the beaches of the Spit and South Stradbroke just outside the breakers.

Daytime whiting fishing has been good, though as usual it means driving a long way up the Nerang River to find fish.

Good catches have come from both Sorrento and Carrara areas – the one downside has been big numbers of ‘pony fish’ among them.

Looking similar to a small trevally, once you catch one, they are never forgotten.

They are extremely slimy.

So much so, the rag you use to hold them has to be thrown away after use.

Other than that, catches of 20 whiting up to 35cm is normal in this area at this time of year.

As usual, wriggler worms and bloodworms are the best baits.

Back in the Broadwater, flathead numbers will start to increase this month, though usually they are the

smaller male fish.

Small baits such as yabbies and white pillies are the best bait while drifting the channels between the sand and weed beds from Crab Island north to the entrance at Brown Island.

For lure fishos, 3” grubstyle soft plastics on a

lightly weighted jig head would be ideal.

Effective colours are white and natural colours.

A few late-season sand crabs will still be around before the water temperature drops too much.

‘Til next month, fish for the future.

Laurie held a couple of cracker early season tailor landed on our local beaches.

The author with two large jewfish caught from the close-in reefs off the Seaway.

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Winter fishing set to impress

W

E officially hit our first month of winter with June, and the back end of May gave us a taste of what it’s going to be like.

The fishing is expected to be good, we just need to wear a little more clothing to help get us through those colder mornings.

We will see a lot more snapper rolling through offshore and the odd pearl perch as well.

In the estuaries, bream and flathead will be in larger quantities as the bream school up preparing to spawn.

Flathead will begin to push up on flats early to get some sun and then slide onto the drop-offs so they can ambush their prey.

Lately the Gold Coast Seaway walls and sand flats around them have produced for anglers using a variety of plastics and hard-bodies, either cast or trolled.

Plastic styles vary but paddle tails and curl tails

Nerang Rooster Report

by DARREN RAMA

seem to work best.

Changing jig heads according to depth and current is a big factor when targeting the Seaway wall.

I normally use a 1/4oz jig head so I have a reasonable sink speed but not have my plastic swept away with the current, causing me to lose contact with the bottom.

When using hardbodies on the sand flats, choosing a lure that hits the bottom is beneficial because the sand the lure puffs up can attract flathead.

Even though it’s cold, a fair few trevally species are hanging around, making for fun when hopping vibes and plastics in deeper holes.

It won’t be long until jewfish start calling these deeper holes in our estuaries their home.

A schooled bass hit a Damiki Armour Shad 4” plastic.

A couple of the better fish pulled out of a school.

Anywhere deeper then about 4m on a slack tide tends to be a good bet for jewfish.

There is no tide to fight and they really fire around the tide change.

Hinze Dam has been fishing well lately and I think it will continue to do so for our whole winter.

June 1 to August 31 is closed season for bass in tidal waters but there is no restriction on fishing impoundments.

Targeting the edges early in the morning and late afternoon is a good technique for getting quality fish.

I’ve been doing well using jerkbaits and soft plastics on jig spins, which are essentially soft plastics with a little spinner on top, which essentially creates a smaller spinnerbait.

Fishing the edges is also the best way to catch saratoga and even though it’s chilly they will still be feeding, just a bit deeper.

Using jig spins, jerkbaits and spinnerbaits will see captures of saratoga and bass, which is good for kayakers fishing the edges of the dam because it’s an easy option, most times out of the wind, and you can easily manoeuvre through the trees.

A technique I have been taking a liking to is deeper water bass fishing.

Since the dam wall was raised a few years ago, the bass have more of an understanding of schooling the bait up and sitting

in schools to feed more successfully.

Because bass need salt water to spawn and Hinze has no access to the salt, this creates a false spawn every year as instinctively they still try to carry out the process.

This means using a sounder is beneficial because once these schools are located you can generally get a few fish out of each school at a time.

I have found many techniques to work, from metals to blades, spoons and plastics but I always find a plastic to be most successful.

I’ve been using a 1/2oz jig head because most fish are in 10-30m of water and a bigger jig head helps get the lure down.

A 3” or 4” soft plastic works best to imitate the baitfish.

The Damiki Armour Shad in green has been a favourite of mine but most colours will work.

I’ve been using a Lowrance Hook-7 TripleShot sounder, which shows: StructureScan, traditional sonar and SideScan.

When you have access to all three screens at once, you can get a really good idea of what’s below and around you.

Ideally, what you want to find is bait schooled up with bigger lines under it.

This means fish are actively feeding and forcing the bait to the surface.

When you see this activity, having your presentation under the baitfish where the bass are feeding gives you the best chance because they will think it’s a wounded fish from the school.

Usually, if you miss the first bite you will get a series of bites from other fish.

When you are fishing deeper water and hook a fish, try not to bring it up too quickly because just like in the ocean the sudden pressure changes can cause the fish to suffer barotrauma, which makes for a difficult successful release.

Rug up this month and get on the water because there’s plenty of action and fun to be had.

This sounder image shows fish on the bottom forcing the bait up.

A nice golden trevally caught vibing a deeper hole.

Rodney Rama landed his first Hinze Dam saratoga.

This flathead was caught fishing off the Seaway wall.

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Flathead like this one will become more prolific through winter.

Tactics for targeting flathead – part two

G

’DAY everyone, in last month’s article we discussed locations for finding flathead and this month we will discuss options for targeting them with lures.

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Deepwater jigging or ‘tea bagging’ soft plastics and vibes is a very effective way to target flathead in both deep holes and channels 5m and deeper.

In last month’s article I shared a screenshot from my sounder of some big bait balls holding very close to the bottom in a deep hole in the Tweed River.

This is the first and most important part of deepwater jigging, as the flathead will more often than not be lying in ambush under the bait schools.

Once I have located the bait, I position the boat directly over the top of it and lower the lure vertically to the bottom, waiting until my line goes slack, which indicates the lure has hit the bottom.

I then close the bail arm over and lower the rod tip close to the water, hopping the lure with about a 50 cm movement without winding up.

When using a soft plastic or vibe, it is important to note most strikes come as the lure drops, so when

Gold Coast Guide

by BRAD SMITH

you make your hop, lower the rod tip quickly to allow the lure to sink back down.

I can use this deepwater tea bagging technique in very deep water with only a small 40mm vibe.

People ask how I keep the lure down deep and the trick is when I see my main line start to rise horizontally through the water column, I reverse to keep the line straight up and down.

This means you must keep your motor running.

I use a variation of the tea bagging technique in water under 5m deep.

I call it twerking and it involves casting the soft plastic or vibe out and drifting with the tide, introducing the same 50cm rod tip twitch, once again without winding in.

Keep your rod tip movement as precise and repetitive as possible with the 50cm twitch.

A good action will allow the slack in your line to take up as you drift without having to wind in, and the repetitive action ensures fish time their strikes better as well.

This technique works really well if the tide

and wind allow you to drift along the edges of seagrass beds and deep channels.

Time in motion is a factor with this technique because you cover more

ground with the lure constantly hopping along the bottom, increasing your catch rate.

As I have always said, trolling is underestimated by some anglers, but in reality can be the most successful technique because like the strategy I just mentioned, it al☛ continued P21

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www.issuu.com/bnbfishing Always try to support a flathead’s weight in order to help with a successful release into the water.

Page 20 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019

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Tactics for targeting flathead ☛ from P20

lows you to cover a lot of ground.

Trolling involves a lot more than tying on a lure and driving all around

the place, so let’s discuss it in more depth.

First, you must have a small range of hard-bodied minnows that dive to different depths and you

Ray with his first-ever lure-caught flathead.

must learn explicitly how deep your lures will dive.

Flathead are bottom feeders, so when trolling you must be continuously tapping the bottom to get their attention and a strike.

For example, there’s no point towing a 2m-diving lure in 3m of water.

I like to position my lure about 20m behind the boat and troll as slowly as possible, which in most cases means having the motor just in gear on the slowest idle possible.

Always keep your rod tip low to the water because this will help keep your lures running deep.

I also try to keep the rods at right angles to the side of the boat because the rod will act as a shock absorber when you get a strike, and when possible, try to troll with the tide rather than against it.

By trolling with the tide your lures go deeper and you will be bringing your lure towards the fish as in most cases fish lay facing into the current.

Well thanks for reading and I hope this article helps you catch a few flatties this winter.

This is my favourite time of year to target them.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 21

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breath of wind.

But now it’s night and the cool is creeping down from the mountains and sneaking through light clothing.

I love the warm days but cold nights and mornings aren’t my thing.

The fishing that comes with this weather is great though and as long as we get those sunny winter days, the options are almost limitless.

Before we get into the fishing, I will first mention we have a film crew in Brunswick Heads and access to the boat ramp is restricted by all the trucks and crew members who have set up in the eastern half of the boat ramp carpark.

Both lanes of the ramp are still open but swinging room for bigger trailers is hindered and getting a park is nearly impossible due to crew members parking up the driveway.

They are filming a new series of SeaChange, 20 years after the last one wrapped.

Most of the filming

is taking place in and around the old co-op and on the jetty, so between the boat ramp and the harbour they are getting in the way of everyday activities and yesterday I accidentally found myself between Sigrid Thornton and the cameras as I walked down the jetty to board the cruise boat.

Having said that, they are all friendly and realise they are affecting people’s space and so far have proved keen to work with the community.

They have all the right permits to do what they are doing (as you would expect) and have already boosted Brunswick’s local economy, so I guess we just fit in and around them for the next four months.

It’s actually quite interesting watching the whole process and it’s a much bigger process than I had imagined.

Anyway, enough of the Hollywood stuff, fishing’s more important.

June is full of options for the offshore boatie.

Anywhere from the

wash of the headlands for tailor to the continental shelf for bass groper is on the cards if we get the days we expect.

I won’t be completely giving up on mackerel this month.

June is often the best month for school (doggy) mackerel.

A fair few have been hooked this year, so June could see quite a number caught.

From the Brunswick local reef and up the shallow reefs to Wooyung is where they hang out and I’m partial to a feed of these critters.

Who knows what will happen with the spotted and spanish mackerel.

A mass of them is still holding to the south of us but after our initial hit early in the season they have been scarce around here.

Hopefully they stop in before they disappear up north again.

Wahoo could still be on the cards this month too, so have a look at Windarra Banks and Nine Mile Reef if some current is running.

While I will be keeping an eye on the mackerel, my focus will definitely ☛ continued P23

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Page 22 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019

It’s a great time of year to be night fishing for jew. In complete contrast, Lewan caught this one at high noon.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

SeaChange boosts Brunswick’s back pocket ☛ from P22

be shifting to shallow-water jewfish and snapper and those tasty species from deep water.

I might not like the cold weather but I love float lining for snapper and hearing the jew rod go off.

I like giving the deep reefs a workout too.

In terms of fun, I don’t enjoy it as much as the shallows but the interest for me in deep water is all the different species available.

We really are spoilt for choice, with snapper and pearlies, kingies and amberjack, pigfish and parrotfish on offer, just to name a few.

Speaking of parrot, I was lucky enough to get a PB recently and then 20 minutes later an even better one.

I’ve never caught a stonking parrot (venus tuskfish) and years ago I was jealous when we found a patch of big ones

out behind Nine Mile Reef off the Tweed.

A large number of parrot came from this spot we dubbed the ‘Cocky’s Cage’ because it wasn’t the home of ordinary parrots.

Three kilos was a small one, with plenty between 4kg and 5.5kg getting caught.

I might have been there for the action but I never landed one myself, so I was chuffed to get a couple of proper big ones at last.

Mullet season has been slow to kick off, so as yet I can’t report on too much jew activity around the rivers.

Blackfish haven’t schooled up yet either, so we’ve seen no activity around the walls, but hopefully this will all have changed by the time you read this and we have a bumper season.

Mud crabs are around and full too, so get into them.

Don’t take any notice of that old saying that you won’t catch a muddy if the month hasn’t got an ‘R’ in it.

May and June are the pick of the months around here I reckon.

The middle sections of the Brunswick River are producing well, but this fluctuates with salinity levels.

Tailor are quiet at the moment.

I would desperately love to see a great season like the old days but that’s a forlorn hope.

The few choppers around seem fixated on the garfish schools and not too interested in anything else.

Whatever you catch this month, make sure you enjoy it because the quality of seafood around our great coastline is second to none and shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Good luck, I hope you get stuck into a few.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 23

Better numbers of numerous species showing up

H

ELLO and welcome to this month’s edition of BNB.

Winter seems to be a little slow getting here if the present weather patterns are anything to go by.

I do think, however, it is going to change very quickly, and before we

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know it the temperatures are going to plummet.

For now we can just enjoy the last of summer and at the time of writing we are enjoying warm days and whiting, mahi mahi and mackerel taking line from our reels.

Unfortunately, this will be a distant memory shortly but we have great winter action to look forward to over coming months.

Tailor have started to show up on the beaches, with the sunrise and sunset periods the most productive times to try your luck.

Metal spinners and baits such as pilchards, mullet and bonito have all been successful.

As we get further into winter, the numbers of tailor will increase and should become more consistent.

As a point of difference, it will pay to have some gold spinners/metal slugs in your bag as well as the usual chrome models.

The gold can be a good alternative on the days that are overcast and rainy, as well at those lowlight times just on sunrise and sunset.

They stand out more during those low-light periods and could be the difference on the overcast days, even during the middle of the day.

With the increase in tailor numbers, we should also see an increase in the numbers of both bream and mulloway, particularly in the lower reaches of the Richmond River.

Bream will be following the tailor around and picking up the scraps the tailor leave behind.

It is always worth trying baits such as pilchards and mullet for bream, but they also love pipis and worms when you are on the beach.

The better beaches lately have been Seven Mile at Lennox Head, Angels and Boulder beaches.

Better numbers of bream have been coming from these locations and the tailor seem to have been in slightly better numbers in these spots too.

While bream ramp up their activities over winter, so will mulloway.

As tailor move in, these silver ghosts will also move onto the beaches and into the lower reaches of the river in search of food such as tailor and mullet.

Live baits are usually the most productive option at this time of year due to the numbers of tailor and mullet around, but squid, bonito and yakkas can be great options as well if the live baits are proving difficult to get your hands on.

The full and new moon phases are always prime times to target mulloway, and if you can organise yourself to be on the water an hour or two either side of the top or bottom of the tide at night, you are in with a great chance to land a prized mulloway.

At this time of the year the Richmond River can be a little frustrating because plenty of species are there to chase but no great numbers of anything.

You will need to be fairly flexible with your target species from day to day and possibly change your targets during the day, as the original in-

tended targets may not play the game.

A few whiting and trevally are being caught in North Creek and the lower reaches of the Richmond, but as the cold weather approaches they are going to become harder to find and even more elusive.

The run-out tide will certainly be the better option because it will bring warmer water with it and should ensure these species are a little more active.

Bream are moving into the river with the larger run-in tides at night.

Prawns, pilchards and mullet fillets have all been good bait options.

The Porpoise Wall, Bream Hole and rock wall behind the CBD have produced quality fish of late,

but we have also seen reasonable fish on the rock wall above the Burns Point Ferry and between the two bridges in North Creek.

Most of the lure brigade has found quality fish using curl tail soft plastics, with the majority in more natural colour choices.

A number of betterquality fish have fallen to deep-diving hard-body lures and heavy Cranka Crabs along the breakwalls and some of the other rock walls further upriver.

Bream should continue to improve over the next month to six weeks and I expect a solid year on these great little fighting fish.

Offshore fishing is very ☛ continued P25

Young Robert captured this tailor near the Ballina RSL.

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#bnbfishingmag Tag us in your fishing photos on Insta for a chance to win a Bush ‘n Beach prize pack each month!* *Conditions apply: $50 prize pack given away each month. A selection of Instagram photos will be printed in BNB each month.

Glen from Bassman Spinnerbaits did some product testing.

Page 24 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019

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Blackfishing prime time on Northern Rivers

T

O me, June is big bream and blackfish time.

I like to target both but blackfishing is soothing to the soul.

You watch your float moving slowly along the water and then as a blackfish just touches the weed or cabbage your float goes down like a submarine periscope disappearing into the depths.

Then you wake from your daydreams and strike and the fight is on.

And I mean fight, as blackfish are pound for pound one of the bestfighting fish around.

Blackfish go ballistic when they realise they’re hooked and something is wrong.

I use a shotgun rig with

Nick and a good size bar cod. The author believes bar cod are the best eating fish he’s ever had. Like a steak but fishy.

Better numbers of numerous species showing up ☛ from P24

quickly losing its summer feel, and by the time this edition hits the newsstands I am pretty confident we will have seen the last of the mackerel for yet another summer.

It was a fairly short season this year, and some of our neighbours south of us enjoyed a much more prolific summer.

On the plus side, we have already started to see snapper and mulloway show up on the close reefs.

Lightly weighted soft plastics in brighter colours including Nuclear Chicken, Pink Shine and Lime Tiger, unweighted pilchards and live baits have all been productive options at Riordans and Lennox Point.

Evans Head

by GARY ‘SQUIDGIE’ PALMER

Blackfish go ballistic when they realise they’re hooked and something is wrong. two hooks, and when I hook two fish at once as I have done many times, it is full on because both fish fight in different ways and do not work together.

One will head down while the other will fight

on top or pull in a different direction, but this just adds to the fun of catching these little grey fighting machines.

For the uninitiated, a shotgun rig comprises two leaders, one around

50cm and the other 30cm, though you can make them longer or shorter to suit your preference.

I don’t use lead on my leaders because I like them to float in the water and let the current do the work.

I know a lot of fishers use lead on their leaders but I like the water to decide where my baits end up.

Your presentation will look more natural with no lead too.

Trust me, I have outfished a lot of fishers who use lead on their leaders.

I still run lead above my leaders that controls the depth of my float.

I have three Wilson Blackfish rods, two 12’ and one 10’.

One of my 12’ rods is

very old and sits proudly in my shed because she is a legend and has caught so many blackfish that I have retired her.

I have so many great memories of fights won and lost and she holds the title of my biggest blackfish of over 2kg caught off the headland at Evans Head.

There was no way I could have landed the fish without the help of the wash around the headland surge.

Once landed, you could have heard my yell for joy all the way to Ballina.

What a fish, what a fight and what a great win, but I must add the fish won in the end as it was full of worms and became a ☛ continued P26

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If you feel like travelling a little further, the 32s have also produced snapper, flathead and tuskfish.

The current has slowed to about 1.5 knots on most days and should continue over the next couple of months.

This will allow us to get out to the 48s and wider grounds to chase bar cod and other deepwater species over coming months.

Amberjack and kingfish have already started stealing lures on the 48-fathom line, so make sure you pack the heavy gear and a good supply of brightcoloured jigs for your next wide trip.

That’s all from me this month.

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Tom with a quality tuna from the rocks.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 25

The Evans Head Fishing Classic returns for 2019 ■ July 13-19, 2019 on the banks outside Club Evans RSL

O

N the back of the successful 2018 Evans Heads Fishing Classic, Australian Fishing Tournaments is returning and will once again be managing this world-class fishing competition.

The Evans Head Fish-

ing Classic is synonymous with family holiday fun and is now well into its twenties.

It also makes a significant contribution to the local economy in the process.

Due to competitor demand, this year sees the

event move to a six-day format, enabling the local weekly accommodation blocks to fit into the event schedule.

The 2019 EHFC will run from the night of July 13 to the main prize draws on July 19.

The competition fishing zones allow fishing from Byron to Yamba and cover both estuary and offshore.

For AFT and entrants, this delivers a contingency for bad weather and provides multiple fishing options.

On the Sunday, come down with the little ones for the Cadet Competition.

There are also fishing clinics to help teach the young guns how to improve their fishing.

They are free to anyone, not just competitors.

Champions, competitors and all attendees will be in the running for a total prize pool of over $100,000.

All six-day competitors have the chance to win one of two boat, motor and trailer packages sponsored by Quintrex and Evinrude E-TEC. A host of other prizes from Lowrance Electron-

ics, Samurai Rods, Wilson Fishing, Hobie Kayaks, Frogleys Offshore and others will be given away through the event.

The EHFC will be held on the riverbanks outside Club Evans, strong event supporters, as are many

other businesses in the local community.

Make sure you check out the website and support those who support your passion.

To enter or find out more, visit evanshead fishingclassic.com.au

Blackfishing prime time on Northern Rivers ☛ from P25

Elijah and Reuben with a couple of fish.

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Page 26 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019

mother in-law fish.

If you want to learn to blackfish, it is not hard, it just involves getting the right bait, fishing the right depth, using the right gear and definitely having patience.

Most tackle shops will set you up with floats, stoppers, hooks and rods for the job.

To get started, head out and watch the old salts who target blackfish on your walls and take note of how they go about it.

Watch the float and how they control it.

Watch for the downs (when the float dips under the water) and how the fisher either strikes or lifts the rod because it’s a water bite, not a fish bite.

By water bite, I mean the current tugging at the bait and making it look like a down, but you can tell the difference with time spent on the water learning the trade.

I’ll leave the blackfishing and move on to bream.

I use baits if I’m targeting big bream in the surf.

Herring and mullet fillets are my preferred baits.

Run a 1/0 hook and very small sinker if fishing the in-close wave action or an 8 ball sinker if fishing the back of the breakers.

Mostly I fish the back of the breakers because this is where very big bluenose bream hunt.

They wait for small whiting, small bream and

pipis to poke their noses out of the sand, but they can’t pass up a well-presented fresh cut bait.

I don’t use stinky old mullet or other smelly crap.

If you want good fish, good bait is the way to go.

As I’ve said before, if you wouldn’t eat it, why would a fish?

One thing I’ll say about beach fishing is it’s bloody cold in winter and hours spent on the beach do not necessarily mean fish every time.

However, it is just bliss when it’s you, the sea and nothing else.

Oh hold on, here comes a 4x4 with its headlights on high beam.

Oh hell, the driver has found me and I’m onto a fish, and oh crap he is driving to me with high beams all over the hole I’m fishing.

Well, that buggers another night’s fishing, thank you 4x4 driver.

This happens so often it’s not funny.

Yes it’s mainly holidaymakers but show some respect for fishers.

Like me, the angler might have walked the beach in the day to pick out a gutter to come back to and fish at night, sometimes at 3am or some crazy hour, and to have some fool in a 4x4 bugger the whole thing in an instant is so disappointing.

But as they say, shit happens.

Evans Head River on the last king tide was so clean.

I don’t like it this clean.

I don’t want it dirty, but a bit of colour would be nice.

With not much rain at the time of writing, the fish are way upriver around the golf club area.

I have found good flathead and bream in Bradys arm and right up to the highway bridge.

For bait fishers, whitebait and prawns are ideal.

For lure fishers, Atomic Prongs are fantastic.

With 14 moving parts, they look so much like prawns.

And of course Squidgy Fish in Black Gold are very effective.

I have been using both these products for such a long time and have such great success.

I know more products are on the shelves but I’m old and set in my ways.

It’s up to you but with cricket scores of fish caught on Atomic Prongs and Squidgy Fish, I’m not going to change.

Out in the deep blue, mackerel are still biting and I have seen a lot of mackerel frames at the cleaning stations all up and down the Norther Rivers area.

I had a feed dropped in to me by ‘German Pete’ as he calls himself.

Thank you, Pete, my better half and I loved those feeds.

Thank you also to Nick to for the feeds.

I don’t get on the water much due to a lot of hos-

pital visits and my rods sit in the rack yelling at me to use them.

But once I recover I’ll be back out doing my bit catching and releasing fish.

Well that’s my aim this month.

I want to thank the peo-

ple who send me emails and well wishes.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

‘Til next month, remember: limit your kill, don’t kill your limit.

Tight lines and smelly fingers.

A lovely spanish mackerel.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 27

Doughnuts for days while others clean up

I

F doughnuts were a species of fish, I would be able to bring a truckload home after every fishing session.

Milly with a nice early morning longtail tuna taken on a red and white Halco Max lure.

Under HT’s expert guidance, Sam Elmir of Kogarah in Sydney scored this tuna on his maiden land-based game outing at the Iluka breakwall.

Red Arthur continued his excellent run of tuna, with this fish taken on live gar.

Page 28 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019

However, unlike Homer Simpson who loves his doughnuts, I would be happy to never see one again.

One of the first few days of May saw a biomass of longtail tuna invade the Iluka breakwall, with about a dozen fish landed and just as many strikes without hook-up along with several bust-offs.

Naturally I was not on the wall that day, however the tuna deity from Sydney ‘HT’ was, during his third land-based pilgrimage of the season and of course he and his disciples all got a fish each, including LBG newcomer Sam Emir who HT got onto a tuna on his first attempt.

As usual, when I went out the next day not a fish was seen, hooked, lost or missed all day, so I returned home that night with the doughnut score from hell.

Hells bells, I have had many a day when the lads have been hooking fish all morning, and even hook up and land a tuna as I am walking along the wall, but as soon as I sit on a rock the doughnuts appear and not another fish will be seen all day.

Sure there is the exception when the odd lucky person will hook up while I am in the vicinity, however even as late as the end of the second week in May my hoodoo was at work.

My youngest son Mischa was live baiting for tuna with good mate Warric Johnston from the Gold Coast, so I thought I would waddle out with a lure and see how the boys were doing.

After being there for an hour or so, two tuna came through (one either side of their floats) without looking sideways at their baits, instead preferring to bust on a school of gar 100m to the right of us.

Of course, I got the blame for the bit of bad luck, so to make them happy (but thinking I was clever) I moved along the wall to where the garfish school was, hoping the tuna would return.

Well, obviously the two tuna we saw were decoys to lure me away from the good spot because I would not have been at my new spot five minutes when a pod of eight fish smashed into garfish back at the lads’ spot, which saw Mischa hook up and land a little jellybean around the 11kg mark.

You guessed it folks, I went back and sat with the lads for the rest of the afternoon with not another fish being sighted.

Did I mention I hate doughnuts?

On the bright side, tuna should continue to be

Just Jew

by TYE PORTER

landed along the Iluka wall well into June.

While the number of hook-ups will decrease, the size of fish tends to increase as the season comes to a close for another year.

One species that has been along the Iluka wall in big numbers is bonito, however nobody is targeting them, which is odd because they are cracking baits for larger fish such as snapper, tailor and mulloway.

No spanish mackerel were taken from the walls during May, unlike offshore where a hell of a lot of these speedsters were boated right along the Clarence Coast from Wooli in the south to Black Rocks just south of Evans Head in the north.

The last two days of the second week in May saw huge schools of mullet make their annual migration to sea and plenty of sharks, porpoises and big mulloway were at the river entrance to welcome them.

Tommy Woods of Iluka and brothers Brandon and Ryhan Buckley from Yamba made the most of the carnage, snaring top mulloway over 20kg on both hard-bodied minnow lures and live mullet.

This will become the norm during winter here on the Clarence River, with those anglers prepared to fish the cold and rain reaping the rewards of their efforts.

The Bluff has produced

quite a few large school jew around the 10kg mark on lures, along with a healthy number of tailor and the odd good bream.

The next few months will see the Iluka Bluff and Second Bluff really fire for large mulloway on minnow lures, with Second Bluff the home of many a 30kg-plus mulloway.

Tailor catches have dropped off slightly,

however plenty of good fishing is still to be had along our beaches and headlands over coming months.

The lower reaches of the river will see excellent fishing for bream and mulloway, with luderick turning up in big numbers next month.

As I have said repeatedly in recent articles, the art to successful jew fishing in the rivers at night is to find the bait and the fish will come to you.

It is as simple as that.

‘Til next month, safe fishin’.

Not every tuna was a longtail. This little fellow was a short tail courtesy of a shark.

After getting all the other lads onto tuna, HT hooked this fish on a live gar.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

The crossover period on the Sunny Coast

by GRANT BUDD

the shank and is forged, making it extra strong but also very lightweight.

When placing the worm on the hook, ensure you feed part of the worm over the eye and onto the line and ensure you use the whole worm.

For all the up-to-date jewfish reports, call in and see the staff at any of our Davo’s tackle shops and they will point you in the right direction.

Chopper tailor catches are improving, with most fish taken on the run-in tide along the open beaches at first and last light.

If wanting good size tailor around the 5kg mark you will have to head down to the beach using bonito or a whole fresh dead bait on a strip bait rig after dark because the bigger fish love to hang around the deeper holes at night.

This rig should consist of a large star sinker, keeping the bait in one place longer, which is important because large tailor will cruise up and down the gutter looking for a feed.

You will find smaller fish will chew on the bait, however don’t be concerned because this attracts the bigger tailors’ attention, bringing them straight to your bait.

Good-quality dart have been found on the Peregian to Mudjimba stretch, with traditional baits like pipis and worms placed on a bait-holder hook producing better catches, especially if fishing during the day with lighter surf or estuary outfits.

The Noosa River is certainly coming alive, especially if you love chasing golden trevally, goodsized giant trevally, bigeye trevally and diamond trevally.

All these trevally have been caught around the coast guard boats near

Munna Point as well as Woods Bays and the current line.

Surface presentations have been the way to go for GTs, in the form of smaller surface walkers such as the Ecogear PX55 and surface poppers including the Zerek Poparazzi and Rapala X-Rap poppers.

When fishing these smaller surface lures, it is a good idea to upgrade the trebles to cope with the bigger fish.

A mid-50cm giant trevally will bend low-grade trebles right at your feet, so upgrading stock hooks

and rings is imperative.

Smaller golden trevally and tea-leaf have been found throughout the river and are taking smaller 3” grub-style plastics and small vibes.

When using soft baits, be sure to use plenty of scent because goldens will follow just above a bait before hitting it.

Bream are in good numbers in the rivers as the water temperatures drop.

Smaller curly tail grub soft plastics and lightly weighted flesh baits have been fishing well around structure like the Weyba bridges and pontoons of Woods Bays and the Noosa Sound.

Jacks are still feeding and taking mainly live baits, with night anglers ☛ continued P30

Jay Hargreaves with a lovely cobia. Photos: fishingnoosa.com.au

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Water temperatures dropped through lateApril and into May, which changed many lure anglers’ approach to fishing, especially in the fresh and estuaries.

Now is a great time to be fishing in southeast Queensland because we are into the crossover of summer and winter species.

The beaches will be one of the best areas to hit, especially the gutters from Peregian to the southern end of Maroochy’s North Shore.

Big jewies have been a target, with fish reported to a metre or more in length.

Many smaller 60-70cm fish have been caught and released too.

You will see the bigger fish coming in over the next few months, with some pushing past 15kg.

Perfect baits to secure these silver ghosts include fresh mullet fillets, bonito fillets, live beach worms and legal size tailor fillets.

When using fresh strip baits, be sure to use Mustad Penetrators snelled together on 4060lb leader to allow the strip to move in the current.

Another rig that has started to grow in popularity is designed for using live beach worms.

This rig is best fished at night on the open beaches with a rising tide.

It consists of a Tru-Turn 090 worm hook on a running sinker rig.

This hook features two bait-holders at the top of

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Tyler Egan landed a ripper bass.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 29

The crossover period on the Sunny Coast ☛ from P29

having the most success.

Tailor are also taking live baits throughout the river with the river mouth in the low-light periods your best bet.

Flathead are in great numbers, with many fish well over the legal limit.

These big breeding females are protected and must be quickly released to maintain the sustainability of the fishery.

Supporting the fish by its belly is very important because they are easily damaged if held up by their jaws.

Flathead really lend

Nick Swan captured a mighty jewfish from the shore.

Young Lachie Hall-Brown from Peregian Beach was astonished by a 72cm coral trout. The beast weighed in at 4.8kg. Mike Duncan landed this 44.5kg yellowfin tuna from a jet ski.

WIN a Suzuki cap and JD/Eddy lure!

themselves to being lure fishing targets.

Fishing the run-out tide and working the drop-offs near mud and sandbanks will most likely see a result.

Just don’t be in a rush to get the plastic back to your feet.

If you are in the boat, drifting slowly down the edge of a bank fishing prawn-profile plastics gets the best results.

Z-Man ShrimpZ and the smaller Chasebaits Flick Prawn are a couple of the favourites flathead seem to love.

In the Maroochy River, bream and winter whiting will revel in the cooler waters.

Fishing bridge pylons and jetties is a great place to start when chasing large breeding-sized bream.

These fish will take prawn, grub and crabstyle lures such as Cranka Crabs and Chasebaits Crusty Crabs.

During the cooler months, any big bream, especially 40cm or over, should be released.

These fish are about 30 years old and have gone through a lot to be at the top of their food chain.

They are also the healthiest, and only the strongest survive to generate the next generation.

Whiting have been in good numbers and hitting worms, yabbies and soldier crabs.

You can also target these fish with lures.

Poppers are great fun

to work across the surface and can get amazing results.

Areas including Chambers Island, Black Banks and Cotton Tree have all produced nice fish on the incoming tide.

Trevally are in good numbers in the river.

The most common has been the giant trevally but we are seeing more and more diamond trevally in the system.

Queenfish and tailor are also on the chew, with good sized fish taken on the run-in tide.

Try fishing around Goat Island and the jet ski run because these areas have shown good results.

Offshore water temperatures have decreased and the pelagic run is almost at an end, but on a lighter note the reef fishing has greatly improved.

This time of year is when we get those perfect winter light wind days with the temperatures hovering around the mid-20C range and the seas crystal clear.

The close reefs are very accessible at this time of year and even into the night due to their proximity to the river mouth.

Close-in areas such as Murphys, Inner and Outer Gneerings, Currimundi and Mooloolaba 9 Mile are the more popular options.

Floating rigs of three 5/0 Tru-Turn hooks with large pillies and small slimies are ideal because big spanish mackerel and

snapper are about, not to mention large cobia.

Noosa’s two finest reefs, North and Sunshine, are presenting good snapper, pearl perch, moses perch, coral trout and cod as well as a few pelagics.

This year’s coral trout season went a little longer, with good fish still being caught through May. Don’t be surprised if you land one of these superb table fish.

Best baits have been mullet fillets, squid, pillies and live yakkas.

Out wider on the Barwon Banks, try fishing the deeper water around the 90m mark.

This is where I often find large pearlies, big snapper and quality venus tuskfish lurking.

Whole squid and flesh baits rigged on a paternoster rig have generated the better results.

One final piece of information is to take caution when travelling at sea during the night because a lot of whales will be passing through at this time of year, so be very vigilant when travelling in the dark.

Don’t forget to check in to fishingnoosa.com.au for all the latest up-todate info on fishing and bar crossings.

The knowledgeable teams at Davo’s Tackle World Noosa and Davo’s Northshore Bait & Tackle at Marcoola can provide you with the right equipment, bait and advice to ensure success!

PUZZLE PAGE Spot 10 differences

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Page 30 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019

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80 years young and a Noosa icon

H

I all, this month I will introduce you to another Aussie character who in my eyes is an icon of the Noosa area.

To paint the picture: the biggest wave of the set smashes against the rock groin at Main Beach.

Just a few feet from the sharp rocks, a defiant bodyboarder drops into a steep wall of water.

He grabs the rail of the board and tucks into the pitching wave, exploding down the line and leaving the wave scarred with a trail of foam.

I would be in awe at this takeoff even if I didn’t know the surfer, but I know this rooster is a young 80-year-old man.

He attacks the wave with his own style and paddles back to the line-up with a smile bigger than Texas and everyone around him picking up on his infectious vibe of ‘life is good’.

This is Tony Page.

This is a man who has lived his life the way he wanted and used his hands and mind to create anything he needed to achieve his dreams.

Just one of his projects was to build his own caravan-style houseboat.

He wanted it, so he made it happen.

Talking to him recently, we discussed the latest materials for another camper project that slips on and off the back of his ute.

Doing the mathematics, Tony was born in 1939 and in his time on this planet has managed to squeeze in at least three lifetimes.

Tony’s dad was 50 years old at the time of Tony’s birth and was a veteran of both World War I and II. Born in the Newcastle area, his family later acquired a farm in Kangaroo Valley, NSW and this is where his love of the outdoors began.

Even as a boy, Tony would take every chance he could to get to the ocean to surf and swim.

He wears a grin on his dark sun-tanned face as he admits he is just like Peter Pan and probably won’t grow old, but as you talk to him you find a mind filled with a wealth of knowledge and wisdom that is only acquired by travelling

Classic Characters

by PAUL ‘CHIEF’ GRAVESON

down many of life’s pathways.

Tony spent his youth as a shearer, travelling from sheep shed to sheep shed across rural Australia.

When he reflects on those bush days, he remembers chasing pigs, the characters of the shearing sheds and the times when a slow-cooked bush turkey on a camp oven made the mouth water.

When he speaks of the bush, you begin to understand the knowledge he has acquired about our native flora and fauna.

No matter how much time he spent inland, salt water was always in his veins.

Being continually drawn back to the coast, he decided to try his hand and become a professional diver, which kicked off a whole new era of opportunities.

Tony acquired a commercial licence that allowed him to capture live marine fish for aquariums.

His knowledge of marine species and diving allowed him to excel in this unique situation.

Talk to him about these days and you’ll hear the stories of sharks, sea snakes and other close encounters.

Because many of his dives chasing juvenile fish were in shallow water, this allowed him to clock up huge amounts of underwater time and he soon logged an incredible 14,000 hours, a figure many other divers would find impossible to achieve.

Many of his ventures required capital to fund the everyday costs while also providing lifestyle and balance, so Tony took to working the seasons on prawn trawlers, working out of the Gulf of Carpentaria and even Thursday Island.

The diving and fish collection business wasn’t the only interest he had in the fishing industry, as years later he also tried his hand at barramundi farming.

He is quick to let you know you can give anything in life a try, you just need to have a go.

He explains he’s a glass half

full type of guy and always looks for the positive in everything.

So if one of your ventures goes belly-up, just like his barra farming, it’s no time to sit and feel sorry for yourself because there is always an upside.

He remembers telling his son they’d just found more time to go surfing.

That really sums up Tony’s philosophy and why as an 80-year-old he appears so healthy and well.

We’re sitting on the beach having a yarn after an early morning session as Tony eats his fresh grapes and he asks if he told me about a work gig he had years ago.

His eyes light up as he tells me about the job he had as a diver for a children’s television show.

It was an educational show on marine life where the host would be filmed doing the introductions but all the underwater action was left to Tony.

He did this for 14 months and said it was fantastic.

During this time, Tony came across a massive manta ray that developed a liking to having its underbelly scratched.

He laughed as he told me how it would continually bump him until he would give the big ray the belly scratch it desired.

Stories of sea snakes, butterfly cod and many other marine creatures roll from his tongue.

Looking fitter than many men 40 years his junior, these days you can find Tony on his bodyboard anywhere from the Noosa River mouth to Sunshine Beach.

I remember a few months back running into Tony at a Noosa coffee shop and he asked if I got out onto the massive swell pushing onto the coast.

He was surfing the open beaches of Sunshine 300m offshore searching for those big green mountains of swell when he broke the leash on his bodyboard.

I just shook my head in disbelief as he explained how he had to swim against the massive sweep and through pounding

surf to make it back to shore.

I don’t like to keep harping on this – but remember this man is 80 years old!

When you see the respect some of the young guns have for him as he takes off on another wave, you can only think of the inspiration he gives everyone.

He’s always ready for a chat and is friendly to all.

The only unfortunate thing is after solid swell, the surf has dramatically fallen in size and we’ve lost the opportunity to capture Tony doing what he does best on camera.

If you don’t believe this bloke is one of our true Aussie characters, I’ll eat my hat.

He is a real classic character.

Tony Page is an inspiration to all.

A common sight – Tony paddling out alongside the Noosa groin.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 31

A chill in the air signals a change in season

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INALLY we have had a few chilly mornings and the hours of daylight have significantly shortened.

Spider showed a hussar and ‘taxed’ moses perch during cleaning.

Winter is beginning to make an appearance at last.

With the chill in the air comes a drop in water temperature, which signals a change in behaviour for many species.

Species such as barra and bass (in the fresh) will begin to slow and become less active, though will still be willing to feed at the right time to stock up on body fat.

Crabs will be feeding to fill their bodies before the winter slow-down and we will start to see the appearance of species such as bream that prefer cooler temperatures.

Along our surf beaches, starting from northern

A great show on the sounder of a tight bait ball with two large echoes below.

Bundaberg Region

by BRAD YOUNG

NSW, baitfish and mullet schools are likely to be sighted schooling behind headlands awaiting a drop in wind before scooting further north to the next headland.

Following them will be tailor, sharks and other predatory species.

Jewfish will be on the minds of anglers who enjoy the challenge of targeting them.

We have enjoyed longer periods of stable weather where seas have been calm and wind speeds low, providing offshore anglers the opportunity to head to their favourite haunts.

Spider had a chance to go offshore early one afternoon on one of the stable days and had developed a plan to check out new country he had not fished before.

He also had proven ground upon which he could rely, should the new country not produce a feed.

I have known Spider for many years and over this time have observed a few characteristics that I believe make him a very successful angler.

The most significant is the amount of planning he puts into a trip.

He uses his bank of knowledge about a particular area (another characteristic) to focus on the best times (day/night), moon phase (full/new/

building/fading) and tides to target specific areas.

He has a great knowledge of the Burnett and I can almost predict the times he will be found on the river… but I won’t share that info.

He uses the same internal data bank to determine his offshore trips and always seems to be successful.

I am still learning!

Spider planned to be at his first destination at a time when the tides and sundown were close to coincidental.

After arriving at his new spot, he reported things were a little slow but persisted and drifted the area for an hour with little improvement before deciding to move to another new spot a little further east.

While drifting, he is often able to identify further bottom features for subsequent trips.

On arriving at his second destination, he began to do an initial sweep using his trusted Garmin with the level of anticipation rising when the screen showed a well-defined bait ball with two larger echoes clearly showing below.

A pan-sized grass sweetlip was the first fish landed but was soon accompanied by a nice tuskfish over 40cm.

This is not an uncommon occurrence as when the light fades tuskies

often have a quick bite period before settling into their night-time resting place.

After picking up quality fish around this location and with the change in tide approaching, the decision was made to anchor.

Despite the ever-present sharks, it was not long before the crew’s hussar bag limit was reached and it was time to pull up stumps and head back to the Burnett.

The trip yielded seven species of fish, with the largest a 50cm grass sweetlip.

A bunch of tuskies, hussar and stripeys topped things off.

While my mate Doug will pay me out, I am always happy to bring home a bag of large hussar because they are easy to clean and produce big clean fillets of fine white flesh.

I also saw a photograph of a moses perch that had been ‘taxed’ 50 percent by a shark.

In terms of bait, Spider used prawns, squid and mullet fillets as well as whiting heads from a previous river fishing expedition.

With the trip home commencing around 7.30pm, it is obvious this was a successful trip and shows the benefit of good planning based on background knowledge.

Keep up the maintenance I missed this ‘window of opportunity’ because I had a hydraulic brake line blow out on the way home from my last trip and had not had time to repair it.

With these better winter weather patterns beginning to appear, make sure you have the motor serviced, navigation lights working, EPIRB and flares in working dates and other safety gear checked as well as trailer servicing (bearings and so on) up to date so you don’t miss an opportunity.

May show holiday – official start to bream season When I first moved to Bundaberg in 1993, I remember speaking to an ‘old-timer’ fishing at the boat ramp under the old Burnett traffic bridge.

He had a nice bag of bream caught from the edge of the boat ramp.

He explained the start of the bream season in Bundaberg has traditionally been recognised as the Bundaberg show holiday.

This year, show holiday falls on Thursday, May 30, so dust off your bream gear and start getting ready for the bream season because it is very close.

Date claimer The VMR Bundaberg Family Fishing Classic is being held from June 2830, 2019.

This is a huge event with many prizes and a wide range of categories.

Check out the details at vmrbundabergfishingclassic.com.au As always, I can be contacted via the Bush ‘n Beach website, by email at fishnboat@bigpond.com or post at PO Box 5812 Bundaberg West Queensland 4670.

Until next month…

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Spider with a pan-sized grassy to start the day.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 33

Tide Times Sponsored by

AUSTRALIA EAST COAST - BRISBANE BAR Here sit the personification of mad-keen fishing, Fred. These old blokes come every day to this spot about a day’s sail upstream of the Iron Gates dam on the River Danube, huddled into their coats against the cold. Every 20 minutes or so, one of them might lift the tip of their rod where their line is tied and bring in one small, deep-bodied fish no bigger than the palm of their hands. It goes into the bucket beside them. Then they rebait, drop the tip of their rod and patiently wait for another mouthful.

A glimpse into the mists of myth and legend

I

HAVE a question for you, Fred: what do the Maori and the Aboriginals of old, and the people of the oldest known European town, have in common with the fishing folk of today?

WADDY POINT - FRASER ISLAND

Page 34 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019

On the face of it, Fred, the answer would appear to be only “their love of fishing”.

But if you dig a bit deeper into the past, you unearth quite a few old practices that are not so dissimilar to how we go about fishing today.

The modern angler has high-tech rods, reels, lines and hooks.

These are rigged up in high-speed boats to get from home to the fishing hole of choice in minimum time, all supported with electronic wizardry that can show after a bit of searching where the fish are aggregating and might be susceptible to a cast or three if you hit them at the right time.

The ancients had the ‘technology’ of their day to call on in the hunt for a fish: hooks carved by hand from bone; fishing line fashioned from fibre and hair; ‘boats’ chopped out of logs; plus the knowledge gleaned by generations of close observation of where the fish would most likely be at any given time and when would be the best time to catch them.

Old ways and old thinking.

Kind of makes you feel superior, doesn’t it Fred?

No? Good.

Because we can learn to fish better if we learn to understand our environment equally as well as the old folk did.

Fred, they had far, far greater fish numbers to hunt than are available today, which lifts the chances of catching one with their primitive gear but greater hunting knowledge and skills to the sort of odds that a bookie would be crazy to put a bet on.

Lepenski Vir is a town about as far east as you can go in Eastern Europe without ending up in Asia.

It is thought to be the oldest known human settlement in Europe.

The boffins reckon it’s about 10,000 years old but no one is quite sure.

Suffice to say, some archaeologists say it ex-

Lunacy

by PETER LAYTON

isted about the time of the Greek hero Heracles who sailed with Jason and the Argonauts in their search for the fabled Golden Fleece, which they allegedly found in the palace of King Aeetes in Colchis on the southern Black Sea coast.

Some scholars are now saying Jason and his crew took the Argo up the Danube and through the Iron Gates, which were then known as the Bronze Gates, and that most of their recorded adventures befell them on the river, not on the sea, and that Heracles then left Jason and the Argonauts to carry out his quest while still on the River Danube.

Don’t know your Greek mythology, Fred?

That’s a pity.

There are some great yarns in there.

You probably know Heracles as Hercules, whose fame was broadened in the movie Clash Of The Titans.

Hercules is the name the Romans gave to him when they thought the Greek myths and gods so good that they adopted them for their own.

Hercules has since become the more popular name for Heracles who was the mortal son of the Greek god Zeus.

Hercules was born with exceptional strength.

Some scholars think it highly probable that Hercules visited Lepenski Vir when undertaking what is today known as the Twelve Tasks of Hercules, with each taking about a year to complete.

Hercules might have wandered for 12 years, Fred, even to Hades and back, but I’m wandering even more.

Let’s get back to Lepenski Vir, which is in the River Danube, about 450km upstream from the river’s delta where it enters the Black Sea. That’s right, Fred: in the River Danube.

Or more correctly, under.

In 1964, the governments of Romania to the north and Serbia to the south joined forces to begin building a hydroelectric dam across the Danube just below the

Iron Gates Gorge, which is 19km long and narrows to just 220m wide below cliffs 500m high.

In a word, Fred, spectacular.

Four years earlier, archaeologist Dragoslav Srejovic discovered Lepenski Vir just upstream of the gorge on the Serbian side, where the river widened and the granite cliffs gave way to limestone hillsides, where the quieter waters can freeze over in a heavy winter and allow humans

and animals to cross on the thick ice, where the rush of the snowmelt in spring is funnelled into the gorge to create enormous cataracts and whirlpools, to kill the careless and the foolhardy – and to give birth to legends and myths.

Lepenski Vir experiences a double sunrise on the day of the summer solstice, the longest day in the year when time can be calculated from one solstice to the next.

The Lepenski Vir phenomenon occurs only on the solstice and is due to the shape of the hill on the opposite side of the Danube having a double peak,

with the sun cresting one peak, then disappearing for several minutes before rising again over the second peak.

Scientists are certain the people of Lepenski Vir used the phenomenon to form a calendar that would have governed the rituals of their daily life.

The discovery of Lepenski Vir was considered so significant in the archaeological world that as soon as the dig had been completed and all finds catalogued, the entire site was relocated 100m downstream and 30m higher up the hillside. ☛ continued P35

Mid-afternoon and the mists still hadn’t cleared from the delta where the River Danube meets the Black Sea, except everything was grey – and bitterly cold despite being the middle of spring. Nothing’s changed much in the millennia since Jason and the Argonauts sailed through here, except for fewer fish and practically nil monsters.

Shades of The Lord Of The Rings… the granite face of the Dacian king Decebalus watches out over the Iron Gates Gorge from the Romanian side. He was the king who fought against the Romans in the first century after Christ, but the sculpture wasn’t finished until 15 years ago. Here were born the myths and legends of antiquity.

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A glimpse into the mists of myth and legend ☛ from P34

It was made into a museum under an enormous glass dome where it is now protected from the weather and the waters of the dam, which was completed in 1972.

Here you can see parts of the village as it was found, with floors and fireplaces and skeletons lying beside the fires.

And ancient carvings of riverstone in the likenesses of fish.

The fish was so important in these people’s lives that it became their totem.

But which fish?

Now that we’ve got beyond the boring history baseline to this article, Fred, here are 12 things to think about in keeping with Hercules’ tasks.

1. Legends and myths are mostly born of fact, albeit dressed up and coloured over the years with a few frills to make them more interesting.

2. Lepenski Vir sits on the upstream side of what is probably the world’s largest natural fish trap and the settlement would have come about because the site was ideally placed where the hunters could come and go as they tapped an enormous natural food resource while the families they left behind were securely protected in a natural amphitheatre from weather and predators.

3. Those cataracts and whirlpools below Lepenski Vir were considered dangerous when river levels were low and water flows were slow. To try to navigate them when the river was in full spate with snow melt channelled into it from all of central Europe would have been suicidal.

4. The months of the European spring were also when the beluga sturgeon made their spawning run from the Black Sea into the upper reaches of the Danube. That meant swimming up the cataracts of the Iron Gates Gorge against the current and past the whirlpools.

That would have to be some fish to accomplish

such an epic feat.

5. Sturgeon are the biggest freshwater fish in the world, recorded to more than seven metres and 1570kg. That’s not just some fish, Fred. That’s a monster. Sturgeon have been categorised alongside the great white and tiger sharks as the world’s largest predatory fish.

6. Sturgeon, like bass, barramundi and salmon, must be able to swim upstream to spawn.

7. When you build a dam across a river and block the two-way traffic of fish in their natural spawning migrations, the fish are going to die out.

8. The sturgeon, the world’s source of highly sought-after beluga caviar (the roe or eggs of the female sturgeon) and a tasty meal in its own right, is now close to extinction and has been declared a protected species on the Danube.

9. Because the Danube borders 10 countries in its course as the secondlargest river in Europe, no single river authority has been empowered to police the ban on sturgeon fishing.

10. The known capture of some migrating fish upstream of the Iron Gates dam has shown that a few fish have managed to find their way past the dam by following ships through the two locks built into the side of the dam.

11. In 1867, Austrian composer Johan Strauss Junior released a piece of music that has since become world famous as The Blue Danube Waltz.

12. The River Danube today is a changing shade between foul brown and algal green, but most definitely not blue as Strauss found it. Such is the extent of its pollution in little more than 150 years.

Don’t ask about the smells as you pass some cities, but those smells leave little doubt as to where the cities’ sewage flows.

So, Fred, what does all this have to do with the old ways of the Maori and the Aboriginals, and recreational fishing in Australia in the 21st century?

You can be pretty sure the fishers of Lepenski Vir did not try to catch an adult sturgeon with a hand-carved, roundshaped bone hook.

What did they use?

Square hooks, Fred.

Exactly the same as the Maori and Aboriginals.

Square hooks?

You and I call them nets, Fred.

When you’re trying to feed a village, there’s a time for ordinary hooks and there’s a time for square hooks and fish traps.

The old folk found that at certain times when the fish weren’t biting but the family was hungry and a village of families had to be fed, nets produced good fishing results.

That is why the Maori Calendar will tell you fishing is good on certain days of the month when you have never in all your life been able to catch a decent feed by rod, reel and hook on those days, yet on other days the calendar has been spot-on.

The trick, Fred, is to find an original calendar, one that hasn’t been corrupted over the years.

A calendar that makes the distinction between line fishing and net fishing.

The people of Lepenski Vir never had tides to assist them in their fishing, just as today’s professional fishers in the Danube Delta and Black Sea still don’t.

The Black Sea and Danube do not experience tides.

The only guides for today’s fishers in the region are the seasons of the sun and the phases of the moon, just as they were thousands of years ago.

Though today’s Danube fishers have modern calendars to work from, they also have significantly fewer stocks to draw from: pike, zander (a perch not unlike our barramundi), a few salmon and trout, catfish and carp.

Carp and catfish are the big thing.

You will find carp on the menu in many European restaurants, often

alongside trout.

In my searching for solunar data, I never saw anyone who was using fishing line catch anything bigger than a sprat.

My guide told me he had never seen anyone catch a fish by using the fishing nets that hang over the water outside the fishing shacks that dot the southern side of the Danube upstream of the Iron Gates dam.

But he did tell me of a story that two police divers, who had been sent down to retrieve bodies trapped inside a car that had crashed into the river, had returned to the surface frightened and vowing not to return without armed support as they had seen several giant fish come between them and the surface.

Monsters, Fred, but were they beluga sturgeon that had been missed in the fishing census, or were they giant catfish?

Or something else from the myths of Hercules?

The River Danube, at 2800km, is Europe’s second-longest river after the Volga in Russia.

The way it was fished, the way it was polluted and the way its health was damned by a dam hold lessons for us in Australia where the Murray River, at 2508km long, performs a similar task but, combined with the Darling, extends to 3375km long.

We too have had significant fish losses in our major river system due to mismanagement of it as a national resource, Fred, not least the deaths of countless Murray cod, which were scarce enough before upstream water diversion resulted in summer’s Menindee and Darling fish disasters.

You would think we would have learnt from our European cousins’ mistakes, Fred.

But we didn’t.

More lunacy.

All for the sake of ‘progress’ and a dollar in someone else’s pocket.

Peter Layton is the publisher of the Tide Guide and Angler’s Almanac.

COMPETITION DATES COMPETITION

DATE

LOCATION

2019 ABBT* Bass Jun 1-2 Round 3 Pottsville Beach Jun 8-9 Sports Greenback Fishing Comp Taroom Fishing Jun 8-9 Competition VMR Bundaberg Family Jun 28-30 Fishing Classic ABBT* X-Factor Jun 29-30 Teams R3 The Cod Hole Fishing Jul 4-7 Competition Evans Head Fishing Jul 13-19 Classic Rainbow Beach Jul 19-27 Family Fishing Classic ABBT* X-Factor Jul 27-28 Teams R4 Borumba Bassmaster Jul 27

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Some of the fishermen downstream of the dam had more luck, but they used ‘square hooks’.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 35

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Connor with his first giant herring.

Pelagics still putting on a show ■ Caring for fish intended for release

I

WISH I could say tuna, tuna, tuna but alas, nature has its variations.

Seasons change from year to year.

While this tuna season has been fairly good, it certainly hasn’t been as steady as last year.

At times the fish have become quite fussy, and on some days the rough weather has made them difficult to locate.

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Fraser Guided Fishing

by TRI TON

But when they do bite, it’s the typical presentations getting the job done.

Plenty of Hervey Bay mackerel are still around.

Mostly school mackerel, but the odd spanish, spotty and broad-barred mackerel has been mixed in.

The best technique has been quickly spinning small metal lures after you let them sink to the bottom.

Sometimes a jig and rip in the retrieve triggers a more aggressive response.

Be prepared to lose a few lures with these speedsters charging in and slashing lustily at the small presentations.

They get so worked up that at times they rip each other.

If the hooked fish is small enough, don’t be surprised if some cannibalism is displayed by the larger members of the school.

When they get fired up it can be really mind boggling.

Queenfish have been around too.

Some of them are quite large, measuring well over a metre.

Queenies are not as easy to catch as the other species we usually encounter.

The first hurdle is getting a bite, but then you need to do your best to get a solid hook set in the bony jaw and keep it lodged there for the battle’s duration.

Jumping and head-shaking fish put your angling skills to the test.

Keep that rod bent firmly and use the reel more than lifting and pumping the rod.

Many anglers go too hard and fast with the rod, often missing the opportunity to take line because they are too hell bent on dictating terms to the fish.

If the rod isn’t loading to

the mid and butt sections, do not use the rod, wind the reel, as instantly you may gain a metre without even moving the rod.

The more you move the rod from the loaded position and allow it to be tip loaded, the higher the probability the fish will throw a lure.

If you keep in mind the reel more than the rod, you will find instances where the fish swims directly at you, and instantly your response will be faster and much more relaxed.

And now to touch on the topic I discussed last month: fish handling and reducing mortality in specimens destined for release.

I left off with hook configurations and setups and how we may be inadvertently killing fish.

Through my interactions

with anglers from around the world, I see how we at times have quite a relaxed and sometimes backwards view on fish care.

In areas of Europe, fishing is highly regulated.

The use of barbless hooks is essential in some places, and education about fish care is part of getting a fishing licence.

Now I don’t know if the super-regulated approach of Europe is required, but anglers with a level of visibility in the media should take up the reins and demonstrate some concern.

And like I suggested last month, be proactive.

Let’s not kid ourselves, we are on that hitlist from conservative types.

I always try to use lures I know are going to be less damaging to the fish.

I try my best to influ☛ continued P37

Quat with a cracking queenfish.

> Hervey Bay > Fraser Island > Sandy Strait

Get into the best fishing action!

Full and half day tours All levels of experience Experienced guide

www.fraserguidedfishing.com.au > 0427 230 261 Page 36 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019

Ben with a solid longtail captured close to the harbour.

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Jigging the southern Great Barrier Reef

W

HEN it comes to reef fishing, who doesn’t love the sight of a beautiful coral trout coming aboard.

The Great Barrier Reef situated off the Queensland coast is well renowned for its plentiful supplies of coral trout and hundreds of other reef species.

While lure fishing is certainly not a new thing, lure designs and styles are constantly changing and improving thanks to an increasingly high demand by anglers.

Something that has caught my eye in recent years is lure fishing offshore, specifically jigging.

Now I’m no stranger to dropping a jig at sea, generally targeting species such as golden trevally and other pelagic fish, but something that’s intrigued me in recent months is wondering what else might eat a jig, especially as so many styles are available to suit any number of fishing methods.

I am by no means a pioneer of jigging for reef dwellers, but in general, offshore lure fishers are greatly outnumbered by bait fishers.

Certainly nothing is wrong with bait fishing

Bundaberg Offshore

by JOEL JOHNSON

I am amazed I’m still learning so many new things after years of fishing, and it goes to show that going out on a limb and trying something new can pay off, especially when the fishing is tough. and in many circumstances it is very effective, but lure fishing can add a whole new dimension to your day’s fishing, bringing an element of sport and technique.

On a recent trip to the southern Great Barrier Reef off Bundaberg, we fished a destination still fairly new to me, so with limited GPS co-ordinates we simply drifted likely looking areas in search of ideal fishing grounds.

If conditions permit, I always choose drift fish-

ing because it gives a great indication of what depths hold fish and what locations produce the best results, not to mention the chance of drifting over that ‘honey hole’ we all dream about.

On this particular occasion we were fishing reasonably light running ball sinker snelled rigs, which we have found effective in coral reef fishing scenarios.

After a couple of hours spent drifting different areas on the reef, we noted

the 17-20m depth in the water column was fishing best in an area that ranged from 14-30m.

We had boated quality redthroat emperor and a couple of other reef species but the fish were certainly not coming in one after the other.

So we homed in on the optimum depth to increase our odds and I decided to try a slow-pitch jig in the hope it might receive more interest than the baits we had been sending down.

Generally speaking, a slow-pitch jig is a broadshaped jig and generates a wafting action as it sinks.

It’s aimed at bottom dwellers that need a good chance to eat the lure, as opposed to knife jigs that are long and thin and often retrieved at a fast pace, aiming to entice fast-moving pelagic fish.

On my very first drop with the jig, I hooked up after less than a minute of jigging just off the bottom.

Fighting well, I was hopeful it might be a tasty edition to the Esky, and it certainly was, in the form of a beautiful coral trout.

It didn’t take long to hook up to a few more trout of a variety of sizes using a medium-paced hopping retrieve keeping the lure within 2m of the bottom.

This was a prime example of the fact that just because you’re not catching fish, it doesn’t mean they’re not there!

It might simply mean you need to offer the fish something different.

I am amazed I’m still learning so many new things after years of fishing, and it goes to show that going out on a limb and trying something new can pay off, especially when the fishing is tough.

Though it is always good to stick with what you know, the end result can be a whole lot more rewarding when you think outside the box.

A prized coral trout caught while fishing the southern Great Barrier Reef off Bundaberg.

Leeah with a beautiful jig-caught coral trout.

Al scored a lovely broad-barred mackerel. It was his first fish on a cast and retrieve lure.

Pelagics still putting on a show ☛ from P36

ence those on my boat to continue doing the same after they leave.

Last month I touched briefly on the tuna surface lures topic, and have done so in past issues.

Other topics are single hooks on mackerel lures (also covered in previous issues), with some words dedicated to the handling of undersized fish that will be released.

I don’t target queenfish and giant herring with vibes rigged with double treble hooks.

Why? Because it’s a highmortality technique for

these species.

Vibration lures are very effective, and some anglers have known this for many years.

However, the anatomy of the aforementioned species, combined with how they actually hit the lures poses a great risk to their health.

The end result is likely gill damage from hooks.

As a catch and release guide, I am not willing to take that risk.

Remember, I want to catch them again, and that’s the justification.

The justification is not purely the happy client and photo likes and ‘screw what happens to

the fish after it sinks or floats out of sight’.

For me that is not only missing the point of catch and release, but also fishing with a very short-sighted goal.

You won’t be catching that fish next time – you are ruining what you came to enjoy.

So consider these things and think about whether they will affect your fishing style.

Even if you are fishing for the table, are those undersized fish you released given the best chance at survival?

It is very much in your hands.

A cracking coral trout hooked on a slow-pitch jig.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 37

Rainbow Beach Squid Rowe Trophy T HE weather continues to dominate weekends, with forecasts all over the place making it tough to predict what will happen the next day, let alone a week or so out.

Rob Schomberg with a Rainbow Beach pearl perch and squire.

Rob Schomberg landed a pearl perch.

Despite these challenges, Helaine and Rob Schomberg booked a house at Rainbow Beach because their families were coming up this time.

They planned to fish the club days on Saturday and Sunday and then sneak out Monday and be home Tuesday, hopefully missing the traffic.

Two days out, this plan went south.

With rain forecast and the wind predicted up to 25 knots for Sunday and Monday, the decision was made to bring the trip forward a day and fish Friday/Saturday.

Brad and Greg with Explorer were going to fish Friday and John and Aaron in Freya came up early as well.

They all hit the bar at 6am and after some reconnaissance decided to cross Fishermans Gutter.

A lot of sand had moved due to the cyclone earlier in the year and the gutter was shallow but all found a reasonable route out then headed south to Double Island Point to look and try to locate some nannygai.

Stopping at the Pinnacles for a drop found the sharks in attendance and thick, so they didn’t stay

Power Boat Anglers

by MICK CLUTTERBUCK

long.

Helaine and Rob sounded over various locations for a couple of hours and found a few fish.

Well, Rob said he did, but Helaine was dragging the chain and letting the side down badly at this point.

They stayed out until at least 4pm due to the tides and were to meet back at the gutter at 4.30pm.

John and Aaron had headed northeast about 40km and were not finding fish.

Brad had some success later, finding snapper around one of the PBA marks, but in general all were doing it tough.

Freya elected to head through the main bar and called to log on for the crossing.

Rob took a different route, deciding to head into the gutter and meet Brad.

The gutter was good and all made their way into the channel, only to find Freya still coming in from the main bar.

Meeting back at the ramp on Saturday at 5.30am, they decided to head east for the club trip.

All got out through the gutter with no real issues and headed into an overcast sea.

They told me it was nice

not to have sun in their eyes for once.

Heading about 40km out they found the seas glassy but plenty of rolling swell was still around.

Salty arrived at the area and was going to show Helaine a pinnacle he’s been banging on about for ages, only to find another boat sitting right on top of ‘his’ spot.

John and Aaron had Nic on board for the day and they waved as the big cat headed northeast, soon followed by Brad in Explorer.

Rob and Helaine continued chipping away and getting a couple of fish a drift comprising a good mixture of species.

One area produced great shows on the sounder but turned out to be squire all around 25-30cm.

They managed a decent catch though, bagging out on tuskies, and Helaine even caught a few as well.

Not having sharks follow fish was nice and even though they lost the odd one, they were basically left alone for the day.

Weather wise, squalls hung around all morning but didn’t drop anything until midday, coming and going after that.

While annoying, it was still fishable.

The FFSAQ fish trailer.

Radio checks between the boats reported the southwesterly change was forecast to come early.

As they pushed back in it got worse, topping out around 35 knots.

The wind was strong enough to push water through the zips on the clears, so Rob dropped the tabs and got Salty into submarine mode.

They sat on 25-30km/h, taking it head-on with near zero visibility while keeping an eye out for other boats.

They found one about 10km off the bar that appeared out of nowhere just jogging into the wind.

A bit scary to say the least.

Once they were 5km out the wind abated, making it quite a nice trip.

They radioed John and Brad who were still 15km out and doing sensible speeds through the crap.

Brad said when it hit he was doing 3000rpm and going backwards.

Rob elected to take Salty through the gutter to check it out.

Some backslap was on the edge of the channel but the track was still good, so they radioed the information to the other crews.

Back at the ramp and with Salty on the trailer they sorted through the fish ready for weigh-in.

No world-beating catches, but everyone managed a feed.

Nic scored a couple

of cobia to 5.5kg, John bagged a 2.5kg tuskfish and Brad had gone back to his snapper spot and topped his tusky bag up with a few.

Nothing huge but good eating size.

Rob and Helaine ran a barbecue back at their house and once out of the way left plenty of time to have a chat about the weekend’s proceedings and how they went and what could have been done differently.

One thing they all commented on was the number of remoras out there.

At one stage Salty had about 30 of them under the boat and then found them wherever they went.

No one had ever seen this before.

The weather of course changed and Sunday and Monday ended up being fishable, but after the flogging they all took on Saturday, a pub crawl afternoon got the nod.

It was hard for them to leave on Monday, with a five-knot wind forecast for the next four days, but that’s how it goes sometimes.

Next meetings The next club meetings will be held on Monday, June 3 and then Monday, July 1 at The Club Manly (bowls club) located at 26 Faine St, Manly.

All interested parties are more than welcome to attend.

Until next month, safe boating.

Brett Fien was the overall saratoga winner.

Muddy Water Family Fishing Classic wrap-up Venus tuskfish were quite prevalent during the weekend’s fishing.

Offshore reef fishing fanatics WANTED One of Brisbane’s oldest deep-sea fishing clubs with a 100 percent safety record has vacancies for new members. Owners of suitable vessels encouraged. All levels of experience. Those without own vessels also invited to apply. Approximately 15 deep sea trips per year. One week-long fishing holiday to Town of 1770. Monthly meetings, video shows, guest speakers and free nibbles. 4WD beach fishing and camping. Inshore fishing also on the agenda.

Interested? Then call Darryl (0407 596 822) or Robin (3269 5013).

POWER BOAT ANGLERS REEF FISHING CLUB INC Page 38 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019

T

HE Dawson River at Moura was looking about as good as it gets, with clear water and plenty of it for the 2019 family fishing classic.

Fantastic weather all weekend and the community got together for an awesome weekend.

Not quite but close to record numbers of fish were caught and weighed in at the two weigh stations and then released.

A total of 293 senior and 152 junior anglers from all over Queensland and NSW enjoyed free camping, hot showers and hot and cold food for breaky through to dinner and ample liquids to wash it all down.

Being Easter, plenty of

Easter eggs were given out too.

The crowds were again entertained by Dave Hodge the ‘Barefoot Fisherman’.

He was joined by Helen Abdy, who had audiences mesmerised with fly fishing and casting demonstrations.

All junior anglers were presented with a fishing package from Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union Moura branch Over the weekend of fishing, catfish were the predominant species caught but a massive 58 saratoga were also weighed in, along with

Boats on the Dawson River.

black bream (Barcoo grunter), golden perch (yellowbelly), sleepy cod, spangled perch and banded grunter.

The reintroduction of catch cards showed a much higher number of fish caught that weren’t weighed in.

About 120 saratoga

were captured according to the cards.

A random draw of the returned catch cards for a G. Loomis fishing rod and water cooler from OZtrail was won by Deidre Hourn.

The overall winner for the Donny Weis Memo☛ continued P39

Dave Hodge captured a saratoga.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Tammy and Julian Spina.

The entire line-up of Queensland competitors and staff during round two at Maroon Dam.

Yak Hunters Kayak Fishing Series going strong

T

HE Yak Hunters Kayak Fishing Series has emerged as one of the fastestgrowing and most-inclusive fishing tournaments to hit the Australian kayak fishing scene in recent times.

Run by the team at Yak Hunters Australia, this series was established in 2018 and released in Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia, and in 2019 it has expanded to include Tasmania and Western Australia as well.

With no fancy equipment needed (other than a simple kayak, a fishing rod and a few lures of course!), you can enter

the competition in either Elite or Amateur class and battle it out with other anglers across the country for fantastic cash and prizes.

Round two of the Yak Hunters Kayak Fishing Series for 2019 was held on April 28 and record numbers turned out to fight for bragging rights to be heralded as the top kayak fisho in the land.

The tournament series is conducted over four rounds, with points to-

Kayaks lined up before launch at Maroon Dam.

tals accumulating across the rounds to crown two champions at the end of the year in Elite and Amateur classes.

There are of course winners in each state and division for every round and the competition was hot during April, with 190 anglers taking to the water and an immense 86 anglers paddling onto picturesque Maroon Dam in Queensland.

This is a unique competition in that each state hits the water on the same day, has its own target species and has a points system that allows a truly national competition to unfold.

With kayak fishing exploding in the Australian market, Yak Hunters Australia has struck upon a formula that brings people from all walks of life together sharing a common passion for kayak fishing, providing a platform to allow both beginners and elite fishers to interact

in a safe, inclusive and friendly environment and live out their passion.

The goal of Yak Hunters Australia is to promote the growth of kayak fishing around Australia and construct a community approach to kayak fishing.

Each state group holds local events, competitions and community projects outside of the Kayak Fishing Series to connect kayak fishos.

No matter what state you are in, if you are a seasoned angler or looking to get into the sport, you will find like-minded men and women, great advice, handy product awareness, tips, tricks and a few new friendships waiting for you throughout the national Yak Hunters Australia community.

Round three of the Yak Hunters Kayak Fishing Series kicks off on September 8 and you can find out more about the tournaments and Yak Hunters Australia via yakhunters. com or Facebook where you can jump on the national page or any of the state-based pages that now boast over 13,000 followers.

Head to our website to

see competition results and upcoming rounds and locations.

The Yak Hunters Kayak Fishing Series is proudly sponsored by Bush ‘n Beach Fishing magazine, Freak Sports Australia, Chasebaits Australia, Tonic Eyewear, Dragon Kayaks, Dream Kayaks, Hunter Water Sports, Rod Armour, FPV Power, Anglers Source and Lowrance.

Jye Clewley fished in the Elite class.

Dominic Black, David Hopper and Luke Lispet (Dominic and Luke are the directors of Yak Hunters Australia.

Muddy Water Family Fishing Classic wrap-up ☛ from P38

rial trophy was senior male angler Brett Fien with a 2.875kg saratoga.

Results from all fishing sections can be found in the table.

Encouragement awards were provided to the junior anglers and it was a major task to decide the winners but those who took away trophies were Henry Caddell, Ruby Nash, Charlie Campbell and Jake Berndsen, along with Davina

Steele and Rikki Hay who were both in the Little Juniors section.

The early bird prize for nominating early for the comp was $100 and sponsored by Mrs Poppy Hayden, being awarded to Brian Elliott.

Moura Apex Club sponsored the four $500 Anaconda gift vouchers for major lucky draw prizes and the winners were: • Junior male – Ashley Keddie.

• Junior female – Geor-

A junior angler weighed in a catfish.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

gina Kirkham.

• Senior male – Jim Standley • Senior female – Angela Elliott.

This year a photography section was added.

The winner was chosen with a photo that really captured the joy and spirit of the river and competition.

So many good photos were entered but first prize of an Esky and globe went to Michelle Davidson showing a ‘Junior angler and kayak at the comp’.

First runner-up was Better Sceeny with ‘Sunset on the river’.

Second runner-up was Brianna Smith with ‘Tubing on the river’.

Third runner-up was Dani Berndsen with ‘Kids having fun on a tube’.

Finally, fourth runner-up was Margie Powell with ‘Reflections’.

A huge thankyou goes out to all the sponsors who are extremely important in these fundraising events.

Equally important are the anglers who make the event what it is.

We hope to see you next year.

OVERALL WINNER Brett Fien

saratoga

2.8kg

SENIOR MALE Heaviest catfish 1

Ben Heath

4.9kg

2

William Smith

4.5kg

Heaviest black bream 1

Brian Loader

0.5kg

JUNIOR FISHERS

Heaviest yellowbelly 1

Clinton Maslen

2.5kg

2

Brian Loader

0.9kg

Heaviest saratoga 1

Brett Fien

2.8kg

2

Clinton Rayer

2.8kg

SENIOR FEMALE 1

Kate Baines

4.3kg

2

Lilli Heath

4.2kg 0.6kg

Heaviest sleepy cod 1

Lyn Loader

0.1kg

Heaviest yellowbelly 1

Sarah Bright

1

Claire Bright

2

Thomas Coughlin

4kg 3.9kg

Heaviest spangled perch 1

Wylie Leo

2

Lilli Ford

0.09kg

1

Jackson Hutchinson

0.8kg

2

Charlotte Bright

0.7kg

Heaviest sleepy cod

Heaviest black bream Emma Foster

Heaviest catfish

Heaviest black bream

Heaviest catfish

1

Wylie Leo was the winner of the biggest spangled perch category.

0.7kg

1

Tayla Hay

0.09kg

2

Coen Saxby

0.07kg

Heaviest yellowbelly 1

Charlotte Bright

0.9kg

2

Nick Van Beal

0.7kg

Heaviest saratoga

Heaviest saratoga 1

Lilli Heath

2.4kg

1

Eloise Hutchinson

2.6kg

2

Tracey Cuskelly

2.4kg

2

Zacariah Austin

1.9kg

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 39

BOATING & marine

Building the dream boat T

HE thought of buying a centre console had been on my mind for a couple of years and it wasn’t until I attended the 2018 Brisbane Boat Show that I knew what model my gut was set on.

The centre console during the design.

At the time I had absolutely no idea Cruise Craft manufactured a centre console, and seeing this boat for the first time it was love at first sight.

I was thinking ‘finally, a boat I can do everything out of!’ while look-

How it started.

Boat Design

by MATI BATS

ing over Cruise Craft’s box-fresh F360M centre console.

Following the show, I sat on the idea for a couple of months and finally pulled the trigger to further increase my knowledge on the boat.

I reached out to the Cruise Craft team to see if I could learn a little more about the boat and see if it was really the boat for me.

I remember it like it was yesterday.

I was asking all the questions everyone now asks me.

Is it a wet ride?

How does it handle in rough seas?

What’s the storage like?

The questions went on.

When all my questions were answered the way I wanted them to be, it was almost too good to be true!

I had to test ride the demo model and see it for myself.

I was so impressed by the demo on the first test ride that the team offered to loan me the boat for a weekend to put it through an ‘offshore fishing test’, Bats style.

The boat was certainly tested on a trip off Mooloolaba around the Hards in a 15-20-knot northeasterly with a 1.5-2m swell.

Generally I wouldn’t even consider heading offshore in these conditions, but the boat had to be tested in worse than average conditions for me to make the call.

What I experienced was simply incredible.

The way the boat moved through the water, the fuel economy and feeling of safety all added up to exactly what I was looking for.

I knew that if the boat handled the way it did in those conditions, I was set for a lifetime of wicked adventures to come.

Not to mention we caught quality fish on the test too!

I handed the boat back to the team and it seriously felt like I was breaking up with my high school sweetheart.

Something not many people know about is our family’s connection with Cruise Craft.

From the age of two my

old man had my brothers and I out on the water fishing and learning there was more to life than being trapped behind a TV or computer.

Our journey began fishing out of an 18’6” Cruise Craft Easy Rider (that we still own), which led to my purchase of a 500 Explorer a couple of years ago.

Throughout my lifetime we have bought and been in several boats and all have their pros and cons.

The one thing I say daily to anyone who asks me about any product is “service”.

You cannot put a price on good service.

Seeing how the Cruise Craft team values its customers and work colleagues was something we wanted to be a part of.

After learning more about how the boats were built, where they were built and who was involved in the builds, there was only one thing left… to get my dream boat built!

It was on and the team got under way building what in my eyes is the best Australian centre console on the market.

We wanted to max out the horsepower rating with a Yamaha F200, add in SeaDek Mocha flooring, an 80lb auto-deploy Minn Kota Ulterra i-Pilot, fibreglass T-top, 300-litre insulated kill tank, powder coated Easytow trailer, full Garmin package, Lenco Auto Retract trim tabs, 250-litre upgraded fuel tank, Fusion Apollo ☛ continued P41

Starting to look like a Cruise Craft here!

Insights into boat insurance

B

USH ‘n Beach has brought Nautilus Marine Insurance on board to expand the fine print and provide readers with clear, easy-to-understand and helpful tips on protecting their boating assets.

The scenario Catastrophic flooding in parts of Queensland this year again triggered myriad questions about where people might stand with their insurance companies in terms of their boats having been damaged.

The great news for people who insure their boats with a specialist marine insurer like Nautilus is that when it comes to floods, a boat is not a house.

That is not a cavalier or insensitive observation directed at people now confronted with trying to piece their lives and possessions back together after a devasting flood.

Rather, it’s a clearly defined distinction which

works very much in the favour of the insured.

A boat insured with Nautilus Marine and which is damaged during a flood is regarded as having been subjected to accidental damage.

Therefore, and unlike a house, the insurance claim does not become an issue about whether the damage was caused by a storm from above or a flood from below.

In house insurance ‘storm or flood’ scenarios, there may be two different claim outcomes in terms of how that question is resolved.

With boats insured by Nautilus, it’s accidental damage.

Done.

Fixed.

Settled.

And storing your boat while living in a floodprone area is not an issue in terms of boat insurance.

Again, the claim will be considered in the terms of accidental damage rather than whether the area where the boat

was ordinarily kept had a slightly higher risk of being inundated with floodwaters.

Now, does any of this have anything to do with a boat being designed to float?

After all, they’re meant to float, so is that relevant to how the insurance claim is decided?

Not at all.

A boat might be a very handy thing to have in a flood, but it also might be a hindrance.

A boat is an insurable item that has the capacity to be torn loose by floodwaters and simply float away from its normal place of storage.

The insurance claims that come through in times of flood can be quite surprising.

One case involved the roadway being washed away, causing the boat trailer to fall into the hole on one side and therefore tipping over the boat strapped to it.

Water, mud sludge and other damage resulted.

Another recent case

saw a boat housed within a shed float up on floodwaters until it was crushed against the inside of the shed’s roof.

There was the case of the person who thought they would protect the boat from filling with rainwater by removing the bungs while it was strapped to its trailer.

That strategy was effective against the rainfall for some time… until the waters rose rapidly and the floodwaters then filled the boat through those very same bung holes.

Back in Brisbane’s horrific 2011 floods, a boat was tied securely to a pontoon that broke loose and together they floated away, suffering damage as they cannoned off objects along the flow path of the flood.

All these cases were covered and dealt with simply by being regarded as accidental damage.

There was no debate or issue about how or why the flood started.

Was it the flood itself or storms from above that

caused the damage to the boat?

Having said that, all boat owners have a responsibility to always operate their craft with due care and attention at all times.

They also are required to undertake all reasonable steps to prevent damage.

Think it might be fun to race a couple of jet skis down a flooded roadway but then find yourself crashing into a partly submerged car?

Don’t expect your insurance company to be sympathetic.

As always, any special conditions and excesses should always be explained clearly in your insurance policy’s product disclosure statement.

Always check your PDS and if you have a query, ask for clarification.

If you need further information, you can contact Nautilus Marine Insurance on 1300 780 533 for any boat insurance requirements.

Win a Nautilus Prize Package Nautilus will also be answering your boat insurance questions of a general nature and will be offering a great bimonthly prize to the best questions received.

The prize is a Nautilus Marine merchandising pack comprising a collapsible chiller bag, handy marine sports bag and cap.

Just email your questions to qld@nautilusin surance.com.au

Any advice contained in this article is of a general nature only and may not apply or be right for you as it does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any advice provided in this article, you should consider the appropriateness of the advice having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs.

Page 40 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019

www.bnbfishing.com. au

BOATING & marine

The author was over the moon with his Cruise Craft’s christening.

One very happy author with his absolute rig of a dream boat.

A cracking snapper on the first trip.

Building the dream boat – Cruise Craft F360M ☛ from P40

stereo and much more.

This boat had to be versatile in all aspects of fishing.

We chose to go down the Garmin pathway because Garmin offers a great allround package that excels in both shallow inshore fishing and deeper offshore depths.

We knew that with our long trips off 1770 (sometimes in the dark), we had to go for a radar and autopilot.

Our good mates from Quality Marine Electronics guided us along the

path to ensure we got the best electronics package/ readings for this boat with an A-class install.

The F360M was built in six weeks with the intention of fishing over the Easter break, however due to the weather not playing the game, we were limited to what fishing we could do.

Our first proper fishing trip wasn’t until we were asked by Team Cruise Craft to join them on the Boyne Tannum Hookup, where we set ourselves a goal of landing a place among

over 3500 competitors.

Chris Henry and I chose to fish the comp in average conditions, heading out on the Friday night in 15-20-knot wind.

The long steam out to the reef at night was certainly not pleasant, with a new moon, rain and side-on seas, but we were fortunate to get a couple of hours’ sleep and wake to an incredible morning bite, which led to Chris landing a 78cm snapper and myself an 85cm red emperor in one drift.

We knew both these fish had a chance to be in the

running for their species categories.

We spent the rest of the session trying to see how many species we could boat in one day, with a heap of coral trout, redthroat emperor, cod, trevally, spanish mackerel and several others coming on board.

Our fishing time was limited to six hours on the Saturday before making our way back for the weigh-in.

In the three days of the comp we were only able to get out to the reef and fish one day, but we were extremely happy with our

results and how the boat handled.

Chris went on to take out the prize for largest snapper caught over the three days and I only just missed out on biggest red.

I still have so much more to learn about the boat, but it sure did well during its debut trip!

I cannot wait for the next comp and all the fishing memories to come with my new boat and extended boating family.

Everyone involved did what they do best and have simply created my dream boat.

The finished interior. A thing of beauty!

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 41

BOATING & marine

Formosa 580 Centre Cab a class act A RECENT pristine day on Moreton Bay saw me on the water testing a boat I’ve had a soft spot for since a young age: a Formosa Centre Cabin.

Here you can see the versatility a centre cabin offers.

Formosa’s design is one of the true ‘walk-around’ layouts on the market.

Specifically, I was commandeering the 580 Centre Cabin in Tomahawk V2 Offshore hull configuration, as supplied by Australian Marine Centre with a 140hp Suzuki fourstroke outboard.

Constructed from 4mm plate aluminium all round, the beamy (2.45m) Formosa makes a state-

Check out the footage by searching for BNBFTV

Stability at rest was excellent thanks to a healthy 2.45m beam and smart hull design.

Boat Review

by DANIEL TOMLINSON

based camping ability (cabin boats) is more than liveable.

In the Formosa 580 Centre Cabin’s case, when equipped with bunk cushions the cabin provides enough space for a liedown, though your feet hang over the end of the bunks, so the cab is best utilised as a place for the kids to have a kip when they tire of fishing.

Between the bunks is a large recess perfect for stowing bags and other odds and ends while under way or fishing.

Being the Offshore model, our test Formosa was built around a selfdraining aluminium deck perfect for quickly clearing water from the deck in the unlikely event of a wave making it over the side.

Hydraulic steering and a transom door that opens to the rear pod complete the factory-fitted Offshore-specific feature list.

Stepping up to the helm you’re afforded quite a high seating position on comfy sliding seats

ment to onlookers with a curvaceous chine line and high-gloss paintwork.

Oval-shaped ‘portholes’ in the cabin and the swept-back look of the factory rocket launcher and optional hard top visor ramp up the visual appeal, ensuring no one will mistake this distinctive boat for any other model on the water.

As mentioned, I’ve had a hankering for a Formosa Centre Cabin since my younger years, and though the design may have evolved since my dad and I looked into buying a 550 Centre Cab back in 2007, the core principle of useable cabin space paired with walk-around versatility remains unchanged.

Centre cabs are often referred to as a suitable compromise by dedicated side and centre console fishos as well as more family focused cuddy cabin boaters.

I think the compromise they offer between next to zero protection from the elements (console boats) and overnighting, boat-

FOR THE RIDE OF YOUR LIFE

mounted upon boxes that incorporate generous storage.

After sliding the seat into the perfect driving position for my frame, I found all the controls fell easily to hand and the factory steering wheel a delight to behold and handle.

With a great view over the dashtop-mounted Garmin sounder/GPS and flush-mounted Suzuki digital gauge, it was time to punch the throttle and point the nose of the 580 Centre Cabin towards Peel Island.

Rod from AMC had played with props prior to our test day and while he wasn’t totally convinced by the prop on this motor, the performance didn’t disappoint.

Rated to a whopping 175hp, our test boat’s 140hp Suzuki four-stroke felt punchy right from the outset, and jumping onto the plane from 3000rpm, the hull quickly scooted out to a 38km/h cruise speed at 4000rpm, returning an incredible 2.9km per litre fuel economy figure.

With a 200-litre fuel tank as standard, this equates to a realistic motoring range of 522km, leaving 20 litres of fuel

still in reserve!

Wow, that’s a serious range and shows the efficiency offered by Suzuki’s latest generation of Lean Burn outboards when combined with a well-designed hull.

Those are crazy numbers and would make a trip out and back to the continental shelf an absolute doddle.

Nudging the Suzuki’s throttle lever further forwards saw speed rise steadily to a maximum of 65km/h at wide-open.

That’s a respectable top end for a super-economical combo well below the max-rated horsepower.

It left me wondering how the 175hp motor would get along though, and I’d expect a V-max somewhere in the vicinity of 80km/h with the bigger Suzi.

However, I’m not sure the trade-off in fuel use would be worth the extra outlay for more speed, as even ripping along at 56km/h and 5500rpm the 140hp motor was returning 2.1km per litre economy – impressive!

All but die-hard speed junkies would be morethan satisfied with the combination tested here, with loads of mid-range ☛ continued P43

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Page 42 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019

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BOATING & marine Deck space is built with offshore fishos in mind.

Flat out the Formosa 580 Centre Cabin ran to 65km/h when powered

by Suzuki’s 140hp four-stroke.

Centre cabin design afforded a fantastic seating position with great visibility and plenty of protection from the elements.

Formosa 580 Centre Cab a class act ☛ from P42

shove to aid in bar-crossing situations.

Whenever I test a decent size boat in Moreton Bay, the crap weather miraculously decides it’s going on holiday and we’re treated to a beaut day on the bay.

The 580 Centre Cabin’s test day was no exception and I had to go looking for waves to test the hull’s mettle.

When I did find the odd cruiser wake I felt the hull tracked cleanly no matter my angle of attack.

The ride was also surprisingly soft, as looking at the hull’s 18.5-degree deadrise I thought it might be a bit ‘slappy’, but

www.bnbfishing.com. au

50km/h over some westerly wind chop that blew up on the way back to the ramp resulted in a pretty damn smooth ride.

Only once did any spray make its way over the bow and onto the windscreen, when I charged into my own wake while executing a turn and simultaneously slowing down during photography.

Nice driving, Dan. Make no mistake, this is a very offshore-capable boat and I’d have no qualms recommending a Formosa 580 Centre Cabin to anyone, whether a bay-only fisho or regular offshore angler.

And of course, the boat’s trump card is right there in its name: that centre

cabin versatility!

Formosa’s design team did a great job of balancing cabin size and walkaround ability, and as such I could walk around to the anchor well without having to shimmy sideways between the cab and gunwales.

This makes the configuration ideal for those times when you’re fighting a flighty pelagic that can’t decide whether it wants to head to Hawaii or the Logan River and you’re running all around the boat trying to stay connected.

Many anglers spend countless sleepless nights trying to decide on the boat that fits their needs best.

I implore all those sleep-

deprived fishos to go and have a chat to Rod at AMC about designing a Formosa Centre Cabin to suit their specifications.

Able to provide shelter from the elements as well as all-round fishability, a Formosa Centre Cabin makes a whole lot of sense as the perfect fishing and family boat.

And don’t forget, Formosa boats are built how you’d like, with almost endless options and customisable features.

Give the AMC team a call today on 07 3808 7333 or drop by the yard and check a Centre Cab out in person at 3491 Pacific Highway, Slacks Creek.

For any more informa-

tion on the extensive Formosa range, jump on for mosamarineboats.com.au Finally, head to our BNBFTV YouTube channel to see a video of the Formosa 580 Centre Cabin in action.

Dash layout practical and effective.

PERFORMANCE RPM

KM/H

2000

10

3000

16

4000

38

4500

45

5000

51

6200 (WOT) 62 Cabin suitable as a sleeping area for young ones.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 43

BOATING & marine

The Yellowfin Plate Rear Console will take you from river to reef

I

DEAL for fishing from the river to the reef and introduced due to customer requests, the hand-built Yellowfin Plate Rear Console is available in five sizes: 5800, 6200, 6500, 7000 and 7600.

Plate has the ability to spread this design across the country.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;The combination of the tried and true rear console design with Yellowfin Plateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s superior Marine Core Construction is a match made in heaven.â&#x20AC;?

The Rear Console design positions the captain and two passenger seats at the rear of the boat with three additional seat positions; one on the casting platform and two in the middle of the vessel.

Versatility is the name of the game.

In addition to the six seat post positions, there is a removable bait board for casting convenience and a console with plenty of space for endless electronics.

Yellowfin Plate boats are built with Marine Core Construction and equipped with the perfectly balanced Offshore HD hull.

The variable deadrise eliminates that tippy feel-

ing and slices through chop with ease.

The Rear Console has a large central fishing area and raised casting platform to give fishos different vantage points while fishing.

To get up to the casting platform, there is a step/storage compartment large enough to house two or three electric motor batteries.

Inside the casting platform is a large hatch that can fit a large Esky.

When paired with an Evinrude E-TEC G2 150hp outboard, testing showed the 6200 Rear Console ran out to a maximum speed of 72km/h at 5650rpm.

The sweet spot was a cruise speed of 3500rpm and 42km/h, giving an unreal 552km range thanks to the generous 240-litre fuel tank.

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Page 44 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bush â&#x20AC;&#x2122;n Beach Fishing, June 2019

www.bnbfishing.com. au

BOATING & marine

School principal interview delivers an excellent lesson

I

NTERVIEWS can be daunting for many people, but according to former school principal and assistant regional education director Jeff Munce, the one he underwent recently was an excellent lesson in how to decide which boat to buy.

The Brisbane-based retiree has owned a small flotilla of boats over the years including those under the brand names of Sea Jay, Quintrex, Abalone and Hookers, so this time, and with some boating education already successfully completed, a custom alloy plate boat was likely to figure highly on the final report card.

According to Jeff, the process of first being ‘interviewed’ about his boating needs by a boat builder, rather than having a salesperson attempting to ‘sell’ him a vessel already existing in a boatyard was an entirely new experience.

“I needed someone to guide me through the right set of questions and to give me the ‘fors’ and ‘againsts,” Jeff said.

“I was after one of about 5m.

“I wanted to be able to cruise around the reefs near Cardwell and I wanted a wide console.

“Some years earlier, around 1999, I was look-

ing to build a plate boat and Australian Master Marine was recommended as one of the companies that made a quality boat.”

However, they were more expensive than mass-produced hulls, so at that time, Jeff bought other boats.

“But when someone offered to buy my current boat, I thought, well this time I might build my plate boat,” Jeff said.

“I needed someone to guide me and Matt Thomas at AMM interviewed me about my needs.

“I really liked the interview process where you say to them what you are looking for and Matthew asks questions around that and then gives you the for and against arguments.”

Ultimately, Jeff decided on an AMM Sea Class 4900 centre console – primarily because he wanted to be able to easily launch and retrieve the boat single-handed at times.

At other times, he wanted to be able to fish with two, three or four mates.

“I wasn’t really sure whether to fit trim tabs in that sized boat,” Jeff said.

“Matt and his brother Barton took different viewpoints.

“But there was no pressure either way – just the fors and againsts.”

“My son said trim tabs were a waste of time, but I did go with them and now that he has borrowed the boat a couple of times, he says gee, these trim tabs are good.

“There’s no such thing as a dry open boat, but this one is as close as you’re going to get.

“Down at Jumpinpin with that side breeze, I just lift that side a little and you’re as dry as anything.

“It’s not big there, but it’s choppy and it has been windy this year.”

Jeff has been over to Moreton Island a few times and coming back the boat has not broached or pulled to the side.

“There’s none of those bad habits,” Jeff said.

“The bow doesn’t sink in and go under or dig in or anything like that, even though it’s sharp.

“One of my previous boats had a big vee and the thing used to broach down a wave and you couldn’t control it.

“Matthew said the AMM might rock a little at rest because it’s a deep vee and a smaller boat.

“I have to say it probably moves a little, but not as much as I thought Matt meant.

“I think it’s more than reasonable.”

“When you’re getting a

boat built, you never actually get to try it, so you’re really relying on the reputation.

“Anyone can make a boat look good.”

Jeff’s customised AMM has 5mm plate alloy bottom sheets, a wider console fitted to accommodate the electronics, a Suzuki DF90 and a 140-litre underfloor tank to extend the range, hydraulic steering, deck wash, live bait tank, dual batteries, a 140-litre Evakool icebox mounted to the deck and a host of customised items

for comfort, convenience and practicality.

It sits on a custom-built AMM alloy trailer.

“Jeff’s personalised plate alloy boat has come up a real treat… and it was a welcome change to be interviewing the principal in my office rather than what sometimes happened many, many years ago,” Matthew said.

Further details on Jeff’s boat and AMM’s customisation capabilities are available on the company’s website australian mastermarine.com.au

Jeff Munce was all smiles after taking delivery of his new AMM.

Jeff and wife Sue showed some Canadian friends around Moreton Bay in Jeff’s AMM Sea Class 4900 Centre Console.

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H O R I Z O N B O AT S . C O M . A U

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 45

K AYAKING & canoeing

Paddling for rehabilitation I ’D like to tell you about a mate of mine called Stuart.

Thule’s Hullavator in the up and down positions.

Stuart’s kayak stored on the carport roof after lifting off the car.

CLASSIC AUSTRALIAN-MADE CANOES

Canoes | Repairs | Hires 0424 001 646 | onetreecanoe.com Page 46 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019

He’s an older bloke with an incredible story he has somewhat reluctantly given me permission to share.

I say reluctantly because like a good many Australians, he doesn’t like to be made a fuss of and really doesn’t believe he’s done anything special at all.

Stuart is an older gentleman in his 70s now.

He has led an interesting and varied life from time as a Digger in the Australian Army to a trawler fisherman and ringer.

Due to his working life, he had always been a fit and strong man.

That all changed when he had a terrible accident in his late 50s while working on a farm.

A horse rolled over on him during saddle training (or breaking in), resulting in him sustaining a severe spinal injury and potentially being confined to wheelchair for the rest of his life.

Numerous surgeries and rehabilitation work over the following 10 years eventually got Stuart back on his feet, though with a severe stoop in his back and significantly reduced mobility.

To hear Stuart talk about his injuries you’d think he was the luckiest man alive.

He speaks of great support from medical staff, from surgeons who went above and beyond and people around him who helped him to continue to live a full and uninhibited life.

He is certainly a man who dwells on the positives and in my mind, it is a large part of the reason why 14 years later he is still active and mobile.

You see, Stuart is a goer!

When bad things happen, he just dusts himself off and keeps moving forward.

He also had the good fortune to stumble upon a form of rehabilitation that he believes has dramatically improved his quality of life and kept him active and mobile into his later years.

That activity is paddling.

I first met Stuart over two years ago when he appeared in my old canoe and kayak business in Brisbane.

He arrived with his good mate Phil and walked into our showroom looking like, in his words, a ‘half opened pocket knife’.

His surgeon had told him he needed to find regular physical therapy for his back or risk losing the limited mobility he had.

He had already tried cycling with some success,

Canoeing

by DAN OWBRIDGE

but the dangers of riding on the road had turned him off it, so his surgeon suggested paddling as an alternative.

Stuart, who had kayaked in his youth and remembered it fondly, liked the idea and decided to pay us a visit to discuss options.

The challenge with providing a kayak for Stuart was not the paddling but rather the logistics of getting the craft on and off the water.

The surgeries to his back had left him with significantly reduced mobility and strength and meant he had trouble lifting items above waist height.

We enjoy a challenge, and with a bloke as positive as Stuart, it was a pleasure to work out a plan to get him back on the water.

First, we looked at the type of kayak.

We wanted a boat that was light weight and easy to move through the water, but still stable and predictable to avoid sending him in for a swim.

We selected a fibreglass sit-in kayak called the Wanderer.

Designed by Kerry Richards of Natureline, this kayak tracks well, moves easily with moderate paddling effort and is very stable even with novice or uncertain paddlers.

Best still, being a composite kayak (fibreglass) it weighs only 15kg and is light enough for Stuart to manhandle.

After an initial sea trial, Stuart took to the kayak like a duck to water!

The next challenges were getting the kayak onto the car and down to the water.

To allow loading onto his car, we installed a Hullavator from Thule.

This roof loading system has a cradle that is lowered with the assistance of gas struts to waist height beside a car for ease of loading a kayak.

Once loaded in the cradle, the kayak is then easily raised onto the roof for transport.

The Hullavator worked well for Stuart and solved the problem of unloading his kayak at the water’s edge and reloading it to return home.

The final hurdle was to get the kayak off the car at home.

For this, we used a Box Lift, also built by Thule.

Originally designed to lift roof boxes off roof racks, paddlers all over the world discovered this lifter was excellent for re-

moving their pride and joy off the roof of their car.

Utilising rope slings attached to a winder drum, users simply crank the winder and lift their kayak off the roof of the car and into storage against the ceiling of their carpark or garage.

It was the perfect way for Stuart to simply remove and store his kayak from his car after a morning paddling.

All hurdles overcome, it was now down to Stuart to get out on the water and start his rehabilitation.

And get on the water he most certainly has done!

I caught up with Stuart the week of writing this article to see how he was going.

The first thing I noticed was how much straighter he was standing and easier he was finding walking.

He still looked a bit like a partially opened pocket knife, but it now looked to be about three-quarters open.

After he told me how much paddling he’s been doing, it’s certainly no surprise.

He lives at Beaudesert, so his paddling destination of choice is Lake Wyaralong, a good choice in my mind.

He paddles out there three to four mornings a week for about an hour at a time.

These days he tells me he’s up to 8km when he goes for a paddle, averaging around 6.5km/h, a

fair effort for most ablebodied paddlers!

It’s no wonder he’s looking good.

It certainly speaks volumes for paddling as a form of rehabilitation and the wisdom of Stuart’s surgeon.

While not a common form of rehabilitation, paddling is certainly recognised as an excellent choice for those able to do it.

It is low impact, low weight bearing, increases flexibility and is perfect for building core and upper body strength.

For someone like Stuart with reduced mobility and strength in his torso, it was the perfect prescription.

Studies in places as diverse as Pakistan and New Zealand have found paddling to be an excellent rehabilitation exercise for people recovering from cancer and sufferers of Parkinson’s disease.

As with any activity of this nature, we highly advise people to consult with their doctor before trying it out.

And if Stuart’s story is anything to go by, it should prove to be a positive experience.

It’s also worth considering what type of craft would best suit a particular type of recovery.

Stuart’s choice of a kayak was excellent for him but may not suit others.

For more information about this story or the pros and cons of different craft, please give me a call at One Tree Canoe to discuss (0424 001 646) or visit onetreecanoe.com Happy paddling.

Stuart settled into his kayak.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

I hooked my first barramundi recently at the Sunshine Coast.

Measuring 98cm, after a few photos it was released to fight another day.

Justin Eveleigh

I recently went out on True Blue Fishing Charters from the Spit at the Gold Coast.

We fought a black marlin for an hour and a half and then it snapped off right at the boat, though we got some good action shots.

We also landed this mackerel.

Thomas Rowan

Hi Ben, I caught and released my first cod in the form of this eastern cod.

I also broke my rod when trying to land the fish.

It was a beautiful fish and it was nice to watch it swim away when released.

Rhody Porter

Just a quick picture of a salmon-tail catfish I landed.

I’ve never caught one this big before in my life.

It was hooked around Peel Island.

Troy Boyce

I caught this mangrove jack at Tallebudgera Creek using chicken breast and kangaroo meat.

Jonathon Roberts

My four-year-old son Joshua is a mad-keen little fisherman and was over the moon to catch this 45cm snapper in the Brisbane River using a whole poddy mullet for bait.

Barbie Schmidt

Alexander Dumitru recently captured this 29cm whiting at Rainbow Beach on sandworms.

Sacha Slade

One of the better flathead I’ve encountered around Bribie Island of late.

Still looking for Mum. Tyler Smith

Phil Trewheellar with a southern Moreton Bay trevally that had him doing laps of the boat.

Jo Hendley

To have a photo of your catch featured in Readers Forum, simply email ben@bnbfishing.com.au with a good-quality picture, your name and details or hop onto our Facebook page and send us a message.

■ Readers Forum ■ Readers Forum ■ Readers Forum www.bnbfishing.com. au

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 47

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 49

Quick getaways around Gladstone

C

AMPING is a pastime most Aussies enjoy and if you can add in another of your favourite things to do like fishing or hunting, this makes it even more enjoyable.

The Calliope River is fishing well for fingermark. Phil caught this one on a Zerek Fish Trap.

Flathead will be thick. This one took a Lucky Craft Bevy Shad over a shallow gravel bank in Graham Creek.

For me, loading the boat with camping gear, throwing in some rods, tucker and a few cool drinks and then disappearing for a night or two with the family or mates helps bring the stress levels down.

Campfires, good food over an open flame, a few drinks and waking up in the morning and stepping onto the boat to go fishing… what else could you ask for?

With limited space in a 13’ boat, the amount of gear I take has been changed many times over the years to keep weight down but still make a comfortable camp.

Things like shelter and a comfy bed were never high on my list but after spending a couple of cold wet nights out in the bush, my priorities soon changed.

I have gone from tarps and poles to a pop-up gazebo.

These things are great.

They go up and down in a matter of minutes and take up the same amount of room as a tarp and poles.

A good bed is important because a great sleep will see you up and ready to go the next day without a sore back.

A tent is OK when you have the family with you but the time taken to set it up and blow up a mattress is a real pain.

If it’s only a few mates and I, the swags or camp cots come out.

These are great and comfortable and don’t take too long to set up.

I am getting softer as

Gladstone Region

by GARY CHURCHWARD

I get older and prefer a camp cot because they are off the ground and have a little extra room.

And by adding a fold-up mattress, they are really comfortable.

The only downside is they are made from the same material as a tent and don’t have the awesome water-resistant capabilities of a canvas swag.

I have used both swags and cots and both are great to sleep in, it all comes down to personal preference as to what you want to use.

Cooking on a campfire is something I enjoy, whether it’s a simple barbecue over the open flames or a roast or stew in the camp oven.

Food always tastes better when it’s been cooked on a fire with the smoke and wood flavour going through the food.

Lighting is another must-have when camping because nothing is worse than having to carry around a torch.

Gas lights are good but are bulky and fragile.

I have a 240V fluoro light with an inverter built in so it can run off a 12V battery.

With the new range of LED lights on the market, you can have small but powerful rechargeable lights placed anywhere you want or run off a small 12V battery.

A good chair to sit around the fire with a cold beer after a long day on the water helps you settle in for a good night.

In a small boat, you can reach a number of places to camp around Gladstone, with spots includ-

ing Graham Creek, Facing Island and Colosseum all within 30 minutes of most ramps in town.

If you’re willing to spend time travelling further, then your options include Yellow Patch, Keppel Creek and the end of Curtis Island, however, the weather will stop you from reaching these spots if it decides to blow up.

June is a great time to get out and enjoy the region, with warmer days and cold nights making it a very comfortable time for camping.

On the fishing front, the odd barra will still be around in the colder water.

The hot water outlet will be the pick of the spots on the first of the incoming tide.

Live baits will account for most of the fish but a slowly worked soft plastic and suspending hard-body will catch their share.

Persistence will be key to getting a bite.

Grunter should be around in good numbers.

Any gravel banks will hold a few fish, with live herring and prawns the pick of the baits.

Blue salmon have been around in fair numbers.

I find 65-90mm vibes fished around schools of bait and deeper drop-offs in Gladstone Harbour and Calliope River will entice fish.

Flathead have been in plague proportions over the past couple of months, with school-sized fish of 40-60cm common.

They have been taking soft plastics worked along the edges of sandbanks around the bottom of the tides.

Bream numbers are good because they are feeding before and after their breeding cycle.

A small soft plastic prawn imitation or Prawnstar shrimp won’t take long to get a bit of attention.

Fresh mullet, prawns and live herring will all work.

If the small fish are being annoying, try larger baits such as live mullet or garfish.

Whiting are still being taken in the harbour on an incoming tide, with yabbies remaining the best bait.

From all reports, mackerel are making a good show on trolled baits and lures on the outside of Curtis Island.

Cheers and happy fishing from Gladdy.

Queenfish will be chasing bait in the rivers. This one took a Kamikaze sinking stickbait.

Crummy weather cruels offshore chances

H

ELLO everyone, I hope all is well and you’re out and about making the most of your boats and fishing gear.

Remembering Von Ireland.

Stanage Bay Marine oAccommodationoBaitoIce oTackle

Aparadise fisho's

Monster crabs

Awesome fishing stanagebay.com Call Von 07 4937 3145 Page 50 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019

Anglers have had a bit of tough luck around Stanage Bay of late.

Though the weather has been cooling off nicely, the calm seas have failed to follow, so the majority of recent catches have been from land or in close to the shore.

In and around Alligator Bay off the rocks, anglers have taken excellent catches of bream, parrotfish and cod using prawns.

The Jew Hole isn’t going nuts but the odd jewfish is still being caught, which generates a bit of excitement in the boat.

If you’re keen on cast netting, Porters Creek is well worth a try for catching prawns.

Great sizes and numbers have been caught of late.

The occasional barramundi is getting about in that neck of the woods too.

The weather has been chopping and changing, which has been advanta-

Stanage Bay

by PEE WEE

geous for getting a decent feed of mud crabs because the showers keep bringing them out of their holes.

If you’re planning a Stanage trip, don’t forget your crab pots.

Fisheries officers have been visiting, so I can’t say it enough: please make sure you have the right equipment, everything is labelled and up to date.

Don’t let your trip become costly for all the wrong reasons.

The road into Stanage

Bay is starting to get a bit rugged but don’t let that deter you – just take it steady and enjoy the great views along the way.

Exciting news to hit the Bay is the beginning of the boat ramp upgrade.

The ramp will still be useable for the duration of the works.

Perhaps just bring your patience because I believe it will be reduced to single-lane access for a while.

I can’t wait to see the finished product and see you

It’s been muddy madness around Stanage of late.

all up here making use of it.

In last month’s article I mentioned the St Lawrence Wetland Weekend from June 7-9.

A reminder for you all as it’s only a hop, skip and jump from Stanage.

June 19 is also a day many of us will hold dear because it will mark one

year since the passing of our best mate, aunty, friend and fishing legend Barra Queen Von Ireland.

Never forgotten, I ask you all to have a drink for our special mate on this day and think of all the great advice she may have passed on to make you the fisher you are today.

Pappy and his barra.

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Liam Pascoe with one of multiple 140cm-plus threadies from a memorable session in the Rockhampton net-free zone.

Aaron Beck with a proper saltwater donkey barra at 136cm.

Cap Coast in beast mode I

JUST couldn’t help myself.

Looking through the social media pages of late makes me proud as punch to live here on the Capricorn Coast and I think it’s about time we highlighted and paid tribute to some of the anglers around here who capture incredible fish time and time again.

It also sparks a thought, if these are the fish that are making it onto social media, can you imagine the ones that aren’t?

I’ve got great news.

I have chatted with a few fishos who chase these brute trophy fish and they have shared a few tips to get you started.

Spanish mackerel We will start with the anglers who target monster spanish mackerel.

The general rule for regularly landing these big macks is big baits.

Yep, it’s no secret big fish eat big baits.

The most common baits these fish hit are legal size mackerel.

If you can get spotted or school mackerel over the legal size limit, these are dynamite.

They also use big ribbonfish.

A chin weight and set of straight-shank gang hooks is the general setup they run with their big baits.

Barramundi So what should you do if you want to land a big barra?

The fishos who regularly target big barra on lures seem to target very small groups of big barra.

You are going to need a quality side-imaging sounder if you want to do this properly.

Capricorn Coast

by JOHN BOON

Locating an area that’s holding large barra is key.

These anglers will then regularly change lures and size until they find what they want to eat.

Another bloke I talked to prefers to live bait for big barra.

He still uses his side imaging but employs it to find the bigger schools of barra.

The bigger schools tend to have a lot of different size fish among them, so to try to target the better quality, using large mullet is a must.

Some of the mullet can be up to 8”-10” long if they can get them.

If mullet isn’t available, he uses baits such as legal size whiting and bream.

Threadfin salmon A hot topic here on the Cap Coast is mega threadfin salmon.

A few specialists are regularly catching threadies over 140cm.

One of those specialists is Liam Pascoe.

Liam recently had a session with his brother where they caught multiple threadies over 140cm, with the biggest going 150cm.

That is a session out of this world.

Liam has a few words of wisdom for those wanting to catch a big king salmon.

Tip one is you have to be comfortable.

Fishing apparel is a very important choice and Fishwreck is Liam’s choice to wear every time.

Second, you need to

know what you’re looking at on your side-imaging sounder.

Locating those mega threadies takes an understanding of your electronics.

Third is choosing the right lure.

Molix RT Shads are new on the shelf courtesy of EJ TODD. A slow lift and drop or slow roll has been getting the bites.

A big thanks to Liam for this information.

I would also like to add that when chasing those big threads, it seems lures of 3”-4” inch seem to work best.

The age-old saying of elephants eat peanuts rings very true when it comes to threadies.

Other species A few of the anglers chasing fingermark have been getting blown away.

The culprit is the tractor of the estuary: black jewfish.

Some horses have been caught throughout the Rockhampton net-free zone recently.

Those who have been able to boat them have gone to 100lb handlines.

Anything else seems to be getting dragged around and busted off in the bottom.

Rock bars are the number-one choice for those targeting big jewies.

Most are choosing to run a paternoster rig to try to keep the rig from snagging.

Choose a big 8/0 or 9/0

Liam Pascoe loves Molix RT Shads for mega threadies. New from EJ TODD, they are well worth a look.

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hook complete with a big squid.

This rig still catches its fair share of fingermark.

What’s been happening locally The most common species that has turned up right on cue with the cooler weather is blue salmon.

We found Coorooman Creek stacked with blues on our last trip.

I was chatting to Dan Baker after he had done a trip to Port Alma recently, and he and son Tom came across a stack of blues busting up bait in the shallows.

It was a fish a cast, with soft vibes the number-one choice.

Fingermark have still been biting.

A lot of juvenile fingers are getting around the creeks, which is great to see.

We normally catch them when targeting barra on the rock bars.

The odd bigger finger around 50cm has turned up as well, providing a lovely surprise for dinner.

Flathead will fire up this month.

We usually find that once we get a decent cold snap, the flatties generally pick up.

My Mum was fishing in Coorooman recently and boated a cracker that went 74cm on live bait fished around a gravel bar.

A lot of juveniles are getting caught in cast nets as they chase bait in the drains around low tide, which is a good sign for the future.

It will be worth putting the crab pots in this month.

One of our most memorable crabbing sessions of all time occurred during the full moon period in June.

Once we move into July they will be harder to catch.

Not impossible, just a bit more thinking regarding pot placement is needed.

Offshore reports have been sporadic at best.

Apart from a week’s worth of good weather a few months back we haven’t had many opportunities.

I’m really hoping the

winter weather is a bit kinder this year.

That’s it from me this month.

Keep an eye on next month’s report because I’ll have an update from the recent Frenchville Barra Bash.

Stay warm this winter and fish hard.

1.46m of monster black jew from the Narrows area.

Howard Widdowson with a horse spanish.

How’s this for a big king threadfin? The big threadies have turned up during the past two months.

Daniel Watkin landed a whopper spanish over the 30kg mark.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 51

Jun’s 84cm barra took a big live herring and put up a proper fight.

Todd and Devan with a good size grunter and terrific permit caught on light gear.

Bait fishing the estuaries A

FTER the recent weeks of strong southeasterly wind and patches of heavy falls, the creeks around Mackay have had a bit of a flush with fresh water.

Damon held a cracking creek fingermark of 54cm caught on a live herring.

These freshwater runoffs into the estuaries can create perfect fishing conditions, even in the least favourable weather.

The weather sure hasn’t give us much chance for anything else of late, with trips out wide to the islands and reefs cancelled until we get better weather.

We all hope that during June the weather will finally become favourable for us to get out wide and among the fantastic offshore action including catching the big humpheaded snapper that appear at this time of year.

Estuary fishos aren’t deterred by poor weather, with a number of fishing

f

Jason Kidd

0457 254 740 Page 52 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019

Inshore Fishing Mackay

by JASON KIDD

opportunities still available when the weather is at its worst.

For an estuary fisher, understanding the weather and what fishing situations they can create is a useful skill.

Usually a little local knowledge or pre-planning is required, but great fishing locations can appear in the estuaries at any time, so you just have to be there!

A super-heavy downpour from a small squall could wash all the prawns out of a drainer gully at once and get fish feeding for 20 minutes.

If you’re in that location five minutes after the rain, presenting the right bait, you are likely to experience successful fishing.

Great fishing can warm you up even on a cold and wet day and make things a lot more bearable.

Finding these situations in the estuary is about being out there and among it, or at least in an area you know and are starting to understand.

As always, safety is the paramount consideration when it comes to fishing, but with the large number and variety of estuaries on offer, finding one protected enough to access and fish without a splash over the side is always achievable, even in windy conditions.

Knowing where and when to fish is always the challenge.

Often the goal is finding calm waters with a bit of depth in a situation where the wind can be managed.

This is usually the best starting point.

Here you can stick it out for a bit, put good baits down and keep your eyes open for any opportunities.

Luckily, the intertwining creeks and estuaries tend to hold more fish than normal during crummy conditions.

In horrible weather, even the fish seek shelter.

So due to the poor weather in recent weeks,

I put this to the test many times and managed great results.

One wet day, armed with heaps of enthusiasm, my clients and I headed down the creek.

The overnight rain and more on the forecast was concerning, but only seen as an obstacle to be overcome.

Throwing lures in windy conditions is nearly impossible, so bait fishing is the best option to get into rod-bending action.

One of the few things a fisho has control over is the bait they use.

Fresh is best, and live is as fresh as it gets, so it’s the top choice.

Time spent catching live and fresh bait can be rewarded later in the tide when things line up.

Half a dozen throws of the cast net in the right areas and you can have a live bait tank take full of prime baits.

Fishing the approaching low tides in the bay, estuaries will have drained into narrow channels and navigating can become easier because the channels become more identifiable at this time.

We fished along a mud bank on the end of a deep channel as the tide began to make and the clean ocean water started to push up the channel, making a clear colour change in the water.

This is where the waves on the shallow mud bends stir up the dirt and cloud the water to meet the cleaner incoming tide.

These locations are predator hunting grounds and present a great opportunity to hook into fish in the estuary.

We used two 5-8kg rods set up with 25lb braid, 40lb wind-on and 60lb leader, one with a large live herring and the other with a smaller butterflied herring, both fished on the bottom.

These setups were used throughout the following weeks of tough weather.

For most of the mak-

ing tide, grunter will take a well-presented cut bait or live herring, just like many estuary predators.

On most occasions it’s a few minutes after the squall that the fish are triggered to bite.

These bite periods created by squalls are exactly what you are chasing as an estuary angler on tough days.

The following weeks produced great fishing action, from big barra to good size grunter, salmon and cracking creek fingermark, all on live and butterflied herring in truly

tough conditions.

This weather really doesn’t bother the fish so much as it does the angler, so invest in quality wet weather gear and it will be fish on.

Now the cooler months are here, as well as the snapper offshore, blue salmon and winter whiting will fire up and provide most of the action in the estuaries.

Add these to all the usual predators to target and often more variable weather and it’s a great time to be fishing the Mackay region.

Darren boated a grunter on a cut bait.

Ethan nailed a grunter on a herring with the backbone removed.

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New beginning for Crackajack Sportfishing Adventures

F

IRST, a big g’day to everyone.

As Todd mentioned in his previous article, its time for a changing of the guard and new adventures all round.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish Todd, Raylene, Dustin and Bridie all the very best in their new endeavors and look forward to hearing about their experiences in their upcoming articles.

Stay safe and enjoy a well-earned break.

Now, moving on to the fishing.

February through to April saw only scattered days for us to get out on the water and have a look around to see how the estuary system had changed after the wet and check out the movement of sand and silt.

This traditionally affects accessibility to some of the creeks on different tides.

Speaking of the wet season, it seems it’s not quite finished with us yet.

It has hung around past its time and has affected both fish quality and quantity and made finding the fish inshore difficult.

Having said that, we have still managed to get onto barra, mangrove jack, grunter, quality fin-

Hinchinbook News

by TEAM CRACKAJACK

germark, small nannygai and sooty grunter with the odd estuary cod thrown in.

Ziggy lures and a mix of live and dead baits have accounted for the fish.

Recently we were fortunate to spend four days fishing with Dave and Craig who were over here from New Zealand on a short break.

What impressed was Dave’s young son Craig, who picked up a Shimano baitcaster for the first time.

We thought back to when we first picked up one of these units many years ago, and as I’m sure many of you can attest, they take some time and a whole lot of patience and bird’s nests to master.

Well after very little tuition and a few bird’s nests, Craig started hitting the mark.

We spent a large part of the day casting the numerous banks and drains in the area, unfortunately for little reward.

George boated a GT.

But Craig’s determination to master this newly acquired art never waned.

The second day saw us fishing baits and getting drenched from the rain, but at least we found fish.

Day three and Rob took Dave and Craig upriver for more casting, chasing sooties, barra and jacks and he was equally impressed by Craig’s determination and dedication.

When Craig started hitting the mark, he finally got rewarded with half a dozen sooties and a nice jack.

Good job Craig and we hope you continue with the baitcaster and enjoy your fishing adventures.

Also, we hope your midge bites have healed Dave.

Thanks for a great few days of fishing and we hope to catch up with you both the next time you’re over here.

Offshore has been offlimits for the past month for most boats due to persistent wind that hasn’t dropped below 20 knots.

We fish for nourishment, not punishment!

We’ve had to make the best of it, fishing Hinchinbrook Channel with the odd short early morning trip to the sugar loader thrown in here and there.

Our best results came using 160mm Halco Roosta Poppers, which accounted for a number of small GTs weighing around 5-8kg.

In the channel, we’ve encountered some nice fingermark, grunter, estuary cod, small-mouth nannygai and juvenile GTs using a mix of live and dead baits.

We managed some trips

offshore from late-February to mid-March and got onto red emperor, small and large-mouth nannygai, coral trout, bludger and golden trevally, mackerel, queenies and a couple of good GTs around the 20-30kg mark.

These GTs decided they wanted a feed more than seeing us and figured they’d take out fish on the way up, giving a few lucky punters a good workout.

Plenty of grey suits also resulted in more than a few fish coming up short on one end or not at all.

A couple of sharks also had to be painstakingly hauled up from the depths, which gave our clients a challenge.

Offshore we use Nomad Streaker and Gypsy Jigs in the 60-80g range, a mixture of live and dead baits and Halco poppers.

As new owners of Crackajack Sportfishing Adventures, we would like to say thanks to all the clients we’ve had the pleasure of meeting over the past few months from locations all over Australia, New Zealand and as far as Canada.

We have enjoyed every moment guiding and watching you catch a variety of fish, even beating some personal bests.

When this wet season and wind finally subsides, we should see good fishing, both inshore and out wide.

We will strive to maintain the high standards set by Todd and Raylene and look forward to fishing with everyone in the months ahead and beyond.

From the team at Crackajack, may the winds stay low and the fish count high.

Two full-time local guides!

Greg jigged up a nice trevally

Judith from Crackajack Sportfishing Adventures with a fingermark.

Scott held his PB GT.

Full-day inshore or offshore charters Come on a Hinchinbrook wilderness fishing holiday and tick some of those trophy fish off your bucket list – barra, mangrove jack, coral trout, GTs, sooty grunter, spanish mackerel, black marlin, queenies, nannygai and more!

• Two boats available catering for groups of 2-8 • 3 to 7-day packages including accommodation T: 07 4777 2968 M: 0417 192 318 E: barra@crackfish.com Craig scored his first sooty grunter.

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CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE >>> CRACKFISH.COM Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 53

Big wet leaves rivers revitalised

T

HE wet season is slowly coming to an end, the rivers have had a good flush and the waterways have been revitalised.

Liam from Swan Hill with his first JP.

The author with a jungle perch.

Mark landed a khaki grunter.

Planning a trip to North Queensland?

Book a charter today!

From barramundi to marlin, jungle perch to jacks, we’ve got you covered.

Page 54 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019

www.fishingcairns.fish 0448 563 586

At times the rivers have been unfishable due to high flows and poor water clarity.

The plus side is as the levels have dropped, I’ve been able to get to the upper reaches of the local waterways.

The high water levels have allowed me to explore some sections of river I’ve never seen before.

It’s always exciting to explore new sections of water to test your theories on where the fish sit and wait to ambush unsuspecting prey.

This happened to me last month in a section of water that has a low-level bridge.

Too much water and you can’t get past, too little and you can’t get near it.

On this day I was able to pass the bridge and get up into waters I’d never seen, and the fishing didn’t disappoint.

When the water is too clear you tend to get sooty grunter and jungle perch following your lures until they see the boat.

Fortunately, the water was still a little cloudy, so I had several bites close to the boat.

I was rewarded with a solid number of fish including JPs, sooty grunter, tarpon and mangrove jack.

The river offered a wide range of fishing opportunities including larger holes and faster-running sections of water.

I employed the usual array of lures to entice a bite and had a few nice hits on surface lures though my Rapala SR5 gave me the best results for the day.

Jungle perch remain my favourite fish to catch.

They have lovely markings, hit the lures and fight hard on light tackle and often come out in twos and threes following your lure.

But the tarpon provide the most excitement.

They sit in schools in the deeper pools and can’t resist slowly trolled lures passing above them.

You see a silver flash and then another and then bang you’re on.

They provide a great fight and quite often throw the lure when they launch themselves out of the water.

While a number of local guides have had to cancel trips offshore to the reef due to high winds, the rivers offer plenty of cover from the wind and

Fishing Cairns

by BRETT PARKS

provide a great day out on the water.

I had the pleasure of taking a number of visitors to the far north over the past few weeks, and was thrilled to see them tick a species off their bucket list.

High on a number of anglers’ lists is the jungle perch.

Neil from Sydney was one such angler and he spent the day fly fishing.

Mark was from Sydney as well, Liam from Swan

Hill and Mick from the US. All four anglers were lucky enough to land their first jungle perch.

Neil’s was a catch to remember.

The small clouser fly was cast among some timber structure and he was rewarded with three fish coming out of cover to have a look at the offering.

It was a nervous guide who netted the catch after a nice fight.

Neil was over the moon,

catching his first jungle perch surrounded by rainforest and so much beauty.

And as the saying goes: “It’s not only catching them that’s a thrill, it’s the places they take you that make them so unique.”

So with the weather clearing, it’s time to start planning your trip north to wet a line.

If you need to hook up with a guide, give Fishing Cairns a call to get the good oil.

River, reef or impoundments, we’ve got you covered.

Check out fishingcairns. com.au

Neil’s first JP on fly – well done Neil.

New water explored thanks to high levels.

Mark from Sydney released one of his JPs.

Mick was rapt to land this JP.

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Danny Jamieson with a quality fingermark vibed off the leads.

Wetting a line in Weipa A

FTER a particularly long wet season up here on western Cape York, it’s finally over and the Peninsula Development Road is officially open, signalling the start of tourist season.

In coming months, adventurers, grey nomads and anglers alike will descend on Weipa from all over Australia with the intention of wetting a line in the waters around this little slice of red dust covered paradise.

With such a diverse range of species to target and endless fishing options, even the most seasoned anglers can find it somewhat overwhelming when working out where to start fishing the Weipa region.

With this in mind, I thought it would be helpful to travellers and those who only intend to stay in Weipa for a short time to talk about getting started in the area.

Tides Tides play an integral part in any fish feeding patterns.

It’s important to monitor tide and moon phases to help predict fish movements and bite windows.

You might notice when you look at the local tide chart that the tides are a little more infrequent on the western Cape than they are on the east coast, however, the fundamentals are the same.

I have found the bite window varies depending on the moon phase, but the last two hours of the run-out and first hour of the run-in is when you seem to see the most action.

Keep in mind the bays and beaches around Weipa are very shallow, and on a run-in tide fish such as barramundi and queenfish will move into these shallow areas to feed.

This provides a great opportunity for land-based anglers to get in on the action.

Technique This comes down to personal preference and what kind of fishing you enjoy.

Live baiting is not only a great way to target specific species but between bites it’s a perfect way to relax and really enjoy www.bnbfishing.com. au

Weipa Wonders

by RYAN JAMIESON

your time on the water.

Nothing is more exhilarating than the pandemonium caused by a big fish when it unexpectedly inhales your bait.

Live bait can be found at any beach, creek mouth or riverbank using a cast net, with the bait of choice being small to medium mullet.

Please keep in mind the waters around Weipa and the surrounding area are home to a large number of saltwater crocodiles, and caution must be exercised when gathering bait or fishing near the water’s edge.

If you prefer casting lures, you won’t be disappointed with what Weipa has to offer.

If you are fishing landbased, due to the shallow bays and beaches in the area, your best bet is to wait until the incoming tide floods the sand and rock bars.

Work your lures over the top of them to target predatory fish that come into these shallow areas to feed.

If you’re fishing from a boat, hundreds of kilometres of snag-lined banks can be cast at, all holding good numbers of barramundi and mangrove jack.

Z-Man SwimmerZ rigged on a ChinlockZ jig head are great for this.

Because they are rigged weedless, you can really cast right up to the back of the snag with minimal chance of the lure hanging up.

Submerged rock bars and deep holes also hold barramundi, threadfin salmon, fingermark and black jew.

Use your sounder to locate structures with fish and then drop vibes and soft plastics and hop them along the bottom to entice a bite.

I like to use Berkley Gulp 7” jerk shads, and the strong vibe and flutter action of Infish 20g vibes seems to work wonders on stubborn fish.

Surface action is also red hot at this time of year and schools of queenfish,

trevally and tuna can often be seen rounding up and smashing bait.

A popper or stickbait worked through a school of feeding fish usually ends in spectacular surface strikes, screaming drags and sometimes bruised egos.

Halco Roosta Poppers work great for these speedsters.

Location When it comes to landbased fishing, Google Earth is your best friend.

If you take a look at Weipa on Google Earth, you will see it is littered with small beaches and rocky points, with most accessible by four-wheeldrive.

The best way to get started when fishing any large system by boat is to choose a specific river or creek and stick to it for the duration of the tide.

In my opinion, you are much better off focusing on a specific area rather than travelling long distances during what could be the bite window.

Upon arriving at your chosen area, look for sloping banks with fallen timber and protruding mangrove roots and make sure the banks you intend to fish also have tidal movement.

Predatory fish such as mangrove jack love these areas because they provide plenty of ambush points for them to attack unsuspecting baitfish passing by in the current.

You could also use your sounder to locate structures on deep bends.

Larger fish love sitting among structure in these deeper spots and a live bait or vibe dropped into these kinds of places often brings on a bite.

If you’re looking at heading offshore, the best place to start is the leads off Evans Landing.

I simply drive past each lead and watch my sounder for life around the base of the lead.

Once fish are located, I spot lock using the electric motor or do a series of drifts past while dropping

a soft plastic, jig or vibe.

Trolling is also a great way to find ground.

Watching your sounder and marking structure to be revisited often yields great results and if you pick up a few mackerel along the way, that’s a bonus.

If you are planning a trip to Weipa in the coming months, I hope this little piece of information guides you in the right direction and helps make your next fishing trip to the Cape a memorable one.

I hope to see you on the Cape.

A barramundi caught at one of Weipa’s many land-based fishing spots.

A mangrove jack taken on a rock bar.

by MELISSA FROHLOFF

Mango and chilli pork chops Ingredients • 1.5kg pork chops • 500ml mango nectar • 1/2 cup white vinegar • 2 tsp cornflour • 2 tsp soy sauce • 2 cloves garlic, crushed • 3 tsp fresh ginger, grated • 2 tbsp chilli and mango sauce (Appetite 4 The Wild recipe) • 1 tbsp hot water Method 1. Place pork chops in vinegar in a shallow

baking tray. Top up with water to cover chops and bring to the boil. Simmer uncovered for five minutes.

2. Drain chops and rinse under cold water.

3. Return the pork chops to the shallow baking tray. Combine soy sauce, mango nectar, garlic, ginger, chilli and mango sauce and pour over the chops.

4. Cook in a moderate oven for 30 minutes, turn pork chops and bake for a further 20 minutes.

5. Mix cornflour and hot water in a small bowl. Remove chops from baking tray, stir in cornflour to thicken stock. Place chops back into pan, baste tops and cook for a further 10 minutes.

Prep time: 15 min | Cook time: 65 min| Serves 6 Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 55

Trevor managed to keep this beautiful golden trevally away from a big shark that was making a meal of some of the old salts’ catches.

Camp organiser and chief stirrer Wayne Kampe landed a typical brassy trevally from the Mapoon beaches.

Beaches, flies and old salts O

LD fly fishers never die – they just head up to the Gulf of Carpentaria and wave their rods in piscatorial heaven!

Some of the crew worked the beach at the mouth of Janie Creek.

Small queenfish are the bread and butter species of this area, and are more easily caught on fly than any other tackle. Trevor captured a typically sized model.

It’s become somewhat of a rite of passage for the elder statesmen of the Brisbane fly fishing scene – a yearly pilgrimage to the beaches between the mouth of the mighty Wenlock River and Janie Creek, just to the west of the tiny aboriginal settlement of Mapoon about 75km north of Weipa.

Led by the indefatigable Wayne Kampe, these remarkable gentlemen are the epitome of enjoying life to the max in your latter years, getting out there and casting their way to a healthier body and mind.

The group has varied in number from five to eight persons over the past six or so years, and they bring most of their gear up on the plane.

After hiring a couple of four-wheel-drive dual-cab utes, the crew then heads off to the local Weipa supermarket and bottle shop to stock up on goodies for the seven-day stay.

Those involved usually bring their own small oneman tents but supplement their ‘minimalist’ camping comforts with a cou-

The old salts headed back to camp very satisfied as the sun sank over the Gulf – Dave, John, Richard, Trevor and Wayne.

Page 56 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019

Fly Fishing

by DAVE DONALD

ple of gazebos, tables and Eskies sourced locally.

Once the shopping’s done, it’s off to Cullen Point camping area where they’ve booked a campsite through the Mapoon Council many months in advance to make sure they get a spot.

The Mapoon community has restrictions on the amount of alcohol that can be carried into the area, so the lads are always mindful to keep within those guidelines.

However, there’s usually more than enough to enjoy that mandatory cold one (or three) at the end of a day’s casting, a very necessary part of their routine.

I always try to spend a few days with the lads when they visit and this year was no exception.

The camaraderie that comes from spending quality time with old mates seems to be something that becomes increasingly savoured as the years pass, particularly with those who are experiencing the same generational interests and frustrations that are part of modern society.

When the banter is predominantly based around something as highly important as fly fishing, the grumpiness associated with later life soon takes a back seat, but in any case, is readily accepted as normal behaviour when it surfaces.

It’s easy to think of the ‘beach’ as a single entity but, as any experienced surf fisher knows, there are many different parts of a typical shoreline.

Of course, the Gulf beaches vary markedly from those along the east coast but still consist of a variety of features that require a slightly different approach.

In the 14km from Cullen Point to Janie Creek, the range of options are close to as good as it gets.

At the northern end, there is the deep channel of the kilometre-wide Wenlock River mouth,

some high tide rocks, then shallow rocky reef for 5km that is accessible at the lower end of the tide, followed by gutters and holes right through to the Janie Creek mouth, then another deep channel with rocky outcrops within the Janie itself.

The beach is easily driveable from half tide down and a sand track behind the beach runs through to the Janie if the tide is high.

Some of the beach just below the low dunes has been closed to restrict damage to seabird nesting sites, so it’s best to avoid this area full stop.

As most experienced fishers will attest, every year brings different conditions and 2019 is no exception.

The heavy monsoon season has scoured the beach in many areas, exposing rocks and the remains of an Indonesian wreck that haven’t seen daylight for a while.

I had predicted the estuary mouths would be packed with jelly prawns and baitfish given our best wet for nearly a decade had just finished, but that proved not to be the case.

You get that sometimes!

The bait schools this trip

were very light on compared with previous years.

Most of the group favoured an 8 or 9 weight outfit rigged with a floating or intermediate sinking line.

Four-piece rods are preferred because they are easily stored in most travel bags without the need for separate rod tubes that attract an extra freight charge.

Reels, fly boxes and even fly tying gear are easily tucked among the clothes and basic camping requisites carried.

The problem of safely carrying multiple rigged fly rods in the back of the utes has been solved quite effectively by cutting slots for the butt ends in a couple of cardboard boxes, sticking some rubber padding to the top of the tailgate and then running a light bungee cord over the rod tips to keep them in place while bumping over the sand.

When a school of fish or baitfish activity is sighted while driving slowly along the water’s edge, it’s a simple task to remove the elastic, grab your rod out of its slot and head for the water.

An ingenious, minimalist solution that works perfectly.

When I arrived at their camp at Cullen Point in the late afternoon, the lads were a couple of hundred metres away, working each end of the beach adjacent to the boat launching site.

Over handshakes, David and John pointed to a couple of freshly bled golden trevally on the sand destined for the icebox and reported they’d released quite a few small queenfish.

At the northern end, where the channel took a turn westwards to the Gulf proper, Wayne, Richard and Trevor were busy with a patch of small ☛ continued P57

With sharks and mackerel accounting for plenty of lost flies, taking a tying kit makes sense. Kampey made good use of the hotter time of the day.

Giant herring are one of the most exciting and acrobatic species around, particularly when hooked on a fly. The author with a good one.

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Tackling the tip of Cape York

I

F the tip of Cape York has been on your bucket list for some time, it may be worth knowing there has never been a better time to pack up, break the chain of routine and explore Australia’s largest natural wilderness.

With a decent wet (thanks to a couple of tropical lows), all the river systems received a good flush, baitfish are aplenty and hungry predators aren’t far behind, meaning the fishing will be red hot in 2019.

In this article I’ll share some information on targeting a handful of tropical species around the tip of Cape York.

Barramundi This iconic sportfish would have to be on everyone’s fish wish list when

Cape York & Torres Strait

by MATT POTTER

visiting the Cape.

However, it can certainly be a challenge for many visitors to the area to bag a barra.

The main reason is the water temperature is at its lowest from June to September (peak tourist season), causing the barra to be less active and feed less often.

That said, with a bit of research you can certainly increase your chances.

Allocating sufficient time is a key factor and it may take a couple of days to work out where fish are holding and what colour lures they prefer.

Of course, fishos love to talk and local knowledge

can point you in the right direction.

Barramundi become landlocked during the dry season and Google Earth can help you track down bodies of water worth checking out.

Just ensure you have appropriate permissions and be wary of crocodiles.

They are there, even though you may not see them.

If you have your own boat, the brackish upper reaches of some of the major river systems such as the Jardine can present awesome barra sessions with the possible bonus of a saratoga.

The river systems on the

Northern bluefin tuna are great fun and found in huge numbers along the western coastline of Cape York.

Beaches, flies and old salts ☛ from P56

queenies moving into the river on the tide change.

It’s always hard to walk away from a good bite of fish but I had to get my tent set up before sunset, so I consoled myself with the fact I’d get plenty of similar opportunities in the next couple of days.

The boys walked back into camp just as I finished and a beer was placed in my hand almost immediately.

Yeah it’s tough out here in the bush!

The fishing over the next couple of days wasn’t easy, with a swell from the south making conditions quite tough on the second day.

We all ended up catching our share of small to medium-sized queenfish, always the most prolific fly-taking inhabitant of these waters.

Other species included golden, diamond and brassy trevally, giant herring, tarpon, longtom, mackerel and even whiting.

While we saw sizeable barra feeding, none could be coaxed into grabbing our flies.

A session at the river mouth within easy walking distance of camp on the final after-

noon proved to be the best of my short stay.

Small queenfish were working up and down the bank, with larger specimens smashing garfish well out of casting range.

As the tide started to run in, the action ramped up as other species started to join the fray.

Then, just to add to the mix, a 2m-plus whaler shark decided to pounce on some of the hooked fish, particularly those that pulled plenty of line.

In the midst of the queenfish hoard, a school of 2-3kg golden trevally livened up the proceedings no end.

Trevor and I hooked a couple of bolters that headed out into shark territory, but great fighting technique (some of our compatriots had other unprintable descriptions) somehow managed to see them both make the beach.

I was away again with another strong fish very next cast that soon had the pink Platypus braid backing line exposed.

Mr Brown Suit wouldn’t be denied his share of tax this time around.

There was a big swirl and my tippet came

back severed.

In the next 15 minutes, most of the crew paid in similar fashion.

Not to be outdone, another species arrived and started collecting flies.

My new offering hit the water and then zoomed off before I even had time to retrieve.

The line quickly went slack and it was fairly obvious the fly had been snipped – bloody mackerel.

This happened three times in quick succession in my case but some of the others lost double that.

Somehow, in the middle of the mack attack, John managed to find a doggy mackerel that missed his fly with its mouth, pulling it up the beach.

Unfortunately, it was undersized and had to be thrown back.

The sun had gone by the time the bite slowed, but there were no complaints as we headed back for a much-needed beer.

We’d all creak, groan and be sore in multiple places as soon as our bodies slowed, but there was no way the pain wasn’t worth the fun.

I hope to catch you all again at Cullen Point next year mates!

western side of the Cape are shallow and it pays to take it slow.

If you can manage a high tide occurring early morning and late afternoon, you can comfortably venture upriver and fish the low tide when the fish are forced out from under the mangroves.

If you are serious about chasing a barra and don’t have a boat, I recommend jumping on a charter.

It is a great way to see the true wild Cape York, which many visitors simply don’t experience.

Several operations are based out of Seisia.

If you’re land based, live baiting around pylons and rocky headlands puts you in with a strong chance, with the added bonus bycatch of mangrove jack, cod, Queensland groper, blue salmon, queenfish and several species of trevally.

Beaches shouldn’t be overlooked, and a good pair of polarised sunnies will assist with spotting barra pushing bait up gutters with the incoming tide.

International fly fishers spend most of their visit targeting barra along these western beaches.

While spinning outfits work fine, if you are serious, nothing beats a quality baitcaster such as a Shimano Curado if you are casting lures all day.

I’ll use 20-30lb braid and 40-60lb leader depending on the type of country I am fishing.

A few lures that are consistent performers are the faithful Gold Bomber, Classic Barra +12 (in Casper), soft vibes such as Threadybusters and plastics with a great tail action like the Z-Man StreakZ Curly TailZ. Mack and northern bluefin (longtail) tuna During the dry season, these fish are abundant in the Gulf of Carpentaria as they gorge themselves on whitebait.

At times, schools can be the size of football fields and you can cast and catch them until your arms ache.

Both tuna species fight like freight trains, but it is the northern bluefin that is highly prized because

they grow bigger and are far better eating.

Tuna steaks on the barbecue go down a treat but nothing beats fresh sashimi washed down with a beer after a day’s fishing.

A boat is required to access these speedsters.

The good news is the close inshore grounds on the western side of the cape are somewhat protected from the 25-knot southeasterly trade winds.

Terns and frigate birds diving give away the location of the tuna from a distance.

As you get closer, it is hard to control the excitement as you approach the boiling mass of fish, but ☛ continued P58

Spanish mackerel can be caught year-round. The biggest factor that affects your chances is the clarity of the water.

Large-mouth nannygai are found in good numbers around the Cape.

Harry Westera nailed solid barra in early April when the water temps were up.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 57

Tackling the tip of Cape York ☛ from P57

The author with a shallow-water fingermark. They really come on the chew at night.

A solid nannygai caught in 12m of water.

Fish parcels on the coals.

try to take turns with your crew and you will land more fish and have fewer tangles.

When the tuna are in such a frenzy, they will of course take an assortment of lures.

That said, high-speed spinning a 55g Gold Twisty will definitely see line screaming from your reel.

This is easily my number-one lure as I’ve seen it outfish other metals, plastics and hardbodies three to one.

Just hang off the school, fire in a long cast and wind like hell to replicate a fleeing baitfish.

I mean, as fast as you possibly can.

A mistake people make is winding too slowly.

The fish often follows and then turns away.

Again, if you don’t have a boat to access this type of fishing, a charter is money well spent in these parts and it is possible to be chasing tuna and reefies on the inshore grounds and an hour later land a barra upriver.

Large-mouth nannygai and fingermark These are two of my favourite species to target in the tropics and over the years I have spent a lot of time searching for ground that holds them.

A nannygai or fingermark with lemon cooking on the coals as the sun is setting is heaven.

These fish can be found in good numbers all around the Cape but as southern visitors will only be able to fish the more protected west coast of Cape York, I will focus on that area.

First, a boat is of course required to target these tasty reefies, but you don’t need to go too far.

Distinct contour lines are a great place to start searching for isolated

rocks and rubble patches where these fish might hold.

These waters are shallow and we find them regularly in depths from just 8-15m.

We have caught big fingermark in 4m of water and they aren’t afraid to take a trolled lure either.

Both species are also known to follow bait schools, so it pays to keep an eye on the sounder and sink your lure to the bottom when chasing species like tuna.

By-catch in these areas can include bluebones, coral trout, black jewfish, estuary cod and cobia.

Nannygai and fingermark will take an assortment of lures and baits.

Two of my favourite lures for targeting these fish are Zerek Live Shrimp and Z-Man MinnowZ in Smoky Shad.

Jig head weight depends on the current because you want it to make contact with the bottom as naturally as possible (not bomb the bottom).

Micro jigs also work well.

I do my fair share of bait fishing when targeting these two species, with fresh slabs of mackerel, mullet and stripy (spanish flag) doing the damage.

Squid is another great bait but isn’t cheap in these parts, so it pays to do a bit of your own bait collecting, which is half the fun.

Just be croc wise if throwing the net.

Spanish mackerel Unlike other parts of the country, spanish mackerel can be targeted yearround off Cape York.

The biggest factor affecting your chance of catching one is the clarity of the water.

The currents race around the tip and through the Torres Strait during the new and full moon.

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We are talking up to eight knots, which is simply unfishable and can be dangerous, especially with the wind pushing against the tide.

The strong current causes the water to become milky as it stirs everything up.

This results in the fish pushing much wider to cleaner water.

To increase your chances, try to time your visit around the tip with the neap tides (first and third quarter moon) because the water clears significantly and the mackerel move in close.

If trolling, Alpha Rock, Peak Point and the tip itself are well-known mackerel spots.

Seisia wharf is a hot spot for big spaniards.

Float out a live bait early of a morning and late of an afternoon and you are in with a very good chance.

Hooking a fish off this platform is one thing but landing it is another.

Locals are often ready and eager to lend a hand.

That said, sharks, resident Queensland groper and the jetty itself make it a challenge.

Fancy rod work is sometimes required.

My favourite lure to target big spanish mackerel when trolling around the Cape is the Rapala X-Rap Magnum 30 in Lime Light UV or Silver Blue Mackerel.

Trolling wog heads rigged with gar also works well.

Queenfish One of the most prevalent species around Cape York is the mighty queenfish.

The mouth of the Jardine River and nearby Mutee Head are well-known for regular captures of metreplus fish.

These fish frequent jetties, river mouths, isolated reefs and rocky outcrops and will pursue bait along the beaches with an incoming tide.

In fact, they seem to show up anywhere and can turn a slow day into pandemonium with hard fighting tactics and aerial displays.

They are certainly exciting sportfish but don’t have a great reputation for their table quality.

Most people choose to release these fish, however, they make excellent numus (a pickled fish dish).

I also like to marinate bite-size pieces in soy sauce and garlic and cook them on the barbecue.

Again, the Halco Gold Twisty is a favourite lure for targeting these fish.

Small to medium poppers such as the Halco Roosta Popper are also great fun and make for awesome visual takes on the surface.

Many charter operators choose to crush the barbs on their hooks/trebles because a thrashing queenfish can easily flick a lure deep into the flesh and cut a fishing trip short.

Live baiting is another effective way to target these fish.

The Seisia wharf has no shortage of sardines, which are a prime bait, so don’t forget your bait jigs or a small cast net.

Only take what bait you need for immediate use because you can always get more.

You will see the queenfish harassing the enormous bait schools at the wharf early in the morning.

We see many visiting fishers happily setting a rod on the beach in a PVC rod holder and kicking back with a can, or at least trying to, as it seems to be a highly effective way to target these fish.

Be careful handling queenies because getting pricked by their spikes hurts like hell.

These are just a handful of the fish species on offer around the tip.

I hope you feel inspired to pack up and explore this awesome part of the world.

Cape York is calling.

If the scenic landscapes don’t blow your mind, the wildlife surely will.

For fishing footage and updates on Cape York and the Torres Strait, check out my Fishing MissionsNorthern Australia Facebook page.

#bnbfishingmag Tag us in your fishing photos on Insta for a chance to win a Bush ‘n Beach prize pack each month!* *Conditions apply: $50 prize pack given away each month. A selection of Instagram photos will be printed in BNB each month.

Big queenfish hunt around the mouths of rivers. Gold is a favourite lure colour.

Page 58 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019

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C AMPING & outdoors Keep an eye out for a cassowary – king of the jungle!

Crossing the Daintree.

The view south from the Donovan Range, Bloomfield Track.

The Daintree to Cooktown – magical country!

T

HE drive from the Daintree River to Cooktown is without question one of the most beautiful and diverse in Australia!

We start this trip (which includes the famous Bloomfield Track) at the Daintree River, 105km north of Cairns.

Before crossing, you can opt to do a boat cruise up the Daintree among superb mangrove forests, with a good chance of seeing a crocodile and plenty of other wildlife.

We have found ‘Solar Whisper’, who operate a near-silent electric-powered boat, to offer an excellent, very informative tour.

The boat departs from small landings just before the ferry, and a concrete boat ramp is adjacent.

The Daintree fishes well for barramundi and mangrove jack in particular, and in calmer weather you can duck out the river mouth and fish around Snapper Island for spanish mackerel, queenfish, trevally and other tropical species.

The ferry crossing over the Daintree River really sets the tone for the trip ahead.

Once across, you leave the sugar cane paddocks behind and enter the realm of the lush Daintree rainforests.

And these are not just any rainforests, for apart from the outstanding diversity of plant and animal life, they are reported to be the oldest on the planet – older even than the Amazon rainforest!

Every time we drive through, we wonder at the sheer abundance of life here.

Keep an eye out for a thumper cassowary too, as they have become used to the traffic and are frequently sighted.

Dotted here and there among the jungle are cleared farm areas and house acreages.

The farms produce a variety of exotic tropical fruit species that depend on high rainfall and high year-round temperatures, such as mangosteens, jackfruit and durian. www.bnbfishing.com. au

Cape York by ‘BILLABONG’ BAZZ LYON

Daintree Tea is also grown at Cubbagudta Plantation, the local Kuku Yalanji word for ‘rainy place’, which is a fair call!

All the ‘destinations’ along the main road or on sides roads are well worth visiting.

And between the river and Cape Tribulation are plenty of camping and accommodation options, as well as cafes and restaurants, some fronting idyllic tropical beaches.

Yes – very civilised these days, and be mindful that the stretch up to Cape Tribulation is a very popular international tourist route.

Anyway, Alexandra Lookout provides great views across the lower estuary of the Daintree River and down the coast towards Mossman, Port Douglas and the ranges beyond.

Ten kilometres north of the river is the Daintree Discovery Centre, which offers a great range of wildlife displays and activities, including self-guided walks, aerial walkways and a canopy tower.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service too have improved visitors’ experiences of these remarkable rainforests with a variety of walking tracks and boardwalks.

The Jindalba tracks are the most southerly and weave through some stunning rainforest, while the Marrdja and Dubuji boardwalks venture through impressive lowland rainforest and mangroves.

Presently though, Marrdja is closed for renovations.

The beautiful fan palms you will see here are one of the iconic plants of these ancient rainforests.

At Cape Tribulation, the Kulki track leads up to a viewing platform overlooking the picturesque Cape Tribulation beach.

Here you can well and truly experience the

well-worn cliché ‘where the rainforest meets the beach’.

Don’t be tempted to swim anywhere though, other than in safe champagne pools of the rainforest streams, as plenty of crocodiles live along the coast and in the estuaries.

Way back in 1770, Captain Cook named Cape Tribulation after running aground onto a coral reef not far offshore.

“I name this point Cape Tribulation, as this is where all our troubles began,” he wrote in his journal.

The first person to drive to Cape Tribulation (Kurangee by its Aboriginal name) was reportedly a woman named Marion Swenson.

She did the trip in an exarmy Bren Gun Carrier, driving along the beaches and over the creek mouths at low tide before finally reaching Mason’s Farm.

It would have been epic!

Just north of Cape Tribulation, you leave all the little ‘rainforest communities’ behind and enter the famous Bloomfield Track.

For the previous 37km, lofty rainforest-clad mountain ranges form an impressive backdrop looking westward.

Now you venture deep into the northern part of the Daintree rainforests and tackle some of the coastal spurs of these ranges.

On top of two lofty mountains only lives a large and rare crayfish.

Amazing country!

A four-wheel-drive is recommended for the track because of the steep climbs and the remaining 28km of gravel road, though in dry weather it may be be tackled with care by a two-wheel-drive.

Here and there you get superb views along the coast and back into the mountains, and at one place on the narrow coastal plain, between

the Cowie and Donovan Ranges, you can walk out onto the beach.

Not long after tackling a pretty nifty switchback bridge, you come to the picturesque Bloomfield River and follow it for a while to a fairly new bridge crossing.

The Bloomfield is a classic mountain river, rising high in the ranges to the west.

Swinging west immediately after the bridge, it’s only a few kilometres to the spectacular Bloomfield Falls where the Bloomfield tumbles down onto the coastal plain.

Again, don’t be tempted to swim, as swallamegators live right up to the falls.

Back on the main road you travel through the delightful Wujal Wujal Aboriginal community set adjacent to the Bloomfield – what a place to live!

Then the road in part follows the river to Ayton.

This is a good stretch to spot a crocodile or three basking on the banks.

When I was a Parks and Wildlife Ranger based in Cooktown some years back, I had to assess a complaint about a big crocodile in the Bloomfield.

The complaint had come from a newcomer to the area who was not used to crocodiles, and as I found out, the animal wasn’t doing anything naughty, just living there, as they have done for millions of years.

One of the Wujal Elders advised me we shouldn’t take the croc out as everyone knew him and his habits and he was well behaved.

If we did remove him, the Elder said, a new ‘cranky’ crocodile might take his place.

And they are always replaced by another.

This wise man told me he and others often based their fishing on the movements of the crocodile.

In the end, we left the animal in peace, in his river.

Ayton is an attractive little village with a store, and again offers camping and accommodation options.

There’s a boat ramp on the south side of town on the Bloomfield River, while on the north side a signposted road leads down to the scenic Weary Bay. Ayton is a great place to stop for a while and explore, relax and have a fish, remembering that in good weather the river gives access to excellent reef and pelagic fishing just offshore.

After passing through Mount Louis Station, the road again tracks between stunning rainforest-clad mountains, Mount Finnigan to the west being one of the highest mountains in Queensland.

No one knows how much rain falls here – there’s no rain gauges up high, but the annual average is likely 4m or more!

The little village of Rossville lies towards the northern extent of the Bloomfield rainforests.

A 3km-long track diverts east to Homerule Lodge and campground, which is a top place to stay.

You can camp here beside the crystal-clear Wallaby Creek, which is the northernmost limit for platypus.

A walking track also leads up to the Home Rule Falls that tumble spectacularly down from the jungle mountains and the hike is well worth the effort.

Not far beyond Rossville you come to the famous Lions Den Hotel, which hardly needs an introduction.

Drinks are cold, tucker is great and the atmosphere really makes you ☛ continued P60

One of the abundant rainforest streams along the way.

On the Bloomfield Track.

Imposing boulder fields of Black Mountain.

Beautiful fan palms are the iconic tree of the Cape Tribulation area.

Rugged country.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 59

4WDING & off - road

Easter fun at Levuka 4x4 Park L

AST month we signed off our article expressing our hope to be able to speak about the final stages of getting our 80 Series LandCruiser on the road.

12-week-old Bindi showed her excitement on the table at the lookout.

Afternoon fires, beverages and photoshoots.

The locker pins lodged sideways, causing the differential to be permanently locked.

Well, sadly we haven’t fulfilled our wishes, but from no fault of our own.

Long story short, we are still waiting on a response from Queensland police about our surrogate VIN. Regardless, life goes on and we’ve spent yet another Easter weekend at Levuka 4x4 Park.

This year we went to Levuka 4x4 Park on Thursday afternoon, anticipating we’d get set up nice and early and hit the tracks straight away, but sadly the afternoon didn’t go to plan.

After setting up we locked the hubs, chucked the Patrol in 4-Low and prepared for take off.

Immediately we realised we had a massive problem but had no idea what it was.

The front end was clunking just the same as it was back in October 2018 when the same thing happened to us at LandCruiser Mountain Park.

Looking at Sammy trying to drive the car, it became clear that either

The author’s friends got themselves crossed up on a climb at the Play Ground

4WD Trip

by GREG BELL

the transfer case or front differential was in ruins.

As Sammy would drive, the front wheels would bind up and then release with a mighty clunk and slip of the wheels.

Knowing we could still technically drive it and that we were scheduled to help marshal on the night run on Saturday night, we were faced with a few decisions.

We could drive it and hope whatever was broken didn’t let go; we could drive home and fix the issue, and then come back out for the rest of the weekend; or we could simply not drive the rig.

The biggest issue with our decisions was the fact the other cars with us were all full of passengers, meaning if we didn’t drive, we would miss out.

After deliberating, we decided to stick with the easy tracks and drive in 2WD as much as possible.

Well that plan certainly didn’t last long!

Friday morning rolled around, rain set in, and the rest of our group started to arrive.

Soon enough we found ourselves on the tracks and boy was it slippery.

The rains had started the night before and already turned everything into slop.

As usual, once I was on the track I took lead and headed straight for the challenging tracks – completely against our initial plans.

Those who follow us on Facebook may remember a video where we were all crossed up over three ruts and completely unable to exit them, which was during last year’s Easter ad-

venture at Levuka.

This year we managed to get caught in the exact same ruts at about the same time on the same day and what do you know, the outcome was the same.

We became crossed up at the top of the ruts and were forced to reverse 400m down the track and through a large bog hole to get out.

On the receiving end of a lovely glare from Sammy and a simple ‘I told you so’ smirk, it was evident the park was too wet and the Milk Carton was too broken to be out on the tracks this year.

We parked up at camp, set up the solar blanket and got out the beers.

Soon enough the final members of our group arrived and took pity on us, with offers flowing in for us not only to ride shotgun, but also take control of their rigs and get our fix.

We found our weekend jam-packed with adventures and shenanigans.

One of our mates Shane is in the business of buying and selling cars.

When he showed up in his bone-stock Mitsubishi Pajero, we couldn’t do anything but laugh.

However, we were gobsmacked with his ability to point and shoot this rig.

Shane was completely comfortable trying any track we came across and boy did he give it his best shot.

At one stage during the trip I was guiding the group down to a very large gully that (in my experience) usually remains fairly dry, even after heavy rainfall.

When we got there, he started the descent without any hesitation.

We quickly found the ground was soaked and we started slipping and sliding all the way down with seemingly no way back up.

Jumping on the UHF radio, we stopped anyone else from heading down and then started assessing our situation.

After about 20 minutes of trial and error at the bottom of the gully, Shane decided to take a track that looked sketchy as.

The next thing we saw was mud flying and Shane sliding sideways up this hill, drifting his way to the top.

Success!

After finally acknowledging how stupidly wet the tracks were, we all made the decision to head over to the Play Ground, a nice small gully where people congregate to watch others test their rigs on short muddy hillclimbs.

Due to the amount of rain, we found an abundance of bystanders and participants there, which made for great entertainment.

We spent the majority of our weekend hanging out watching others slip and slide, some with success, others with multiple tyres blown off their rims.

Returning home from Levuka, we still had almost a week of leave remaining.

We had initially planned to stay out and about for the entire holiday, but with a broken car we simply weren’t comfortable hanging out on the tracks by ourselves.

After getting home and playing around with the rig, we determined our issue to be the front differential, but with no metal shards in the oil we remained confused.

Turned out we had destroyed our front locker, with locking pins dislodged and jammed sideways in the mechanism.

Check out the photo!

Thankfully we had a spare differential sitting in the shed and all the parts to fix the rig, so had it fixed within the day.

Don’t forget to follow Flexible 4WD Solutions on Facebook to keep up to date with all the action.

There’s sure to be plenty more as soon as we get the LandCruiser on the road!

TOUGH GEAR FOR TOUGH TRUCKS

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feel like you’re on Cape York.

From here on you’re in more open country.

About 25km from Cooktown you encounter the imposing Black Mountain or Kalkajaka.

Composed entirely of black granite boulders, this range was one molten rock deep underground.

Then 260 million years ago (give or take a day or two) it solidified.

Since then, the surrounding softer ground weathered and eroded away, exposing the granite, which has also weathered into giant boulders – the result apparently of rain hitting sun-heated rock.

The black colour comes from an algae.

Interestingly, two types of lizard and one frog are found only on this mountain.

Myths abound about Black Mountain, from

the presence of black panthers to entire mobs of cattle going into the boulders and never coming out.

The next destination is beautiful, historic Cooktown, nestled on the banks of the Endeavour River.

However, that’s a story all on its own!

Otherwise, the road up the Cape is now well and truly open, and most of the major damage repaired. www.bnbfishing.com. au

C ARAVANNING & adventure

Kata Tjuta viewing platform at sunrise.

Walking the base of Uluru.

Experiencing Uluru and the Olgas W OW, Ayers Rock Resort, what a place!

The resort is kept to a very high standard, with everything landscaped, multitudes of pools, restaurants and thankfully quite a few places that sell cold beer, because boy it was hot while we were there!

We stayed at the caravan park at the resort, which had a lovely clean pool with nice shaded areas and just a short stroll up a steep sand dune to a viewing platform where you could see ‘the rock’ in all its glory.

It was very spectacular taking in the afternoon sunset with a cold beer.

The caravan park at the resort was very reasonably priced for a threenight stay.

It was in close proximity to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, which has an entry fee payable at a big boom gate before you enter.

Caravanning

by TODD EVELEIGH

Paying the fee provides access for three days.

Plenty of bars and restaurants were within a 15-minute walk from the caravan park as well as an IGA, chemist, medical centre and so on.

A fuel station was present and boy I know it’s central Australia but wow, the prices were up there.

However, if you need it, you need it.

After buying our threeday permit to access the national park, it was a very early start heading in prior to sunrise to try to catch the rock at different angles and lights.

It really was a must-see.

After the first photo opportunities, we decided to walk around the base of Uluru and get up close and personal where you can touch and feel the

rock and see amazing Aboriginal paintings and displays.

The wave wall around the base really does look like a wave frozen in rock.

The rock itself is quite bizarre and almost alien to feel and touch.

None of us had ever seen or felt anything like it.

The different red colours it took on throughout the day were incredible.

The rock was still able to be walked on but was closed on the day we were there.

We didn’t wish to climb it anyway.

However, a well-worn groove was on the rock from many years of people’s feet trudging over it.

Informative plaques describe a rich Aboriginal culture and how the traditional people lived their

The wave rock formation at Uluru.

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day to day lives around the rock, hunting and surviving.

You could imagine how some of these places would be an oasis in a very harsh environment.

The Olgas (Kata Tjuta) are located about 50km west of Uluru.

We decided to tackle them the following day, so it was another early morning to be there for sunrise at the viewing platforms and see Kata Tjuta in all its glory prior to first light.

Wow, this didn’t disappoint.

After a beautiful sunrise looking at Kata Tjuta, we headed into the Valley of the Winds walk and Walpa Gorge.

Both walks were absolutely amazing.

Walpa Gorge was just incredible.

It took our breath away to get in there, lie down and look up at the amazing rock escarpments, trying to imagine how it all formed.

It really made our minds boggle.

Where Uluru appears to be a rock full of air bubbles, Kata Tjuta seems to be all smaller rocks melted together to make an astounding structure.

We found Kata Tjuta even more impressive than Uluru, but each to their own.

The kids were blown away by the whole experience.

They loved the pools at the resort, the atmosphere everywhere we went and most importantly Uluru and Kata Tjuta.

They really are a mustsee.

A couple of tips: try to be up before daylight and at a viewing platform at first light.

Make sure you pack plenty of drinking water.

We also packed lots to eat because our kids are bottomless pits.

A well-fed kid is a happy kid (less whingy at least).

We also recommend taking fly net hats depending on the time of year.

Fly nets certainly help you enjoy your day more.

We thoroughly recommend staying at the resort.

The outdoor bar area (Outback Pioneer Hotel) was rustic with a great atmosphere.

We had a wonderful time.

We hope this inspires you to get out there and see it for yourself.

Walpa Gorge at Kata Tjuta (the Olgas).

The changing colours of Uluru from sunrise to sunset.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 61

Riley Spoor and Zane Kruger caught plenty around the Gin Gin area.

CATCH BARRA

at Lake MonDuran Gavin Nash from Yeppoon landed a 60cm Dennis Cannon had a fantastic time at barra.

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Jacob Cannon boated a beautiful barra.

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g, Dennis Harold with hiss world record 44.62kg, from ht caug 134cm long, 107cm girth barra his kayak at Lake Monduran in 2010.

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www.barratackle.com.au Page 62 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bush â&#x20AC;&#x2122;n Beach Fishing, June 2019

The past two months have been a holiday-fest, with school holidays and public holidays galore.

The weather was great and lots of families took the opportunity to venture from home.

As you can see by the photos, young anglers are very keen to catch barramundi and other species as well.

I have spoken with dads, mums, granddads, grandmas, uncles, aunts and many other folk about the younger generation and their passion towards the great outdoors and mainly fishing.

Yes these new-age anglers are being influenced to get out there and wet a line, but truly these young folk do have the desire to venture outside and enjoy real life, leaving the tech equipment behind.

Fishing is not just a pastime for the aged and retired, it is a great sport and can be a very rewarding recreational activity the whole family can participate in and enjoy.

I truly believe fishing is becoming more fashionable to younger generations and a lot more women are also wetting a line.

It takes a lot of positive attitude, good patience and a certain amount of skill to conquer some of the beasts we fish for here in Australia.

Female anglers tick all those requirements, with one major advantage over their male counterparts commonly the positive attitude.

Most women I know try to make a negative situation positive and it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter how bad the cut is to little Billyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s knee, Mum will always say â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be OK darlingâ&#x20AC;?.

This makes little Billy feel a lot better and on a fishing trip that same day Mum will go out with the attitude that she will catch a fish, and more than just one.

She will be determined to beat Dadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fish and often fish with more diligence.

It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter who educates our children to fish, just give them the opportunity to try it for themselves.

With the right encour-

Monduran Dam

by LES GANE

agement I am sure we will see an increased interest in angling.

As we enter winter, the days get shorter, which can see us fishing in the evening a lot more.

The barramundi is built to hunt at night with its red eyes for night vision.

After getting its batteries charged from the sun and warmer waters of the afternoon, it becomes a well-equipped after-dark hunter.

This means the barra doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need the light of the full moon to be able

to see its prey.

It can ambush prey on a new moon because many baitfish donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have efficient night vision.

To catch barra at night, target them two days before, during and two days after the new and full moons and fish the waters that would have absorbed the most heat during the day.

Often when you find fish it is worthwhile concentrating on that area because getting one fish to bite will be enough to fire up the others for a

short bite window.

Always keep an ear out for barra making their distinct boofing noise.

Even if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re land based, good size barramundi can be found at night and during the morning by listening for the boofing.

If fishing during the day in winter, right in the middle of the day when the sun is at its highest and light penetration at its best can be effective.

During the morning and afternoon the sunlight tends to reflect off the waterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surface due to its angle of approach.

Last but by no means least, try using berley to attract the baitfish, which will definitely en-

courage the predators to come in and check out your choice of hunting ground.

Many good types of berley are available but keeping things simple with a bag of pellets will work well.

We berley up when we fish offshore and even in estuaries but it slips our minds when it comes to freshwater impoundments.

Enjoy the beautiful outdoors and influence whoever you can to share in the relaxing pastime of angling.

If you have questions about any type of fishing, contact me on 0427 880 826 or drop into Barra Havoc Gin Gin.

Jacob with a good size fish.

Parkerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first barra.

Matt Dierke travelled from Charleville to tackle this 94cm Mondy monster.

Parker captured an incredible 10 barra on his first trip to Monduran.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Running and gunning to find Borumba bass

B

ORUMBA Dam is approaching prime fishing time, with the transition phase nearly over.

During the transition phase the bass move from the edges and out into schools.

Once schooled up, they become a lot easier to catch if you know where to look.

Over the past month or so we’ve had great sessions with a lot of clients aboard Untapped Fishing Expeditions.

First I’ll say Borumba is always tough in April and early May. The school fishing is very hard to crack early and that is why we do a lot of running and gunning, picking up a couple of fish here and there.

I had numerous sessions at Borumba over the Easter period and still managed to catch plenty using this technique.

Now I’ll run you through an afternoon session I had with young Max and his dad Luke from NSW. The first yellow buoy

Freshwater Luring

by CALLUM MUNRO

We used the same lures with the same technique as earlier, which accounted for another two bass and a small silver perch, which was amazing to see because I haven’t caught one in a long time. was the area I wanted to hit.

A lot of bass were schooling around the point close to the weed edge in 5-7.5m of water.

We targeted these fish with Untapped Ultra Vibes, slow rolling them just off the bottom.

The boys couldn’t believe it as within the first

Luke with his first-ever bass.

10 casts they had managed to tick bass off their bucket list.

They were stoked.

Though not big fish by any means, it was a start.

The fish stopped biting almost as soon as we landed these fish and they shut down, so this is when I started employing the run and gun technique.

The next stop wasn’t too far away.

I chose the major weed point in the dam because a lot of bass and yellowbelly school around it.

You just have to sound around the point until you come across them.

I ended up finding the fish on the eastern side of the point in 5-7.5m of water.

We used the same lures with the same technique as earlier, which accounted for another two bass and a small silver perch, which was amazing to see because I haven’t caught one in a long time.

After this the fish shut down and we kept running and gunning.

If the fish shut down, don’t just sit there, keep moving because you can pull at least two fish off each spot until they shut down.

So, remember, keep moving and you will start

to catch a lot of fish.

Next we headed up the back of the dam into the Yabba arm to target bass in the main channel.

Bass are quite flighty here because the water is a lot shallower, so they can be there one day and not the next.

It took me a while to locate a school.

They had actually moved at least 500m downriver since the previous day.

Being able to positively identify schools of fish is the bonus of having an amazing sounder.

The Humminbird Helix Mega is by far the most insane sounder I’ve ever used.

I picked the fish up on my side imaging just off a water lily island.

I don’t believe I would have seen them if I didn’t use my side imaging on the Mega.

It picks up so much detail.

The boys were impressed with the look of the school and almost on Max’s first cast he hooked an absolute monster of about 45cm.

It was so good to see the young fella land his first-ever bass earlier, and then to land a massive one he won’t forget for a long time was the cherry on top.

After this the fish shut down again, so I was off to the other creek, heading up the Kingham arm using the same tactics as in the Yabba arm, looking for fish in the main creek channel.

This time the fish were in the same area as the day before and this is where the fun began.

The boys ended up landing another six bass, all around the 35-40cm mark, which was great to see.

So as you can see, the run and gun technique really works.

If you keep moving you’ll eventually start putting numbers on the board and it’s a great way

to spend the day.

Moving around the dam you’ll get to experience it all.

Lake Borumba is an amazing dam to fish with big Saratoga and Bass around even though the fishing has been a little tough.

If you’re in the area and wanting to fish the lake, jump over to untapped fishing.com.au or call 0412 887 651.

I’d be happy to take you out so you can learn about this amazing fishery.

Until next month, tight lines!

Max with the smallest bass the author has seen caught on a lure.

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DAM LEVELS CURRENT AS OF 13/5/2019

DAMS

PERCENTAGE

DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY Atkinson 5 5 5 5 5 5 Awoonga 87 85 84 82 80 79 Bjelke-Petersen * 16 15 10 8 8 8 Boondooma * 39 41 37 35 34 32 Borumba * 98 99 96 94 95 95 Burdekin Falls * 66 83 114 104 105 100 Callide * 62 84 56 54 52 50 Cania * 86 60 79 77 75 74 Coolmunda * 24 28 18 14 12 10 Dyer/Bill Gunn * 3 6 4 9 4 4 Eungella * 85 86 101 100 99 100 Fairbairn * 16 15 13 12 17 21 Glenlyon * 37 43 16 12 12 9 Hinze 96 97 94 94 93 94 Julius 78 75 100 99 99 96 Kinchant * 49 70 85 87 86 86 Leslie * 9 8 8 7 7 7 Macdonald 99 100 98 96 103 102 Maroon * 91 89 82 79 79 78 Monduran/Fred Haigh * 91 90 85 82 81 80 Moogerah * 72 78 71 68 66 63 North Pine/Samsonvale * 77 76 73 73 72 71 Peter Faust/Proserpine * 59 60 81 81 81 81 Somerset * 76 77 75 76 75 77 Teemburra * 79 83 101 101 100 100 Tinaroo* 67 82 102 100 102 100 Toonumbar 96 90 79 75 73 71 Wivenhoe * 67 67 63 60 59 58 Wuruma * 98 97 94 89 88 87 Wyaralong 93 93 90 92 92 91 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.

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Luke and Max boated a few crackers.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 63

Fishing, caving and walking B

Y the time this edition goes to print, Glenlyon Dam will be hovering around 5 to 7 percent capacity.

Sam Ricca from Stanthorpe with a cod.

This is getting down to almost the 1995 low of 2.5 percent of water left in the storage.

So what’s left?

Well water is still in the storage and in some locations up to 40m of water can be found, along with fish.

Still under water are deep ledges, rock banks and oak trees that marked the Pike Creek waterline prior to the

The cave entrance.

Glenlyon Dam

by BRIAN DARE

storage being built.

Still standing, the oak trees are great spots to fish as all species hang off them.

Bring your camera and GPS and walk the storage.

Use the map we supply at the dam and mark locations where you either caught fish or like the look of for your next fishing trip when levels rise.

Some of you might remember the eagle’s nest before the caves.

Well that nest is now 30m above your head, and looking further on to the limestone hill is the main entrance to one of the larger caves.

As I mentioned previously, you are able to enter some of the cave systems, but you do so at your own risk.

No one is responsible for your actions and it’s entirely your decision.

The fishing at the storage is still good, even though it’s low.

Back in 1995 when the level was below 3 percent, decent fish were still caught.

No fish kills were reported either because enough deep water was still around the place.

Not much can be said for our local streams and small rivers.

Bluff River, Deepwater River, Mole River, Beardy River, Severn River, Tenterfield Creek, Macintyre River and Macintyre Brook have all stopped their natural flows downstream.

Only the Dumaresq River below Glenlyon Dam and the Gwyder River below Copeton Dam were still running to May 24, then water releases will shut down.

What takes place next is anyone’s guess, as all storages that have flows down into the Darling River will have ceased to run.

With winter upon us, any

type of winter feed will be just about non-existent for our local farmers.

Cod breeding As I have mentioned on many occasions, the cod breeding season is also only two months away and it’s going to be crunch time.

A lot of thought is now needed as the river systems we knew from previous winters are in a total mismanaged mess.

In the upper river systems, ice is the main worry for our native fish.

Low river holes of water will freeze over each morning and I have seen it take until 11am to defrost.

The answer of “Well, it’s a drought, it can’t be helped” repulses me.

We will see the wringing of hands as our newly elected politicians explain away the drought.

This is the time to get answers on future management.

Take it away from the states and hand it back to the federal government.

Then we need to start at the top of our river systems and look at allocations, farm storages, bores that have started to pop up close to river systems and the on-selling of unused water allocations.

The big answer: fines!

You pinch the water, you pay the price!

Cold water pollution For the past 40 years newborn cod have been killed up to three months after being born downstream from all storages not retrofitted to take only the first 5m of warm water.

At this stage it’s cold water releases only.

About nine months ago we had a visit from the maritime board regarding boat ramp access.

They had a look, shook their heads and said it would be too hard to do, then handed in two officials’ previous paperwork and letters.

All we need is for these heads of department to turn up at each storage

right now west of the Great Dividing Range.

Each storage has roads that were used during construction, as is the case here at Glenlyon Dam. Look at the attached photo and you’ll see down the road 9km is a lime mine quarry.

We can easily obtain road base, which has been done previously.

For the cost of $2500 we can have any ramp problems solved.

After the road base is supplied, we’ve found Sunwater has been good enough on previous occasions to use its tractor on site to lay the road base.

We should do it now while the storages are low!

Despite the low water percentage there is still good depth, with plenty of standing timber.

GLENLYON DAM TOURIST PARK A great place to fish!

No problems launching boats.

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Ph: 02 6737 5266 E: glenlyondamtouristp@bigpond.com Page 64 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019

View of the dam at 7 percent.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Mick Johnson with a good bass caught on a skirted jig.

Bass have been sitting in the 3-4.5m zone but will soon move to the bottom or up on the edge as the water cools.

Cooler water patterns begin at BP and Boondooma

I

T’S been an interesting month of fishing in the two impoundments of the South Burnett.

With the cooler weather setting in, there’s been a lack of consistent fishing as the water and season changes.

The fishing has improved over the past few days and captures of good fish in both BjelkePetersen and Boondooma dams are being reported.

The water temps are slowly starting to drop but constant warmer afternoons have started to make the fish bite well.

It’s been a very warm month, with only a few mornings cold enough to pull on the jumpers.

The fish seem to be somewhat quiet in the mornings but they have been biting as the days warm.

Boondooma Boondooma has started to improve, with bigger bass and goldens being caught on a variety of techniques as the fish begin moving up shallow and sitting on the flats.

The past month has seen some inconsistency but good fish are starting to be caught.

The great thing about Boondooma is you can catch fish in many different areas with a variety of techniques.

In the mornings when it’s cooler I like to head up the arms of the dam and fish the edges as this seems to be the best option for getting into those feeding fish.

I’ll cast a 3/8oz Bassman Spinnerbait or lipless crank to the edge, let it hit the bottom and slowly wind it out.

Fish tend to move up on the edge during the night and will generally feed there until the sun hits the water and starts to warm it.

This can be a great way of catching big fish early, especially if you’re up in the timbered arms and a lot of structure is near the edge you’re fishing.

Freshwater Impoundments

by MATTHEW LANGFORD

Another option is fishing the many weed beds that line the edge of the dam.

Jerkbaits are a great option here.

Cast the jerkbait up to the weed edge and crank it down a couple of winds, pause and then begin a series of twitches as you wind.

Remember, when fishing so close to the weed you will come in contact with it regularly, but just give the rod tip a quick flick to get the jerkbait free.

Be patient with this technique because bass sitting in the weed pockets will eventually come out and hit the jerkbait hard.

This is a great option for catching big yellowbelly, particularly in the afternoon when the water is warm.

After the sun has been up for a while and the day warms, I always move out to the deeper sections of the dam and target schooled fish sitting on the flats.

Sound around until you’ve located a good showing of fish.

Generally at this time of year I’ll be searching around the 5-7.5m range.

When a school is located, you have a few options to cast at the fish to entice a bite.

Half-ounce rigged plastics, tailspinners, blades, spinnerbaits and soft vibes all have their place on the flats and it’s just a matter of trying a few baits until you have one you’re consistently catching fish with.

Bait fishers are still catching good numbers of fish in the timbered arms by tying off trees and fishing with live shrimp and worms as bait.

Bait can be bought at the kiosk and if you want the best bait, you can catch shrimp in the weed around the dam edges with opera house pots.

Matty Johnson extracted a nice saratoga from the Boyne arm.

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Trollers are picking up good fish around the weed edges and along the rock walls near the dam wall as well as in the timbered arms.

Spinnerbaits and deep-diving hard-bodies are doing the damage.

Lake Barambah Fishing on Barambah (BP) has slowly improved, with great catches of bass and yellowbelly coming in, particularly during the warmer afternoons.

On the days with warmer afternoons and colder mornings, the fish have generally been staying out in the 3.5-5m zone.

If it’s cool in the morning, I will target the edges with spinnerbaits, blades and tailspinners.

It helps if the edges have spindly timber mixed in with weed because the fish tend to move up and feed around this structure early in the morning.

Later in the day, especially if it’s warm, I will move out deeper and target fish sitting on the deeper flats of about 6m.

The fish have been spread out over the flats next to Lightning Ridge, Bass Point and wide of the Quarry.

The best way to target the fish out deep is using blades, tailspinners and soft vibes.

Sound around these areas until you have a good show of fish on the sounder, then go through the above lures until you find one that gets you onto a couple of fish and stick with it.

Make long casts and ensure the lure stays in regular contact with the bottom.

Use either a hopping retrieve or a dead slow roll along the bottom.

Persist with this long enough and you will eventually get a bite.

Trollers are picking up bass by trolling deep divers and spinnerbaits along the bottom in 3.5-4m over the above areas.

Bait fishers are catching bass and goldens in the timber on shrimp, worms and yabbies.

Red claw are still coming in, with quality catches being taken from the rocky areas of the dam as well as in bays with weed coming out from the edge.

Fishing charters Don’t forget you can book a fishing charter with me on BP and Boondooma dams.

If you’d like a great day out and all the info and knowledge to catch bass and yellowbelly in our two great dams, make sure you give me a call on 0408 658 592 and I’ll be happy to take you out.

Until next month, tight lines and bent rods.

Lake Boondooma is currently at 32 percent. Photo: Sunwater

BP dam is currently at 8 percent. Photo: Sunwater

y Guided b g f o rd n a L t t a M

Australian Freshwater Fishing Charters 0408 658 592 | australianfreshwaterfishing.com Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019 – Page 65

Don’t mothball your freshwater gear

W

HILE tapping away at the keyboard this morning, I am dressed in my polar fleece hoodie with a blanket over my legs and sipping from a mug of steaming coffee.

The bass caught in mid-winter are often in very good condition due to developing roe that is never released.

No, I’m not in the deep south chasing trout, I’m sitting in my den in Queensland.

Every year I share my sentiments about winter in print, so if you are a faith-

Tony habitually uses a black B65UD Boomerang for his winter bass trolling from the Hobie because of consistent results.

New Samurai Reaction rods

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The RE-212 (6’5”, 3-8lb, fast action), which is perfectly suited to working light surface lures, and RE151 (7’4”, 2-6lb, extrafast) are both new to the range and fill those little gaps within the line-up.

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The carbon quad-axial integrated blank wrap reduces torsional twist and results in a greater strength to weight ratio.

It provides a crisp feel where every minute flick of the line is transferred down the rod to the angler.

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Fishing for Sport

by NEIL SCHULTZ

ful Bush ‘n Beach reader, you’ll most likely know the cold isn’t my friend.

Freshwater lure fishing has been my forte for decades, and I miss those balmy evenings and pre-dawn sessions throwing surface lures at my favourite inland target species.

Though that action is now but a memory with the progress of the seasons, some quality freshwater angling can still be had by the addicted.

During the nineties, keen anglers discovered that Australian bass in the deepwater lakes of southern Queensland would take lures right through the colder months.

As we learnt more of the seasonal movements of lake-dwelling bass, more winter fisheries came online.

Students of the ecosystems supported by these large man-made bodies of water put the pieces of the jigsaw together, not in any Eureka moment, but in an ever-evolving knowledge base.

New words entered the vocabularies of anglers like “thermocline”, “stratify”, “planktivore” and “break-line”.

We learnt the autumn temperature declines saw layering of different water temperatures in the lakes.

Along with temperature, the dissolved oxygen content of those layers was significantly different.

In our lakes, tiny aquatic crustaceans, mostly cladocera and copepods, multiply and gather in clouds, suspending in the water column.

Those aggregations of planktonic organisms tend to descend into the deeper parts of the lakes, to the limits of light penetration, to escape the attention of their predators.

Planktivorous fish species, most commonly bony bream, freshwater hardyheads and several species of gudgeon also gather en masse to take advantage of the food source provided by the aforementioned micro-

crustaceans.

Those gatherings of forage fish species in turn trigger the schooling of high-order predatory species, namely Australian bass.

The larger the animal, the greater the dissolved oxygen content required to keep them healthy and active.

This sees bass schooling at the depth at which thermoclines or sometimes dissolved oxygen break-lines have the ideal combination of oxygen and proximity to forage species.

In the lakes of southern Queensland and northern NSW, this means relatively deep water in excess of 12m, but often 20m or more.

Perhaps it should be clarified that while bass will be in the deepest sections of any given lake, they won’t be hugging the lakebed in 20m of water!

Instead, the bass will be suspending at a comfortable depth where the temperature and dissolved oxygen are to their liking.

Any depth sounder of reasonable quality will clearly show the schools of bass, once tuned for the environment.

This means having the range set deep enough and the sensitivity turned high enough to show individual fish without too much clutter.

During winter on local lakes I’ll set my upper depth limit to about 4m and the lower limit to 12m or 15m, depending on the lake I’m fishing.

Now, you don’t need to find a school of bass before you put a lure in the water.

Trolling with any purpose-designed Australian-made deep-diving lure that runs around 7m will put you in the right depth zone.

If fishing an unfamiliar lake, start close to the boat ramp as soon as you see the sounder showing deep enough water under the hull.

Work your way around the main basin of your

chosen lake until you see fish on the sounder or take a strike.

Mark either of those on your GPS and drive around the area, trying different lure colours and lengths of drop-back until you start catching more fish or decide they aren’t going to play the game.

Bass in hard-fished lakes can be extremely frustrating, so it can pay to leave an inactive school to find other fish that may be in the mood to feed.

Unlike kids and cows, fish don’t feed right throughout the day, so you’ll need to cross paths with a school in active hunting mode.

If you are new to winter bass trolling, let me outline a few specifics to help you kick off and gain confidence.

Try trolling at about 4km/h (not four knots).

Yes, this is much quicker than we’d usually be moving in fresh water for golden perch or cod, but it will trigger the predatory instincts of bass.

I’ll run lures on a fine braid of about 4kg breaking strain with a clear monofilament leader of 2m.

Start with your lures about 20m behind the boat, but you can finetune the running depth by lengthening or shortening that drop-back.

The fun part is selecting lures, with every angler having their individual favourite model and/or colour, often differing for each lake.

I’ll start the day with an ultra-deep 65mm Boomerang in a dark colour on one line and whichever other Aussie-made lure I like on the day on the other line.

Some days (most days), I’ll end up with Boomerangs on both rods, just selecting different colours to give the fish an option.

Super-early starts aren’t required for this scenario, as schooling bass often don’t get into feeding mode until the sun has been on the water for a few hours.

Thinking back on it, our sessions on schooling bass in the cooler months have been at their best during office hours.

Another Aussie classic, the Flick’s Cobra (one of the most-copied designs ever devised) is regularly clipped to the author’s lines.

Page 66 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2019

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