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Features
Why not try the fly? • DIY leader keeper • 4WD review: Triton GSR • Bread baits: they earn their crust •
NSW
Technique Spotlight
Jamie Robley brings us bread baits: be the bread winner
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CONTENTS
OUR COVER June 2021, Vol. 2 No.2 VIC
TAS
QUEENSLAND Gold Coast Jumpinpin Southern Bay Brisbane Northern Bay Noosa Bundaberg Gladstone Mackay Whitsundays Townsville Hinchinbrook Cairns Port Douglas Cooktown Lucinda Cape York Freshwater Kayaking
14 16 18 20 22 23 24 26 32 34 36 37 38 39 40 37 41 44 46
NEW SOUTH WALES Pittwater Sydney North Sydney Rock Sydney South Ballina Coffs Harbour Hastings Forster Port Stephens Swansea Central Coast Illawarra Batemans Bay Bermagui Tathra New England Rivers Hunter Valley Batlow Lithgow/Oberon Albury/Wodonga Canberra
52 51 54 56 58 60 62 63 64 64 65 68 69 70 70 72 73 74 75 76 78
VICTORIA Warrnambool Cobden Geelong Port Phillip West Port Phillip East Phillip Island Gippsland Lakes Lakes Entrance Bemm River Marlo Mallacoota Robinvale Bendigo Ballarat Wangaratta Shepparton Crater Lakes Eildon West/South Gippsland
82 84 86 88 86 92 93 94 94 95 95 96 96 98 97 99 100 101 100
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JUNE 2021
From the editor’s Desk...
WA
Get ready for another AFTA public day
As part of their spawning cycle, southern calamari will start to enter Port Phillip Heads over the coming months. A Brenton Hodges image. Come and visit Fishing Monthly Group’s official Facebook page for all your monthly fishing information. Download QR Reader to access.
TASMANIA Hobart
105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 112 113 114
REGULAR FEATURES Bread Baits Starlo’s back to basics Tech Tricks Sheik of the Creek WIRF What’s New Fishing Recfishwest Tournament Calendar Track my Fish Trades and Services 4WD: Triton GSR Tide page
8 12 48 31 102 118 104 119 126 116 128 130
The AFTA Trade Show as a businessto-business event had been going on for decades. It’s where the manufacturers and wholesalers show the tackle stores all of the latest and greatest gear for the upcoming season. It’s taken a lot of efforts from a few determined people to involve the public with the show, so don’t take the opportunity for granted. Remember, also, that it’s not a show where you can go and buy a trolley load of gear. It’s a non-retail show with exhibitors limited to being able to sell only a narrow range of promotional gear. In 2019, though, there were plenty of sample bags and freebies kicking around. We think your entry fee will be well spent. Indeed, Fishing Monthly decided to do some exit-polling at the show and it was around three hours until we found anyone wanting to leave! When we did, there were universal accolades, apart from one guy who was annoyed that he couldn’t buy a rod and reel – so be warned. It’s not a retail show! Like all things COVID, you have to pre-book your tickets this year and there will be limited capacity, although the venue will easily hold the same number of people who attended in 2019. Keep an eye out closer to the dates for places you can buy your ticket online. We are sure that the 40+ exhibitors at the show will be keen to see you and show you all things tackle.
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After the inevitable cancellation of the Australian Fishing Trade Association’s (AFTA) Trade Show in 2020, it’s great to see the show back in 2021. And better still for the mad keen fishing public within striking distance of the Gold Coast, the show will again include a Public Day, where keen anglers can come along, pay an entry fee (usually less than a movie ticket) and check out all of the latest and greatest fishing tackle that’s on offer. It will be held at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday 10 July. The public day was a great success in 2019. Tackle companies ensure that their promotional anglers and personalities are available to interact and show products, get selfies and give advice. It’s the biggest collection of fishing knowledge in one room, nationally. With overseas travel off the books until who-knows-when, there’s a lot to be said for some destination fishing travel within Australia. And if you’re not travelling to catch fish, then the next best thing is playing with the toys that help you catch them.
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Bread baits: they definitely earn their crust! from the coastal rocks. In fact, the rocks are where I’ve enjoyed my most spectacular results when using bread baits. At times it’s been a real eye opener to see how fish like luderick, drummer and even sweep react to drifting pieces of bread. I’ve seen plenty of
CENTRAL COAST
Jamie Robley
One of the most commonly asked questions about fishing anywhere around the world is: What’s the best bait at this location or for a particular species? From the firsttime novice, right through to experienced veterans, they all want to know the best bait – it’s like wanting to know the secret to eternal youth or the next winning Powerball numbers! The reality is that there are many excellent baits worth using at different times and places for all manner of fresh or saltwater species. Over time, some baits prove to be extraordinarily successful and versatile for a broad spectrum of species and scenarios. In Australia
as berley or bait. Although other offerings like peeled prawns, cunje or green cabbage are favoured by many seasoned rock anglers, I am more than happy to grab a couple of loaves of white bread and go rock fishing with
Perfect conditions for rock fishing with bread baits. The swell is calm and it’s quite safe, but there is still plenty of white wash close in around the rocks. corner store, fuel stop or supermarket. ROCK FISHING This is a perfect time of year to use bread both as a bait and the berley
This bream was caught from the end of a beach, adjacent to a low rocky outcrop. Bream really like shallow spots with a mix of sand and rock, especially at this time of year.
Despite their reputation as a weed eater or grazing feeder, luderick absolutely love white bread! prawns and pilchards are probably right at the top of the list, but other popular baits we’re all familiar with include squid, mullet, beach worms and pipis. Bread is also quite well known as a bait, although it’s all too often considered as a second choice bait when you may not be able to get your hands on better stuff, or as a simple muck around bait for the kids to try while you’re on holidays. It is a bit more popular with those who chase mullet or amongst some rock fishing devotees who target bream or drummer. However, mostly it still seems to fly under the radar or take a back seat compared to more ‘credible’ baits. In my books though, bread is one of the very best baits in existence. In fact, if stranded on an island and I 8
JUNE 2021
was only allowed to use one form of bait or lure in order to catch fish to survive, I would instantly choose
bread. More specifically, plain white bread. The type that’s available anywhere from the local bakery,
White bread works exceptionally well in freshwater rivers east of the Great Divide for mullet. These fish were caught in the Williams River in the Hunter region of NSW.
Both mono or fluorocarbon leaders can be used when fishing with bread baits. However, the author’s favourite leader when rock fishing for luderick, bream and drummer is Sunline FC Rock. It has proven a winner many times over the years, with hard fighting fish in gnarly rock fishing spots.
awesome surface strikes from predators like tailor, kings, tuna and queenfish over the years and I can honestly say, for their size, luderick and drummer can make quite an impressive explosion on the surface as they smash into chunks of floating bread! It’s also interesting to see these fish, which we normally consider as vegetarians or grazing feeders become so fixated on something that is far removed from their natural habitat. Regardless of the science behind it, rock fishing favourites like drummer, bream, luderick and silver trevally respond with remarkable enthusiasm towards bread
full confidence that I’ll be using a first class bait. On a number of occasions I would even say that bread baits have saved my trip and some of my personal best bream have fallen to quite small bread baits over the years. The first part of the puzzle is to fish in spots where fish like bream, drummer or luderick are likely to show up. Nearly all east coast rock ledges, outcrops and major headlands will have these fish swimming around them, but generally the more broken up rocks in relatively shallow places seem to house more of these fish. Bream in particular, favour spots with a shallow
sandy bottom, as opposed to deeper ledges with more kelp or rock below. Secondly, it’s important to fish at times when fish are inclined to be actively
rocks and it’s extremely calm, try to look for any small amount of white wash around ledges, as even a tiny bit of churned up water may attract a few fish.
bread on the surface also tends to attract sea gulls and they just end up becoming a pest. So it’s a good idea to think in terms of ‘less is more’ and that way you’ll
The author loves using bread baits off the rocks along the Central Coast. Bream are one of the first fish to come looking when they detect the scent of bread in the vicinity. looking for food and when it’s safe to be fishing from the rocks. So this means when the swell or wave action is small or relatively calm, with a rising tide and preferably earlier in the
Next, I normally mash up a few slices of bread to a pulp and throw it in close to the rocks as berley. There’s nearly always a few pools of water around most rock ledges, so it’s easy enough
hopefully spread some scent through the water and encourage fish to look for your bait, rather than eat all the berley. Small to mid-sized baits on hooks from size 6 up to
Carp also love bread as bait. This fish was caught in a shallow stream on a small bread bait drifted down the current under a float. morning or later in the day. Dull, overcast weather is normally pretty good and when it’s quite dismal, fishing can still be good right through the middle of the day as well. At the opposite end of the scale, periods when westerly winds flatten out the ocean so it’s dead flat can make for very tough fishing. If you do turn up at the
to dip the bread in these to help soften it up for the berley. The finer you can mash it up the better too. A common mistake that many anglers make is to think more berley must be better. That’s generally not really the case and it may just serve to feed the fish rather than get them hungry so they’ll be looking for your bait. A lot of floating
a 1/0 should work well in most situations. If it seems that luderick are the main species present then smaller hooks in sizes 6 or 4 will be on the mark. If bigger bream or drummer seem more prevalent than larger or stronger hooks could be a better option. Baits can either be suspended under a float or lightly weighted on To page 10
JUNE 2021
9
OLD
Ocean is full of life WHITSUNDAYS
Mick Underwood
I love to be on the water in autumn there is just so much happening, the ocean is full of life and
catches have come in. It’s been mostly large mouth nannygai coming in off the shoals and coral trout and red throat emperor from the reef. The lack of offshore fishing hasn’t worried me
reef fish at the moment, it’s been small hardbodies that are performing the best. Moving onto June, and I would like to think that the shallow water inshore fishing should keep poking along nicely and provide us with some good entertainment but it will also be time to start giving the deeper areas some attention as well. During June we normally get one last good bite out of the trout in the shallows before they clam up for the cooler months. In the same inshore areas
Reef with his little brother Liam. This is Liam’s first fish and no doubt it will be the first of many for this little man. aren’t usually too hard to find as you will see them shimmering on the surface and the presence of any terns also helps to give the
This coral trout was Charlie’s first ever fish – not a bad way to open the gates. one of the best bits is that all the action is right on the door step. We haven’t had to go far to get into some quality angling. Our local creek systems have seen their fair share of attention mostly from crabbers and those getting after a feed of prawns. I haven’t heard too many tales of quality fish coming out of the creeks recently, which is surprising for this
too much as we have had a nice bite going on for a multitude of species all within a stone’s throw of Reel Addiction’s home at Cape Gloucester Resort. Straight out in front of the resort we have been enjoying a good bite from some aggressive GTs. Casting various surface lures is what has been bringing these fish unstuck. Giant trevally aren’t the
It was cool to see so many kids coming out for a fish over the holidays. Here’s Isaac with a solid gold spot cod he caught to take home for his family.
Golden trevally have turned up in force lately and they should stay around right through the winter months. time of the year. I suspect this might have a bit to do with the amount of pressure that is currently being put on our estuary systems from the commercial sector. It is good to see the crabs and the prawns have been holding up and supplying locals with plenty of good feeds. The ‘shoals’ and the outer reef have seen only limited activity over the last few weeks. As is typical for this time of the year as southeast trade breezes have kicked in with gusto and this has limited any offshore trips. On the odd day when it has been good to get out wide, some good 34
JUNE 2021
only critters having a go in the shallows at the moment, we’ve been getting stuck into some nice coral trout and fingermark as well. Either trolling or casting small hardbodies has been the go-to technique and it has accounted for plenty of quality fish over the last few weeks. The water temperatures are continuing to drop and this is helping the pelagic fishing somewhat. There are currently plenty of school mackerel about and mixed in with them is some thumper golden trevally. We are catching these fish using a variety of techniques but, as with the
show away. Up in the estuaries now and apart from some diehard crabbers I don’t expect to see a lot of action
that the trout are residing the pelagic activity should intensify more, especially if the schools of herring show up on our inshore grounds. Finding any inshore pelagic action is pretty simple, find the bait and you’ll find the fish. The bait can turn up anywhere and generally won’t be in the same location two days in a row so each day is a new adventure in working out where they are going to be. Around Gloucester Passage, the inner end of Gloucester Island and along the shore from Cape Gloucester Resort down to Sunset Beach are good places to start your bait hunt. The school of herring
Suzuki enjoyed some quality time in the Whitsundays recently. The humble tea leaf trevally might not be our most glamorous sports fish but on light line and lures they are piles of fun.
A nice shot of Reel Addiction at rest after providing anglers with another quality day on the water.
in these areas this month. The prawns have all but disappeared, crabs area getting harder to come by and the cooler water will have a lot of the barramundi and mangrove jack sulking and hard to get a bite out of. One fish that will be on the tip of everyone’s tongue this month is the mighty Spanish mackerel. They are just a sensational fish in so many ways and are, in my opinion, the best thing about winter. June is normally when they arrive in our waters in big numbers and I know plenty of anglers who are already chafing at the bit to get out
OLD
You can’t keep Reef out of the action. As you can see from the photos, the trout have been rolling in recently.
Brody’s first ever giant trevally. This was caught on the last cast of the day and it helped to put a shiny note on what had been an unusually tough session.
They’ve been catching plenty of nice fingermark the last few weeks. There haven’t been too many monsters landed, but where they have lacked a bit in size, they have made up for it in numbers.
I look forward to reporting to you again soon. • Reel Addiction Sport Fishing Charters specialises in light tackle fishing for all tropical sportfishing species on fly, lures and bait. Reel
packages are available. For more information, contact Mick Underwood on 0413 882 153 or email mick@reeladdiction.com. au. Resort enquiries can be directed to Julie Houston on
As you can see, it’s been the hardbodies that boats bassco have done the damage with the fingermark. Addiction operates from the beautiful Cape Gloucester Beach Resort, 40 minutes’ drive north of Airlie Beach. Combined fishing charter and accommodation
(07) 4945 7242 or at info@ capeg.com.au. To stay in touch with what’s biting, check out the Reel Addiction Sport Fishing Whitsundays page on Facebook.
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Jenny brought her two sons out for a fish on board Reel Addiction and she gave them all a lesson in how to fish, with her first three fish of the day all being legal coral trout.
right behind the boat and I’ll rip them around at four to five knots. A little tip for you when trolling garfish is when you get a hook up on one fish, din’t stop the boat. Keep moving ahead at normal troll speed and if there are other fish in the vicinity you’ll quite often get a multiple hook up. Spanish mackerel won’t be the only species to get after around the outer islands this month, the deeper reef, weed and rubble patches should start to fire up and provide us with some quality fun as well. Species such as grunter, fingermark and nannygai should start to feed in the deeper water. Last year the deep water action was fairly average so I hope it improves a bit this season as these deep water demersals aren’t only fun to catch they’re sublime on the plate as well. There we go. I’ll call that a wrap for another month and, as always, I wish you all the best with your piscatorial adventures over the coming weeks and
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and amongst them. Out around Rattray Island, the seaward end of Gloucester Island, Middle Island, and in around Georges Point are all good locations to start a maccy hunt. I have a lot more success chasing these guys on the spring tides as opposed to the neaps. A bit of current flow definitely helps to get these fish off their backsides and go into feed mode. Trolling is the go-to local favourite tactic for chasing a few mackerel and
normally it’s baits that get the best results, as opposed to towing lures. For some reason the fish here don’t like hardbodies but they will smash garfish and wolf herring all day long. If you are intending on trolling wolfies this season remember to set them well back from the boat and keep your troll speed right down to the bare minimum, just over idle is fine. Trolling garfish is the opposite. I like to set my baits in the pressure waves
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35
NSW
Fishing without the crowds ILLAWARRA
Greg Clarke
The days are short and for the most part cold, with the wind usually quite strong coming from either the south or the west, or a mixture of both. The nights are less kind than
the days, making it tough going for anglers. A positive is the crowds have gone from the boat ramps, and if you fish the rocks and beaches, you often have the place to yourself so there is less competition. There are fish about, you just have to work a little harder this month so
that should keep you warm. Offshore it has been strange the last few seasons, with a few dolphinfish (mahimahi) still about, so that might be worth a look this month – you just might get lucky. Yellowfin tuna will be a better bet though, and with some luck they will get in close enough for
Bonito are picking up pilchards when snapper fishing.
Mark Halpin was filled with joy at his PB 65cm flathead he caught at Hasting River.
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JUNE 2021
more anglers to have a crack at. Usually, they are around the shelf and beyond, and at this time of year they’re best targeted from a larger boat. Fishing from a smaller boat is certainly possible but you’re playing Russian roulette with the weather. April and May produced some good fish to 70kg and the weather was good, so let’s hope we get a few more nice days to have a crack at them. If not, it won’t be all that long before the southern bluefin make their run up the coast, but that probably won’t happen this month. If all else fails and you miss a tuna then a deep drop on the canyons is always worth a try for some bottom dwellers, as the current is usually much slower at this time of the year. In close there will be a few early snapper starting to show later in the month over the inshore reefs. Drifting plastics or putting down the pick and berleying should throw up a few fish before they switch their attention to post-spawn cuttlefish next month. Mixed with the reds are the odd samsonfish and a heap of trevally if you are using berley, and there are still a few bigger bonito about picking up pilchards meant for snapper. In the
washes around the islands and headlands there are the usual culprits of salmon and tailor grabbing whole pilchards on ganged hooks, and if you keep getting bites and the middle of the pilchard is missing, cast a pilchard piece on a single hook into the wash for any trevally and bream that attack your pillies. Kingies have been very quiet. The odd one has been picked up but there is a lot of time between bites if you are chasing them. For the drifters it is not too bad really, with a few smaller snapper and the odd bigger fish, a few samsonfish, silver trevally, mowies, pigfish and heaps of leatherjackets. Flathead have slowed right down but there are always a few fish that are willing to have a go if you are persistent. On the rocks a few bonito and the odd mackerel tuna have been taken on lures, live baits and pilchards, with salmon being the most reliable species. The washes around your feet have had some nice bream and trevally on pilchard bits and prawns with a bit of berley thrown in for best results. The prawns are picking up some nice drummer too if they don’t bust you off. The estuaries are cold and miserable at this time of year, with a few bream around the weed beds at
Some nice samsonfish are over the reefs but they won’t last much longer. Primbee and up in the feeder streams. Peeled prawns are the bait of choice, and very light lines are a must to fool finicky fish, but the cold wind makes it tough and choppy on most days. Small vibes work too, but you can probably expect a lot of hard hours for little reward. Minnamurra has a few fish around the bridges and is a little more protected from the wind.
There will be a few nice choppers around this month in and around the surf.
On the beaches if you can get a few beach worms there are some very big whiting about. They aren’t in big numbers but they are bragging size fish. It is very cold getting the bait though. Bream will be the mainstay on most beaches with a decent gutter. Pilchards, cut fish baits and worms will get them and other fish as well, or you can use chuck steak and mullet gut at a pinch. Salmon and tailor are about on most beaches during the early mornings and late evenings, with Coniston Beach fishing well. I recently scored a few there myself casting lures from the boat into the surf and down along the groyne and break walls at the southern end, and they were solid fish too. The highlight of the month will be the big mulloway that frequent the local beaches at this time of the year. The top of the tide just after dark is the time to chase them, and the best baits are live tailor, fresh squid heads or large cut baits. It will be cold and probably windy from the west most evenings, but it’s well worth it when you get that solid bite and run, and finally shine your torch onto that big slab of bronze rolling in the wash at your feet. Having said all that, we could get a big east coast low like last year that destroys everything and lasts for a fortnight. If that happens, disregard all this and go and chase bream, blackfish and drummer in the harbours. Good luck.
NSW
Bluefin on the way BATEMANS BAY
Anthony Stokman
Hello June, and hello bluefin! In previous years they have come a bit earlier, but for the last couple of years it’s been around 20 June. So will they come earlier or will the end of June be the start date of the bluefin migration here on the south coast? Once the current starts moving uphill and the water temperature is around 18-19°C we start dreaming about bluefin. This year we have high expectations of bluefin because we are seeing some good yellowfin getting around. However, it might
out that the land disappears. There’s a lot of water out there and it can take all day to find them, so keep your eyes open for finlets breaking the surface and possibly a couple of petrels flying around close to the surface. The surface signs are more subtle than big yellowfin crashing the surface chasing bait and more bird activity. You should also keep your eye on the sounder, because everything may seem calm and quiet with nothing in sight, but under the boat there could be tonnes of bluefin. Of course, the most obvious sign of bluefin is when all lures go off from a pack attack. When you’re
in sizes from 10000 to 14000 are good options (the new heat sink drag feature is interesting in the new Stradic and Twinpower which cools the spool down during the fight). For the Daiwa fans the new Certate is a good choice, and a suitable low budget option would be the Quantum Reliance spin reel. Rods and line have gotten lighter and thinner over the years, and when chasing tuna with stickbaits, you want your gear light and line thin but strong, and your lure 60g and up so you can get that distance in cast. You might only get one shot all day at casting at a big yellowfin, and you want to make sure you have the gear
The dream team chasing down yellowfin tuna with stickbaits. Off tha’ top baby!
Big G with a 80cm mulloway caught on 4lb! not be a mind-blowing run like last year, and that would be a tough comedown. So come on bluefin! To catch them, the first thing you need is a big fuel tank full of fuel. Customers still ask the questions in store on the location of the bluefin, or how far out they are. The answer is, they can be very far out. You have to be prepared to travel well past the Continental Shelf, out to the famous 151 line, which is longitude 151° east. Yes, you have a chance of yellowfin around the shelf, but if you are looking for big schools of bluefin then you have to do the miles, and that can be anything from 50-100km out to sea. Then the next question I get asked is, can you see land from out there? Yes, you can, because our mountain range is quite close to the sea. It’s not until you get 110-120km
trolling and one lure goes off, it’s best to keep going for a little while and you may get another one or two more hook-ups. Once you pull up to fight the fish, that’s the time to toss out some pre-cut pilchard cubes to feed the remaining school if you want to keep them up and around. This can be successful at times and other times not so much, because the fish might be thin in numbers or a bit shy and flighty. Overall, not much has changed in catching tuna. However, one thing that has increased in popularity has been chasing them and casting stickbaits at them and the gear used for that is getting lighter, stronger and more compact. When it comes to suitable reels, there are some good offerings from a range of brands. From Shimano, the new Saragosa, Stradic SW and Twinpower
and right ingredients to put you in the game. When it comes to the right rod, my choice is the Shimano 77M or 77MH Grappler from Shimano because they are super light, not too long, not too short, strong and bendy, and can cast lures a mile. However, there are lots of other rods out there at a range of price points that will do the job. Trebles or single lure hooks? We have seen a comeback of treble hooks over the last couple of years. The appeal of single hooks is their simplicity, ease, safety, and ability to stay connected after a hook-up. However, with the charge and explosion of the yellowfin take, the lure and singles can get tossed about. So it seems more spikes the better, and so getting any parts of the treble to stick can get you connected long enough to get
the fish boat-side. When it comes to trebles, you want them to be big and strong like those from Shout, BKK and Owner. When trolling for tuna, skirts and hardbody divers have always been towed around. Now we have the resurgence of the Bluewater Livie and now the popular Profidgie, and these soft fish imitations are proving to be deadly on tuna and some anglers will troll the entire spread with them. Teasers are being used more and more these days too, and there is a bit more variety now also, with the reflective strip teasers getting more popular every year. Inshore reefs have been doing great, with good snapper numbers, and we are hoping this represents the rest of winter. The kabura jig has become popular over the years, with a technique that is similar to micro jigging (the only difference is that the kabura’s weight separates from the hooks). Flasher jigs have been really popular too, along with soft plastics, and trolled extra deep diving lures. Staying open minded and having four or five different approaches under your belt can only improve your catch rates. Headlands and beaches were on fire at the beginning of autumn, but that has simmered down a bit. Some good mullet are running, and a good run of salmon, tailor and some solid trevally for the south coast have kept fishos entertained lately. The bonito and mac tuna have slowed up and the slight chance of a longtail has dwindled. Kingfish can
linger around even through winter, but it’s the salmon and drummer fishing that will stay strong throughout this time of the year. The estuaries will cool down and the fishing will become tougher this month. The big mulloway seem to have eluded us in the estuary, with fish from 60-80cm
winter might not be so tough this year. After the dirty water completely cleared up the squid were basically found everywhere, and they will be found at the squid haunts into winter. They make great bait and great tucker, and I recommend checking out the Squidezy tool to make
Georgia Poyner with a good example of the quality bream getting around. being the most common catch. There have also been hundreds of 20-30cm juveniles which is a good sign for future years. Fishos will be looking for the mulloway out on the beaches this winter. There has been a large run of bream from our rivers and on the beaches so
cleaning easier. • For more up-to-the-minute information on what’s biting where, drop into Compleat Angler Batemans Bay and have a chat to Anthony or one of the other friendly staff. They’re located at 65A Orient St, Batemans Bay (02 4472 2559). JUNE 2021
69
East Coast
VIC
A change to the species mix LAKES ENTRANCE
Steven Pryke
It’s that time of year again in Gippsland – the short winter days are here, and foggy mornings are regular scene early in the day, and the nights are cold. The lake’s water temperature has dropped rapidly, causing a change in the fishery. Species like Australian salmon and trevally have become popular catches. The local beaches have a been a great producer of salmon. Most have been
smaller models but there have been a few salmon up to the 2kg mark, taking anglers by surprise. Bait fishers lately have had the upper hand, producing the better quality better salmon on pieces of pilchard matched up to a paternoster rig and cast in a good looking gutter. Spinning with metal lures has been a good producer too, but has mostly produced the smaller salmon. Still, it’s great fun on light spin tackle. The local shark scene has slowed down with the cold water currents making their way past.
The sheltered water around Lakes Entrance is ideal for the keen angler to do plenty of exploring. The local weed beds are great producers of King George whiting and sand whiting. Bait fishing is one of the best methods, and fresh mussel and peeled prawn are some of the best options. A wellpresented bait is extremely likely to produce, especially with the improved health of the lake system. Metung has been a popular spot lately for many land-based anglers, Shaving Point has been yielding good catches of King
The cooler months are when we see many of the lake’s estuary perch come out of hiding.
George whiting. The same old bait fishing methods have produced the goods. The Metung yacht club has been a good producer of many species, and many anglers have fished around the marina in search of snapper. Since the removal of commercial netting in the Gippsland Lakes, snapper have become a regular catch in the lower lakes, and the size is slowly getting bigger. The odd snapper up 40cm has been caught. Bait fishing with squid and pilchard strips is always a great option, but many anglers have begun to target the snapper around the dock with lures as there a common by catch when chasing bream. Soft plastic minnows and grubs work well but something a lot of anglers don’t use locally is micro jigs, and they’re highly effective, especially on snapper in the lake. LAKE TYERS Lake Tyers has slowly begun to cool off. With the lake being closed off to the sea it does take longer for it to cool down, which makes for a longer summertime fishery. With the water so high the fish have moved up into all the extra cover, and jerkbaits have been a deadly approach around the flooded timber for anglers targeting bream. As the water temperature drops, fish such as bream will slowly begin to make their way out the deeper edges and steeper rocky edges, and soft plastic
Long, slender jerkbaits like the Atomic Jerk Minnow match a lot of the small baitfish in the lake. grubs are a deadly approach when this happens. We are at that time of year when the monster tailor in the lake really make the presence felt. Large hardbodies and silver metal lures trolled behind the boat are an ideal way to find and target the monster greenbacks.
HAVE YOU BEEN FISHING? If you have been out for fish lately and have a great pic, please send it to stevenprykefishing@gmail. com with a short description and you could be featured in an upcoming edition of Fishing Monthly.
Welcome to winter! BEMM RIVER
Robyn Sturgess
Welcome to winter and the official opening of the bream season. This winter we are expecting to see an amazing fishing season. At the time of writing, the entrance remains closed and the water level is high. Reports show that the bream are being caught in the lake on blades, frozen prawns, vibes and soft plastics. The advantage of high water is that more fishing areas are accessible, such as the mouth of Mud Lake, edges of Bobs Bay, Sibiera and Pelican Point. The surf beaches are certainly not disappointing anglers with plenty of salmon and tailor being caught. For anglers wanting sport fishing, the channel has been productive for targeting tailor, with reports of up to 70cm fish being taken. Some anglers have reported catches of perch around the edges of the lake 94
JUNE 2021
Expect decent sized bream this winter.
It’s the unofficial opening of the bream season in Bemm River!
while targeting bream and flathead. Anglers who persist with bait have also been rewarded, along with the lure anglers. Peeled prawns are the favourite choice. There are still plenty of $2,000 tagged fish in the system. Late April saw number 105-tagged fish caught by Mario from the Ormond Angling Club. Congratulations Mario.
Peter McCoy and Tony ‘Bream’ King, from the Bemm River Angling Club did a flying trip to Bemm River late April and caught some nice bream off the fishing platform at the boat ramp, ranging from 37-43cm – well done boys you certainly earned a nice cold beer at the hotel! • So now is the time to plan your winter fishing trip to Bemm River. Give me a call
on 0427584233 – the phone is always in my pocket! • For on the spot and up to date fishing reports check out Robyn’s website: www. bemmaccommodation. com.au or ‘like’ us on Facebook – Bemm River Holiday Accommodation Phone: (03) 5158 4233/ Mob. 0427 584 233 Email: bemmaccomm@ bigpond.com.
VIC
East Coast
Great catches in the lake MALLACOOTA/EDEN
Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com
The town is still busy with plenty of people enjoying everything the town has to offer, and the fishing isn’t letting them down.
the fish keep working the area, and you should end up with a good bag. There are plenty of baitfish around, which is normal at this time of year with the water temperature around 20°C. Once the colder water arrives the action will move to the north.
hooked fish to the boat, so it pays to have a rod with a squid jig rigged so you can catch a good feed. The past month has seen a few big broadbill caught out wide around the canyons, and the coming month should see the southern bluefin make an appearance.
up, trapping numbers of salmon in the lake, because these fish eat everything that moves, including small bream and flathead. The past month has seen some good fishing in the lake, and those anglers who know the lake well have been having a great time. It’s a big system and if you haven’t spent much time fishing here it can be tough. The Bottom Lake has been fishing well, with fish also being caught in the Top Lake and further upstream. The back of Goodwin Sands has fished well for black bream, yellowfin bream and flathead. There are plenty of baitfish schools about, so find the bait and the bigger fish won’t be far behind. Some good size tailor are also being caught, along with silver trevally. When fishing in the deeper water around the schools of bait, a few nice-size pinkie snapper are also being caught. There are plenty of prawns in the lake too, and the next dark will be a good time to chase a feed.
Lachy with a good bream caught on a soft plastic fishing around the bait schools.
Chris Wright with a great kingfish caught on a soft plastic. For those heading offshore there has been some great fishing reported with a good variety of fish being caught. The boat ramp has allowed good access without too much sand building up, so pick your day get out early and you will be amongst the fish. Flathead, both tigers and sandies, are being caught in big numbers. Once you find
Plenty of good size kingfish are about, but they have been a bit hit-and-miss. They’ll be on the bite one day, taking soft plastics and jigs, and then be hard to catch the next. They have frustrated many anglers, who have seen them on the sounder but couldn’t get them to bite. Good numbers of squid are about at the moment. They have been following
Along the local beaches there have been plenty of salmon caught, with fish extracted from the good gutters on all the beaches. Plenty of fish are around the mouth of the lake, moving in and out of the lake with the tides. The lake mouth is really silting up and it will be no surprise to see it close up over the coming months. Hopefully it won’t close
Big bream for brave MARLO
Jim McClymont mcclymont@net-tech.com.au
The winter months are here and the cold weather is coming through in cold fronts all the way from Antarctica, which makes it a bit unpleasant to venture out fishing often. But in saying that, the winter run of bream have already arrived and are in good numbers all the way up the Snowy River to the highway bridge at Orbost. With the bream up here at the town bridge it stands to reason they will also be up the Brodribb River and all the other small streams and creeks that feed the estuary system.
Here in Orbost, young anglers only have to walk downtown to the river where they have been getting good captures of bream up to 42cm and plenty of others not much smaller. There have been other reports of luderick still being caught on the rock groins that surround the islands and the rock groins along the riverbanks. Salmon and tailor are still in good numbers coming into the estuary on the incoming tide and congregating close to the entrance. Best results have come from either trolling or spinning with metal lures. Flathead are still in good numbers along the sand flats that run from
the Marlo Jetty all the way down to French’s Narrows. The surf beaches are fishing great, but with the cold weather and strong wind it makes surf fishing only for anglers who are rigged out for polar fishing. The winter run of big salmon is due and could happen at any time. When the big salmon arrive, anglers have a great time spinning with metal lures and fishing with a surf gear and using bait accompanied with a popper. Fishing offshore from Cape Conran has eased off a bit but anglers have reported getting good captures of flathead, gurnard, barracoota, squid, pinkie snapper, salmon and gummy shark.
Find the bait and the predators won’t be far away. This spot is in the Bottom Lake behind Goodwin Sands.
MARLO
OCEAN VIEWS CARAVAN & CAMPING PARK
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03 5154 8268
• Deluxe cabins • Cabins with ensuite • Budget cabins • Premium ensuite vans • Powered & Unpowered sites • Pet friendly • Boat friendly • Undercover BBQ areas in Marlo Largest park • Large oval • Kitchen • Camp fires • Kiosk the beach Short walk to • Coffee shops
www.marlocamping.com.au JUNE 2021
95
WA
A productive time of year FRESHWATER
Peter Fragomeni
With the start of winter, a lot of trout anglers in other states wind up their trout fishing, but here in the West it can be one of the most productive times to wet a line. Reports have indicated that the northern dams have fished slow for trout, and I can confirm this, with the opening start to my season being well below average. The better fishing has come from the deeper south region however, if one compares it to what was on offer a few decades ago then it could only be classed as poor. The same cannot be said for the redfin fishing as some nice catches have come from all regions, with one river being a standout this year. On the news front,
to see how they progress. Both a river and new dam will receive brown trout, and these are detailed are in
development to stock better suited species in our freshwater impoundments south of Perth. We have a
to deeper lures, with one going 41cm. This water will receive 600 ex-brood rainbow and 120 brown
Shane Owens is a regular contender of the annual Harvey Bash. Here he is honing his skills with a nice early autumn rainbow that survived the summer. He will again compete in October with a bigger prize pool on offer at Harvey. number of waters which, despite constant stocking of thousands of trout each year, remain a wasteland each autumn. The redfin are always ever present in these waters, however the size and fighting abilities are less than favourable. WAROONA DAM I spent a few good days fishing this water with the sole purpose of targeting trout with shallow-running lures. I chose midweek and had the water to myself with only a couple of juniors on kayaks having fun in one of the bays. The water was very low and the surface temperature was 19.3°C with light wind and broken cloud, so perfectly suited for trout fishing. I managed only two trout that were possibly last year’s yearlings of around 25cm, and they were in very poor condition. There was a rainbow caught on fly so a few of the bigger broods have survived the summer months. A number of redfin were caught after changing
trout from 2-3 years. A further 2400 yearling rainbows will also go in, but this won’t be until they are big enough to evade the clutches of the larger redfin and smaller cormorants that reside at this location.
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JUNE 2021
the locations report below. AUSSIE NATIVES Not many reports have come through, with a noticeable trend to stay silent of any captures for obvious reasons. One thing I can report is that there are plans in place to secure waters here in this state by individuals other than the traditional government-backed departments. I’ve heard of some encouraging plans to try to get past the red tape that blocks any future
DRAKESBROOK WEIR It seems a few trout are still being caught but most trout anglers will wait until the annual stocking takes place later in the year. There will be around 200 ex-brood rainbows and around 50 large browns stocked this year. Around
and I believe they will do well with the absence of redfin in this water. HARVEY DAM There were a few trout caught earlier in the year, but things seemed to have slowed down. I spent a number of days on the water trolling and
Redfin have been very active in the Warren River this year.
June sees the start of the stripping season at Pemberton hatchery. Chris Church is busy milking a male rainbow into a bowl of newly stripped eggs. as reported last issue, the Freshwater Fishing Reference Group met in March and as a result some exciting new waters have been established and approved for stocking by Fisheries WA. Waters like Wellington Dam, Preston River, and old waters like Brunswick River and King River in Albany will all get some of the 40,000 rainbow yearlings this year. A few waters will also receive a stocking of brown trout for the first time as a trial just
A nice advanced yearling that put up a great fight on light gear. Gareth Dudley was pleased to get his name on the board with this rainbow.
This redfin fell to a very large StumpJumper trolled on a moonlit night. Although not recent it was a unusual catch as redfin normally don’t feed at night.
1000 yearling rainbows will also be stocked when they reach a suitable size to a avoid predation. Redfin are still being caught, mostly by anglers trolling lures, with the odd one being caught from the bank. LOGUE BROOK DAM I have not fished this water at time of writing, because the traffic on the water has made fishing difficult most weekends. This water will receive brown trout for the first time after many years of deliberation by FFRG (stocking committee). A small number of brown yearlings will be trialled,
fly fishing the banks for negative results. The water was the lowest I’ve seen it, with the old weir wall well exposed. Over 1000 brood rainbows and 6000 rainbow yearlings are allocated, but as with other redfin dams the yearlings will only go in when they attain reasonable size. Approximately 150 large browns will go in if they are available this year. This dam will again host the Harvey Bash in October. A maximum of 100 anglers will compete this year, with entries opening in June. This event will be bigger than ever,
WA
with tagged trout proposed and great prizes. More details will be provided in coming editions. The redfin fishing has
have come through recently of better-than-average trout coming to the net. This dam has improved in recent years even though
Brook Trout ladder and work has been completed. I can remember the hard work I put in with WATFAA (Trout Club) back in the ‘90s carrying out the same repairs, so I take my hat off to those who were involved in the work. Around 2400 yearlings will find their home in the river and I hope some will go into the Brook itself. A trial stocking of brown yearlings will also go in for the first time in many decades. Brunswick River Not many fish it because of very low water flow in summer. It was decided by FFRG to trial 400 rainbow yearlings to see if they will do better than the traditional fry stocking this year. Collie River below Wellington Dam With the irrigation season finished this water doesn’t normally fish that well. A heavier stocking of 2000 rainbow yearlings
The water level at Harvey Dam is so low it’s exposed the old original weir wall. It has also exposed a boating hazard in the way of this pipe that could pose a threat once the water rises. to see how they go in this marginal water. Blackwood River It seems most anglers give this long river a miss, preferring to fish the more reliable waters further south. It normally gets around 3000 rainbow yearlings but this
over them as they seem to be actively working the beat. Simon is a local and helps me out down that way with reports. There’s a particular big brown that refuses to take even the best presented fly. An increase in stocking this year of 2000 yearling
Simon Holland working a nice run in Pemberton. The trout are on the move and like to take up station with the first rains. been quiet with mainly only small fish being caught. The schools that congregate at this time of the year have been hard to locate. WELLINGTON DAM This dam has only redfin, however their numbers seem to be low compared to other waters, with large areas void of any fish at times. There was a push to stock Australian bass and golden perch a few years ago but unfortunately due to the lack of vision and all the red tape regarding translocation laws, it fell on its head. However, if you are a trout angler you will be happy to learn that the approval was given to stock trout into this water. With the extra yearlings available this year there will be 10,000 rainbows stocked for the first time since the late ‘90s when brown trout where stocked. Time will tell if it’s a success and just how well they will do. GLEN MERVYN DAM The dam is very low so only 200 yearlings are allocated this year. Redfin are available if anyone is keen to have a go. NOROLUP DAM Only a tiny dam near Greenbushes, Norolup doesn’t get a lot of attention. It will receive 200 yearlings again this year so it’s worth a visit if you are passing the area. BIG BROOK DAM Some good reports
it carries a big number of redfin. Fly anglers have been doing well early in the morning and late in the afternoon on a variety of fly patterns. Lure fishing is still productive too, even through the day. Around 200 ex-brood rainbows and a moderate 20 large browns will be stocked this year. Around 1600 yearlings are also allocated for this dam. Redfin of decent size have also been caught.
This little rainbow was caught at Waroona Dam in May, presumably from the yearlings stocked in 2020. The redfin have depleted the food chain to the extent that small yearlings just can’t compete. Perhaps we should try stocking only large trout in redfin dams. and around 1000 brown yearlings will be stocked this winter. No ex-brood browns will be stocked this year. Preston River This little river has been in the spotlight but
year it will receive 4000. Warren River The good early rains has seen a good steady flow, and this combined with cool temperatures has the trout fired up through the entire length, with the better areas being the rapids. A good stocking of 3400 rainbow yearlings, which is 1300 more than last year, and a good wet winter should see some great fishing this season. A further stocking of brown yearlings will keep the enthusiasts who target these trout happy also. Lefroy Brook Simon Holland, a well-known fly fisher, has reported some nice little rainbow trout have been coming to the fly. He suggested try floating a fly
It’s every freshwater angler’s dream to land a beautiful brown trout, and fly fishing adds that special magic to the moment. This one was released to fight another day.
PREDICTED DAM LEVELS
These redfin were refusing everything that was offered to them. If this happens to you, then move on as the next school may be more cooperative. RIVERS Murray River Not many reports lately. It was good to hear the WA branch of the Trout Foundation received a grant to repair the Nanga
until now was not on the Fisheries approval list for trout stocking. It is fed by irrigation water from Glen Mervyn Dam so a trial stocking of 600 rainbow yearlings will be available
Overall storage in our public dams that allow recreational activities are currently at 31.8 % compared to 30.6% at the same time last year. Wellington, Glen Mervyn and Harvey Dams are still extremely low however, the early autumn rain has been encouraging. WAROONA DAM DRAKESBROOK WEIR LOGUE BROOK DAM HARVEY DAM WELLINGTON DAM GLEN MERVYN DAM BIG BROOK DAM
rainbows and the usual brown yearlings as well should get things fired up this year. Donnelly River A few trout are showing up around the Highway but if you have a boat or kayak then try both upstream and downstream of Boat Landing as it can be productive at this time of the year. There will be 2400 rainbow yearlings stocked this year, that’s up considerably on last year when it received just 1000. It will also receive brown yearlings as well. ALBANY AREA King River This little water was once a great trout stream but unfortunately stocking was suspended due to a native specie study being undertaken. The great work done by FFRG has now got it back on the stocking
44% 85% 57% 25% 35% 20% 78%
list. Apart from the fry stocking it received back in 2019 it hasn’t had follow up stocking. Well, this year it will get 400 yearling rainbows so should keep the local anglers happy. With all this stocking it’s hoped things will improve in the near future. It’s encouraging to see our Fisheries Department and particularly the staff at the hatchery being proactive with their trout program. Tight lines. JUNE 2021
115
Tournament Calendar 2021 DATE
Tournament
Location
State
Contact
5-6 June
R5 Hobie Fishing Worlds
Mallacoota
VIC
hobiefishing.com.au
5-6 June
2021 13Fishing BASS Pro R4
Cania Dam
QLD
abt.org.au
12-13 June
R6 Hobie Fishing Worlds
Blackwood River
WA
hobiefishing.com.au
12-13 June
2021 Pottsville Beach Sports Greenback
Pottsville
NSW
lionsgreenback.com
13 June
2021 BKK Hooks BASS Electric R4
Maroon Dam
QLD
abt.org.au
13 June
East Coast Bream Series R1
St Georges Basin
NSW
www.wsbb.com.au
19-20 June
R7 Hobie Fishing Worlds
Swan River
WA
hobiefishing.com.au
19-20 June
East Coast Sport Fishing Flathead Pro R5 Nambucca River
NSW
Kris Banks 0407 996 135
19-20 June
Daiwa East Gippsland Bream Classic
Mallacoota
VIC
www.vicbreamclassics.com.au
11 July
2021 BKK Hooks BASS Electric R5
Hinze Dam
QLD
abt.org.au
17-18 July
R8 Hobie Fishing Worlds
Gold Coast
QLD
hobiefishing.com.au
24-25 July
East Coast Sport Fishing Flathead Pro R6 Macleay River
NSW
Kris Banks 0407 996 135
7-8 Aug
2021 13Fishing BASS Pro R5
Somerset Dam
QLD
abt.org.au
11-12 Aug
BREAM Queensland Open
Moreton Bay
QLD
abt.org.au
14-15 Aug
2021 Daiwa BREAM R5
Gold Coast
QLD
abt.org.au
14-15 Aug
East Coast Sport Fishing Flathead Pro GF Nambucca River
NSW
Kris Banks 0407 996 135
15 Aug
East Coast Bream Series R4
Botany Bay
NSW
www.wsbb.com.au
21-22 Aug
2021 BKK Hooks BASS Electric R6
Borumba Dam
QLD
abt.org.au
21-22 Aug
Atomic East Gippsland Bream Classic
Marlo
VIC
www.vicbreamclassics.com.au
11-12 Sept
R9 Hobie Fishing Worlds
Georges River
NSW
hobiefishing.com.au
11-12 Sept
2021 Daiwa BREAM R6
Gladstone
QLD
abt.org.au
12 Sept
East Coast Bream Series R5
Sydney Harbour
NSW
www.wsbb.com.au
13-17 Sept
Venom BARRA Australian Open
Awoonga/Monduran QLD
abt.org.au
18-19 Sept
2021 BKK Hooks BASS Electric GF
Lake Lenthalls
QLD
abt.org.au
2-3 Oct
Humminbird BASS Electric Aus Open
Wyaralong Dam
QLD
abt.org.au
9-10 Oct
R10 Hobie Fishing Worlds
Burrill Lake
NSW
hobiefishing.com.au
9-10 Oct
Club Marine East Gippsland Bream Classic Metung
VIC
www.vicbreamclassics.com.au
15-16 Oct
2021 Zerek BARRA R1
Lake Tinaroo
QLD
abt.org.au
17 Oct
2021 Zerek BARRA R2
Lake Tinaroo
QLD
abt.org.au
17 Oct
East Coast Bream Series GF
Hawkesbury River
NSW
www.wsbb.com.au
26-27 Oct
Rapala BASS Australian Open
Clarence River
NSW
abt.org.au
30-31 Oct
2021 13Fishing BASS Pro GF
Richmond River
NSW
abt.org.au
15 Nov
2021 Zerek BARRA R3
Teemburra Dam
QLD
abt.org.au
16 Nov
2021 Zerek BARRA R4
Kinchant Dam
QLD
abt.org.au
18 Nov
2021 Zerek BARRA R5
Peter Faust Dam
QLD
abt.org.au
20-21 Nov
2021 Zerek BARRA R6
Peter Faust Dam
QLD
abt.org.au
27-28 Nov
NS Rods Sunline Bream Classic GF
Marlo
VIC
www.vicbreamclassics.com.au
2021 Daiwa BREAM GF
Port Stephens
NSW
abt.org.au
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER 3-5 Dec
Add your tournament or competition to this list by emailing jthomas@fishingmonthly.com.au Just supply a date, venue, tournament name, telephone number and contact name. 118
JUNE 2021
WHAT’S NEW DAIWA 21 STEEZ A HLC
1
The Daiwa Steez baitcaster has been elevated to a new level of design and performance in 2021, receiving the HLC (Hyper Long Cast) technology treatment. Daiwa’s HLC reels are highly sought-after in Australia, where long casts presented to finicky and flighty fish can often be the difference between getting a bite and going fishless. The Steez A HLC is equipped with a 36mm diameter HLC Spool, an increased in line capacity from the original Steez A, and a change that will be welcomed by Australian anglers who favour larger line capacity reels. The HLC spool is tuned for long-casting with new Magforce Z Boost braking system specifically designed to give 10-30g lures additional cast distance. The new Steez’s list of new designs and features don’t end there though, with Hyperdrive Design featuring the four key pillars of Hyper Armed Housing: Hyper Tough Clutch, Hyper Double Support and Hyperdrive Digigear to deliver ultimate body and gear strength and refinement, and flawless casting performance and reliability. www.daiwafishing.com.au
MERCURY V12 600HP VERADO
2
The world’s first V12 outboard, the 600hp Verado engine from Mercury features a naturally aspirated, largedisplacement, quadcam powerhead that generates impressive torque to get heavy boats out of the hole and on plane quickly, and to accelerate up to rated speed rapidly. The industry’s first twospeed automatic transmission for an outboard optimises engine rpm according to workload, facilitating powerful acceleration and highly efficient performance at cruise. The industry’s first steerable gearcase on an outboard pivots independently underwater while the engine’s powerhead remains in a spacesaving fixed position. This provides more room for multiengine configurations and a wider steering angle for agile handling. With help from contrarotating propellers, it also has better ‘bite’ in the water for docking and other closequarters manoeuvring. Several enhanced Mercury technologies work in conjunction to enable the V12 Verado outboard to deliver exceptional fuel economy and range. www.mercurymarine.com
ZMAN 3.5” PRO CRAWZ
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Overwhelming demand has seen the addition of the ZMan 3.5” Pro CrawZ, equipping anglers with an upsized version of the popular TRD CrawZ. The bulked up ElaZtech claws are super-buoyant to float up at rest, displaying a crayfish’s natural defensive posture. Anatomical realism includes a tuckedunder tail, bulbous crayfish eyes and natural swimmerets for secondary elements of underwater animation. It’s a dynamite presentation for yellowbelly, Murray cod, barramundi, mangrove jack, flathead, snapper, and basically any large predator that eats crustaceans. This versatile 10X Tough ElaZtech presentation can be jighead rigged or run as a deadly trailer on a spinnerbait, ChatterBait or skirted jig. The 3.5” Pro CrawZ is available in four colours, with three per pack. Price: SRP $12.95 www.z-man.com.au
PRODUCT GUIDE
SUFIX SFX BRAID
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The new SFX braid from Sufix provides anglers with a quality product at an affordable price. This line is built on the same high quality standards of all Sufix products, with Japanese IZANAS fibres for superior strength and extreme abrasion resistance. The super low stretch and sensitivity of SFX will help improve your hookset and feel even the most subtle of takes. SFX Braid comes as either a 4-carrier and 8-carrier braid to suit all fishing conditions. It’s available in 150yd and 300yd spools, and breaking strains range from 6lb to 65lb. Keep an eye out for it at your favourite tackle store. For more news on the latest from Sufix and Rapala, check out the Rapala Australia Facebook page. www.rapala.com
SHIMANO TWIN POWER SW
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Designed to challenge the impossible, the Shimano Twin Power SW is stronger and more durable than ever across six models – 4000XG, 5000XG, 6000XG, 8000PG, 10000PG and 14000XG. The inclusion of Infinity Drive reduces handle rotation torque by a maximum of 30% when compared to the previous series. This is achieved by increasing the pinion gear support and applying special skid coating which makes the reel lighter to turn and more powerful. To improve drag performance, the Heat Sink Drag system features in the 10000 and 14000 sizes to reduce the amount of heat transferred to the drag washers and line during the fight via the spool’s insulated plate. With superior saltwater durability being a must, the X-Protect seal and labyrinth structure has been employed to repel water intrusion. By including this in the line roller and clutch assembly, the mechanism is 10 times more durable according to Shimano internal tests. Combining the best in technology on offer by Shimano, this series still includes Hagane Body, Hagane Gear, X-Rigid Rotor, AR-C spool, EI Surface Treatment, and 10 ball bearings and a massive 25kg of drag power in the 8000, 10000 and 14000 sizes. Price: SRP $739-$899 www.shimanofish.com.au
SIMRAD RS100 VHF
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
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The new Simrad RS100 and RS100-B are modular VHF systems that are expandable up to eight handsets (four wired and four wireless) and four external speakers. The wireless handsets duplicate the radio display and controls on easy-to-read screens viewable under all lighting conditions. All primary functions are accessible from the handset with channel scan and favourites, alphanumeric keypad, clear audio, handset station naming and 60-second audio rewind. And with inductive charging, you are only a push of a button away from staying in touch, no matter where you are on the boat. The RS100-B system features a Class-B AIS receiver and transmitter, allowing users to see and be seen by other vessels with AIS equipment. The Class D DSC approved radio can make and receive DSC distress signals including current position, and supports direct calling to other DSC-equipped radios. A dual-channel watch enables monitoring of the current channel and emergency channel 16. A record and replay feature ensures important calls are never missed. www.simrad-yachting.com
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visit www.tacklejunkie.fish for the latest tackle news - AS IT HAPPENS!
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JUNE 2021
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BASS SERIES presented by
Banks, Bassman and Blades win at Clarence Coffs Harbour’s Kris Banks certainly put in the work to earn what would be his first ABT BASS Pro win. Taking full advantage of the pre-fishing period and taking the time to keep a close eye on river flows and clarity after the flooding a month before, Banks basically locked in his location before even casting a line during the practice day. “Before the pre-fishing ban, I’d spent a lot of the time fishing some of the lower stretches of the river, putting in at Brushgrove before work,” Kris said.
Coffs Harbour’s Kris Banks benefitted from the hard work he put in before the Bassman round of the 13 Fishing BASS Pro series on the Clarence.
A string of quality bass caught upstream of Grafton gave Banks an average weight of 1.3kg. The Clarence fished incredibly well post-flood. However, at the end of the day it was the far upstream reaches of the main Clarence River that yielded most of his fish on the tournament weekend. “I drove up to Copmanhurst on the Thursday before the event to have a look at the water colour and Scan the QR code to watch the Winner Interview
decided that’s where I wanted to be,” he continued. And ultimately, it was a single, massive riverbank snag that yielded most of Banks’ weight and lasted the duration of the event. Milking it for everything it was worth with beetle spins, Bassman
spinnerbaits and blades, it gave him two 5kg+ bags and a 55g win over runner up Brian Everingham. Each day Banks fished topwater early, but with limited success. On the Saturday, he teamed with non-boater and MO Tackle employee Cameron Hall to fill the bag quickly on smaller beetle spin rigs. “The bigger fish were eating the spinnerbait, though, and we could see them swimming in and out of the snags on the Garmin Livescope all day,” Banks said. “For the last six months I have been using it as a really effective fishing tool. For the first six months you own one of these sounders, you’re just watching the screen all day, but when you start seeing how fish react to different baits, that’s when you can really use
BOATER RESULTS Place Angler 1 Kris Banks 2 Brian Everingham 3 Dylan Walsh 4 Mike Nelson 5 Dane Pryce 6 Lloyd Brown 7 Kris Hickson 8 Joseph Urquhart 9 Matthew Langford 10 Craig Simmons 120
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Fish 8/8 8/8 8/8 7/8 8/8 8/8 8/8 8/8 8/8 8/8
it to your advantage.” Banks threw a Bassman TW spinnerbait with tandem silver/black blades and the factory stinger hook on an Abu Villain rod and Revo MGX reel spooled with 14lb Daiwa J-Braid and 14lb Sunline FC Rock leader. When he had to drop to a more finesse presentation, he opted for a red/black Vex 42mm blade on a Daiwa TD Hyper 1-3kg rod and Daiwa Crossfire LT reel. Banks had the patience to keep returning to the snag time after time because of the active fish he saw on it with his Garmin Livescope. Banks finished day one with a 4/4, 5.57kg bag, and on day two he amassed a 4/4, 5.11kg bag. You can see the
on-the water highlights for both days of the competition by scanning the QR codes hereby. $3,250 richer, the novelty cheque was last seen with his patient wife. Scan the QR code to watch the Non-boater Winner Interview
EVERINGHAM ON THE OTHER SIDE OF A CLOSE CONTEST Taree’s Brian Everingham, who famously defeated Joey Urquhart to win a $60,000 boat in the 2017 BASS Pro Grand Final, finally got to see the
Taree’s Brian Everingham started and finished the Sunday session in second place. He fell 55g short of the win. Full results at abt.org.au
Weight(kg) 10.680kg 10.625kg 9.500kg 9.000kg 8.815kg 8.715kg 8.665kg 8.565kg 8.500kg 8.315kg
Payout $3,000 + $250 Merc Bonus $1,500 + $125 Merc Bonus $1,300 + $75 Merc Bonus $1,100 $900 $800 $700 $600 $600
BASS SERIES presented by other side of the equation, with his Sunday bag falling agonisingly short at the denouement of the weigh-in. Leaving in second position on the Sunday session, he fell 55g short – 2oz in the American terms, or 11 teaspoons-full of water. And he did it in the BassCat Mercury combo that he won at that event. Learning his craft on another big river – the Manning – Brian knew that the prespawn fish would love the big, midwater structure that Rogans Bridge would provide. Starting on that structure every day, Everingham use a two-jig combo, depending on what cast he needed to make. Around the pylons he used a Lew’s medium actioned 7” LWWS baitcast rod with a Lew’s Inshore reel, 14lb Daiwa J-Braid and a 15lb Sunline FC Rock leader. He matched that combo with a 5/16oz (9g) Molix jig in chartreuse/green.
It was real team effort with Everingham focussing on a jig and Hatton intentionally throwing something else. “On the second day it was totally different,” Hatton said. “We caught a lot of fish on a 1/8oz jighead and 2 1/2” Keitech soft plastic fished on Scan the QR code to watch the Day 2 Highlights
his 13 Fishing OMEN spin rod and Daiwa Exceler LT reel. “The reel was a gift from the son-in-law (Tim Oakley),” he proudly concluded,” and I’d recommend this tournament fishing to anyone – it’s a great weekend away.”
Hatton fished with Craig Simmons on the Sunday, catching a mountain of bass in a champagne session. Scan the QR code to watch the Day 1 Highlights
Fishing with Brian Everingham on Day 1 and Craig Simmons on Day 2, Kelvin experienced two different styles of bass fishing and had to use a variety of presentations to put fish in the boat. “I caught a few big fish on the first day,” he said. “The first was on a Woppa Ploppa that I usually use in Glenbawn and the others I caught on a Bassman Spinnerbait, initially a Carl’s Compact and later on with a regular chartreuse/ white model fished as deep as I could.”
Macksville’s Michael Goodwin bagged the VMC Big Bass from the back of the boat, weighing 2.03kg.
VMC BIG BASS
Narrabri’s Kelvin Hatton reckons that this tournament fishing gig is pretty awesome. He was last seen getting his ‘Champion Box’ from KFC on the way home. After the bridge action slowed down he moved to a rotation of a dozen snags that he had sounded before the pre-fishing ban and skipped them into the structure with a spinning outfit. He fished a 3/16oz Molix in black/blue on a Lew’s Docksniper 6’11” rod and Lew’s TP300 spin reel loaded with 8lb J-Braid and the same 15lb leader. Both of the jigs he fished with a 3” Gulp! Minnow Grub trailer in black. “They love the stink of it,” he said. Boating around 15 legal
fish on the first day, the action slowed a little on the Sunday, landing eight bass and upgrading twice. “It’s an easy retrieve… just drag it slowly along the bottom,” Brian said. It ended up being simple and very effective. HATTON CATCHES FIRST FLATHEAD Narrabri’s Kelvin Hatton experienced several firsts on the Clarence. It was the first time he’d fished a river, the first time he’d won an ABT event as a non-boater, and he caught his first ever flathead.
Michael Goodwin, fishing from the back of Dylan Walsh’s boat on Day 1 landed the VMC Big Bass of the event. It ate a 42mm Vex Bread N Butter blade in brown colour with a Vex assist hook set added on the back.
NON- BOATER RESULTS Place Angler 1 Kelvin Hatton 2 Jayson de-Forrest-Haddleton 3 James Browning 4 Shane Richards 5 Michael Goodwin 6 Tony Neal 7 Adam Wilson 8 Heath Kimber 9 Jason Sheehan 10 Damien Kratz
Fish 8/8 8/8 8/8 6/8 8/8 8/8 8/8 8/8 7/8 8/8
Full results at abt.org.au
Weight(kg) 11.100kg 9.520kg 9.160kg 9.115kg 8.355kg 8.240kg 8.225kg 8.150kg 7.925kg 7.840kg
Payout Bassman Pack EJ Todd Pack Daiwa Pack + Exceler Reel ProLure Pack Maui Jim Pack + $500 Big Bass Sufix Pack Keitech Pack Tackle Tactics Pack Molix Pack VMC Pack JUNE 2021
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BREAM SERIES presented by
Colotouros on major roll at Forster BREAM We have seen many anglers capitalise on their ‘fishing momentum’ over the years. Others call it being ‘on a roll’. However you describe it, Michael Colotouros is on one at the moment and it earned him another $4,250 and another trophy for the mantelpiece at Forster in the Daiwa round of the Daiwa BREAM Series. Over the two days, Michael fished Forster’s plentiful oyster racks and dropped two, 3kg+ bags onto the scales. And although he wasn’t leading after day one, he easily outdistanced a fast finishing Ryland Sainsbury by around 300g while Saturday leader Mark Healey dropped to fourth. Here’s how he did it. Day 1: 5/5, 3.77kg; Day 2: 5/5, 3.18kg. Micheal’s experience at Forster dates back to his days as a non-boater,
towards the boat. When I went to net it, I dropped the net into the water and nearly went in trying to grab it. My non boater grabbed me and I managed to net the fish backhand.” When you’re on a roll, those things always seem to end up in your favour. Scan the QR code to watch the Winner Interview
Michael Colotouros kept his 2021 BREAM roll going at Forster, pocketing $4,250 for the weekend and racking up his first ABT BREAM Qualifier win to add to the Daiwa BREAM Australian Open trophy he won earlier in the year. bolted out and actually swam out of the rack. I leant on it and it changed direction and came back
Micheal used a stout Daiwa Luvias rod matched with a Daiwa Certate 2500 reel, 12lb braided line and 10lb fluorocarbon leader. “Every rack looks good at Forster but not all of them fish that well,” Colotouros continued, “I have a set that I have fished for the last five or so years and there is good water depth to it. Some of them can be too shallow and you’re in the weed as soon as your lure lands.” He also added that he looks for dirtier water than usual to help the fish
Ryland Sainsbury has recently made the move to the front of the boat and his second placing makes the statement that he belongs up there! He landed most of his fish in Wallis Lake. fishing with the likes of Ian Miller. “Ian gave me some valuable advice when it came to catching bream in the racks at Forster. He said that they like eating bloodworm coloured soft plastics the best,” Micheal said. Michael used a
Scan the QR code to watch the Non- Boater Winner Interview
combination of Bloodworm 65mm Squidgy Wrigglers and Daiwa BaitJunkie Bloodworm Grubs to fill
his bags over the two days. His day one bag also included what ended up being the Yolo-Tek Big Bream – a 1.29kg fish that ate the BaitJunkie. “That big fish was epic,” Michael explained, “I cast between the racks at the end of a run – it was a suicide cast – but the bream
BOATER RESULTS Place Angler 1 Michael Colotouros 2 Ryland Sainsbury 3 Tom Slater 4 Mark Healey 5 Russell Babekuhl 6 Grant Manusu 7 Kris Hickson 8 Tim Vickers 9 Mark Crompton 10 Jason Mayberry 122
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Fish 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10
Stuart Walker reckons that he’s moving back to New Zealand. After his 10th win from the back of the boat, the greatest non-boater of all time in BREAM will not be missed by his fellow competitors!
Full results at abt.org.au
Weight(kg) Payout 6.950 $3,500 + $500 Big Bream + $250 Merc Bonus 6.595 $2,200 + $125 Merc Bonus 6.585 $1,200 6.515 $1,000 6.365 $900 + $75 Merc Bonus 5.925 $800 5.890 $700 5.645 $600 5.630 $600 5.490 $500
BREAM SERIES presented by commit to biting. At the terminal end of the rig he used a 1/16oz TT HWS jighead with a #1H hook and a combination of plastic grubs – leaning towards the BaitJunkies as the weekend went on. “I committed to the racks and I reckon I went through 10 packs of baits and around 50 jigheads for the weekend,” he concluded. BIG FISH Michael added $500 to his final payout by collecting the YoloTek Big Bream with a 1.29kg beast that he wrestled from an oyster rack. SAINSBURY STEPS UP INTO SECOND Being mentored in the ways of Forster by anglers like Russell Babekuhl and Kris Hickson, Ryland Sainsbury put it all together on the weekend to finish in his highest position as a boater in an ABT BREAM event. He added nearly 3.8kg to his Saturday 2.8kg bag to beat third-placed Tom Slater by 10g. And he did it with a solid game plan that he refined as the event proceeded. “I decided to start in the lake each morning because I didn’t like the tides for rack fishing. It was basically a big low tide at the start and a high tide towards the end of the session,” he said. Scan the QR code to watch the Day 1 Highlights
He spent around 7 hours out on the lake on the practice day to refine a location and pattern – focusing on shallow water (2-3ft) that was covered in ribbon weed. “I found out that the bream were right up on top of the shallow water and not off the sides where they can sit at times, so it was all about a shallow, weedy water presentation,” Sainsbury said. Ryland used a Juro Firebait Longtail Minnow in green and a Hurricane Sprat 65 when the Firebaits ran out. He rigged both on a 1/28oz Hidden Weight System TT jighead on a #1 hook. This would sink slowly enough to use like
Apart from his ever faithful ZMan Grubs in motor oil colour, he used a bright OSP Bent Minnow and a brown Suji coloured Jackall Chubby to land important bites. “I use a long leader, around 4m,” Walker explained while showing his outfit to the camera for the winner’s interview (you can watch this by scanning Scan the QR code to watch the Day 2 Highlights
It’s Stuart Walker’s consistency that makes him so effective. He always seems to be able to catch a five-fish limit, regardless of the arena. a jerkbait in the lake where hardbodied lures were hindered by an excess of floating weed. He fished them on a 7’4” Abu Revo KRX rod and Revo MGX 20 sizes reel with 4lb Berkley X9 braid and 6lb Daiwa J-Thread leader. “Each day there was a real bite window between around 8:30am and 10:30am – about the same time as the moon hit the hills. I made sure I was on my prime spot at these times,” he continued. And although Ryland didn’t fill his limit in the lake on the Saturday (he had to go to the racks and throw Gulp! Crabbies and Ecogearaquas to do that), he did that and more on the Sunday, adding an important 39cm fork length kicker in the process. And with that, he beat his mentors Babekuhl (5th) and Hickson (7th)…something he’d only dreamt of doing when the event started. WALKER NOTCHES UP DOUBLE-FIGURE WIN We call him the GOAT from the back of the boat – which means Greatest Of All Time if you’re not familiar with the acronym. Stuart Walker notched up his 10th non-boater title at Forster and set himself a timetable for his return to New Zealand.
And despite how nice a guy Stuart is, there’ll be plenty of co-anglers happy to see him go back to his homeland! One of only two
YOLOTEK BIG BREAM
Michael added $500 to his final payout by collecting the YoloTek Big Bream with a 1.29kg beast that he wrestled from an oyster rack.
NON- BOATER RESULTS Place Angler 1 Stuart Walker 2 Jason Harlock 3 Dallas Blatchford 4 Jake Aitken 5 Cameron Hall 6 Louie Wardini 7 Sam Peck 8 Jordan Armstrong 9 Mark Pedersen 10 Ryan Honeybrook
Fish 10/10 10/10 6/10 8/10 8/10 6/10 5/10 6/10 6/10 6/10
non-boaters to catch a full limit of 10 fish over the two days, Walker used his now-famous Daiwa SilverWolf bream outfits to get the job done.
the QR cover hereby), “and I think that this helps get finicky fish to bite. “Although the topwater bite was pretty good in the morning on day two, I switched to the crankbait when it slowed down, which kept the bream biting.” Walker explained that he only has another two events to fish before he departs. You can bet that he’ll be doing his best to add title 11 and 12 before the end of the St Georges Basin event!
Full results at abt.org.au
Weight(kg) 5.195 5.045 4.280 3.820 3.420 2.980 2.820 2.680 2.665 2.660
Payout Daiwa Pack + Sol III Reel Costa Pack Daiwa and Samaki Pack Daiwa BaitJunkie Pack ProLure Pack Sufix/VMC Pack Cranka Pack EJ Todds Pack Ecogear Pack Keitech Pack JUNE 2021
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Mitsubishi Triton GSR BRISBANE
Wayne Kampe
Mitsubishi have put together a pretty neat package of bells and whistles in the their new flagship, the GSR, and all three versions have replaced the popular GLS Premium.
ADEQUATE POWER I tested the GSR (all are autos) powered by a 4-cylinder 2.4L turbo diesel engine (133kW, 430Nm) linked to a 6-speed auto box. The power/transmission setup was adequate rather than awesome. However, with a kerb weight of 2045kg and an 855kg payload the engine performed well,
leather seats with contrasting red trim, dual-zone climate controlled air with a fan to keep back seat passengers cool, push button start, Apple Car Play, Android Auto, and digital radio. There are also two USB ports, both front and rear, and two 12V sockets up front. The driver is spoiled in some respects as the Triton is one of the few utes equipped with height and reach adjustable steering. With full electronic adjustment of the seat I found it very easy to become comfortable for a fair stint behind the wheel. Lastly, although the Triton’s auto gear shifter was unobtrusive in use, Mitsubishi
At the time, the Triton’s enhanced body shape was an original, unique design. Don’t look now but several competitors are adopting similar styling. it has an uncanny ability to reveal suspension flaws and steering issues. The corrugations and pot holes are the central issue, and when travelling at even a modest speed some pretty serious bump steering will soon show up if the suspension and steering are not set up correctly. I have seen some very pricy packages reduced to decreasing forward
A well set out dash lay out is a Triton GSR feature, and all controls are easily identified and managed while behind the wheel. The Triton underwent a highly-acclaimed revamp and facelift some time back, and now in 2021 there’s new eye candy in the form of sporty looks, thanks to plenty of black accents, setting the GSR apart from siblings. There’s a bold midnight black grille, along with black alloys, door handles, roof, side steps, sports bar and rear bumper. Additionally, the new model offers no less than three rear tray covers to add interest, and also boasts advanced safety tech. And Triton’s Super Select II is a real game changer, because you can engage 4x4 mode (via a console rotary dial) on the fly on formed road surfaces – a feature not available on any other similar ute in our country, which limits rivals to 4x4 mode only on gravel, sand or snow to avoid gear box damage. For those of us putting the GSR to work rather than play, a tub liner with ample tiedown points is part of the deal, although – unlike the top shelf Ford Rangers and Toyota’s Hilux – a GSR Triton is not blessed with a standard tow bar. Interestingly, towing capacity remains at 3100kg, with most rivals stated as 3500kg, which will see the Triton towing plenty of boats but maybe not the larger caravans. The Triton’s vital stats of engine, suspension and transmission remain the same as the GLS Premium. The GLS Premium was widely acclaimed and sold many units for Mitsubishi, so if it worked for that model, why not this one? 128
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easily holding the Triton on the money from traffic light starts and in the cut and thrust of suburban traffic. The Triton just as easily passed the towing test; with my 1.2-tonne boat on the tow bar, it didn’t struggle at any stage. SAFETY AND CONVENIENCE All three of the GSR variants (only differentiated by choice of the rear tub
The Triton towed the author’s boat with ease. The 2.4L diesel engine and gear box combination were well matched.
As befitting a top of the range model, the GSR featured highlighted stitching on the steering wheel. In this photo you can see a portion of the left side manual gear change paddle above the wheel-mounted audio controls. cover) are equipped with seven air bags, 360° camera, autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, blind spot warning and rear cross traffic alert. I really liked the latter feature as it saved a ding in a car park! The Triton lacks radar cruise control, digital speedometer, and speed recognition features, which some rivals do offer. Would that prevent a sale? Probably not, when we look at the cost savings with the Triton! When it comes to creature comforts, there are plush
the tuning and re-tuning of the Triton’s suspension over recent years has paid dividends, so while the leaf spring set-up might still register some bumps on rough surfaces, the overall package certainly impressed me. During the country run, which did involve some paddock crawling, I averaged 10.4L per 100km, which is
still like to provide override paddles for manual gear selection in premium models, so the GSR naturally has paddles as well. A COUNTRY DRIVE With a few days available for a Triton test drive I packed the roller slideequipped tub with fishing and camping equipment and headed to the New England area in pursuit of cod on fly. (For the record I did land two, and lost another: the river was in flood and the fishing was tough!) Behind the wheel I found
the Triton an easy ute to drive, holding position in a chosen lane very easily, and the marriage of 2.4L diesel engine and 6-speed auto shifter a very happy one, with a run up Cunningham’s Gap a breeze. The highway drive into the ranges was just as enjoyable. My favourite fishing area has a 16km section of pot holed and corrugated gravel road to keep low-slung sedans and their ilk at a much reduced speed, and the hapless driver on the edge of the seat. Over the past 30 years I have travelled this road with many utes, larger SUVs and 4x4 wagons, and
Models within the top-shelf GSR range differ only in the cover arrangement on the rear tub. movement with old Kampey trying to keep the table drain at a distance as the steering wheel vibrates and the vehicle bounces sideways across the road. For the record, the Triton certainly revealed its work ute heritage in that bumps were mildly felt but bump steering never occurred at any speed. In my view,
The Triton made easy work of travelling off the beaten track.
quite fair in my opinion. OVERVIEW Yes, the Triton is maybe not quite so modern as some, with the engine/transmission unchanged for several years. However, it’s still a very easy drive with enough tech, safety, and comfort features to demand serious consideration by a buyer. But it’s value for money that’s the biggest drawcard, with the GSR model having a massive price advantage (i.e. thousands of dollars) over its rivals such as the top-shelf Isuzu D-Max, Hilux SR5 and Ford Ranger Wildtrak. The warranty is set at 5 years/100,000km regardless of service history. If the service is carried out within their dealer network the warranty effectively doubles, according to Mitsubishi. In all, The GSR Triton is well worth considering if you’re in the market for a well put together ute.
ADVERTORIAL
Tony is stoked with his repower choice. Tony Bygrave is a pretty cool dude, who we met when we were shooting a story for Mercury Marine. The local dealer (Whitsunday Outboard Centre) was impressed with the quality of the renovation and the performance of his rig, so we had to go and check it out. I mean, who wouldn’t want to go to the Whitsundays to take a ride in a neat boat in a great part of the world? The weather didn’t agree with the plan though, with a calm week finishing with a southerly buster the day before we drove into town. Regardless, we got to chat to Tony about his rig, his renovation and his repower. It’s just that we wouldn’t be doing it while getting our arms stretched on the Great Barrier Reef. Them’s the breaks. Like so many stories of the old dead boat coming to life again, it started with a boat that was 50/50 as to whether it would find a buyer or go to the dump. “It’s an early 70s model Haines Hunter V19 that was one of the first of the first, and I picked it up as a wrecked shell,” Tony said. “After two years and a lot of itching and a lot of grinding and converting it to a centre-console, we got it done.” In the Whitsundays, Tony’s boat is asked to do a lot. It
Tony’s standard day heading out to the reef involves departing Airlie Beach at 3 or 4 in the morning and blasting out the 80 or so kilometres it takes to reach the closest part. “I have quite a few jigging marks for when the light is low early in the morning so I’ll usually hit them while the light is still low,” Tony said. “I’ll jig for red emperor and nannygai until the sun gets high enough for topwater fishing. That’s my thing. As soon the sun is high enough I’m straight up into the shallows. That’s why I go to the reef, to sight cast big fish in shallow water.” Making a real difference to Tony’s trips is the economy that his boat now gets at speed. “I used to sit on 26-27 knots and get 1.6km/L with an absolute best at around 1.7. Any speed over that and the fuel usage would really start creeping up. This thing here [the Mercury], at 30-32 knots I’m getting 2.1km/L but even up to 40 knots I’m getting 1.9 and wide open throttle I’m getting around 1.6km/L,” Tony reports. This means that he’s using less fuel while cruising faster. Effectively, this means that he can spend less time travelling and spend less on fuel – or get more fishing time. He said that he can now get an extra 90 minutes at the reef.
V-6 200hp 4-stroke performance RPM 2000 3000 3500 4000 4500
Speed (km/h) 15 37 46 56 67
Economy (km/L) 1.1 1.7 2.0 2.0 1.9
“ In my opinion it schools everything else in the 200hp class, and both the power and economy have blown me away.
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Tony Bygrave
Before and after. That’s what a couple of years of itching and grinding gets you. might be chasing barra in a lake one day, inching through water on an island flat the next, and then blasting out to the reef on the calmer days. When you think about it, it’s a great problem to have. “When I finished the rig, money was a bit tight of course, so I fitted an old 225hp 4-stroke,” he continued. “It was a great engine, but old technology. It was very heavy and thirsty on fuel. Eventually, when I was able to upgrade I researched everything on the market and I thought that the new Mercury V6 and V8 platforms would be perfect.” So in 2020, the V-6 200hp Mercury 4-stroke went on. It was around 50kg lighter that his older 4-stroke, and the 3.4L capacity puts out plenty of power. “In my opinion it schools everything else in the 200hp class, and both the power and economy have blown me away,” Tony said. The local dealer, Whitsunday Outboard Centre, supplied and fitted the outboard for the project. Owner, Mark McNally weighed in. “Tony really put a lot of love into that boat, and when he published the figures that he was getting with the new Mercury on that hull – especially on the Old School Haines page on Facebook – it turns some heads,” Mark said.
Scan the QR code to learn more about Tony Bygrave from Airlie Beach and his amazingly restored Haines Hunter V19 and the new 200HP V6 Mercury 4-stroke that powers it.
The Haines was converted to a centre console from the original side console.
There’s no doubting that the V6 looks like a mean motor.
TORQUE AND ADAPTIVE SPEED CONTROL “The other thing I like about this motor is the torque,” Tony said. “I started with a 19” pitch propeller but I’ve since changed to a 20”, which drops my revs down at cruising speed.” He also explained how Mercury’s Adaptive Speed Control has helped him – especially on the long runs back from the reef when it blows up from the north. Adaptive Speed Control uses the brains of the motor to keep the RPM the same, no matter what the load is on the engine. “I used to be constantly on and off the throttle with the old motor... but with the new engine I can just set and forget the throttle and keep two hands on the steering wheel. Or one on the wheel and the other on the grab rail. It’s a great safety feature,” Tony said. “It also means you get better economy because you’re not constantly on and off the throttle tweaking it. You just set it and off you go.” QUIET Tony also explained that his rig is now so quiet that he’ll just leave the motor running when he’s fishing a reef bommie. When he hooks a big GT in heavy country, even with the electric motor down he can punch the throttle and help to drag the fish out of the nasty stuff. “It’s really invaluable for the fishing we do here,” he concluded. “They’re more than just boats, you know.” That we do. Thanks for taking us on a tour of your rig, Tony! For more angles on how the boat was finished, you can watch the video of the repower at the QR code that you can scan hereby.
Top: There’s not much left of the original shell. Above: This rig turns some serious heads at the Airlie Beach ramp.
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