Fishing Monthly Magazine | May 2024 by Fishing Monthly

• LURE EVOLUTION • ROCK FISHING REFRESHER • LOCATION SPOTLIGHT

Neil Slater highlights the offerings of beautiful Bellarine

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Features

Spotlight: Bellarine Peninsula • Evolution of lure fishing • Rock fishing refresher • Tested: Quintrex 460 Renegade • Local area reports •

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From the Editor’s Desk... Deep down, we all seem to be tackle junkies. Let me explain. For the last 30 years, I’ve spent my time creating, assembling and publishing media for the fishing and boating industries. This used to be photography, written articles and seminars, but recently has expanded to include video production, events and livestreaming. I’ve literally invested millions of dollars over decades getting a read on what anglers and boaties want and how to deliver that to them. It’s been a

success with some bumps in the road. But we’re still doing what we do. One of the things I have learned to do is to livestream from my boat during fishing events. It’s really popular – usually 1,000+ people will join me on and off throughout the day and spend around 30 minutes on average watching what’s going on. Sometimes it’s red hot action, but often it’s like watching paint dry. However, it’s all about the techniques and on water experiences that might be able to help you next time

you’re on the water. I get the same response and excitement from a new segment I do on a Friday (called Tackle Fridays on the Steve Morgan YouTube and Facebook channels). This takes a phone, 30 minutes and we just talk about tackle that makes its way into the office. I’m glad y’all love it, but I’m kind of frustrated that the tools are just as interesting as the technique! I’m not fighting it anymore. If we’re all tackle junkies, I’m going to embrace it. Tackle Fridays are here to stay!

INSIDE This Issue

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New England Rivers

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Esperance

Bunbury

Augusta

Metro

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Hunter Valley

Gold Coast

Batlow

Brisbane

Albury/Wodonga

Northern Bay

Canberra

Noosa

Bundaberg

VICTORIA

Lancelin

Mackay

Portland

Exmouth

Townsville

Warrnambool

Karratha

Hinchinbrook

Cobden

Freshwater

Cairns

Port Douglas

Geelong

Cooktown

Port Phillip

REGULAR FEATURES

Cape York

Lakes Entrance

Spotlight: Bellarine

Freshwater

Port Albert

Evolution of lure fishing

Gippsland Lakes

Marlo

Rock fishing refresher

Mallacoota

Phases of the moon

Robinvale

Sheik of the Creek

Yarrawonga

What’s New Fishing

Fun page

Trades and Services

101

Tournaments

102

Tournament calendar

103

Quintrex 460 Renegade

108

Tide page

110

NEW SOUTH WALES 52

Sydney South

Coffs Coast

South West Rocks

Bendigo

Forster

Wangaratta

Port Macquarie

Shepparton

Port Stephens

Ballarat

Swansea

Gippsland Freshwater

Central Coast

Eildon

Illawarra

Crater Lakes

Batemans Bay

Bermagui

TASMANIA

Tathra

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All material is © copyright, and cannot be reproduced in part or in full, by any means, without written permission of the Managing Editor. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher.

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FISHING MONTHLY MAGAZINE PUBLISHED MAY 2024

ISSUE: VOLUME 5 NO. 1

The Tweed

6 MAY 2024

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Brendan Power with a stud flametailed snapper caught off Brisbane on the Wilson Electric Assist Combo. A Stephen Booth image.

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FEATURE

Location

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Spotlight on the Bellarine Peninsula GEELONG

Neil Slater slaterfish@gmail.com

The Bellarine Peninsula is home to a superb variety of fish. They turn on and off throughout the seasons but there’s always something on the bite. The big drawcards for the area are snapper and whiting, but calamari, flathead, salmon, garfish all offer their services and the kingfish numbers have been increasing every year. The Bellarine is sprinkled with caravan parks and boat ramps so wherever you decide to stay, you’re sure to be in with a chance at something decent. The inner harbour of Corio Bay (west of Point Henry) has a lot going on. Land based options are plentiful with Geelong waterfront a popular destination for soft plastic enthusiasts. Wangim Walk is the wave attenuator on the waterfront that gives anglers access to deep water. The

primary targets here are snapper and flathead but salmon can turn up at any time with mayhem to follow. Nearby, Cunningham Pier attracts snotty trevally in the cooler months, which also attracts a crowd. They’ll take small soft plastics, raw chicken, pilchards and pipis. North Shore rocks and Lascelles Jetty offer deep water access and are very popular with snapper anglers October to December where solid snapper approaching 7kg can be caught. St Helens and Mackey St breakwall are very popular. There are artificial reefs within casting distance at St Helens, a solid rock wall and the ability to sit in your car and watch the rods. Best possie is next to North Shore for land-based snapper plus gars and flathead. Griffins Gully jetty extends over grass beds and yields flathead, garfish and the occasional salmon. Snapper and whiting are caught here as well but with less regularity.

Salmon will gobble just about anything in front of them when they’re angry. 8 MAY 2024

King George whiting, pinkie snapper, flathead and even the odd kingfish can be caught from Limeburners rock wall with dawn and dusk your best option. Small boats and kayaks can safely be launched at Limeburners or from the beach at Point Henry, which gives small boat operators good access to snapper, salmon and garfish in the right conditions. Clifton Springs jetty holds good numbers of garfish and squid while after dark is your best option at a whiting or two. Portarlington and St Leonards jetties have been famous for snapper and with good reason. Their peak is definitely October to December and those fishing after dark have caught solid fish to 5kg. Boaties can stalk salmon schools around the inner harbour or their favourite hangout at Point Henry and Alcoa Pier. Snapper congregate in and around Corio Quay throughout the colder months. The warmer months can see an increase in numbers and schools tend to show up along the shipping channel and over the spoil grounds. Clifton Springs and Portarlington are the snapper capital from around mid-October to the end of December. This is the best time of year to nab a larger fish over 5kg. The best fish are up around 10kg, while 7kg fish are not out of the question. Best baits include squid, pilchards or any fish bait, especially silver whiting and red rockets. Snapper seem to bite best on tide changes around dawn and dusk for those anchored with bait while drifting with soft plastics over a spoil ground can get snapper on any tide. St Leonards and Indented Head are famous for their fast water whiting

Above: Solid gummies are available off St Leonards at the 20m mark. Main photo: Salmon and mahimahi going nuts just off Portarlington. grounds. As mentioned in my last article on whiting, use a 1m+ leader in the fast water and short 20cm leader where the tidal flow is minimal such as Clifton Springs. Pick a sandy patch in amongst a few weedy patches and you’ll be in with a good shot. Top baits include pipi, mussel and squid. And remember, if you don’t get any in 15-30 minutes, move and keep moving until you find them. If you head out further off St Leonards and indented Head, you’ll find flathead in 15m and gummy sharks out in 20m. Drifting for flatties here is a longtime tradition for those after a feed of these tasty critters. Be prepared to wade through a lot of smaller fish before you find a few up to or over 40cm though as

Location FEATURE

FMM

Kingfish are increasing in numbers and size around Queenscliff. the place can be carpeted with small fish. Gummies are a bit of a waiting game. Use big fish or squid baits with quality hooks tied to a 20kg leader. Drifting is just as effective as anchoring and berley. Switched on anglers will use their depth sounder to locate schools of snapper around October to December here as well. Calamari are as thick as any species from Point Henry to Queenscliff and the same tactics can be used right around the Peninsula – drifting over weed beds in 2-6m of water should get you amongst them. Again, St Leonards and Indented Head are the places to be for sheer numbers of squid while Swan Bay to Queenscliff hold the largest

calamari around September to October with some real honkers to 3kg showing up on occasions. King George whiting can be caught anywhere around the Bellarine Peninsula and, along with snapper, are a real drawcard. Hotspots include Avalon on the northern side of Corio Bay, or from Point Henry and around the Peninsula to Queenscliff. Dawn and dusk are best for bigger fish but you can catch them right throughout the day, tide cycles and year. Smaller fish from legal length to 35cm tend to be from Point Henry to Portarlington while larger fish from 35-45cm are from Portarlington to Queenscliff.

If you’re like me and love catching Aussie salmon then you’re in luck. They can show up literally anywhere from Geelong to the Rip so always keep a metal slice in your kit. They love any lure, fly or bait; anything they can chase down. Summer can see footy field sized schools

Flatties are available all year round. This one fell to a soft plastic off Point Henry.

The Wangim Walk fishing platform is a bit lower to the water, so it’s easier to land your catch.

show up in the Rip and north as far as the Simonds or as far east as the South channel and further. Salmon don’t need structure, they just need food (smaller fish) so keep an eye out for birds diving in the middle of nowhere. Kingfish have surged over the last 10 years and are one of the most sought-after species on the Bellarine. They do show up inside Corio Bay but are rarely

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QLD Southern

FMM

Bigger mulloway are on the cards this month BRISBANE

Bob Thornton tackleworldlawnton@gmail.com

The past few months have brought many surprises, particularly with the weather! A very wet Easter saw water levels rise again, with many local systems still pumping out fresh from April. The last time we had such a wet Easter we got a few months of spectacular winter fishing, so fingers crossed this repeats itself.

Out in the same area, along with the scattered rocks and reefs north from Point Lookout, big GTs are also a possibility. Winter can be a good time to chase these brutes, as there are fewer smaller by-catch around to beat them to the lure. The main by-catch is large Spanish, which isn’t a bad consolation prize when you’re hoping for a GT. Longtail tuna should still be active close to shore in areas like Mooloolaba and Kings Beach and will hopefully offer a chance for kayakers to get out on

Grunter start to become more common in the rivers in May, but will still show up sporadically in the bay. Flies are effective when the water is clear, with this fish taking a liking to a small shrimp pattern. Photo courtesy of Josh Sullivan. Water and air temperatures have dropped off significantly, with jumpers now becoming a regular feature of fishing attire. It is a nice change, but before long we’ll be completely rugged up and counting down the days until spring! I will be anyway. As for the fishing we’ve already seen anglers starting to adopt typical winter techniques, with squid, big flathead, tailor and luderick all on the target list. This is only the start of what is usually spectacular winter fishing across our region, so let’s jump right in and see what’s been biting! OFFSHORE With the pelagic ‘season’ all but over, many anglers are lamenting the long periods of large swells that stopped them from getting offshore. Spanish, wahoo, mahimahi and even a few black marlin were landed through late summer and early autumn, but mostly by crews in larger boats or those with very experienced skippers. The lure casters will be hoping for a winter like last year, where we saw some incredible captures of larger resident Spanish mackerel. Most of these Spaniards were taken on cast poppers and sinking stickbaits last year. While these fish are way fewer in number than the summer visitors, they make up for in size what they lack in numbers. Last year we saw quite a few fish landed in the 20-30kg bracket, most of which were taken from the Cape Moreton area. 26 MAY 2024

a clear day and chase them. Kayaks are a great vessel for chasing hypervigilant pelagics like longtails, as there’s no outboard noise, allowing the angler to get very close to the feeding schools. As the currents out wide slow down, the deep droppers will be getting excited. Through summer, we saw impressive captures of pearl perch between 60-70cm, mostly taken deep dropping between 100-200m. With the current now easing right up out wide, crews can head out further and find bottom with their rigs.

Blue-eye trevalla, bar cod, bass groper and flame snapper are the main targets for most serious deep droppers, but all sorts of things can turn up when dropping baits in 400m of water. If you’re looking to get into the world of deep dropping, we sell a big range of electric reels, deep dropping rigs, and other bits and pieces for this highly specialised technique. May will hopefully bring some calmer days, which is ideal for heading out wide in search of big winter snapper! The Hards, Barwon Banks and Caloundra Wide reef systems will all be worth exploring for extra-large snapper as it cools down, but don’t be afraid to try some of the closer marks, too. North West Passage, Caloundra 5-Mile and Murphys are all good options if the weather looks like it could turn or if you want to avoid making super long runs. Clearer conditions can make snapper a little finicky, even offshore in 20-50m of water. If the usual 5-7” soft plastics and bottom bashing techniques don’t deliver, floatlining is an awesome way to convert wise old snapper. Good quality overheads that can feed line with no resistance as your bait slowly makes its way to the bottom are the key to floatlining. Most floatliners use straightthrough monofilament to slow the sink rate, with baits of pilchard, squid, slimy and yakka all top baits for this technique. MORETON BAY May should be a productive month in the bay. When the winter westerlies start to take over, this massive body of water usually calms right off, and the water clarity improves significantly. These conditions allow for longer sessions and more exploration, which is ideal if you’re planning to motor around looking for longtails. Longtail numbers are usually very good in May, but you’ll need to approach these fish with extra stealth in clear

It’s been a wet autumn but the luderick don’t seem to mind! In some areas these fish are starting to school up in preparation for their winter spawn. The action on these guys should run until at least August.

The upper reaches of local creeks have been running very clear, which is typical in late autumn. Suspending lures like this 60mm Daiwa Double Clutch fished with long pauses are highly effective in this scenario. This little creek battler couldn’t help itself. water. While the water clarity works in their favour, the sheer numbers of fish usually creates enough competition for a handful to let their guard down and eat a lure. Something around 100-120mm long is a good size to start with if you don’t know exactly what they’re eating. Sinking bibbed minnows like the Daiwa Sawarash have become popular, as these tuna haven’t seen many presentations like it before. Having seen so many metal slugs and poppers, these fish are a little less accustomed to the compact design and enticing wobble of a sinking minnow. They’re usually heavy for their size, meaning they can be cast out a long way. They’re also fantastic searching baits to use off the beach and rocks for tailor. Speaking of tailor, we’re seeing another good early season run of these fish in the bay. They seem to pop up anywhere and everywhere at random, so I like to carry a 3-6kg spin outfit rigged with a metal slug, sinking minnow or medium-sized topwater lure. Lures in the 80-100mm range worked well for me at this time last year, with some of the fish in the 50-60cm range and more than happy to snaffle a 10cm lure. Keep in mind that these fish sometimes round up bait in only inches of water, so keep your eyes peeled as you move around the bay, even in the shallowest margins! The reefies should remain active, with snapper gradually taking over as the dominant species and tropical species like cod, grassies, spanglies and tuskies taking a backseat. Clearer water will mean they might not venture as shallow as they do during summer, so targeting the 4-6m depths near reef edges, rubble patches, or artificial structure should put

Southern QLD

FMM you in good stead. Cooler days will mean these fish will stay active for longer, so you won’t necessarily need to be up at the crack of dawn to land a few fish. Light jigheads between 1/8-1/4oz are ideal for this depth range, with most 2-3” soft plastics suitable for the job. I like to smear a bit of scent on my plastics every 10 minutes or so to make them more appealing to the snapper, but this isn’t necessary for success. Right up in the shallows, the squid should be starting to bulk up ahead of winter. These creatures, most of which would have only hatched late last year, have already reached a few hundred grams in weight and around 10-15cm in the hood. Keep your jigs around the 1.8-2.2 jig size, and be sure to search plenty of ground. Any shallows with clear water and weed, coral, rock or even mangrove roots are good areas to target. The squid could be holding in anything from 30cm to 4m, so I always like to start my search wide with big casts across these areas, and gradually refine my approach as I start seeing results. If you don’t know where to look, Redcliffe, Wynnum, Wellington Point and Cleveland all offer good land-based squidding opportunities when the water is clear. Once we get a few consecutive days of light westerly winds, these locations should fire.

BEACH AND ROCKS We haven’t heard any crazy reports from the beaches or stones yet, but with tailor already showing up in such good numbers in the bay and rivers it could be worth visiting your local beach or headland. Last year, the main beaches along Moreton and South Straddie produced some decent bags of tailor early in the season, with both bait and lures catching fish. Pilchards on gangs (with gang size depending on the size of the pillies) will certainly work, but if you want to

search a beach faster and locate an active school, metal lures and an outfit to cast them are good tools. Any metal lures in the 20-60g range and a long graphite rod between 9-11ft are the key to successful beach spinning. A longer rod allows you to punch the metal out beyond the breakers to where the tailor are feeding, and also to take up slack quickly as the metal bounces and crashes through the waves. To access the main beaches along the northern end of Bribie, the southern end of North Straddie, as well as the whole

Young Sadie gave this colourful squid a run for its money with her own colour display! This is the average size for tiger squid in late autumn; they will grow much larger in the coming months. Photo courtesy of Rob Gaden.

of Moreton and South Straddie you’ll need a 4WD vehicle. If you’re planning to hit the sand this winter, make sure your car is beach-ready and that you’ve had some practice before beach 4WDing on your own. Rock fishing is not something South East Queensland is known for, but there are a few smaller headlands that can produce tailor, trevally and even the odd longtail on the right day. Places like Point Lookout and Point Cartwright offer decent ledges for anglers, plus there is usually plenty of cabbage weed being broken off by the waves, which attracts another rock fishing favourite – luderick! Most of my luderick fishing happens in the estuaries, but good populations of these fish exist out on the headlands, too. At this time of year the ocean fish can be a better option, as the fish on the headlands aren’t usually there to spawn like the fish in the estuaries – they’re there to eat. Please practise caution when rock fishing, especially if you’re chasing luderick on the lower ledges. There’s no law requiring the use of a life jacket or PFD when rock fishing in Queensland, but I reckon it’s a good habit to get into. Every year, people get washed off ledges and some lose their lives, so again, please practise caution while rock fishing! RIVERS AND ESTUARIES Things can change a lot in the estuaries at the beginning of winter.

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NSW

Macquarie Coast

FMM

Increase in baitfish gives fishery a boost PORT MACQUARIE

Kate Shelton

For Port Macquarie anglers, luderick catches continue to increase, especially along the southern break wall, where both cabbage and artificial weed have proven effective. Additionally, there are opportunities to catch some nice-sized bream,

particularly for those fishing the walls after dark. Flathead fishing has been excellent, with good numbers of fish caught using both lures and bait around Rawdon Island and in the lower section of the Maria River.

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Camden Haven angler Matthew Hutchison with a great-sized cobia he recently caught off the Mid North Coast.

Kamahl ‘Hutch’ Hutchen caught this great bream fishing at night in the Hastings River. The inshore reefs are seeing an increase in snapper numbers, with both bait and soft plastics yielding good results. Further offshore, pearl perch and kingfish numbers have been excellent over autumn, particularly off Point Plomer and south of the Lighthouse. Mackerel activity is expected to decrease as water temperatures drop.

However, the FADs have been productive this year for mahimahi, with the odd decent-sized fish still present. On the deep drop fishing scene, the current has started to back off and conditions have been ideal with some great catches of blue-eye trevalla and bass groper caught in around 300-400m of water. Further south along the beaches, we’ve had reports of plenty of decentsized bream, most notably at North Haven Beach and Rainbow Beach during early morning and evening sessions. Whiting have also been putting on a stellar performance, lured by beach worms and pipis. Tailor catches are on the rise as we head into the cooler months, coinciding with a gradual improvement in standard winter water clarity. Reports of mulloway remain quiet; I have noticed only a couple of catches around Diamond Head.

Zayne Cassidy with a fantastic mahimahi he caught off South West Rocks.

Tara Rowe with a spotted mackerel she caught in Plomer Bay during peak mackerel season. 58 MAY 2024

For rock fishing anglers, recent catches of tailor and tuna are most likely related to the increased numbers of baitfish. Additionally, the headlands have been fruitful locations for luderick, bream, and drummer, showcasing an abundance of these species locally.

Offshore, snapper populations continue to thrive, with excellent reports coming in from inshore reefs near Crowdy Head and Laurieton. Anglers fishing out of the Camden Haven have encountered strong currents but still managed to reel in impressive catches of kingfish on the wider reefs throughout April. In the Macleay River area, bream have been consistently caught, particularly during morning high tides. Mullet gut and strip baits have

Macquarie Coast NSW

FMM

Fish behaviour is changing as temps fall FORSTER

Luke Austin

Many anglers are getting excited as we move into the winter fishing season. The mornings might be a bit chilly but it’s worth the effort, with loads of quality fish about! Once we start to see those freezing south-westerly winds, you know its bream time. We have already seen big numbers of solid fish move into the estuary and settle down around the rock walls, jetties and bridge pylons. Anglers chasing

throw 3-4” plastics or hardbodies about. You will be amazed by how many flathead have moved up. This year’s luderick season is yet to kick off in earnest. However, after seeing a lot of fish starting to school up near the Rockpool in Tuncurry recently, it won’t be long until luderick fever kicks in! Anglers having an early crack have been catching mostly small, ‘resident’ luderick rather than the big bronzies that we all love to chase. Still, they’ve been managing to land 5-6 fish most sessions. Reports from the beach have been all over the place. With the cool temperatures and offshore winds, a lot of beach anglers are now firmly focussed on chasing tailor. The average size is really nice at the moment, with most fish in the 35-60cm range, and the odd monster mixed in. Finding the schools of fish has been tough though, with anglers reporting a ‘there one day, gone the next’ type of pattern. There haven’t really been any standout beaches but heading south will give you

Benny with a lovely little late-season flathead taken from the local rock wall. fish further up on the weed beds have reported an obvious change, with many small fish schooled up there, but not many over 25cm. On the flip side, anglers floating baits and throwing small plastics in the lower reaches have been having a ball on better size bream. There have been loads of fish up about the 28-35cm mark, with plenty of solid fish mixed in. The flathead fishing has also changed with the cooler weather. There are still plenty of good fish to be caught but you will need to move up into the system a bit to find any decent numbers. Instead of looking for bream up the rivers and on the weed beds and sand flats down south, try

the best chance at finding them. I would try the southern half of 7 Mile Beach to begin with. If you are struggling to find much joy with the tailor, don’t be scared to downsize the gear and have a go for a few bream, as there have been plenty of solid fish hanging about in most decentlooking gutters. Unfortunately, even though the water is still up around the

yielded good results for locals. Anglers pursuing bream with lures have found success using soft vibes and plastics in the deeper sections of the river. Flathead action remains popular, with impressive fish over a metre reported throughout April, alongside the odd mangrove jack. Tailor have become the primary catch off the local beaches, with copious numbers found along most stretches of sand. Popular baits include lures, pilchards, and whitebait, as well as slab baits during or after dusk for the chance to land a larger fish. Bream catches off the beach have

also increased, with May being known as the prime month for sizable fish. Those who fish during the night have also reported school mulloway from various local fishing spots, with fresh garfish the recommended bait for targeting these fish. As mullet begin their migration, keep an eye out for larger mulloway shadowing these moving schools. • Kate Shelton is the proud owner of Bay Explorer Marine Services, and she specialises in making deep-drop fishing rigs for blue-eye trevalla, bar cod, king fish, and bass groper. For more info look up ‘Bay Explorer Marine Services’ on Facebook and Instagram, or find her store on eBay.

It’s tailor time.

The snapper fishing is amazing during May! 19-20°C mark, it would seem our whiting season is all over! Reports from the stones have been very wintery! Anglers have been having fun tangling with some solid tailor and salmon off most headlands and ledges (you might also run into the odd pod of late-season longtail tuna). Even casting from the rocks close to town has been worth a go, with the southern and northern ends of One Mile Beach proving to be particularly fruitful lately. There have been a few drummer getting about in the washes, along with some very nice bream, luderick and snapper. OFFSHORE Getting offshore hasn’t been easy lately but there have been enough days to get out for a bit of a look. There are definitely some good fish getting about out there. Snapper have been very interesting in recent weeks; for some reason the reefs out in 20-50m have been extremely quiet, with only the odd fish being caught from

these depths. Instead, anglers have been finding some really nice fish and great numbers of fish holding right up close in the shallow wash zones. Fishing for reds in the wash is awesome fun, and it never ceases to amaze me how many big fish can be found holding up so close to shore. Boats that have headed south and fished in the deeper stuff (80m+) have also found some great fish, with mixed bags of snapper, trag and the odd pearl perch making up most catches. Pelagic species have all but finished up now. The FAD is still holding the odd mahimahi but that’s about it. • Luke is the owner of Great Lakes Tackle - your ‘local’ bait and tackle store. They only sell the best brands and offer sound, friendly advice on where you can go to land your next trophy fish while visiting the wonderful Great Lakes region! They are open 7 days in the main street of Tuncurry. Drop in or give them a call on 02 6554 9541 or find them on Facebook to see what they have been up to!

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Freshwater

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Anglers are chasing Murray cod at night EILDON

Daniel Piazza

May is a fantastic month to be on the water at Lake Eildon. The mornings will be a great time to troll for trout and redfin when the water temps are hovering between 11-14°C. It’s good to mix up your lures to see what the fish prefer on the day. This month, I recommend heading up deep into one of the arms or bays with some green grass on the bank. That green grass tells you there has been some running water or runoff coming in from the hills. Using a 2-4kg setup and casting small 40mm plastics can be quite effective in 2-6m of water. The bigger redfin will come closer to the bank,

Cod tend to be more active at night.

feeding on small baitfish, and the trout will do the same. The Murray cod population is growing, and some big cod have been caught all over the lake. My goal is to catch a big old cod on the surface this winter. Admittedly, using surface lures can be tiring, and the results can be inconsistent. Some days, I’ve seen my mates cast their arm off for zero fish, while on other days, multiple fish have been caught. Despite these inconsistent results, it’s a lot of fun and worth doing. If you want to catch a big winter cod, it can help to do some online research first. However, the best way to learn the puzzles and rhythm of Lake Eildon is to get out there and spend time on the water. In late autumn/winter, you’ll need to fish your lures deeper and slower. Use your sounder to determine the depth of the fish and keep your lure in the strike zone. Swimbaits can be a good option at this time of year. Nighttime fishing can be hard, but the rewards are there if you’re up for the challenge. Cod are more active at night and more frequently react to vibrations under the cover of darkness. The dam wall is a top spot to launch the boat and just cruise around on the electric motor, casting your giant lure of choice. If you want to try fishing at night, make sure you bring lifejackets and a GPS. I also recommend bringing a red headlamp, which can guide you without spooking fish closer

The trout are actively feeding as they prepare for the spawning season. to the surface. At the moment, the lake is really close to the Burnt Bridge campground. The boulders are huge, so be careful. There are still lots of great spots to camp on the way up to this area, and some picturesque features like Fryer Creek, which is only a tiny stream when the lake level is lower, and has a nice waterfall. The Jamieson and Howqua arms have been fishing well lately, with no shortage of tiny baitfish, yabbies, and worms. All the fish will be feeding up for the spawning season, and if you match the hatch, you will be rewarded. Even better, you don’t need a fancy sounder to catch fish; most

of the locals walk the banks and do just fine. Until next month, safe travels. I hope you enjoy every fishing adventure, and if you have any Lake Eildon photos I’d love you to send them to me on my Instagram (@ PrimalSpinbaits). • Daniel Piazza is the creator of Primal Spinbaits – quality handcrafted , A ustralian-made spinnerbaits with a wide range of coloured heads and skirts. These spinnerbaits feature heavy-duty wires and high-quality finishes, and are proven effective on our native fish. Google ‘Primal Spinbaits’ to see where you can buy them.

FISHING NEWS

Huge catfish population boost across Victoria Freshwater catfish (Tandanus tandanus) populations have received a huge boost, through the translocation of 102 mature catfish from the Glenelg River to four waterways across northern Victoria. The initiative was a collaboration between recreational fishers, Traditional Owner groups, and fisheries and catchment management authorities to help recover catfish by re-establishing more populations of the species. Recreational fishers from the Casterton Angling Society (including Casterton, Balmoral, Dartmoor and Merino Angling Clubs) angled the 102 catfish from the Glenelg River over the two-day event on 23-24 March 2024, supported by funding from the Murray-Darling Basin Authority Native Fish Recovery Strategy. Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) and Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority (CMA) received the catfish and transported them to northern 86 MAY 2024

Over 100 catfish were angled by the Casterton, Balmoral, Dartmoor and Merino Angling Clubs from the Glenelg River over the two-day event on 23-24 March. Victoria for release at the following sites with partners: • 30 catfish into Lower Broken Creek, Nathalia with Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation, Parks Victoria and Goulburn Broken CMA • 30 catfish into Lake Sambell, Shepparton with Indigo Shire, North East CMA, Robbie Alexander

• 25 catfish into Little Murray River, Swan Hill with Wamba Wamba Traditional Owners, Wiran Aboriginal Corporation, VRFish, OzFish Unlimited and North Central CMA • 17 catfish into Harcourt Park Wetland, Bendigo with Djaara Traditional Owners, North Central CMA and City of Greater Bendigo Council.

The initiative builds on the successful trial in November 2023 when 80 catfish were caught from the Glenelg River, transported and released into the Little Murray River, to rebuild the population following impacts of blackwater. Catfish are not endemic to the Glenelg River but given their strong numbers in the system, confirmed suitable genetics and support from the Glenelg Hopkins CMA and recreational anglers, they are serving as a useful surrogate population to help rebuild catfish populations in their natural range within the Murray-Darling Basin. More catfish translocations are planned later in the year from the Glenelg River and possibly other surrogate sites. The catfish translocations contribute to the 10 in 10 initiative and VFA Conservation Hatchery which aims to restock and recover at least 10 threatened species in ten years. – Taylor Hunt, VFA

Freshwater

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VIC

Autumn options for fishing the Crater Lakes CRATER LAKES

Rod Shepherd

Plenty of solid estuary perch have been taken in the freshwater reaches of the Hopkins River. The fish can be found above Tooram Stones (the reef that separates the fresh from the salt) almost right up to the falls. Working surface and suspending lures around any structure seems the go, with the evening being the best time. The trout seem to have almost shut down, probably due to the warmer water at this time of year. It doesn’t seem to worry the perch, though. In the upper reaches of the Curdies River in the freshwater, some healthy estuary perch are still falling for shallow-diving lures and soft plastics rolled along the river’s bank. The blue-green algae that has affected the lower reaches has yet to turn up here. Boaters have been launching at Boggy Creek boat ramp, heading upstream into the

This Purrumbete redfin was jigged up off the bottom on a Fish Arrow 3” Minnow, rigged on a 1/4oz jighead to get it down quickly. bush and targeting any structure for the perch. On the western edge of Warrnambool, the Merri River has

some excellent trout to 3kg, but they have been hard to entice into biting. Those fish that have been caught seem to have hit the lure out

of aggression rather than hunger. Many fish here can be sight cast to, but most have been ignoring anglers’ offerings. Prolonged, warm weather with very little rainfall has no doubt put our salmonids under stress. Surprise, surprise – Lake Bullen Merri has blue-green algae once again. The big fish have gone to ground, or more correctly, gone deep. Smaller Chinook salmon, tiger and rainbow trout are still being taken by boaters trolling a wide selection of lures not far from the bank. Lake Purrumbete is also quiet for big trout and salmon, but plenty of redfin are being taken down deep using hardbodies jigged just off the bottom, such as blades or ice jigs. Minnow-style soft plastics on a 1/4oz jighead worked near the bottom are also accounting for many reddies. Anywhere from 14-20m depth seems to be where schools can be located on the sounder. Anchoring up and feeding berley over the side can help keep the school interested.

Fingers crossed for grand finale to trout season WEST/SOUTH GIPPSLAND

Martin Auldist

The trout fishing in the local streams of west and south Gippsland has been pretty average over the last couple of months. Dry conditions have led to very low water levels, with little to no flow in most streams. The fishing has been very difficult and there have been few reports from successful anglers as a result. The good news is that, at the time of writing, we have just had 80mm of rain in Warragul, with similar falls around the region. This should give the rivers and streams a much-needed freshen-up, and with more consistent rain we could be in for a really good close to the season (remembering that the season for river trout in Victoria closes at midnight on Monday, June 12). With the right conditions, all the local rivers such as the Latrobe and its Toorongo and Loch tributaries, the Tarago, the twin branches of the Tanjil, Traralgon Creek and the upper reaches of the Bunyip River provide worthy destinations for the keen trout angler, with many not that far from the southern capital. You can target these generally small but feisty trout in all the normal ways, with small hardbody lures and spinners being good options, along with nymphs and wet flies for those waving the long wand. Bait anglers, as always, will do well soaking an earthworm in just about any stream in the district.

Through April and May is a good time to start trolling for trout in Blue Rock Reservoir. Meanwhile, sending jigs to the bottom of this productive lake is a great way to target schools of redfin and bass in the autumn months. Don’t forget that Blue Rock is open all year round for all species, so keep it in mind if you’re looking for a trout angling option in winter when the rivers are closed. Another option for keen anglers when the trout season is closed is targeting blackfish. These endearing natives can be caught on well-presented presentations of earthworms anchored on the bottom of slow, deep pools. The most productive time to fish is at night. Blackies south of the Great Dividing Range are generally much larger than those to the north, and are well worth targeting. Please handle them

Cate Haughton with a sleek trout she trolled up on Blue Rock Reservoir.

Trolling for trout on Blue Rock Reservoir should start to fire through April and May.

carefully and release them unharmed. Throwing baits or small hardbody lures and plastics into seldom-fished housing estate dams, or those on council reserves, golf courses or even old folks’ homes, is another great way of passing your angling time when the trout season is closed. These locations can sometimes yield some unexpected results, with a mixture of redfin, carp, eels and stocked natives. So, let’s keep our fingers crossed that the weather gods do the right thing and play their part in providing a hot finish to the season. And remember that once the trout season has closed, there are still heaps of options to get among the freshwater species of this scenic region. MAY 2024 87

BREAM SERIES presented by

Stingel keeps St Helens BREAM Trophy in TAS It’s been a while between drinks for Tasmanian BREAM boater, Grant Stingel. Winning a trophy from the back of the boat in the Derwent river over a decade ago, Stingel added to the collection with a win in the Boater division of the Daiwa BREAM Series in the Minn Kota round at St Helens on Tasmania’s east coast. In fact, the expansive flats fishery fished as well as ABT has ever seen, with over three 10kg+ limits topping the boater scoreboard, of which Stingel’s was the heaviest. Here’s how he got it done. Day 1: 5/5, 5.62kg Day 2: 5/5, 5.05kg Total: 10/10, 10.67kg Grant did pre-fish the arena on matching tides earlier in the year and refined down a location on shallow, rocky flats lower in the system. “I found the right size fish there, but there probably wasn’t as many as in other areas on the arena,” he said, “and luckily, I has the spot basically to myself

Tasmania’s Grant Stingel won himself all the big cheques at the St Helens event. for the two tournament days.” “The fish were super shallow - sometimes it seemed like they were in 10cm of water, so it was all about long casts as shallow as I could get the lures,” he said. Grant used a combination of two Lucky Craft hard bodied lures to get the job done, both

Scan the QR code to watch the Boater Winner’s Interview

from the Lucky Craft stable - a Tango Shad and a Flash Minnow. He fished both of these

Key to Grant’s success was long casts, getting the lure in as shallow water as possible.

Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 104 MAY 2024

BOATER RESULTS Angler Fish Grant Stingel 10/10 Mario Vukic 10/10 Peter Breukel 10/10 Mark Crompton 10/10 Shane Ling 10/10 Mike Sutcliffe 8/10 Jason Mayberry 10/10 Michael Alexander 10/10 Jarrad Stevens 9/10 Alan Lister 10/10

Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) 10.670kg 10.230kg 10.110kg 9.730kg 9.370kg 8.930kg 8.840kg 8.570kg 8.310kg 8.11kg

Payout $3,500 + Big Bream + $250 Merc bonus $1,700 + $125 Merc bonus $1,200 + $75 Merc bonus $1,000 $800 $700 $600

baits on straight through fluorocarbon (Sniper FC). He fished the Tango on 5lb, matched with a Dobyns rod and Shimano reel while the 65 Flash Minnow he cast on a Palms Pinwheel rod and 4lb main line. Grant’s first day bag was a solid mix of kilo plus fish, but the second day was more of a mix of sizes. It included the Maui Jim Big Bream (1.52kg) and a fish a third of that size. Ultimately, he collected the win easily enough, with over 400g lead over Mario Vukic. “It’s all about that EJ Todd relationship for me,” he concluded, “the rod, line and baits I have confidence in and I hope that I’ve repaid their faith in me.” VUKIC RACKS UP ANOTHER SECOND Day 1: 5/5, 5.16kg Day 2: 5/5, 5.07kg Total: 10/10, 10.23kg Victorian BREAMer and Tassie bream lover, Mario Vukic, is one of the most consistent anglers whenever ABT visits this big bream flats factory. Typically grinding out massive limits within sight of the start line, Vukic was forced to change his attack this year when fish he’d historically exploited were gone. “I visited the dropoff several times during practice and on Day One of the event and it was definitely barren,” he explained, however, he wasn’t beaten for long, falling back to a flats pattern that he followed as it changed over the event days and yielded him limits topping 5kg each day. “On the first day, it took a while running around to

various spots to catch a small limit, but when we finally found them on a flat near the oyster racks, everything was upgraded to 35-36 fork length fish,” he said. A final couple of upgrades made the bag top the magical 5kg mark. On the second day, the tide rose slower and lower and Vukic struggled to connect to the quality of fish he needed to challenge for the win. He eventually encountered the right quality of fish casting to some outside oyster racks and then refined that pattern to eventually drop another 5kg+ bag onto the scales. “The fish were definitely concentrated on the older racks with less weed growth underneath,” he explained.

BIG BREAM PRIZE

determination and adaptability that’s led him to several wins from the back of the boat in recent years. Day 1: 3/3, 2.65kg Day 2: 3/3, 3.07kg Total: 6/6, 5.72kg Paired with Tony Curwen on Day One, Rotin experienced an early flurry to catch a limit and then a 4-hour gap in the action before upgrading in the last hours in a sandy ridge within sight of the start line. Day 2 with Mark Hayes started the same, with his first fish in the opening 10 minutes of fishing and then a long dry spell. “Mark then made a great decision and moved to a place he’d caught bream before and we ground them out at a fish an hour, but they were quality fish,” Jesse said. His Day Two bag

Grant Stingel caught the Maui Jim Big Bream of the event on the second day. It ate a Lucky Craft hard bait in super shallow water and earned him $500 plus a pair of Maui Jim fishing sunnies. It weighed in at 1.52kg. Scan the QR code to watch the Non-Boater Winners Interview

Mario Vukic focused on the flats for his 10kg+ event limit. Mario’s main weapon was a Hurricane Sprat soft bait in both The Gun and Machete colours. He fished it on TT 1/20oz #1 jighead, 6lb Sunline V-Hard leader and Castaway #1 PE braided line. His rod was a Daiwa Battler Water Zombie paired with a Daiwa Certate 2500 threadline reel.

BREAM SERIES presented by

averaged over a kilogram a fish. “Haysey was great and very encouraging. I said I was happy after landing the first kilo fish and he was into me to stick at it and catch more. It was good advice,” he continued. Rotin used a shallow jerkbait/soft plastic combination to get the fish in the well. He fished a Daiwa INFEET

Sazanami (ADEL Ayu) on an 722LRS rod matched with an Infeet 2000 reel, 8lb J Braid and a 4lb X Link leader. His other successful outfit was an INFEET EX 712LFS and Caldia 2000, spooled with 10lb J Braid Expedition and 3lb J Thread Finesse FC leader. On this he fished a variety of colours (but mainly olive oil) BaitJunkie 295 Flicks with 1/20oz HWS or Jigheads depending on the situation. “In the calm conditions it’s all about the quiet, finesse retrieve,” he said.

Scan the QR code to watch the Field Highlights

ROTIN BEST AT THE BACK It’s fair to say that the travelling pair of Mario Vukic and Jesse Rotin loved their sojourn to St Helens. Previously in Tasmania, Jesse won the non boater trophy in the Derwent River. This victory completes his Tasmanian collection. Although as he was (unsuccessfully) casting a fly on the practice day and endangering his boater, winning the event couldn’t have been further from his thoughts. Jesse again displayed the

Jesse Rotin’s St Helens win secured his spot in this year’s Grand Final at Lake Macquarie.

NON - BOATER RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Angler Jesse Rotin Collin Bryant Scott Scicluna Stacey Alexander Bill Bland Allan Lavell Colin Wilson Mark Lennox John Parkinson Duane Bird

Fish 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 5/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6

Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) 5.720kg 5.700kg 5.560kg 5.250kg 5.230kg 5.080kg 5.000kg 4.870kg 4.830kg 4.800kg

Payout Daiwa pack Daiwa pack Rapala pack Cranka pack Daiwa pack Samaki pack Zman pack Ecogear pack Atomic pack OBB Muss pack MAY 2024 105

BREAM SERIES presented by

Harris Rides Ralphs to Derwent BREAM Win Hobart’s Isaac Harris has been fishing ABT BREAM events on the Apple Isle since he was old enough to in the late 2000s. In March 2024, he achieved his goal of winning an ABT BREAM event from the front of the boat. Only took him 15 years. He did it in a borrowed boat that came from previous Derwent BREAM Champion and friend, Adam Crick, and he did it solely in Ralph’s Bay - an extensive flats fishery in the southern part of the arena that daunts most of the field, but does yield tournment winning bags. And that’s saying something when Ralphs trumps the main river proper. Scan the QR code to watch the Boater Winner’s Interview

Isaac Harris has been fishing ABT events for 15 years - finally taking out a win in his backyard. colours (Ghost Sayori and Flash Misty Shad) that he fished on a variety of Shimano outfits in water averaging 40-50cm deep.

which helped the bag.” Remember - Tasmanians call 32-34 fork length bream ‘small’. The extensive Ralph’s Bay

Isaac put his local knowledge work, confident that Ralphs Bay would be the winning spot. Day 1: 5/5, 5.57kg Day 2: 5/5, 5.09kg Total: 10/10, 10.66kg Predominantly, Isaac rode a single bait to victory in super shallow water - the Lucky Craft Flash Minnow 65 in a couple of Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 106 MAY 2024

“I was surprised that it fished so well on the first day,” Harris said, “between my non boater and I we must have landed around 50 bream. A lot of these were small, but there was a smattering of bigger bream amongst them,

BOATER RESULTS Angler Fish Isaac Harris 10/10 Peter Breukel 10/10 Steve Morgan 10/10 Mark Healey 10/10 Joseph Gardner 10/10 Declan Betts 10/10 Andrew Moore 10/10 Mitchell Blomquist 10/10 Wally Fahey 10/10 Mark Crompton 10/10

flats are punctuated with soft cunjevois. They look like rock, but absolutely catch any lure that comes near them and unless you catch the other treble with a net, they won’t come free. “I lost around 8 baits that

Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) 10.66kg 9.87kg 9.86kg 9.76kg 9.62kg 9.15kg 8.94kg 8.80kg 8.78kg 8.71kg

Payout $3,600 $1,800 + $250 Merc bonus $1300 + $125 Merc bonus $1000 $800 $700 + $75 Merc bonus $600

I just couldn’t get back on the second day,” Isaac said. This is the price of fishing Ralphs. Harris targeted the rockier flats with the shallow diving Flash Minnows to do nearly all of his damage. A long cast followed by a high-sticking retrieve kept the lure our of reach of the cunje, but right in the strike zone for the bream. He used the new Shimano Stradic threadlines spooled with 0.6PE Kairiki braid and a short length of 6lb leader. His rods were mainly the Zodias 702UL and an Anarchy model. “I find I get the best casts when my leader isn’t on the reel, so it starts short and stays short,” Isaac explained, “and the bream would usually hit the bait on the pause. It’s the standard Tasmanian twitch.” Pocketing $3,600 for his efforts and a spot in the 2024 Daiwa BREAM Series Grand Final, Harris will need to set a new goal now. BREUKEL BAGS SECOND PLACE Victorian BREAMer Peter Breukel was the in-form angler of the Tasmanian Tour. Placing top 10 in every event he fished (including the Hobie Kayak Series), the time he spends on the water was well rewarded with pleasing results. After being in town for a prefish before the off-limits period, Peter decided that Ralphs Bay was his best chance of a good result. He wasn’t wrong, finishing second to Harris by 800g and a mere 10 grams ahead of a fast-finishing Steve Morgan. Day 1: 5/5, 5.42kg Day 2: 5/5, 4.45kg Total: 10/10, 9.87kg

BREAM SERIES presented by Like Harris, Breukel didn’t hedge his bets with spots in Ralphs AND the Derwent River. He was Ralphs-ornothing for the event. And it paid off. “On the prefish day, my best 5 bream went 7.3kg, so it was a pretty easy decision about where I was going to go,” Peter explained. He’s done a lot of shallow flats bonefishing Scan the QR code to watch the Field Highlights

and the flats of Ralphs were a similar setup for both type of country and fish behaviour. That decision was validated when he landed 5 bream in his first 5 casts on tournament morning on the first of 6 spots that he’d identified on Google Earth during the practice. Breukel used a Daiwa Infeet EX 722ULRS rod paired

This season, Jon Fitzgibbon jumped back into the back of the boat to refine his skills - a win on the Derwent justifying his decision. FITZGIBBON LOVING BACK OF BOAT Last year, struggling boater, Goulburn’s Jon Fitzgibbon, decided that he needed some more time as a non-boater to help refine his skills and to get his confidence back. Taking his first non-boater title at the Derwent was a just reward for the decision. “It’s a good feeling to get

Scan the QR code to watch the Non-Boater Winner’s Interview

fished through the event - they were a shallow and deep Smith Panish in chrome colour. “When we were fishing 4-6 feet deep, I’d use the shallow and in 6-12 feet of water I’d use the deep,” Fitzgibbon explained. Day 1: 3/3, 3.16kg Day 2: 3/3, 2.56kg Total: 6/6, 5.72kg Jon’s combos included a couple of Duffrods Edition Blacks paired with Daiwa Sol

reels and both were spooled with 5lb straight through fluorocarbon. He fished with Ben Cook on the first day and Jason Mayberry on the second. The Duffrods are an interesting story. “My young bloke won the Rookie of the Year a couple of years ago, so I got to test the Duffrods out. I liked them and I how have bought plenty of them!” Jon continued. “I would never have fished the Derwent River if it wasn’t for ABT. You need a good excuse to go fishing and ABT is that excuse,” he concluded.

BIG BREAM PRIZE

Pete Breukel is having a cracking 2024 BREAM season. with an Exist reel, 8lb Daiwa Expedition J-Braid and 5lb Yamatoyo Chinu Harris leader and his two baits of note were the Hurricane Twitch 40 in Spooky Smig and the Duo Realis 80SP in Prism Gill. After landing around 15 fish on the first day, Peter aimed for a repeat, but the glassy conditions hampered his efforts. “I still had a smallish bag by 11am, but I resisted the temptation to head back upriver and ground it out in the bay. When the breeze picked up at the end of the session, I managed to upgrade the whole bag before I had to come back,” he said. That flurry locked in the second placing - his highest in ABT events.

that confidence back where you’re concentrating on what you’re doing and not everyone else. I like doing my own thing,” he said after collecting the trophy and Daiwa prize pack that accompanied it. Jon used a shallow and deep version of the same lure to work the various depths his boaters

James Mackay landed the event’s big bream on a Duo Realis 80SP jerkbait in Ralphs Bay. It weighed 1.30kg. He was fishing with Shane Ling at the time. He won $500 and a pair of Maui Jim sunnies for his catch.

NON - BOATER RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Angler Jon Fitzgibbon Evan Leonard David Shanahan Aaron Bonser Scott Scicluna William Thorpe John Albrecht Mark Street Blake Liddelow Collin Bryant

Fish 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6

Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) 5.72kg 5.590kg 5.59kg 5.50kg 5.460kg 5.360kg 5.30kg 5.33kg 5.24kg 5.22kg

Payout Daiwa pack Daiwa pack Rapala pack Cranka pack Daiwa pack Samaki pack Zman pack Ecogear pack Atomic pack OBB Muss pack MAY 2024 107

BOATING TEST

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Quintrex 460 Renegade SC with Mercury 75hp FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

This is the boat test for all of the keyboard warriors who say that we never test in rough conditions. Well, that’s a sword with two edges, because when it’s rough out the front of the Patterson Lakes boat launching facility, and it’s speed limited inside, there’s no way for us to do any of the performance data that we like to compare. That said, we met up with Mark Stav and Marketing Mitch at the ramp in some pretty sporty conditions and they’d brought along one of the smaller boats from their massive floorstock, the Quintrex Renegade 460 SC (side console), which is one of the bigger sellers in their range of aluminum boats. Powered by a 75hp Mercury 2.1L 4-stroke outboard, it’s at the top end of what this hull is rated to. And our advice is always add maximum horsepower if

SPECIFICATIONS Length .............................................. 4.91m Beam ................................................. 2.21m Max HP..................................................... 75 Capacity.................................5 persons Hull weight.................................... 419kg Max motor weight ...................166kg Shaft Length ....................................... LS Top sheet..........................................3mm Bottom sheet.................................3mm Side sheet........................................3mm Transom ............................................3mm the budget can afford it. “I actually have this hull myself and I use it for my bay and rivers boat,” Mark said. That says a lot - there’s over 80 boats in stock at JV and the 460 is one of the two he’s taken home.” Of course, he has a bigger boat for offshore work, but he says that his Renegade is very capable of offshore trips on the right days. This one was set up as a

demonstration boat, so it was fitted with a Lowrance sounder, a Cannon downrigger, upgraded hydraulic steering and a really cool aftermarket anchor box up the front. The factory rotomolded anchor wells are functional but by adding a lid you can stand on and some non-skid, you effectively get yourself an extra casting deck. Back to the testing and it was soon obvious that we’d be unable to run any numbers on this boat - it was a washing machine in the bay and the Patto River is speed limited. So, we did what all good boat testers would do, threw Mark in and told him to go run around in front of the river leads for some good old-fashioned wave jumping! You can see the results in the boat test video that you can find by scanning the QR code at the top of the page. The fact that Mark came in remarkably dry was testament to his boat driving abilities, but also the nature of the hull. Get the speed and attitude right

and you can drive an open aluminum boat quite comfortably in some nasty conditions. The corollary is that if the angles are wrong and you’re light on the trim and heavy on the stick, you can get yourself a bath. Supplied on an alloy Quintrex trailer, made in the same Gold Coast factory as the hull, this boat is towable by nearly everything. The Catch and Release system attached to the winch post allows you to easily launch and retrieve by yourself.

Main: This is the Quintrex Renegade 460SC (side console). The side console configuration is the most popular for this Quintrex hull, according to JV Marine in Melbourne. Above: Probably not the conditions you head out in when recreational fishing, but it’s nice to know that the hull can handle it.

Mark Stav was our stunt driver for the day. He came in remarkably dry considering the conditions. 108 MAY 2024

As tested with all of the options, this rig came in at $62,750, although BMT packages start a bit cheaper if you want to add options later on. Check in with the team at JV Marine if you want to take a test ride.

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BOATING TEST

Top: Factory matched hulls and trailers always look the goods. Above: The back side of the blade hull flattens out for stability.

The rig is fitted with a Mercury 75hp 2.1L 4-stroke outboard. It’s the maximum allowed on this hull.

Top: The gunwales are quite deep, allowing use from light offshore to the inland lakes. They’re a versatile hull. Above: Quintrex has been stretch forming aluminum for decades.

The side console means that there’s a mountain of space inside the cockpit and a variety of seating configurations.

The helm is simple and will hold bracket mounted electronics. This one was treated to hydraulic steering.

Top Left: Another optional extra on this rig was the Motor Guide Xi5 electric motor. Top Right: There’s a small live bait well built into the starboard side transom. Bottom Left: This boat also has a Cannon downrigger fitted for chasing kingfish at the Rip. Bottom Right: The Catch and Release hitching system works a treat for one-up trips.

Top Left: The business end of the drive-on trailer centres the keel. Top Right: The battery box is in the open, which is standard for a tinny. Bottom Left: The raised front casting deck results in heaps of storage space underneath, albeit not dry storage. Bottom Right: How cool is the aftermarket anchor well! You can stand on it and it adds usable space up front. MAY 2024 109