Fishing Monthly Magazine | November 2023 by Fishing Monthly

• SUPERB SPRING SPECIES • YELLOWBELLY LOWDOWN •

QLD

NSW

VIC

TAS

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT

Bob Thornton brings us: Taking stock of impoundment yellowbelly

Features

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Taking stock of impoundment yellowbelly • Starlo’s topwater tactics • 10 fishy phrases to get you hooked • Spring fishing in Moreton Bay •

TESTED

Surtees Pro Fisher 610 with Yamaha F130 4-stroke

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From the Editor’s Desk... It’s taken over 35 years, but it’s finally here – a glossy Fishing Monthly magazine! I know that our Production Manager, Matthew Drinkall, has finally gotten what he’s wanted for decades. There’s been a lot of work behind the scenes to get it to this point, so thank you to the team who got it together. And I know we shouldn’t, but we apologise for the price rise. We were a long time at $6.95, but we’ve jumped to $9.95... hopefully the last price rise for years. If price is an issue for you, consider

subscribing. We’re going to leave the subscription prices the same for the next few months at least. At least until Australia Post’s massive price increase starts to bite. We got the letter last month that Print Post prices will increase up to 26% in one hit in January 2024. If you subscribe, you get the magazines at nearly half the cover price and delivered to your door. As you all know, I’m not a fan of our national postal carrier, but it’s a shame when our biggest threat to business is uncontrolled Australia

Post price increases. But don’t get me started... let’s talk positives. Contributions will look better in the new format, as will the features, boat tests and area reports and tournament results. Let us know what you think. I appreciate letters and emails from our readers and strive to improve the offering every issue. We proudly print and produce in Australia and this issue is the first with our new partners at PrintCraft in Brisbane. We hope that all are proud of what we’ve done.

INSIDE This Issue

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FISHING MONTHLY MAGAZINE

Bunbury

100

Batlow

Augusta

101

Albury/Wodonga

Metro

102

Northern Bay

Canberra

Mandurah

103

Noosa

104

VICTORIA

Lancelin

Bundaberg

105

Mackay

Portland

Kalberri

Townsville

Warrnambool

Exmouth

106

Hinchinbrook

Cobden

Karratha

106

Cairns

Phillip Island

Freshwater

108

Port Douglas

Geelong

Cooktown

Port Phillip West

Cape York

Gippsland Lakes

Freshwater

Port Albert Lakes Entrance

Stock of yellowbelly

Starlo: topwater tactics

10 Fishy phrases

Spring fishing in Moreton Bay 20

Marlo

NEW SOUTH WALES

REGULAR FEATURES

Mallacoota

Sheik of the Creek

Robinvale

Bendigo

What’s New Fishing

Yarrawonga

Tagging Tales

Wangaratta

OzFish news

Shepparton

Fun page

Eildon

Tournaments

110

Ballarat

Tournament Calendar

118

Central Coast

Crater Lakes

Trades and Services

120

Port Stephens

Gippsland Freshwater

Tide page

121

Boat test: Surtees Pro Fisher 610

122

Sydney South

Sydney Rock

Ballina

Coffs Coast

South West Rocks

Hasting

Port Macquarie

Swansea

Illawarra

TASMANIA

Batemans Bay

Hobart

Bermagui

Tathra

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

New England Rivers

Esperance

100

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FISHING MONTHLY MAGAZINE PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 2023

6 NOVEMBER 2023

VIC

ISSUE: VOLUME 4 NO. 7

Hunter Valley

Brisbane

QLD NSW

Published by:

QUEENSLAND Gold Coast

This great kingfish was caught by Zane Levett during the last minutes of sunset. He chose to tag and release this solid fish so it could fight another day. A Vic Levett image.

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FEATURE

Species

FMM

Taking stock of impoundment yellowbelly BRISBANE

Bob Thornton

Of all the many great freshwater species we have to target in our sunburnt country, golden perch, or yellowbelly, are possibly one of the most underrated and deserving of more praise than they get. While there is reasonable fanfare for these hard-hitting natives within the southern part of their natural range, there are many fantastic stocked yellowbelly fisheries scattered around Australia. Some of them are large impoundments like Lake Maraboon, which is Queensland’s second largest lake and forms an oasis amongst Central Queensland’s harsh semi-arid

landscape. Others are urban ponds like Albert Park Lake, which lies within hearing distance of Melbourne’s busy CBD. From this it’s clear that these fish are highly adaptable and resourceful, and it’s no wonder they are such a popular fish for stocking groups. In many areas they are overshadowed by other freshwater sportfish, but by tweaking your techniques a little it’s possible to specifically target them and enjoy, at least in my opinion, one of the most versatile and fun freshwater species on offer. Before we get into techniques, let’s learn a bit about yellowbelly and how they ended up in so many artificial environments. GOLDEN FAMILY Yellowbelly go by a few names, but

Above: Small blades are great lures to use when it’s super-cold or superhot! This mid-winter fish was sitting alone in 8m of water, but couldn’t resist a small blade hopped in its face. Main photo: The author caught this fish on a high 30s summer day after fishing the deep water for several hours for nothing. The fish ate a spinnerbait up in the shallows late in the afternoon. In hindsight the fish were probably waiting for the water to cool down enough so they could comfortably hunt in the shallows. 8 NOVEMBER 2023

the most common ones are yellowbelly, yella, golden perch, golden, perch and callop (the latter is only used in South Australia). Most anglers understand them to be native only to the MurrayDarling Basin, but this is not true at all. There are at least two known subpopulations, one in the vast network of rivers that flow through central Australia into Lake Eyre, the other in the rivers and creeks that feed the Fitzroy Basin in Central Queensland. Not enough study has been conducted to determine whether they are sub-species or indeed separate species, however they are known to feed, reproduce and behave in very similar ways. In addition, successful techniques for these subpopulations are also very similar, if not identical, to those in their main stronghold of the Murray-Darling. Following a massive decline through the 19th and early 20th centuries from overfishing and habit destruction, stocking began in the 1970s after hatchery-bred fish became available. Since then, stocks have been reintroduced to depleted waterways within their natural range, and also outside this range – most notably in many of the rivers and impoundments east of the Great Dividing Range. These days anglers in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, as well as many of the regions in between, have easy access to these fish thanks to stocking and good fisheries management. What’s more, in catchments where these fish are alien there has been no reported ecological concerns, and it seems yellas are quite happy to live alongside species like bass, trout, and eastern and Mary River cod. Yellowbelly need access to flowing water in order to breed, and in the wild are sometimes known to cover hundreds of kilometres to find the

right conditions. They will rarely breed in stocked impoundments; however it has been known to happen in stocked waterways with accessible feeder streams.

Despite breeding in dams being a rare occurrence, yellas will still school up when the water temperature is right in an attempt to spawn. Hooked fish can sometimes have followers that are too focussed on trying to breed with the hooked fish to notice anything else around them. The top fish ate a spoon jigged through a school, and the bottom fish followed it right to the boat. Both fish ended up in the net! STOCKED YELLAS To my knowledge and from all accounts I’ve received over the years, stocked yellas behave in much the same way as their wild cousins. This is a species that is highly temperaturedriven and will choose its habitat and position within the water column to

Species FEATURE

FMM suit those needs. One notable difference with stocked fish, however, is their propensity to grow extra-large, especially in large impoundments with a suitable biomass of forage species. Any impoundment with good stocks of crayfish, shrimps, small fish species, or all of the above will provide a happy hunting ground for large female goldens. Furthermore, large rocky structures and stands of trees that are often flooded during the construction of dams provide excellent habitat for the yellas, with aquatic weed growth also offering

favourable conditions for these fish. A surprising number of fish in excess of 70cm and 10kg have been recorded in the last four decades, and almost all of them have come from dams. In my local area of South East Queensland it’s rare to even hear of fish this size, however there are more than enough 60cm+ models swimming around to warrant the use of ‘heavy bass gear’ or ‘light cod gear’, depending who you talk to. GOING FOR GOLD Chasing these fish, particularly with lures, was once thought of as a

springtime activity only. During this time their metabolism speeds up after lying low through winter, and they scramble to put on condition ahead of their spawning period, making them highly susceptible to lures.

This is particularly true in larger dams that offer the fish structures and depths that allow them stay comfortable when it’s really hot or really cold, and thus, feed throughout the year and maintain their impressive mass.

Weed is always great fish habitat in lakes. It provides cover, oxygen, warmth and food for a range of species, including yellas.

Working small soft plastics in nearby weed is a good ploy during early spring.

While this is a ‘golden’ time to be chasing these fish, it’s not the only time you can chase them with lures, and in fact successful yella fishing is achievable throughout the year! You may need to change your approach a little and even depart completely from some traditional yellowbelly teachings, but there is action to be had all year.

HOT AND COLD Rather than dividing this section up by season, I’m going to look at successful techniques in different temperatures. The reason for this is because their stocked distribution spans a range of latitudes and climates, from alpine lakes and ditches in Victoria to low-lying dams up in the tropics in Queensland.

We have your inland lure fishing covered. SCAN ME

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JABBER JAW - OLD GREGG

RIPPIN RAP - LIVE PERCH

CREEPER - BLACK NIGHTMARE

DT SERIES - DARK BROWN CRAWDAD

SHAD RAP ELITE - GILDED COPPER PERCH

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QLD Southern

FMM

Pelagic activity is prominent BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

With conditions warming rapidly during November, anglers will be treated to some hot fishing action. Pelagic activity will be particularly prominent throughout the month as increased water temperatures promote baitfish prevalence throughout the bay. Additionally, many other estuarine and bay species will be encountered regularly. Snapper, tuskfish, cod, flathead, mangrove jack, mulloway, threadfin and whiting are a few that will stretch the string and tempt the tastebuds. LONGTAIL TUNA One of the bay’s premium predatory pelagic species is the longtail or northern bluefin tuna. These can often be found in sizeable schools with specimens eclipsing 25kg however are more commonly caught in the 8kg to 12kg range. Finding them is often the easy part. Longtails regularly feed on small baitfish species this early in the season and often become fixated on this profile. Offerings larger than that on which they are feeding are often ignored. Casting small offerings is very difficult, especially when you can’t get close enough to the longtails to deliver into the strike zone. The fly fishers often have the upper hand in this situation as small baitfish profiled flies such as bay baits, surf candies, polar fibre minnows and silversides can be presented reasonable distances using a fly line. The weight to load the rod for an effective cast is in the line, not the

others can work well, depending on the tuna’s mood and feeding regime. It often pays to try different offerings in an attempt to get a result. Stalking the feeding fish often requires skill and thought. Working out the direction in which the tuna are feeding, anticipating their path and then getting into casting position will increase chances considerably. Birds aid this cause as they will follow the tuna from above, in anticipation of them pushing baifish to the surface. The distance the birds are above the water will roughly mirror the distance the baitfish are below the surface. As the birds begin to lower you know the tuna are pushing the baitfish up. More than likely you will soon get a chance for a cast to sounding tuna. This regime is the same for virtually all pelagics working baitfish schools. Live baiting around the shipping channel beacons, along current lines and other areas where baitfish congregate can be rather successful for longtails, especially the larger specimens. Yakkas, slimey mackerel, cowanyoung and pike all make great baits when presented on a snelled-hook rig and fished in the upper third of the water column. Cobia, trevally, mack tuna and kingfish are likely bycatch. Baitfish numbers will flourish over the coming months with increased water temperatures that will promote heightened activity from longtail tuna and other pelagics. SNAPPER Whilst the cooler months offer greater numbers of snapper throughout the Moreton Bay area, I often find that October and November produce trophy

The author’s new PB Moreton Bay snapper of 92cm taken mid afternoon from a randomly located bait school. fly on the end. A very proficient caster can deliver a fly to over 40m however with a stealthy approach you should be able to get closer than this. Flies can be stripped in a flat-stick, double-handed manner or just allowed to sink like a wounded baitfish. Fly fishing for tuna can be highly effective and challenging yet very rewarding also. Casting lures such as small chromed slugs and slices, stickbaits, pencil poppers, jighead rigged jerkbaits and numerous 26 NOVEMBER 2023

quality specimens. Often you will need to work a little harder and possibly even target areas away from the main crowds, such as the numerous isolated wrecks that are scattered throughout the bay. Large snapper can be caught on an array of artificials including soft plastics, blades, trolled minnow lures, soft vibes, micro jigs and octo jigs. Quality fresh baits can also work well and even a store-bought bait such as pilchards or squid will tempt a trophy

specimen on occasion. Live baits are one of the most reliable producers of larger snapper when fished thoughtfully. Locating areas that hold baitfish congregations, such as the artificial reefs, bay island surrounds and wrecks, will short track your journey to success. I prefer drift fishing live baits however they can be deployed from an anchored craft also. Recently I randomly located a decent bait school sounding from bottom to several metres up well wide of any prominent structure whilst on my way back to the ramp. I had a couple of yakkas still in the bait tank so set up a drift line and deployed one close to the bottom. I could tell by the shape of the bait that there was something herding it. As the yakka entered the zone it was smashed by a good fish which ended up taping out at 92cm and weighing around 8kg. This was a PB Moreton Bay snapper for me and a rewarding capture at the end of an otherwise slow fishing session. There will still be a lot of quality eating size snapper in the 45-60cm range to be caught over the coming months and these can be tempted with the abovementioned baits and lures. With warmer conditions, fishing late afternoon and into the night can be enjoyable and rewarding. Sweetlip, estuary cod, school mackerel, morwong, tuskfish, mulloway and a host of other species can be caught in the same areas where you target snapper, which can result in a mixed bag. MULLOWAY Over the last few months there has been some awesome mulloway to be caught in the rivers and out into the bay around the bay islands and artificial reefs. Whilst these can be caught on an array of well-presented lures, quality baits (especially live offerings) are more likely to reward on these metre-plus specimens. I prefer large mulloway over snapper as an eating fish because I think they possess more flavour. I have managed several mulloway exceeding 110cm over the last few months and although I have had to put in a decent effort for each fish the captures have been rewarding. These have been taken on both lures and live baits, depending on the situation. Larger schools of mulloway can often be located around the Peel Artificial Reef, Coochie Artificial and the Harry Atkinson (especially near the Tiwi Pearl). Several fish can often be caught from the same location however sharks can often spoil the party by engulfing hooked fish. MANGROVE JACK Warming water temperatures and a rising barometer presents ideal conditions for those targeting jacks. Mornings, evening sessions and well into the darkened hours are when the jacks are often most active, offering the best opportunity for those who like to target them on lures. Casting minnow lures (especially suspending models), soft vibes and plastics (such as crustacean

With hot days and a rising barometer, mangrove jack with be smashing live baits, lures and even flies. profiles and paddle tails) is a great way to probe around mangrove snags, bridge pylons, pontoons, rock walls and other prominent structures. Mangrove jack will commonly lurk around these areas and ambush any passing morsel. Most anglers use 7kg to 15kg line and baitcaster outfits when casting lures as the single-handed mechanics of the cast offer better opportunity for accuracy. Spinning outfits can also be used but most find them less accurate and more labour intensive to cast. Live baits of herring, mullet and banana prawns can also work exceptionally well when presented close to structure. Don’t have too much slack line between the rod tip and bait or you will be taken deep into the snag before you know it. Estuary cod will respond to the same techniques as jacks and inhabit similar areas so are high on the list of by-catch. Trevally, flathead, mulloway and big bream can also be caught whilst targeting mangrove jacks in the rivers, estuaries, canals and harbours. There are several months of prime jack fishing conditions ahead over the coming months. Those late afternoon periods when it has been a stinking hot day and storm activity is increasing (the barometer will be rising) offer the most aggressive activity from jacks but get off the water before storms hit as waving a graphite rod around when there is lightning could be a recipe for disaster. THREADFIN SALMON During the warmer months, threadfin salmon congregate in various areas in the lower reaches of the Brisbane River, throughout the Logan River, southern bay and other systems flowing into Moreton Bay. Threadfin show prominently on most marine electronics due to their large air bladders however just because you can find them doesn’t mean you will catch them. They are often pedantic eaters, especially when they are feeding on prawn schools. Hopping soft vibes through the schools is generally one of the most reliable techniques. Prawn profile lures such as Chasebaits Flick Prawn,

Southern QLD

FMM Atomic Prong, Samaki Live Shrimp and Pro Lure Clone Prawn are also great options and will benefit from a smear of S-Factor scent. These should be rigged with a minimum weight jighead that has enough weight to get the lure into the strike zone but still maintains the slower glide action of the prawn on the pause. Slow pitch jigs are also ideal options for vertical fishing, especially oval jigs with plenty of flutter. Obviously, live baits of banana prawns, herring, mullet and biddies can also work well when fished close to the bottom with a minimum of lead. There will be several more months of prime thready action however they are currently a serious target for anyone fishing in the rivers and southern bay during November. CRABS Anglers targeting crabs over the coming months will be pleasantly rewarded on most occasions. Sand crab numbers were great during September and October, however many found them a little soft (not very full) on many occasions. By now they should be plump with tasty meat so it is an ideal time to target them. Setting a few safety pots around the bay islands, in the major channels and the gutters leading off the sand flats will likely reward with both sand crabs and blueswimmers. Bait your pots with fish frames, tuna heads, mullet or chicken carcases for good results. Smaller baits such as fish offcuts,

chicken necks and even a handful of pilchards can be used but will need to be contained in a fine mesh enveloped and secured in the centre of the bottom of the pot. Pickup style dillies (not the witches hat style) can also be used but will need to be checked a lot more regularly than safety pots. Mud crab numbers can also be healthy up in the creeks and rivers during November. Without serious rainfall, the muddies will be deep in the mangrove expanse. Setting pots in the drains leading out of this expanse, or going to the effort to walk the pots into position will increase rewards considerably. After serious rainfall mud crabs will be more readily attainable in the main system

Longtail tuna numbers will increase during November due to increased baitfish prevalence as a result of warming waters.

as the lowering salinity will force them from the mangrove expanse and small gutters. Muddies can be caught with the same pots and baits as the sandies and blueswimmers but possess different size and bag limits so ensure you are up to date with these regulations. MACKEREL It will be mainly school mackerel that will be caught during November, however the occasional spotted mackerel is a possibility. School mackerel will most commonly be found in the main channels and around the shipping channel beacons. Trolling spoons behind paravanes in the major channels such as the Rous, Rainbow, Kianga, Small Ships and Pearl is a reliable way to score. Both #3 and #4 spoons will work well with the Halco Barra Drone and Kimberley spoons being productive and easy to source. The start of the falling tide is a prime time to troll the channel edges as the mackerel will begin to move off the flats to patrol these edges and prey on the bait flushed from the flats with the receding tide. The 6-8m zone between Green Island and Cleveland can be worth trolling on the falling tide. The edge of the bank south of the Harry Atkinson and around to the Hope Banks area can also produce. Drifting pilchards in these same zones is another option as the mackerel move through these channels regularly. The shipping channel beacons hold various forms of baitfish and this in turn attracts

mackerel to these zones. These vertical structures can be jigged with chromed slugs and slices or probed with ganged hook rigged pilchards. Several beacons can be worked over in a session. Unsuccessful beacons are often worth a second look later in the tide as the mackerel can assemble around them at any time. Bonito are often regular captures in these zones and occasionally a mack tuna, longtail, yellowtail kingfish or cobia will also take a vertically work chrome slug or slice. Spotted mackerel are usually not that common during November but you may spot the V-shaped wake-telltale of a cruising fish. A cast near it with a chromed slug then a flat stick retrieve will generally get their attention. CONCLUSION Plenty of awesome species can be caught throughout the Moreton Bay area during November. Whether you prefer the fast-paced action and screaming drags associated with pelagic fishing or the more relaxed approach of targeting demersals there will be plenty of options. The river and estuarine fishers will also have options with jacks, cod, mulloway, flathead, whiting, bream and numerous others prevalent. Setting a few safety pots whilst fishing can add tasty crabs to the haul. The days will be hot and plenty of slip, slop, slap and slurp will be needed to avoid the elements but the rewards will be worth it. Hot weather equals hot action so get into it.

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING

DAIWA 23 TD BLACK

It’s time to get back-in-black with the new 23 TD Black range. Now into its third generation, Daiwa’s new TD Black series is Daiwa’s largest range of light tackle rods developed specifically for the Australian market. From chasing King George whiting in the south to swimbaiting for cod and barra in the north, the 23 TD Black range has a rod for you. The 23 TD Black range features HVF Nanoplus blank equipped with X45X Full Shield technology. The result is a range of 36 rods that are lightweight and crisp, and with responsive actions that a selected and designed for optimum performance and application. Working in harmony with the TD Black’s new blanks is a compilation of carefully selected components. Daiwa’s Air Sensor reel seat delivers in looks, lightness and function, while stainless steel framed Fuji Alconite anti-tangle guides ensure optimum strength, lightness and feel. New to the TD Black range is Daiwa’s spiral grips. First introduced with the 2019 Tatula baitcaster rods, the spiral grip design enhances in-hand comfort and improves angler rod control when making a cast and also during the fight. www.daiwafishing.com.au

PLATYPUS HARD ARMOUR FC

The Platypus Hard Armour Leader range includes Australian-made Supple, Tough and Game leaders, covering nylon leaders from 4lb to 600lb breaking strains. To complete the Hard Armour range, Platypus have now added a quality 100% Japanese fluorocarbon leader, designed to suit the most finicky feeders in the toughest environments. Hard Armour FC is virtually invisible in water, for clear conditions and spooky feeders, while also offering excellent knot strength and abrasion resistance. Available in breaking strains from 2lb to 50lb, to cover many popular sportfishing applications, Hard Armour comes in valuefor-money spool lengths, with a bonus line tamer included to keep your selection of leaders tangle-free. It’s another quality addition from Australia’s longest running fishing tackle brand, Australian owned and operated since 1898. Price: SRP from $24.95 www.tackletactics.com.au/platypus

SUFIX X8 EGI LINE

Sufix X8 Egi line has superior strength, roundness, and line consistency thanks to R8Precision Braiding and fibre technology. This line comes in thin diameters which are ideal for squid fishing and other finesse applications. The R8 Precision Braiding Technology with a high-tension weaving process results in a round and smooth line that allows you to make long accurate casts. The soft and silky feel of the line gives you the sensitivity needed when a squid attacks your lure. Sufix X8 Egi line also offers excellent strength to diameter ratio, and with a high abrasion resistance, it give you the total confidence in your fishing game. www.rapala.com.au

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FISHCRAFT DR STRETCH

FishCraft has introduced the all-new Dr Stretch lure series, a meticulously designed lure crafted for passionate anglers targeting flathead and a variety of estuary species. Available in two sizes – 65mm/6.8g and 85mm/12.5g – these lures offer superior performance, diving to 1.5m and 3.0m respectively to ensure extensive coverage across underwater environments. There’s an array of captivating old school and baitfish colours to choose from, and each hue has been carefully selected to entice flathead, bream, and estuary inhabitants. Whether you’re casting at snags or trolling, this versatile lure delivers exceptional results. www.fishcraft.com.au

HIGH SPEED TUNA CATCHER

Williamson has unleashed a new high-speed skirt to the market, the High Speed Tuna Catcher. This skirt features a unique painted, triangular metal head that provides more stability, movement and weight needed to impart action at faster speeds. The Williamson High Speed Tuna Catcher comes fully rigged with premium VMC hardware attached to a Sufix leader, so you can be confident to tie this lure on straight from the packet. www.rapala.com.au

GARMIN GPSMAP 9000 SERIES

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NSW

Hunter Coast

FMM

Superb spring fishing in the estuary and beaches PORT STEPHENS

Paul Lennon

The estuary has been on fire in recent weeks, with excellent catches of flathead coming from throughout the system. The lack of rain this season has made for some great fishing in the upper

first two hours of the run-out tide have been having the most success. Bream on the tide changes are another really good option from the break wall at this time of year. Unweighted prawns and nippers have been accounting for plenty up to 40cm. Elsewhere in the bay, bream are feeding around the oyster racks, rock

It’s a productive time to wade the shallows for flathead.

Mulloway are a great target species at this time of year. parts of the system, with Allworth producing some big scores of lizards. We have also been seeing great catches from the upper parts of Tilligerry and the Myall. The mistake most anglers make is fishing too far out for flathead. You should be fishing the edges of the bank around the bends in the river, the mouths of feeder creeks and edges of contrasting bottom, where weed or rock meets mud or sand. Soft plastics and hard-bodied lures are the best weapons of choice, and anything from 2-5” is a good size. Luderick remain fairly consistent from the Nelson Bay rock wall, and anglers using fresh weed and fishing the

bars and rocky islands on the western side of Soldiers Point. Lure fishing with small crankbaits and lightly-weighted plastics is a sure-fire way to get stuck into them. Surface lures will also become an effective weapon for anglers over the next few months, with both bream and whiting feeding aggressively on topwater. Bream are best fished around the structure. Work your lure with a short, sharp blooping action followed by a good pause. Whiting, on the other hand, prefer shallow flats areas, and the best retrieve is a constant walking pace. Mulloway will be lurking in those deeper parts of the bay and Karuah

bridges this month, especially on the tide changes. Live baiting is the most effective way to catch them. If you can’t catch live bait, tea-bagging a soft vibe lure will often be rewarded. BEACHES The ocean beaches are fishing very well, with plenty of whiting showing up along Fingal, Samurai, One Mile and Stockton. A 2-hook, long-shank paternoster rig baited with a live worm or fresh pipi is deadly on these tasty critters. You will also pick up a bunch of welcome by-catch, from big bream to dart and even the odd mulloway. If you want to specifically target mulloway, get to the beach a couple of hours before dark and try to catch a few whiting for live bait, and then fish into the night. Whiting make excellent mulloway live baits and are a hardy fish that can be easily kept alive in a bucket of saltwater. They will be fine for a good half hour before needing a water change. Tailor are another option for a live bait, and can be often spun up with metal lures late in the afternoon. Unfortunately,

they don’t last as long as whiting do in a bucket, and need to be put out quickly. OCEAN ROCKS While it’s not the best time of year to fish from the ocean rocks, you can still pick up some late season drummer and bream while fishing the washy areas with lightly weighted prawns or cunjevoi. The headlands and points will be worth a spin with some ganged pilchards or metal lures this month, for the chance of a solid tailor or bonito. OFFSHORE Marlin season has kicked off. There have been quite a few striped marlin caught on the shelf, and they should only get better from now on. The FADs are out, and there have been a few good mahimahi (dolphinfish) to 10kg caught off them already. Early

There are quality snapper around the islands. season mahimahi are often the biggest of the season. In close, the charter boats have been picking up plenty of trag on the inner reefs as well as a few squire and odd mulloway starting to show up too. Some great snapper fishing to be had around the islands on first and last light by casting plastics or anchoring and casting out baits down a berley trail.

The best prawn run of the year SWANSEA

Jason Nunn

The highlight of November is the estuary fishing, particularly the prawn run. Our weather cycle is heading

Port Stephens Estuary Charters

ens estuary system the beautiful Port Steph signed g charter that can be de with a calm water fishin family bait fishing to to suit your needs from hing anglers. hardcore lure and fly fis

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68 NOVEMBER 2023

into a drier period, but unlike river systems like the Hunter, the prawns in our catchment are less impacted by dry periods. This month’s run will start around the 8th, and run for approx. 7-8 days. Each night, the low tide will

commence around 50-60 minutes later than the previous night. This particular prawn run is traditionally our best of the year, with quality prawns and good numbers of them. The bulk of our prawns are juvenile eastern king prawns, mixed in with a small number of tiger prawns, school prawns and resident greasyback prawns. Under cover of darkness, the migrating prawns attach themselves to weed and float down the channel. In other estuaries, it’s possible to catch prawns by wading, but not here. Here, you need a boat to get into the channel, which is around 10-30ft deep. Remember, you mustn’t obstruct the navigational channel here. You can use a head torch or old hard hat with a 12V light hooked up to a marine or car battery, and scoop the prawns as they come down. The run also raises the condition and quantity of other estuary species, such as whiting, bream and flathead, carrying

Leah King with a nice catch to bring home. us through the summer. Right now is an ideal time to cast lures for flathead in the channel, or drift for them in the shallows. Paddle-tail and grub-tail plastics in natural colours are effective in the shallows, and a couple of good options are the Squidgy Wriggler

Illawarra Coast NSW

FMM

Flathead are hitting everything that moves ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke

The lake is starting to hit its straps now with warmer water moving in and out with the tides and the shallows warmed by the sun. The first prawns moved on the last dak so all the lakes inhabitants are now well into feeding mode. As always, the number one target for most anglers is the flathead. They have been increasing in size and numbers in recent weeks, and are now really hitting their straps. The action will only getting better as we move into summer. The drop-off from the channel into the main lake is always a hot spot, but now they will start to spread out over most of the lake with a bit of sand. Live poddy mullet are always deadly, as are plastics. I prefer prawn-style plastics, and have had great success with them. That said, there are plenty of other bait and lure options that work. On a good day, the flatties will often hit just about anything that moves. Whiting have started to get a wriggle on too, and squirt worms are the best bait. Alternatively, a session on a calm morning along the sand flats with poppers can be great fun. Bream will grab the poppers too before they move into deeper water as the sun comes up. Flatties will come up off the bottom and grab the poppers as well. To catch a better class of bream, try live prawns unweighted drifted back into the bridge pylons on the run-out tide in the evenings. You can apply the same techniques in Minnamurra River too, with the added bonus of some big trevally and in bloodworm and Gulp 4” Jigging Grub in pumpkinseed. If you want to chase whiting off the surface, you can get good results fishing very early in the morning and late in the afternoon with Sugapens, Jackson Panics and Splash Prawns.

A solid Sunday snapper. Image courtesy of Sandy Bottom Boat Charters.

blackfish thrown into the mix on the live prawns. The beaches have fired up too. Whiting are now on all the beaches along the coast, and they are getting better every week. Beachworms are a must for good catches. Fish the edges of the gutters on the falling tide as they move off the shallow sand banks and gather in the gutters. The odd stray dart may show up early as the water heats up, and salmon and big bream are always on the cards when using worms in the surf. The evenings are producing a few mulloway, but they are mostly schoolies with just the odd better fish thrown in. They will pick up next month as the big fish move in on the big evening tides. Salmon and tailor are grabbing pilchards on ganged hooks on many beaches, with good deep gutters during the evenings and early mornings. The rocks are much the same – they

Flatties are on the up and up as the water gets warmer every week. As you’d expect, we’re seeing an increase in squid numbers in the Swansea channel, particularly the dropover areas. The squid of an evening are often seen chasing the prawns, with half a prawn hanging out of their beak. Of course, with the increase in squid, we see an increase in kingfish in the lake, and Swansea Bridge in particular, has been a real hotspot. The marker buoys in the lake have also been producing quite a few kings. The best way to catch them is with a live squid or live yellowtail. If you’re a lure fisher, you can get good results on poppers (e.g. Halco Roosta, Rapala Magnum Xplode), stickbaits (Shimano Ocea Flash Boost), and 7-9” white soft plastics. Another lure that’s been working well is the Nomad Squidtrex soft vibe. A few guys have been jigging up kingies on these squid imitations lately, so if it’s a bit windy and the surface is quiet, try a Squidtrex and see if that’s enough to entice them. There are still plenty of mulloway around. When targeting mulloway, the key is to jig up some squid from the channels or Murrays. I recommend using small jigs such as Yozuris or Yamashitas in the

are just getting better as the northeasters start kicking in, pushing baitfish into the deeper headlands. Salmon and tailor, along with the odd bonito and small kingfish, will be chasing these right up against the shoreline, so long casts may not be needed to get good results. Port break walls, Hill 60, Bass Point and Kiama blowhole area will be good spots. If you set your sights a bit higher there should be a few larger kingfish about as they travel along the coast before gathering at the deeper offshore areas like the Banks. Live baits out early in the morning and late afternoon will have the best chance of a result, but they could swim by your ledge at any time of the day, so it always pays to keep that livie out while you chase other species. Bream will be in most of the washes this month, along with a few trevally and even the odd snapper if you are lucky. Offshore it all starts to happen as the warm currents really start to push downhill, then it all stops when the cold water wells up from the bottom. It can be hit-and-miss, but the hit days are really worth it; the first solid push of warm water generally brings the big dolphinfish (mahimahi), yellowfin tuna, striped marlin and even a few spearfish each year. This will go on until Christmas, then it will all settle down with hot water until April. Albacore used to be a November staple, but they seem to have been missing in action over the past few years. Maybe this year they’ll be back again. The yellowfin can range from the shelf to right inshore, only a few kilometres out, so keep your eyes and ears out for any info. These days they usually don’t hang around in the same

Snapper Omalley with a couple of nice reds. Image courtesy of Sandy Bottom Boat Charters.

1.8 to 2.0 size – nothing bigger than 2.5. Three or four squid will set you up for a mulloway session. See if you can keep them alive or as fresh as possible, and fish them unweighted in deeper channels or points in the lake, with a little bit of berley. Try to have the squid sitting in the middle of the water column.

Little makos are about, and this is why they are so fast. Check out the streamlining. place for too long. Striped marlin are always on the cards this month, from the 50-fathom line to the shelf. When they are about, it’s a matter of ‘find the bait and find the fish’. In closer, there are still kingfish around the islands. They arrived early and have been about for the past few months. To find them, just look for the commercial boats working them – they have been giving them an absolute flogging. It’s been years since we had good, constant numbers of fish in this area, but the way things are going, they may be in short supply by the time this goes to print. The pros have to make a quid, I know, but to just keep smashing the fish to oblivion is not a great result for anyone. There are good numbers of salmon in the same area, and they seem to be spread all along the coast. You just have to find a school for a bit of fun. A few nice snapper are about in the deeper water (50m+), with a few in closer and plenty of smaller fish in over the closer reefs. The odd trag has been caught, along with a few small samsonfish, and plenty of mowies and pigfish on the drift. The idea is to keep both plastics and baits down at the same time to maximise your chances. A few small makos are still about popping up next to the boat, or grabbing a fish as you land it. They are pretty good on the barbie – just watch the sharp end. Flathead have arrived over just about every sand patch now. Some are solid fish, and it will only get better over the next six months. The only downer is there are still plenty of barracouta about to snip you off, and heaps of leatherjackets to destroy everything. The action will continue to improve next month and beyond, so there’s a lot to look forward to. NOVEMBER 2023 69

VIC

West Coast

FMM

All fishing platforms start improving this month PORTLAND

Nigel Fisher

G’day everybody, hope you are getting out for a fish now that the seasons are starting to turn. We have started to see some good quality fish around our area In recent weeks.

A quality mixed bag from the deep water.

Matty and Max with a 120kg tuna. First of all, we have still seen some big tuna coming Into the cleaning tables, weighing between 60-120kg. Most have come out of 50m of water, with some even shallower. So, Instead of searching In deep waters and doing a lot of miles, we have seen very quick turnarounds. It’s possible that the tuna will still be around In the coming weeks.

The tuna that have been caught lately have been very fat and healthy, which has been great to see. A large number of fish have been gilled, gutted and bled on Ice for great quality eating. Many anglers have also been releasing their tuna to fight another day. In the deep water (50m and deeper), the bottom fishing Is still quite strong, with good numbers of snapper, morwong, nannygai, gummies and schoolies, just to name a few. There are still good numbers of flathead towards Bridgewater Bay. Some of the flatties I have seen recently have been great size fish. There have also been some big gummies taking around the flathead grounds. Closer In around the bay, we are starting to see an Increase In whiting numbers, and a large number are well

FISHING NEWS

Abalone hoard found

A phone call to the Victorian Fisheries Authority has helped Warrnambool Fisheries Officers protect valuable abalone stocks in southwest Victoria. The call alerted officers to five men in wetsuits with eskies who were acting suspiciously on rocks near Pea Soup at Port Fairy. Officers inspected the group, who were found to be in possession of 39 abalone, 24 of which were undersize, the smallest measuring less than 10cm. The daily bag limit is five abalone per person, and the minimum size for the area is 13cm. The group were issued with 10 infringement notices totalling nearly $6,000 for a range of offences, including taking more than the catch limit, taking undersize abalone, and failing to carry an abalone measure. For a refresher on recreational 82 NOVEMBER 2023

abalone catch limits, visit www.vfa.vic. gov.au/abalone. If you see or suspect illegal fishing, call 13FISH (133474) anytime to speak directly to a Fisheries Officer. You can remain anonymous. – Victorian Fisheries Authority

nights for gummy sharks, as well as large salmon. This beach can prove difficult for access at times, but when conditions are right It’s certainly a great area. Snapper point to Fitzroy mouth beaches can also fish very well. The only Issue at times Is weed. Now that we are In November, we should see kingfish moving In around the bay, and school tuna In the shallow waters, so stay tuned. Until next time, happy fishing everybody. * Whether you’re a local or visiting Portland, drop Into Portland Compleat Angler for all your bait, fishing and boating accessories. We are open seven days a week from 7:30am to 6pm, or you can call us on 03 5521 1844 for any weather or fishing reports. You will find us at 61 Bentinck Street, or you can look us up on Facebook.

A nice 76cm snapper caught off the Breakwater. over 40cm long. The snapper along the north shore are still a bit slow, but their numbers should Improve as the water warms up. Squid are also starting to move In, and they should start Improving from November onwards. Our land-based fishos will be happy to know that we’ve already seen some goodsize snapper coming off the breakwater. The biggest snapper I have seen recently was 80cm long, with numerous others from 65-80cm. Generally, In November, the number of snapper off the breakwater Increases, especially when the squid and baitfish become more plentiful. Gummies have been In reasonable numbers off the wall, mostly at night. All the fishing platforms should start Improving, producing some good quality fish like whiting, sapper, squid and baitfish. All these areas are very accessible and close to the shops and amenities. There Is also a canal with a family-friendly platform, which Is great for the little ones to catch a fish. The beach fishing along Discovery Bay has been very productive on the good

Charlie caught these calamari while fishing the north shore.

West Coast

FMM

VIC

Inshore fishing fires as the water temp rises WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

November is one of my favourite times to fish in the South West. It’s when winter’s grasp finally lets go, and the warm weather species begin to fire up before the crowds of summer arrive. Last month I mentioned October was a good month for a chance at

a sea-run trout in the Merri River. These fish appear far more silver than the resident river trout, and usually fight much harder. They are usually quite a rarity, but I actually managed two recently from the Lower Merri. Come November there’s still a chance of one popping up, but you are far more likely to encounter bream in these areas. Estuary perch are an uncommon capture in the Lower Merri, but if you

Both of these trout were taken quite close to the ocean in the Merri River. The difference between the sea run and resident fish is quite noticeable.

come across one they are usually big. Not so across town in the Hopkins River, where estuary perch are prolific and have been biting well. November is always a good month to chase bream and EP in the Hopkins; the fish have returned to the edges and can be targeted on shallow running hardbodies and even surface lures. Close inshore areas should also begin to fire as water temperatures rise. The Killarney area and the inshore areas just out from the Moyne at Port Fairy and in Lady Bay at Warrnambool can produce some good whiting in the 40-45cm range at this time of year as well. Drifting or using your electric motor to move around the shallow bay areas in calm, clear conditions sight casting to squid is not only a great way to get a quality feed, but great fun too. Southern rock lobster (crayfish) season will be in full swing this month, with both divers and hoop netters hopping for flat conditions to target their quarry when the season opens on 16 November. Further offshore, solid bluefin tuna are still being taken at the time of writing this report. Fish between 60-110kg fired up again during spring, offshore from Port Fairy, Portland and Port MacDonnell. With fewer boats on them than earlier in the season, there have been some great opportunities for anglers getting amongst these fish, with some quality bluefin being both taken and released. Come November, this big fish run

Big bluefin tuna have still been making their presence felt offshore. should be just about done, but the summer inshore tuna schools won’t be too far away. Whilst most snapper anglers are targeting Port Phillip and Westernport bays, there are still snapper on offer off the South West Coast at this time of year. At this time, you have a good chance of a better fish before the droves of summer pinkies arrive. The added attraction of bottom bashing for local snapper is the possibility of catching a mixed bag. Gummies, schoolies, morwong, squid and even a big whiting are all on the cards when you are fishing deeper waters from 25-45m.

Catching a springtime feed around Cobden COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

A few intrepid boaters who have ventured out wide and bottom bounced in depths around 130-150m have come up trumps in the snapper department. Fish to 4.5kg have been boated, although the norm has been more like 2kg+. It won’t be long before they come in much closer to spawn. Some excellent gummy and school shark have also been boated, along with some scrumptious Tasmanian trumpeter, pink ling, knife fish and blue grenadier. Pinkie snapper to 1kg have been caught over gravelly reefs in depths around 50m. School shark, leatherjacket and morwong have also been picked up bottom bouncing. Fishing at anchor and using berley makes a difference, and tough baits such as squid have been the go. Australian salmon to 2kg have been taken off many of our local

beaches of late. Besides bait fishing, many surf anglers have recently switched to casting metal slices, which have always been an excellent method in which to target salmon. It’s amazing

how many fishing methods go in and out of fashion over the fullness of time. The Curdies mouth is still closed, however a few boaters have persevered out in Peterborough Lake and managed

A Curdies bream taken at the river mouth on a shrimp imitation soft plastic worked along the bottom.

to catch a few bream on bait. From Doctors Point up to the mouth of the river has been the prime area to concentrate one’s efforts. Heavily scented baits such as packet prawn and whitebait have been catching fish. Locally-netted shrimp, snap frozen to turn the bait white, has been fishing better than live ones. The bream are no doubt schooled up in anticipation of moving upriver so they can commence their spawning run. They really should be released because stocks are low after that big fish kill two years ago. The Gellibrand at Princetown has a tannin-stained flow pushing downstream from the Otway Ranges, and the mouth opens and closes at a great rate. Rumours of some big salmon and mulloway being taken around the mouth on bait are rife. These predatory fish patrol this area looking for an easy feed, so whole pilchards have been popular. If the fish are there, your pilchard won’t last five minutes. A building tide appears to be the best time. NOVEMBER 2023 83

South Coast

FMM

Good catches for anglers fishing off the beaches ESPERANCE

Murray Johnson

The South Coast sun is out, which makes life great for fishing. The wind is still relatively light, providing good conditions for both boaters and land-based anglers. For those anglers who want to have a fish around town this month, the town jetty has been producing plenty of herring and the occasional squid. We’re also seeing the occasional bonito, snook and small skippy being caught, along with the occasional garfish at night. Fishing in close to the start of the jetty has been producing the occasional good-size flathead. On the beaches around town, such as Stockyards and Fourth Beach, there are plenty of herring around, along with skippy around 0.5kg and the occasional small mulloway. The odd salmon has been turning up as well.

14 Mile, Roses, Thomas River and Alexander have been producing plenty of gummy sharks, with some samples going 20kg+. The best time to catch gummies has been just after dark. The typical rig for those is a standard paternoster rig, and they

Lachy Warren with a solid tailor caught at sunset. Image courtesy of @lachy_warren.

also like crabs. You can use a sand crab or surf crab, usually with a sliding sinker and a floating bait, similar to a groper rig. Anglers travelling east towards Poison Creek and Israelite Bay have been seeing plenty of salmon, along with small bronze whalers, some gummies, good-size tailor, smaller mulloway, and at Israelite, bigger flathead. Israelite is also a good spot to take the tinny out, or fish off the rocks for big King George whiting. Some of the whiting caught recently have been 1kg+. The water levels in the lakes are settling down a bit with the warm weather, so the bream are concentrated together a bit more. Plenty of bream caught lately have been around the 35cm mark. Bandy Creek Boat Harbour has been producing plenty of herring, smaller King George whiting, smaller flathead and skippy. Boat-based anglers close to town

have been getting lots of sand whiting, the occasional squid, plenty of snook, and the occasional bluefin tuna. Around the islands, they’re catching plenty of queen snapper to 9-10kg (80-90cm). There are still lots of sea sweep around, along with smaller nannygai and samsonfish. Heading out wide, around the 60-70m mark, there are good numbers of nannygai going 50cm+, harlequin, breaksea cod and queen snapper. We are also seeing lots of schools of bluefin tuna out wide, and samsonfish up to around 20kg. • Established in 1986, Southern Sports and Tackle specializes in supplying and servicing fishing equipment. They have extensive knowledge of the local area and provide all brands, whether you’re fishing from beach, jetty or boat. Come and chat with the friendly staff at Shop 16, The Boulevard, Esperance or phone 08 9071 3022.

Keep an eye out for signs of activity BUNBURY

Whiteys Tackle and Camping

The fish are on! Warmer days are here and the fish have responded. Southern bluefin tuna have been abundant this

general area try and sneak up on the side of the feeding school in casting distance and cast and fire in a metal or stickbait, crank it hard and hold on! If they are being tricky and keep going deep before you can get near them your best bet is to get out the trolling lures and hang around the area and you will eventually come across them. A bibbed trolling lure is a great option but for covering ground quickly a small skirted lure can be ripped along at 12-15 knots (fast enough to have it skipping every now and then) can really get the tuna fired up and is also a great option while moving between spots without having to slow down too much. The yellowfin whiting have been in massive numbers on the local Leschenault flats. Fishing the rising tide with small

100 NOVEMBER 2023

Will Eccles loves chasing these speedsters.

David Moore caught a Kraken of a squid.

Harry did a spot of night fishing for this mulloway. year with some of the best numbers on record, with big footy oval sized schools busting up the thick bait schools. The SBTs have been caught as close in as the shipping channel and as far out as 30m. The key to catching these speedsters is keeping an eye out at all times for signs of activity, whether it’s the birds circling and diving or the Tuna themselves getting airborne in their ferocious attack on their prey! Once you have located the

poppers and stick baits seem to be all the rage. Fishing these types of lures using a slow continuous retrieve with small twitches is your best bet. Long casts are essential so make sure you are always casting with the help of the wind even if you have to walk out first and start casting back into the shore. Even though knee deep water is usually optimal don’t be scared to cast right up into the skinny water along the shoreline as whiting will feed in

Nick Fucile was pleased with this mulloway capture.

water only just covering their backs. As well as the whiting on offer, the estuary has also been producing some quality herring, especially around the cut area. These speedsters respond well to a variety of techniques including metal slugs and the old favourite the small length of tube under a float. Crays are in full force and as usual the guys dropping the pots seem to get great results, as the crays are on the move. Straight out from Bunbury seems as good as anywhere but the ever-reliable

Binningup area will produce better results as summer kicks in. Bait choice for these delectable morsels is always a hot topic but you can’t go wrong with a combo of tuna heads and blue mackerel. The local beaches have been good of late: Belvedere Beach has been producing some cracking tailor up to 50cm, as the weather warms the size will usually drop a little but the numbers of fish will increase. Binningup and Myalup fishos have been getting good catches of yellowfin whiting early mornings. Remember to not cast too far for these tasty fish as they are usually right on the edge. Bunbury’s back beach has been going off with herring in the arvos, plenty of berley is required to get them into a feeding frenzy but when you do, it’s on for young and old. • Any questions on something you have read or just to have a chat, duck into Whiteys Tackle and Camping in Treendale, WA. One of the guys or Whitey himself will be happy to help get you on the right path to that next trophy fish.

South Coast

FMM

Bathing in the warmer waters AUGUSTA

Anthony Gillam

Warm weather has returned to the whole of WA and Augusta has been no exception with mid 20s being the current average. I know that some of our northern brethren will be laughing at 26oC being described as warm but to us southern dwellers it is bringing us out like lizards warming themselves on a rock.

The Deadwater and narrow channel heading through into Swan Lake is currently very hard going for power craft but kayaks are finding the going a littler easier. It also gives you the chance to slow down and actually pay attention to what is in the area. This time of the year the numbers of whiting getting around in very little water is amazing to see. You just have to slow down, get some good polarised sunnies and pay attention to the fish that you have been missing. It is nothing unusual to see multiple

A typical King George whiting off the rocks at Ringbolt Bay, caught on squid. You can always tell when the water is going to be fishable as you hear the cacophony of various engines firing up just prior to dawn as the early rising boaties head down to the various boat ramps or the marina trying to get on the water before the crowds appear. This month the sound was like a hive of bees. The water in the river has continued to flow out to sea through the cut with the deep tannin colour of the fresh mixing

Ben Norton scored this typical mixed bag of species while bait fishing in Augusta. with the salt water to make a murky haze around the coast as far as the eye can see. As the river outflow decreases this will soon be replaced by the clear blue waters kissing the white sand beaches that we all remember. The Hardy Inlet certainly has changed a lot over the last year with the amount of sand shifting creating some huge areas of shallow water and sandbars at low tide. This creates lots of opportunities to chase whiting but also create navigation risks for those that don’t pay attention. There is nothing worse than a sudden stop for you or your fishing offsiders, not to mention outboard motors hate eating sand.

species swimming in the channels even though it may only be 20cm deep in places. There are plenty of spots where you can sight cast at black bream as they hide around the branches of a shrub sitting in the middle of nowhere that has been displaced by the tides. It is thrilling to watch as they bust up on a lure or bait and the water is shallow enough that their dorsal fin cuts through the water like a shark on the prowl. I generally try a few different soft plastics to see what is the favourite of the day. Whiting are especially finicky sometimes and what works one day won’t the next. I have found that both soft plastics and hard bodied lures that resemble river prawns tends to stay in favour more than anything else. Natural colours also tend to work better in the river but when the tannin colour is dark it always pays to try something a bit brighter, even if that is just a bit of flash that catches the sunlight. With baits, they tend towards glass shrimps, river prawns and worms. If cockles are available they work on everything that swims in the river as even cobbler will seek them out.

At this time of the year the King George whiting are running rampant throughout the Hardy Inlet and small boat fishing has been extremely successful. Many of the Augusta Xtreme Boat Hire customers have been bagging out in no time at all. The whiting have been coming in thick and fast on cockles and squid but will also take mulie pieces or glass shrimps. A slowly moving bait will be hit hard and aggressively and for the size of the fish currently averaging in the low 30s in the inlet they fight very well. It makes for a lot of excitement as well as a great meal of white delicate flesh. The demersal ban is off again for a short period of time so boaties have switched from hammering the sand whiting population back to catching their couple of dhufish or pink snapper for a while. It didn’t take long for people to begin reporting pink snapper and dhufish being landed from just about everywhere in Flinders Bay. With some great dhufish being landed in waters as shallow as 12m it made releasing fish confident in their probable survival a lot easier than previously. When you had to do it regardless when there were size limits in place, most people knew many didn’t survive release in waters deeper than 20m. Although people feel uncomfortable keeping fish they would normally release there were plenty of pan sized dhufish taken which leaves the bigger more productive fish to breed. Baits of squid and mulies were slurped down by the bigger fish, unfortunately plenty of wrasse also made some areas unfishable as they destroyed softer baits and soft plastics. Vexed bottom Meats yet again are doing plenty of catching especially in the deeper waters at the back of the islands. Beach fishing is always a great way to spend the day when the weather is pleasant and the winds low. Spring is the perfect time around Augusta prior to the change to southeasterlies that dominate summer. Cosy Corner, Deepdene and Boranup Beach have been very popular especially with families over the recent school holidays that were fortunately blessed with two perfect weeks of weather. With recent refurbishment of Bob’s Track

The Blackwood River has swarms of black bream in this size, great to catch but a few years off being able to keep them.

Campbell Muir with a solid Flinders Bay pink snapper that couldn’t resist a Squidtrex soft vibe. – the main track to get to Boranup – the number of vehicles has been steadily increasing. It is a great place to spend time fishing and playing beach sports with the family. With a long wide beach there are plenty of holes and gutters to set up and target the usual beach species. For those who like bigger challenges, there are plenty of shark species that can be caught as well as the occasional mulloway. Simple rigs and baits are all you need which are sized up or down depending on what you are chasing. Rock fishing weather has been perfect and spots on the most popular locations have been premium. It was great to see so many people getting out and having a go at catching some of the ripper skippy that have been everywhere. What was disappointing was the amount of rubbish that was left stuck in the cracks in rocks or dumped in the water. If you take it down with you how hard is it to bring it back and put it in a bin? There are still plenty of skippy and herring around with some very nice tarwhine rounding out the mixed bag for many people. Using some minced fish pieces or simply mashing up a few mulies has also brought the odd squid right up to the rocks making it easy to drop a jig down to capture them. Then rocks off the marina rock wall and Ringbolt Bay have been producing plenty of fish but just remember to check size limits as there are numerous juveniles of all species around. I always conclude by saying that rock fishing is dangerous at times and careful consideration of where and when you fish must be done. This was recently highlighted when a woman in her 60s fell around 10m near Skippy Rock requiring rescue. Unpredictable weather can quickly affect the fishing conditions and slippery rocks are a recipe for disaster. • Please remain vigilant when rock fishing; wear a life jacket and tie off to something solid. You can hire one for free from Augusta Xtreme Outdoor Sports at 66 Blackwood Avenue Augusta - the local tackle shop, boat hire and font of all local fishing knowledge. Look for the big green sign on the roof, it’s right next to the BP Service Station in the centre of town. NOVEMBER 2023 101

BASS SERIES presented by

Hunter River exciting new BASS venue It’s always exciting when ABT visits a new BASS Pro venue especially a river. Rivers have proven to make for exciting and productive tournaments with different variables and techniques to lake fisheries. Some anglers have made the transition easily while others have struggled. The Hunter River out of Scan the QR code to watch the Boater Winners Interview

Raymond Terrace proved to make an excellent ABT arena for the Ecogear round of the 13 Fishing BASS Pro series, with just under 400 bass and

Matt Langford’s Day 1, 6.912kg bag was elevated with kicker fish like this. Fish in the mid 40cm range are gold in BASS App events.

With 4 consecutive BASS Pro AOY trophies and with a third win for the season, Langford is putting together quite a collection of trophies and cheques like these. estuary perch recorded and anglers fishing all parts of the extensive arena. Queenslander Matthew Langford continued his 2023 roll and made the Hunter his third BASS Pro win of the year, amassing a 10/10, 12.186kg limit, outdistancing his nearest competitor by nearly 2.5kg. Day 1: 5/5, 6.912kg Day 2: 5/5, 5.274kg Total: 10/10, 12.186kg He took home $3,000

and a bonus $250 for being the highest finishing Mercury outboard owner. Langford took the time to visit the area and do some pre-practice before the event, and he identified several areas in the Williams and Hunter rivers that held schooling and feeding fish. “I flew down with Mick Johnson and we spent a lot of time driving around and scoping out the river and just searching for areas that held

BOATER RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 110 NOVEMBER 2023

Angler Matthew Langford Mitchell Cone Mick Johnson Keeghan Painter Braden Schuch Corey Goldie Tim Oakley Ben Hay Bill Latimer Marcus Schembri

Fish 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 9/10 10/10 10/10 7/10 7/10 5/10

Mitchell Cone was happy to play bridesmaid to Langford for his first visit to the Hunter. The pair shared one particular spot right near the start line.

Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) 12.186kg 9.846kg 9.686kg 9.661kg 9.583kg 8.652kg 7.840kg 6.921kg 6.273kg 5.100kg

fish,” he said. When he came back for the event, he found that there were still fish in the areas he’d found. Langford started the event on the Williams River fish and put together a quick limit on ZX43 blades hopped off the bottom on a Millerods XFLC and TD Black spooled with 9lb Resin Sheller braid and a 10lb Yamatoyo leader. He then moved downstream to a series of eddies on some broken bank near Raymond Terrace and upgraded most of his fish on a Rapala BX Brat that he threw on a Millerods SwitchFreak L and 13 Fishing Inception Sport Z reel, spooled with 22lb Resin Sheller braid and a 14lb Yamatoyo leader. With a couple of kicker fish - both on the blade and the crank, Langford’s limit settled at just under 7kg, over a kilogram clear of his closest competitor. Day 2 saw Langford head straight to his upgrade spot and although he didn’t catch the calibre of kickers that he did on Day 1, the tight grouping of a limit of bass between 38 and 39cm gave him over 5kg and ultimately, an easy win. Unbelievably, after three event wins, he still hadn’t locked up AOY after this

Payout $3,000 + $250 Merc bonus $1,400 $1,000 + $125 Merc bonus $700 + $75 Merc bonus $600

event - if Mick Johnson won the next event and Langford finished down the pack, it was still mathematically possible for Langford to lose. CONE UNKNOWINGLY SHARED SPOT If it wasn’t for a last-hour burst of activity for Mitchell Cone at the end of the first day, his event would have been a bomb. Having prefished the venue on bigger tides and

BASS SERIES presented by catching bass to nearly 50cm up the Hunter River, Cone was confident that he’d be able to put together a great bag upstream. It didn’t work out that way. A last minute run back to Raymond Terrace saved his day and saw a string of legal bass come on an OSP Dunk (C28) that he fished on a Millerods XLFC rod paired with a Daiwa Freams reel, 6lb Crystal FireLine and a 10lb Daiwa X-Link leader. “The tides were much smaller in the event than they were in practice and I didn’t think that would make such a difference,” Cone said. But it did trigger his search for some run downstream and that’s where he collided with feeding fish. It was a last minute flurry for the ages. Scan the QR code to watch the Non-Boater Winners Interview

bookends his experience. He does have one event to go as a Nonnie, though, and that’s the Grand Final at Lake Boondooma. The $3,500 tackle pack that’s the Non Boater prize there would definitely have him all ready to fish the 2024 ABT BASS Pro events. Lowe fished with Braden Schuch on Day 1 and Tony Thorley on Day 2 and did most of his damage on the black Ecogear ZX 40 blade Scan the QR code to watch the Field Highlights

It’s pretty cool when your winning Non Boater trophy is augmented by an extra $250 for wearing the free 13 Fishing shirt you were given at the briefing! Troy Lowe taking the win from the back of the boat. It also happened to be the stretch of bank where Matt Langford did a bunch of damage in the morning, meaning that the pair both arrived there on Day 2. “Matt told me where he wanted to fish and I nodded my head and fished where I wanted,” Cone quipped.

BIG BASS PRIZE

It’s fish like this that elevated Troy Lowe into the top non-boater spot.

Clay Ling proved that you don’t need to be at the front of the boat to take the Atomic Big Bass. He won $500 and a Samurai rod for this fish that measured 45cm/1.778kg. It ate a Bait Junkie 2.5” Minnow in pearl gudgeon.

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

Angler Troy Lowe Adam Mears Paul Langley Steven Cefai Jake Hardie Rodney Thorpe Allan Murray Stephen Mears Tom Deer Jill Wales

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

Weight(kg) 6.270kg 5.451kg 5.340kg 5.151kg 5.134kg 4.964kg 4.937kg 4.798kg 4.635kg 4.501kg

Ultimately, it didn’t hurt either angler, as they finished 1-2. LOWE BEST FROM THE BACK Queensland’s Troy Lowe won his first ever ABT event that he fished as a non-boater. He’s now coming to the end of his time at the back of the boat, making the change to becoming a Boater in 2024. His win at the Hunter River virtually Full results at abt.org.au

Payout Rapala/13 pack + $250 Rapala bonus Bassman pack Keitech pack Ecogear pack Nomad Design pack + $75 Rapala bonus Rapala pack ProLure pack Your Outdoor Exp pack Atomic pack TT pack

that he fished on a Daiwa TC Black baitcast rod paired with a 13 Fishing SL-Z slide reel, J Braid and Sufix fluorocarbon leader. “We were fishing close to the bank and all three of my fish came when Braden had caught a fish, I’d get to the front and hook a subsequent fish each time,” he said. His Day 1 bag of 3/3 for 3.601kg had him sitting in second place. One Day 2 he fished upriver with Tony Thorley and bagged 3/3 for 2.669kg which landed him around 800g clear of second place. “Tony left me enough clean water to fish and I’m grateful that he gave me that opportunity to catch fish and take the win,” Troy said. Those that know “Big T” wouldn’t at all be surprised about his generosity. NOVEMBER 2023 111

BASS SERIES presented by

Lennox makes history repeat at St Clair Mark “Reuben” Lennox is a stalwart of the ABT BASS Pro Series. In 2012, he won the Grand Final at Lake St Clair and a trip to fish an event in the USA. In 2023, he repeated the feat - this time for the TT sponsored BASS Pro Qualifier in the 13 Fishing BASS Pro series. Scan the QR code to watch the Boater Winners Interview

So it’s fair to say that the Armidale builder likes the place. He’s now won a Grand Final and two qualifying events there.

Armidale’s Mark Lennox just loves fishing Lake St Clair in the spring. This is the third time he has won at the venue. Mark used a favourite Duffrods 2-5kg custom rod that was originally made for casting blades with a beetlespin attachment, but ultimately worked out well as a plastics rod with a light, sensitive tip. He coupled it with a vintage Daiwa Sol 2500 spin reel from 2009 that was spooled with ultrathin 5lb Unitika braid and a 6lb (new) Sunline Rock FC fluorocarbon leader. His killer bait was a Keitech 2” Easy Shiner in Wakasagi with a chartreuse dipped tail

that he threw on a 1/8 or 1/6 oz jighead towards the bank and worked out from the weedline. “Al McNamara taught me this over a decade ago and it’s becoming a successful technique in the Hunter Valley lakes again,” Mark continued. Historically, the area is significant to Mark’s extended family - they owned some of the inundated land that the dam covers before the impoundment was built. Maybe that’s what he feels such a connection to this beautiful Hunter Valley lake.

Kilo-plus bass like these were what you needed to be in the money at the TT sponsored event. Fishing in his unique, laid back style, Lennox targeted big fish areas up the Carrowbrook arm after other competitors had already fished them to box two consistent bags that gave him $3,100 and an instant spot in the 2023 BASS Pro Grand Final at Lake Boondooma in October. Day 1: 3/3, 3.110kg Day 2: 3/3, 3.345kg Total: 6/6, 6.435kg

Lennox started the event at pace, boxing a 3kg limit in the first couple of hours of the tournament, but it was his Day 2 strategy and technique that really paid off. “Everyone gets up to the top of the arms and chases fish early and does their thing. I just wait until they leave and sneak up there to catch the bigger bass,” said Lennox. The attitude is typical of his relaxed nature.

BOATER RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 112 NOVEMBER 2023

Angler Mark Lennox Keeghan Painter Dane Pryce Tim Oakley Ben Hay Cameron Hall Anthony Thorpe Marcus Shembri Robert Tilley Simon Marchant

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

Keeghan Painter NEARLY broke through for his maiden ABT BASS Pro win.

Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) 6.435kg 6.380kg 6.245kg 6.050kg 5.740kg 5.455kg 5.415kg 5.315kg 5.215kg 5.150kg

Payout $3,100 $1,450 + $250 Merc bonus $1,000 + $250 Big Bass $700 $600 $550 + $125 Merc bonus

$75 Merc Bonus

KEEGHAN RIDES SPONSOR KARMA TO 2ND For a brief second, TT sponsored angler Keeghan Painter thought he had won his sponsor’s event. It happens all of the time in ABT events and is affectionately known as ‘sponsor karma’. Anglers were standing in the Starlink’s line of sight as the final bag was weighed, giving a false impression

BASS SERIES presented by of what was needed to take the win and Lennox’ bag hadn’t made the virtual scoreboards yet. So for a couple of minutes, Painter DID know what it was like to win his first ABT event, until the final results uploaded and resignation set in that he was STILL to win an ABT. Regardless, Painter fished better than everyone but Lennox and there’s some great highlights up on the ABT YouTube channel with him putting together his Day 2 bag. Painter fished rock walls up the Falbrook arm - with a jerkbait early (Jackall Squirrel 67 in pink eye) and then with a plastic as the sun rose. He fished a Zman 2 1/2” Slim Swim in motor oil on a 1/4oz #1 Demonz jighead paired with a TT Black Mamba rod, Okuma ITX1000 reel loaded with 8lb Platypus Bionic Braid and 8lb Platypus Stealth leader. “I threw the jerkbait to try and get an early bag and then I’d upgrade with the plastic later on,” he said.

Adam Mears sealed the non-boater AOY win with an event win. They’s how you do it!

that little bit short, giving Mears the room he needed to overtake. And he did it throwing jerkbaits. Mears fished a Daiwa 75mm Double Clutch on a Millerods Twitch Freak L paired with a Shimano Vanford Reel and light braid/leader. He fished with Greg Burke on Day 1 and Graham Ford on Day 2. “We’d cast the jerkbaits as close to the shoreline as we could without getting snagged up in the weeds and then crack it twice before leaving it for a 4 second pause. It’s important not to move the lure too much

Scan the QR code to watch the Non-Boater Winners Interview

MEARS WINS TITLE IN FINAL NONBOATER QUALIFIER Tamworth’s Adam Mears entered the final two rounds of the 13 Fishing BASS Pro series knowing that he needed a couple of excellent finished

BIG BASS PRIZE

Mears is planning to switch to the Boater division in 2024.

Non boater Troy Lowe and boater Dane Pryce shared the event’s Big Bass. Both landed 1.405kg specimen Dane’s on a jig and Lowe’s on a Calico Candy coloured Zman Slim Swim 2 1/2”. They each took home $250 and Dane gave Troy the Samurai Reaction rod.

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

Angler Adam Mears David Lane Damien Winters Bridgett Currey Jake Hardie Reece Winters Phil Nix Heath Kimber Phil Hoyt Luke Mason

Fish 4/4 4/4 4/4 3/4 3/4 4/4 3/4 3/4 3/4 3/4

Weight(kg) 3.290kg 3.190kg 3.035kg 2.845kg 2.735kg 2.630kg 2.600kg 2.595kg 2.845kg 2.455kg

to achieve the Non Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) title. After a second on the Hunter River, he finished one better at Lake St Clair to take the event and the AOY accolades. Going into the final day of competition, there were still three anglers with a legitimate shot at AOY, but Jake Hardie and Heath Kimber fell just Full results at abt.org.au

Payout Rapala/13 Fishing pack Bassman pack + $250 Rapala bonus Keitech pack + $125 Rapala bonus Ecogear pack + $75 Rapala bonus Nomad Design pack Rapala pack ProLure pack Your Outdoor Experience pack Atomic pack TT pack

Scan the QR code to watch the Field Highlights

during the winds,” Adam said. Luckily, both of his boaters agreed that jerkbaiting the edges was a great idea. Mears said that the jerkbait replicated the gudgeons that he thought the bass were feeding on currently. Mears has acquired a 17’ glass bass boat for 2024 and fully intends to make the switch into the boater ranks. “There’s still a few skills that I need to hone over Summer, but I should be ready to go by then,” he concluded. With his current form, boaters had better watch out - Adam's coming! NOVEMBER 2023 113

BASS ELECTRIC GF presented by

BASS ELECTRIC SERIES

abt

Lennon Wins Avator Package at Wyaralong Twenty-nine keen BASS Electric anglers converged on Wyaralong Dam to fight for the best prize in BASS Electric fishing, the Mercury Avator BASS Electric Grand Final title and the incredible prize that comes with it. Demonstrating exactly what the dam can produce, the Gold Coast’s Chesley Lennon averaged over 2kg a piece for his four fish and easily claimed a $12,000+ Alloycraft boat package featuring Mercury’s new Avator electric outboard. Supplied on a trailer, it was also equipped with a Minnkota Terrova electric motor, Humminbird Helix 7

out at Wyaralong. “I actually like wintertime for Wyaralong fishing,” Chesley said, “That’s when it fishes the best for me.” But the fish were changing as the event approached. Fish that were present in the many treetops dotting the lake started moving shallower and spreading from their structure. This started happening a fortnight before the event. Ultimately, his key location was a shallower flat between 10-15ft in a part of the dam in the southern arm called ‘the Graveyards’. With the flat relatively clear of structure as opposed to the timber laden

Chesley Lennon hadn’t won a BASS Electric Grand Final until 2023, but he treated the field to a bass fishing lesson on Wyaralong Dam and won by more than 2kg to take home this fully rigged Alloycraft P395 boat with a new Mercury Avator 7.5e electric outboard. without running them over with the boat. And for every fish he’s see off the bottom, you could assume that there was another fish or two hard against the bottom. First, he would cast a Jackall TN60 lipless crankbait with the trebles replaced with a single, backward facing

All bass from the Mercury Avator BASS Electric series are released to catch another day. sounder and a pair of Green creek channel, Lennon would Marine Lithium batteries with target ‘wolf packs’ of 4 or 5 fish matching chargers. that would venture up into the PLENTY OF PRACTICE shallower water to feed. Lennon didn’t happen on Ches used his Garmin a remote patch of big fish and Livescope in Forward mode to ride the lucky find to a win, he identify these fish and would put in the hard yards before then target them with a two the event, dedicating every lure technique. Sunday for over a month to He would see fish up to 100 feet in front of the boat going out and working the fish

BOATER RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 114 NOVEMBER 2023

Angler Chesley Lennon Adrian Wilson Casey Monagle Greg Rigby Pete Bostock Shaun Ezzy Darryn Love Beau Eveleigh Cristian Manolea Clinton McDermott

Fish 4/4 4/4 4/4 4/4 4/4 4/4 4/4 4/4 4/4 3/4

hook. This rigging technique is standard practice in Wyaralong, allowing anglers to retrieve baits through heavy structure with a much smaller chance of snagging. This bait sunk relatively quickly and he could work the lure once it approached the level of the fish.

Adrian Wilson would have been the odds-on favourite coming into the event. He fishes the lake a lot and seems to always find the quality fish. He was good enough to beat all but Lennon. Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) 8.07 5.74 5.59 4.40 4.35 4.09 3.98 3.90 3.56 3.32

Payout Alloycraft boat/Avator motor package BIG BASS Nomad pack

Rapala random pack

BASS ELECTRIC GF presented by If the lipless crank wasn’t successful, he’s switch to an OSP Blitz crankbait that he’d cast past the fish and the wind down to depth. This bait he could suspend near the bass and then tailor the retrieve to what he could see on the sonar. “It’s an amazing learning experience. You’d always see a couple of fish swim up to the bait and have a look – especially when you’d stall the retrieve – but the fish that actually ate the bait would always rush in from further back or below,” he explained. Such insights into Australian bass behaviour were impossible to work out until the era of live sonar. On day 1 it took Chesley only about 6 casts to box a limit and only a little more

Wilson caught most of his fish downstream of the winery.

means I lose less fish. The FC acts like a rubber band and keeps the trebles more readily secured in the fish’s mouth,” he explained. But he additionally mentioned that using 12lb meant that his terminal connection to the lure was much lighter than the 20lb leaders that most of the rest of the field were using. “That finesse is important in the clear water,” he concluded. Scan the QR code hereby to watch the winner’s interview and see the prize boat in action on the water!

BASS ELECTRIC SERIES

abt

Scan the QR code to watch the Winners Interview

time to upgrade to his final weight (2/2, 4.01kg). He then spend the time just occupying the spot and resting it until the Sunday. He was fairly sure that if he left the Graveyard, other competitors would come and fish the spot. The final day took a little longer, yet he still released several fish the same size as the ones in his livewell. Ultimately, his bags and fish were remarkably similar and he definitely had the potential to box a couple of 10kg limits if the event matched the state limit of five fish per session. Interestingly, Chesley

Lennon’s bass were like peas in a pod, all around the 2kg mark. He released several fish the same size in each session as well. fished baitcast tackle with soft baitcast rods and 12lb fluorocarbon straight through. One was a Millerods and the

other a Samurai Reaction. “It means that I only have one knot or point of failure in the system and it definitely

Casey Monagle loves Wyaralong and he captured third place and this fish which was the event’s big bass. It weighed 2.64kg and ate a brown dog TN60.

WILSON A SOLID SECOND You get to choose your own partner in BASS Electric events and concreter Adrian Wilson chose Toowoomba young gun Casey Monagle to fish with him in the season’s ultimate event. And it resulted in second and third place coming from his craft. Both anglers relied on the brown dog Jackall, but Monagle bagged the event’s big bass (2.64kg ) from Wilson’s dirty water. It probably gave Wilson flashbacks on the mega-bag Monagle boxed there in the qualifier in 2022. AVATOR IMPRESSIVE Competitors were impressed by the prize rig, with the Mercury Avator getting a lot of attention outside the Beaudesert RSL where the briefing was located. We’re sure we’ll see plenty of these on the electric only dams moving forward. NOVEMBER 2023 115

BARRA Series presented by

BARRA SERIES 2023

Likely Lads back for unlikely win A few years ago, previous BARRA Team of The Year winners, the Likely Lads (Geoff Newby and Phill Lyons) decided that it was time to retire. According to Geoff, they were having too many ‘senior moments’ with Phill on his 60s and Geoff approaching 70 years old. Scan the QR code to see the Winning team interview

Their plan was to pair with younger, more energetic partners to compensate It worked well for Geoff. He won the BARRA Australian Open in 2022 with Keeghan Hayden, but in 2023, the pair decided that it was time to give it one more go and the Likely Lads signed up for the 2023 Zerek BARRA Series. It didn’t take long for them to encounter success, with three big barra being enough for them to take out the first round on 2023 on Tinaroo Dam - the Wilson 2-Day event. With unseasonably cold weather slowing down catch rates, big fish made a difference and their two-day, 3/10 barra

The Likely Lads are back and winning events, like the year they won the BARRA Team of the Year title. bag went 53.10kg - just 130g short of perennial bridesmaids, Team Samaki. The pair reported that their fish came on the Zerek Fish Trap 110 in their reliable Blackjack colour. While Phill cast his on a Millerods combo, Jeff opted for a Shimano baitcast combo to deliver the lure to the zone. Although never really answering the question about how they set up to fish the bait, we

deduced that they’d anchor a long cast off the bank or point and only hop the vibe off the bottom for the first half of the retrieve - after that it’s wind in and repeat. They’d keep an eye on the barra coming through with their live sonar. Using ABT’s length/weight curve to calculate the estimated weight, the pair’s fish measured

105, 111 and 113cm - quality specimens in anyone’s books. Phill also espoused ABT’s motto - Who Shares Wins. “You can’t take it to the grave,” he said, but if they keep catching big barra like this, they’ll definitely have a few more trophies to add to the collection before the tournament rods are hung up for good.

BIG BARRA PRIZE

Geoff Newby is the older of the pair and arguably, the captain of the boat.

Wilson FIshing supplied a Blades and Tails rod for each day’s Big Barra. On the first day, that fish was 117cm (23.20kg) and caught by Jordan Torrisi (pictured) on a slow-rolled purple Molix 140. Aaron Williams bagged the rod on Day 2 with a 114cm (20.7kg) barra.

RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 116 NOVEMBER 2023

Team Likely Lads Samaki T.B.C Casting Mayhem ACM Custom Rods Scale Raisers Compleat Angler Cairns Mundi Madness Hooked on Exploring Knot Again

Anglers Newby/Lyons Wood/Lowry Laine/Williams Press/Mears McLaren/Torrisi Ryan/Williams Bruggemann/Bez Smith/Mainas Calvert/Calvert Dawson/Day

Phill Lyons boated a pair of Tinaroo giants to help them across the line. Full results at abt.org.au

Fish 3/10 6/10 4/10 4/10 2/10 2/10 2/10 2/10 2/10 2/10

Weight (kg) 53.10kg 52.97kg 38.94kg 38.44kg 33.25kg 29.67kg 26.80kg 16.56kg 16.46kg 15.46kg

Payout $1,650 $750 $600 $500 Rapala Pack Molix Pack ProLure pack Samaki pack Molix pack TT Pack

Slow and steady wins all-nighter There are only two all-night events on the Zerek BARRA Series calendar - and those are at Tinaroo and Peter Faust Dam. The Tinaroo all-nighter is famous for its record-setting bag of Team Anita Barra in 2022 with a 5-barra limit of over 94kg.

BARRA Series presented by

BARRA SERIES 2023

Scan the QR code to see the Winning team interview

Unfortunately the 2023 iteration of the event - sponsored by Rapala - wasn’t as fruitful for record-setting performances. A week of cooler than average weather sloweed down the bite and the scoreboard. Ultimately, though, team Casting Mayhem (Joe Press and Adam Mears) accumulated a 5-fish bag and a solid upgrade to take the win with 5/5, 62.89kg limit. It was

Joe Press was Best Man at Adam Mears’ wedding and the two fish very well as a team. coloured soft vibe that scored them the fish that they needed, rather than frenzied casting that their team name suggested. “We struggled for the first

Usually fishing the lake with larger swimbaits, Joe admitted that when it comes to tournament time they prefer the vibes and that his Humminbird 360 gave them vital clues to where the fish were positioned. “Sometimes we’d sit in an area for 30-40 minutes but the barra would eventually come through and we’d cast to where the 360 says they’re moving. Mears’ rig consisted of a Millerods Beast Buster paired with a Shimano reel, 40lb Power Pro braid and 100lb Sunline

fluorocarbon leader. His bait was a Jackall Transam 95 in ghost red belly black with upgraded 90lb split rings and upgraded Decoy YS81 hooks. “We actually go pretty light on the fish when we hook them to keep the hooks intact,” he continued. The pair registered 6 barra all session. “The (cold) temperature really slowed the bite down,” Joe said when discussing the winning weight, which was 30kg lighter than in 2022, “100% it’s temperature related.”

BIG BARRA PRIZE Adam Mears has shown that he’s a cabable from the tropics to the southern impoundments - winning a BASS and BARRA event in the space of a month this spring. a fitting end to a couple of years of competing at this arena and a string of single-digit finishes. Joe is a Cairns local whereas Adam flew in from Tamworth to make a successful yet unlikely pairing. The pair have been friends for a long time and made their annual catchup profitable with a $1,650 first prize. Ironically, for Casting Mayhem it was all about a slow, finesse retrieve with a dark

few nights of practice until we slowed right down and used a technique that works for bass when they are shut down. We fished the vibe really slowly, right on the bottom with little twitches like you’re fishing an Ecogear ZX blade,’ Mears said. Press agreed that the fish they were targeting seemed to be feeding on redclaw. “They had them coming out both ends,” he said.

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

Team Casting Mayhem Samaki Compleat Angler Cairns T.B.C Wilson Fishing Zerek Dumb and Dumber Venom Rapala Fish With Me

Aiden Tiebel landed the 118cm (24.10kg) nabbed the Big Barra and won himself a Blade n Tails rod in the process. It ate a baby barra coloured Derek Fish Trap just before 3am. He was hopping the blade with large hops and controlling it on the way down. The fish bit at the top of the hop. Full results at abt.org.au

Anglers Press/Mears Wood/Lowry Bruggemann/Bez Laine/Williams Cornelius/Mulchay Robinson/Hodgson Tiebel/Gowan Dixon/Meredith Williams/Morgan Edmonds/Dow

Fish 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5 3/5 3/5 2/5 3/5 2/5 3/5

Weight (kg) 62.89kg 48.20kg 38.45kg 35.94kg 33.97kg 32.57kg 30.72kg 29.25kg 28.90kg 26.75kg

Payout $1,650 $650 $600 $500 Rapala Pack Molix Pack ProLure Pack Samaki Pack Molix Pack TT Pack NOVEMBER 2023 117

BOATING TEST BOATING Test

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Surtees Pro Fisher 610 with Yamaha F130 4-stroke FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

Thirty years ago, my sole existence was based on how many longtail tuna I could catch in my home waters of Moreton Bay. Even though I used to chase them out of a 12ft Stessl punt with a 20hp tiller steer outboard, my dream boat was a centre console with double that horsepower. Sometimes I was invited to go and chase tuna on Rick Grimmer’s renovated Haines Hunter rocketship with a 150hp Merc tower of power on the back. It was all fun. Fast forward to 2023 and the centre console has evolved a long way, from the remarkably efficient motors through to the insane electronics. And, the level of comfort and appointment in the modern centre console needs to be seen to be believed.

Main: This genre was the Moreton Bay dream boat 30 years ago and the Surtees Pro Fisher 610 is a modern iteration of that fishing machine…but done so much better! Above: Of course, like all Northside Marine boat tests we do, the bay glassed off. Still, we were able to get some good performance statistics. On the aluminium side, New Zealand’s Surtees makes a hull as good as any and that are obviously

designed, used and built by anglers. The water ballast system in the hull takes in water to a keel mounted tank

and can be optionally retained to give the boat more mass and a better ride in rough conditions. You can appreciate the design of the test boat and that Northside Marine have ticked all of the options to make this rig a fantastic platform to fish local waters. The imported 610 Pro Fisher came on a twin axle Redco (locally built) trailer and was fitted with a Yamaha F130 4-stroke outboard. Maximum horsepower for this rig is 150hp, and that motor should be sincerely considered by those serious about putting together their ultimate centre console rig. As is, it’s a relatively economical craft, achieving as good as 2.4km/L at optimal cruising speed of 36km/h at 3,900rpm. You get a whole kilometre less per litre at WOT, but that’s typical of pushing an outboard to the limits. With the 200L underfloor fuel

Above: There’s plenty of space up on the raised front casting deck to jump up and cast a lure at pelagic species. Inset: There’s no problem adding an electric motor bracket – usually positioned on the port side. 122 NOVEMBER 2023

FMM

BOATING TEST

Top: Both sides of the outboard offer a duckboard for easy water egress. Above: Raised casting decks always mean plenty of space underneath to store your bulkier gear.

Yamaha’s F130 was the power plant for this boat, although the rig is rated to 150hp.

Top: A wide console gives more protection from the elements and check out all of that space to mount your MFDs. Above: Here’s the entry to the water ballast system. Close the flap and you’ve trapped hundreds of litres of water in the keel and the ride will benefit from the extra mass.

Rubber decking was a luxury that we didn’t have several decades ago. It was hot checkerplate or stinky carpet.

The soft T-Top is 100% essential in Australia, unless you love getting sunburned and skin cancers.

Top Left: Several shelves under the console offer reasonably dry storage for your important stuff. Bottom Left: This is cool – the esky under the main seating is under a couple of very functional tackle trays. Right: If you’re nimble enough to go running around the gunwales, then you’ve got a smooth journey underfoot as well.

Left: The rear boarding step is super simple, super sturdy, and super functional. Top Right: There’s plenty of places to grab on to the T-Top. Bottom Right: Check out the seat back that can flip-flop forwards or backwards. Not a new idea but practical and functional in the 610. NOVEMBER 2023 123

Test BOATING BOATING TEST

FMM SPECIFICATIONS Length ...............................................6.10m Beam ................................................ 2.26m Sides ....................................................4mm Hull........................................................5mm Max HP.............................................150hp Fuel .......................................................200L Water ballast .................................340L Transom deadrise........................19°C Capacity.................................6 persons Tow weight................................ 1,360kg

tank, expect a maximum range of over 400km if you’re trying to drive it economically. On the trailer, you board via a sturdy transom step that folds up neatly and unobtrusively. Every step is rubber custom decking – and that includes if you walk around the gunwales! It’s the top level of interior appointment, which is very different from the centre consoles on the 90s. You’re confronted by a neat seat/ icebox/tackle draw station that has a PERFORMANCE RPM

Speed

(km/h)

Economy

(km/L)

1000 .......................... 4 ............................3 2000 ..........................7 ........................2.6 3000 ........................16 .......................... 1.1 3500 ........................31 ......................... 2.1 3900 .......................36 ........................2.4 4000 .......................40 ........................2.2 5000 .......................53 .........................1.6 5900 .......................64 .........................1.4 reversible backrest. In front of that is a wide console with a big, canvas T-Top with plenty of rails to grab onto while travelling. The dash is massive and hill hold any or all of the electronics that would be sensible to fit. The helm is comfortable and practical, even though I’m spoiled now and prefer the fly-by-wire engines, it’s smooth enough to drive. Walk around the console and there’s an elevated front casting deck with some substantial storage underneath. Storage is often the bugbear of centre consoles, yet the Surtees doesn’t waste an inch. Even under the bait station where a typical NZ tinny would have 124 NOVEMBER 2023

Top: Best economy was ay 3,900rpm, where the Yamaha delivered 2.4km/L at 36km/h. Above:Open up the throttle and the economy drops to 1.4km/L, but you race along at 64km/h. a battery hatch, there’s a large tackle storage area. The batteries are situated under

the console. Most owners of a fishing boat like this would drop a Minn Kota or one of

the new Garmin Krakens up the front to help with virtual anchoring and boat control. Get the shaft length right and this would be out of the way while chasing stuff that needs propulsion faster than the electric could deliver. And the colour? Definitely a headturner at the ramp. Hopefully the NEW gloss pages in this issue of Fishing Monthly will do the boat and Matt Drinkall’s superlative stills justice. Otherwise, you can catch the video boat test of the rig by scanning the QR code hereby. As tested, this boat came in at $120,573 from Northside Marine, although you’d probably be spending the best part of another $10K on a quality electric motor and battery combination to truly make it the ultimate fishing machine. Reach out to Jason Comino for more details or a test drive or visit www. northsidemarine.com.au.

Left: You can feel the Surtees fall to one side or the other depending on weight distribution, but trim tabs sort this out and are fitted onto the boat. It’s about a $2,000 option that I’d recommend. Right: There’s no doubting that the 610 is a good-looking centre console that will turn heads all over Australia.

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