FEATURE PACKED SPRING EDITION • CATCHING CRAYFISH Species Spotlight
Robbie Alexander brings us the age-old art of yabbying QLD
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Age-old art of yabbying • Redclaw crayfish equation • Tilapia pest program • Big barra at Callide • How sustainable are flathead stocks? • Tech Tricks: Simple Snell rig • Match the catch •
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OUR COVER October 2021, Vol. 2 No.6 VIC
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QUEENSLAND Gold Coast Jumpinpin Southern Bay Brisbane Northern Bay Noosa Bundaberg Mackay Whitsundays Townsville Hinchinbrook Cairns Port Douglas Lucinda Cooktown Freshwater
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NEW SOUTH WALES Pittwater Sydney North Sydney Rock Sydney South Ballina Coffs Harbour Coffs Coast Hastings Forster Port Stephens Swansea Central Coast Illawarra Batemans Bay Bermagui Tathra New England Rivers Hunter Valley Batlow Albury/Wodonga Lithgow/Oberon Canberra
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TASMANIA Hobart
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WESTERN AUSTRALIA Esperance Augusta
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6
OCTOBER 2021
From the Editor’s Desk...
WA
Stephen Booth with a couple of quality red claw crayfish from Somerset Dam in Queensland. A Peter Jung image.
As I write this, I know that I’m in a fortunate position up in Queensland. We’re in the middle of running a couple of BREAM and BARRA tournaments in the central coast around Gladstone and Bundaberg. All of our problems are First-World. Need to make sure there’s fuel in the boat, rods are rigged. Making fishing plans. Checking out boats. Checking results. We’re proud of the data that we collect in the events – the BREAM images (the event is run on the ABT App) go towards assessing waterway health in Gladstone Harbour and the BARRA data gets supplied to Gladstone Area Water Board and the stocking groups to help with their community monitoring.
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Age-old art of yabbying Redclaw crayfish equation Starlo’s back to basics Tilapia pest program Big barra at Callide Sheik of the Creek Kayaking: spring catches How sustainable are flathead stocks? Tech Tricks: Simple Snell rig Fun page/Sub page Tournament Calendar Tournaments What’s new fishing Testing Booth: Jigging Lures Recfishwest Trades and Services Boat test: Anglapro Escapade Tide page
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We know that a lot of Australians don’t have that luxury and are locked down to varying degrees. We hope up here that your return to some sort of normality happens sooner rather than later. Every week we think that we will be next to be locked down. Luckily we haven’t been. Touch wood. One thing that I have noticed though, is that as long as we can do some sort of fishing and boating, we can stay mentally sound and soldier on through whatever else we have to do to keep the community safe. Ultimately, I think we all know that’s our pathway out of COVID. All do our part and what we have to do to get back the way we like to live our lives. I got vaccinated. Didn’t die or have any overwhelming side effects. Same as all the other vaccinations I’ve had in my life. Do your bit and help us all get back on the water, sooner.
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The age-old art of yabbying WANGARATTA
Robbie Alexander
“What the hell is a yabby?” This is a question that I get asked a lot on the yabbying videos on my YouTube channel, usually by people from other countries. The word yabby comes from the word ‘yabba’, which was the name given to small crustaceans by the Aboriginal people, in particular the Wemba Wemba people who were believed to populate areas of the Murrumbidgee River catchment. Although the name ‘yabby’ is most commonly used to described the common yabby, scientifically known as Cherax destructor, the name is often given to many other species, from the small sand yabbies on the east coast to very
A feed of freshly cooked yabbies is a feed fit for a king.
It is common to catch yabbies with parasites on them. The best way to get rid of them is to soak the yabby in salty water for a little while, and they will drop off. large marron in Western Australia. In this article I will be focussing on the common freshwater yabby, otherwise known as the Cherax destructor.
waterway dries up they will often burrow into the mud, digging down deeper and deeper as the drought drags on. They have been found as deep as 5m underground in extreme cases. These crustaceans do not need to live in
CHERAX DESTRUCTOR The common yabby has now been split into a couple of sub-species, sometimes called swamp yabby, broad clawed yabby
A lovely feed of yabby tails. The juicy white flesh really is a delicacy. Yabbies live in a range of water conditions, from fast-flowing clear water streams with a lot of oxygen, to filthy farm dams
water to survive. They just need their gills to be damp. During these tough conditions, their breathing will slow right
the water again….and hopefully into my wellplaced net. CATCHING YABBIES There are a number of ways to catch yabbies. From nets (which I will go into shortly), to rolling over logs in muddy swamps, and hand lines, commonly called the ‘meat and string’ technique. There are also differing rules from state to state around the types of nets, and ways to catch yabbies, so it pays to always keep up to date with the rules in your state. Meat makes excellent yabby bait, particularly bloody meat such as lamb’s fry. Fatty meat such as lamb off-cuts is also very good. I often use venison which works well, and occasionally rabbit. One of my favourite baits is dried dog food. Goodo’s are excellent bait; a bag of Goodo’s lasts a very long time, is cost effective and the yabbies love it. In nets with bait pouches you can just put the dog food in and zip up the pouch, although in nets without bait pouches you
Yabbies held in a foam container. The water you catch the yabbies in is the best water to store them in.
Yabby meat is a delicacy, and the sweetest meat is found in the claws. Big yabbies with big claws are very sought after. 8
OCTOBER 2021
or spanner yabby. To the untrained eye they are all much the same thing. They are small to medium freshwater crustaceans that are fun to catch, and much sought after for their amazing white, juicy meat that can only be described as an absolute delicacy. Spring and summer are the best times to catch yabbies, but it is possible to catch them in winter too. This year (thanks to COVID lockdowns forcing me to think outside the box close to home) I have caught more winter yabbies than ever before. I find in winter that leaving nets in for long periods can result in a few yabbies here and there, as opposed to catching heaps of yabbies in a short timeframe in spring and summer.
A nice pair of winter yabbies caught in Wangaratta during August. with little to no dissolved oxygen in the water. It is in these dirty dams that I tend to catch the most, and the biggest yabbies. One of the greatest traits of yabbies is their ability to survive through drought conditions, including prolonged droughts. When their
down to a bare minimum as they enter a survival mode. By conserving energy in this way, they can survive lengthy periods without eating. Once the rain returns and the waterway fills back up, the yabbies will come back out of their holes and move freely around
will need to buy a stocking to put the dog food in. I have also had great success with tinned tuna. Just poke a few holes in the tin and tie it in the net and it works a treat. On one occasion when I forgot my bait, I found a few squeezy sachets of tartare sauce in my car so
squeezed them into the bait pouch and even that worked well. I caught a heap of yabbies on squeezed tartare sauce sachets. After being encouraged for a long time to try using soap as bait, I gave it a go. It was terrible. I only caught one yabby in the soap net, while catching dozens in the net baited with meat only a few metres away. The only benefit that I found to using soap as bait was that I ended up with a very clean net! NETS There are a number
of different types of nets that can be used to catch yabbies, but the rules vary from state to state so I strongly encourage you to check with your state fishing rules to ensure that the nets I mention below are legal. • Opera house nets. These are totally illegal here in Victoria. They are prohibited from being used in ANY waters including both private and public waters. They were allowed in private farm dams, but because people just continued to use them in
public waterways where they catch a lot of platypus and water rats, eventually they became outlawed. I suspect other states will eventually ban them if they haven’t already done so. • Collapsible bait traps. These are my favourite nets. They fold like an accordion, and fold down to sit flat for storage. When opened they are a square net with a small hole at each end that the yabbies can climb into. The yabbies then become trapped, and it is hard for them to get out. Over time they can
and often do find their way out, but it takes them a long time. These nets have a bait pouch, making it easy
places with a lot of yabbies I like to give them an hour in the water in between checks. In waterways with fewer yabbies, or in the
they really became popular here in Victoria when opera house nets were banned. The Victorian Fisheries Authority ran a hugely
The three most commonly used types of yabby nets. Left to right: drop net, collapsible bait trap and open top lift net.
A great catch of yabbies in a collapsible bait trap.
to use any type of bait including dry dog food or a tin of tuna. Collapsible bait traps are best left in for long periods of time, making them ideal for ‘set and forget’ type yabbying. In
cooler months, I usually just put them in and leave them there all night. • Open top lift nets, usually called pyramid nets. Although these nets have been around for years,
successful program where we could swap our old opera house nets for the new open top lift nets. Personally, I love these nets and am a big fan, To page 10
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Moreton Bay spring mayhem continues BRISBANE
Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com
With conditions recently starting to warm, we have witnessed a change in the prominence and aggressiveness of many species in the Moreton Bay area. Mangrove jack, threadfin salmon, school mackerel, flathead, tuskfish, crabs and several others will come to the fore over the coming month. Continuing to be found in decent numbers will be snapper, sweetlip, mulloway, bream, whiting and many other popular species. Let’s explore some of the October offerings that you may wish to target. SCHOOL MACKEREL A favoured sport and table fish for many bay anglers are school mackerel. These are relatively plentiful, aggressive, fight well and great table fare. They are definitely the most commonly eaten fish for my family as they are not hard to source once you understand their habits. They have similar habits to flathead in many bay areas, especially the banks and channel areas of the central region. On the lower stages of the tide they roam the major channels, patrolling the edges as the tide makes. Once the water on the flats is deep enough that they don’t feel conspicuous, they will then go up onto the banks to hunt baitfish, squid and crustaceans. As the tide falls they will again move back into the channels to feed on the food sources forced from the banks with the receding tide. Every area is a little different however, and the size of the tidal movement will additionally affect the timing of their pattern. Chances are if you catch mackerel in an area one day they will also be there the following day at the same stage of the tide. Additionally, schoolies will patrol the fringes of the bay islands, artificial reefs, around the beacons and anywhere else baitfish are likely to be. Anglers fishing the banks areas for whiting or the bay islands for snapper are advised to have a pilchard aft to tempt any schoolie that happens by. If the current is strong then you may need a small sinker to keep the pilchard a few metres under the surface, however in slower currents you will need a float to stop it sinking to the bottom. A ganged-hook rig is optimal; I often make mine with a 4/0, 3/0 and 2/0 tapered configuration to suit a mid-sized pilchard. This presents a thinner 2/0 hook at the rear of the bait, 30
OCTOBER 2021
This solid mulloway fell victim to a Nomad Vertrex Max that Chris hopped adjacent to submerged structure east of the Brisbane River. which is less bulky in the thin section of the pilchard. Additionally, a thinner hook is more likely to set when the mackerel slashes at the bait. The leading 4/0 hook is pinned centrally down through the top of the head just in front of the eye. The remaining two hooks are pinned centrally down through the back. Make sure the pilchard is nice and straight and it should just waft in the current instead if spinning. This will definitely catalyse you more bites, as the offering presents more naturally. Trolling spoons behind paravanes and trolling boards is another popular way to entice school mackerel. This rig can be trolled in the channels and along the edges of the banks where mackerel are likely to be found and is a great way to cover a good degree of water due to commonly trolling at speeds between 5-7kg knots. I prefer to use a 50lb handline for trolling spoons as it is convenient to have permanently rigged and ready for service plus it is nice to feel the strike of the fish. You will need a glove of some sort to prevent line burns, which is also the reason for the thicker mainline. Halco Barra Drones, Halco Kimberley spoons, Smiths Jigs and many others will work a treat. The coming months should see school mackerel numbers and average size on the increase. THREADFIN SALMON As water temperatures
rise, threadfin salmon numbers will increase in the lower reaches of the Brisbane River. Rainfall promotes this movement as it will push prawns down the system due to lowering salinity. Threadfin will be located in popular areas such as the Swing Zone, ledge in from the sewerage chute, Oil Pipeline drop-off, declines into the main river basin, around the dredge pipes and the dredge holes near the retaining wall at the mouth and adjacent most of the wharves and jetties (adhere to port distance restrictions). Those with side imaging sounders and good knowledge of their operation will soon be able to locate
any threadies as they show prominently due to their large air bladders. However, getting them to bite can often be difficult, especially when the prawns are prevalent. Hopping or slow rolling soft vibes is a proven method although a good array of other artificials can be employed, including soft plastics (paddle-tail shads, crustacean profiles and jerk shads), blades, micro jigs, trolled minnow lures and an assortment of flies. Live baits, such as banana prawns, mullet, herring, gar and pike can be deployed close to the bottom in these areas. These baits can be fished from an anchored or drifting perspective and are a more relaxed approach than lure fishing. Live baits will often produce when the bite on lures is slow, especially when the prawns are running. Threadfin move around quite a bit during the tidal phase therefore chances are heightened of them finding your offering. MANGROVE JACK Warmer water temperatures and rising barometer readings can really get the jacks fired up. Already this season there has been some creditable fish taken in the canals, rivers and amongst the estuarine snags. I have heard of quality specimens scored from systems such as the Pine River, Logan River, Raby Bay Canals, Scarborough Boat Harbour, Newport Waterways, Sovereign Waters and the Coomera River. However, there are plenty more areas that will produce the goods. Lure casting to bankside structure and rock bars is a popular pursuit, however, live baiting around deeper holes and prominent structure such as rock bars, bridge pylons and mangrove snags can also work a treat.
Banana prawns, herring, mullet and pike can all work well when presented in these zones with a minimum of lead. Late afternoon, early morning and night-time sessions will often produce the best action. Rapidly rising barometric pressure will really fire up the jacks and make them super aggressive. This usually occurs with impending storms however, caution needs to be observed when on the water in these conditions, even in the estuaries. Estuary cod, trevally, flathead, mulloway and several other desirable species will be encountered whilst t a rg e t i n g mangrove jack. As temperatures rise over the coming months, jack activity should increase accordingly with the bite getting more aggressive due to their metabolism increasing. MULLOWAY Whilst mulloway are considered more of a cool weather species, there will still be some cracking fish to be caught over the coming months in the rivers and throughout Moreton Bay. In the lower reaches of the Brisbane River, mulloway will be most likely be caught in the same places and with the same techniques as the threadfin. Further out into the bay around the shipping channel leading into the Brisbane River, the artificial reefs and some areas around Mud and Peel islands, mulloway numbers will be healthy for some time yet. Some target threadies by firstly locating them with the sounder, whilst others deploy live and dead baits in likely areas and wait. Obviously, snapper will also be caught in good numbers by those targeting mulloway. I tend to try and locate decent bait schools in these areas and
Mark with an early morning 15kg longtail hooked on a sinking plastic while targeting snapper.
then hop or slow roll soft vibes such as the Samaki Thumpertail around these zones. Soft plastic shads, blades and even micro jigs can all be put to good use. Wherever a good concentration of bait is found in the rivers it is highly likely that a mulloway or two might be lurking close by. Lighted areas at night will attract baitfish and are great areas to target. This can often be done from a land-based perspective. Submerged ledges and deeper holes are also likely to produce. If there is one mulloway around, it is likely that there are multiple fish as they commonly school. In some areas such as the Peel Artificial Reef, sharks can be a big problem and will eat any hooked fish. Good numbers of these spectacular fish will be around for some time yet but now is a great time to get amongst them. LONGTAIL TUNA October can offer some decent longtail tuna fishing for anglers prospecting Moreton Bay. Whilst large surface feeding schools aren’t that common, longtails are still around to be caught. I have caught quite a few over winter, mostly taken as by-catch whilst targeting snapper. A soft vibe or soft plastic shad has often been eaten as it sinks, with all captures being early morning within 30 minutes of dawn. Specimens between 103cm and 112cm were eventually captured after a sizeable tussle on a 2500 sized spinning reel. Many of these captures were around the artificial reefs or Mud Island where baitfish are common. For those specifically targeting longtails, live baits fished around the major shipping channel beacons, current lines or other areas where baitfish are common, is a good ploy. Yakkas, pike, slimey mackerel, cowanyoung and several other species can be used. I like to present one live bait mid-water and a second about a quarter of the way down, usually suspended beneath a balloon. Circle hooks are ideal for this type of fishing, especially when used in a snelled rig with the leading hook pinned through the nose and the trailing hook near the tail. (See my Tech Tricks article in this issue on making a snelled hook rig). Fish your reels in free-spool to allow the fish to run with the bait and then simply engage the drag and allow the tension to take up. This will usually result in the circle hook pinning the fish in the corner of the mouth, which is the best spot. Occasional surface feeding longtails might be sighted
Southern
OLD
and these can be targeted with cast and retrieve offerings such as stickbaits, casting minnows, jigheadrigged jerkshad plastics, baitfish profiled flies, metal slices and pencil poppers. CRABS Crabbing has been decent over previous weeks with most returning home with a solid feed after setting four pots over a tidal change. Blue swimmer and sand crabs are most commonly found around the outer fringes of the bay islands, in the major channels between the banks systems, along submerged contours and deeper ledges. Observing the depths at which the commercial sector are currently setting the majority of their pots will give a good indication of the depth at which the crabs are likely to be. However, do not set yours in the same area as the pros. Find a similar location some distance away. Fish frames, whole mullet and chicken carcasses are some of the more popular baits that get results. Mud crabs will also be available for those setting pots deep in the mangrove systems and upper reaches of the creeks and gutters feeding out of the mangrove expanse. At this time of the year, those who set their pots in the harder to reach areas
will generally achieve the best rewards. Ensure you are aware of the difference size and bag limits for each crab species and have an accurate measuring device aboard. There are also regulations in regard to pots and the labelling of them that must be adhered to otherwise you risk a fine.
SQUID Providing we haven’t had any serious rainfall, there should still be squid to be caught throughout Moreton Bay including the foreshores, canals and harbours. Squid like clean water, therefore if murky it is unlikely that you will get results. Better specimens can
Jemma scored a nice tiger squid in the upper Rous Channel on an egi. There should still be a few decent ones around during October.
often be taken later in the season. Arrow squid can be especially prevalent at this time of the year, especially in the major channels such as the Rous and Rainbow. Sometimes they are hard to tempt on egi and you will need a baited skewer to get results. Good spots to try for tiger squid include the shallows of the bay islands, the weed beds and discoloured edges of the major channels, the weed beds north of Tangalooma and south of Dunwich and other areas where clean water flows over reef, rock, rubble or weed. CONCLUSION October is a great month to get out on the water. Warmer conditions make those early morning sessions a lot more bearable and weather patterns are usually a little more stable. A great array of species will be on offer in the bays and rivers. Prime targets for the inshore fraternity are flathead, threadfin and mangrove jack whilst many bay anglers will have their sights on school mackerel, snapper, tuskfish and mulloway. Add in succulent seafood including sand, blue swimmer and mud crabs or some tiger and arrow squid and you have the best part of a feast. Get out and explore some of October’s offerings.
Jason Habchi caught this magnificent snapper off the coast of North Stradbroke Island using pilchards.
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Tech Tricks
The Simple Snell BRISBANE
Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com
Presenting baits well will increase their effectiveness greatly. A bait that is straight is less likely to spin in the current and appears more natural. Using a rigging system that promotes better presentation whilst offering increased hooking potential when that strike does come, will maximise your chances of returning home with a few quality fish in the esky. One very easy, yet highly effective, hook rig that can be made to any size and with multiple hooks is the simple snell. The simple snell rig is basically two or more hooks, which are attached to the leader a set distance apart.
How far apart is up to you and you can quickly make this rig to fit the particular bait that you wish to present on it. Whether assembling a size 2 rig with suicide hooks for presenting a whitebait to a flathead or a 10/0 circle hook rig to pin on a fusilier to target a cobia, the simple snell will allow you to do it all. Sometimes a rig might be made with two different sized hooks such as when you want to present a tapered fillet bait. The leading hook may be a 3/0 and the trailing hook, which goes in the thinner portion of the fillet might be a 1/0. These rigs can be made on leaders of many sizes and with the hooks at any desired distance apart. One stipulation is that the leader needs to be passed through the hook eye twice. It won’t
work too well if trying to snell a large hook onto very light leader however common sense says that you don’t do that anyway. If unsure, make the rig and then do the tug test to ensure it will hold, which it will with most sensible leader and hook combinations. Because this rig is so simple to make, you can quickly assemble it whilst you are fishing. This allows you to customise it to the particular bait type and size that you get. This is especially good when catching live bait as you don’t know what size it will be until it is secured. Snelled rigs allow more flexibility and less metal than a ganged hook rig which means a fish will usually mouth and hold onto a bait longer. Let’s look at how easy the simple snell is to make.
2 Both monofilament and fluorocarbon leaders can be used to make simple snell rigs. As mentioned previously the leader will need to be thin enough to pass through the hook eye twice. I have made simple snell rigs with leader material as light as 15lb and as heavy as 200lb.
4 Turn the remaining leader slightly back towards the hook gape and begin wrapping around the shank. It doesn’t matter whether you go clockwise or anti-clockwise with your wraps. 56
OCTOBER 2021
1 The snelled rig will work with most hooks whether they are suicides, circles or heavy gauge live baiting hooks. Hooks with a slightly turned out eye (such as the three on the left) offer better presentation than a straight eyehook. The stiffer connection that a snell offers is ideal for circle hooks and actually increases their effectiveness.
3
Cut a section of leader that is a little longer than you want the finished leader to be. Pass one end down through the eye of the hook and hold it against the hook shank between your thumb and forefinger.
5 Wrap the leader down the hook shank with 6-8 concentric wraps (for this example which is 80lb leader and 7/0 hook). In heavier leader you will do less wraps and in light leader a couple more.
Tech Tricks
6
Hold the bottom couple of wraps between your thumb and forefinger to prevent them undoing then take the tag end from the other end of the leader and pass it up through the hook eye as shown.
7
Hold the hook securely and pull this tag end up very tight. The tighter you pull, the more the knot will lock down on itself making it even stronger under pressure.
8
Now that we have the first hook attached, we need to do the second one. Pass the leader up through the back of the hook eye then place your rig next to the desired bait. Alter the distance between the hooks until you get it how you like. For this pilchard I want the leading hook to pass through the head and the trailing hook roughly where the tail section begins to taper down.
9 Hold the second hook between thumb and forefinger at this position with the hooks the desired distance apart and both facing the same way.
10
Do the same as with the previous hook – 6-8 wraps around the shank and then pass the tag end of the leader back up through the back of the hook eye. Pull up firmly so it all locks down.
12 11
I prefer to present my pilchard baits in this manner with the rear hook through the side of the pilchard and the leading hook through the tougher part of the head. This helps to hold the bait securely and keeps the mouth closed, which minimises bait spiralling and reduces the possibility of blowing out the gut cavity.
Often when float-lining I will snell three hooks on like this having all three penetrating the bait from the top of the head and along the back as shown. This increases the chance of the bait holding onto the hook maximising the chance of a solid hook up. The upper rig is a basic snelled circle hook rig, which is ideal for live baits. Whilst you may want to make a few snelled hook rigs before heading out, they are so quick and simple that you can just make them on site to suit the particular baits you have at hand. OCTOBER 2021
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BREAM SERIES presented by
Local knowledge dominates the podium Jamie Mckeown has put another mark to his name for AOY this year, taking out the ZMan sponsored round of the Daiwa Beam Series on his home turf at the Gold Coast. This is Jamie’s second win on the BREAM Series this year after taking out Lake Macquarie and, although there were no stonking tarwhine in his bag this time, he still found enough healthy canal bream to take out the event by just 730g over second place boater Mathew Fatafehi. In the non-boater division Cain Waller kept the Gold Coast locals on the podium by taking out 1st place in his first ever ABT event.
that sun gets up,” he said The move north proved to be the right one when he hit the scales for the final weigh-in bringing us the biggest bag of the weekend of 3.215kg and just seizing victory off Mathew Fatafehi. Scan the QR code to watch the Non- Boater Winner Interview
Jamie Mckeown is fast becoming a household name in ABT circles. His second win for the year has him in sight of the AOY trophy. flog my spots because I knew the Broadwater would have got hit hard and it was only going to have a good day or two in it. I knew that come Sunday I was going to have to target places less pressured”. Come Saturday, Mckeown did his usual milk run from as far down as Chevron Island, up into the Broadwater while he waited for the top of the tide around 11:30. Once the tide got up, he moved up to Sovereign Islands and that was when the fishing really took off. “Once the tide got high enough for me to hit the banks I wanted to, I tied on
This was only Mathew Fatafehi’s third ABT event and he more than proved he has what it takes to finish in the money.
In his first ABT event as a non-boater, Cain Waller got the job done on his home waterway.
a peach faced Bent Minnow and they went crazy for it. It was almost a fish a cast for an hour or more”. This hot bite saw Mckeown sitting in second place overnight with 2.870kg, just 10g off the lead. With the expectation that the fish around the Broadwater would become pressured, day two called for the path less travelled. Opting to make the run north to Jacobs Well, Mckeown used his Samaki C12 and Daiwa reel combo with 16lb Samaki YGK X braid and 6lb X leader to crank the pontoons with a small deep diving crankbait. “It’s a super effective technique, especially when
Scan the QR code to watch the Winner Interview
NO STOPPING THE ROLL It’s been hard to ignore the stellar year that Jamie McKeown has had on the BREAM series and his second win for the year has now put him amongst the favourites for the coveted Angler Of the Year Trophy. Jamie, a Gold Coast local, came into the weekend with a pretty good game plan that he stuck at to secure the win. “Pre-fish I didn’t really
BOATER RESULTS Place Angler 1 Jamie Mckeown 2 Mathew Fatafehi 3 Tristan Taylor 4 Steve Morgan 5 Charlie Saykao 6 Luke Rogan 7 Chris Golding 8 Anthony Wishey 9 Jacob Kelly 10 Todd Riches 106
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McKeown would like to thank his sponsors Samaki and Lowrance for providing him the tools to hone his craft, as well as Sportys on the Gold Coast for looking after his tackle needs.
Fish 10/10 9/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10
FATAFEHI CASHES IN LOCAL KNOWLEDGE Mathew Fatafehi is only relatively new to the ABT tournament scene however he has proved he has what it takes to mix it with the best. Taking a slightly alternative approach to pre-fishing, Fatafehi opted to have a relaxing day with family to unwind and get himself in a positive mindset for the tournament ahead. “Coming from a footy background, you can transfer a lot of the same mindset into tournaments. You can put a lot of pressure on yourself in a tournament and at the end of the day you just have to remember to go out and enjoy it. We’re lucky to have such an awesome
Full results at abt.org.au
Weight(kg) Payout 6.085Kg $1600 + $250 1st Merc bonus 5.355Kg $1000 + 2nd Merc bonus 5.190Kg $700 5.180Kg $500 + $75 3rd Merc bonus 5.140Kg No Prize 4.950Kg No Prize 4.865Kg No Prize 4.710Kg No Prize 4.590Kg No Prize 4.560Kg No Prize
BREAM SERIES presented by opportunity on our doorstep when others are still stuck in lockdown”. No doubt this approach was effective as he returned from Saturday as the day one leader with 5/5 fish for 2.88kg as well as holding big bream of 0.840kg. Never one to rest on his laurels, Mathew upped his game on Sunday and took
pair fished the canals to great effect with salt and pepper coloured Ecogear Aquas on 1/50oz Hidden Weight jigheads to get the bites. On day two, Waller fished the Nerang River with his boater Anthony Wishey and was able to improve on his day one bag of 2.055kg by 245g for a total of 10/10 fish for 4.355kg. Using a Daiwa TD Zero and 2000 size Daiwa Legalis to pitch his Aquas in and around the pontoons, Waller credited his 4lb Sunline FC Rock straight-through fluorocarbon as being crucial to easing those big fish out of the structure.
Scan the QR code to watch the Day 1 Highlights
home the Big Bream prize for the tournament with a 0.985kg stonker he caught in the canals. Opting to stay close to
A pigeon pair of Jacobs Well bream that helped Jamie McKeown secure his victory.
Mathew Fatafehi and Tristan Taylor share a few words before the start of day two. Also showcasing the diverse range of vessels we see at ABT. take off, Fatafehi rotated between his honey holes at Sovereign Islands and Runaway Bay canals throwing an Ecogear Aqua Bream Prawn in king prawn colour on a 1/40oz TT Hidden Weight jighead. The technique was to fish tight to the structure, while also sight casting at any rogue bream between the pontoons. His outfit of choice was a Samaki Archer or, depending on lure choice, an Atomic Arrowz paired with a 2000 Daiwa Aird X, 9lb Owner braid and 6lb Sunline FC rock leader. “I power fished the pontoons. If I didn’t get a bite within three casts, I was onto the next one. Once I got a bite then I started to slow down and work on the school”. If he thought
the fish wanted a bit more action to the lure to get a reaction bite, he picked up a ZMan Grub in motor oil on a 1/16oz for a bit more tail action in the soft plastic. Fatafehi would like to give thanks to friend Joel Rowe for the kind lend of his boat, as well as Addict Tackle and Aussie brag mats for all their help. And as I am sure we can all relate, a special thanks to his family for their support. WALLER’S DEBUT VICTORY Gold coast local Cain Waller really stepped up to the mark in his first ABT event, taking out first place in the non-boater division. Lucky enough to draw the freshly crowned Queensland Open champion, Blake O’Grady, on day one the
Fish 10/10 10/10 10/10 9/10 7/10 6/10 6/10 5/10 5/10 5/10
“That straight-through line really gives you that extra pulling power. When you need to pull those fish out you can really put that pressure on.” To any aspiring non-boaters on the fence, Waller offers this advice. “It’s definitely worth giving it a go. Get out there and have a go and just enjoy yourself because that’s what it’s all about.” ABT would like to thank all the anglers, spectators and event staff for making a COVID safe (and COVID restricted) event run as smoothly as possible.
YOLOTEK BIG BREAM
Mathew Fatafehi took out the Big Bream prize with a 0.985kg canal fish he caught on day two. It was a victim of the lightly weighted Ecogear Aqua, which made Mathew $500 richer thanks to YoloTek.
NON- BOATER RESULTS Place Angler 1 Cain Waller 2 Chris Lonne 3 Michael Maas 4 Gavin Atkin 5 Joel Mckenzie 6 Steven John William Dee 7 David Lonne 8 Marco Grubb 9 Roger Elton 10 Gary Middleton
Scan the QR code to watch the Day 2 Highlights
Full results at abt.org.au
Weight(kg) Payout 4.355Kg Daiwa reel 3.745Kg ZMan Procure TT lures, + Bait Junkie prize 3.550Kg ZMan Procure TT lures prize 3.150Kg Daiwa prize 3.025Kg Prolure prize 2.305Kg Cranka lures prize 2.020Kg EJ Todd prize 1.895Kg Ecogear prize 1.660Kg Keitech prize 1.590Kg Samaki prize OCTOBER 2021
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TESTING BOOTH
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Jigging Lures: great Australianmade soft plastic lure options Fishing with soft plastics has come a long way, even in the 10 years I have been with the magazine. There are so many shapes, sizes, colours and options, that for some anglers looking at a wall of soft plastics in your local tackle store is a nightmare, while for others it is the stuff of dreams.
in this case the Jigging Lures range of soft plastics are only available online (they do attend markets around SE Queensland). So, I felt it was important to go through the process and place an order myself (they did supply me with ample plastics to do this testing booth). Once on the website you click on the shop button and there is a group of
perch, trout, etc. There are definitely colours in each one that will suit any of those species and more. I had a couple of outings where I found myself using either the Jigging mini paddle tail or the Jigging single tail grub around the many pylons of the Hornibrook Bridge at the mouth of the North Pine River in Brisbane. These pylons are home to plenty of bream and flathead, and these two lure options delivered some nice bags and the odd trophy into the net. Depending on the current, I rigged them on jigheads weighing from 1/24-1/8oz with a size 1 hook. I simply cast them to the structure, let them slowly drop to the bottom and then shook and wiggled them back
The stinger hook wasn’t always needed.
The strong swimming action and profile of the 3.5” EXO paddle tail makes it ideal to target bass with. The continuing growth of online shopping has also opened opportunities for smaller operators to dip their toes in the market place. One such operator is Jigging Lures based on Queensland’s Gold Coast. Here are my thoughts after testing them for you for the last few months. The range Jigging Lures offer 10 different shapes from a 2” single tail grub to a number of
images of the soft plastics that are available. Click on the shape you want to buy, pick a colour and how many packs and off you go. The bonus for buying five packets is that your plastics come in a small tackle tray, ready to go. I thought that was a great idea, so that’s what I did. From order to delivery was three days (me being in Brisbane), which I thought was as good as you can expect, when Australia Post is involved. Breaking the range down The range has a little bit for everybody, with three 2” options, four 3-3.5” options and three 5” options. Small sizes The three 2” options lend themselves to targeting species like, bream, whiting, redfin
The author was instantly drawn to the 5” Jigging curl tail in the range. Rigged with a stinger hook it accounted for three 50cm+ flathead in five casts the first time he tried it. to the boat. You will generally know pretty quickly if the bream are about. The colours I liked for this, from what I was sent are, salt n pepper, sesame oil UV, golden crush, pickled gherkin UV, grapefruit squash, squid jelly and pink cotton candy UV. Small/medium sizes As you head up in size, the next four plastics provide a much broader range of profile and species options.
Comprising of a ribbon tail grub, a fork tail and a couple of paddle tail options these plastics could be used on many of our inshore grounds, throughout our estuary systems and in our rivers and lakes (fresh and saltwater). The 3” Jigging ribbon tail is the most finesse of the small to medium sized plastics and lends itself to being fished in a similar way to the 2” plastics already mentioned or crosses over nicely to a 1/4-3/8oz jighead
This 5” EXO paddle tail was slow rolled over a large shallow piece of water in the hopes a big female flathead would eat it. This little guy didn’t read the script. 5” options. Each style is available in 20 plus colours and a packet costs $10 plus postage. To check out the range you need to go to www.jigginglures.com.au. The Jigging Lures Facebook and Instagram pages are also worth a look and a follow. They highlight recent captures, markets they are attending and any new colours and ranges when they come out. How to order them? Generally, when I am talking to you about where to find the products I am testing, I send you to your local tackle outlet, however 110
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When rigging the EXO paddle tail for bass the author liked to trim the nose from the plastic so that he maintained the 3.5” length and profile. A nice legal mulloway caught on the 3.5” Jigging fork tail in the grapefruit squash colour.
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PRODUCT GUIDE with a 1/0 or 2/0 hook. This broadens the fish species you can target with them significantly. The plastics that immediately caught my eye when they arrived where the 3.5” Jigging fork tail, Jigging EXO paddle tail and Jigging paddle tail. They slot into my wheelhouse as
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vibration, so it lends itself more to being used in shallow water (or from the shore) and at times of less water flow. The extra movement drawing attention from a broader area, giving the angler a better chance of catching a fish. Both paddle tails in the range have very strong swimming actions, but it was the
The undoing of this flathead was a 3.5” paddle tail in sesame oil UV colour.
results, while for the flathead it has been those plus the grapefruit squash, sour lemon UV and bubblegum blue colours that have worked well for me. Medium/Large sizes The 5” Jigging lure models have been great fun to test. They have challenged my thought processes on how to rig them (see the rigging tips nearby) and how to fish them. The Jigging Jumbo EXO paddle tail has a great profile and lends itself to be slow rolled. It has lots of action and I look forward to the next opportunity to fish one in one of our SE Queensland barramundi impoundments or if I am chasing a Murray cod south of the border. Come to think of it, it would be the perfect trailer on a stinger hook set up on a spinnerbait or mumbler to target them as well. However, I didn’t have that opportunity so I rolled them over shallow flats hoping a big female flathead may take a liking to them. No big girls played the game, but the fish I did catch left no question they wanted to eat it. My favourite has been the Jigging EXO curl tail. It has so much movement and vibration in the water, that I was just drawn to it. I preferred to fish it very slowly and let the action of the lure do all the work. The results speak for themselves, three flathead over 50cm in five casts on the first morning I used them had me hooked. Everybody will have their own favourite colours within this range, but for me you can’t go past orange cordial, sour lemon
far as fishing with soft plastics is concerned. My first thought always tends to go down the flathead path, but I have realised over the years that plastics of this size and shape, will catch a huge range of fish species. Snapper, mulloway, bream, trevally, bass, golden perch and trout are just a few that instantly come to mind. I tend to use a fork tail and a paddle tail in slightly different situations (targeting flathead). In deeper water and during times in the tide
Although the author preferred the 3.5” EXO paddle tail for his bass fishing, the standard 3.5” paddle tail was pretty effective as well. With 10 styles and 20+ colours of each, there is bound to be something for every angler in the Jigging Lures range. when you have a lot of water flow I like to use a fork tail. It has less water resistance, so it gets to the bottom faster and stays in the zone without the current sweeping it away. When it comes to the paddle tail, the tail creates much more movement and
The author used the smaller 2” plastics to target bream. He was very happy with the results.
UV, salt n pepper, squid jelly and sesame oil UV. Final thoughts The Jigging Lures range and colour options will provide most anglers with an option to suit their fishing needs. They are reasonably robust and definitely catch fish. I don’t like saying that I have favourites
RIGGING TIPS
The 5” EXO curl tail rigged with a Mustad inline single stinger hook. • As with rigging any soft plastic, it is important to line them up as straight possible to ensure that they swim straight in the water. • Try and match the colour of the jighead to the plastic whenever possible, as it then becomes an extension of your plastic. • Trim a small piece from the nose of the plastic so that it sits flush against the jighead. For bass fishing, I remove the same amount as the length of the head of the jighead so that the total length remains the same. • In the case of the 5” EXO curl tail, I found it hard to find a jighead that the hook came out far enough down the plastic, and therefore I missed bites. My solution was to add a Mustad inline single stinger hook to the rig. It worked very well. • Play with the weight of the jigheads to ensure you are maximising the presentation of your plastic depending on your fishing situation. (because I think you should try them for yourselves), but for me the 3.5” Jigging fork tail, the 3.5” Jigging EXO paddle tail and the 5” Jigging EXO curl tail are the standouts, with the 3.5” Jigging paddle tail and the 5” Jigging EXO paddle tail not too far behind. They cover the majority of my fishing needs. Well done to Kym and Paul from Jigging Lures, you have done very well. Check them out at www.jigginglures.com.au.
Jigging EXO paddle tails accentuated action that caught my eye. The ribbed shape of this lure allows for even more role and movement. Much of the testing period has been during late winter and early spring, which is when the Australian bass in our SE Queensland impoundments school up on the deeper contours of the waterways, and rolling soft plastics through and around these schools is a great way to catch them. The extra movement was something that I thought would be perfect for this. Lake Kurwongbah is one of my favourite urban bass fisheries (kayak only) and where I put my theory to the test. Kurwongbah is not as deep as many of the other impoundments so I used a 1/4oz 2/0 jighead and once I found fish, I cast to them, let the plastic get to the bottom and slow rolled it back to the kayak. It pays to stop occasionally to let the plastic get back to the bottom. Most of your bites will either come on the slow roll or the pause. I have caught fish on both the paddle tail Jigging lures, but the Jigging EXO paddle tail has had the better results of the two. Colour wise for the bass, it has been the golden crush, pickled gherkin UV and the squid jelly colours that I have had the best Where possible the author likes to match the jighead colour with the plastic so it is like an extension of it.
Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au OCTOBER 2021
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Anglapro Escapade 554 Elite with Yamaha 130hp - SC
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Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au
If you are after a Brisbanebuilt aluminium cabin boat that ticks plenty of boxes with trailability, family friendliness and price, then your path down the rabbithole of searching has brought you to the right place. The Anglapro Escapade is the smallest of this model of cabin boats from Anglapro. There’s also a 584 and a 624 on the books. All of the models in the range are made with 4mm bottom sheets and 3mm side sheets. And let’s get this in early – there’s a 5-year hull warranty if you package it with a factory-fitted Dunbier trailer. That’s a 5-year warranty on the hull and the trailer if you let the factory get it right for you. That’s pretty big news. The test boat was supplied with a Yamaha 130hp 4-stroke outboard, which didn’t disappoint when it came to power. With a maximum horsepower rating of 135 on
this hull, the Escapade didn’t suffer from lack of power. It’s actually a pretty fun ride! Drop the throttle and this boat did 72km/h at 6,300rpm with an economy of 1.5km/L. With 110L underfloor, that gives a theoretical range of just over 150km, and you have the ability and ambition of driving everywhere like a lunatic. Drop down to the most economical cruising speed of 36km/h at 3,500rpm and that economy jumps to 2.8km/L and the range virtually doubles to nearly 300km. Plenty enough get you into some action of one kind or another. As expected, this rig is a balance between comfort SPECIFICATIONS Length................. 5.6m Beam................. 2.29m Max.HP ............. 135hp Fuel ......................110L Capacity ..... 5 persons Hull ...................... 4mm Sides ................... 3mm Hull.only ............ 595kg
Main: The 554 Anglapro Escapade is the baby of the threeboat cabin range. Its bigger brothers are the 584 and 624. Above: With a maximum horsepower of 135 listed, Yamaha’s F130 is a great match for this rig and delivers economy of up to nearly 3km/L at 3500rpm. and fishability. If you’re after a massive cockpit to fish several people, you’ll be disappointed by the rear offset seat with lots of storage inside it – you can’t
Robert Gaden Jr is just ‘waiting for a mate’ at the bottom end of Peel Island. 128
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move it and it deletes some of the available space. But if you’re looking for somewhere to stash all of the wet gear from when the kids went for their 10th swim of the day, you’ll love that you can localise this out of the cabin. Everyone will love the transom door and bulletproof folding aluminium stairs that’ll make it easy to get in and out of the rig when it’s on the trailer or on the water. In both situations, egress from the back of the boat is easier than trying to do it from the bow – even though this boat is reasonably low. This rig draws little water, so spin the transom around and jump in that way. There’s non-skid on the step as well. The cabin is wide and open. There’s no cabin door, so it’s not 100% private. Interestingly, the cabin
remains the same size as the boats get bigger in this model – it’s just the cockpit space gets longer. So proportionally, there’s more cabin space in this boat than in the others in the range. The helm features a couple of comfortable seats with storage underneath. You can fold back the padding on these seats to make it a leanseat for when it’s rougher.
This is an option that’s become popular in rigs like this because of the practicality. There’s room on the console to flush mount plenty of electronic accessories and although comfortable, there’s nowhere to rest your arm while wrangling the throttle. We did like the bimini setup. It gives plenty of shade and there’s a lot of room between it and the windscreen. There’s nothing worse than when you have to pick ‘over or under’ when the top of the windscreen is right in your eye line. They’ve got this right, for my driving style anyway. Naturally, there’s some wet storage under the floor that you can fill with fish or with wet gear. Overall, it’s a comfortable family rig, a decent fishing boat and it’s at a price that you’ll love – not just because you won’t have to upgrade your standard suburban SUV to tow it. The test boat came in at just over $50,000, although base packages definitely come in at under the $50,000 mark. For more information or your nearest dealer, visit www.anglapro.com.au or check out their socials by searching Anglapro on Facebook or Instagram.
PERFORMANCE RPM.......................km/h........................km/L 1000 ............................ 7 .......................... 2.8 2000...........................11 .......................... 2.5 3000.......................... 27 .......................... 2.7 3500 .......................... 36 .......................... 2.8 4000.......................... 43 .......................... 2.6 4500 .......................... 49 .......................... 2.4 5000.......................... 56 .......................... 2.1 6000.......................... 69 .......................... 1.7 6300 .......................... 72 .......................... 1.5
A relatively new addition to the Yamaha 4-stroke range, the F130 is pretty much an ideal fit for this hull.
Like most cabins, there’s no super easy way to board the boat from the bow.
The bimini is a pretty important piece of kit in this rig – if offers plenty of shade and it’s high enough so that you can stand at the helm and look through the gap between it and the windscreen.
Left: Rugged, aluminium factory fold-up steps are standard. Right: A transom door always makes it easier to get in and out of the boat, whether you’re on the water or on the trailer.
When folded over, the rear seat gives access to the transom hatches, and in turn the batteries and isolators.
The helm is pretty simple. If you juggle the engine gauges around there’s room for a larger flush mounted sounder.
Both helm seats have the fold-up base so you can convert them to be very suitable backrests for standing in position. There’s storage under both.
There is a front access hatch you can access through the cabin.
As expected, you can fill the rear seat with gear.
This underfloor storage/tank drains straight into the bilge.
There’s an infill for the cabin that gives you access to 100% of the width. There’s no cabin door, so access is fairly easy. OCTOBER 2021
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