Fishing Monthly Magazine | September 2023 by Fishing Monthly

• AFTA TACKLE SHOW WINNERS • CRUSHCITY PUT TO THE TEST • FIND THE

LOGO COMPETITION QLD

NSW

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Species Spotlight

Bob Thornton brings us a shallow outlook on flathead

Features

Shallow water flathead tactics • Secrets of kayak tournament fishing • Starlo: Subtle art of berleying • Spotlight: Illawarra • AFTA Winners • Testing Booth: Rapala CrushCity • Latest news and area reports •

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Fishing Monthly Magazines

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CONTENTS

OUR COVER September 2023, Vol. 4 No.5 VIC

TAS

QUEENSLAND Tweed River Gold Coast Jumpinpin Brisbane Northern Bay Noosa Bundaberg Mackay Townsville Hinchinbrook Cairns Port Douglas Cooktown Cape York Freshwater

16 18 20 22 26 28 30 34 38 40 41 40 42 44 48

NEW SOUTH WALES Sydney North Sydney South Sydney Rock Ballina Coffs Coast South West Rocks Hasting Port Macquarie Central Coast Port Stephens Swansea Illawarra Batemans Bay Bermagui Tathra New England Rivers Hunter Valley Batlow Albury/Wodonga Canberra

54 55 56 58 60 62 63 64 65 66 66 67 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76

VICTORIA Portland Warrnambool Cobden Geelong Port Phillip West Phillip Island Gippsland Lakes Port Albert Lakes Entrance Marlo Mallacoota Bemm River Robinvale Bendigo Wangaratta Shepparton Ballarat Crater Lakes Gippsland Freshwater 6 SEPTEMBER 2023

From the Editor’s Desk...

78 79 79 80 84 85 88 88 90 91 91 90 92 93 94 95 96 97 97

We wrote about it last month and it went off with a bang – the Public Day at the AFTA Tackle Show was incredibly successful with a tripling of numbers from last year’s event and the Queensland Government kicking in to make sure that everyone could attend for free. Traditionally the AFTA ‘Trade Show’ was a business-to-business event where tackle stores went to see what products were going to be released for the Christmas season and to get their summertime orders lodged. It’s evolved to way more than that. Interrupted by COVID for a couple of years, the initial Public Day attracted nearly a thousand people – all keen to see what is up and coming in fishing tackle.

Using his Diawa Beef Stik rod, Shimano reel and a squid-jig - one of seven squid, fishing obsessed Owen Morgan caught on a recent family trip to Airlie Beach. A Racquel Morgan image.

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TASMANIA Hobart

WESTERN AUSTRALIA Esperance

Bunbury

Augusta

Metro

100

Mandurah

101

Lancelin

102

Exmouth

104

Karratha

104

Freshwater

106

You can’t buy at the show, it’s not a sales event. But you got to look and feel the new gear. That was plenty for the tackle junkies, who were used to seeing the gear launched on social media or in the pages of this magazine. Fast forward to 2023 and the exhibitors are all committed to Public Days for the next three years. They’ve improved their stands and invested in making sure that their celebrity anglers and influencers are there to meet you. And they did the job superbly. Y’all showed up with just under 3,000 lining up out the end of the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre for the gates to open at 9am – among them were plenty of young, keen anglers. Some even came with fishing rods ready for an after-show fish! Plenty voted in the People’s Choice awards. You got to cast your vote on the same product that the retailers voted on the days before. Some of the product winners were the same but lots were different – giving the manufacturers a glimpse of what the anglers value rather than the stores. Overall, the atmosphere was incredible and the whole industry is getting ready to welcome you back in 2024. If you’re a tackle tragic, it might be worth taking a few days off at that time and visiting?

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Shallow water flathead

Starlo: Subtle art of berleying

Sheik of the Creek

Kayak tournament fishing

Spotlight: Illawarra

Fun page

Publisher: Steve Morgan

Tournament Calendar

108

Tournaments

108

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Testing Booth: Rapala CrushCity

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AFTA Winners

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Trades and Services/Tide page

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A shallow outlook on flathead BRISBANE

Bob Thornton

It’s hard to imagine how a fish like flathead, with so much media coverage in the form of books, articles and videos spanning back at least several generations can continue to invigorate the fishing world. Lure fishing in Australia goes back to at least the early 20th century, and flathead (particularly dusky flathead) have long been a staple in the Aussie fishing community. Being a highly aggressive

very specific approach and works only under certain conditions. On top of that, there’s usually plenty of casts between fish. If we take a step back and focus less on trophy fish, however, a bigger picture starts to form. Prospecting shin-deep sandflats with smaller lures is not only a super fun way to target flathead, but also highly effective. Targeting these areas in the right way and at the right time can yield excellent numbers medium size flathead, and is perfect for small vessel and shore-based anglers.

Bent lures like this Stoner 115 from Tie On Tackle were developed specifically for shallow water flathead, and they have well and truly earned the tick of approval from Boothy! Photo courtesy of Stephen Booth.

species that likes to hunt in the estuaries, they lend themselves to the luring novice who doesn’t yet own any fancy fishing gear or a big boat with all the bells and whistles. After all this time you might think there aren’t any surprises with this species, but that just isn’t so. Our understanding of these great fish is still expanding, and we now have techniques refined to specifically target big flathead in some of the most exciting ways possible. Throwing comically large lures across shallow flats for shovel-sized flathead has reignited an appreciation for these fish, with so many of the country’s foremost anglers back targeting the fish that got them into the sport. I can tell you from experience that chasing them this way is some of the most heart-stopping fishing you can do, but it requires a 8 SEPTEMBER 2023

A SHALLOW OUTLOOK Chasing flatties on shallow sandflats is nothing new, however what the big bait flathead craze has done is remind us just how shallow they will venture to snaffle a feed. In most estuaries it’s easy enough to find a shallow sandflat dotted with yabby holes. In fact, there’s often so many of them that most anglers still walk straight past them without a second thought. I must admit, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve spooked flathead off a flat while trudging with determination to get to deeper water. Fishing in deeper holes, channels and drains definitely has its place, and the flats aren’t always going to be the best places to target. Understanding a bit more about flathead will help when it comes time to decide whether to target deep or shallow water, so let’s look at what we know about these fish. THE DUSKY DIARIES It’s well-known that dusky flathead spawn in sandy estuaries; usually where they meet the ocean. In the period immediately leading up their spawning, they tend to feed very aggressively to build condition – a behaviour common to many fish species. Dusky spawning tends to occur from about September to February, depending on the latitude. As a general rule, northern populations spawn in late winter and early spring, while further south this tends to happen in the height of summer. Spawning for most fish species is dependent on salinity levels and water temperature, and given the dusky range spans

a few different climates, this helps to explain the different spawning periods. At the same time, the water in the shallows reaches a comfortable temperature for a lot of crustaceans and other aquatic invertebrates, many of which emerge from their larval stage during spring and summer. This attracts a host of smaller estuarine fish species such as whiting, bream, garfish, herring, anchovies and more, which move up onto the flats periodically to snack on these vulnerable morsels. Following these little foragers are the larger predators, with flathead being one of main players. This set of circumstances is what anglers throwing large soft plastics and glidebaits take advantage of. Lures that imitate the foragers are ideal for specifically targeting the big flatties that prowl the flats, but there’s still more to this story. Flats that offer consistent action on big 80cm+ flathead tend to have a few things in common. Firstly, they’re generally nearby main ocean entrances. Secondly, they receive a moderate to fair amount of tidal current. And thirdly – and probably most importantly – they require a bit of effort to get to. Expanding on this latter point, flats in areas where there are lots of swimmers, extra boat activity and other anglers don’t usually see an infllux of estuary foragers on the scale of the more ‘remote’ locations. The bigger and brainier bream, whiting and gar will tend to avoid these busier spots, preferring quieter, less disturbed flats where natural cycles can happen without human interruption. Bigger

A perfect flat: Soft sand in about 40-70cm of water with scattered bits of timber and weed, a small channel that runs out to the drop-off in the right of frame, and a tiny bit of wind chop to conceal the angler from fish!

Josh nailed this high 60s model working a soft plastic on the very edge of a flat. A lot of fish will sit right where the water depth drops off, so it’s a good area to target if the fish aren’t right up on the flat itself. Photo courtesy of Josh Dunn.

flatties require a bigger meal, and are therefore less likely to waste their time on noisy flats devoid of their preferred prey. This is probably a big reason why a boat is required to get to most big flathead hotspots. With that said, many smaller and less educated baitfish will happily mooch onto a busier flat. These sub-legal whiting and bream, along with palmsized herring, gar, and other opportunistic scroungers are a much more suitable snack for medium-sized flatties between 30-60cm. Yes, big flathead will still get caught on flats in the heart of metropolitan areas, and small flathead will show up on pristine flats only visited but intrepid anglers, but this is a general rule based on my own experience and the experiences of others. WHEN TO GO SHALLOW With all this in mind, it leaves the question: when should I fish the flats for flathead? The simple answer is, whenever and wherever you can find a sandflat with water on it, with about six inches being my minimum depth requirement. Unfortunately there is no definitive answer, because the reality is that all estuaries are different, and flats can become fishable at different stages of the tide and remain viable for a variable amount of time. For example, a flat that is littered with flathead and baitfish may be high and dry two hours later, and an exposed sandbank could see the first flathead starting to move up onto it with the incoming tide within an hour.

To be good at flats fishing, you need to be able to spot these opportunities – just like flathead and other predators do – and to tailor your approach accordingly. I can’t tell you exactly how to find flathead on the flats in your local estuary, but I can give you some common scenarios. The first scenario, and probably the best in my opinion is when a flat is flooded on the incoming tide. These flats tend to be exposed at low tide and are great flats to explore because they offer the luxury of low tide reconnaissance. At low tide, walking across these areas can help you identify things such as flathead lies, patches of mud, rubble or weed, and slightly deeper channels on the flat that act as entry points for the fish. If you can time your return with when the water is starting to filter into these entry points and flood the flat, you should be able to capitalise on the action. I have found that it’s sometimes a good idea to wait for the water to fully cover the flat and to let the predators and prey establish themselves before I start fishing. Other times the flatties will be feeding as the water is covering the flat, chasing their quarry as it flees into ever shallower water. This is where it’s important to use your eyes to observe what’s happening. If you can see baitfish mooching around, fishing nearby is always a good option. It’s also wise to target any baitfish holding features that you identified a low tide. I will always throw a few casts around the edges of any

weed, mud or rubble patches, and if there’s an entry point nearby, I will work the area thoroughly. Another common scenario is the outgoing tide, and often the same areas mentioned above can be fished on the outgoing tide. In some instances, they may only start to fish well as the tide starts to run-out – trial and error is often the only way to piece the puzzle

together. Generally speaking, flatties are mobile hunters as the tide moves over a flat, however when the water starts to drain off it, their tactic changes slightly. With the water now disappearing, the foragers will be forced to gradually move back toward the entry points, which are now drainage points! Lying in these drainage points for baitfish that have no choice but to run the gauntlet is a far

more energy efficient way to hunt, and therefore working your lures nearby these areas is a no brainer. Once the water has all but completely drained off the flat, the flatties will tend to sit in the deeper water on the edge of the flat and wait for the last of the baitfish to be swept out through the remaining drainages. Targeting these areas isn’t necessarily flats fishing, but it’s an effective

The 90mm V-Swim from Venom Lures is similar to the big glidebaits that have become so popular amongst big flathead devotees, but is a bit smaller and appeals to the medium-sized flatties. Boothy chooses to use baitcast tackle for these lures for the extra ‘feel’ it offers. Photo courtesy of Stephen Booth.

technique when the flats action (literally) dries up. The last scenario I want to discuss is low tide flats. In some areas, there are flats that only become visible at the lowest stages of the tide, and so long as there is a little bit of water over them, there’s no reason why our favourite flat fish won’t be there chasing a feed. They may not be ‘classic’ flats, but if it’s a shallow area where flathead can corner their prey, it’s highly likely that there will be catchable fish there. Once again, use the fact that it’s visible to your advantage and look for signs of life. My favourite local flat on the east side of Brisbane is only accessible by foot at low tide. At high tide the reachable area is covered with seagrass and driftwood that makes fishing very difficult. TOP PERFORMERS IN THE SHALLOWS There are so many lures that will catch flathead, however, there are certain styles and designs that can really shine in the skinny water, and by observing the fish activity on your local flat you should be able to identify what will work best. Hardbodies Hardbodies have recently regained popularity for chasing flathead over the flats, but the truth is that

When the sun’s out and the weather’s warming up, it’s big flathead time! Another 80cm+ specimen hits the deck for Lindsay. Photo courtesy of Lindsay Stevenson.

anglers have been using them in this way since at least the ‘60s. Vic McCristal wrote about this technique in his book Great Fishing With Lures (1970). These days, hard plastic lures with realistic colour patterns have replaced the hand-made wooden creations

with metal bibs. What hasn’t changed so much is how they’re used. All sorts of hardbodies will work, but the best results tend to come on slender profiles between 60-90mm long that suspend, usually referred to as jerkbaits. Using the rod tip to

NEW S

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Creepin’ while you’re sleepin’ The Creeper is a curl-tail grub with a difference.

“CREEPER” “THE IMPOSTER”

Designed to resemble the usual suspects of baitfish found in any water body.

“THE SUSPECT”

The Imposter lives up to its name, posing as a shrimp or prawn to deceive predators.

When you’re chasing aggressive predators and need to get the job done, send in the Heavy Hitter.

The Jerk is exactly that; twitchy, fidgety and erratic, even with the slightest rod twitch.

“THE JERK”

“HEAVY HITTER” Rapala Australia

@rapalaaustralia

www.rapala.com.au SEPTEMBER 2023 9

OLD

How to lure up some springtime barra and jacks research results that were used as evidence to heavily reduce the bag limits of anglers starting from 1 July, 2023. It’s quite scary that such a dramatic bag limit reduction was put

TOWNSVILLE

Dave Hodge

At the time of writing this piece we’ve just had our two coldest nights I reckon at 11°C and 10°C. Yeah, yeah, I know – that’s nothing compared to South Queensland, but for us here in Townsville it’s nearly fluffy slipper stuff. To be honest, I love it. It reminds me of frosty mornings chasing Murray cod around the Namoi and Peel rivers around Tamworth. The only downside to the cold snap here is that it will probably slow the fish down for a week or two, especially with these 25-30 knot winds that have plagued us recently. However, by the time you read this report, the fishing will likely have improved. In between the long stretches of crappy weather days, there have been a few gems that have allowed the offshore guys and girls to

Andrew Tan with his first legal-sized barra taken on a weedless Halco Paddle Prawn in the lumo colour. going to have to move. The reason is that smaller jigs can be used to reach the required depths, and the ease of which an angler can work these smaller lures. Whether it be slow pitch jigs for the shallower marks, or more traditional styles like the Halco Outcast Jigs, they all work. Creeks and rivers too have been producing plenty of jacks and barra, along with flathead and whiting towards the mouths of the rivers and creeks. Smaller soft plastics in that 2-4” size range are the best bet

for the shallows. 3” Atomic Prongs and the more slim profiled 4” Paddle Prawns from Halco are great options, especially when rigged on a lighter 1/6-1/4oz head. At this time of year, it’s also worth looking in the deeper holes to see what’s hanging down deeper. In these circumstances you can use the same lures, but you’ll just need to increase the head weight a little bit. ARE REC ANGLERS ON THE HIT LIST? It absolutely goes against the ‘supposed’

This barramundi fell to a Halco TBarra 80. in place without a true consultation of anglers, both recreational and commercial. Even more concerning

When a barra this size hits your lure at your feet, it’s a sure thing that you will jump. Young Tannhym Hodge dragged this one out of some tight water on his new Abu SX baitcaster. get out wider. The results have been well worth the effort, with plenty of trout, nannygai, red-throat emperor and more being taken. Spanish mackerel have been thick, and many people have gotten their new bag limit of two fish per boat within 100m of beginning their first troll. 38 SEPTEMBER 2023

is the way in which commercial netting has been outlawed for all tributaries of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Reserve Park. To think that such a serious and long-

Jigging is still a good way to secure a feed of deep-water species, with anglers going from the traditional 80lb outfits to a much more effective PE4 and 50-60lb FC leader with greatly increased catch rates, if the sharks aren’t too bad in a spot. If they are, you’re just

Flathead have been around in good numbers towards creek mouths and drains. This one took a Paddle Prawn meant for a barra.

lasting law can be snuck through without even a hint of public consultation is the act of a dictatorship. Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited about what the local fishery will be like in a year or so of having no schools of breeding barra removed from the rivers and creeks by nets. However, to hit every commercial fisher with this new legislation is wrong. What happened to due process, and letting the evidence do the talking? In my opinion, there will always be a need for at least some commercial netting to feed our population, not exported as a trade-off for some foreign trade agreement. Australians deserve the right to eat local fish, and have the choice to boycott species imported from disgusting ‘farms’. Species such as basa, also known as Mekong catfish, should never even be considered being an option in Australia, when we have enough fish for our population without the need of importing a sub quality substitute. Ill-informed, gullible members of society who don’t fish, or spend any time on the water, have shown support for the

OLD

move against commercial fishing, and you can be sure that rec anglers are next on the hit list.

minutes into our first day Tanny nailed a 67cm barra on a lumo Halco Paddle Prawn rigged weedless and swung

around fallen timber, rocks, and the like, you probably won’t have much trouble connecting to the desirable

For bass fishers it’s worth bringing a box of hardbodies such as Roosta poppers, Sugapens, Twitching Minnows, Tilsans etc because jacks love them, and so do some barra. One lure type that will absolutely be a necessity is some weedless plastics, such as the Atomic Prongs and Halco Paddle Prawns in 4” and 5”. If you’re a snapper, jew or flathead angler, there’s a chance you’ll already have some, so you’re laughing. However, the hooks will probably be a bit foreign to many southern anglers; and instead of the old-style J-style jighead, the best option by far will be the weedless design known as an EWG (I use the Atomic

Seeker EWG 5/0 1/4oz). Being able to launch or skip these rigged plastics into the thick of the timber and still get them back out is a godsend. It allows anglers to put a presentation well back in those areas where you just can’t get a hardbody. In saying that, a hardbodied diver is a musthave for those bigger laying down logs, drains, rock bars etc where a lure can be waddled out and then allowed to slowly float back towards the surface, drawing barra and jacks out from their hidey holes to smash the escaping baitfish profile. I’ve been trialling the new Halco TBarra 80 in recent months, and it has proven to be an absolute winner in North Queensland creeks.

If you’re keen on seeing the variety of ways that the TBarra 80 and other lures can be worked, including soft plastics, jump on our YouTube Channel (Hodgie the Barefoot Fisherman) and see for yourself how well they work. So, if you’ve been thinking of doing a northern trip in the future but thought you’d probably have to spend a small fortune preparing for it, you’ll be glad to know that it’s not the case. A heavier bass baitcasting outfit or light cod outfit will suffice. A spin rod on the heavier end of the bass spectrum, or light snapper spin rig will also do the job, unless it’s truly big barra you’re after. We’ll see you when you get up here.

Another TBarra 80 victim. This blue salmon smashed it while it was suspending in front of a snag while chasing jacks. Blues are great fun to catch. Personally, I believe we need to keep a handful of conscientious commercial fishers, who have been instrumental in advancing less harmful practices, and weed out those old-school rogues who have deliberately alienated the rec sector. BARRA AND JACKS ON LURES My mate Tanny from Toowoomba recently headed up here for a few days to enjoy the warm weather and catch a barra or two, and of course the mighty mangrove jack. I thought the fishing might be a bit tough due to the cooler weather slipping in sneakily for a couple of days before, but just 10

up under the face of a tree lying diagonally across the current. Fought perfectly, dinner was taken care of, and a bucket list fish was ticked off for him. Several more rats were landed by Tanny before a red one finally got involved, and that was number two bucket list fish off the list. The reason I’m relating this story is because so many people who travel north, or at least ‘plan’ on travelling north to catch some tropical species are often not confident in their ability or knowledge of the northern species. Honestly, if you’re used to chasing bass, Murray cod or yellowbelly

species in the northern parts of Australia. They are attracted to the same types of areas and structure. Having said that, your lures may need a little bit of adjustment in contrast to your southern native species. The shapes and actions of lures that are suitable down south (with their wide, bum wobble fat profiles) would be best exchanged for more slim profiled, shimmying actions. Slim profiled, 70-120mm casting lures will take the place of spinnerbaits and native shaped hardbodies, but you’ll be casting them at the exact same types of structure that you would for a southern species.

A well rigged Atomic Prong is a dynamite presentation for fishing the snags for jacks and barra. The rainbow bass colour pictured is effective in clear water.

NSW

Consistent fishing for a range of offshore species SOUTH WEST ROCKS

Vic Levett

I must admit I’ve really enjoyed fishing throughout the last few months of winter. The mid north coast put on an amazing show of truly stunning weather and limited ocean swells. Fishing offshore has

pelagics, such as spotted and Spanish mackerel and longtail tuna, to keep everyone on their toes. September should also be exciting with possibly an early run of striped marlin and hopefully the return of the big spring topwater kingfish at Fish Rock. OFFSHORE Snapper were very active throughout August

productive, as they seem more prevalent in 40m and beyond waters. Soft plastics and live baits have been the key to success. As I’ve said before, find the bait and the snapper won’t be too far away. In amongst the reds there have plenty of big pearl perch, trag, blue-spot flathead and tuskies. August was also a good month for yellowfin tuna and

Andy and Clint with a couple of winter mulloway taken on Oceanhunter Charters. This month should also see plenty more offshore tuna. Most success has come from small to medium skirts and hardbody lures such as Laser Pros. There

have been red hot of late. Most fish have been in the 90-120cm range. Local gun Jack Riach weighed in an impressive 141cm offshore jew and an equally

models being encountered. Hopefully this month will see the big boys turn up. With good numbers of small fish, it hasn’t been hard to entice them onto lures.

Jordan with a late winter longtail tuna taken onboard OceanHunter Sportfishing Charters. been very consistent. We’ve had plenty of warm water pushing down the coast and with it some unseasonable

and should continue to be a target species for the next few months. Shallow water has not been overly

most people who ventured out beyond the 200m line were rewarded with tuna averaging around 30kg.

Pearl perch move into the shallows this time of year. It’s great to target them with soft plastics.

Kath and Zane with a nice knobby red taken in 70m of water on a plastic.

have been plenty of gannets and shearwaters to give away the tuna’s location. There has also been the odd striped marlin encounter for the guys trolling lures. Offshore mulloway

impressive snapper of 83cm for the recent Seabreeze monthly fishing comp. Fish Rock has had plenty of kingfish of late. Most fish have been around the 80cm mark with not a lot of larger

Longtail tuna have been a great option, with some larger models being caught along the back of the beaches. Plenty of bust-ups can be seen on those calm offshore mornings. Live

Come Fish the beautiful South West Rocks, from the calm waters of the Macleay River to some of the best offshore blue water on the East Coast. We can tailor your experience to your liking!

Contact Zane: 0478 782 522 Vic: 0414 906 569 Email: vic@oceansportsfishing.com.au

OceanHunter Sportsfishing 62 SEPTEMBER 2023

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WWW oceansportsfishing.com.au

An awesome sambo taken on Oceanhunter Charters. This one took a soft plastic intended for snapper.

NSW

Spearfishing along Macquarie THE HASTINGS

Kate Shelton

The Mid North Coast has some of the best spearfishing waters, accommodating a range of skill levels, including headlands, rivers, reefs, FADs (fish aggregating devices), and open pelagic offshore waters. The most common target species for spearfishing in the area include mahimahi, kingfish, mulloway, tuna, snapper, luderick, flathead, bream and mackerel, and various other species are also on offer. If you want to learn more about spearfishing, I recommend dropping into the Outdoor Adventure store in South West Rocks. The expert staff will be happy to answer all of your questions.

WHAT’S BITING Down south in the Camden Haven River region, there have been

some terrific tailor catches for anglers fishing on the beaches, with many fish above 2kg caught. Lake

bait, soft plastics or small stickbaits are the go. Mac tuna seem to everywhere at the moment, and they make first class snapper baits. ESTUARY Normally luderick are the go-to species at this time of year, however most of the die-hard blacky fishos I’ve talked to have been doing it tough. Maybe some

should be productive as long as the winds stay light. Blue swimmer crabs have made an appearance in the river, just check the Fisheries app for the correct rules for crab size limits, bag limits and trap styles. ROCK AND BEACHES There have been school mulloway taken on regular basis off the headlands. Leavey Lures and soft plastics have been the

cooler water will kick them into gear. The best option off the rocks and beaches would have to be the tailor. Some big greenbacks to over 70cm have been hitting lures whilst spinning for mulloway. Springtime can be pretty ordinary some years for fishing. It comes with our lowest sea temperatures and sometimes quite windy

Port Macquarie local Brodie Thorn and skipper Roland Loumeau. Brodie speared this stunning striped marlin on the Port Macquarie FAD. Image courtesy of @b.thorn and @rolandloumeau.

A tasty deep-water snapper taken by Jaiden on Oceanhunter Sportfishing Charters. cooler water this month will fire them up. The river has been quite clear with the lack of rain. The best options lately have been flathead and bass further upstream around Jerseyville and Smithtown reaches. Targeting whiting around the mudflats on the incoming tide with pink nippers or worms

main lures of choice. The small swells of late have allowed access to some of the lower ledges that are not accessible most of the year because of larger ocean swells. Be sure to assess the platform you wish to fish for safety, and never fish the rocks on your own. Drummer have been reasonable. Like the luderick, hopefully some

and unpleasant forecasts. There are, however, some species that dominate throughout this season. Kingfish, snapper and mulloway would be my preferred target species and generally, the biggest of these fish come from spring. My advice is fish for quality rather than quantity, and take advantage of any good weather forecasts.

Cathie to North Haven beaches are all producing good fish late in the afternoons and after dusk. Along with the tailor, anglers are hooking the odd salmon, along with a few school mulloway.

Isaac Heagney with an 18kg kingfish he speared south of Camden Haven.

Spearfishing guru Isaac Heagney with two tasty mahimahi, which he speared out off Laurieton. Image courtesy of @isaacheagney. Off the rocks, drummer numbers remain reasonable. The best reports over recent times have come from around Diamond Head and further south. In the Hastings River area, luderick numbers remain consistent from the break walls, and Settlement Point is worth a look. On the bream front, the Coal Wall and Limeburners Creek have held some solid fish after dark, with those

anglers fishing further upstream also reporting pleasing results. Lightlyweighted mullet strips and gut have been particularly effective. During the day, soft vibes have been the lure profile of choice. Flathead numbers and sizes remain quite good for this time of year, with both baits and lures proving successful. On the mulloway front, lure fishers have been

enjoying consistent results on school-sized fish. The North break wall and Coal Wall area are also worth a look for bigger fish after dark on either large plastics or live mullet. Offshore, some solid kingfish have been taken from around Trag Rock off Point Plomer, with live slimies achieving the better results. A few mulloway and pearl perch have also been caught from that general vicinity. Closer in, our winter snapper season was a cracker, with some terrific reds taken on both plastics and baits, and this will likely continue into spring. In the Macleay region, the river is still producing some great-sized bream off the local wharves and rock structures, as well as the odd flathead. Offshore anglers who have fished the deeper reefs off South West Rocks have managed some great-sized snapper, pearl perch and kingfish in recent weeks. On the pelagic front, gamefishing anglers heading out wide have been catching yellowfin tuna weighing up to 70kg, as well as the odd striped marlin. • Kate Shelton is the proud owner of Bay Explorer Marine Services and specialises in making deep drop fishing rigs for blue-eye trevalla, bar cod, kingfish and bass groper. For more info, look up ‘Bay Explorer Marine Services’ on Facebook and Instagram, or find her store on eBay. SEPTEMBER 2023 63

East Coast

VIC

Another Golden Tag win GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

Bream and bass have been the real feature of late, and it has been nice to see the yellow-eye mullet turn up again. But first, I’m going to share another exciting recapture with you all. GOLDEN TAG NUMBER TWO I can’t believe I’ve done it again! Fancy winning another $2000, and this time it was a tagged flathead just a stone’s throw from the Gippsland Lakes in the pretty Lake Tyers estuary. The story behind this recapture is rather whacky. First of all, when I last spoke to the head of Fisheries, Travis Dowling, about eight months ago, he told me the Golden Tag program would not be extended again. So, when I recaptured this recent flattie, I recorded the tag number and pushed the fish back into the drink with the tag still firmly attached. In the process, this was saying goodbye to any chance of collecting $2000. You need the detached tag

as evidence of capture to receive any cash. But I didn’t need a tag because the program was over – or so I thought. To make matters worse, my phone battery had died, so that I couldn’t take pictures as proof. The flatty was in the water, and I tried to make it swim, pushing it deeper and getting water thru its gills. It was hooked very deep and had bled badly from the gills, and it took me ages to clean the heavily weed-covered tag. I left it in the shallows and looked for another fish. For over 10 mins, I watched and hoped for it to survive. Sadly, it stayed belly up, and then, of course, I decided to bring it home. It would have been nice for that tagged flatty to have swum away for someone else to catch. Then much later, while talking to a mate, I explained how I was such an unlucky loser and how I caught a Golden Tagged fish, and that it was too bad the program was over. However, my buddy told me the program had been extended just days ago! I was totally shocked – I didn’t hear a thing about that! The news took my

breath away. Now here’s the thing: when I recaptured my $2000 Golden Tagged perch 18 months ago, I could only claim it because the program had been extended due to COVID. And now, just a few days after the latest extension – which was never meant to happen – BINGO! My second Golden Tag. Winner winner, flathead dinner! The fish was tagged in the same area about three years ago and had grown a modest 6cm. I had tried my best to throw away $2000, but failed. I can’t believe my luck. RIP, poor dusky flathead, but you tasted great. BREAM Although the bream have been quite elusive in recent weeks, some big fish to 42cm have been caught here and there. As usual, the main areas have been Hollands Landing and the Nicho River, which have been producing large specimens. Strangely, it’s difficult to locate big fish almost anywhere else; they have been doing a good job of hiding lately. There are still mountains of small fish

The author with his second Golden Tag recapture and another $2000 prize. around 30cm in the lower Tambo and the Mitchell above The Cut. Vic Fisheries conducted

their netting surveys recently, which involve trawling small sections of all the rivers and other

areas. The good news is that big numbers of small bream and estuary perch have been found, so it seems

Time to hit the water – the whiting are waiting PORT ALBERT

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

It’s so nice to finally feel the sun get some heat back into it, and summer seems so much closer. In the meantime,

spring is a busy and fishy season, with many species active simultaneously. Our only real problem is avoiding those typical windy September and October days. WHITING I learnt years ago that the biggest whiting are

usually caught right now, and not at the peak of summer like many anglers think. In fact, the closer we get to Christmas, the size and numbers of whiting drop away. The trick to catching bigger spring whiting over 40cm is to fish two hours on each side of a changing tide.

It’s snapper time again. Tony Pettie caught this pinkie on a soft plastic lure.

Grass whiting taste just as good as their King George cousins. 88 SEPTEMBER 2023

When the whiting start to feed, the bite is flat out and then, just like a switch, they stop within minutes or swim off to a new area. So, when you’re busy, stick to one rod and check the bait with even the slightest twitch of your

rod tip. You only need to cast out about a boat length in the distance, and keep hold of your rod with the net right by your side. If you get 15 minutes without any action, quickly move about 50m or so. You may need to make

multiple moves to find the bigger schools. Just about anyone can catch a feed of fish around 32cm, but bringing home big 40cm+ King George whiting is all about attention to detail. I also target the grass whiting at this time of year because they are very aggressive when they take my small blades or soft plastic lures. Best of all, they are just as good to eat as their cousins. If you are new to chasing whiting, seek local advice on where to go when buying your bait. Also, look out for where other boats are anchoring up, because most of them all target these fish. Don’t stress about bait too much; you can just use mussels, which are easy to find, even at the supermarket. Pipi baits are marginally better because they are a bit firmer and stay on the hook slightly better, but mussels will do fine. Live nippers are by far the deadliest enticement, especially for big whiting, but you must dedicate plenty of time to pump them on a low enough tide. Yabby baits will also attract a whole heap of toadfish; they absolutely love tracking down and smashing every bass

VIC

a lot of successful breeding has occurred. Of further interest was a couple of small mulloway that were also recovered during the survey.

BASS AND YELLOWBELLY At this time of year, bass start gathering in the lower sections of our rivers for the breeding season. I

talked to our local electro fishers recently, and while harvesting tons of feral carp, they also saw impressive numbers of really big bass— lots of them around 45cm,

In late winter and early spring, bass head downstream to start their breeding cycle. yabby you present! FLATHEAD It’s a little early for the big yank flathead to be up and about, but you’ll be able to find rock flatties on the last three hours of a dropping tide and the first couple of hours of the incoming. Some of these early rockies can be big, with better fish close to 40cm considered a real prize. Over the last few years, I’ve caught a lot of bigger models from 45-60cm, and let’s hope this is another cracker season and the trend of bigger fish continues. The best baits for the flatties are half pilchards or, better still, whole whitebait or bluebait. To be successful with lures, I find that soft plastics around 80mm are big enough. Sometimes the fish will ignore much bigger lures. For that reason, I swear by using blade lures around 45mm. I have found that they far outscore all other lures, including hardbodies. SNAPPER Another positive trend over the last five years has been the boom in pinkie numbers, with scores of fish from 34-40cm entering the Port Albert area. Sometimes they move into estuaries early and will start biting right about now. They school up

with some over an impressive 50cm. The biggest I’ve seen them recover was a beast just over 60cm, which looked to be around 4kg. I’ve seen the boys in action, and after the bass were briefly stunned, all of them quickly recovered and swam off in perfect health. Amazingly, a lot of huge yellowbelly have also been turning up. Lately, a lot of much smaller golden perch have shown up after successful breeding, and their numbers are growing every year. Now the real challenge is for anglers to catch those trophy bass and yellowbelly with lure or bait during early spring. I’ve had limited success in years gone by, with my best effort of six bass one early spring to 48cm, but it took many trips and a lot of searching. YELLOW-EYE MULLET Slowly but surely, mullet are starting to push further up into the Gippy Lakes, like the good old days. For the last 10 years or so, they have turned up at Metung, Paynesville or in the Mitchell River, but big numbers have now arrived at Loch Sport, Toms Creek and Hollands Landing. The key is to find decent sandworm as bait, because the mullet are very fussy feeders. Cured worm works well, but you can’t beat fresh live sandworm.

East Coast

This 43cm bream was caught on the deadly and ever-reliable black Hurricane Sting blade. in tight mobs, so they often take quite a bit of finding, but when you get one, there will be others very close by. I’ll have more news next month about how this season is shaping up, snapper-wise. SURF AND OFFSHORE Almost every angler here in Gippsland knows that the 90 Mile Beach shark and snapper fishing is going from amazing to nearly unbelievable. The locals living near the beach have told me that the gummies are going great guns again this year. Flathead are also a feature on the surf now. There have been a few flatties to 45cm being caught, and they will definitely grow in number as it gets warmer.

Drone fishing is a well-established angling sport now, and produces amazing sharks up to 10ft long, including bronze whalers, seven gills, and even the odd hammerhead. I’m tipping that in the near future, we will start hearing of bluefin tuna being caught by drone fishers. I just want to plant that seed before it happens. Anglers casting surf rods have been catching a few gummy sharks and plenty of salmon. We are seeing catches of gummies and school sharks that are just undersize, but this is a great sign for the next few years, and the bigger gummy captures can turn up on any cast.

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A big flathead for a little man, but Lachie knows how to catch plenty of them with his dad during early spring.

from dawn to dusk

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E BITING FREE ADVICE ON WHERE THEY’R Lester Rd Yanakie WILSONS PROM E sicp@sicp.com.au

03 5687 1385 SEPTEMBER 2023 89

Out with the old, in with the new FRESHWATER

Peter Fragomeni

There was a time when September would mark the start of the official trout season in WA. A group of dedicated fly fishers would camp in their cars, and at midnight on the opening day, would wander the shores of our inland dams searching for those trout that would come in close, chasing any unfortunate critters that got caught up in the rising water level in spring. I was one of those crazy dedicated fly anglers, and if the moon happened to come up after midnight (in conjunction with broken cloud) you could be in for

With the recent stocking of brown trout into Logue Brook Dam, it is important we look after this sensitive fishery, and release the newly stocked browns. is very handy and now a method used over east is finding its way over here in the way of Live Scope technology. I was fortunate to be aboard a vessel using this technique and was fascinated by how good it can be in the right hands. It comes at a hefty price but like all things time will deteriorate the cost

Wellington Dam is a large body of water by WA standards. The recent stocking of trout has freshwater anglers excited for the future and is showing promising opportunities.

Redfin perch are widespread throughout our dams and can dominate the water creating a stunted variety. This one was the exception. some champagne fishing, catching fat rainbows that would cartwheel across the surface when hooked. You had to be skilful with the fly-rod and at times you couldn’t feel your fingers from the cold nights that could be as low as -2ºC. Those days are gone as we no longer have a closed season due to it being dropped over a decade ago. I find this sad as other states are implementing better control methods to protect the fish stocks whereas our authorities take the attitude that they are stocked fish and not worthy of the same protection. There was even talk of lowering the size limit and even removing it all together but hopefully, that has been put on the 106 SEPTEMBER 2023

back burner. Having said all that, I still find some good fishing at certain times of the year and there’s no better time than right now. Reports coming in indicate that the northern waters are fishing slow with all the action coming from the Pemberton region

with trout dominating the catches. Redfin are being caught throughout most areas, those able to get on the water and moving around until they find the suitable spots are having better results. The use of a sounder

PREDICTED DAM LEVELS SOUTH WEST WA Overall storage in our dams that allow public access and recreational activities are currently 54% at the end of July compared to 61.7% as of the same time last year. After the good rains we had in June the July falls were below average. Hopefully some good falls occur in spring as some dams are extremely low. WAROONA DAM 68% DRAKESBROOK WEIR 87% LOGUE BROOK DAM 70% HARVEY DAM 75% WELLINGTON DAM 65% GLEN MERVYN DAM 40% BIG BROOK DAM 100%

The Pemberton region is fishing well with quality brown trout on offer. This month will see fish like this one taking up station in the fast runs.

and it will be the norm in sounder technology. AUSSIE NATIVE Not a lot to report recently as our dominate species is silver perch and the cold conditions tend to keep them less active. This month should see some increased activity in the northern part of the southwest and wheat-belt areas. Waroona Dam Reports of a couple of browns circulated recently but I can’t confirm this. The lack of Hatchery brood stock is a concern to those anglers that travel from Perth and are returning fishless. I predicted this as limited stock is available due to a hatchery revamp underway. Redfin have quietened off as well. Drakesbrook Weir A few trout are showing up recently up the back area of this small weir. Things should pick up with a few nice big trout earmarked for this water. Redfin numbers seem to be consistent in this dam with a few in the 35cm range making their way to the net. It seems they are not fussy on types of lures they are taking with anything from spinners to soft plastics doing the damage. Logue Brook Dam This water is our only soul trout fishery with the absence of redfin. It’s not clear why redfin haven’t taken hold in this sky blue water as a number of illegal

stockings by inconsiderate individuals have taken place since the 70s. It’s my theory that the lack of fertile ground is not suitable for reproduction that redfin require. This is the same as waters like Sampson Dam and Stirling Dam that hold a very small population of redfin. These waters are now off limits to the public but, were once good trout

however, tempting them is proving difficult. Trout are being elusive as the water is extremely low and if decent rain doesn’t fall in spring the irrigators will face problems this coming summer. Lake Kepwari Good redfin are being caught however, you need to move around until you find where they are holding.

Hopefully next year will see bigger numbers of trout going into northern dams where most of the paying licensed anglers reside. Redfin are also being caught in this pretty little water. RIVERS Murray River I went for a drive to this river and found it unfishable as it was flowing high and dirty. The end

Shaun Mclennan had success with landing this rainbow fishing the Pemberton region. It refused most of his offerings until it finally decided to play the game. bushland is required to fine the better areas. Collie River below Wellington Dam

A good amount of water has been let out for the purpose of ridding the lower water column that

Lefroy Brook A couple of guys from WATFAA fished this stream but found the level

Fishing the moonrise after midnight was a favourite amongst the earlier generations of fly anglers in WA. It was cold yet still a favourite technique, especially if cloud covers the moon, turning on the dinner bell for trout like this one. fishing destinations until they were taken over by Watercorp and closed off. With the introduction of brown trout into this dam its hoped that it won’t disrupt the rainbow trout that do so well at times. It is recommended that if you are lucky enough to land a brown you return it to fight another day. This is the case in all the dams, especially those that have redfin as the browns seem to prey on them. Harvey Dam The water is slowly rising so the nice grassy banks should start to fire this month. Trout are harder to locate as the reduced stocking is making it hard to find them in this larger water. Redfin are still being caught in around cover and standing timber. Wellington Dam A few trout are getting caught in the feeder streams with the main body being a bit quiet at present. Redfin are being a bit fussy however, a few about 40cm are hitting plastics in the 10-20m zone. Glen Mervyn Dam Big redfin are still showing up on the sounder

Big Brook Dam By far the best of all the dams we have. It seems a lot of trout are going into this small water. This is great news for the locals and those fortunate to be able to travel the long distance from Perth but for those young anglers that can’t make that trip it’s been frustrating for them.

of September should fine better water levels. Northern Jarrah Streams Good rains throughout the scarp has seen a good number of trout pushing up these streams recently. These trout are up there spawning so please release them as some of these waters never get stocked. Long walks through thick

Livescope and Active Imaging has changed the game in sonar technology enabling you to view moving targets.

Water levels start to settle this month and rivers become easier to fish. The faster sections are where the trout lie with the redfin preferring the slower pools.

holds the saltier water. This made fishing difficult until the flow was reduced. A few rainbows have been taken recently. Collie River above Wellington Dam Redfin have been quiet up around the town but some trout have pushed up from Wellington Dam lower down. Blackwood River High and dirty so things should clear later this month, and trout will show up with the section from Hester’s Brook to Nannup being the better area. Warren River Still high and discoloured but like other rivers this one can clean up later this month. The feeder streams are holding good numbers of rainbows and a few browns as well.

was high downstream while the upstream section was more fishable. Later this month should see some dry flyfishing conditions with the sunnier days. Donnelly River This river is flowing clearer in the upper reaches around One Tree Bridge. A mate of mine spotted a couple of nice browns that refused his flies. That is another rap up of our freshwater scene in WA. While we aren’t blessed with the best freshwater destinations in the country there are a few that offer reasonable angling if you put the effort in. Please release the browns in the northern waters as they are generally less available and seem to keep the redfin at bay. Until next time, Stay Connected. SEPTEMBER 2023 107

BREAM SERIES presented by

Lonne continues hot streak in DUO BREAM event Brisbane’s Chris Lonne has followed up his BREAM Queensland Open win with his maiden ABT Daiwa BREAM Series Qualifier win, at the DUO Lures sponsored event in Gladstone. In an arena that holds both yellowfin and pikey bream, Chris focussed on the yellowfin at the mouth of the Boyne River to fill his bags on both days. He edged ahead of last year’s Gladstone winner, Tom Deer, to take the $2,000 prize cheque and a bonus $250 for running a Mercury outboard. Run on the ABT app, the event contributes to community monitoring by providing the data from the event (and importantly, the images of the bream) to the Gladstone Healthy Harbours partnership to continue assessments of waterway health. All bream are released alive after being measured and photographed. Lonne took the

the session, he moved to Rat Island but was discouraged by the 5-6 boats working a small area. He upgraded there once, but decided not to return on the Sunday. This decision proved to be a masterstroke, with the Boyne reef yielding him Scan the QR code to watch the Boater Winners Interview

the biggest bag of the event on the final day, and spring boarding him into first place. Here’s how he fished it. “On the bottom of the tide, I’d start by throwing crankbaits around the structure, mainly a Jackall Chubby deep in Brown Suji colour,” Lonne said. “As the tide rose, I’d start potholing the deeper channels in the rock with a soft plastic presentation.” Lonne made sure that he

Chris Lonne is certainly on a roll, continuing the trend of 2023 throwing up multiple event winners - he joins Healey, Langford and Morgan. did it all using the identical bait that won him the event in 2022. Day 1: 5/5, 2.434kg Day 2: 5/5, 2.146kg Total: 10/10, 4.580kg For the last halfdecade, Deer has relied on

his faithful Atomic Hardz 38mm crankbaits in deep and mid-depth versions (rock crab and muddy prawn colours) to fill limits countrywide. He weights them with doctored split shot to make them suspend and to add valuable

It pays to run a Mercury in ABT events - Lonne added another $250 to his winnings by being the highest placed Mercury owner.

DUO Designed by Ultimate Organizer

opportunity to head up to the arena for a pre-fish before the practice ban, and located good yellowfin in a couple of areas within the arena – Rat Island out the front, and at the mouth of the Boyne River on a prominent rock complex. Day 1: 5/5, 2.300kg Day 2: 5/5, 2.574kg Total: 10/10, 4.874kg On the first day of the event, Chris started on his Boyne River reef, and it ended up fishing much better than he expected. Later in

had gear heavy enough to extract the fish once hooked. To do this he used a Millerods Brawler and Daiwa TD Sol, spooled with 10lb Atomic braid and 8lb Sunline FC Rock leader. On the end, he tied a 1/8oz TT jighead, and he rotated between several Bait Junkie and Z-Man grubs in bloodworm, camo and UV colours to keep the presentation fresh. Instantly qualifying for the BREAM Grand Final in Port Stephens, NSW, later in the year, Lonne recounted

BOATER RESULTS

110 SEPTEMBER 2023

that his form in NSW is nowhere near as hot as it has been in Queensland events. He’ll be there, though, giving it a go and trying to take the title back to Queensland. DEER DROPS A SPOT ON 2022 At the 2022 version of this event, South Australia’s Tom Deer broke through for his maiden ABT BREAM event win. 2023 was marginally less kind to him. After leading on Day 1, he dropped a spot to second place on the Sunday, and he

South Australia’s Tom Deer continued his great form at Gladstone with a solid second place.

Full results at abt.org.au

Place

Angler

Fish

Weight(kg)

Payout

Chris Lonne

10/10

4.874kg

$2,000 + $250 Mercury

Tom Deer

10/10

4.580kg

$900

Stephen Wilson

10/10

4.366kg

$750

Peter Breukel

10/10

4.123kg

$500 + $125 Mercury

Wally Fahey

9/10

4.004kg

$75 Mercury

Blake O’Grady

10/10

3.981kg

Jamie McKeown

10/10

3.582kg

Allan Murray

8/10

3.558kg

Sam Peck

8/10

3.324kg

Steve Morgan

10/10

3.224kg

$500 Atomic Big Bream

casting distance, which was definitely a help in the pressured part of the arena. Tom decided not to fish the mouth of the Calliope River where he won from during the event. The fish weren’t as plentiful and there were too many anglers dividing them up to have a shot at winning there. Instead, he headed to the concentrations of yellowfin bream that he found at the mouth of the system near Rat Island. “I got there on the first day and had it basically to

BREAM SERIES presented by “You need to adapt to the situation as quickly as possible, and my experiences at ABT have helped me to do that,” he explained. Taka’s gear consisted of a

myself until boats slowly started showing up,” Deer said. He fished the rugged country on a flooding tide with the crankbaits, a 7’4” 151 Samurai Reaction rod spooled with 6lb Unitika braid and 6lb Sunline Rock Fish leader. Tom does a lot of fly fishing for trout, and his stream craft skills from that arena were very useful in the high-flow, clear water,

Scan the QR code to watch the on water highlights

Scan the QR code to watch the NonBoater Winners Interview

rugged environment around the island. “You could pick where the bream were sitting and it was a matter of getting your boat shallow enough and close enough to get a cast in there,” he said. Tom favours a slow roll (or a faster roll of keeping up to the current), but adds a pause if the bite is finicky. At the end of Day 1, Deer sat in the lead and went out of his way to thank

Taka Kawasaki made himself unbeatable in the non-Boater BREAM Angler of the Year race with his second win of the season.

Daiwa Infeet Z 702 LRS rod paired with an Infeet reel, J Braid and an 8lb J-Thread X-Link leader. Taka can now travel to the Gold Coast feeling relaxed that his AOY trophy is already in the bag.

Year (AOY) race, closing out all challengers by winning his second trophy of the year from the back of the boat. Never having fished the arena before, Taka got a half-day pre-fish in with Wally Fahey before the event briefing. He got to see a little bit of the arena and got a notion of what the fish might eat. Drawing BARRA-gun but BREAM tyro Liam Robinson on Day 1,

BIG BREAM PRIZE

Yellowfin bream like this helped kick Kawasaki into the top spot at the back of the boat.

Pimpama’s Jamie McKeown scored the $500 and Samurai-rod-winning Big Bream at the mouth of the Boyne River on a Dan Stead PML Finesse Deep crankbait in chameleon colour, cast over a shallow rock bar. His winning fish measured 35cm to the fork, which equates to 0.933kg on the length-weight curve. Blake O’Grady for yielding the area when he beat him there on Day 2. With a 31cm fish in the books early on Day 2, Deer was poised for another solid bag, but ultimately, he fell around 300g short of Lonne’s mark. TAKA NAILS AOY WITH SECOND WIN OF ‘23 Sydney Daiwa lure designer, Taka Kawasaki, forced a premature end to the non-boater Angler of the

Kawasaki defied the odds to end up leading after the first day of competition. The pair fished EcogearAqua to the mangrove edges, and caught a mixed bag of yellowfin and pikey bream. “My kicker fish was a yellowfin, which was a surprise to me,” Taka said, while also explaining how hard the smaller pikey bream fought. Day 2 saw him paired with NSW’s Al Murray, and the pair fished the Rat Island area for the whole session. This day Taka used the Daiwa Infeet Kodachi crankbait in brown suji colour to crank the rocky shallows, even though his biggest fish came on a Cranka Crab that he threw into some water disturbed by a departing Curtis Island ferry.

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

Angler Taka Kawasaki Col Wilson Gary Middleton Cain Waller Nathan Booth Scott Scicluna Chris Findlay Jordan Armstrong Bill Bland Warren Jones

Fish 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 4/6 6/6 5/6 6/6 4/6 4/6

DUO Designed by Ultimate Organizer

Jamie McKeown virtually locked up the 2023 BREAM Angler of the Year in the Boater division - his bag helped by the event’s Atomic Big Bream on 35cm (0.933kg) that he landed on Day 2. Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) 2.650kg 2.398kg 2.041kg 1.919kg 1.905kg 1.568kg 1.528kg 1.516kg 1.328kg 1.270kg

Payout Daiwa pack Cranka pack Daiwa pack Maui Jim Sunglasses Daiwa Pack ProLure pack Samaki pack Atomic pack EJ Todds pack TT Pack SEPTEMBER 2023 111

TESTING BOOTH

PRODUCT GUIDE BROUGHT TO YOU BY

CrushCity by Rapala – NEW for 2023 One of the things creating a buzz at this year’s AFTA Tackle Trade Show was the release of Rapala’s new generation TPE soft plastic range, CrushCity. Two and a half years in the making, these five new plastics are set to become favourites for many Aussie anglers. Here is what to look for: THE CREEPER This 2.5” curl-tail grub is a twist on one of Australia’s most popular soft plastic shapes. It has all the features of a curltail grub with the addition of tiny paddlelike feet. These feet offer extra movement during a retrieve, further enhancing what a curl-tail already offers. Add to that the Creeper is also infused with shrimp scent and has a number of colours that feature the new Core Shot technology unique to the Rapala CrushCity Custom range (see the fact box for more details). THE SUSPECT The Suspect is a 2.75” small profile paddle-tail baitfish imitation. The versatility of this style of plastic has again made it a favourite of many Aussie anglers. The Suspect is no exception, a slim profile to match a small baitfish, a paddle-tail that requires minimal movement to vibrate, the addition of infused baitfish scent, as well

HEAVY HITTER At 4” this a bigger profile paddle-tail soft plastic. My prediction for the Heavy Hitter is that it will be used to target many

This purple haze colour Imposter is a prawn imitation plastic that uses Rapala’s Core Shot technology to produce a lifelike colour combination. It is also infused with shrimp scent.

When they hit the shops this is what you are looking for – CrushCity by Rapala. as the plastic being salt impregnated (the last two are new to TPE plastics as far as the author knows) all make it a great offering in this small paddle-tail space. THE IMPOSTER This prawn imitation soft plastic is 3” long and takes advantage of what TPE made soft plastics offer with the CrushCity twist. The suppleness of the plastic offers maximum movement (vibration) during a retrieve. A small kink in the tale provides a lifelike kick when hopped and the small legs under the body also provide additional subtle movement. A great prawn imitation, further enhanced by the Core Shot colours and infused shrimp scent. THE JERK This is a 3.75” fork tail jerk shad soft plastic. It is a classic shape and size that will appeal to many of our estuary anglers, but certainly has a place for our inshore reef anglers too. It is also salt impregnated and is infused with baitfish scent, again making it a great option for those anglers who enjoy using this style of soft plastic. 112 SEPTEMBER 2023

more species than its smallish size says it should. On a slow rolling retrieve, this lures attributes truly come to the fore. It has an enticing body roll and almost a

swaying action that will be the downfall of many species. It is also salt impregnated and is infused with a baitfish scent. There are plenty of species from barramundi to flathead that will like the look of these. A FEW MORE DETAILS There are 8 colours in each of the styles and you get between five and eight plastics (depending on the size) in a packet. They have a MSRP of $11.95 per packet. Like any TPE plastics, these plastics do not like playing with others. Mix them with other plastics (even lures with plastic components) or put them in a tackle tray that isn’t worm proof and they will morph into an unusable mess. So, it pays to store them correctly to ensure you can go out and enjoy using them. FIRST IMPRESSIONS My first viewing of the CrushCity range came in the form of some preproduction samples. A small offering of colours in each of the shapes. I was instantly drawn to the Creeper and The Imposter lures. Partially because they look a little different but mainly because of the Core

There will be plenty of bream anglers that will love the CrushCity Creeper’s twist on a curl tail grub. Shot colours available in these two styles. It offers a very realistic look and really stands out. The second standout and something that truly appealed to me was when you opened the packet, you could smell the infused scents. When I am fishing I am constantly adding scent to my plastics (particularly TPE plastics). The CrushCity plastics are infused with either

The Suspect in whiting colour was the undoing of this flathead.

Small profile paddle-tail soft plastics are very versatile lures. The Suspect fits the bill perfectly and the whitebait colour will be very popular.

shrimp or baitfish scent, which leaches out as you use them. A TPE plastic with infused scent instantly had my attention. I was pretty keen to get out on the water and swim them, and the positive first impressions continued. The first lure to hit the water was the Heavy Hitter. The feedback through the rod of the paddletail was instant, however what was truly impressive was when the lure came into view. The body roll and natural movement of it instantly had me wanting to head to one of our SE Queensland barramundi dams to use it or wishing spring would come early

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Aaron Dunlop was impressed by the subtle action of The Imposter and the fish that it caught. so I could go chasing mangrove jack. I firmly believe the Heavy Hitter will find its way into many tackle bags, to target many different species, for its action alone. Some more subtle things also became apparent on the water. My thoughts on small curl tail grubs has always been that you just have to trust that they are working (the tail), however the legs on the Creeper offer some resistance and feedback to the angler, which I enjoyed. Other things were how the small kink in the tail of The Imposter creates a kicking action when hopped, how much movement is in the tail of The Suspect paddle tail or even The Jerk’s tail if sat on the bottom or in flow. Only small things, but things that could make a difference. One last impression came when rigging the lures (two really). Like most TPE plastics they can be a little finicky to rig, so it is worth taking the time and rigging them as straight as possible. It is however, the introduction of salt impregnation to The Jerk, The Suspect and the Heavy Hitter styles that caught my eye. Although

Rapala CrushCity TPE soft plastics offer next generation features through their Smart Injection TechnologyTM like: Super TPE Material This material offers extended durability (less likely to be damaged by fish or when fighting a fish), stretch and suppleness (meaning maximum movement during a retrieve or at rest). TPE is also positively buoyant so the plastics will have a natural tail up position on a jighead at rest. Salt impregnated and Scent infused The Suspect, The Jerk and Heavy Hitter ranges are salt impregnated and have a baitfish scent infused in them while the Creeper and The Imposter have a shrimp scent infusion and no salt impregnation. Core Shot technology The Imposter and Creeper ranges offer Core Shot colour options. A realistic and different way of adding colour to a range.

Another quality flathead that fell victim to The Suspect CrushCity soft plastic in whitebait colour.

This 56cm flathead was the author’s first fish on the CrushCity jerk baits. TPE has revolutionised the soft plastic industry, one thing that has stood out amongst standard soft plastic baits has been salt impregnation, particularly on pressured waterways and fish. It can be the difference between getting a bite or not – just another advantage these CrushCity baits offer. RESULTS PROVIDE THE ANSWERS I would have loved to have longer to test these plastics, as I like to offer a thorough opinion, however in this case I am pretty confident that the Rapala CrushCity soft plastics are on the money. With less than half a dozen trips under my belt using them I have managed to capture over ten species of fish and I am confident that all styles and colours (that I got) work. In fact, I am very keen to try a few colours that I didn’t get as they become available. These next generation TPE plastics from Rapala do seem to offer something new and it will be interesting to see how anglers take to them and where they will go from here with them. Why not go and check them out at your local tackle store or look at them online at www.rapala.com.au.

Although the author would have loved longer to put the CrushCity plastics through their paces, he was impressed with the next generation features of the range and the variety of species he caught on them. SEPTEMBER 2023 113

AFTA FISHING TACKLE, MARINE AND OUTDOOR TRADE SHOW

BEST OF SHOW AWARDS

The AFTA Tackle Show, Australia’s only tackle trade show, was a great success this year. The annual 3-day event lets the entire industry come together to showcase new products at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, and it’s always a memorable event. In years past, the show was open only to wholesalers, retailers and the media, but now the Australian Fishing Trade Association has opened up the final day to the fishing public, so anglers can see the very latest tackle and accessories – some of which haven’t even hit the market yet! The true highlight of the show, however, is the Best of Show Awards – where the latest product releases are judged according to their level of innovation, effectiveness and value for money – and we have compiled all the 2023 winners here for you. The judges are the tackle retailers, who are well-versed in what sets a product apart from its peers.

BEST ROD WINNER Shimano Zodias Travel Shimano’s Zodias range of rods has now been expanded to include travel rods, and they are ideal for all travelling anglers looking for a premium, sensitive and lightweight travel rod. The Zodias Travel Series utilises the same Zodias Hi Power X Blanks, Carbon Monocoque Butt and Fuji Stainless Steel K Guides as the original rod series, with Alconite + SiC tip inserts. The Shimano CI4+ engineered reel seat offers complete comfort, and the full carbon monocoque butt section delivers instant feedback from any bump, rock and bite. The Zodias Travel Series comprises four baitcast outfits and three spin outfits, in 4-piece and 5-piece configurations. Ideal for all your estuary, river and impoundment adventures, you’ll be able to take these rods almost anywhere on your travels. www.shimanofish.com.au

BEST COMBO WINNER Wilson Electric Assist Combo (WECOM3) The Wilson Electric Assist Combo was designed to give the power back to the angler. This combo comes with the Wilson 3000 electric reel powered by the 3.5 amp Wilson Electric Assist battery and presented on the Live Fibre RLFEA1S, which is a PE 2-4, straight butt rod designed with a specific taper to make electric fishing a breeze. During testing, this combo was pitted against the likes of bar cod, flame tailed snapper and pearl perch. Even a billfish managed to get amongst the action! Due just before Christmas this year, the WECOM3 will be ideal for anglers fishing for West Australian dhufish, snapper and Tasmanian trumpeter down south, as well as snapper, bar cod and pearl perch up the east coast and nannygai and red emperor further north. www.wilsonfishing.com

2023

BEST FLY FISHING PRODUCT

BEST ROD WINNER

WINNER G.Loomis IMX-Pro V2 Developed to cover a broad spectrum of modern freshwater applications, the G.Loomis IMX-Pro V2 boasts a mix of standard and technique-specific actions curated to offer anglers tools to elevate every on-water experience. G. Loomis design engineers rolled this collection of smooth recovering actions using a new blend of technologies — Conduit Core and GL7 resin system — to increase strength and impact resistance without the extra weight. Designed to be day-in, day-out ‘workhorses’, IMX-Pro V2 oozes performance and utility, making them incredibly enjoyable rods to fish. www.gloomis.com.au

BEST COMBO WINNER

BEST REEL WINNER Shimano 23 Stradic The Stradic FM is the newest addition to Shimano’s CoreSolid line-up of spinning reels. Showcasing reel technologies passed down from Shimano’s flagship spinning reels, the redesigned Stradic FM adds InfinityXross technology for unsurpassed gear durability and synergy by extending the gear tooth horizontally to distribute load across the gear tooth more evenly. This parlays Shimano’s legacy of coldforged Hagane gearing for added strength with the refinement of MicroModule II for the ultimate reeling experience. The addition of InfinityDrive delivers light rotation and increased cranking power under load, while the new Duracross Drag system provides the smooth performance of felt with up to 10 times the durability. Shimano’s X-Protect water-repellent coating and specially designed, waterchannelling labyrinth construction ensure a lifetime of dependable performance by stopping water penetration in key areas without adding a heavy rotational feel. The new Anti-Twist Fin — an elastic polymer on the underside of the roller — enhances line management for anglers fishing monofilament or fluorocarbon line. www.shimanofish.com.au

BEST REEL WINNER

BEST LINE WINNER Daiwa J-Braid Expedition Daiwa’s new J-Braid Expedition braid features the same IZANAS fibre construction that has made J-BRAID so popular, but now featuring Daiwa’s Silicon ‘Coating PE’ technology to create a slicker, smoother braid with hydrophobic properties that increases durability and enhances feel. The silicon coating means the braid does not absorb any water, and importantly this means the braid also does not absorb the silt and sediment present in that water, which is the number 1 cause of braided line wear over time. By shedding the water thanks to its hydrophobic properties, J-Braid Expedition will last longer than traditional braided lines, providing more value and greater performance. The benefits don’t stop there either – with an incredibly high weave count, J-Braid Expedition is braided tighter than almost any other line on the market, providing an incredibly round profile braid which will not separate and fray when in use. J-Braid Expedition is available in two colour options (hi-vis orange and metered multi-colour) in 150m, 300m, 500m and 3000m bulk spools across PE ratings from #0.6 (8lb) through to PE #8 (90lb). www.daiwafishing.com.au

BEST FLY FISHING PRODUCT BEST LINE WINNERS

2023 BEST SOFT LURE

AFTA FISHING TACKLE, MARINE AND OUTDOOR TRADE SHOW

BEST OF SHOW AWARDS

BEST SOFT LURE

BEST GAME FISH ACCESSORY

WINNER

CO WINNER

RAPALA CRUSHCITY IMPOSTER

OCEAN’S LEGACY HD HEAVY SW PLIERS

The CrushCity Imposter is the perfect prawn or shrimp imitation. It is made from supple TPE material and has been designed to produce subtle movements like that of the real thing, fooling even the wariest of predators. The TPE material has been infused with shrimp scent to improve the appeal to fish, and is highly durable, lasting multiple fish per plastic. The Imposter has been designed to be rigged either on a standard jighead or weedless on a worm hook, and is matched perfectly to the VMC Brawler Jigheads. Rigged on a standard jighead, the Imposter will hop and dart with rod twitches or simply swim seductively, with its legs and appendages vibrating in the water. When rigged weedless, the Imposter utilises the back slit to help hide the hook point, allowing anglers to fish it deep into the snags where the predators lurk. www.rapala.com.au

BEST HARD LURE

BEST HARD LURE WINNER BEST GAME FISHING LURE

BEST GAME FISHING ACCESSORY

BEST TERMINAL TACKLE

Oceans Legacy’s HD Heavy SW Pliers will open split rings sized #6 to size #11 with ease. These pliers are perfect for medium to heavy jigs and topwater lures. Features include: CNC machined 6061 aluminium construction with an ergonomic design; oversized internal bearing design for smooth operation; long handle and spring for all day use; custom designed, high-quality stainless steel jaws with a Teflon coating for repeated use; hardened tungsten carbide cutters suitable for cutting PE line and mono line; comes with a custom stainless steel bottle opener, and recess holes on the handle as a hook tightening tool. The pliers are available in blue, purple and gold, and come with a high quality, protective pouch. There is also a smaller model that is suitable for opening size #3 to size #10 split rings, making it idea for slow jigging, light jigging, and light to medium topwater fishing applications. www.oceanslegacy.com

BASSDAY SUGAPEN SPLASH

CO WINNER

The Bassday Sugapen Splash features a unique and realistic design, mimicking the appearance of a small prawn struggling on the water’s surface. Its concave face creates a captivating splash and popping sound, creating a commotion that attracts fish from a distance. One of the standout features of the Sugapen Splash is its versatility. Whether you’re fishing in freshwater or saltwater, this lure adapts seamlessly to various fishing conditions. Its compact size and aerodynamic shape allow for accurate and long-distance casts, reaching fish in hardto-reach areas. Crafted with durability in mind, the Bassday Sugapen Splash is built to withstand aggressive strikes and rough fishing environments. Its high-quality components, including sharp treble hooks and strong split rings, ensure secure hooks ups and reliable performance. Anglers have praised the Sugapen Splash for its ability to trigger explosive strikes from whiting, flathead and other predatory species. Its realistic appearance, enticing action, and proven track record make it a go-to choice for anglers targeting topwater bites. www.bassday.com.au

Introducing Toit Fishing’s only range of tools, made in the United Kingdom. This unique Split Ring Pliers encapsulates the prowess of British design, ingenuity and engineering. The handle is precision machined to exacting tolerances, incorporating 5-Axis CNC technology and billet machined from 6082-T6 aluminium. The nine stainless steel 60HRC inserts, capable of opening split rings ranging in sizes from #1 - #12, are included in the kit. The unique ceramic-polymer technology coating (Prussian color Cerakote) improves corrosion resistance, durability and hardness, and it’s UV stable with both chemical resistance and thermal stability. The pliers are housed in a blue polyester thermoformed moulded outer case, with an EVA insert in both the lid and the base, and are supplied with a Gedore-Red 6mm Chrome Vanadium spanner. Patent pending technology underpins the biggest evolution in pliers design this century, with a removable jaw concept and nose cone detail. www.wilsonfishing.com

TOIT FISHING PRUSSIAN PLIER KIT

BEST GAME FISHING LURE WINNER OCEAN’S LEGACY KEELING POP The Ocean’s Legacy Keeling Pop is the end result of a long quest for ‘finding the right sound’ which commenced during the 2020 Safari at the Cocos Keeling Islands off the coast of WA. The Ocean’s Legacy Keeling Pop has been extensively tested, refined and improved since then. The cup face has been specifically designed and shaped to ensure maximum water displacement with popping efficiency, and the body has been shaped and balanced for stability in rough, choppy conditions. Full stainless steel through wire combines with Ocean’s Legacy’s honeycomb structure to deliver incredible strength. This lure is tuned to perfection so you can pop with confidence and drive the biggest, largest predators crazy. The Keeling Pop is available in four sizes and eight irresistible colours (including Ocean’s Legacy’s special UV paint) to cover everything from reef flats to the largest bluewater pelagics. www.oceanslegacy.com

BEST TERMINAL TACKLE WINNER BARAMBAH CHIN NUTS If you want to quickly turn a floating lure into a suspending one, or a suspending lure into a sinking one – or just make your presentation sink faster – check out the new Chin Nuts from Barambah Lures. The brainchild of lure designer Matt Fraser, Chin Nuts are a system of weights that can clip onto your lure’s eyelet, squid jig or weedless jig. They are easy to use, with a simple twist-on and twist-off design, and they’re good value for money ($9.95 for a pack of three). Chin Nuts come in a range of sizes and have the weight engraved on them for easy identification. Although Matt has designed them to perfectly match his popular Detonator range of lures, which have a thin eyelet on them, the Chin Nuts will work just fine with other lures as well. And as a bonus, these weights provide a better return on Live Sonar. www.barambahlures.com

AFTA FISHING TACKLE, MARINE AND OUTDOOR TRADE SHOW

BEST OF SHOW AWARDS

BEST SUNGLASSES WINNER TONIC OUTBACK LITHIUM The popular Tonic Outback, which was originally available only in black, now comes in a slick-looking, transparent grey frame, called Lithium. Outback offers a style that is extremely comfortable, making it suitable for all day wear in any conditions. Available in the SliceLens, Outback will cut through glare and increase clarity no matter what activity you’re involved in. At only 1.7mm thin, SliceLens is lighter than any other lens on the market. Of course, all Tonic lenses feature polarisation, with Tonic’s custom filtration system, and are made from Crown Corning Glass – the clearest glass lens available. The lens is decentered to provide the wearer with true depth and distance, which is especially important when sight casting, and its antireflective coating reduces ‘bounce back’ on the inside of the lens. The available lens options for the Outback Lithium are: Glass Grey Photochromic and Glass Blue Mirror. The Outback Matt Black comes in Glass Blue Mirror, Green Mirror, Photochromic Copper, Photochromic Grey, and super low light Neon (prescription lens options available). www.toniceyewear.com

BEST OUTDOOR/CAMPING WINNER ROAD CHEF MICRO DINGKER If you have a microwave in your caravan, you are going to love the Road Chef Micro Dingker. This clever product allows you to cook toasted sandwiches (and more) perfectly in your microwave, so there’s no need for a jaffle-maker. The silicone-lined, advanced alloy cooking plates distribute the heat quickly and evenly, making the outside of your food crisp and golden. The microwave will heat your food from the inside out, keeping it juicy and oozy. Your toasted sandwich will be ready to eat in just three minutes. As well as toasted sandwiches, you can also try wraps, bagels and scrolls, or even cook hamburger patties, chicken thighs and wings, bacon or even crab cakes. Experiment and see what you can come up with. The Road Chef Micro Dingker has a nonstick coating, is BPA free and dishwasher safe. It easily pulls apart for cleaning. www.rpminnovations.com.au

BEST FISH/BOAT ACCESSORY WINNER MINN KOTA INSTINCT Big water, bigger boats – that’s where Instinct comes in. With available shaft lengths up to 100” and the most dependable automatic stow and deploy ever built, Instinct comes ready to go where other trolling motors won’t. The new Instinct Quest series of dual 24/36V brushless trolling motors was designed to thrive in the harshest environments. With a reinforced motor and mount, more advanced GPS functionality than ever and even an eco mode to extend battery life, Instinct is ready to tackle the elements where the waves are high. You can stow or deploy Instinct, or trim it up and down, just by pushing a button on your wireless remote, foot pedal, the One-Boat Network app or Humminbird fish finder. Instinct uses GPS to control your trolling motor with features that keep you on the fish. Set Spot-Locks, record paths, control speed and steering, and more. Minn Kota makes boat positioning and control automatic, and you can take command from the easy-to-read LCD

2023

screen of Instinct’s wireless remote. Out of the box, Minn Kota motors come standard with everything you need to connect to select Humminbird fish finders, unlocking more advanced navigation features without needing to remember additional adapters or complicated set-up procedures. Drift Mode gives you point-and-shoot navigation for superior boat control in any direction, at any speed without the need of sea anchors, kicker motors, or manual operation – even in the heaviest wind and current. With the built-in heading sensor, you can use the Jog feature to move your SpotLock location 5ft in any direction. There’s a real-time, ‘time until empty’ display monitor, with a notification when battery power is reduced to 20% to prompt users to enter ‘Eco-mode’, which can reduce current draw to extend battery life. Digital Maximizer provides up to five times longer run time on a single battery charge. These variable speed trolling motors let you dial in your exact speed, and they deliver only as much power as you need, helping to conserve your battery for a full day of fishing. At the core of the motor is Minn Kota’s indestructible composite shaft, which is guaranteed for life. www.minnkota.com.au

BEST SUNGLASSES

BEST OUTDOOR/CAMPING

BEST DIVE/WATERSPORT WINNER HUK ROGUE WAVE FISHING BOOT Sometimes, the best fishing is found in the worst conditions, and Huk’s Rogue Wave fishing boots have been designed for allday comfort and engineered for optimal performance in any conditions. These slip-on style boots are constructed of incredibly durable neoprene rubber for protection from the elements, and to provide reliable strength. Carefully designed with positive traction in wet conditions, Huk’s exclusive Grip-X Slice outsole traction pattern and microchannels ensure stable footing that grabs in all directions, no matter how slick the boat deck or dock may become. Breathable mesh liners help ensure the boots stay dry on the inside, keeping the wet on the outside. The comfortable rounded toe and non-marking outer sole help make the Huk Rogue Wave boots the right fit for wet weather. jmgillies.com.au/brands/huk-apparel

BEST FISH/BOAT ACCESSORY

JOHN DUNPHY AWARD WINNER 22 EXIST SF Daiwa light tackle spin reel design continues to break new ground with the release of Daiwa’s lightest spin reel ever, the 22 Exist SF. The latest addition to the 22 Exist line-up, the Exist SF features Daiwa’s latest spin reel design concept, Airdrive Design, a four pillar (Airdrive Rotor, Airdrive Bail, Airdrive Spool, and Airdrive Shaft) design concept that reduces weight, and enhances rotational smoothness and responsiveness to create a reel that is next level in both form and function. Airdrive Design combines with proven Daiwa technologies including Monocoque Body, Magseal, Tough Digigear, ATD, and Twistbuster, to deliver anglers their most advanced Exist reel ever. The Exist SF (Super Finesse) takes ultralight spin reel design to another level, with its sub-150g weight achieved through a smaller compact body, designed to reduce overall weight and reel size. Weight and size reduction is further achieved courtesy of a new short-stroke spool that results in a more compact, finesse focused reel. Light, nimble and flawless in the hand, the new Exist SF once again showcases the Daiwa Exist as the leader in innovation and design. www.daiwafishing.com.au

BEST DIVE/WATERSPORT

JOHN DUNPHY AWARD FOR INNOVATION

2023 BEST GAME FISHING ROD WINNER

AFTA FISHING TACKLE, MARINE AND OUTDOOR TRADE SHOW

BEST OF SHOW AWARDS

BEST CLOTHING ACCESSORY WINNER DAIWA GORETEX RAINWEAR

BEST CLOTHING ACCESSORY

BEST TACKLE MANAGEMENT

Daiwa’s Goretex range of wet weather gear has been purpose designed for the Australian market. Goretex is suited to both cold and warm environments, as it’s uniquely breathable whilst still cutting wind chill to a minimum. The Goretex jacket features top quality YKK AquaGuard zippers, and the hood has a high-stand collar with ventilation which can be worn over the face. The hood’s air-tunnel opening makes high-speed boat rides no problem, while a 3-way adjustment in the hood allows for perfect BESTaround CLOTHING ACCESSORY closure the centre panel design for a comfortable fit. A concealed bottom hem cord stopper can cinch down the bottom of the jacket without loose cords and stoppers to tangle in wayward fishing line. Doublecuffed sleeves prevent the dreaded water seepage down the arm when fishing in heavy rain. The Goretex bib and brace set gives complete coverage so you can sit down during rain. A buckle-less strap design with square shaped soft loops increases comfort for long sessions, and a gusseted crotch increases freedom of movement, so you never feel restricted. Zip open pant bottoms enable them to be slipped over boots easily. Sizes range from S-3XL. www.daiwafishing.com.au

BEST GAME FISHING ROD WINNER Shimano SpeedMaster Game

The SpeedMaster Game series utilises Shimano’s strong and lightweight TC4 blank technology to deliver a dependable tournament game fishing and deep drop line-up. Quality Fuji SiC guides with AFTCO Roller Tips provide control and preserve the performance of line during the fight,

PEOPLE’S CHOICE WINNERS

This year, members of the angling public also got the chance to vote for their favourite products on the final day of the show, in the People’s Choice Awards. Interestingly, most of the People’s Choice winners were different from the Best of Show winners – which is a sign of how close these races can be. The products that took out both awards were: • Rod: Shimano Zodias Travel • Soft Lure: Rapala CrushCity Imposter • Game Accessory: Ocean’s Legacy HD Offshore Pliers • Line: Daiwa J-Braid Expedition • Fishing/Boating Accessory: Minn Kota Instinct • Clothing Accessory: Daiwa Goretex Rain Jacket • Innovation: Daiwa 23 Exist SF • Game Lure co-winner: Ocean’s Legacy Keeling Pop The other winners in the People’s Choice Awards were: • Hard Lure: Nomad DTX 180 Heavy Duty • Terminal Tackle: Nomad BKK Heavy Duty Gang Hooks • Tackle Management: Daiwa D-Box SSU • Watersports/Diving: AFN Omni Bag • Outdoor/Camping Product: AFN Tango Kingfish Bottle Opener • Game Fishing Rod: Wilson Fishing Bone 3-piece Travel Jig Rod • Combo: Daiwa 23 Airity 2000S-P, 23 Infeet Z 712LFS • Fly Product: Hardy Fortuna Regent 6000 reel • Sunglasses: Live Visio XG Caspian Mirror, Polar Matt Black • Game Lure co-winner: JM Gillies Bluewater Bullet Jet • Reel: Daiwa 23 Saltiga 6000-XH

and ensures you keep the upper hand against whatever you may hook. To guarantee your favourite game reel fits perfectly to the rod, an aluminium Pac Bay reel seat and channel lock butt is used for the ultimate in strength and durability. This is especially important because the strength and rigidity of your outfit will be upheld when under fighting load. Tested on some of Australia’s hardest fighting game fish, the Speedmaster Game series covers five models across 15kg, 24kg and 37kg line classes for trolling and livebaiting, including a dedicated 7’ 24kg land-based game (LBG) rod and a 5’6” PE 8-10 deep drop rod. www.shimanofish.com.au

BEST TACKLE MANAGEMENT WINNER TT TACKLE SLING BAG The TT Tackle Sling Bag is perfect for anglers that are fishing land based and want to stay mobile. Constructed from quality, water-resistant material, the Tackle Sling features a padded back and wide, padded strap for comfort, along with a buckle for simple strap adjustment. Swing the bag around to your back and get fishing, or swing it around to your front and you have access to everything at your fingertips. Features include a built-in rod holder to keep your rod off the ground, safe and dry, when rigging and accessing the pack; three D ring attachment points for scissors, tools and accessories; and a tool pocket with Velcro closure to secure a pair of pliers. Storage includes one main compartment designed to hold a medium size TT Waterproof Tackle Tray, drink, snacks, first-aid kit, sunscreen, bug spray or other large items. The two smaller front trays each hold a small TT Waterproof Tackle Tray and are also ideal for soft plastics, scent, leader, and other accessories. These storage compartments are finished with quality two-way SBS heavy-duty zips. www.ttfishing.com