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OUR COVER December 2022, Vol. 3 No.8 VIC
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QUEENSLAND The Tweed Gold Coast Jumpinpin Southern Bay Brisbane Northern Bay Noosa Bundaberg Mackay Townsville Hinchinbrook Cairns Port Douglas Cooktown Cape York Freshwater
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Sometimes it takes someone from out of the country to make us aware of just how good some of our fisheries are. We’ve just come back from the Zerek BARRA Tour, which is four barramundi tournaments that are held back-to-back on North Queensland impoundments. They’re held in succession because it’s not the easiest place in the world to get to – unless you already live in the MackayProserpine area. The Bruce Highway to the south must be in contention as Australia’s crappiest stretch of road and it’s about 11 hours drive from Brisbane. Over 20 from Sydney and about 30 hours from Melbourne.
Troy Honey with a 73cm bar cheek coral trout he caught at Dampier. A Troy Honey image. Come and visit Fishing Monthly Group’s official Facebook page for all your monthly fishing information. Download QR Reader to access.
Gippsland Freshwater Crater Lakes Eildon
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WESTERN AUSTRALIA Esperance Augusta Bunbury Metro Mandurah Lancelin Exmouth Karratha Freshwater
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Yet every year, keen barramundi anglers make the journey to partake in some mighty fine barramundi fishing. This year, ABT organised for a couple of professional North American anglers to attend and fish. One was expatriate Aussie, Carl Jocumsen. He’s got barra experience. His Bassmaster Tour mate, Canadian Jeff ‘Gussy’ Gustafson, was visiting for the first time. We paired them up together and they sure held their own against some of the best barra tournament anglers in the country. That’s not the important bit, though… the important bit was being reminded about what a special fishery we have created and enjoy. “Australians need to realise that this is a world class fishery and that you need to keep looking after it,” said Jocumsen at the final presentation. Gussy, who is used to beautiful Canadian lakes and fisheries, was definitely bitten by the barra-bug. “These things are insane,” he said after his first barra bruised a rib on the strike. He is right, they definitely aren’t a largemouth bass, which is what both of these guys catch for a job. Tournament largemouth top out at around 5kg. A big barra is usually 20-30kg. If you get a chance to visit Queensland and experience it, you should take it. They’re a very special fish and fishery that we have within driving distance, albeit a long one.
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Getting jacked for summer! BRISBANE
Bob Thornton
As the mercury climbs to a near intolerable level across the northern two thirds of the country, some of the toughest and nuttiest in the angling community come out to play. When we see their supreme casting skills, pimped out boats and seasoned angling ability on social media, it may seem like a hard club to break into.
60cm or so. Consequently, fish of this size in the creeks and rivers are considered a true prize. What this means for estuary anglers though, is that they’re essentially chasing a reef fish up a creek. The jack’s preference for heavy structure and protein-rich meat makes them a very tough adversary. Their canine teeth, bloodlike colouration and aggressive demeanour only add to their image as the toughest animal in the rivers. On top of this,
search for jacks, there’s much more to it than that. There are things that will bring these fish to an area, and many factors that influence the viability of the fishing. There are well-known systems such as the Nerang River on the Gold Coast and Baffle Creek near Bundaberg that are synonymous with mangrove jack. This certainly doesn’t mean the fishing is any less viable in the other systems around them, however. In fact, lesser-known rivers and creeks
concrete jungles. Some of the best habitat in these places is made of concrete and metal, with bridges, pontoons, retaining walls and any other artificial structure all great real estate. Tidal systems still unaffected by human development also harbour good jacks, and the natural structure in these places makes equally good habitat, however these areas are few and far between near our major population centres. As you venture north on the east coast, fewer people living around the water means there is less canals and the human infrastructure that go with it. Natural structure includes fallen timber, mangroves, rock bars, undercut banks, and really anything that interrupts the current and gives them a place to wait for food to drift by. It’s also worth mentioning that in the south, jacks will tend to seek out cleaner
Live baiting is a good way to secure your first jack, and although this isn’t Elliot’s first, it certainly won’t be his last. Photo courtesy of Simon Goldsmith. water with better visibility, and seem to turn up less in dirtier systems such as the Brisbane and Mary rivers. In the tropics, where a lot of
these predators. BAIT FISHING FOR JACKS Bait fishing for mangrove jack is an awesome way for
Live bait rig for mangrove jack Fixed stytofoam float 40lb braided mainline
Fly fishing is very effective but a rarely used method for jack fishing. Not all areas are suited to this technique, but it’s a good trick to have up your sleeve. Granted, bagging your first mangrove jack is no mean feat, but you certainly don’t need to be a swashbuckling fisher pro with all the gear and experience in the world. I will disclose early on that I am no jack expert. My infrequent jack trips have taken me all up and down the East Coast, but each time it seems I have to relearn almost everything from scratch. Because of this, I’ve caught my ‘first jack’ quite a few times, and now I want to help you do the same. Summer is when adventurous anglers are looking to bag their first red dog, so with all this in mind, let’s look at our target. JACK BIOLOGY Mangrove jack belong to a large family called lutjanidae, which also includes golden snapper (fingermark), Moses perch, red bass, red emperor, and many more around the world. Like all the members of this clan, jacks are a tough animal, and their fight for survival begins right at birth. Adult fish spawn around offshore reefs, and soon after the larvae migrate inshore to nearby estuaries, and sometimes even up into freshwater. Juvenile fish will spend the first several years or more feeding and growing in this environment, before eventually migrating back to the ocean. Tagging data shows that this migration back to their birthplace tends to happen when they reach around 8
DECEMBER 2022
they are well-known to snap their jaw open and shut (often referred to as ‘barking’) when they’re out of water. Anglers relishing a challenge seem drawn to not just jack fishing, but also to the fish themselves. And while they make awesome table fare, most choose to release all the jacks they land, more so out of respect than anything else. Like many structureorientated fish, they can sometimes take up residence on one snag pile for several years or more. There have been multiple instances of tagged jacks being caught repeatedly in one area, with one animal being landed 12 times! Don’t let this fool you though, jacks can be elusive quarry, especially in the southern limits of their range, but they make up for their lack of numbers in subtropical waters by being larger on average than their northern relatives. Regardless of what part of the coast they inhabit, though, they can generally be found in similar environments. Most jacks will prefer the intertidal estuary, so basically anywhere from the tidal limits and downstream to the system’s mouth. This isn’t a hard and fast rule though, with the freshwater and coastal headland environments also harbouring good jacks in certain places at certain times. FINDING JACKS NEAR YOU While any tidal system is a good starting point in your
can offer fantastic fishing at times thanks to less angling pressure. On the East Coast, these fish can be found from just south of Sydney in NSW all the way to the tip of Cape York and across the top. In WA they can be found down to about Kalbarri. East Coast jacks in southern waters, and especially around bigger metropolitan centres such as Sydney, Brisbane, Coffs Harbour, the Gold Coast, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, are perfectly at home living among the
Swivel
30lb mono or fluorocarbon trace (80-100cm)
4/0 suicide hook
Ball sinker
80-120mm poddy mullet
The author’s preferred rig for live baiting.
Various species of trevally also make up a good portion of the by-catch, and their sizzling runs provide great entertainment between jacks.
systems are more stirred up (thanks mostly to larger tides), jacks can’t afford to be as picky, and will live in systems with less visibility. With that said, jacks in the tropics also seem to venture into the freshwater reaches more than their southern siblings. This is probably to do with the better clarity this environment offers. Anglers chasing jungle perch and sooty grunter often have run ins with freshwater jacks, and I’ve never heard of anyone complaining when this happens! In the top end and over on the west coast where estuaries have endured far less human interference, they will tend to hang out in the hidey holes provided by nature. With less people around these fish also don’t get targeted as often, and this combined with the generally greater numbers found in the north can result in some magic sessions on
a newcomer to nail their first one, but don’t think for a second that this is the ‘easy way’. Bait fishing for jacks takes preparation, dedication and skill. Jacks will respond to a huge variety of baits, live and dead, so to find a bait that works in your area you need to think about what they’re eating. A general rule that many bait soakers adhere to is that jacks in the tropics will happily eat dead baits, while further south live baits are often needed to get the desired result. Down south, jacks are massively outnumbered by other species, and a dead bait is more likely to attract scavengers like sharks, catfish and eels before a jack notices it. By-catch is still inevitable with live baits, but greatly reduced. LIVE BAITS Livies such as gar, mullet, legal whiting, herring and
prawns are fairly standard baits in the estuary. Fishing closer to the coast I have also caught them on live squid! Gathering bait is extra work, but well worth it if you want to give yourself the best chance possible. In Queensland where cast netting is legal, bait can be collected easily, however in NSW anglers will have to resort to bait traps or bait jigs to gather a bucket of livies. Looking after your live baits is very important, because you want them to be strong and kicking for when a jack comes over to inspect. Having
a live bait tank with aeration or a submersible bait bucket will keep oxygen flowing through their gills while they await their sentencing. Alternatively, collecting baits throughout the session as they are needed (if you are in a location where this is possible) is a good way to ensure healthy livies, and as a bonus you don’t need to worry about storing them. DEAD BAITS In the northern creeks and rivers where jacks are often the dominant species, one snag pile is likely to have many hanging off it.
Estuary cod are a regular by-catch for jackers in both northern and southern waters. They hit hard and dive for cover just like jacks, but lack the stamina and usually come to the boat a little easier.
New
Smartly rigged dead baits are enough to get the attention from these ‘pack jacks’. The competition between these fish is sometimes so fierce that they will shoulder one another to get to the bait, so it certainly isn’t necessary to go to the trouble of collecting quality live baits when they’re this thick. Fillet and flesh baits of the same bait species mentioned above, as well as whole dead baits will turns the heads of northern jacks. Such is their willingness to eat sometimes that I have heard of whole frozen pilchard baits purchased from a servo taking quality jacks! BAIT RIGS Whether you’re fishing with live or dead baits, keeping the rig simple is the way to go. Jacks attack their prey very quickly, and aren’t going to spend a lot of time examining your rig. Generally speaking, keeping your bait off the bottom is a good way to go, mainly because of the amount of undesirables that lurk on the bottom, but also because jacks tend to prefer feeding up the water column a bit. Fishing off the bottom also makes snagging less likely, and should you get hung up it’s easier to retrieve your rig and save a few bucks. A simple float rig with a sinker and swivel is favoured by a lot of anglers. Fixed
Even though they are top quality table fare, most anglers choose to release all of the jacks they catch. Photo courtesy of Simon Goldsmith. styrofoam or cork floats that leave about a metre of drop are perfect. Hooks between 1/0-5/0 are fine, and I would tend to go for a thicker gauge hook to avoid any bend-outs. Single hook rigs are my preferred way to rig for jacks, because less hook points means less chance of snagging, tangling, and weighing down your bait to the point where it can’t swim. Traces should be at least 30lb mono or fluorocarbon, with 40-50lb a safer option for
first timers. PRESENTING BAITS Fishing your baits is where the fun really begins, because you want to get your bait close enough to the structure to draw the fish out, but far enough off it to ensure you have a chance of extracting them once they eat the bait. It can be a bit of a tight rope! A good way to present your baits is to anchor your boat up current from a goodlooking piece of cover, and
use the flow to drift the bait back as close as you dare. The current will help you to hold your presentation in place while you wait for a jack. Using this method, you can fish comfortably at any stage of the tide, except on the changes. As a general rule, I’d tend to stick to water between 10-20ft. Jacks attack their prey quickly, so if you want to give yourself a fighting chance, you’ll want to hold your rod! Live baits will tend to swim and kick around a little bit, so holding them a metre or so off the snag will help make sure they don’t go in there and tangle up your rig. Live baits will often become really animated when a jack is nearby, and it can be very exciting watching your little float dance around before being ripped under the surface. Fishing submerged structure without a float is another method, but this takes a little more skill and guesswork as you try to get your rig close to structure you can’t physically see. Really skilled anglers will sometimes fish their bait completely unweighted, and rigging for this couldn’t be simpler: just a trace and a hook! An unweighed rig presents very naturally, but also puts your bait at risk of drifting into a snag without To page 10
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Ho, Ho, holiday action ahead BRISBANE
Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com
Many anglers look forward to December as it offers them annual holidays and the opportunity to get out and chase their favourite species. The warmer months offer a broad array of pelagic and demersal species throughout Moreton Bay and the filtering waterways. Prime offerings will include mackerel, tuskfish, snapper, mangrove jack, threadfin salmon, estuary cod, flathead, longtail tuna, crabs and many others. With
move through in schools and every bait in the water will be eaten almost in unison, especially in areas such as the Measured Mile. This can offer some high adrenalin action plus some tasty fillets as a bonus. Trolling spoons behind paravanes or dragging deep diving minnow lures will also work a treat and offers better water coverage. Species such as tuna, mulloway, bonito, snapper, cod and others will also fall for this approach. Surface feeding schools can usually be seen from quite some distance away, especially on the calm days. Birds are the eyes in the sky, often signalling the
Tyler recently caught this quality flathead. They are always a reliable capture in the rivers and estuaries. greater numbers of anglers on the water, a little more courtesy is often needed, especially around the more popular spots. However, everyone should be able to have a great day on the water and return home with a few fish to grace the table. MACKEREL School mackerel numbers should remain healthy throughout December. With any luck we may also be graced with numbers of spotted mackerel as well. School mackerel aren’t always located in surface feeding schoolsthey are often deeper in the water column within the major channels and around the artificial reefs. Drifting pilchards throughout these areas is a proven ploy, with aggressive bites and screaming drags the norm. Often the mackerel will 26
DECEMBER 2022
presence of surface mayhem well before you can see it. They are often commonly a mirror image of the pelagics below. When the birds are high in the sky, the pelagics are deep in the water column. As the bait is herded towards the surface by the predators, the birds will lower towards the water’s surface, ready to attack the bait when the opportunity arises. Surface feeding action can include school and spotted mackeral, longtail tuna, mack tuna, bonito and bullet tunas. Although not all are great table fare, they all offer some awesome sport. Chromed slugs and slices, jighead rigged jerkshad plastics, baitfish profiled flies, stickbaits and many other offerings can be used to tempt most pelagic species. Chromed slugs and slices generally offer the easiest
proposition, especially for mackerel, as they cast well and generally get pelagics excited when retrieved at break-neck speeds. Most of the shipping channel beacons will hold mackerel throughout certain stages of the tide and anglers commonly hop from one to the next, having several vertical drops at each one. Pilchards rigged on ganged hooks can be deployed close to the beacon and wafted through the water column as you drift away. Chromed slugs and slices can be cast out – freespooled until they hit the bottom, then retrieved as fast as possible back to the surface. These actions are repeated several times at each beacon before you move on to the next. Unsuccessful beacons may produce at a later stage of the tide so don’t be afraid to have a few drops on the return journey. THREADFIN SALMON As water temperatures rise, threadfin salmon action will increase. Rainfall will also heighten action as it flushes prawns down from higher in the system. These are a prime food source for threadfin and large schools are often found in the vicinity. Threadfin show prominently on most marine electronics, which makes locating them easy. However, they can be pedantic biters and will only come on the chew for a short period, especially for those using lures such as soft vibes, paddle tail and crustacean profiled plastics, blades, micro jigs and the like. Live baits are usually more readily accepted offerings with herring, gar, mullet and banana prawns the most readily used. The Brisbane River offers some world class threadfin fishing, with metre-plus specimens very common. The lower reaches are usually the best during the warmer months, with the Gateway Bridge to outer leads beacons being the main zone. After prominent rain, which scatters prawn schools, the flats either side of the river mouth can also produce good numbers. The Swing Zone, fronts of major jetties, Oil Pipeline, area around the International Terminal and the dredge zone near the mouth can all produce the goods on any given day. These areas can be fished with both lures and baits and will also produce by-catch, such as mulloway, estuary cod, snapper, flathead and big bream. Obviously, those using live baits are often harassed by catfish, sharks and rays also. JACKS AND COD Lure casting prominent structure in the estuaries
will often reward anglers with mangrove jack, estuary cod, trevally and others. Many exclusively target jacks at this time of the year as warmer water and air temperatures make them increasingly aggressive. Building storms offer rising barometric pressure which will skyrocket this aggressiveness. Whilst these are good times to be chasing jacks and cod, waving around a graphite rod is probably not advisable when lightning is prevalent. Casting lures close to prominent structure, such as mangrove snags, bridge pylons, jetties, pontoons and rock bars will put you in with a great chance. Both jacks and cod reside and feed in these areas, darting from cover to engulf any hapless morsel. Heavy drag settings, good angling skills and a degree of luck is required to land every decent fish. Early morning and late afternoons offer great opportunity, especially on those exceptionally hot days. The darkened hours are also prime times. Many fish around lighted areas as the illumination attracts baitfish and prawns, prominent food sources for many species. The waterways are also a lot quieter at night and a stealthy approach under electric motor power will allow you to get very close to resident fish. CRABS Crabbing in the various creeks, rivers, estuarine and bay areas can be productive during December. The upper reaches of the estuaries, as well as creeks and rivers, will regularly produce mud crabs for those setting safety pots baited with mullet, fish frames, chicken carcasses and the like. Pots can be checked every couple of hours or left for longer periods, such as
Decent snapper will be available in the bay during December, such as this quality table fish that Chris caught. overnight. Unless we receive good amounts of rainfall, which is likely, the better quality muddies will be deep in the mangrove expanse. Taking the effort to place your pots in the more out of the way pots will reward for the better quality crabs. However, rainfall will lower salinity, forcing the crabs further out into the estuaries and towards the mouths of the rivers. This makes them a lot easier to access and several quality bucks can be caught each session. Sand crab numbers have been good for a few months and this prevalence should continue, providing we don’t have a mini flood. Setting pots along the contours surrounding the bay islands, the edges of major channels, and the mouths of the drains leading off the sand banks
is usually a successful technique. Numerous crabs are often taken in a single pot and returning home with a dozen or more sand or blueswimmer crabs will guarantee a tasty feed for several people. The same pots and baits will work for all crab species however each possess varied size and bag limits so ensure you know the difference before setting out. There are also rules relating to crabbing apparatus so ensure yours are still legal. SNAPPER Snapper will continue to be caught during the warmer months although they are not as prevalent as during the colder periods. Lures and baits fished around the bay islands, artificial reefs and wrecks will still produce. Additionally, mulloway,
Setting a few safety pots in the bay will likely reward with a decent haul of sand and blueswimmer crabs.
Southern
OLD
sweetlip, morwong, school mackerel, tuskfish and others will be taken. Any quality fresh baits will increase the likelihood of scoring a quality snapper however the humble frozen pilchard and squid will still produce. Baits should be fished in the lower third of the water column with a minimum of lead and rigging. Chemically-sharpened hooks buried well in the bait, with just the point exposed, are advisable. Lure fishing is commonly done with soft vibes, jighead rigged plastics, blades and micro jigs. Trolling deep diving minnow lures are another good way to score a few snapper, especially around the shallower artificial reefs and the bay island margins. The Brisbane River will produce some decent snapper at times, with most taken as bycatch by those targeting threadfin and mulloway. TUSKFISH Moreton Bay offers some incredible tuskfish specimens of varied species. Whilst these are often taken on baits and lures targeted at other species, specific targeting will greatly increase results. Crabs are the favoured food source of tuskfish so it makes sense to fish these baits. These can be entire live crabs or even pieces of deceased
offerings. Ensure any crabs used are of legal size to avoid getting fined. Tuskfish inhabit a broad array of locations including rock and reef ledges, artificial reefs, coffee rock areas and wrecks. Baits are generally fished close to the bottom utilising simple rigs of a sturdy hook, minimum lead and a heavy leader of 100lb to 200lb. Main line is commonly in the 60-100lb range however those who specifically target the XOS specimens (which can reach weights in excess of 15kg) will often use 150lb or even heavier. Tuskfish are very powerful, offer a real angling
challenge. Heavy handlines can work well when used with care. However, many prefer to use rod and reel outfits. Reels with low gear ratios are preferential as they allow you to exert a lot more torque when fighting tough fish. Whilst tuskfish offer exceptional table fare it is recommended to only remove a couple of fish from each spot to preserve stocks. Heavy drag settings, serious rod work after the hook up and a good degree of luck is required to land each quality tuskie. LONGTAIL TUNA A highly desirable
Moreton Bay sportsfish is the longtail tuna. These can reach weights in excess of 25kg yet even 10kg fish are a tough adversary on the average 10-15kg spinning or stickbaiting outfits. Often in December the baitfish on which they are feeding is still quite small. They will often get very tunnel-visioned in their choice of possible food sources therefore an imitatethe-bait approach is required. Small chrome slugs and slices will often work, however, when the baitfish is only a centimetre or two long, it is often near impossible to cast an offering lacking weight the required distance. This
School mackerel are a staple all year round in the bay, however the summer months see heightened numbers of these tasty creatures.
is where the fly fishers reign supreme. With fly fishing you are casting the weight of the fly line, not the weight on the end, in this case a fly the size of the resident baitfish. Small, almost clearbodied flies with a prominent eye, often called ‘Eyes Flies’ will imitate-the-bait well. Profiles are easily altered by trimming the fly with scissors if necessary. Other patterns that can be put to good use when the bait is slightly larger include surf candies, polar fibre minnows, bay baits, silversides and glass minnows. When they are feeding on small baits, longtails may still respond to larger profiles, but not always. You can try offerings such as chromed slugs and slices, pencil poppers, stickbaits, jighead-rigged jerk shad plastics and even soft vibes. Alter retrieves and try to cast to the fish leading the onslaught, not the rear of the pack. Longtails will often only rise and smash bait on the surface for a few seconds at a time therefore having a rod rigged with a possible lure and ready to cast can make a big difference when transiting the bay. A quick cast into a feeding pack of fish can result in a lot of fun, or even a tasty feed of sashimi or lightly grilled tuna steaks. When well-
cooked, tuna will be very dry however when eaten raw or lightly seared it is a succulent and very tasty treat. One decent fish will provide a lot of great meals. CONCLUSION The conditions can be very hot during December and with so many inexperienced anglers and their families on the water during the holiday period it can be easy to get a little hot under the collar in some situations. However, it isn’t worth spoiling your outing by getting into an altercation or argument so take a chill pill and move on. The air and water temperatures will be warm but the fishing action will be hot. The Caboolture and Pine rivers may produce a few prawns and the crabbing should be good in the bay for sandies and blueswimmers or in the creeks, rivers and estuaries for muddies after regular rains this year. Plenty of quality fish species will be available in the bay and its filtering waterways and canals- what you target is your choice. December fishing can be excellent so get out and get amongst it. Remember to slip, slop, slap and slurp to avoid the effects of the heat, ensuring a great day on the water. Enjoy the Ho, Ho, Holiday action ahead.
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Maui Jim sunglasses have an option for every angler Anglers are very difficult to buy presents for (particularly if you are not an angler yourself), so at a time of the year when we are looking for options for the ‘angler that has it all’ or for somebody who just likes being out there enjoying fishing, sunglasses can be the perfect option. Maui Jim offers an outstanding range of sunglasses to suit either a male or female angler, with every model and lens 100% polarised (PolarisedPlus2), an essential component when fishing. I had the pleasure of catching up with Nathan Fisher and Robert Garrett at AFTA this year where they were showcasing some of the new models that will be on offer for 2022/23 from Maui Jim. Here are a few of the things that I took away after speaking to them. PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT THEY DO With a motto of “Our sunglasses won’t change the world – They’ll change the way you see it”, Nathan and Robert explained that Maui Jim is the third largest sunglass brand globally and are recognised as the fastest growing premium sunglass brand in the world. Their focus has always been to produce industry leading lens technologies, ensuring you get to see the world’s best views, full of colour, clarity and detail. All of the Maui Jim sunglasses are produced in Italy or Japan and there are 500+ unique sunglasses to choose from. With such a large range, you can expect there will be a pair to suit people of any
The eight pairs of Maui Jim sunglasses the author had to test. All are the Southern Cross frame (in various colours) with eight different lens colour configurations. He was spoilt for choice. age or gender. Prescription sunglasses are also a big part of what Maui Jim do. They have been recognised with a number of global awards (Best Prescription Sun Lens company and Best Prescription Sun Lens brand) on numerous occasions. No doubt in recognition of the fact that the majority of the range is offered with prescription
Aaron Dunlop, one of the author’s fishing buddies, loves his Maui Jim sunglasses (he is up to his 6th pair). He is also a fan of the Hidden Reader that is available. The pair he is wearing here is the Makoa frame in the Brilliant Hawaii Blue lens that is fitted with the Hidden Reader. 56
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lenses. Their prescription lens labs in the USA and Germany have also won multiple awards. Customer service plays a big part in the success of any brand and if Robert and Nathan’s passion is anything to go by, you can see why the brand continues to grow and has many happy customers around the world and in Australia.
WHY SUNGLASSES ARE AN ANGLER’S BEST FRIEND Aside from the obvious reasons of reducing the glare from the sun (directly and indirectly) and with the assistance of a polarised lens being able to see into the water more clearly (so you can see fish/ structure etc), there are many long-term health reasons to wear a quality pair of polarised sunglasses. UVA and UVB rays can cause irreparable damage to your eyes and this can happen whether it is a clear bright sunny day, or cloudy and overcast. Whatever lens/lens colour Maui Jim sunglasses you purchase, all of them offer maximum UV protection for your eyes, no matter the conditions. Something that should resonate with every angler. In fact, sunglasses cause your pupils to dilate, allowing more light to get in, so wearing a pair that does not offer UVA and UVB protection (standard tinted glasses) is likely to cause more damage than not wearing glasses at all. Having said all of that, lens colours, base colours do change what the wearer can see depending on light conditions (low light, full sun etc) so I have included some information within this review to help you choose what may suit you best. Just remember no matter what you choose, you will be getting maximum protection and visual clarity for your eyes with Maui Jim. NO POLYCARBONATE LENSES AT MAUI JIM Although protection for your eyes is and should be one of your major considerations when purchasing sunglasses, what lenses
The two favourite configurations in the Jung household. The Maui Rose lens in the Southern Cross frame for the author and the grey lens in the grey tortoise Relaxation Mode frame.
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PRODUCT GUIDE are made from should also factor into your thought process. Many brands offer polycarbonate lens to reduce price point and the physical weight of a pair of glass lenses. Although improving affordability, it does come at the expense of longevity.
in low light situations or when it comes to threading fine lines through the eye of small hooks, tying knots etc. Maui Jim has a solution that I believe very few people would be aware of (certainly I wasn’t), which is the Hidden
Another great all round lens was the Maui HT. Like the Maui Rose, the author found it to be great in all light conditions. These lenses are highly susceptible to being scratched and to the wear and tear that saltwater, sunscreen and cleaning your glasses has, meaning you are less likely to get the years of use you are hoping for from them. Maui Jim offers two types of lenses, a precision Italian-made glass lens and a Japanese made proprietary synthetic lens (MauiBrilliant*). Impressively the synthetic lens offers the same optics as the glass option, with minimal reduction in scratch/ wear and tear resistance (compared to well over a 30% difference in a polycarbonate option). A few other reasons that Maui Jim has been recognised worldwide for their lens technology (outside of their patented PolorisedPlus2* lens technology) is their patented Anti-Reflective backside coating that block reflected light and bounce back glare from behind and below, and their proprietary hydrophobic and oleophobic lens treatments that displace water and repel oil and grease. Award winning reasons to consider Maui Jim sunglasses. HIDDEN READER OPTION As an aging angler one of the most frustrating things is having to remember to bring my pair of reading glasses with me when fishing. Although I am in denial, I definitely need some vision assistance
The author liked the Southern Cross frame as soon as he tried them on at AFTA. Comfortable to wear and pretty stylish too.
TESTING BOOTH
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As a global leading brand of sunglasses, Maui Jim’s range is extensive. The author is confident that there will be a frame and a lens to suit people of all ages and genders. His daughters loved the new Relaxation Mode model that has been released for 2022/23.
HCL® BRONZE
NEUTRAL GREY
MAUI HT™
MAUI ROSE®
Reader. Reader material is placed on the base of the backside of the lens (only visible to the wearer) and comes in three add powers +1.50, +2.0 and +2.50. There are a number of ready to wear styles that are available in three lens colours and the above mentioned add powers or, for a small fee, a hidden reader can be added to most of the frame range as well as the other lens colours and mirror options that are available. IT IS ALL ABOUT CHOICE The one thing that you begin to understand when you speak to people
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about sunglasses is that there is a diverse range of thought that comes into play when choosing a pair of sunglasses. For some, it is purely based on functionality, others it is lens colours (base and overriding) due to the type of fishing they do (freshwater, saltwater and time of day), frame style also is a factor, then there is fit and of course style and look may well be at the top of the list. No matter what you base your choice on, Maui Jim will have something to suit your needs. There will be a picture within this testing booth that is of part of the display that Maui Jim had at the AFTA Trade Show. This is only a ...Continued over
A small selection of the range on display at the AFTA show. There are many more options available.
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TESTING BOOTH ...Continued from previous page third of what they had on display and only a small portion of the range they produce and it is already impressive. While I am discussing this image, what should also be noted is the number of frame style options for men and women, and this is just a small sample of what is available! The reason I took this image was to show my daughters at home some of the new offerings. I quickly got a string of messages
PRODUCT GUIDE bronze lens was a no brainer and I also liked the tortoise frame it came in. Looking from a saltwater-based fishing prospective I couldn’t go past the Blue Hawaii and Hawaii Lava lens colours with Maui HT (High Transmission) getting an honourable mention. I felt the Maui HT was better in the low light (early morning / late afternoon) or when cloudy and overcast component of my saltwater endeavours, but I loved the mirror look the others offered.
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BLUE HAWAII Blue mirror coating is applied to the frontside surface of our PolarizedPlus2® Neutral Grey lens. Available in prescription. Relaxation Mode
MAUI SUNRISE Pink mirror coating is applied to the frontside surface of our PolarizedPlus2® Maui Rose® lens. Available in prescription.
me wearing a rose-coloured lens” when they took me through the range. Well, I am prepared to eat my words. It was easily my overall favourite. In my opinion a great option for salt or freshwater fishing, low light, full sunshine, no worries and pretty stylish too! As far as the glass lens versus the MauiBrilliant* lens, I really couldn’t tell the difference. Of the five lens colours
different focus than mine. While I had to spend time on the water going through the options, their process was a little different. Let’s say a few selfies were required and your sunglasses spending more time towards the tip of your nose than the bridge of it. But from a parent’s point of view it was great to see them wanting to wear a pair of sunglasses that I know will protect their eyes better than anything they normally wear.
The author’s favourite lens colours: Maui Rose (front), Bronze (left middle), Hawaii Lava (right middle) and Blue Hawaii (back). An honourable mention needs to go to the Maui HT lens that isn’t pictured, it’s a cracka too! MAUIGREEN™ Green mirror coating is applied to the frontside surface of our PolarizedPlus2® Neutral Grey lens. Available in prescription.
Southern Cross
back with what they liked and an underlying message of “See dad, you can look good too while you’re fishing!” The end result for me has been the offer to do this testing booth based on having a single frame style (Southern Cross) and getting eight of the lens colour options (some in glass and some in the MauiBrilliant* synthetic lens). My girls have also been spoilt, getting to try the new Relaxation Mode frame and four different lens colours. As I said, it is all about choice! TIME TO TEST I firmly place myself into the functional choice category when it comes to sunglasses (generally a black frame and bronze-based lens), so having eight pairs to wear and play with has been a novelty and it has been a lot of fun and an eye opener. Firstly, the Southern Cross frame. I love it. Light weight, with a super comfortable nose piece, comfort pads at the ends of the arms and available in a number of different colours (check out the image herewith). I feel they suited me, and from an end users’ point of view it can only be a good thing if you feel like you are wearing nothing. Secondly, lens colours. This is where the biggest surprize came. The straight 58
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HAWAII LAVA™ Red mirror coating is applied to the frontside surface of our PolarizedPlus2® HCL® Bronze lens. Available in prescription.
The biggest surprize however, came with my overall favourite: The Maui Rose lens. I distinctly remember saying to Nathan and Robert at AFTA, “I cannot see
My girls had a different concept of what testing the sunglasses was. Selfies were a big part of it, it seems.
One thing with having eight pairs of sunglasses on board when you are fishing is that everyone can try them. Nicholas Willett wearing the Maui Rose lens Southern Cross glasses with a nice bream. mentioned above, one (bronze) was in the glass lens and the other four all in the MauiBrilliant* synthetic lens. I have to admit that the testing done by my daughters may have had a slightly
I did get them out on the water with me too, and I finally think they now understand what a difference a quality pair of sunglasses makes. The girls gave the new Relaxation Mode frame a big thumbs up and, surprisingly for me, the plain black frame and lens proved to be the favourite. Although, my youngest (Emily) seemed to have the pair with the Blue Hawaii lens colour on more often than not. CHECK THEM OUT YOURSELVES As mentioned I have been completely spoiled putting this testing booth together and I am not surprised that the Maui Jim stand at AFTA was very busy. It is very rare to be so spoiled for choice when it comes to your sunglass options and needs. No matter what you want, Maui Jim will have a quality pair of sunglasses to suit. So, if a pair of sunglasses is on the cards for Christmas (as a present or for yourself) go and check them out at www. mauijim.com. You can see the full range there and find a retailer near you. Mahalo - Peter Jung
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LATEST VIBELICIOUS COLOURS
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22 FREE SWIMMER BR
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Daiwa returns to the bite ’n’ run reel scene with the release of the 22 Free Swimmer BR. Designed in collaboration between Daiwa USA, Daiwa Australia, Daiwa New Zealand and alongside Japanese engineers, Free Swimmer BR is a reel five years in the making. Bite ’n’ Run is a key technology for keen live or dead bait anglers that allows fish to take the bait under minimal line tension to ensure a solid hookset is achieved. Bite ’n’ Run tension is set by adjusting the dial on the bottom of the reel. With a wide range of settings available, tension can be lightly set to suit unweighted baits for finicky feeders such as whiting, up to a strong setting suited to live baiting large baits for hard-fighting predators such as kingfish and mackerel. The Free Swimmer BR features a strong and sturdy carbon composite frame, while the internals have been sealed through careful design and the implementation of rubber seals. This makes the Free Swimmer BR a true saltwater bite ’n’ run reel. Meticulous attention to detail was paid throughout the R&D design phase, with the Free Swimmer BR built and constructed to handle the toughest fish going. www.daiwafishing.com.au
ZMAN 2.5” PRAWNZ
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Everything eats a prawn, and the ZMan 2.5” PrawnZ is a lifelike, bite-size prawn profile that will appeal to a wide variety of species in the fresh and salt. The body design allows the angler to create a natural prawn flick and glide, while thin legs and antennae quiver with the slightest movement for added realism. Increased bulk in the body allows the plastic to rig effectively on a jighead, before tapering rapidly to a thin, segmented tail, designed to encourage that natural tail flick. Legs extend from each side of the PrawnZ body that, when combined with ZMan’s natural buoyancy, allows the plastic to slowly parachute down, holding in the strike zone longer. Alternatively, you can increase the weight and sink it down with that signature prawn flick and glide. Available in 15 popular ZMan colours and already a winner on the bream, this versatile presentation can be rigged on a wide variety of jigheads, including TT’s HWS (Hidden Weight System), HeadlockZ, NedlockZ, SnakelockZ Finesse and more. 2.5” PrawnZ are available now in 15 popular ZMan colours, with six per pack. Price: SRP $12.95 www.z-man.com.au
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If you don’t know what you want for Christmas this year, a Tackle Club subscription box could be just what you’re after. Tackle Club is a popular fishing subscription box that sends anglers the best lures from the best brands from around the world every month. It is a fun way to discover new lures and save money along the way. Each month you will get a variety of quality fishing products from both large and small manufacturers. The boxes introduce beginner and expert anglers alike to new fishing lures and tackle, and the best way to use them. Tackle Club currently offers six boxes: Estuary; Barramundi and Jacks; Freshwater Bass and Yellowbelly; Cod; Saltwater Inshore; and Freshwater Trout and Redfin. Each box comes with 5-7 fishing products curated by fishing product experts and contains 40%50% more value than you pay, so you know you are getting a great deal. Tackle Club boxes are available as oneoff purchases, gift packs of 3 months, and a monthly subscription. Visit the Tackle Club website to choose your box. www.tackleclub.com.au
SENSHI EGI PRO SQUID JIGS
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Senshi has released eight new colours into their popular and affordable range of squid jigs. Each Senshi jig is perfectly weighted and balanced for a precise, lifelike swimming action with a high-quality lead keel. Senshi Egi Pro Series Jigs feature high quality cloth materials, oversized eyes, foil bodies, and UV finishes that attract squid. They are armed with super sharp nickel prongs. The Senshi range of Squid Jigs are available in three sizes – 2.5, 3.0 and 3.5. To find out more on the Senshi range, visit the Juro Fishing website or search for ‘Senshi Egi Pro’ on YouTube. You can also find more new product info and catch photos on the Juro OzPro Facebook page, YouTube channel and Instagram. www.jurofishing.com DECEMBER 2022
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Sydney
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Cracking Christmas catches SYD ROCK & BEACH
Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com.au
December is the first month of the hotter water period and the first month of summer. From now on we can expect all the warmer water species to be more consistent. OCEAN ROCKS Bonito are showing up on the deeper water headlands, and accompanying the bonito are kings, salmon and tailor. If you are able to start fishing really early, just before the crack of dawn to about sunrise, the tailor are in good numbers. I’m going to outline a relatively easy rig to set up suitable for tailor fishing, with a whole ganged pilchard on a set of three 3/0, 4/0 to 5/0 hooks. The rig incorporates a glow light is for fishing in the dark, so you can see how far you are fishing, and to keep your bait suspended off the bottom. To start off with, you will need approximately
A nice 2kg rock blackfish and a first for Nazeeb Pareedutty. You can still successfully target this species during the warmer months. fish. They will easily sever a pilchard in half, especially when in they’re in that size range between 0.75kg to 1.2kg, which is the regular tailor run we get off the Sydney rocks. They are super fun fish to target. My advice is to not go rock fishing for the first time in the dark. Tailor can be caught when there is light, and up to an hour after sun-up is OK. You may run into other species like salmon, tailor, and the bonito and kings in the
daylight period on this rig. Then other alternative is fish from the dawn period to a few hours after light with metals like the 40g Sure Catch knight. These are also suitable for the bonito. A spin outfit in the 8-10kg range with 10-15kg J-Thread FC Fluorocarbon leader will enable you to lift fish up as well, which is often required when fishing the rocks. XL sea gars rigged on a set of 6/0 hooks with an occy skirt and a sinker above the occy skirt is deadly on the kings. You will also catch all of the other species mentioned. For the best results, this should be used as a spinning bait, rather than a stationary bait. Kings up to a metre have been caught on some of the headlands. When fishing for kings you need an outfit that can handle the larger models you may encounter. I like the Daiwa Saltist Hyper Heavy Rock Special S96-4-6 coupled with a 8000 to 1000 BG MQ, and 50-80lb J-Braid Grand and 80-100lb J-Thread FC leader. It’s a formidable set-up which will handle small to medium size kings, even the larger fish! Spots to fish are Bluefish Point Manly, The Hat Sydney harbour entrance, heading north, South and North Curl Curl and heading further north, South and North Whale rocks. It has always been argued that the rock blackfish are not available for the rock angler during the warmer months. Well… yes, they are. The majority
Jasper Schwaz was rapt with his snapper distance casting. When distance casting for snapper, the cast can vary from 60m to as far as you can throw. You need to get your bait out to the sand/gravel grounds. of rock anglers have ‘pelagic fever’ at this time of the year, and their efforts for the warmer months are spent fishing for these speedsters, rather than rock blackfish. However, if you bring some prawns, bread baits on standby and a 8-10kg spin outfit, you can still catch rock blackfish this month. When fishing for this species, especially in the deeper water spots, it’s good to fish right in close. There’s no need to cast out too far because they are a ledge/cave dwelling species. Anyway, it’s just another option to add to your fishing trip.
Rob Marich with a stud 45cm whiting. There were quite a few fish from 40-43cm landed in this trip as well, with live beach worms the gun bait. 30-60cm of 30-50lb leader, a swivel in the 30-50kg size, a ball sinker of variable sizes, a torpedo or turnip float with a glow light with a firm slider of clear tube which is normally in the packet. So first you have the tube slide up your main line, then your glow stick is inserted in the tube. Slide the tube up the line between 62
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1-2m. The clear tube with the glow stick is used as a float stopper. Then add your float, and then your sinker. Use a ball sinker between 0/1 to 3, suitable for light to moderate sea conditions. Then add your swivel, connected to the nylon or fluorocarbon leader and gang hooks. Tailor are an aggressive
A 50cm snapper that the author caught distance casting recently. You’ll know when you have a good snapper bite, as they are an aggressive fish. It’s a great feeling when your rod tip buckles over.
Snapper numbers are good this month, and they are a pretty reliable species in the washes and distance casting. I have had reports of fish to 68cm. Converted into weight, these fish are around 3.5-3.7kg, which is a nice snapper for the rocks. Most fish are between 32-40cm, while on some outings we have encountered fish to well over that size. You preferably want to fish the low light period for this species, as they generally don’t like the bright sunlight. When wash fishing it’s good to use half to three quarter pilchards, king prawns or fresh squid. These are the three most popular baits, and they all catch their share. While distance casting I prefer a robust bait like a squid strip, salted baits like slimy mackerel, striped tuna, and salted fish like tailor. Deep water and mid-deep headlands are good for this species. Bluefish, South, north Curl Curl, Dee Why, and Mona Vale swimming pool front ledge are some of the spots this great species is being caught. OCEAN BEACH The whiting are on! Some quality fish are being caught on most beaches, but some locations are producing more than others, which is typically the case. There have been whiting up to 45cm showing up, with most in the 29-36cm range. Mixed in with the whiting are bream, flathead and of course, dart. Dart can be a pain in the butt in this part of the world, but when they get over the 32cm+
NSW
range they pull hard, and I reckon they are pretty good on the plate too. Bait can be frustrating for the whiting angler. They are a fussy species, preferring live bait such as beach worms, pink nipper and, if you can dig them, blood worms are the ultimate bait. At this time of the year you can go to some of the fishing tackle shops that supply live bait. To avoid possible disappointment, it’s best
prawns you see at tackle shops, normally in a 200g bag, can work pretty well when rigged on a no. 2 bait holder hook. I prefer to peel these small prawns. Another alternative is the salted or methylated spirit preserved worm. When it comes to rigs, I recommend that you check out my YouTube page, Alex Bellissimo, for the Bellissimo 2-hook paternoster rig. Big salmon are on the
increasing off the beaches as well, so you may encounter them this month. They generally run in the chopper size from 30cm to about 40cm. Locations for the salmon, tailor and whiting are Manly Beach (preferably avoid the weekends and when there are surf competitions on), Dee Why Beach, North Narrabeen Beach, Bilgola Beach and Palm Beach. Thanks for reading this
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Tournament Series How’s this for a cracker Aussie salmon! Derek Pang caught this quality fish using a whole pilchard on a set of three 4/0 hooks. to call the store and order your bait ahead of time, rather than just rocking up and hoping for the best. If you make an order and pay for it the day before, you can go up to the tackle shop the following morning or afternoon and pick up your bait. There are decent alternatives to live bait (just don’t expect quite the same results as you’d get on live baits). Those tiny
beaches at the moment. We are heading towards the tail end for this species, but that can depend on the water temperatures. If it gets too warm they will generally move on. If you read my columns regularly you would know I praise the Aussie salmon! They’re a great sportfish, and I find them quite good on the plate up to about 2-2.5kg. Tailor numbers are
great mag over the year and thanks for reading my column, it’s super appreciated! Wishing all of you a safe, fun Christmas and a happy New Year. I will be back in 2023. • For rock and beach guided fishing or tuition in the northern Sydney region, visit www.bellissimocharters. com.au, email alex@ bellissimocharters.com.au or call Alex Bellissimo on 0408 283 616.
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DECEMBER 2022
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VIC
The snapper are turning it on rock walls, the jetties at St Leonards and Portarlington, plus the Geelong waterfront. Keep your plastics deep and slow to keep in the strike zone. Snapper are real suckers for berley, so it pays to send some down to a) attract a school and b) once they’re in the area, keep them there. Rod Beer is a gun fisho who lands plenty from the local piers. Rod fishes St Leonards pier after dark and has landed some ripping snapper this season. Rod has also caught some solid calamari fishing out of a boat locally. The Barwon River in Geelong and all the way through Barwon Heads is like coffee with the heavy rains we’ve had. This does make it difficult to fish – especially if there is a bunch of freshwater streaming out during the outgoing tide. If you have to fish it, try earthworms after
GEELONG
Neil Slater slaterfish@gmail.com
We’ve had a wet lead up to summer which has filled the local dams, and turned the rivers brown, but the fish don’t care a great deal and have been biting well around the region. Snapper are well and truly turning it on again this year, with good numbers of fish around the 3-5kg bracket taking baits and lures worked deep. Calamari haven’t really stopped and have been consistently good over the last few months. Anywhere there is a decent weed patch is worth lobbing a jig. King George whiting have been around in waves; some weeks they are quiet while at other times they bite their heads off. Schools can be quite localised too, so if you’re not getting a bite, keep moving. They’ve also been showing up in a wide
Rod was rewarded for the long hours he put in with a solid snapper from St Leonards pier after dark.
Rod Beer proves snapper can still be caught land-based during the day on the Bellarine. range of sizes, from baitstealing pencils to 40cm+. Again, keep moving and try a wide variety of depths from 2-8m. I had a day out with my 14yo lad off Clifton Springs in glassy conditions. It was a bit too flat as it turned out, as we could only boat a few small calamari. Anyway, I had a bit of fun grabbing his leg and shouting when he was tentatively reaching into the black water of the live well to retrieve a squid. My work colleague Wayne Gibson fished out off Portarlington where he boated a few solid calamari and bagged out on King George whiting in 3m of water. Wayne says they caught stacks of undersized and just legal-sized fish, but said they moved heaps 86
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Solid calamari have been caught around the Bellarine, as Rod can attest.
and that was the key to find some better fish around the 40cm mark. Good news for those
seeking a few snapper, as these fish have been biting well in the region. St Leonards and Indented Head anglers have found snapper a fair way out, around the 20m mark, while those fishing Portarlington to Point Henry have found quality fish near the shipping channel. In the past, anglers have caught quality snapper trolling along the shipping channel using downriggers and deep divers, so that could be worth a shot. However, bait fishing for them does have the runs on the board, and with good reason. A big, fat, stinky pilchard is pretty hard to resist for Mr. Red, so it pays to have a pilly out there, even if you are fishing with other baits like squid. Solid snapper are caught every year by soft plastics enthusiasts. The grass beds from Clifton Springs to Point Henry hold fish, and this stretch is a favourite for lure flickers. Land-based anglers should try St Helens and Limeburners
Michael looks pretty pumped catching an estuary perch from Painkalac Reservoir near Aireys Inlet. dark for bream as far upstream as you can go around the Sheepwash. The Queenscliff boat harbour has been going off with silver trevally and pinkie snapper to 40cm. Jake Thomas found Swan Bay a bit windy so he poked around the holes near the yacht club until he found a few schools of trevally and pinkies tucked hard against the structure. Lots of fun using his own South
Coast Soft Plastic worms and grubs. Jake says he has also caught a few salmon inside Swan Bay. He locates the school prospecting with soft plastic lures first, then sends
extended from Black Rock to Point Nepean, and there was no bird life. We headed west until we found some green water out off Torquay where there were birds everywhere diving on dolphins working bait. We trolled around the bait schools for hours without luck. We managed a few reef fish bottom bashing, but nothing to write home about. We did see some humpback whales getting into the bait too, and the dolphins surfing the bow wave made for a pretty cool day. Nathan Wring had a day offshore as well and boated a solid pinkie snapper while fishing in 30m of water with a large chunk of salmon meant for a gummy shark. Salmon should start to school up out off Barwon Heads and in the Rip over summer. They can be in big numbers and can be anywhere from 500g to 4kg. They are such a great sportfish – it is really worth flicking a lure into
Gotta love a surface salmon! Jake has caught a few inside Swan Bay.
Nathan boated this quality snapper on a salmon bait meant for a gummy.
them a few surface lures which is great fun. The calamari have been in good numbers around Queenscliff, with a few over the 2kg mark in and around Victory Bight. I fished offshore from Barwon Heads in an absolute glamor day with Andrew Sertic. The brown water
the school. It wouldn’t be summer without kingfish – I have to be honest, 10 years ago I thought I’d never be saying that as they were pretty much non-existent in Victoria. The last year, there were some true brutes over 20kg lost and landed in the Rip and along the Surf Coast, and a To page 87
VIC
Fishing for all our favourites PORT PHILLIP
Gerry Morsman
You can always feel the hype around the boat ramps at this time of year, as all our favourite species are on offer and generally in pretty good numbers. The snapper are going strong, the squid are everywhere, and King George whiting fishing just seems to be getting better and better every year. Gummy sharks are still around too. They tend to be there all year so you don’t
Scott Humbles with a very chubby and healthy snapper out from Carrum during the month.
SNAPPER By far our most iconic fish down here in Melbourne is snapper, and it’s easy to
see why. They are big, they fight hard and when they are on the bite you need a second set of hands. There are still plenty of fish hanging around the Black Rock area in around 10-11m of water. Squid, pilchard and silver whiting are the go-to baits as per usual, and don’t forget to berley! The idea is to berley a little bit at a time, but often. Black Rock is also the ideal place to use lures, as it’s not overly deep which makes it a lot easier. Fishing plastics or real imitation baits such as the Atomic Real Baitz have been ideal. Moving down the bay towards Carrum and Frankston, you will find very good numbers of fish at this time of year in around 18m of water. There are plenty of dumps which are artificial reefs that hold very good numbers of snapper. One of the more popular ones lately has been the old plane wreck, and you should be able to find the GPS coordinates on the internet. The most popular baits are the same as always – pilchard, squid and silver whiting. If you have fresh flesh baits like salmon or cuda, don’t be afraid to use that either.
Lorne Aquatic Club, Keith Miller, reports there have been some quality flathead biting out off Lorne. Larger snapper had been inconsistent at the time of writing, but there were plenty in the 30-40cm size range. Big gummy and school sharks around the 20kg mark have been caught out deeper along with nannygai
and morwong. The good news is that yakkas have been everywhere so with the influx of bait, the larger predators like kingfish and tuna should move into the ‘hood. Keith says the pier has been fishing as well as it ever has, with good numbers of large silver trevally biting. A wide variety of other species
Garry Nortan with a quality feed of southern calamari. really hear much hype, but there is still a lot being caught down the southern end of the bay. From page 86
few around 80cm turned up inside Corio Bay. This time last year saw a few tuna poking about off Barwon Heads, so make sure you pack a few bigger fishing sticks and keep an eye out for birds if you’re planning a day offshore. My new work colleague Michael Helwig was in search of a few new possies to wet a line, so I suggested Painkalac reservoir at the back of Aireys Inlet. The reservoir was stocked with perch and trout before it was opened, so I was excited to see Michael land a perch on a revolving blade spinner. It was only small, but good news for the future of this fishery. Michael fished the reservoir a second time but the heavy rains had turned it brown. The Commodore of the
The Queenscliff harbour has produced some quality trevally and pinkies.
Mornington has been starting to get some good reports lately also. The hospital is holding good fish, along with Ansetts Reef. KING GEORGE WHITING What a season we are having on the King George whiting! Every year just seems to be getting better and better. It seems to be that way across all areas in the country that hold King George whiting. I’m hearing good reports all the way from Port Lincoln in South Australia to Lakes Entrance in Victoria, which is great to see. Down here on the Peninsula there have been really good reports around Rosebud in around 10m of water over the patchy ground. It doesn’t seem to matter if it is an incoming or outgoing tide; as long as the tide is moving well, the fish should be there. Pipis seem to be the bait of choice around this area, with squid strips getting a mention also. Blairgowrie is a spot that doesn’t get mentioned all that often, but let me tell you it has been producing a lot of fish on the run-out tide near the green poles just outside the harbour.
It’s a great time of year down the southern end of the bay if you want to target big squid. You shouldn’t berley hard here, as this will bring in all the fish you don’t want, like toadies, small pinkies and leatherjackets. Pillies in the berley pot without mashing them will do the job, as they still have enough oil in them to give off a scent but don’t create a huge trail. Squid strips as bait
King George whiting are in big numbers and sizes. such as snotty trevally, mullet, flathead, grass whiting, snapper, salmon, King George whiting and calamari are all on offer from the Lorne pier. Anglers should be focusing on the Great Ocean Road rock ledges this summer as some quality fish are caught off the rock every year. Just be sure to keep an eye on the swell and when in doubt, hit the Lorne pier! Fish HARD – Die Happy! • Catch a few around Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula or Surf Coast to Lorne recently? Send in a report to slaterfish@ gmail.com with “FMG” in the subject field or give me a call on 0408 997 348. Please include where (without giving away your secret spot!), when, what on and who caught the fish. Pictures are always great, but please make sure they are at least 1MB (file size).
will get the job done, but make sure to always bring pipis as this could be the game changer. Getting in around the moorings off Sorrento and Portsea is always a sure bet at this time of year. You just have to make sure there is plenty of flow in the tide. Again, don’t berley too hard or you’ll attract more rubbish fish. SOUTHERN CALAMARI As always there are very good reports of southern calamari coming in from across the bay. They live for around 12 months, breed very well in our waters and with a bag limit of only 10 per person I can’t see this fishery going anywhere anytime soon. The southern end of the bay around Rye is producing very good numbers of squid. Although the consistency of
big squid aren’t there, there are still plenty to keep you entertained and will leave you going home with a good feed. Fishing in around 3-6m of water over broken ground is the key. If you can’t see the bottom in this depth it would be best to move around and find some cleaner water. Moving down to Sorrento just outside the moorings will put you in with the very good chance in around 4-5m. Using the bigger 3.5-sized jigs is always key down the southern end of the bay for two reasons. First, the squid are generally bigger so using a bigger jig just makes sense, and second, there is a lot more current and the bigger jigs have more weight to them, allowing you to get them to bottom quicker. Portsea is also fishing very well near the pier. It is closed during the week due to repairs, so there hasn’t been a huge amount of pressure there. It’s a very good place to start if you are in this area. GUMMY SHARKS The south channel is always your go-to spot for gummy sharks if you are fishing inside the bay. Most reports this month have been coming in from Rye. The key is to get in close to the edge of the channel. Gummy sharks will swim along this edge, moving up and down with the tide. Some people like the run-in, some like the run-out. Honestly, I hear plenty of reports from both, and it seems to be more important to be there either in the dark or at first/last light as these are more general times for them to feed. Using fresh bait is always key, especially if you are chasing the big ones. Gummy sharks have an extraordinarily good nose. This means they will be able to detect your bait from a long way away, and if it isn’t fresh there is a good chance the gummies won’t come over to enquire. DECEMBER 2022
87
BARRA Series presented by
Kicking off the 2022 BARRA Tour
The ABT BARRA tour is officially underway for 2022 with anglers making their way up to Lake Tinaroo in Far North Queensland for rounds one and two of the season. Round one was a two-day event from 4pm – midnight, giving the anglers the best of the day and night bite. Naming sponsor Wilson kicked in a few freebies for anglers to take into the first session, including a handy soft vibe box that may have been an omen for what was to come for the top of the leaderboard. Liam Robinson and James Wilson, better known as team Anita Barra/ Humminbird, won the Tinaroo all-nighter last year and got up to similar heroics this year, casually breaking ABT records as they went. The pair were able to set a new ABT record of heaviest 10 fish bag (2 x 5/5 fish limits) coming in at a massive 149.55kg – that’s an average weight of around
The Humminbird electronics on their tinny, which include four Helix units to facilitate MEGA Live, Sidescan/Downscan, MEGA 360 and mapping – were used to their maximum potential to target fish precisely. Scan the QR code to see the Winning team interview
“We would use sidescan at the helm to identify spots and when we found an area we liked we used the MEGA 360 at the bow to target the fish, watching them swim out and around the weed and putting their patterns together,” said Liam. “Even though we have Live now, which is unreal, and we used it to drop vibes on a few fish, I still believe 360 is the best tool for barra fishing,” he added. Once they found the
The field for the BARRA tour gets stronger every year with nearly 40 anglers making it to Cairns for the first round of the season. areas they liked, they popped them into the memory bank and kept moving, building a collection of spots to keep
Liam Robinson of winning Team Anita Barra/Humminbird pictured with one of their record setting fish. Over his left shoulder you’ll see the MEGA Live and MEGA 360 combo they used to leave no stone unturned. 15kg or 105.5cm on the ABT weight/length table. There were fish sitting both deep and shallow and with the shallow fish unwilling to bite, it was the fish in the 12-15ft range that they targeted.
on rotation. “We probably had 5-6 spots within a small area that we just hopped around all night to stay on active fish,” Liam told Steve Morgan. The boys showed the
field exactly why they have a Zerek Fish Trap colour in their name, with the ‘Anita’ coloured 95mm Fish Trap accounting for the majority of their fish. “I reckon this lure has caught over 15m of
RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 104
DECEMBER 2022
Team Anita Barra/Humminbird Robinson/Wilson Wilson Fishing Luckus/Cornelius Casting Mayhem Mears/Press Venom Dixon/Meredith Fishing Monthly Morgan/Williams Family Affair C. Sohier/L. Sohier Tolga Traders Browning/Burns Compleat Angler Cairns Bezuidenhout/Bruggemann Imakatsu/Dobyns Rods Maclean/Slade Thumb Lock McLaren/Torrisi
barra the past two days,” said Robinson, holding his Anita coloured Fish Trap up to the camera in his winner’s interview. “I’m going to retire this one once I get home.” Short sharp hops are the standard retrieve and a light yet fast rod is preferable. Liam and James both run a Shimano Zodias paired with a Shimano Vanford 4000 and a braided main line with 50lb fluorocarbon leader. BIG SECOND SESSION FOR TEAM WILSON Apart from being the naming sponsor of the tour, the Team Wilson fishing boys are pretty handy on the tools as well. Kord Luckus and Jeremy Cornelius ‘Fish Trapped’ their way into second place with an 8/10 fish limit for 114.25kg. By the second session, they had refined their soft vibe bite to where they were able to fill a full limit and throw in a few upgrades, catching fish from the beginning of the session right to the end. “We figured out that the barra were feeding on red claw and, once we knew that, we just focused on the soft vibes,” said Luckus. “We did catch a couple of fish slow rolling the LiveTarget Gizzard Shads
before we fully committed to the Fish Traps as they were producing the better fish.” They favoured the sidescan on their Lowrance units over the ActiveTarget live imaging to locate fish sitting around the 6-7m mark, sitting just off the bottom. “The fish we saw on the sounder swim under the boat weren’t actually the fish we were catching, we weren’t really dropping down to them, we were catching them casting in the depth we knew they were sitting in,” explained Luckus. The flavour of the day was the 95mm model Zerek Fish Trap in GS1 colour – a pure black colour with yellow stripes. Black is favourable in deep water as it remains visible at depth, making it easier for fish to locate. The trick was to keep the lure as close to the bottom as possible and right under the fish’s nose. There’s a reason Wilson sponsor the BARRA rounds and that’s because their gear just works, as the boys proved. They used a bevy of Bone and Venom rods paired with ATC Combat V2 Baitcast reels, spooled up with PE 3 Venom V-line braid and a light, yet strong, 40lb Wilson FC leader.
Full results at abt.org.au
Fish 10/10 8/10 6/10 6/10 5/10 3/10 4/10 4/10 4/10 3/10
Weight(kg) 149.55 114.25 71.63 57.25 55.32 43.55 42.47 40.77 33.57 26.60
Payout $1650 $750 $500 MOLIX prize pack MOLIX prize pack PROLURE prize pack KEITECH prize pack TOADFISH prize pack TOADFISH Prize pack
Big barra and broken records After three days of fishing pressure, most anglers could be forgiven for thinking that the all-nighter was going to be a grind. Well, that was certainly not the case with the fish firing up big time making for one of the most action-packed scoreboards we’ve seen in a long time. The top three teams didn’t record a fish under a metre with the round one winners, Team Anita Barra/ Humminbird, extending their winning streak, bringing in one monster of a bag in which their smallest fish measured 110cm and, once again, writing their names in the history books. On the warpath armed with their Zerek Fish Traps again, they weighed the heaviest five fish bag ever recorded in an ABT BARRA event, which included three fish at 110cm, 112cm and, the kicker, a whopping 116cm for a total of 94.85kg. Scan the QR code to see the Winning team interview
Despite scoreboard pressure from the whole top five, they held their composure to hang on for their second win of the season by a touch over 10kg. They used the technique they had found in the first-round targeting fish out wider off the weed edges, mainly using the Humminbird Mega 360 to follow the fish around. All the bites came after dark with some of the bigger bites coming at around 3am when they hit a patch of fish they couldn’t get to bite all week until they finally worked them out. If you look at the Humminbird sounder configuration on Liam’s boat, it’s a wonder any fish can hide at all. Without a doubt it is the heart and soul of the vessel and a large part of their success. The two front sounders
are Helix 10s with one dedicated to Mega Live Imaging and one for Mega 360, each with their own Rob Payne engineering pole. The two units complement each other perfectly with the 360 ideal for finding schools of barra and structure and the Mega Live for then singling out fish to target. The rear two are also Helix 10s with one unit solely for mapping and the other for down and side imaging for finding structure and fish while idling around. Liam’s 420 Renegade is just about the ultimate impoundment barra fishing tinny. “The good thing about it being a shorter boat,” James explains, “Is that you can move around the entire boat easily if they decide to play up.” Now with two unanswered wins to kick the year off, Liam and James head back to their home impoundments around Mackay in good form and gunning for that coveted Team of The Year trophy they so narrowly had to give up for 2021. BARRA MAYHEM FOR MEARS AND PRESS Tamworthian Adam Mears was a long way from home for his first BARRA
Two from two! Team Anita Barra/HUMMINBIRD secured back-toback victories and set even more records in doing so. The team used a refined soft vibe technique to bag some XOS barra. event, teaming up with friend and Tinaroo local Joe Press, fishing as team Casting Mayhem. They finished 3rd on the podium in the first round and went one better in the second round as they refined their soft-vibing technique. “Like a lot of other teams, we were really working hard to try for an edge bite but it wasn’t until I got our first good bite for a few days on a Jackall Transam that we decided to
stick with that,” Adam said. Like the winning team, they too found that the edge fish were not playing the game and instead chose to target the fish out wider. “We’d make a long cast parallel with the bank in about 30ft of water just outside the weed edge, let the lure hit the bottom and give it short sharp hops off the bottom the whole way back to the boat,” Mears explained. “We just did this as we
Captain Redbeard, aka Adam Mears, made the journey from Tamworth to fish his first ever barra event with team mate Joe Press. They were rewarded with a second place in the Tinaroo all nighter.
RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
BARRA Series presented by
Team Anita Barra Robinson/Wilson Casting Mayhem Mears/Press Venom Dixon/Meredith Imakatsu/Dobyns Rods Maclean/Slade J & D AYES NFZ Hayes/Mayes Fishing Monthly Morgan/Williams About Town Bait & Tackle Detenton/Mulcahy Ferraro Farming Ferraro/Hapgood Compleat Angler Cairns Bezuidenhout/Bruggemann 2Wards Fishing C. Ward/R. Ward
kept moving between two points they were feeding on.” The moon rose at about 7-8pm and was the major bite time for their session, with most of their fish falling within the hour or so either side of it. Although they had both rigged up, the vibe of choice for Mears was a 95mm Fish Trap in GS1 colour while Joe fished its bigger brother the 110mm model in pink eye colour. Mears used a couple of Shimano Sustain reels in 4000 size, one with 50lb Powerpro braid paired with a Millerods beast buster for throwing the 110mm vibes, and one spooled with 30lb braid paired with a custom model Millerods Barra vibe – a one off model dedicated specifically to soft vibing barramundi – for the smaller 95mm vibes. A fan of the Wilson rod and reel range, Joe used a couple of Venom and Blade n’ Tails rods paired with ATC Combat reels. “I copped a spray from Joe for fishing too light after getting rubbed off on 60lb leader so I changed to 100lb Nitlon Fluorocarbon pretty quick,” Mears’ joked, “I didn’t get busted off after that!” All up, they caught eight fish for the night with an average length around the metre mark.
Full results at abt.org.au
Fish 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 2/5
Weight(kg) 94.85 84.17 78.32 70.75 70.55 57.22 48.11 47.98 36.01 34.05
Payout $1650 $750 $500 MOLIX prize pack MOLIX prize pack PROLURE prize pack KEITECH prize pack TOADFISH prize pack TOADFISH prize pack no prize DECEMBER 2022
105
BASS SERIES presented by
Braden Schuch hits the pinnacle of BASS Each year the BASS Grand Final is a culmination of the hard work and efforts of the most consistent performing boaters and non-boaters on the 13 Fishing BASS Pro Series, representing the pinnacle of bass fishing success in Australia. As well as officially crowning the 2022 AOY Champions, we also have the pleasure of giving away some fantastic sponsor prizes, including the big one, an Alloycraft/Mercury boat, motor and trailer package to the tune of around $50,000 that goes to our boater champion. This year anglers travelled to the Clarence River at Grafton on the NSW Northern Rivers where the heavy rainfall have seen the rivers flooding almost weekly. It wouldn’t be a Grand Final without a bit of adversity, and it was with a
1ST PLACE BOATER Braden Schuch 5/5 fish 5.188kg One of the most consistent performers on the BASS pro circuit, DAIWA Staff member Braden Schuch, has been trying to take out this event for some years now and in 2022 he has made it his year, sneaking in ahead of second place by just a few hundred grams. He admits to not following the scoreboard throughout the day and was pleasantly surprised, if not a bit shocked, at the end of session one to learn that his bag of 5.188kg was the only 5kg+ back of the session and enough to cinch the lead. “I don’t like to follow Scan the QR code to watch the Boater winner interview
A fairytale finish to the year for Clarence Local Beau Eveleigh winning the non boater category. He punished the bass on Maclean Reef with his finely tuned crankbaiting skills. He positioned himself to where he could cast tight to the ramp and around the submerged ferry cables once the ferry took off. Almost straight away this yielded the events Big Bass, a 43.5cm fish. It wrapped him around the cables before he could wrestle it out over the top with no dramas thanks to the new 10 lb X-Link fluorocarbon leader from Daiwa. As well as the new leader, Braden ran some other new Daiwa spin gear, including the new Infeet AGS model rod paired with a 2500 Revelry and J-Braid Grand.
Junk fishing became the flavour of the day after the bite died at the ferry, however there was one bait that stood out above all else – a Daiwa Steez Spinnerbait. However, this isn’t an out of the packet Steez. Braden ties an orange flare to the skirt and swaps out the kicker Colorado blade for a bright orange blade, making it a lot brighter lure. “I don’t know if it actually does anything to them but it’s definitely a confidence bait for me on the Clarence,” remarked Braden. His set up for spinnerbait
Brad Wickson was on fire on the Maclean Reef, using his active target to hunt bass with a crankbait and land himself in second place amongst the boaters. heavy heart that ABT had to abandon the second and final day of the Grand Final due to severe weather and flood warnings, after an already wet and wild pre-fish/ first session. As such, our day one standings became the finalised results and Braden Schuch From Daiwa Australia took home the amazing boat and motor package from Alloycraft, while Beau Eveleigh in the non-boaters took home the massive $4000+ Tackle pack.
the scoreboard throughout the day, but I couldn’t believe that someone hadn’t knocked me off. This place always produces big fish and I thought for sure someone would bring a 50cm in,” said Schuch. He laid the foundations for a successful comp with a good pre-fish, fishing the arena right before the pre-fish ban and locating the areas where the fish were sitting. Starting the day on the Lawrence ferry, Braden was throwing a Prolure Clone
BOATER RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 106
DECEMBER 2022
Angler Braden Schuch Brad Wickson John Noble Mick Johnson Keeghan Painter Collin Robinson Adrian Melchior Mike Nelson Nick Anderson Brett Hyde
Fish 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5
prawn on a 1/8oz Daiwa Baitjunkie jighead to ‘match the hatch’, imitating a prawn. “I noticed when the ferry would take off it would stir the prawns up and you’d see them flick across the surface, the bass were sitting under them feeding.” Scan the QR code to watch the Non-boater winner interview
Schuch’s Big Bass came off the ferry cables at Lawrence and weighed in at 43.5cm or 1.593kg. It fell to a shrimp imitation soft plastic rigged on the new Daiwa BaitJunkie jighead.
Full results at abt.org.au
Weight(kg) 5.188 4.854 4.800 4.561 4.329 4.254 3.895 3.821 3.804 3.770
Payout Alloycraft/Mercury package
fishing consists of a Daiwa TD Zero 722MLXB paired with a Steez A Baitcast reel, spooled with J-Braid Grand and 10lb X-Link FC leader. The key was to pitch the spinnerbait in tight to the reed edges and slow roll them back out to the boat. The final touches on the bag came from a bank he found in pre-practice a few weeks prior. “I found an otherwise pretty featureless bank but
BASS SERIES presented by during the floods a heap of timber must have washed down and was sitting on the bottom out off the edge,” Braden said of his final spot, adding “The reason I knew it was there, was thanks to the Humminbird Mega 360 up the front, which I use to find the structure the fish are sitting on”. A 3/8oz Pros Factory Motion jig rigged with a Berkley Maxscent Creature Hawg trailer dragged over the deeper timber in 10ft of water was all it took to secure the final upgrade from a 23.5cm fish to a 39.5cm fish. Steve Morgan called it the $50,000 upgrade and he was right on the money there, as the final upgrade shot him into the lead which he would go on to retain. Only catching 6 fish for the session, Braden definitely played the quality over quantity game and it paid off in a big way. We look forward to seeing him defend his title in 2023.
the weekend after he hooked a couple of really solid fish, and seeing even more on the Lowrance ActiveTarget swimming around. The AciveTarget on his Lowrance units played a major role in how Wickson approached the reef. As the fish moved up and down in the water column, he changed between two lures to target them effectively. Scan the QR code to watch the Event Highlights
“When we first arrived there was bait jumping everywhere and the bass were chasing them up high pushing them out of the water. The fish were fired up, we had double hook ups all morning,” he explained. With the fish high in the water column, Wickson chose an Ecogear SX40 suspending crankbait in
in front of the fish’s nose like an injured prawn. “They really only wanted the suji shrimp, they wouldn’t look at any other colours that I tried,” said Wickson. An electric motor failure nearly put him out of the comp just days beforehand, however thanks to the boys at Fish n’ Bits who got a new Lowrance Ghost on his boat, he was able to make it. Lucky they did, as the Ghost ended up being crucial, holding him on Spotlock on the reef for most of the day. Recently he has been trialling a new set of ‘Standout’ Model rods from Legit Designs due to be released through JML Anglers Alliance next year. The model Wickson used was the SOS69ML at 6’9” in length and 3-6lb, he found it perfect for throwing the small suspending crankbaits. It was paired up with an Abu Garcia MGXtreme 2000 spin reel spooled with 15lb Famell Jigging braid and 12lb Yamatoyo Harris Fighter leader.
Soaked to the bone but you couldn’t wipe the smile off Braden Schuch’s face! A year of hard work and dedication goes into an ABT Grand Final win and the rewards are certainly something to smile about. 2nd PLACE BOATER Brad Wickson 5/5 fish 4.854kg A spot that has proved a consistent performer the past few ABT BASS rounds is the Maclean Reef downriver from take-off. Brad Wickson is one of the few anglers with the know-how to capitalise on it, which he did on day one catching big numbers of fish right throughout the session to bring in a full 5/5 limit for 4.854kg. Good success in pre-fish only bolstered the idea of where he needed to be for
colour 525 – a type of shrimp pattern. As the run-out tide slowed throughout the day and the fish slowed down, they moved down the water column to sit just off the bottom so a deeper option was needed. For this, he chose a Daiwa Infeet Spike 53SP in brown suji colour. With the reef only about 7ft deep the whole way across, the Spike 53 was perfect for when the fish moved deep as it only dives to around the 5-6ft mark and suspends off the bottom right
NON- BOATER RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Angler Beau Eveleigh Jake Hardie Bradley Turner Rodney Thorpe Cameron Hall Tim Jones Christina Tschutura Anthony Melchior Marcus Schembri Sean Muxlow
Fish 3/3 3/3 3/3 3/3 3/3 3/3 3/3 3/3 3/3 3/3
1ST PLACE NON-BOATER Beau Eveleigh 3/3 fish 3.404kg Grafton angler Beau Eveleigh charged ahead of the field to take out his first ever Grand Final win from the back of the boat. On home soil in front of friends and family, with a 3/3 limit for 3.404kg, he was just a few hundred grams ahead of second place Jake Hardie. Beau walks away with around $4k worth of tackle from a stack of different brands thanks to
Tony Neal took out this year’s Non-Boater AOY trophy after his consistent efforts all season. their continued support of the ABT Bass Pro Series. Beau had the pleasure of fishing on second place boater Brad Wickson’s boat down at the Maclean Reef where they had the crankbait bite tuned up. Like Wickson, Eveleigh was also using the Spike 53SP in brown suji to get his bites, however it was later in the day when the bites slowed up that he switched it up and really came alive. Eveleigh had one of the new 7’10” Millerod Crankfreak AU model rods paired with a 13 Fishing Concept Z Slider, which he had put aside with a Rapala DT8 crankbait tied on. When the fish went down deep and the bites slowed, he changed it up from the spike to the DT8, which he would crank down to the bottom, bang it into the reef and let it pop back up where the fish would nail it as it was bobbing up off the bottom. “It just stirs the bottom up so well and draws the fish in, and once they’re looking at the commotion on the bottom, if it bobs up past their nose they just nail
it,” he said of his technique. “I would compare it to longlining in Somerset only you’re not fishing anywhere near that deep.” He credits the 13 Fishing Concept Z Slider reel with helping him keep fishing through the extremely strong winds that got worse as the day progressed. “I could just adjust that magnetic slide cast control on the fly depending on how bad the wind was, and I don’t think I had a backlash all day.” His set up for the Infeet Spike 53 was a confidence setup, one that he’s been using a long time and has a lot of faith in. It consists of a 702VLXS model TD Hyper spin rod from Daiwa paired with a 2500 Shimano Stradic and all of Beau’s reels are spooled with Sufix 832 and tied to that is Sufix Invisiline fluorocarbon leader. He now has the experience from the back of the boat, perhaps in years to come we will see him step into the boater category and experience another Grand Final victory from the front deck? Only time will tell!
Full results at abt.org.au
Weight(kg) 3.404 3.393 2.951 2.844 2.452 2.393 2.379 2.370 2.334 2.269
Payout $4000+ Tackle pack
Matt Langford took home his third consecutive Angler of the Year (AOY) title after an epic battle all year with Mitchell Cone. DECEMBER 2022
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There is plenty of cheer in the air tailor fishing. Plenty are already being caught and some quality fish have been amongst them. Trigg, Floriet Drain and Whitehill will be good options for beach anglers. When there is tailor in the area, there is always a chance to pick up a shark or a mulloway as bycatch, so maybe have a heavier outfit with you just in case. Our rock wall anglers are a little spoilt for choice in December, there will be plenty of squid on offer, but as their size is a little smaller at this time of the year, it can pay to play around with your squid jig sizes. Many use smaller jigs (3.0 down to 2.2) to get better results on the smaller squid. Check the sink rates on your jigs too (or ask your tackle shop for advice), I prefer a smaller jig that also sinks a little quicker.
METRO
Jacob Crispe
As I put this report together the fishing in the Perth Metro area is already on fire. With the weather warming, people are taking advantage of the longer days and it seems the fish are cooperating. I am confident that this will continue through December. SWAN RIVER The one thing anglers have not been able to do (due to the crab fishing closure) is go chasing blue swimmer crab in the Swan. This all changes as of the 1 December and without a doubt it will be worth the effort once the closure is complete. My go to zone is the area between the Canning Bridge and the Narrows bridge, but everyone has their own favorite areas. It will just be nice to be able to get out crabbing again. As to be expected the bream are spreading further up the system, with good numbers of fish being reported up as far as Guildford. There is plenty of good structure in that part of the system and that is the key to the bream fishing as the water warms. It provides cover for the predators and somewhere to
The man, the myth, the legend, Peter Zahradka with another shallow water flatty from the Swan.
Ayden Zahradakas with a big Swan River flounder. warmer months is fish the water along the edges before I start wading. It is always better to catch them rather than spook them, and these shallow water fish go so hard when you hook them. The flats will also be
tailor numbers are like they have been, their sharp teeth can be the end of a fishing session pretty quickly if you don’t have backups. Mulloway anglers will also enjoy the fishing as the weather continues
Sam Smith is always up for the challenge when it comes to big fish on light gear with this cracker samsonfish! Yamashita does a fast sink 2.2, which is my favourite. Herring, skippy and King George whiting will all be on offer. Burley is
the key to get them biting in your location, with the Fremantle Sailing Club rock wall being my favourite fishing option.
Max Samson just can’t stay away when it comes to big hard fighting fish, another great yellowtail kingfish from the southwest side of Rotto. hide for their food. Flathead fishing is in full swing in the river, which is not surprising as the flathead love the warming water. It is not unusual for them to push up into very shallow (ankle deep) water at this time of the year, making for some exciting fishing. Like most people, I like to wade the shallow banks and flats, as this is a very productive way to target the flathead. What I do ensure I do through these 110
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popular locations for yellowfin whiting anglers, especially those fishing with small top water lures. Don’t be surprised if a flathead comes and hits your top water offering intended for a whiting! Tailor are also about in large numbers, so any deep water beyond the shallows, is likely to hold them. Small metal lures and stickbaits are popular ways to target them. It pays to have a few lures with you, as when the
to warm. It makes it far more comfortable to be out during those low light hours and the fish seem to be more active with the warmer water. Mosman Bay is always a great place to target them. It has lots of great structure and baitfish to attract the mulloway to the area. ROCK WALLS AND BEACHES Most of the beach fishing in the metro area will be focused around
This is what you can expect at this time of year fishing inshore, plenty of squid and whiting!
North and South Mole walls are always worth checking out as well. Crabbing from our jetties is also a great option in December. There are plenty of jetties in the area between Rockingham and Hillaries that it is worth giving drop netting for crabs a try. INSHORE/OFFSHORE At the start of the month (with the demersal closure still in place) most anglers will focus on the squid and King George whiting. Find weedy broken ground and more than likely you will find these two species. Windmills and Middle Ground will be good places to explore. Once the demersal ban lifts on the 16 December more fishing option open up, with many angling favourites back on the cards. Just remember that the Coburn Sound remains closed to snapper fishing. You can keep up to date with closure information through the RecFish West app. December is generally To page 111
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Promising fishing ahead MANDURAH
Jesse Choy
December holds a lot of promise when it comes to fishing around Mandurah, with options opening up for a variety of anglers and many species willing to chew on a good-looking presentation. If you are looking to make the most
keeps shadows to a minimum whilst also giving you a better chance at easily spooked fish in shallow water. Crabbing is finally back as an activity, with scoopers appearing on the flats to take advantage early in the season before the foot traffic increases. Drop netters as usual have a great chance at securing a feed, with their mobility allowing them to find
Colours on trout never cease to amaze, displaying the sheer beauty of nature.
Bloodworm grubs are a never-fail when it comes to river fishing, for big fish and small. of the finer weather, it really is an excellent time to get out with your crew, though the warmth can quite often dictate when and what we do. Yellowfin whiting remain abundant throughout the peel, with large numbers of anglers finding success on top water lures and sub-surface vibes, like the ever trusty ZX Blade by Ecogear. Although boat or kayak fishing for whiting can be achieved with lures, it is always wading that seems to achieve the best results and for good reason. Opting to wade, your presence is decreased significantly, which From page 110
when crayfish fever hits the West. A bit like gold fever, it seems every angler wants to get in on the act and catch
good patches of hard-shelled crabs that are well beyond the legal minimum size. With the temperatures increasing steadily, beach fishing becomes a great prospect for those looking for a relaxing fix of fishing. Our local beaches truly come alive during the warmer months, with an abundance of whiting, herring and tarwhine getting
Whiting on surface have to be the most fun way of catching yellowfin in the estuary!
around. A simple running or paternoster rig with a long shank hook is ideal when paired with prawn or small cubes of squid. If chasing something with a bit more fight, summer brings great numbers of tailor into the gutters and mulloway are usually quite close behind them. When targeting tailor, a standard three-way beach rig and ganged hook paired with a pilchard is ideal. With the mulloway starting to show up more, bigger baits, excellent presentation and patience play a huge part in whether or not you will succeed at catching. In the rivers, bream are pushing further up into the systems with the increase of water temperature, hoping to find less contested residency and food sources too. With the warmer temperatures it is certainly worth trying top water lures and seeing if you can tempt fish into visually showing you their aggressiveness. Plenty of grunter will ensure for fun for the family, with some smaller
themselves some crayfish to have as a Christmas treat. It can feel like it is easy to do this, but knowing the water depth the crays are in is the key and that can take
A great shot of a tailor coming on board taken by Dom Magoo.
Dom Magoo, aka ‘The Fish Tucker Man’, with a very healthy and 5-star eating sand whiting!
some finding. My advice has always been to source some knowledge from your local tackle store. They have their fingers on the pulse and can be a great source of information re the depths and movements of the crays. December is also a fabulous month for Spanish mackerel fishing. Warming water brings them closer to the coastline and to anglers. Finding bait balls is the key. Find them and the Spaniards won’t be too far away. Trolling is a great
Many would argue that the cod taste just as good as a dhu and they wouldn’t be wrong! mulloway getting around the deeper pockets too. Boat fisher will be rejoicing as the annual demersal ban is lifted as of the 15 December, with many anglers looking to make the most of it before the highly controversial rule change may come into effect. Though there is quite a lot of potential catches when heading out on the big blue, most anglers will aim to scratch their itch on a good dhu or pink snapper. If targeting dhufish, you will find plenty of fishing in depths to 60m, though many will prove that you do not need to go further than 25m to find a few. If chasing pink snapper, you are spoilt for choices when it comes to choosing locations that fish will pass through or be holding on. Starting from depths of 5m, lures, un-weighted pilchards
or scalies will work well and out to the 40m mark your standard paternoster rig will work efficiently. Increased bug activity directly related to warmer weather means freshwater fishing is well and truly a great option for those looking to wet a line. As with most fishing, a change of light is the ideal time to be wetting a line where you will find good redfin and trout roaming reedy edges looking for a feed. During the peak mid-day heat, it is worth trying deeper pockets of water where a lot of fish will seek refuge in attempt to get away from the warmth. If you are looking to challenge yourself, do not be afraid to try top water lures for an exhilarating change, though in most cases you are likely to catch redfin rather than trout
option to search for them and then once you find them, have some live baits on boards to fish for them. Land-based Spaniards are also an option from the Ammo Jetty. There are plenty of anglers that love chasing them from there, when they show up. Speaking of Christmas treats, our deep drop species are right up there as far as table fair is concerned. There are plenty of tasty fillets to be had from the
deep water (200-500m) like eight bar cod and blue-eye trevalla just to name a couple. So, with crayfish, blue-eye trevalla or blue swimmer crabs all on the cards, as that something special for the table at Christmas, all I can say is go out and enjoy the fishing on offer Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and I will catch you next month.
Gung-ho Max Sampson never misses when it comes to targeting Swan River mulloway this time of year. DECEMBER 2022
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Merry Fisher 795 Sport Serie2 with Yamaha 250HP - SC
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Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au
I am pretty sure that this is the very first boat test I have done on a rig that lives in the marina. We have done several tests on trailered Jeanneau boats before, but the 795 is definitely new to us. Brisbane’s Northside Marine have been importing Jeanneau boats for several years now and have experienced remarkable success with this European style family and fishing boat. Jeanneau hulls are a particularly beamy and deep
Main: This is my favourite version of Jeanneau boat I have tested to date. It is a nice compromise between fishing and comfort. Above: Fitted with Yamaha’s 250hp DES outboard with full Helm Master EX kit, this boat was a pleasure to drive.
Dual transom doors are a standard feature and allow easy access to the duckboards. sided shape that carry their beam a long way to the bow. They corner very flat and are a very stable hull at rest. They are definitely not a slender, wave piercing boat that is designed for triple digit speeds. However, they are a great platform to fish, entertain family and stay out of the weather. The test boat was fitted with Yamaha’s 250hp DES 4-stroke outboard engine, complete with Yamaha’s Helm Master EX system. “We find that most 120
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purchases of rigs like this choose to incorporate the Helm Master system,” said Bill Hull, sales chief at Brisbane’s Northside Marine. “In the broad scheme of the total cost of the boat, Helm Master is a fairly natural choice. It gives you joystick steering, autopilot and the smooth, responsive digital controls,” he continued. There is 280L of fuel under the deck (as well as 100L of freshwater) and when we ran the economy figures, the best we could get out of
it was 1km/L. This is fairly standard on a boat of this size. Top speed was 63km/h at 5800rpm. At the speed you get 700m/L burned. Best economy was at 4400rpm and 43km/h. The helm is comfortable and everything is flush mounted. We were expecting gusty NW winds and cloudy skies on the test day, however the Bureau got it wrong again. Calm, sunny skies meant that it was a very pleasant day on the water. It also meant that we couldn’t run this boat in any of the rough stuff. We have, however, run this boat’s siblings in some nasty conditions. They are a little wet, but the enclosed cabin makes the ride very comfortable. We assume that
the 795 is no different. I really liked the build of the cockpit. A removable table takes 20 seconds to pack away and leaves a great fishing area. You would expect this in a boat with a 2.8m beam. Seats on three sides fold down without the need for any legs or other support. They deploy and stowaway in seconds meaning that the configuration of carrying passengers is infinitely customisable. The deck is fully selfdraining and I can see this
rig being at home in some reasonably nasty conditions. It takes a little while to get used to the asymmetric walkaround. The starboard side walkaround is much wider than the port. Both sides lead to a front deck that is designed for socialising rather than fishing. You can see in the images that there is room for one person but no more than that. This is unusual in a boat of this size. This model also comes with a side dive door as standard. It has a neat, kid-proof latch to make sure that the young’uns don’t go swimming when they’re not supposed to. There is also plenty of storage under the cockpit
deck for fish, ice or wet gear as well as a plumbed live bait tank on the port side. Unique to the Jeanneau boats are the roof racks mounted on the hardtop. These are ideal for various boards and kayaks and keep them securely locked away when not in use. With a price tag around $300,000 as tested you would expect a very well appointed and functional rig. And this rig will be an excellent compromise between function and comfort for many anglers. Hull and motor packages start from around $180,000. See Dave, Bill and all of the team at Northside Marine to secure a test ride.
PERFORMANCE RPM ............Speed (km/h) ... Economy (km/L) 700 .................................. 5 ......................... 1.4 1000 ................................ 8 ......................... 1.4 2000.............................. 13 ......................... 1.0 3000.............................. 17 ......................... 0.7 3500 .............................. 20 ......................... 0.7 4000.............................. 30 ......................... 0.8 4400 .............................. 43 ......................... 1.0 4500 .............................. 46 ......................... 0.9 5000.............................. 53 ......................... 0.8 5800 .............................. 63 ......................... 0.7
SPECIFICATIONS Hull length............ 6.97m Beam .................... 2.82m Hull weight........... 2.82m Draft...................... 0.58m Fuel ..........................280L Water .......................100L Max HP......................250
The 795 features twin, side, sliding doors that allow great airflow and shelter when it gets nasty.
Top: There is a live bait tank with clear lid built into the port side transom. Above: Instead of a rear sliding door, this rig features a centrally mounted outdoor gallery with stove and plumbed sink.
Top: These are pretty cool, roof racks on a boat that can take stand-up paddle boards, surfboards or kayaks. Above: There is a small, 12V fridge sequestered inside the cabin that will keep items cool and readily available.
Top: The dashboard features ample room for flush mounting your displays and gauges, as well as space for all of the Yamaha Helm Master accessories. The throttle position is very comfortable. Above: Deck floodlights below and rod storage above, all with a walk round grab rail means the back of the hard top is very efficient.
There is broad access to the front bunks, however, it is a cosy fit for two people. With the infill in, you need to lie diagonally. All around visibility is exceptional.
This is the cockpit with table up and seats stowed. Remove the table to maximise fishing area.
Left and Top Right: Mini Jeanneau boats feature this drop-down table, which slides down the central pole when in use and stores near the ceiling when not. Bottom Right: The internal rear lounge is a comfortable space for two people or an area for a single person to lie and rest.
Left: Toilet and sink in the bunk area are private and functionally designed. Top Right: The front deck is definitely not a spacious fishing area. You can fish one up here, or seat several people in a social setting. Bottom Right: With the side door open and a broad walkaround, the helm area is a great place to enjoy captaining your purchase. DECEMBER 2022
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