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How sustainable are whiting stocks? • Boat Review: Arvor 705 Sportsfish • For the love of luderick • Advantages of heavy leader • Squid: taking on the tigers • Kayaking: Adventure search • Flathead on soft plastics •
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Technique Spotlight
Brett Geddes goes heavy for bigger catches
NSW December, 2021 ISSN 2652-5798
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CONTENTS
OUR COVER December 2021, Vol. 2 No.8 VIC
TAS
QUEENSLAND Gold Coast Jumpinpin Southern Bay Brisbane Northern Bay Noosa Bundaberg Mackay Whitsundays Townsville Lucinda Hinchinbrook Cairns Port Douglas Cooktown Cape York Freshwater
16 18 22 26 28 30 32 34 38 40 44 45 46 46 48 48 50
NEW SOUTH WALES Pittwater Sydney North Sydney Rock Sydney South Ballina Coffs Coast Hastings Forster Port Stephens Swansea Central Coast Illawarra Batemans Bay Bermagui Tathra New England Rivers Hunter Valley Batlow Albury/Wodonga Lithgow/Oberon Canberra
58 61 60 62 64 70 72 73 74 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 80 82 83 81 84
VICTORIA Warrnambool Portland Cobden Apollo Bay Phillip Island Geelong Port Phillip West Port Phillip East Marlo Gippsland Lakes Lakes Entrance Mallacoota Bemm River Robinvale Bendigo Ballarat Wangaratta Shepparton Crater Lakes Eildon Yarrawonga Gippsland Freshwater
90 90 91 91 92 94 96 98 98 100 101 100 101 102 102 104 103 105 106 106 107 104
6
DECEMBER 2021
From the Editor’s Desk...
WA
Fishing Monthly is based in Queensland and with the prospect of the borders opening up this month, there seems to be a real buzz that we can welcome interstate anglers back up to experience our fishing. I’m writing this while running the ABT BARRA Tour on some of Queensland’s finest barra impoundments. We missed the NSW based teams that usually join us this year, but rest assured that when you’re allowed back in, there’s some great barra fishing awaiting you. Our popular southern barra lakes, Awoonga and Monduran, are both on line and firing, and if you want to
This fingermark came on a bream crankbait from Gladstone. A Steve Morgan image.
38
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TASMANIA Offshore Hobart
86 87
WESTERN AUSTRALIA Esperance Augusta Bunbury Metro Mandurah Geraldton Kalbarri Lancelin Exmouth Karratha Broome Freshwater
113 112 114 116 114 117 117 118 120 121 120 122
50 73
REGULAR FEATURES Advantages of heavy leader Squid: taking on the tigers Starlo’s back to basics Sheik of the Creek Kayaking: Adventure search Flathead on soft plastics How sustainable are whiting stocks? What’s new fishing Fun page/Sub page WIRF Recfishwest Trades and Services/Tide page Boat test: Arvor 705 Sportsfish COMPS AND OFFERS Find the logo
110 WIRF
head further north, Tinaroo through Teemburra are yielding plenty of fish. Of course, there wouldn’t be a barra fishery without the Stocked Impoundment Permit and the hard work that the local stocking groups do to enhance the fisheries. Long time Fishing Monthly contributor, Keith Day is one of those guys. Sometimes working quietly in the background and at other times, working noisily at the coal face making sure that everyone from government to the regular punter knows how the system works. His columns for FM have helped thousands of anglers connect with fish in the Mackay area and, sadly, it’s his last article in the magazine this month. We’d like to thank Keith and all of the volunteers that help enhance our fisheries for the work that they do. Enjoy your retirement from FM, Keith! Just think, you won’t have us chasing you every month… Otherwise, enjoy the summertime fishing. It’s some of the best that we have, nationwide, from Tassie to the Top End and from Western Australia to Sydney. Lastly, that’s me on this month’s cover. I make a conscious effort to stay on the water and do a variety of fishing whenever I can. This fingermark came on a bream crankbait from Gladstone. I can’t remember the last time I was on there, although I’m sure that I looked a lot younger and nobody knew what COVID meant.
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Lining up for a better leader: avoid losing big fish GIPPSLAND LAKES
Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com
All anglers have endured the frustration and despair of losing a fish to a busted leader. The culprit is typically assumed to be the snaggy, weedy or rockstrewn environment where many fish live.
BLIND FAITH Most anglers get lazy and fall into repetitive habits and follow the latest cult fad. I’ve been guilty of this too, and if I ever break the rules, it is only to prove those trends right. So I will try crazy and weird techniques or trial homemade lures and investigate all sorts of lines and leaders. As you’d expect, there
talk about how a rarely a trophy 2kg bream will ever reach a landing net when fishing so light. Over the last five or so years I’ve made a point of quizzing all the anglers I know or meet for the first time, about what leaders they use and why. Nowadays, nearly everyone has said they employ the lightest leader possible because “they have to” or it’s what we all do to beat spooky and fussy fish, “all anglers know that!”. I get the fact that when you first take up fishing you have to start somewhere, and following mates or the gun anglers in the media and competition winners is a smart move. After all, they have the experience and have done all the homework, right? Wrong! I’ve now discovered that nearly every one of the very best anglers I know have never experimented with much stronger leader sizes. I always ask anglers how the hell can you say heavy leaders from 4-8kg won’t ever work when
When you beef your leaders up it’s very rare to bust off big bream once they are solidly hooked.
the result of my constant experimentation. With that in mind, in this article I want to give you concrete proof that heavier leaders work. More on that soon. First, let’s look at how this all began. HEAVY BEGINNINGS My initial lightbulb moment of using much stronger leaders happened when I was fly fishing. Over a period of 10 years, in the early 1990s, well before I ever tied on my first hardbody or soft plastic lure, I was totally fixated on fly fishing, mostly for trout. Of course, I started with traditional super fine lines. In fact, I used commercial tapered leaders down to even 1-2lb breaking strain. They are about 10ft long and start
catch rates improve when fishing light, and often praise a light main line or braid as well. I acknowledge that these gun anglers catch ripper fish, but I don’t respect what they declare to be ‘fact’ when they have no proof. So why do I only use
Ben Hotchkins ditched his 4lb leaders and experimented with lines up to 12lb. He said his results were excellent and is now confident using much stronger leaders. However, many anglers are breaking off fish for no other reason than using super light leaders, because they believe it’s essential. I’ve decided to turn this view totally upside down, with the aid of disciplined, rigorous testing and proof from myself and fellow anglers. When I was new to lure fishing many years ago, I fished heavy, tough leaders. Being so green back then, I really didn’t know any different; I thought everyone used those methods. Right from day one my very first luring efforts always involved using mono of at least 5kg. That ultimately progressed to 8kg at times when large bream, bass and estuary perch were continually lost to shreddings in the local timber. At least with 8kg I could lay enough stick on the bigger fish for speedy snag extraction, and I also had the benefit of greater resistance against the line popping and barnacle-wrapped structure. I landed more by-catch too, like thumping flathead, salmon and toothy tailor. Sure, I had (and still do have) a few fish shred me in an instant, and others brick me deep into structure, but I suspect that even 10kg line would hardly improve those encounters. These days I seem to be getting more frustrated that a lot anglers are complaining of busting off fish, and quite possibly for reasons easily fixed. 8
DECEMBER 2021
have been failures, but also plenty of surprising wins. These days there’s a fixed obsession for anglers to fish super light leaders when luring bream. But I also find it carries over to other species like bass, estuary perch, trout, snapper and even flathead or Australian salmon. Look, I know that big bream can be landed on even 1lb leaders with a little skill and a drag set right, and I’ve caught plenty of big fish on light leaders
A double hook-up during a busy day when both anglers caught about 30 bream and a dozen estuary perch all on 12 or 14lb leaders.
Surely no angler thinks that thumping tailor are leader shy? This fish was specifically targeted with a big lure, but you can also catch plenty of bream and big tailor while using a much stronger leader. 4-6kg leaders, you ask? I often get quizzed more on how it can be done! I find it bizarre that nearly all bream anglers think it’s near impossible to hook fish on 5kg+ leaders. I understand
that when you catch your very first 20-30cm bream or maybe bass, estuary perch even flathead all on very light leaders, it’s hard to make a change. We are creatures of habit, and at times for very good reason. When a lure, location, retrieve method or indeed a type of fishing line all produce fish, why fix something that ain’t broken? I’ll never claim to be a gun angler but the one thing I’m very good at and always happy to share is
Perch don’t have teeth to cut leaders but they love living in line-snapping snags. Mick Selzer rarely uses less than 12lb line. when I’ve experimented with them. However, tying lures onto 1-2kg leaders puts a lot of trust in fine lines that really aren’t made for landing 1.5kg bream that live around snags, jetty pylons or other structure. I won’t even
you’ve never tried them? Some anglers even believe that 6lb leaders will seriously hinder their success rate. IS LIGHT FANTASTIC? We all hear and read about how anglers swear by using light leaders, and say
When throwing lures into deep river snags, it pays to have very strong leaders to quickly wrestle fish out of the structure.
off at around 20lb diameter, graduating down to very fine ends. This allows the energy from the fly line to transfer as efficiently as possible through the leader and tippet in order to straighten out light flies for the best presentation. In the early days, I broke these leaders mostly on tree branches, grass tussocks and rocks (rarely on fish!) with hack false casting while trying to learn the trade. So my tapered leaders nearly always shortened up rather quickly and therefore when I eventually caught a ‘fussy’ trout, it was on a 6lb or even 8lb leader. Eventually I got better and hooked trout on 2lb tippets, but busted so many fish off. Eventually I discovered I could catch all my trout on around 6lb leaders and often even up to 10lb. You can see how this discovery directly transferred into my very first lure fishing forays. HARD LINE FACTS So from day one I lure fished, in the view of most anglers, very heavy leaders. I can hear everyone wanting to tell me that my methods will cost me a lot of fish, and specifically bream. Maybe so, but I’ve
could break finer lines. It’s fair to say most anglers lose a lot of gear due to fishing light. This is a huge benefit to lure makers and it stands to reason that brand representatives will always push for fishing as light as possible! Why is it we think fish see leaders as a ‘threat’ yet we don’t give a second thought to what
fish think about hooks? I mean, hardbodies have two trebles with six menacing sharp hooks on them, yet fish don’t see these as any sort of danger? Not to mention the actual lure that looks and behaves like nothing they’ve ever seen! Yet those same fish are put off by a harmless leader that behaves and looks nothing
like a predator? I think the truth lies in the fact that fish are very opportunistic feeders, and if something moves like food they’ll eat it. Despite
hungry a fish is, are probably far more important. I just think we are all very lucky that fish are willing to eat a totally foreign looking and behaving object.
Tyler recently switched to stronger leaders and is still catching plenty of bream and losing fewer lures. come to appreciate it’s very difficult and even sometimes impossible to prove or measure the results. I’m talking about 20-odd years of me always avoiding light leaders. Over that time I have turned most of my fishing mates towards much stronger leaders because they have fished with me and seen the merit of my results. All of them now rarely, if ever, go lighter than 8lb and often up to 14lb leaders. Yes, there are some people I’ll never turn, and a rare few angling partners simply refuse to accept or become confident using my methods. However, while on the water with those same
guys, I have never begged for a length of their much finer leader material if they catch more than I do. I sometimes get out-fished by mates, probably because they are just superior anglers with better techniques or lures. However, I never notice me having inferior hook-up rates. The only obvious outcome between us is that generally speaking, I don’t lose fish or lures to line breakage. Sometimes I even get the higher score for the day, because I get the fish in and released much quicker and get re-casting again within minutes. Most notably, I often land those very big fish that
Some fish like estuary perch don’t seem to be leader shy, and the author has landed plenty of EP on 14lb and even 16lb leaders.
A handsome river bass from the Gippy Lakes caught on a blade lure tied to a 14lb leader.
what we have dreamed up in our heads about colour, action, leaders, hooks and even scent, these factors can have very little to do with a fish eating a lure or not. Other factors like an angler’s lure technique or even how
EXPERIMENTING LIGHT About four years ago I got paranoid. With a constant barrage from so many anglers about my ‘dubious’ techniques, they all said it’s To page 10
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A festive fishing feast BRISBANE
Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com
With the end of 2021 looming, many anglers will look back on their fishing year with a smile on their face. Over all it has been a good year despite the weather not always being ideal and time spent on the water limited due to that virus thing people keep talking about. With hot weather now upon us, there will be some great fishing in the coming weeks. Pelagic species, such as mackerel, tuna, bonito and cobia, will be on fire. Bottom dwellers including tuskfish, grass sweetlip, snapper, cod and even mulloway will still be caught with regularity. In the estuaries you can expect good numbers of flathead, cod, mangrove jack, threadfin and several other species. After recent rains, prawns should be available in many of the rivers. Setting a few pots could easily reward with both mud and sand crabs. You will be able to score a seafood smorgasboard for the family by targeting some of the following options. MACKEREL One of the more popular Moreton Bay targets at this time of the year are mackerel. School mackerel are caught year round and spotted mackerel can turn up at any time over the coming weeks. Last year, spottie encounters were low in the bay but
MARINE
WINDOWS
hopefully they will be back in healthy numbers soon. During the warmer months, baitfish are a lot more prevalent in the bay and this often results in surface feeding schools of mackerel. This melee is often visible from some distance away due to the surface boils of slashing fish and the sea birds which are often wheeling overhead awaiting their chance to pluck a few baitfish from the surface. Spotted mackerel attack in slashing strikes, which often results in sprays of water pushed skyward. The schoolies are less methodical and will often turn the surface into a boiling errant mass of baitfish soup. Both will respond to the same approaches. When surface feeding fish are sighted, a chrome slug can be cast in the general direction and then immediately retrieved once it lands. You cannot wind too fast for these speedsters to catch the lure. If they are following and not striking then you are simply not winding fast enough. Reels that return at least a metre of line per turn of the handle are highly desirable. Graphite rods between 2.1m and 2.4m allow great casting distance with the 30-50g chromed slugs and slices generally used. Braided line (commonly 15lb to 30lb) and 30lb to 50lb fluorocarbon leaders complete the outfit. Casting to the edge of the school is generally best and will limit the bite
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offs that can occur when you cast into the middle. Mackerel are tail biters and will snip at the tail of fast moving prey to immobilise it. This is fortunate as that is where the inline single or treble hook is on a chromed slug or slice. However, if your lure is fluttering down as it sinks then the mackerel will engulf it in its entirety, generally biting through your monofilament or fluorocarbon leader. Some try using wire leaders but this will rapidly decrease the strike rate so is not desirable. Mackerel can sometimes be found around the shipping channel beacons. Here they can be targeted by vertically working slugs or floating down gang hook rigged pilchard baits. The measured Mile can be a popular yet productive spot. Several boats will anchor in the vicinity and float out pilchards or small live baits. Mackerel are generally in numbers and it can be chaos when a school moves through and everyone gets a strike or two. Trolling spoons (Halco Barra Drone or Kimberley Spoon #3 and #4 are popular) behind a paravane or trolling board is a great way to score mackerel when trolling the edges of major channels and bank systems. Deep diving minnow lures to around 120mm in length are also productive when trolled 30-40m behind the boat on 10-20lb braid. Good numbers of mackerel should be around for a few more months yet so you have plenty of time to score a tasty feed. MANGROVE JACK Hot days and nights are ideal time to be chasing
Longtail tuna should become more prevalent as the warmer waters promote healthy schools of baitfish throughout Moreton Bay. mangrove jack. The warmer water increases their metabolism making them hungrier and more aggressive. Add into the equation a rising barometer and you are usually in for some red-hot red dog action. Casting lures to structure such as bridge pylons, pontoons, mangrove snags, rock bars, rock walls and any other current altering obstacle and you are in with a chance. Soft plastic shads and diving minnow lures are most popular but you can also use topwater offerings, blades, soft vibes, soft prawns, baitfish profiled flies and numerous other offerings. The closer you cast to the structure the better your chance of enticing a jack to strike. Live baits fished around these same areas will also work a treat. Anglers commonly use herring, pike, yakkas, slimey
mackerel, mullet, banana prawns and even silver biddies. These are usually presented with a minimum of lead adjacent to these structures and in the deeper holes around bridges. Early morning, late afternoon and night sessions offer some great opportunity for scoring a mangrove jack. Flathead, estuary cod, trevally, bream and occasionally others are taken whilst targeting jacks. THREADFIN SALMON With the regular showers and storms we have had over the last few months plus rising water temperatures, threadfin salmon have moved down most of the major systems and are now regular catches in the lower reaches again. Rainfall lowers salinity, which forces the prawns out of the feeders creeks, drains and shallows and down the system. The Brisbane River always has good numbers
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DECEMBER 2021
Sand and blueswimmer crabs are always a welcome addition to the Christmas feast.
of threadfin at this time of the year and they are regularly found in schools down towards the mouth. They are often very noticeable on well dialled in marine electronics as their large air bladders produce a prominent return. However, just finding them is often not enough as they can sometimes be quite difficult to tempt, especially with artificials. Good offerings to try will include soft vibes, blades, paddle tail plastics, prawn profiles and even jerk shad plastics. These are worked through the schools of threadies, which are generally close to the bottom along the edges of the decline into the main river basin, the fronts of the jetties, along the ledge in from the sewerage shute, the dredge holes near the mouth and the swing zone. At times they can be seen well in under the jetties ,which makes them hard to target (you must remain a minimum of 30m from the jetties) and even harder to extract if you do get a hook up. At night they can sometimes be found around lighted areas such as docks, bridges and riverside restaurants as they are tempted by the crustaceans and baitfish species held in the area by the illumination. Live baits of mullet, herring, banana prawns, pike and biddies can all tempt threadies when fished close to the bottom with a minimum of lead. Those hot, humid days with storms building can offer some of the best thready action during the warmer months. PRAWNS A select few prawners have managed to get a feed of medium-sized banana prawns during most of the winter period by doing
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night time sessions to areas of the Brisbane River and other systems. However by now, good numbers of banana prawns should be found on occasion in systems such as the Brisbane, Caboolture and Pine rivers. How good the run will be depends greatly on the rainfall we receive during late November and early December. This lowering salinity will force the prawns down the systems to areas where they can be targeted by the prawners. Deep holes along these systems will often see the prawns lift and show around the tidal changes. You might be able to get out and get a few prawns for the Christmas feast and their numbers will be on the incline in coming months. LONGTAIL TUNA There’s a decent chance of finding a few longtails in Moreton Bay over the coming month. The warmer water temperatures commonly see good schools of baitfish in the bay and these are often closely followed by longtails. The numbers and individual size can vary a lot. Sometimes there will be large schools smashing it up on the surface and at other times you may only find a few individuals
cruising around looking for morsels to engulf. They can be very easy to hook at times and downright frustrating at others. It pays to try different profiles until you find one that is to their liking, if at all. It’s amazing sometimes how a 20kg fish will only be interested in a 2cm long offering and will refuse anything larger. Sometimes they will just be cruising around in a casual manner
and slurping up micro bait which are virtually clear with just a black dot for an eye. Obviously this is virtually impossible to find a replica of that which can be cast on a spin rod. Early in the season the baitfish are fairly small therefore I will often resort to casting small baitfish profiled flies in an attempt to get a hook up. Small-profiled chromed slugs will sometimes be small enough to get their
attention yet still heavy enough to cast a reasonable distance on braided line. Even when they are eating small baits they may eat a larger offering at times so it is always worth trying a stickbait or pencil popper if all else fails. Longtail numbers might be sporadic over the coming months but it is always worth having a spin rod rigged and ready whilst transiting throughout the bay.
School mackerel numbers have been great all year. Let’s hope we see some decent schools of spotted mackerel show in the bay during December.
CRABS The warmer months are the best for crabbing. Whether you like to target sandies or muddies, setting a few pots during December will generally reward. Periods after serious rainfall are usually prime for targeting muddies as the lowering salinity pushes them out of the upper reaches and out into the main system. Pots set along the edges of submerged ledges, at the mouths of drains and gutters feeding out of the mangrove expanse and in the deeper holes will generally reward. Safety pots are best set with fish frames and heads, whole mullet, chicken carcasses or even a few pillies in a fine mesh bait envelope. Sand crabs can be caught in the same pots and with the same baits yet are commonly found around the mouths of the rivers and further out into Moreton Bay. The surrounds of the bay islands, the deeper channels between them, submerged ledges and contours out in the bay and the edges of the sand banks are prime places to set your pots. Ensure that your pots are adequately labelled as per fisheries regulations or you risk forfeiture or a fine. Have a proper crab-
Southern
measuring device aboard and check that your floats meet regulations. Milk, petroleum and other bottles are not permitted because if someone hits them they may puncture and sink which results in a derelict or ghost pot which kills marine life. Ensure you can identify different crab species and be aware of size and bag limits which vary for different species. The Fisheries Queensland website will have all the information you need to be legal. CONCLUSION During December there are a lot of great angling targets as well as crustaceans to be caught. You can often target several species in the one session with some planning around the tides to optimise your chances. In the weeks leading up to Christmas I am sure many of you will be out and about gathering fare for the festive spread. With heightened numbers of anglers on the water, many of them inexperienced, a little more patience is often needed on the water and at the boat ramps. I hope you all have a great festive season, stay safe on the water and get some awesome new tackle under the Christmas tree.
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NSW
Warm water glamour crew COFFS COAST
Rob Taylor
I’m just back from a trip to South Solitary Island (or ‘The Light’, as locals affectionately call the southernmost island in the Solitary Islands chain), and we brought back a couple of 8kg kings in the ice bag. As is usual for this time of year, yellowtail kingfish have been schooling up around the northeast corner of the Light and are falling to trolled lives, jigs and stickbaits. Fish size ranges from 3kg
The author with one of the kings he managed to stop.
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rats to 20kg+. The other big news this month has been the ongoing hot bass bite and arrival of the season’s first mangrove jacks. The Clarence has absolutely fired for big solid bass this season, but
it seems not all systems are following suit; I did a 6-hour hike along the Nymboida when it opened and only managed one cod. It will improve though as the season progresses. Offshore anglers have
Cameron Hall posted an excellent second placing in the East Coast Sport Fishing Clarence River Bass Open with fish like this.
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Robbie Sullivan (right) and his mates bagged this great feed in close off Station Creek.
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been getting mixed bag sessions, with some fishos finding solid patches of snapper, trag and pearlies and others struggling to get a feed. It’s transition time though as the cool water species start to make way for the warm water glamour crew of pelagics to arrive and take all the attention. Let’s take a look at what the next few weeks should deliver as we run into Christmas. CREEKS, RIVERS AND ESTUARIES As mentioned, bass are pretty much everywhere at the moment and the bite should only improve as the cicadas start their deafening summer shrill. While the bigger systems are sure-fire locations, don’t overlook the smaller creeks as the fish should
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NSW
be right up in the upper reaches by now. Cod will also be jumping on lures such as spinnerbaits and crankbaits of all sorts. At the time of writing, access into the Junction on the Nymboida was still blocked (you can of course do what I did and walk in but it’s a fair hike including a heartbreak hill). Hopefully NPWS gets this sorted as the sign on the gate does say it should have opened on 1 November. Expect to find some good bass and cod fishing if you can put the effort in on the Mann and Nymboida systems. In the salt, big flatties, jacks and GTs will be there for the taking, as will large whiting on the flats. It’s a great time of year to be in one of the local creeks or rivers flicking some lures around. Drifting live baits such as poddy mullet along the break
be the first smatterings of Spanish mackerel taken by the super eager anglers. If any Spanish are caught it will be from around the bigger islands of North and South Solitary. Keep an eye on the water temp and current movements as there are always a few lone fish which turn up ahead of the main summer mackerel run in February. As always, snapper, kingfish and bottom species like tuskies and pearl perch will be on the reefs, with the kings etc out on the
deeper grounds from 30m east. The snapper should be fairly well spread out in all depths. Two final words before signing off this month’s report are to wish you all a merry and safe Christmas out on the water, and a quick shout out to local tournament angler, Cameron Hall, who managed an excellent second placing in the East Coast Sport Fishing Clarence River Bass Open which wrapped up in October. Well done Cam!
Laurie Banks with a good-sized king taken from the Light on a trolled livie.
Cameron Hall is fast making a name for himself on the tournament circuit.
walls of the bigger rivers such as Wooli, Urunga and Nambucca will produce big lizards and jacks. ROCKS AND BEACHES Some really good jewfish have been taken by fishos throwing lures off the rocks and baits off the beaches. Pick your time and tide and you too can lock horns with a silver ghost. Tailor will still be around but their numbers will dwindle as the water warms. In their place, whiting, bream and dart will start moving into the beach gutters so all up the rocks and beaches are well worth a prospect at this time of the year. OFFSHORE Way out wide there are still good numbers of striped marlin along the 100m line, and some big blues and small blacks should start jumping on baits and lures by the time you read this. There might, and I repeat, might,
Henry Pallett caught this lovely trout on opening weekend at Niangala, after dropping a lot of fish. It measured 34cm and was tempted by a Jackall Chubby Deep Diver in the shallows.
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Happy holidays at Gippy Lakes GIPPSLAND LAKES
Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com
There’s a new type of flood here in Gippsland. Instead of water there are thousands of tourists heading this way from metro Melbourne, finally unchained from those COVID shackles. Christmas accommodation bookings are full to the brim now that lockdowns
and panic buying of toilet paper seem to be a thing the past. Victoria is free and Gippsland is open for fishy business. RECORD BREAKING BREAM If you’ve wondered about the health of the Gippy Lakes, rest assured that if the size of the fish is any measure, things are looking better than good. I’ve been getting reports of some real trophy fish being caught over the last
Ari Wilde might be a young fella but he catches big bream!
month, including a 54cm bream caught in the Tambo River and a 50cm bream from Lake Tyers. I’ve yet to track down pictures but I hope to get a look at the 54cm bream because that’s the biggest I’ve ever heard of for about 30 years! The Nicholson River has a terrific run of bream upstream from the bridges and a lot of them over 40cm, mainly caught on lures and frozen prawn. The best tips for the Mitchell River are around the snags at The Cut and downstream towards Two Bells. I fished with Tony Pettie recently and although the water was dirty after recent rains, we still caught bream to 38cm on Sprat 85 Hurricane Hybrid lures. Adam Wilde and his son Ari were camping at Lakes Entrance recently and went fishing in the North Arm area. Ari scored himself a cracking bream around 42cm, which was a great effort for an 8yo fishing land-based. Adam kindly mentioned how he and his son love the Fishing Monthly mag and all the effort the writers put in. Don’t forget there are so many land-based options
around the Gippy Lakes, especially the jetties of Paynesville and nearly the entire length of the Tambo and Nicho Rivers in their estuary zones. SUMMER WHITING The buzzword for the upcoming Christmas holidays is definitely whiting. Every angler I know has been talking about the ever-growing numbers of King George. Those tasty fish have been biting for the whole of 2021, and for the second year in a row they were caught right through the cold months. The real trick now is work out what bait to use. Pipi baits are now impossible to find due to the closure of the Victorian commercial harvest, and the vastly reduced South Australian quota now goes to the lucrative restaurant or market trade for human consumption. I’ve been using mussel baits, and although they are a bit harder to keep on the hook I swear they work as well as pipi. Shrimp is another ripper bait, along with Bass yabbies, but good luck with using squid because it doesn’t seem to be as effective in the Gippy Lakes as Westernport or Port
Tony Pettie with a chunky bream caught on a Sprat 85 Hybrid soft plastic. Phillip. The well-known whiting haunts include Metung and from Nungurner down to Kalimna. SNAPPER AND GUMMIES Here’s a challenge for those keen to try something a little different over the holiday season. Around the Metung area live a lot of pinkie snapper to about 38cm, and they readily take lures and baits meant for bream and
whiting. They hang around the deeper jetty pylons and along the edges of weed beds. Now, gummy shark also show up at times between Kalimna and Metung, yet hardly an angler ever targets them. I’ve seen them caught to 4ft long at Metung. Try your usual gummy baits, fish the deepest water you can and dedicate plenty of hours to get a result. Merry Christmas and a fishy new year to all.
Hot action in the lake MALLACOOTA/EDEN
Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com
Leaving the cold winter weather behind and heading into the best time of year has seen plenty of people turning up for the summer holidays, and with the warmer weather the fishing has really come alive. The past month has seen some big storms come through the Gippsland area, and
big seas as a result of the strong winds. This has limited the amount of days for fishing offshore. The big seas have created good gutters on all the local beaches with plenty of salmon being caught. The salmon are still coming into the lake with the tide and are being caught in Harrisons Channel and around the Channel markers out to John Bull marker. Those anglers that have ventured offshore are still catching some gummy shark, with the odd sand
flathead being caught. The water warming over the coming months will see both tiger flathead and sand flathead really come on the bite. The real fishing action has been in the lake, with black bream, yellowfin bream and dusky flathead along with sand whiting really coming on the bite. The lake entrance is really starting to shallow up, and with so much sand inside the entrance I wouldn’t be surprised if it closes. A good drop of rain is needed to keep
This yellowfin bream was caught on a hardbody lure in the Bottom Lake.
Plenty of good eating size flathead are being caught in both the Top and Bottom lakes. 100
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it flowing. Those anglers tossing lures have had good success on the yellowfin bream in the Bottom Lake. Fish are being caught over the shallow sandflats around Goodwin Sands and the entrance area, with small hardbody lures working well. Fishing the same areas with fresh bait such as prawns has also been successful. Sand whiting are also being caught in the same areas, with the best bait being beachworm or nippers fished on the
run-in tide. The Bottom Lake also has big schools of small tailor, making it hard for lure fishing, especially soft plastics. The water is crystal clear in the Bottom Lake, making the fishing tricky. The water colouration improves as you head into the Top Lake. Fishing the rock walls has been good for black bream, you just need to keep on the move to find the areas where the fish are feeding, and concentrate your efforts in these locations. It doesn’t
matter whether you’re using lures or bait, you need to keep on the move. Once again it’s the usual story – if you have put in the time fishing this system, you will have no problem catching fish. It’s a big system where local knowledge is an important part of your success. The summer months are the best time to chase bass. With rain events stirring up the upper reaches, the bass should be fired up for those anglers willing to put in the time.
VIC
East Coast
Summer days in the surf LAKES ENTRANCE
Steven Pryke
A bit of normality has finally returned to Lakes Entrance. With COVID restrictions changing throughout the state, small tourist-based towns such as Lakes Entrance have begun to receive the much-needed support. With the days growing longer and warm, the surrounding waterways have begun to warm up. This switching in the season brings more variety to our local fishery. The popular whiting beds have been highly productive, with anglers bagging out on King George whiting. The same old paternoster rig has been very effective. Something that’s been great to see is the variety of species in our lakes since the removal of commercial netting. Snapper have become more and more common in the lake, and areas such as Metung harbour have become good areas to target snapper. The many boat docks and rocks are ideal, and lures such as small micro jigs like the
Stocky size estuary perch have been common in the lake.
Majorcraft JigPara are a deadly approach, especially for the deep areas or when there are large schools of baitfish. Our local beaches have been very popular with local shark anglers. With warm currents hitting our section of coast, places such as Lake Tyers beach are hotspots, and as we continue through summer large game fishing gear will be commonly seen on our local beaches. LAKE TYERS With the lake wide open and no signs of closing anytime soon, the lake is getting a massive flush out which was massively overdue. The lower sections of the lake are crystal clear, with anglers commonly watching large bream cruising across the flats. The combination of light winds and long casts with a Chubby-style hardbody has been a productive pattern to catch these spooky bream. Heading upstream, the timber-lined edges and deep tea-stained waters are ideal areas to target bream over the many snags and muddy flats. Suspending jerkbaits have been highly
A solid bronze whaler caught off Lake Tyers beach. productive, especially natural prawn colours. Estuary perch have become more and more common in the lake, showing that the stocking has worked. If you have been out
for a fish lately and have a great pic, please send it to stevenprykefishing@ gmail.com with a short description, and you could be featured in an upcoming edition of Fishing Monthly.
Amazing estuary catches BEMM RIVER
Robyn Sturgess
It is so good to have our customers back and our businesses open. We are well and truly back on track for the festive holiday season, and there’s no doubt we will be handsomely rewarded with some exceptional fishing. Remember, with summer upon us, it’s time
to get organised and book your accommodation now, to avoid disappointment! In recent weeks we have seen some amazing catches. Bream have been the dominant fish, with flathead starting to come on the bite as well. The preferred bait has been frozen prawn and cut crab. The lure fishing has been a struggle due to the low water level, as the entrance remains open at time of
Anglers have been getting good catches of bream.
Flathead are starting to come on the bite.
writing. Whilst the water level remains low, throw your sandworm pump in because it makes a great teaser bait. The perch have been found around the mouth of Mud Lake, especially on the edges of the weed beds. The river fishing has been reasonably successful, but due to low water it can be tricky navigating the snags etc. The surf is producing
good runs of salmon and tailor. Recently some night anglers picked up some nice gummies and a couple of bronzies. A lot of fun can be had on the beaches with your light gear catching golden-eye mullet in the first breakers – it’s great, actionpacked family fun. • That’s it for this month. If you have any enquiries, give me a call on 0427 584 233 – the phone is always in my pocket!
This was WIRF Leader Greta Duff’s first fly fishing trip to Steavenson River that produced this beautiful wild brown trout. DECEMBER 2021
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Let’s end on a high AUGUSTA
Anthony Gillam
As I was walking along the river pathway between Ellis Street Jetty and the Colour Patch this morning I was drawn to the struggles of a jewel beetle as it tried to right itself after a spill onto the concrete surface. It was then that I realised that the year was just about done, with these beautiful insects only appearing in the warmer months. With one of the wettest years in recent history occurring over the southwest it has certainly felt like there has been no definite separation of the seasons. Even the fish runs have been out of whack, with whiting especially unpredictable this year. As there has been a large
using river prawns or coral prawns probably due to the discoloured water making the use of soft plastics and hardbodies lures hard work. Closer to town around the jetties there are still a number of large herring and some variable sized whiting but the skippy seem to have moved on at the moment. Those with access to watercraft have been making the most of the current King George whiting run that seems to be better than ever. Many of the biggest fish are in the dead water and the channel at Colour Patch. Unfortunately most of the fish are just size, which means that the recovery amount of flesh per fish is pretty poor. The good thing is that if you persevere there are some fish in the 30-33cm range that make a much better meal. Coral prawn pieces,
but also any lure that resembles them. Trolled lures or jigging are both good options and it doesn’t take long to pick one up, especially around lumps on the bottom or exposed reef out in the bays. As the weather warms, beach fishing options are much more attractive than in the cold blustery conditions of winter. The longer and warmer days give you plenty of chances to pick up a feed from any of the excellent beaches we are blessed with in Augusta. It
Graeme and Kevin are both happy with their respective catches of a beast queen snapper that easily matches the dhufish for size.
Augusta local Bailey Ellis took time off from diving for some topside action and snagged a solid dhufish for his trouble.
Jason Morgan with a pair of dhufish on a pre-closure trip to Spot X. Not to mention the kidney slapper King George in the esky. amount of freshwater entering the river systems it has not only muddied the waters (figuratively and literally) it also had the hangover effect of changing the inshore saltwater clarity for quite some distance. There has been a noticeable lag in when the whiting arrived and also it would appear that the increase in material in the water has also meant that there is a lot more food available for those fish that are around making them a bit more fussy lately. The Blackwood River continues to fish very well for black bream as was borne out by some of the excellent fish captured during the recent Molloy Island Bream Fishing Competition held at the Molloy Island Holiday Park. There where a number of 38cm+ fish around the 1kg mark landed including those by the winning junior anglers. Many competitors were successful 112
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blood worms and cockles are by far the best baits to be using but with the number of herring and small tarwhine around the softer baits soon get destroyed so squid is always a good backup option. Demersal fishing has been off the books with the seasonal closure but that is due to be completed after 15 December. Everyone with a boat is looking forward to getting after some inshore and offshore fish for the Christmas holiday break. One thing I have noticed is that they always seem to be well and truly on the bite straight after the closure. Until that happens we console ourselves with a feed or two of whiting or go chasing some of the common pelagic inhabitants of the area. Kingfish are probably one of the most frequently targeted and provide an excellent feed. They love live baits especially squid, scad and slimy mackerel
also means that you can keep the kids entertained for long periods of time, on the cheap and with a distinct decrease in their screen time. Easily accessible beaches such as Hamelin Bay, Storm Bay and Cosy Corner are perfect for summer conditions and overall are pretty family friendly. That being said, there are always dangers when children and water are concerned so it is important to keep your eyes on them at all times. Water and wind conditions can change quickly and it is easy to be caught out. Beach fishing in general is always good in Augusta and you can pick up a feed
of most of the general bread and butter species without too much trouble. A paternoster rig with two droppers is about
all you need to get into the action. Fresh fish strips, squid or mulie pieces work pretty well. Just use a sinker heavy
I would not recommend taking children to most of them in the area. As with most rock fishing locations, there are a range of fish commonly caught here with a classic mixed bag the usual result. Herring, skippy and tarwhine are always around, garfish and leatherjackets are a reasonably common catch with sharks and kingfish also a possibility. Berley is key and a good trail will bring them from all around and concentrate them in your area. Bottom rigs are often snagged on the reef and lost so I prefer an unweighted line if possible or if needed, the smallest weight that will do the job. Soft plastics jigging grubs and chrome metal lures are also very effective with most common species. Rock fishing can be very productive in Augusta but it can also be deadly. Choose a spot that allows you the
A typical legal sized salmon commonly found in the Hardy Inlet. This one took a bloodworm meant for a King George whiting.
Emma is very happy with a bight redfish, one of the best eating fish in the ocean. Caught on a trip out with Leeuwin Marine Charters.
enough to hold its position in the surge and target any features you think look like they would hold fish. Want something bigger then upgrade the rig size, add a whole fish as bait and you may well pick up a snapper, mulloway or shark. One thing to keep an eye on is the wind, southeasterlies can make the town side beaches unfishable, however, a quick trip to the Hamelin Bay side will usually provide flat conditions suitable for throwing out a line. Many people rock fish when on holidays down this way and when the conditions are calm this can be a very enjoyable experience. Other than fishing off the marina rockwalls and some of the smaller rocky areas such as Flat Rock and Elephant Rock
chance to seek refuge from any king waves and don’t let calm conditions fool you into thinking you are safe. Rogue waves are just that and can quickly result in being thrown into the water. People have died here after being washed off by king waves. • Unpredictable weather can quickly affect the fishing conditions and slippery rocks are a recipe for disaster. Please remain vigilant when rock fishing; wear a life jacket and tie off to something solid. You can hire one for free from Augusta Xtreme Outdoor Sports at 66 Blackwood Avenue Augusta -the local tackle shop and font of all local fishing knowledge. Look for the big green sign on the roof, it’s right next to the BP Service Station.
LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE…
INTUITIVE Fish moving CONTROL in closer ESPERANCE
Murray Johnson
out towards Warrenup, you can encounter good flathead, plenty of herring, and salmon. Boat fishing in town and around the bay will continue to produce the occasional squid and plenty of sand whiting. There is also the possibility of bluefin tuna coming back. Some schools have been spotted but they’ve been further out; hopefully they will migrate in closer this month, as they often do. Mixed in with them are bonito and some good size snook. Opportunities still exist
big numbers. You can also encounter bigger mulloway up to 40kg, plus plenty of salmon and big tailor to 3kg. The best time to target these beach species is the around full moon or new moon with the peak tide movement. As the water moves higher up the beach, it creates more food sources and feeding opportunities for predators. Closer to town, salmon will continue to school this month, and the herring will continue to get into bigger schools. With the rising water temperatures, we’ll probably see squid slow up
Here on the south coast it feels like we’ve had an extended winter, with not a lot of sunshine, a fair bit of wind and also rain, which is always good for farmers but not fishers. Now that summer is here we will start to see warmer weather and rising water temperatures, and with that comes a change in the types of species we tend to catch. Herring will come in bigger numbers and bigger sizes, with the bull herring appearing. The best places to fish for them in town this month will be the Tanker Jetty, Taylor Street MELBOURNE ALBERTON and local beaches at Fourth MELBOURNE MARINE CENTRE ALBERTON MARINE Beach and Stockyards. The 39 Johnson Street Alberton 92 Hallam South Road Hallam best approach off the jetty is P: to (03) use 5183 a float 2344and fish P: (03) 9703 2003 theF: surface, using small (03) 5183 2219 W: melbournemarine.com.au long-shank no. 6 hooks W: albertonmarine.com.au and prawn or squid for MORNINGTON PENINSULA bait. It’s important to use MY MARINE BENDIGO a bit of berley to get the Cnr Nepean Highway & OUTDOORS fishBENDIGO into a MARINE feeding & frenzy. I recommend mixtureEpsom of Ponderosa Place Dromana 160 Midland aHighway pollard and fish3988 oil. P: (03) 5448 P: (03) 5987 0900 If the fish get into that W: bendigomarine.com.au W: mymarine.com.au feeding frenzy, it’s a good opportunity to use lumo tube MORNINGTON PENINSULA on MELBOURNE the hook to create a DIY NAUTICAL MARINE BLand MARINE lure, winding it through the612fish.614 YouPlenty can opt to Preston add 141 Hotham Road Road a small to move the Sorrento P: (03)sinker 9478 1420 hook further down in the F: (03) 9470 4638 P: (03) 5984 1666 water column. The best W: blmarine.com.au E: info@nauticalmarine.com.au times to fish are still early in the morning and late in W: nauticalmarine.com.au theSHEPPARTON afternoon. Occasionally a bit of aAND highMORE tide around BOATS TOORADIN lunchtime will keep theShepparton fish P&J MARINE SERVICE CENTRE P/L 207 Numurkah Road moving along, and you can P: (03) 5822 2108 101 Tooradin Station Road Tooradin catch fish then, too. (03) 5821Creek 2908 Boat P: (03) 5998 3107 F:Bandy Harbour will see plenty of W: boatsandmore.com.au E: pjmarine_services@bigpond.com King George whiting caught A nice double-header of nannygai caught thisMORWELL month, although the on a trip with Blackjack Charters. GEELONG average size MARINE tends to be Image courtesy of www.facebook.com/blackjackcharters. CRAWFORD PORTSIDE MARINE CENTRE small at this time of year. 71-77inChickerell Morwellaround the islands 36-38 GeelongaRoad Portarlington Mixed with theStreet whiting to chase bit, but opportunities will (03)plenty 5134 6522 willP: be of flounder, samsonfish andP:yellowtails open up to target bluefin tuna. (03) 5259 1110 small flathead and even the as they remainE: info@portsidemarinecentre.com.au in close, A good way to fish for bluefin F: (03) 5134 6455 occasional blue manna crab. with fish up to 30kg not is to troll shallow water/ W: crawfordmarine.com.au W: portsidemarinecentre.com.au At this time of year, the uncommon. There are surface lures, such as a Black samsonfish of queen Magic Jet Setter in purple or ECHUCA tend to come also still plenty MELBOURNE back in to the beaches snapper, sea sweep, and the pink, with that extra bubble EADEStown, XTREME MARINE THE MARINE SHOP around along with occasional nannygai. action creating more interest 24 Sturtflathead, Street Echuca bigger skippy Guys heading out wide for the fish. You can also troll 6 Holland Drive Melton around the 2333 1kg mark, will still see bigger sambos a Halco Laser Pro or similar P: (03) 5482 P: (03) 9747 0588 andF: a(03) continuation and have in pilchard colour. There 5482 2133 of the going up to 40kg, F: (03) 9747 3999 small bronzies. the opportunity to chase are plenty of opportunities W: xtrememarine.net.au themarineshop.com.au Heading out of town, yellowtail kingsW:around the to throw small stickbaits or one of the best places will 20kg mark. Nannygai around slugs at them too when they MELBOURNE be BRAESIDE Thomas River, which the 50-60cm mark should come around the boat. Good JV MARINE WORLD should see good numbers also be in good numbers. options for this include the TRIPLE M MARINE of 878 salmon, the Road occasional plenty of Drive Halco Slidog and the Ocean’s Springvale BraesideThere are still117 Northgate Thomastown mulloway, bronze harlequin Legacy Slingshot. P: (03) 9798 8883whalers, queen snapper,P: (03) 9465 8787 and skippy around the 2-3kg and breaksea cod too. • Established in 1986, F: (03) 9798 7554 F: (03) 9466 mark. At Poison Creek we In the coming weeks1418 Southern Sports and Tackle jvmarine.com.au canW: expect to see schools of it will be worthW:atriplemmarine.com.au trip out specializes in the supply salmon forming, plenty of to Israelite bay and The and servicing of fishing sharks and also big tailor. Cliffs. There’s 100km of equipment. They have an If you’re heading west pristine white sandy beach extensive knowledge of the of town, there’s always to drive along as you look local area and provide all good fishing at Roses, for opportunities to chase brands, whether you’re which again produces good different species. It’s not fishing from beach, jetty or salmon schools at this time unheard of to catch flathead boat. Come and chat to the of year, along with tailor, to 3kg off the shore, and friendly staff at Shop 16, The skippy and the occasional there are bronze whalers Boulevard, Esperance or bronze whaler. If you head around the 1m mark in phone 08 9071 3022.
VIC MERCURY DEALERS
South Coast
LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE… WA
INTUITIVE CONTROL
WA MERCURY DEALERS BUNBURY BLUEWATER MARINE 18 Hawkins Street BUNBURY P: (08) 9791 1499 F: (08) 9791 1497 E: bluwater@bigpond.net.au W: bluewatermarine.com.au EXMOUTH EXMOUTH AUTOMOTIVE & BOATING 5 Griffiths Way EXMOUTH P: (08) 9949 2795 F: (08) 9949 4795 E: exautomotive@bigpond.com W: exmouthautoandboating.com.au MANDURAH MANDURAH OUTBOARDS 53 Gordon Road MANDURAH P: (08) 9581 7224 F: (08) 9581 6305 E: james@mandurahoutboards.com.au W: mandurahoutboards.com.au ALBANY RUSTY’S MARINE U2/205 Chesterpass Road ALBANY P: (08) 9842 1022 E: rustysmarine@bigpond.com W: www.rustysmarine.com.au WANGARA HI TECH MARINE 12 Uppill Place WANGARA P: (08) 9309 2888 F: (08) 9309 2397 E: sales@hitechmarine.com.au W: hitechmarine.com.au
DECEMBER 2021
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Arvor 705 Sportsfish with 225hp V-6 Mercury
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Hodson and the team have a reputation for taking the time to explain – especially to new boaties – the intricacies of owning a boat. What I didn’t know was that they
PERFORMANCE RPM.............Speed.(km/h).... Economy.(km/L) 600 .................................. 4 ....................... 1.75 1000 ................................ 7 ....................... 1.84 2000.............................. 12 ....................... 1.18 3000.............................. 20 ...................... 1.10 3500 .............................. 31 ....................... 1.35 4000.............................. 41 ....................... 1.37 4500 .............................. 48 ....................... 1.29 5000.............................. 55 ....................... 1.06 5500 .............................. 63 ....................... 0.89
You may not realise this at first glance, but the cabin is offset with the starboard side having a wider walkway than the port side. 126
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There is no doubt that European styled and imported boats are gaining traction in Australian waters. Over the last couple of years we have seen several large European brands hit Australian shores and find a loyal customer base. Nearly universally these rigs are cruising-style boats, with some made specifically for fishing. They are beamy, deep and not a hull designed for high speed, but they do offer lots of
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s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au
comfort for their users. Brisbane’s John Crawford Marine has specialised in used boats for the last 55 years in the eastern suburbs. Matt
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Steve Morgan
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Main: The Arvor 705 is a distinctive European hull, but boasts selfdraining decks, high gunwales and fantastic stability. It’s well worth checking out as a serious fishing boat in Australian waters. Above: Powered by Mercury’s V6 225hp outboard, the rig reached 63km/h at wide open throttle and 5500rpm.
225hp is the maximum rated engine for this boat. Anecdotally, it performs very well with a 150hp as well. The hulls are designed to work with lower horsepower than we would expect in Australia.
There are many benefits of an enclosed cabin. This rear sliding door is lockable.
have been the Arvor dealer in my part of the country for a long time as well. Matt arrived at the ramp at Manly on Brisbane’s Moreton Bay with a brand new Arvor 705 Sportsfish. Powered by a V6 Mercury 225hp outboard and carried on a Redco aluminium I Beam trailer, it sure looked the part behind his Landcruiser. This hull has been built especially for fishing and features self-draining decks, high gunwales and some neat, underfloor, plumbed tanks that keep your catch from messing up the deck. The hero of this boat, though, is the lockable cabin with three doors – one at the rear and one on each side. Apart from the security advantages of being fully lockable, the three doors
allow you to manage airflow in the cabin. And having enclosed cabin is important because of the hull design. The Arvors feature a blunt bow and do throw spray in any sort of a sea. The best place to be when you’re quartering it? Inside the cabin. In the video of this boat test, Matt explains the advantages of this hull design. “The design team from Arvor make absolutely no excuses about the design… there’s no way that we have the softest riding hull. What we do have is a hull that at rest has superior stability, which is what you need when you’re fishing, jigging or having lunch,” he said. “The fully-enclosed wheelhouse has dual windscreen wipers and can deal with any spray the
If you are a purist sight angler, this may not be the boat for you; the front casting deck isn’t huge. But if you’re after a stable platform with high gunwales, the Arvor may well be your boat.
Top Left: There is a small seat in the middle of the front casting deck. Top Right: The anchor winch is neatly located under a flush hatch. Anchoring is push button. Bottom Left: The hard top is solid and has rails to grab in the right places when moving from bow to stern. There is a sunroof and plenty of other room for mounting radars or extra storage. Bottom Right: The addition of a bow thruster is pretty neat and lets you manoeuvre around docks with ease.
In the cockpit there are two fold-down seats. Also, the big centre hatch is supported by gas struts and under it lives your table and access to the bilge.
blunt hull throws up. The beam that carries forward gives us more volume, and what that means is that the toilet can have a holding tank and we can take some environmental responsibility rather than pumping it out,” he continued. Indeed, there’s lot of boat for its length. Although called a 705, the actual hull length is 6.45m. We haven’t seen many boats with more crammed into them than this Arvor. The rig is powered by the maximum horsepower, 225 Mercury V6 4-stroke. Spinning a 15” Enertia, 3-blade stainless steel propeller, it got to 63km/h at 5500rpm achieving 0.89km/L. The best cruising speed was at 4,000rpm where it delivered 1.37km/L at 41km/h. Couple that with a 200L fuel tank and you have a theoretical range of around 250km at economical cruising speeds. Is this enough for your purposes? Driving the rig was a breeze, especially with Mercury’s Active Trim
engaged. This takes over boat trimming for you and although most experienced boaties’ first impressions would be that they don’t need the motor to do that for them, the fact is that it’s like an automatic car. Once you stop reaching for the trim button, you can appreciate that it makes driving easier. You do need to be careful of the side sliding doors and to latch them in place – whether closed or open. They can slam shut if you forget to do this and they are built solidly. Back to the transom, and there are transom doors on either side and a 4-rung sliding ladder on the starboard side. This is essential for getting in and out of the boat when it’s on the trailer. It’s just too high to get in any other way. The Aussie-built bait station is mounted on top of the live bait well and folds forward on the centre section when the motor needs to be trimmed all of the way up. The cockpit boasts a couple of folding seats that Continued over
Sliding, lockable doors on the port and starboard side let you manage airflow and security while on the water and at berth. DECEMBER 2021
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