Fishing Monthly Magazine | December 2023 by Fishing Monthly

• SUMMER TACTICS • DRIFTING FOR SQUID • LOCATION SPOTLIGHT

Revisiting the rocks: hone the stones by Toby Grundy QLD

NSW

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Features

Summer surface techniques • Starlo is fishing the bridges • Testing Booth: DUO lures • Hone the stones • Drifting for squid •

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From the Editor’s Desk... Thank you to all of the readers and advertisers who called or messaged about the new magazine format – we appreciate the support. There’s no denying that our vast volume of information that’s presented monthly now REALLY looks the part. And we bet all subscribers loved the ‘thump’ of their mail on the table when the magazine and the inserted Suzuki Outboards catalogue arrived. I know that Australia Post loved it, it weighed over 500g which meant that it cost nearly $4 an issue to mail out! We’re back to normal size this month and remember that if you’re suffering cover-price shock, then subscription

means that you’re still getting it at less than the OLDER cover price. Kym will sort you out on 1800 228 244 if you want to lock in pricing and save about 50% on the cover price each issue. GILL NET FREE GBR GETTING CLOSER It’s a matter of weeks now until most of the gill net licence symbols disappear from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Big congratulations are due to Queensland DAF for helping facilitate this process. It’s a thankless task with plenty of commercials, who will be compensated for their licences, savaging the hand that’s feeding them.

Don’t listen to the rhetoric about local seafood supplies drying up. The gill net proportion of the catch is only a few percent of overall production (less if you include aquaculture product). What it will mean is that there’ll be a better chance for the 90% of anglers who catch 10% of the fish to be able to catch their own barra. Tired of copping the narrative that there’ll be no way for those who don’t go fishing to be fed by local seafood? Tell them to set up their operations as an NPO (nonprofit organisation). That way they’ll be able to feed more people for their efforts. Minister Furner – stay strong and let’s finish this job! The Gulf is next.

INSIDE This Issue

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

New England Rivers

Esperance

105

Hunter Valley

Bunbury

106

Brisbane

Batlow

Augusta

107

Northern Bay

Albury/Wodonga

108

Noosa

Canberra

Metro Mandurah

109

Bundaberg

Lancelin

110

Mackay

Kalbarri

111

Townsville

Exmouth

111

Hinchinbrook

Karratha

112

Cairns

Freshwater

114

TAS

FISHING MONTHLY MAGAZINE

Warrnambool

Cobden

87 88

Port Douglas

Cooktown

Port Phillip

Cape York

Phillip Island

Freshwater

Gippsland Lakes

NEW SOUTH WALES

REGULAR FEATURES Hone the stones

Drifting for squid

Port Albert

Starlo: Build a bridge

Lakes Entrance

Summer surface techniques 16

Marlo

Sheik of the Creek

Mallacoota

Testing Booth: DUO lures

Robinvale

What’s New Fishing

Bendigo

OzFish news

Yarrawonga

Fun page

Wangaratta

100

Tournaments

116

Shepparton

101

Tagging Tales

120

Eildon

101

Trades and Services

122

Ballarat

102

Tide page

123

Crater Lakes

103

Test: Mercury Avator

124

Gippsland Freshwater

103

Sydney Rock

Sydney South

Ballina

Coffs Coast

South West Rocks

Hasting

Port Macquarie

Central Coast

Port Stephens

Swansea

Illawarra

Batemans Bay

TASMANIA

Bermagui

Hobart

All material is © copyright, and cannot be reproduced in part or in full, by any means, without written permission of the Managing Editor. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher.

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Gerard McGrath from Tackle World Lawnton with a coral trout from Montebello Islands on board Blue Lightning Charters. A Gerard McGrath image.

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FEATURE

Location

FMM

Revisiting the rocks: hone the stones CANBERRA

Toby Grundy

In February’s issue of Fishing Monthly, I wrote an article about rock fishing. I focused on a few general and simple elements that had, in the past, helped me land a lot of good sized pelagics on the South Coast of NSW. These elements included what structure to look for, the types of lures and also a few different retrieves. Over the past few months, I’ve

spent a lot of time on ‘the stones’ and have honed several of the techniques I wrote about in February. I’ve also uncovered a few extra bits and pieces which have improved my rock fishing game. So, for this feature I’m going to delve a bit deeper and unpack more of what fishing from ledges is all about including new lessons I have learnt since I last wrote about pelagic fishing. ADAPTABLE JERKBAITS I came late to jerkbait fishing from the rocks. I’m sure it has been around forever and a day but, for me, I only

discovered how effective these lures are near the end of last year. I remember standing on a rock platform and watching a salmon school

anything else. First cast, I watched two salmon peel off the school and smash the lure. From that point on jerkbaits have become my go-to for fishing off

Main photo: A 4-8kg rod with a fast action is essential! Above: David Heaton landed this nice salmon while using a rip-stop retrieve.

Ben Lane with a small bonito that took a liking to a small jerkbait. 8 DECEMBER 2023

move closer and closer to my location. The fish weren’t touching any of the metals I pitched into the school and I couldn’t get any of the plastics in my tackle box to move fast enough. I had an old pink Rapala 90mm jerkbait (sadly discontinued) on the second shelf of my tackle tray gathering dust so I tied it on more out of frustration than

the rocks and I have at least a dozen in different sizes and colours, and brands that see plenty of use each session. Nevertheless, a lot of jerkbaits only have one action (especially jerkbaits that dive 1-2m below the surface) and that is a tight shimmy as it travels through the water at speed. The tight shimmy is very effective for the most

Location FEATURE

FMM part but there are times when this one action isn’t enough to trigger a bite from a roving pack of pelagic fish. After one particularly frustrating session using jerkbaits and watching the pelagics chase and then turn away from my lure, I started doing some research into jerkbaits that produce a variety of very different actions when fished at different speeds. The jerkbait has to be adaptable to mimic the forage that the fish are focused on rather than the fish adjusting their feeding to jump on a passing lure.

pelagics but also those that might be more shut down but could be coaxed into a strike by the ‘wobble’ rather than the ‘shimmy’. THE RETRIEVE I have honed my retrieve style to suit some of the new jerkbaits I have been using. In the past, I was focused on getting as much ‘shimmy’ out the lure as possible and getting the lure back as quickly as possible, however, now I’m concentrating more on producing the ‘shimmy’ for the first 10 winds of the reel followed by a ‘wobble’ out of the

There are very few angling experiences that compare to battling a king off the rocks.

Small to medium sized salmon indicate that larger fish won’t be far away. With this in mind, I’m now fishing jerkbaits that have a tight shimmy style action when retrieved fast but when I slow the lure down, they have an exaggerated wobble. I have found that the majority of the fish in any given school will be looking for a bait which is moving incredibly quickly or a bait that is wounded, even if may not be the preferred food source at the time. By having a jerkbait that is capable of two different actions, it means that I can fish the lure by amalgamating two different retrieval styles and target not only the active fish in a school of

lure for the next 10 winds. To do this, I start the retrieve by cranking the handles as fast as I can with the rod tip pointed down towards the water. This produces the ‘shimmy’ action as the jerkbait dives to its maximum depth and ensures the lure is travelling as quickly as possible. Once I’m 10 winds into the retrieve, I start raising and lowering the rod from facing straight down to up past my hips at a medium pace to get the lure to ‘wobble’ instead of a ‘shimmy’. Basically,

The Jackall Squirrel 79 is a great choice for this type of fishing.

I think of it as a 10 and 10 and then I ‘rinse and repeat’ the process until I’ve wound the lure all the way back to my location. Increasingly, I’ve become more and more interested in chasing kingies whereas I was once interested more in catching a lot of different pelagics in one session. I have found that this retrieve where I am mixing it up and switching from ‘shimmy’ to ‘wobble’ and then back again is far more likely to get the kings interested. If I haven’t had any interest using the shimmy/wobble retrieve then I switch to a rip/stop retrieve combined with a figure-of-eight retrieve. Again, this is about trying to get the lure to mimic either a fleeing bait fish or a wounded fish. To start, I wind up the slack after the cast and then once the line goes tight, I rip the rod from waist height down to my feet without winding and then return the rod to waist height before winding up the slack and repeating the process for 10 winds. I then point the rod down so that the rod tip is facing the water and for 10 or so winds, trace

DECEMBER 2023 9

FEATURE

Technique

FMM

Surface techniques for summer species braid mainline should be ideal. Suitable leaders can be either nylon mono or fluorocarbon. To be honest, I’ve been using the same brand and type of leader for all my light tackle lure fishing over the past 10 years and that is Sunline FC Rock fluorocarbon. I’ve stayed with this for years because in my early days of using it I

CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley

There are a variety of different species in fresh or saltwater that can be tricked into hitting a lure on the surface. Although it’s possible to tempt a fish on the top at any time of the year, the warmer months tend to be best. As with all forms of fishing though, there are the usual tricks of the trade so to speak. GEARING UP When I first started casting topwater lures, the choice of which type of line to use was simple. It was either nylon mono or nylon mono! Nowadays we still have nylon mono, but there are all manner of different braided lines and fluorocarbon

Lure choices are endless, but when it comes to common species like bream, bass, perch and whiting it’s often best to stick with lures in the 45-55mm size range like these.

Typical bass lures like these may also interest bream and estuary perch or even barra. However, sometimes the hook sizes or the way the hooks hang off the lure mean that fish like bream for example won’t always connect properly. 16 DECEMBER 2023

to choose from. Without going into extreme detail, the best approach when choosing lines for casting surface lures is to generally stick with big name brands such as Daiwa, Sunline, Shimano, Berkley and so on. There are plenty of cheaper alternatives, but the more unknown the name, the more likely you’re taking a gamble with it and it could simply end up being a bad investment. In most cases, when chasing fish like bass, bream and tailor, it’s fine to just use a standard light spinning outfit. That means a reasonable quality, light action rod about 2.1m long, with a 2000-2500 spinning reel. Once again, I highly recommend sticking to bigger, more reputable brand names when purchasing rods and reels. If your most likely target species are bream and whiting then a 3kg, or 6lb,

Estuary perch are present in many estuary or lakes along the NSW coast and Victoria. They love surface lures and the thin profile stickbait type lures can be particularly effective when used around sunrise or sunset.

Technique FEATURE

FMM managed to land a few big bream, bass and flathead that I really should have lost after they drilled me through some extremely gnarly obstacles. The FC Rock was very good to me, so I just keep using it. Sometimes though, when casting smaller lures, under 50mm, nylon mono can actually be a better choice. The reason is that fluorocarbon is more of a sinking line and it can actually drag the nose of a small surface lure slightly downwards

or under the surface. It may depend on the specific lure and even the salinity of the water, as lures are less buoyant in freshwater. So, I’d say start out by using fluorocarbon leaders as a general guide but consider nylon mono as a leader material for some situations. I normally use 3kg or 6lb fluoro for general estuary fishing when bream and whiting are the primary target species. If flathead, tailor, smaller mulloway or

Bass in most waterways absolutely demolish surface lures. As with all forms of fishing though, there are certain techniques or tricks we need to learn in order to successfully target them with topwaters.

Tailor and surface lures make for some very entertaining fishing. These fish were caught in Lake Macquarie just before sunrise.

bigger bream are on the cards or if I’m fishing particularly snaggy places, I’ll use 4-5kg (8-10lb). Baitcasters may be preferred by some anglers, particularly when chasing bass, cod or barra in impoundments. In my younger days I was a big baitcaster fanatic and I still own a number of baitcasters, however, I mostly prefer light spinning reels these days. Of course, if your target species are larger barra, cod, kingfish or queenfish then you’ll probably be going up a few line classes in order to deal with these beasties. Still though, in most cases a 10kg mainline and 12-15kg leader

should be fine. THE LURES There sure are heaps of different surface lures around and they range from el crappo cheapies that you’re better off ignoring, through to overpriced exotics that I would never personally tie on the end of my line. Once again, to be practical, it’s normally best to stick with known brand names. Daiwa, Ecogear, Heddon, Maria, Rapala and Lucky Craft are some that come to mind, but there certainly are plenty more worth considering. Let’s also not forget what goes between a lure and a fish and that’s the hook.

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GLIDESDALE DECEMBER 2023 17

QLD Southern

FMM

Volatile weather increases activity BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

With summer officially here, we’ll definitely experience rather hot conditions over the coming months. Warm temperatures can create rather volatile weather conditions with fluctuating barometric pressure and thunderstorms the norm. This in turn promotes increased activity and heightened metabolism from many species. For us fishers, this creates prime opportunity to get amongst an awesome array of pelagic and demersal species. Let’s look at a few commonly encountered summer species that you can expect to encounter during December. LONGTAIL TUNA One of the more prized Moreton Bay targets during December is the longtail tuna. These can often be located feeding erratically on the surface in a display of wanton mayhem. They will herd and attack many different baitfish species including whitebait, frogmouth pilchards, gar and many others. Often the water churns with activity as tuna smash through

profiled flies are often the only offering small enough to create interest however you will need to be able to cast a fly rod a decent distance to be able to get in the game. Live baiting around areas where baitfish are likely to congregate, such as the shipping channel beacons, current lines and artificial reefs will often get the rewards. Yakkas, slimy mackerel, gar, pike, cowanyoung and several other prey species can be used. These are commonly pinned on a twin-hook snelled rig with the leading hook placed sideways through the nose, then deployed in the upper third of the water column. Circle hooks work exceptionally well when the tuna is allowed to run with the bait and the line allowed to go tight, without any aggressive striking. MACKEREL Whilst there should be plenty of school mackerel throughout the bay in the coming months, we may even see some spotted mackerel begin to show. These didn’t really appear until late January last year but can show up at any time once waters begin to warm. Previous to last year we had very few summertime spotties for several seasons

Last year produced some quality spotties in Moreton Bay and hopefully they will show again this summer. herded schools with activity sighted from considerable distance. Birds are often be your first indicator of action. They will circle overhead, taking the opportunity themselves to score a few baitfish once the tuna push them to the surface. As the birds get lower to the water surface, you know now is the time to get into position for a cast as it’s likely the tuna will erupt from the surface soon. Casting chromed slugs and slices, small stickbaits (the Oceans Legacy Keeling 105H are a personal favourite), pencil poppers, jighead rigged jerkshad plastics and several others will often get the rewards. Commonly you may need to try several different offerings and profiles until you get a positive result as the longtails can be rather fussy at times, only eating offerings close to the baitfish profile on which they are feeding. Sometimes when they are focussed on miniscule bait, it is almost impossible to find an offering small enough to get their interest which can cast the required distance. Baitfish28 NOVEMBER 2023

so it was awesome to see them show. They were quality specimens too with plenty of 70cm+ models and even a few over 90cm being caught. These were often found smashing bait on the surface and I caught most of mine between Wellington Point and the Hope Banks and also between Peel Island and the Naval Reserve Banks. On any given day, anglers found them in a variety of areas although they were often only patrolling in packs of less than 20 fish and moved around rather fast and sporadically. Hopefully numbers will be improved this year with surface smashing schools a common occurrence. School mackerel numbers should be healthy this year and anglers will encounter them in a wide array of locations including around the fringes of the bay islands, the artificial reefs, around the shipping channel beacons, along the Cowan Ledge, The Sand Hills and in all the major channels (Rainbow, Pearl, Rous, Kianga and Small Ships). Schoolies will respond to a wide array of lures and

whole fish baits. Drifting pilchards out behind the boat around the bay island margins, the Shipping Channel beacons and in the major channels will put you in with a great chance of success. When pilchards are rigged nice and straight on a ganged hook rig, hook up rates are high as the mackerel will hit the bait aggressively. Trolling spoons behind paravanes is a deadly technique and allows you to cover a good area of ground in your search. This is commonly done along the edges of the channels on the falling tide when the mackerel patrol these areas, intent on marauding any baitfish species being flushed from the flats with the receding tide. Other good areas to try are the eastern side of Green Island, the 7-10m zone running from Wellington Point up past Ormiston to Cleveland, the western side of Goat Island, the channel leading out from Dunwich, northern end of Mud Island and Middle Bank precinct. Small deep diving minnow lures can be deployed and trolled with good results. Successful spots should be worked over several times as school mackerel are rarely loners. TUSKFISH Those who like a real challenge, and some of the best tasting fillets to be found anywhere, should try targeting a few tuskies. Smaller specimens can be taken on a wide array of baits at times with fillets baits and chunks of green banana prawns working well. However, for the better quality specimens, the prime baits are crabs of almost any species. Ghost crabs, soldier crabs, hairy backs, box crabs, sand crabs, blueswimmer crabs and a host of others can all work a treat. Obviously, you have to obey any size or bag limits to take any crab species, even if using them for bait. Larger crabs, such as the blueswimmers and sand crabs, can be halved or quartered for catching the average tuskies. Those targeting the big blue-bone tuskfish will often use these whole, however you will require some serious tackle (100-200lb line is common) to subdue one of these brutes. Areas with coffee rock, submerged ledges, caves and undercuts, artificial reef structure and natural reef will all hold tuskies of various species. These are one of the tastiest yet hardest fight species available in Moreton Bay so they have a lot of appeal for serious anglers. SNAPPER Many consider snapper to only be a cool weather species however in Moreton Bay they are available to good sizes all year round. There are definitely heightened numbers throughout winter when many larger specimens come inshore to breed however there is enough structure and food in Moreton Bay to guarantee a local population of fish. The artificial reefs are targeted heavily as these consistently hold decent specimens. The various structures (reef, ledges, rubble grounds) around the bay islands is also a drawcard for

A couple of prime Moreton Bay longtail tuna destined for the table. When eaten sashimi style or lightly seared, they are exceptional. specimens of all sizes. Other isolated structures such as wrecks and ledges will also hold quality fish. For those anchoring, baits (both live and dead) are probably the best option however some also cast and retrieve plastics whilst stationery. Baits and plastics are best cast upcurrent then allowed to sink as they drift with the current. When baits are finally behind the boat, they can be slowly free-spooled further to create a more realistic presentation. After a while, reel back in and then repeat the process. Baits can also be used whilst drifting with a paternoster style rig offering good presentation and minimal snagging. Plastics are best fished on the drift, which offers an ideal presentation and allows you to cover a good array of ground. The soft plastic (jerkshad, paddle tail, curltail or crustacean profile) is best cast upcurrent and then retrieved back with the flow to offer a more natural presentation. In situations where you can get a bit of a boat drift, casting out a plastic and letting it sink before simply putting the rod in the holder can be a great technique. This dead-sticked plastic can often be responsible for the better fish which just goes to show how subtle of a retrieve can be used. In addition to snapper, I have also caught longtail tuna to over 20kg, including one 23kg specimen taken on a prawn profile. Obviously, those fishing quality baits are in with a great chance of scoring quality snapper as well as grass sweetlip, cod, mulloway and many other prime species. I prefer fresh fillet baits or salted tuna strips, however squid, pilchards, diver whiting, hardiheads, gar and many other baits make prime offerings. Keep rigging simple and as finesse as you dare utilising fluorocarbon leaders, minimal sinker weights and chemically sharpened hooks buried well in the baits with just the points exposed. Live offerings are the best for XOS snapper with gar, pike, yakkas, slimy mackerel, mullet and herring all working well. Snapper will continue to be caught in decent numbers and to creditable sizes over the coming months

Southern QLD

FMM so don’t discard them as a viable target. THREADFIN SALMON During the warmer months, larger numbers of threadfin salmon can often be located in the lower reaches of the Brisbane River. Although you would think that large numbers of fish may present easy fishing, this is rarely the case. Anglers will often present all manner of lures and sometimes even live baits to no avail. At this time of the year, threadies are commonly feeding on schools of prawns therefore tempting them with anything else is often futile. Anglers commonly use soft vibes, hopping them through the threadfin schools in a prawn like retrieve. This is one of the better approaches but not a guarantee of success. Sometimes you will just have to wait until there is a bite window, which can often occur within an hour or so of the tide change. Obviously, securing a few large banana prawns and then drifting them into the schools on subtle rigging will increase chances. Live mullet, herring, biddies, pike and gar can also work a treat. If you cannot locate any larger schools, anchoring along the declines into the main river basin and deploying a few livies can put you in with a good chance. Threadfin salmon will move up and down the river with the tidal movement, often lurking along these declines, especially on the falling tide. The Caltex Reach, Swing Zone, amongst the yacht

moorings west of the Gateway Bridge, out from the International Cruise Ship Terminal and many other spots along the river are worth trying. Periods with rising barometers often see some of the most activity. Threadfin salmon should be in healthy numbers in the lower reaches of the Brisbane River over the next few months so get out and have a go. JACKS AND COD Activity amongst estuary cod and mangrove jacks increases during the warmer months due to their metabolism spike. This creates more aggressive behaviour, especially during periods of rising barometric pressure such as when storms are building. Whilst mangrove jack are not common in the Brisbane River, they are found in most of the creek

systems filtering into the bay and also the harbours and canal developments. Cod are widespread with black-spot more common in the inshore waterways and gold-spot more readily found throughout the bay. The artificial reefs, wrecks, rock walls, mangrove snags and bay island margins can all produce. I consider cod to be one of the more underrated table fish as they possess flaky white flesh that is very tasty. Cod are most commonly taken as bycatch by anglers targeting other species, however, specific targeting can increase chances considerably. Cod adore crabs so anywhere that estuarine crabs inhabit (such as rock walls, bridge pylons, pontoons, jetty pylons, and mangrove snags) is a good

Estuary cod, such as this gold spot specimen, are a very underrated table fish and provide some great sport on lighter tackle.

place to try. Casting lures close to these structures is a great way to tempt both cod and mangrove jack but you will need fast reflexes, sturdy tackle and a good degree of luck to land any decent specimen. Live baits of mullet, herring, banana prawns, biddies and pike can all work well when deployed close to aforementioned structure. Many bay fish are taken around the artificial reefs and bay islands as bycatch by those targeting snapper, mulloway and sweetlip. Casting lures around the retaining walls at the mouth of the Brisbane River and the eastern side of Mud Island can produce some creditable captures and great sport. CONCLUSION As you can deduct, we are in for a great month or two ahead with many prime sportfishing and table fish on offer. Add to this the serious possibility of scoring a few crabs (mud, sand and blueswimmer) or some tasty banana prawns (the Pine and Caboolture River are usually reliable) and you could potentially score a great seafood smorgasbord for the family Christmas. During December plenty of families are on the water due to annual holidays and the end of the school year so a little more patience and understanding is often required for a day on the water. Ho, ho hope you have a great Christmas and Santa brings you some shiny new tackle to get out and try.

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TESTING BOOTH

The DUO range of lures has a plethora of options to cover your angling needs FISHING MONTHLY

Peter Jung DUO International is a well known brand to Australian anglers that has a new distributer (wholesaler), the Australian family owned

tackle supplier and manufacturer, Wilson Fishing based in Brisbane Queensland. The addition of the DUO brand further enhances an already impressive range Wilson’s distributes, you can go to www. wilsonfishing.com to see the full DUO range as well the gear they supply to

South East Queensland barramundi impoundment anglers have been quick to jump on board the 5” Boostar Wake bandwagon. It offers maximum action on a slow retrieve and can be rigged weedless if required. Photo courtesy of Wilson Fishing

Main: Any fish caught on a surface lure is special. This saratoga came completely out of the water to eat this DUO Shinmushi. No wonder the author is smiling. Above: This blackspotted rock cod decided this DUO Realis 3.5” Boostar Wake was his before any flathead had a chance to eat it.

PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY DECEMBER 2023 2023 156NOVEMBER

the Australian fishing market. In this testing booth I would like to show you a number of DUO models that are available, some are new and others proven favourites, but one thing that I can guarantee is this Japanese-made brand of lures has all the attention to detail and technology that has inspired Australian anglers to part with a few extra dollars to buy the best option for their fishing needs. Let’s get into it.

DUO Realis Boostar Wake The Boostar Wake is a paddle tail soft plastic that is available in two sizes, 3.5” and 5”. I was given a number of the colours in the range (10 overall) to try in the 3.5” size, however it was the 5” size that found its mark first with the anglers targeting impoundment barramundi around Queensland. The profile of the Boostar Wake belies its size, as it seems bigger than it looks (it isn’t I measured it).

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au

TESTING BOOTH working in and over it is pretty easy. The square bill also assists to help bounce it over structure on the retrieve. It has a tighter action than I expected, however the feedback through the fishing rod it provides, inspires confidence on every retrieve.

The first outing I had trying the Kabuki 48MR was in one of my local freshwater impoundments. Very early on in the day I had a retrieve where it felt like every wind of the reel I made, was getting a touch. Amazingly it was, two saratoga were fighting over the lure, with neither

The first thing the author spotted amongst the DUO lures sent to be tested was the Kabuki Bottom Rush Crank 48MR. Here the lure has been retrofitted with Mustad inline singles. A perfect hook up and a great colour too. The body is split into two components, I quite wide ribbed upper section and then a flanged section that begins the tail. Two fins on the main body assist the lure to track straight. There are also top and bottom hook channels to assist with rigging the lure straight. So why have our impoundment barra anglers taken to it? The flange or hinging of the tail means that you get maximum movement at slow retrieve speeds. The body profile certainly matches many of our bait species and also allows it to be rigged standard or weedless. Although already salt impregnated the ribbing also provides a holding zone for your

your favourite spinnerbait, jig spinner or chatterbait lures. While trying the plastics I have enjoyed plenty of success on the local flathead and Australian bass, with the bluegill,

Two saratoga had been fighting over this Kabuki Crank 48MR on the cast before this bass thought he would get in on the act.

Flathead anglers in Queensland cannot get enough of the DUO Tide Minnow Slim 140. It has been producing some big flathead out of shallow water. Photo courtesy of Wilson Fishing

Big flathead in skinny water love big lures. The DUO Tide Minnow Slim 140 fitted the bill. Photo courtesy of Wilson Fishing favourite scent option. All good reasons why the barra have been loving them. For me the 3.5” version offers plenty of target options from mulloway, snapper, mangrove jack, flathead and estuary perch in the salt, to bass, golden perch, trout and redfin in the fresh. Because of the hinge in the tail, and the action it offers, they are also a fantastic trailer for

green pumpkin red fleck and icefish colours quickly becoming some of my go to options. The plastics are not super strong, but they get the bites, which is really what matters the most. DUO Realis Kabuki Bottom Rush Crank 48MR When I first opened the box of goodies that arrived from Wilsons, the Kabuki 48MR caught my eye. This square billed medium/small diving lure (dives to 2.3m or 8 feet) in my mind has a lot of potential to target many of our Australian native fish. Any of our perch species, Australian bass, sooty grunter, saratoga and English perch (redfin) all come to mind. It is a bite sized snack for most of these species. While putting it through its paces I quickly realised the other features that make it a serious option for our native anglers. It casts very well on spin or baitcast tackle. It is very buoyant, so casting it in and around structure and

committed enough to eat it properly. To my surprise when I sent the next cast back into the same area a bass smashed it immediately. This is definitely a lure I look forward to continuing to explore with. It is available in 6 colours with the chartreuse gill halo and the matt black orange colours providing plenty of action for me. DUO Tide Minnow Slim 140 My question to you is there a lure in more demand than the DUO Tide Minnow Slim 140 for anglers targeting BIG flathead in shallow water at the moment? I doubt that the designers of this lure had this species in mind when they were putting their concepts down on paper for it, but flathead anglers in South East Queensland have taken

Fishing with suspending hardbody lures for bass can be a lot of fun. This Enoggera Reservoir bass took this DUO Realis Shad 62DR in komochi wakasagi colour on the pause and then headed straight into the lily pads nearby.

NOVEMBER2023 2023 57 DECEMBER 2

WHAT’S NEW FISHING

SAMAKI REDIC 50

Meet the game-changer for your estuary fishing adventures – the Redic 50. At a compact 50mm size, this lure packs a punch in the world of bream, flathead, sooty grunter, jungle perch, mangrove jacks and so on. Fitted with trusty BKK hooks, it ensures your catch stays hooked. There’s the DF 50 version, perfect for those mid-level dives of up to 2.5m. With a weight of 4.3g, it’s the confident choice for teasing out those estuary dwellers. For shallower waters, the MF50 is a lightweight champion at 4.0g, diving gracefully to 1.5m. Its array of colours adds a touch of underwater allure that fish can’t resist. samaki.com.au

DAIWA 23 TD SOL HD

The iconic TD Sol reel range welcomes a new member to the family in 2023, with the release of the TD Sol HD. Designed for Australian anglers and our harsh fishing conditions, the 23 TD Sol HD’s robust design begins with a Metal Alloy Monocoque (MQ) Body, with its solid, rigid, one-piece design housing a larger than traditional Tough Digigear gearset. The 23 TD Sol HD also features Daiwa’s newest spin reel design concept, Airdrive Design, which reduces start-up inertia to deliver more control and greater winding ease. A new rotor design reduces weight and enhances rotational balance, while Daiwa’s Airdrive Airbail tubular construction further contributes to weight reduction, improves spool and rotor rotational efficiency and overall reel performance. Other features including Magseal, CRBB, Twistbuster 3, carbon washer ATD Drag, Infinite Anti-Reverse, ABS Longcast Spool, and EVA Knob combine to deliver exceptional strength and refinement. Available in four sizes (2500D-5000D), the 23 TD Sol HD is the new heavy-duty enforcer of the TD Sol range. www.daiwafishing.com.au

DIRTY SAUCE

Welcome to the evolution of fish attractants for tournament and weekend anglers alike. Created in Australia by Dirty Sauce Products, Dirty Sauce Soft Gel Scent has taken off like a mackerel on a finesse line. This year, the crew at Dirty Sauce Products have received a lot of feedback on PBs being caught when using Dirty Sauce in tough conditions or on shutdown fish species, and often both. From the freshwater to the salt, the team has received many photos of bass, golden perch, barramundi, Saratoga, bream, flathead, mangrove jack, snapper, mackerel and more. A standout moment during testing was when a product tester decided to put out a lit cigarette in a blob of Dirty Sauce, and mixed it in. The ashtray flavoured Dirty Sauce was then applied to a soft plastic, and first cast was a fish on. Clearly, this product works! That said, the only way you’ll really know how good this scent is, is to try it for yourself. You can buy it online at the Dirty Sauce Products website. Price: SRP $10.95 (30mL) dirtysauceproducts.com.au

PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY 60 DECEMBER 2023

WILLIAMSON ANTIDOTE GAME ROD 4

The Williamson Antidote rod range has been designed in Australia, and offers anglers a purpose-built rod for Australian conditions. The Antidote Series features two models, both of which come in a spin and overhead configuration. Equally at home trolling skirted lures for marlin as it is dropping baits onto a reef for red emperor, the Antidote range will cover all your offshore rod needs. Antodote rods have been finished off with quality Fuji guides, a heavy-duty reel seat, and durable, high-density EVA grips to make these rods last trip after trip. rapala.com.au/williamson

TT SWITCHPRAWN+

The TT SwitchPrawn+ metal vibration blade has a profile and action like no other, thanks to a thorough R&D program that has produced incredible numbers of fish, along with a comprehensive list of species landed. The weight positioning and extended profile of the blade create an intense vibration, with increased water movement, while the trailing tassels and assist hooks make an irresistible strike trigger. SwitchPrawn+ assists include ultrasharp, Owner, black nickel, chemically sharpened hooks for maximum penetration, while multiple tow points on the blade allow anglers to customise the action to suit their fishing scenario and target species. There are currently three sizes available: 37mm (5.5g), 44mm (8g), and 50mm (13g). There are 16 unique colours in the range, including light natural, dark silhouette patterns, and more vibrant colours, complete with many UV-reactive models and 3D UV-reactive eyes to attract fish and trigger strikes. Price: SRP $15.95 www.ttfishing.com

WHITTLEY SL 27 HT

Whittley Marine Group has launched their new flagship Whittley SL 27 HT OB model at the Melbourne boat show. The SL 27 HT has a completely new internal layout and hull shape, with a deep vee 23-degree deadrise and advanced angles for the softest possible ride offshore. The freshly styled dashboard layout can house a 19” Simrad multi-function screen and Brunswick’s Fathom full boat integration system option, along with the boat’s key operational functions. The V180W windscreen design offers superior strength and increased visibility, and the sports look hard top has twin hatches for airflow, and a newly designed electric rear sun awning. The boat’s layout also enables seamless airflow to the cabin and mid-ship, unlike many imported boats. The subfloor features the new WBGRID timber-free stringer construction, and is foam filled. The SL 27 HT has the largest rear fishing work area ever offered in a Sea Legend, with a moulded track rear selfdraining deck and fishing-focused Fish Master Bait Board option. To check out the extensive list of standard features and options, head to the Whittley website. www.whittleymarinegroup.com.au

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au

FMM

OZFISH

Anglers’ insights through habitat mapping Fishing is more than just a recreational activity, it’s an individual pursuit that allows us to connect with nature, challenge ourselves, and experience the thrill of the catch. Yet, beneath the seemingly simple act of casting a line lies a world of complexity that can make all the difference between a successful day on the water and a frustrating one. This is where knowledge comes into play and it’s the key to unlocking success in fishing. It’s not just about knowing how to cast a line or bait a hook, it’s about understanding the ecosystem, the behaviour of the fish, migration and breeding patters and the intricacies of each fishing spot. Knowledge empowers anglers to make better decisions, adapt to changing conditions and ultimately increase their chances of reeling in the catch of a lifetime. Every day, thousands of anglers rely on tools such as fish-finding devices to aid in locating fish. These devices provide the means to expertly observe underwater, allowing you to determine the fish’s orientation, the presence of bait or food, and the fish’s activity level during specific times of the day. By peering into the water, you can gain insights into the location of snags and underwater structures, the various types of habitats available, and information regarding water temperature and clarity. However, what truly sets apart a dedicated angler is utilising these devices for more than just finding fish. It’s a shift towards becoming a water steward, someone who actively contributes to the well-being of the aquatic ecosystem. And it’s happening more and more across the country.

of knowledge in the realm of fishing. As a community-driven, non-profit charity, OzFish Unlimited is dedicated to harnessing the collective power of recreational anglers to participate in conservation efforts. What sets them apart is its unwavering commitment to equipping anglers with the tools necessary to make a positive influence on their local fishing environments. CATCH MORE FISH When you understand the specific habitats fish prefer, you can target your efforts more precisely. By mapping out where fish are likely to be, you increase your chances of hooking a big one. Recreational fishers are reaping these benefits after habitat mapping was done on 10km of the Murray River which has resulted in more than $140,000 worth of restoration work (and counting) by OzFish through various government grants. “With that data we’ve been able to apply for various government grants to undertake installation of rocky and woody habitat,” OzFish’s Senior Program Manager Murray Darling Basin Braeden

By mapping habitats, researchers and anglers are working together to pinpoint critical areas for conservation, comprehend migration patterns and monitor changes over time. This knowledge is pivotal in formulating effective strategies for protecting and restoring habitats of endangered and commercially valuable fish species. OzFish Unlimited is an organisation that truly understands the potential

Lampard said. “It just goes to show that if you do undertake habitat mapping that data can be used on numerous occasions. “It’s a really good success story for OzFish, this has provided cheap and effective methods for habitat mapping, as the traditional approaches to gathering habitat data was seen as very labourintensive. Government organisations appreciate us helping out.” Another project which has been a

sustainability of fish populations. “These anglers know so much more about their fishing spots now, not only have they helped make it better - but they also know the exact GPS points of the really great snags,” said Braeden. OzFish has taken a proactive approach by creating a comprehensive habitat mapping resource that is readily available to all Chapters and volunteers engaged in habitat initiatives. This invaluable mapping document serves as a standardised guide, ensuring the techniques used across various local volunteer groups are standardised.

roaring success was at Bethungra Dam, 70km north-east of Wagga Wagga, where volunteers from OzFish Wagga Wagga Chapter and NSW Landcare jumped into kayaks to help undertake extensive in-stream habitat mapping late last year. The data they collected showed that there was little in the dam that would help native fish to survive and thrive. As a result, they acquired the skills to create habitat maps using the knowledge provided by OzFish. They divided the waterway into a grid and assessed each section’s habitat, grading it based on its contribution to the fish population. In areas where habitat was lacking, they strategically installed woody and rocky structures to address this deficiency. OzFish Wagga Wagga Chapter President Grant Higginson was one of the volunteers who helped map the dam and said it was thoroughly worthwhile because of its simplicity once you know what was happening. “It was easy. We got a couple of boats and did laps up and down,” he said. “There was hardly any habitat in their which proved why that spot needed to be mapped. Often, we were going up and down finding nothing apart from a stick or a rock. “I was out there a couple of months after the new habitat was put in and you could see a lot of fish in and around the new structures.” OzFish believes that by providing anglers with the means to discover more about their fishing areas they can not only improve their own fishing experiences but also contribute to the

It guarantees that all habitat mapping, whether conducted by volunteers or experienced groups, share a common set of data and analysis procedures. This not only streamlines the process but also enhances the reliability and consistency of the data, making it a powerful tool for informed decisionmaking and robust scientific analysis. It reinforces the collaborative spirit of the OzFish community. But they have gone one step further, with the support of the NSW Recreational Fishing Trusts they have now made this along with other topics an online training course for anglers. The result is the Scale Up OzFish Online Training, which is changing the way fishers build their knowledge and skills. It is a system that is simple to follow, easily understood and accessible to anyone, anytime.   The pilot program has been launched in NSW but there are hopes for it to become nationwide in the future. OzFish’s NSW Chapter members can log in, progress through the modules at their own pace, with a variety of videos and written content helping them along the way.  “We tried to keep it short and succinct, with just the right amount of critical info,” Senior Project Officer Taylah Kirk explained. This project has been funded by the Australian Government CRC program, the NSW Recreational Fishing Trusts and BCF - Boating, Camping, Fishing with support from recreational fishers. – OzFish DECEMBER 2023 61

NSW

Hunter Coast

FMM

Maximise your fun by keeping on the move PORT STEPHENS

Paul Lennon

Summer brings with it some amazing fishing in Port Stephens. There are some great fish on offer this month, whether you are inside the bay, outside the heads or fishing off the beach. The estuary is on fire for a range of species, but the most popular target is the humble dusky flathead. The flatties are making their way downriver to spawn, so this month the bulk of the fish will be found from the mouths of Tilligerry

Some big whiting have been turning up inside the estuary and on the beaches.

and the Karuah River all the way down to Shoal Bay and Jimmys Beach. You can catch them by simply casting out a bait and waiting. However, the most effective method is to actively seek out the fish by covering lots of territory. The best way to do this is by casting soft plastics and hardbody lures around 80-120mm. The trick is to fan an area with casts, then move 10m or so and repeat. If you’re fishing at high tide, try to get right up over the intertidal areas, especially those with mangrove-covered shoreline. As the tide starts to drop, try fishing zones where the fish will drain into, like drop-offs and the mouths of any feeder creeks. Whiting are another fish that peak in numbers over the summer period. The best places to catch a feed of these tasty buggers are the clear sandy beaches down the front of the system like Jimmys Beach, Corlette, Shoal Bay, Nelson Bay and Little Beach. Fish on the high tides using live worms or nippers. You don’t need to cast out very far at all. Remember, light leaders make a huge difference in the clear, shallow water, with 4lb being optimal. Plenty of bream are being caught around the rock bars and islands around Soldiers Point. Surface lures are highly effective on them at this time of year, and the visual strikes make it an extremely fun

way to fish. Crabs are also running well, especially blue swimmers. It’s worth dropping a few pots in the front of Pindimar Bay, Tilligerry Creek and Karuah River. OCEAN BEACH The ocean beaches are holding stacks of big whiting, with gutters along Fingal, Samurai and Stockton all producing. The key to success is quality baits, and whiting love live beach worms and fresh pipi. I like to run a 2-hook paternoster rig with no. 4 long shank hooks, baited with a pipi on one hook and a worm bait on the other. It’s a great way to come home with a mixed bag. Dart, bream and even mulloway are all on the cards when you fish this way. If you’re keen on having a spin for tailor, Fingal Spit is worth a walk late in the afternoon or early in the morning. 20-40g metals are the perfect size for these fish. OFFSHORE A few marlin, mainly stripes, have started showing up on the shelf. Boats have been averaging a couple of bites a day. It won’t be long before a few smaller black marlin show up in close, especially if we get an early push of warm water moving in. The FAD has been producing some

Benji Lennon with his PB flathead. quality dollies around the 10kg mark, although the average size will probably decrease as summer progresses. In years gone by, the bigger fish were caught at the start of the season. There are plenty of trag and squire on the ocean reefs around Broughton, such as Vee, 21, Looking Glass, Sandbos and Mungo. You also have a good chance of catching a mulloway at this time of year, so send a live bait down just off the bottom while you fish for the other species.

A lot to look forward to as water temps rise SWANSEA

Jason Nunn

As we enter into December, anglers’ minds turn to the bluewater, and over the past month we’ve started to see pelagics come down to our part of the coast. Striped marlin have been seen off the coast, but most have been inside the shelf in around 70 fathoms, avoiding the hard-running east coast current. Hopefully as December progresses, the current will back off a bit, and we’ll start to see marlin and mahimahi turn up in numbers. The water temperature has been hovering around 22-23°C in parts, but it will start to warm up in the coming weeks. At the time of writing, we have had no reports of mahimahi on any of our coastal FADs, which is to be expected this early in the season. This will probably change in late December/early January, as the warmer water moves into the reefs. Local anglers have been catching good numbers of snapper all spring, mostly on our inshore reefs in depths of 23-35m. Some good trag and mulloway have also been in the mix. We’ll probably see the trag numbers build as the water starts to warm up. At the tail end of spring, beach fishers encountered big numbers of salmon (which were around 3-4 months late). Salmon numbers have since decreased, but we are starting to see 74 DECEMBER 2023

more bream, whiting and dart along most of our coastal beaches. Beach worms and tube worms have been working well. Tube worms, in particular, are a great bait for both the beach and the estuary. Whiting numbers have been consistent on the run-out tide in Swansea channel, on top of Blacksmiths Breakwater. Low tide is a good time to target them. Bear in mind that it can get quite crowded on those nice summer afternoons. The December prawn run will commence on the 7th, so be sure to get out there and catch some of those tasty juvenile eastern king prawns. Each evening, just after dark on the run-out tide, the prawns will start moving downstream. The run will continue for about eight nights from the 7th onwards, and each night it will start around 50 minutes later than the previous night. The prawn runs have boosted the amount of bream and whiting throughout the Swansea channel area, and there’s been a big increase in squid numbers as well. You can get some good catches of squid early in the morning down in Swansea Channel or up at Marks Point dropover. The squid tend to hole up in these locations during the day, and then move back into the channel system to feed on the prawns during the run. All spring there have been good catches of kingfish at Swansea Bridge. The size has varied, but it’s been a good run overall. Surface lures such as stickbaits

and poppers have been working well for shore-based anglers. If you’re fishing from a boat, the key to success is using live squid. If you haven’t got live squid, you’re not in the race. While you’re chasing kingies, remember that anchoring on the eastern side of Swansea Bridge is prohibited. Using an electric motor or engine in gear is the way to do it. As December progresses, boat traffic will increase around the Swansea Bridge area, making it sometimes quite difficult to fish. It’s best to fish outside of the heavy traffic areas. The council is currently conducting maintenance/repair work at the Ungala Road ramp, and half of the ramp is locked off. We don’t yet know when the maintenance will finish, so feel free to check in with me at the store to find out what’s happening. I also ramp updates on my weekly YouTube reports (search for ‘Swansea fishing report’ on YouTube). The main alternative to the Ungala Road ramp is Thomas Humphry Reserve (Coon Island). However, if you have a bigger vessel and want to go out to sea, you’ll need to book a bridge prior to leaving. You can make bridge bookings through Marine Rescue. Please don’t block the ramp during this busy time, and try to vacate it as quickly as possible. In the lake itself, the key thing to remember in December is there’s a lot of boat traffic, and the fish can switch off.

Your best option is to fish the edges very early in the morning and late into the evening, to avoid the traffic. We have good numbers of flathead in the lake at the moment. In the latter part of December, a lot more flatties will be spawning, so be mindful of that. If you catch a big female, avoid lifting her out of the water if you can. Otherwise, use a big soft net and release her unharmed, so she can lay her eggs. Remember that flathead now have a slot limit of 36-70cm, and a bag limit of five fish. A lot of guys will be crabbing in the lake this month. You can still use four witches hats and two round enclosed traps to catch a Christmas feed of blue swimmers. Mulloway numbers have remained consistent, with quite a few being caught after dark by those anglers prepared to put the time in. Live or fresh squid is the key. There are still good numbers of kingfish throughout the lake, and my tip in December is to source live squid or live yellowtail, and send them down with a downrigger. Remember that hot temperatures on land tend to result in strong northeasterly winds. As well as lowering the water temperatures, strong nor’easters can make conditions hazardous for bar crossings, particularly on the run-out tide. The pressure waves during the run-out tide can be from the heads all the way out to Moon Island.

Hunter Coast NSW

FMM

Stick with big baits to catch the big fish

Mulloway should be on the beaches this month but, as always, the tax man will be about. This one went 13kg with its back half missing. The sharks got two fish before this one, so half a fish is better than none.

by bream and tailor, resist the temptation to target these smaller predators with smaller baits. Persist in your goal of catching a mulloway – you have to think big to catch big. The only time you scale down is to catch bait, particularly tailor. Most beaches along the coast with a good deep gutter are worth a look this month, particularly Windang Beach, as the entrance to the lake is a jewie magnet. Any good gutter after dark is worth a try. Don’t be disappointed if you don’t score fish straight away, as big jewies are a waiting game. Once you put all the pieces together and get that first good fish, many more will usually follow. If you would rather scale down and chase smaller fish, there are school jewies about, particularly on the northern beaches, plus tailor after dark and salmon in the early mornings. Throw in good amounts of flathead and some bream, and there is plenty of action. If you want to grab some beach worms, the whiting are starting to really make their mark, with fair to good catches on most beaches. There is some great fishing in the lake at the moment, and it will only get better over the coming weeks. Flathead seem to be everywhere, and some of them are trophy fish. A few 80cm+ flatties have been caught lately, which is excellent when you consider that 70cm fish have usually been classed as big fish for the lake. The tidal influence has made the entrances to most creeks very shallow, even at half tide. If you do manage to get into the creeks, there are still some nice bream about. Although they will take lures, you can’t beat a live prawn. Live prawns fished into the snags under a very small float will beat lures 20 to 1. There are also some big mullet on offer. Just take a bit of bread up the creeks, tie up to a tree in some of the deeper parts, and lay out a trail of bread on the falling tide. Back down in the main channel, there are plenty of chopper tailor about, and even a few nice trevally around the bridge to keep the kids amused. Minnamurra really starts to fire this month, with flatties over its entire length, and bream and the odd trevally around

Lifejackets must be worn at all times when crossing and re-entering the bar, and if you’re unsure whether it’s safe to head out, contact Marine Rescue. The good news is, if it’s too rough to fish the bluewater, there are plenty of other fishing options to keep you busy in December. Looking ahead to January, we should have good things to report on the rock fishing front. We should see some bonito in close, and other targets like kingfish should be available as well. Merry Christmas from everyone at Fisherman’s Warehouse, and I’ll see

you next year. • Fisherman’s Warehouse Tackle World has a large range of fresh and frozen bait and a huge range of rods, reels, lures and accessories. They also sell and service outboard motors, and have a competitively-priced selection of new and second-hand boats. The friendly staff are all experienced local anglers, and they’re always happy to share their knowledge, whether you’re a novice or experienced angler. Drop in for a chat at 804 Pacific Highway, Marks Point, or call them on (02) 4945 2152. You can also find them on Facebook, or check out their website at www.fishermanswarehouse.com.au.

ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke

Over the years, December has produced a lot of great fish off the local beaches. If you want to land a big jewfish from the beach, this is the month to do it. Success all depends on the tides. If you fish a high tide (preferably one better than 1.7m) just after dark, you are in business. Most open beaches with a bit of surf and a deep gutter will hold fish at some time over the month, but the skill is knowing when. Fresh, big baits are the way to go, particularly if they are alive. If you catch a tailor early in the evening, send it straight back out. It doesn’t matter how big it is; just put a hook in it and let it swim back out. Even if it stays in close, that’s OK because the jewies are often right in the shorebreak just on dark. If you can’t manage a live bait or even freshly-caught baits, you may have to buy some. Fresh squid, tailor, whiting, mackerel, yellowtail and blackfish make great baits. If your baits are being picked to pieces

The school mahimahi should start to get around the FADs this month, and they’ll get better as summer progresses. the bridges. Whiting and even a small salmon or two can be found down around the entrance, particularly on the big tides this month. The best baits are worms and nippers. If you are using live poddy mullet for flatties, particularly further up the river, you may get a big run that tears line off the reel at an incredible rate, before you get busted up. The culprit won’t always be a monster flathead. Some huge eels live around the weed beds and up in the mangroves, and they tend to come out late in the afternoon and in the evening. They can be over 10kg, so that next big run could be Mr Slippery. All in all, with the backwaters warming over the coming weeks, the estuary scene looks great for the kids and the start of the Chrissie holidays. December is a strange month on the rocks, with water temperature fluctuations causing havoc. You can get into some great surface action with kings, bonito, salmon, and tuna in 23°C water one day, and the next day, it will be 15°C, and you’ll catch nothing. It’s a lottery, but the good days are worth it with big kings on the deeper ledges down south around Kiama. Live squid and slimy mackerel are the gun baits, followed by yellowtail and small salmon. A few mackerel tuna could show up this month, and from now on, it is shark time, with hammerheads often taking a liking to your hard-earned livies. There are still trevally about if you berley heavily with bread and tuna oil, and fish pilchard pieces in the trail. While bream are not swarming, there are enough about if you fish light with prawns around the shallow washes. Just be prepared for a few bust-ups when a big drummer shows up. Windang Island should be a prime spot for most species this month, particularly at night, with the lake pouring out prawns and baitfish on the run-out tide. Offshore, temperature fluctuations will cause havoc, with water temps as low as 16°C. This trend often lasts into January, making the fishing patchy. The water should warm at the end of the month, and we could see the first of the black marlin show up. However, it

will more likely be striped marlin over the next few weeks out in the waters of 50-plus fathoms. There have been yellowfin about, but they have been patchy, with schools showing up on the shelf for a day, then disappearing for a few days, then showing up again. It’s very hit-and-miss. Most fish have been falling for trolled lures, but you should always carry a few packs of pilchards. When you’ve hooked a fish on your lure, toss a handful of pillies over the back while fighting your fish. The pillies can bring the whole school up to the back of the boat, and nothing is more exciting than that. A few striped tuna have been about, and mixed in with them have been a scattering of albacore. Some of the albies have been up to 10kg, while others have been as small as a kilo, and don’t even turn the reel. Sharks are on the increase. Just about all species are on offer this month, with increasing numbers of whalers, hammers and tigers heading into January. The FADs should see a few more school dolphinfish start to gather over the coming weeks. With water temps fluctuating, it could be feast or famine depending on the day. In closer, there is plenty of surface action as salmon, kings, bonito and even a few striped tuna terrorise the baitfish population. Small lures cast into the churning schools will keep you busy for hours. The islands and Bass Point have been producing kings on a reliable basis, and this will continue through summer. Live baits are the key, as usual, either drifted or slow-trolled downrigged around the peaks and drop-off areas. You should see them on the sounder, or you can look for bait schools and work your offering around these areas. Like last month, the deeper reefs will have fish down deep so dropping live baits to the bottom and lifting them a few metres will get strikes. Don’t forget to keep a spinning outfit ready for when you hook up, and cast a big soft plastic out behind the fish being landed. This way, you can pick off any mates that may be with the hooked fish. Big knife jigs worked at high speed while waiting for a live bait to get eaten will enhance your prospects, DECEMBER 2023 75

VIC

West Coast

FMM

Portland is the place to be these holidays PORTLAND

the Town Reef and North Shore. We should also see better numbers of calamari of the Town Jetty, Trawlers Wharf and other small landings. Pinkie snapper have also been turning up throughout the bay, with some good-size fish making for a nice feed. This month we should see more catches of kingfish around the bay in the shallow, warm waters. Last year there were plenty of kingfish caught around the Town Reef, abalone farm and Julia Reef. Using a fresh bait is the most reliable way to catch kingfish, such as squid, slimies and yakkas. Trolling teaser strips with livies, small hardbodies and skirts has also proved successful. The summer season also turns on the deep-water fishing, rom Lawrences Roc to the shelf. We can see a huge variety of fish in this area, including blue-eye, ling, blue grenadier and

Nigel Fisher

Portland is really starting to fire up, with some great quality fish on offer. For anyone still chasing tuna, we have seen some big fish caught when the weather has permitted. It’s awesome to see these big fish so late

gemfish on the shelf, to snapper, morwong, nannygai and sharks, and everything in between. We generally see some big makos making their presence felt at this time of year also. Anglers have been encountering good-size gummies, flathead and plenty of whiting around Bridgewater Bay. We’re also getting reports of bream, estuary perch and the odd mulloway from the Fitzroy River, and bream, mullet and salmon in the Surrey River. • The crew here at Portland Compleat Angler would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and a safe holiday period. Plus, if you are making Portland a holiday destination these holidays, call in and say g’day and check out what we have on offer. You can find us at 61 Bentinck Street, 7 days from 7:30am to 6pm. You can also give us a call on 03 5521 1844 or look us up on Facebook. Happy fishing.

Jimmy with a very nice snapper off the breakwater.

Young Jarvis was happy with this 113kg tuna. in the year, and not miles out. It will be interesting to see what happens with big tuna catches for the rest of the year. At this time of year in Portland, one area that’s on every land-based fisho’s mind is the lee breakwater,

and the big snapper that can be caught there. So far it has produced the goods, with some nice size fish. The main baits have been salmon and couta strips. Squid, pilchard and yakkas have also caught their share of quality fish. Hopefully, by the time you read this, the mighty kingfish will have also made their presence felt on the breakwater. As a bonus, the breakwater has also been producing some very nice gummy sharks, squid and King George whiting, just to mix things up. The bay has also been fishing a lot better for good-size whiting, either drifting or at anchor. Plenty of calamari have been coming from the shallows around

Rhys with a trifecta off the Breakwater. READER’S

PICTURE

Ethan was happy to catch this tasty tomato cod on board Truansea Charters from Bundaberg. Mark with a very nice quality breakwater snapper. 86 DECEMBER 2023

West Coast

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VIC

Anglers anticipating an exciting month WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

December is an exciting time for anglers, as we look forward to see what summer will bring. We have had a couple of early tastes of summer recently, with warm temperatures and flat seas making a welcome appearance. These good weather windows have been helping offshore anglers to get out there, and the waters of the South West have been producing some great captures. This should continue as we head into December. The quality deep-water shark fishing has continued to produce

school shark and gummy sharks, as it has for the past couple of months. Snapper numbers have begun to increase as the season progresses. Amazingly, even as we head into November, big southern bluefin are still being encountered and captured by anglers right along the southern coast. Late December usually sees the first of the inshore summer school tuna appear. Will all the big tuna move on, or will there still be a few around to give someone a big surprise if they hook up on light school tuna gear? Late December should hopefully see the first kingfish of the season show up, which is a highly-anticipated event. The forecast warm summer

The first kingfish of the season should show up in late December.

should be a bonus for those who love to chase summer pelagics. December is a great time for fishing the Hopkins River before the holiday crowds really come out in force. Warmer conditions often see shallow water and surface techniques providing some spectacular luring action. Surface fishing with pink grubs, Slippery Dogs, Bent Minnows and the like can be super entertaining as the fish slurp, slash or boof the lure. Mulloway are often a good chance at this time of year, but at the moment they are conspicuous by their absence. Hopefully things will turn around and we’ll get a fresh run of these exciting fish. You’re probably more likely to encounter a sea-run trout than a mulloway at the moment, which is rather unusual. Sea run trout are usually pretty rare in the Hopkins, but there have been quite a few encountered recently. You might not be focussing on trout at this time of year, but a sudden rain event can freshen up the rivers, which often brings the trout on the bite. It’s also a good option if the weather prevents you from heading offshore. Bream and estuary perch can also push up into the lower freshwater reaches as the waters clear, making for some worthwhile sessions. Jumping in a kayak and cruising up the lightly-fished freshwater sections of the Hopkins and Merri is a great way to spend some time, and the

Jimmy Lombardo with a fantastic late season tuna. rewards can be good. If you opt to fish from the bank, be sure to pick those cold days when the snakes are less active.

Hot bream sessions on bait and soft plastics COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

Recently, I paid a visit to the Hopkins River at Warrnambool with a fishing mate, Bruce. The water visibility was low, but it wasn’t flowing nearly as fast as it had been a few weeks before. We concentrated our efforts in the shallows, working the flats with bait and soft plastics. It turned out to be one of those days when you couldn’t put a foot wrong. We only moved three times but caught over 30 legal bream between us, all of which were released. There were no huge, blue-nosed bream amongst our catch; the biggest measured 34cm, and all the others varied from 28cm upwards. We didn’t include undersize fish in our tally, so we probably landed over 50 fish. The bream responded to various baits, including squid strips, fresh shrimp, frozen prawn and pipis, as well as scented soft plastics

in shrimp/prawn patterns. It was definitely a day to remember. Speaking of the Hopkins, estuary perch enthusiasts using minnow lures and soft plastics have caught some good perch in recent times. Plenty of

perch are still down near the mouth wanting to spawn, but there are still some thumpers upstream near Tooram Stones. Go figure. Offshore has been good for snapper, with the bigger specimens

A nice early summer bream taken in the Curdies River around ‘The Island’ on a Damiki plastic.

averaging around 2.5kg+. Some nice gummy and school shark to 19kg have also been brought onboard. Freshly caught squid is the number one bait. Closer inshore, there are plenty of squid to be caught while you’re waiting for a King George whiting to bite, as well as the odd flathead. The weed beds interspersed with sandy patches are the areas to focus on, and don’t forget to lay down a berley trail. The whiting have also been responding to squid strips. Port Campbell jetty has seen schools of pinkie snapper actively moving about in the bay. Many have been caught using pilchard and squid baits fished on a paternoster rig. Most fish have been small, but there have been some better specimens in the mix, sitting at around 32cm and 600g – a nice plate size. Crayfish season is well underway, and anglers using nets or diving in the shallows around the shallow reefs have been picking up some good specimens. These crays are out of reach of the pro boaters. DECEMBER 2023 87

South Coast

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Big bags are back! BUNBURY

Whiteys Tackle and Camping

Warmer days are here and the fish have responded! Southern bluefin tuna have been abundant this year with some of the best numbers on

record with big footy oval sized schools busting up the thick bait schools. The SBTs have been caught as close in as the shipping channel and as far out as 30m. The key to catching these speedsters is to keep an eye

Harry Fowler caught this 44cm brown trout from one of our local dams! Casting at rising fish this time of year is a great way to have some heart pumping freshwater fun!

Left and Right: Sophie and Hudson with some epic bream caught in the Blackwood River fishing comp.

out at all times for signs of activity, whether it’s the birds circling and diving or the tuna themselves getting airborne in their ferocious attack on their prey. Once you have located the general area, try and sneak up on the side of the feeding school in casting distance and cast and fire in a metal or stickbait, crank it hard and hold on!

If they are being tricky and keep going deep before you can get near them your best bet is to get out the trolling lures and hang around the area and you will eventually come across them. A bibbed trolling lure is a great option but for covering ground quickly, a small skirted lure can be ripped along at 12-15 knots (fast enough to have it skipping every

Plenty of species variety on offer AUGUSTA

Anthony Gillam

Here I am sitting at the foreshore writing this article while pondering what life would be without recreational fishing. I realised this morning that the life of a rec fisher in Western Australia is so different now compared to when I was a child over five decades ago. Some of the changes have been good, others I am still waiting to see the merit of (if any) or if the changes actually have been put in place with little consultation or thought, or in fact with an ulterior motive. When I was a small child, there was no thought to the possible environmental impacts caused by the thoughtless or uneducated dumping of various effluents into the rivers and oceans. The slow cessation of these actions were in no doubt for the better

with detrimental chemicals no longer entering the food chain unabated. The most recent decade however seems to have had restrictions put in place without any meaningful engagement with the fishing public. There is nothing worse than being treated like a moron by the various governments who put sanctuary zones, fishery closures and lockouts from coastal and waterways. It has become increasingly obvious that there are a small number of people that believe they will make decisions that affect hundreds of thousands of people in this state. The most recent closure was the sudden ceasing of the greenlip abalone harvest for recreational and commercial fishers. There has obviously been some talk in the past about abalone not recovering to the extent expected in a time frame that someone appears to have pulled from the air. If the stocks are not returning in numbers expected, as there are currently farmed greenlip abalone

A first-grade mixed bag from the river caught by the author while kayak fishing. 106 DECEMBER 2023

being grown in Flinders Bay with the stock coming from a breeding facility in Bremer Bay would not the solution be for the government to purchase stock or take part in a seeding program to ensure that the wild stocks will recover? This can be also said for pink snapper and dhufish stocks, why is there no stocking program in place that can ensure that there will be plenty of fish in the future. Instead of the government spending the taxpayer’s money on committees, groups and advertising telling us that we need to catch less, this could be put into fixing the problem. Marron fishing is restricted to one month of the year to preserve wild stocks yet there are stocking programs in place for trout that are not even native to the waters. Aquaculture is producing stock in vast numbers so the question we should be asking the powers to be is “why can’t this be expanded to take up the slack?” Anyway, that is my current whinge and doesn’t have too much to do with what you can currently catch when in Augusta so let’s get onto more positive things. The river is producing just about everything that you would expect for this time of the year. There are plenty of whiting of the yellowfin and King George varieties everywhere in Hardy Inlet but navigating the area has become pretty difficult with sandbars currently growing by the day. It would appear that the cut at Colourpatch is going to close over in the near future as the channel narrows and the beach grows. This will mean that the river waters will no longer be able to empty into the ocean. In the past it has resulted in an increase of nutrient buildup creating an algae problem in the lower reaches. On the

Stacey Veitch scored another cracking pink snapper on soft plastics in Flinders Bay. upside it provides a closed system for the fish and crustaceans, which as a result breed up into big numbers. The crab’s population in particular explodes with numbers rivalling those that you would see in Mandurah and there have been times previously where scooping crabs has been as simple as walking to the water’s edge and picking the biggest blues you see. Everything has its good and bad points, so it is a matter of taking it as it comes. Hopefully better nutrient retention efforts upriver will mean that the problems are outweighed by the benefits. The Town Jetty and Ellis Street Jetty are currently fishing well for whiting especially at nighttime and

South Coast

FMM now and then) can really get the tuna fired up. It is also a great option while moving between spots without having to slow down too much. Yellowfin whiting have been in massive numbers on the local Leschenault flats. Fishing the rising tide with small poppers and stick baits seem to be all the rage. Fishing these types of lures using a slow continuous retrieve with small twitches is your best bet. Long casts are essential so make sure you are always casting with the help of the wind even if you have to walk out first and start casting back into the shore. Even though knee deep water is usually optimal, don’t be scared to cast right up into the skinny water along the shoreline as whiting will feed in water only just covering the backs. As well as the whiting on offer in the estuary, it has also been producing some quality herring, especially around the cut area. These speedsters respond well to a variety of techniques, including metal slugs and old favourite the small length of

tube under a float. Crays are in full force and as usual the guys dropping the pots seem to get great results as the crays

are on the move. Straight out from Bunbury seems as good as anywhere but the ever-reliable Binningup area will produce better results as

early morning as is the beach at Colourpatch. Tidal flow can be strong at times, so it always pays to try and get down there when the change of the tides corresponds with sunrise or sunset for the best chance of a feed. That being said, people catch fish all day long in these spots. I’m a firm believer is that the best time to go fishing is when you are able to, which doesn’t always correspond with the tides. Berley up when fishing and it will invariably attract fish to you. Black bream fishing is red hot at the moment, with fish all throughout the system. I have caught them right into the Dead Water which is currently very shallow in most areas. They are

cutting through the water like a shark on the hunt. Anything shaped like a prawn will disappear in a splash reminiscent of barramundi boofing mullet with the black bream fighting just as hard as a barra lb-for-lb. The Sticks area is producing whiting, black bream, tarwhine and crabs with those fishing into the channels from the outer edges getting the best results. Unfortunately, over the last month many King George whiting were about 1cm off being legal. They lack the bulk of the yellowfin of corresponding length and are a fair way off being suitable for a feed. They are feeding more aggressively than the yellowfin however, and chances are more will be hooked and released.

summer of windy afternoons to contend with; hopefully, they will hold off until after Christmas! Demersal fishing was on and then before we knew it, the next period of closure was happening, and dhufish and pink snapper were off the table again. A few people took advantage of the short chance to get out in the bay for something a bit more substantial than whiting. After having a few good fishing days, it was pretty clear that the dhufish were about in good numbers. Soft plastics were dynamite and with low swell and calm waters it allowed for some nice days on the water. White glow 6-7” paddle tails were the go-to but as usual bait also went well. 35-45m depths were very productive with some bag-outs happening after only one or two drifts. Beach fishing has been pretty quiet with only a few isolated reports of whiting and herring being caught on the regularly fished spots. It is always worth having a wander along the beach looking for gutters, holes or isolated reef as there will generally be something lurking about. Tossing a metal slice lure around will generally elicit a response eventually and it will just depend on what is hungry. Cosy Corner and Deepdene are my go-to beaches but any of the small areas of beach in the Augusta area produce. If you want to try a small, sheltered area then Ringbolt Bay is ideal as it has a small beach with rocky areas at each end, so you can often go from beach walking to rock hopping without much effort. Speaking of rock fishing it has been dependant on the prevailing winds with south easterlies making it miserable most rock spots but with some calm days and gentle northwest winds have also allowed some solid rock fishing sessions. There have been plenty of tarwhine and herring off the rocks but skippy have thinned out

“Have you ever run over a brick while mowing the lawn?” Jake recounted as he described his harrowing experience with this Collie River ghost.

No-one will complain when the common by-catch is a great eating leatherjacket. aggressively feeding in water that is barely able to cover them and smash lures or bait cast in their vicinity. I find that kayak fishing is probably the best way to sneak up on them to within casting range as they seem to be oblivious to the silent approach. It is not unusual to see a group of fish targeting baitfish with their dorsal fins

Slowly retrieved lines with squid strips, worms or cockles are best of the baits currently but glass shrimps are definitely the favourite of yellowfin whiting. Mild northwest winds have given us some very nice fishing conditions but lately the swing has been to the summer pattern of southeast winds. This is possibly going to result in a long hot

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

Archie Newbury, 11yo, from Seville Grove with a 46cm flathead caught on the last cast for the afternoon at Augusta Marina. somewhat. Berley as always is the key to concentrating the fish. The rock-walls at the marina are always a good bet as depending on the wind direction you can generally find a section where it is protected. Even on a windy day the inside of the marina will produce a nice calm environment to catch whiting, herring and flathead. • Rock fishing is dangerous at times and careful consideration of where and when you fish must be done. Unpredictable weather can quickly affect the fishing conditions and slippery rocks are a recipe for disaster. Please remain vigilant when rock fishing; wear a life jacket and tie off to something solid. You can hire one for free from Augusta Xtreme Outdoor Sports at 66 Blackwood Avenue Augusta -the local tackle shop, boat hire and font of all local fishing knowledge. Look for the big green sign on the roof, it’s right next to the BP Service Station in the centre of town. DECEMBER 2023 107

BREAM SERIES presented by

Long run gets Crompton Grand Final win In 23 years, no angler has won the ABT BREAM Grand Final twice. Each year, multiple anglers with a title under the belt vie for their second title, but none have been successful. The 2023 iteration of the season ending event of the Daiwa BREAM Series was no different Scan the QR code to watch the Boater Winners Interview

Wilton plumber, Mark Crompton amassed the biggest limits presented to the weigh master on days one and two and coasted to victory on Day 3, earning a $50,000 Alloycraft/ Mercury boat package for his

Winning the BREAM Grand Final is special - winning a $50K boat to go with it adds to the experience. his final day bag, he needed only 0.29kg to overtake second placed Scott Wilson, and he did it with over 2kg to spare. Day 1: 5/5, 4.935kg Day 2: 5/5, 3.790kg Day 3: 5/5, 2.335kg Total: 15/15, 11.060kg Starting each day at the Ferry at Bombah Point, Crompton put together quick limits each day on a combination of soft plastic offerings, including the Juro Firebait rigged in a TT

HWS Jighead and a Bait Junkie Flick 2.95” attached to a Daiwa Scan the QR code to watch the Field Highlights

1/20oz jighead. After that he would move upstream and fished isolated structure with an Ecogearaqua (50mm, salt and pepper) on a sturdy worm hook to upgrade

Mark Crompton burned all of his big fish spots on day one and built a lead that was never run down. efforts, fitted with Garmin trolling motor and LiveScope system and Green Marine Lithium batteries and charger. Taking the time to come and prefish the entire length of the system several months before the event, Mark figured that if the fish he’d found held up until the November event, then winning was a real possibility. “I was getting over 5kg bags each day in practice in the

Myall Lakes system, starting an hour and half travel from the event site. I lost at least three hours a day to travel but had all the time I needed to get a quick bag and quality kickers for the first two days,” he said. Day three slowed down a lot for Crompton, weighing only the 14th biggest bag for the day, but his 2.5kg lead ensured that he had the title secured on his first cast of the day. Presenting

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

Angler Mark Crompton Scott Wilson Mark Healey Alan Lister Steve Morgan Cameron Whittam Jason Mayberry Ahmad Mahfoud Kris Hickson Brett Crowe

Fish 15/15 15/15 15/15 15/15 15/15 15/15 15/15 15/15 15/15 15/15

The very last qualifier into the Grand Final, Newcastle’s Scott Wilson was the best of the rest.

Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) 11.060kg 9.015kg 8.660kg 8.640kg 8.445kg 8.365kg 8.045kg 8.005kg 7.740kg 7.205kg

Payout Boat Package Millerod Daiwa INFEET rod

to bigger fish. “That first day everything was loaded with big fish,” Mark said, “it was the kind of tournament day you dream about, with big fish tying me up in structure and then swimming back out again. Although Crompton’s bag dropped by over a kilogram on Day 2, it was still the heaviest bag weighed for the day, giving him around 2.5kg lead on the field for the final day.

BREAM SERIES presented by Ultimately, he needed only 0.29kg at the final weigh-in, which he happened to catch on his very first cast of the day. Leading a toast for his good mate, Grant Kime, a previous BREAM Grand Final champion who passed earlier in the year at the event briefing, Mark was pretty sure there was some divine intervention when it came to this event. “I’m sure that Kimey is up there pushing a few buttons for me,” he explained. Being a Daiwa angler, Crompton used an array of Daiwa combos, that are outlined in his comprehensive interview that you can watching by scanning the QR code hereby. WILSON BEST OF THE REST Newcastle’s Scott Wilson was, literally, the last of the invitees to the season ending event. Fishing four qualifying events through the year, he scraped in at the last minute when another angler had to withdraw from the final. Day 1: 5/5, 3.160kg Day 2: 5/5, 3.085kg Day 3: 5/5, 2.770kg Total: 15/15, 9.015kg Making the most of his opportunity, Wilson, who lives close to the arena found an abundance of quality fish in the area of the ferry at Bombah Point in the Myall Lakes and rode that pattern to a top finish. “I’ve done a lot of prawning in the lakes, but not that much bream fishing,” Wilson said, “so I concentrated on places where there was the most current, and for me, that was the channel and flats around the ferry.” He spent all three days fishing there and his most productive bait ended up being the BaitJunkie Flick that he got in his SWAG bag from Daiwa at the briefing. “Ryan Vandeburg (Day 1 NB leader) was my draw on Day one and he was smashing them on the Flick, so I got into the act and switched from the Strike Pro blades I started with. He fished them on a 1/20oz HWS jighead on an Atomic Arrown rod and Daiwa Fuego spin reel, 6lb Daiwa J-Braid and 4lb FC Rock leader. “I started fishing 6lb leader but the Flick definitely caught more fish with the 4lb - it was sinking more naturally,” Scott said. Scott did venture further upstream but retreated to the ferry to fill out his Day 3 limit with Taka Kawasaki. “As the current flow increased, I did switch the

Taka Kawasaki capped a magnificent year from the back of the boat with a first place in the non boater division at the Grand Final. Sydney Suji colour Infeet Kodachi and caught plenty on fish on that crankbait, too,” he concluded. KAWASAKI CAPS OFF STELLAR YEAR Non-Boater Angler of the Year, Taka Kawasaki, backed up his stellar year at the back of the boat with a Grand Final win. He did it fishing three different techniques, highlighting the versatility you need to take the title in a three day event on a diverse waterway. Day 1: 3/3, 1.390kg Day 2: 3/3, 1.945kg Day 3: 3/3, 1.290kg Total: 9/9, 4.625kg Day one was fished with Alan Murray around rocky shallows and islands where he used an Infeet shallow Rolling Crank in weedy suji and sunnygill on 4lb J-thread fluorocarbon. He fished it on an Infeet Z 702 rod and Infeet 2500 reel. He sat in 7th place. Day 2 with Mario Vukic, Taka slid up to 2nd place thanks to a kicker fish and a last minute limit fish in the racks. For most of the day, he fished deeper with a 2.5” BaitJunkie motor oil Grub and a 1/12oz jighead, but this time on Expedition 6lb J Braid

Kicker fish like this gave Taka the weight needed to take the hotly contested title. and X Link leader. But Mario was determined to make sure Taka had his limit, taking him to a oyster rack close to the finish and setting Taka up for his last minute limit. “I used a shallow rolling crank and it swum just over the top of the baskets and it cot eaten,” he said. On Day 3, boater and non boater results lists are aligned, so Taka headed out with 2nd placed Scott Wilson. Fishing the Myall lakes, Taka switched up the presentation again, casting a Bait Junkie 2.95” Flick on a 1/30oz jighead. “At the end of the session,

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

Angler Taka Kawasaki Ryan Vanderburg Nathan Booth Michael Sammut Glenn Hoskin Richard Hadlow Scott Scicluna John Glover Neil Kelly Colin Wilson

Fish 9/9 9/9 9/9 7/9 6/9 9/9 7/9 7/9 7/9 7/9

both of us were short of a limit by one fish, so we drifted in to water shallower than we’d fished all day and had a double hookup to get our limits,” Taka explained. Right after that they had to leave to make the weigh-in time. Rumour has it that next year, Taka is likely making the jump to the boater division, where we are sure all of his skills will be tested as the best bream angler at Daiwa. Scan the QR code to watch the Non-Boater Winners Interview

Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) 4.625kg 4.540kg 4.460kg 4.240kg 3.795kg 3.765kg 3.680kg 3.610kg 3.445kg 3.375kg

Payout $4,000 tackle Millerod Daiwa INFEET rod

DECEMBER 2023 117

BASS SERIES presented by

Braden Schuchs in 2nd BASS Pro Final Win Sydney’s Braden Schuch completed a rare feat - he has become the first angler to win back-to-back ABT BASS Pro Grand Finals after topping the field in the 2023 iteration of the event on Queensland’s Lake Boondooma. Last year, he won a flood-shortened event in the Clarence River after he led the field after Day 1 and rising water levels wrote off Day 2. At Boondooma, he came home strongly with a bigger bag than his Day 1 result to pip Queenslander, Matt Johnson, at the finish line. “I have a fairly hefty drive home and it will probably sink in then,” said Braden as he came to terms with the 70g winning margin over Matt Johnson. The prize was an Alloycraft 463 bass boat, powered by a Mercury 60hp 4-stroke outboard and fitted with Humminbird/ MotorGuide electronics and Green Marine Lithium batteries - worth around $45,000. Schuch had a poor Scan the QR code to watch the Boater Winners Interview

Braden Schuch is a chronic boat collector. This is the second Alloycraft/ Mercury package he has won in the last two years. practice, with only three bass coning to the boat, but he’d checked out the area that he’d done well in during the qualifier earlier in the year and it seemed that the fish were still there in numbers. Day 1: 5/5, 4.640kg Day 2: 5/5, 4.795kg Total: 10/10, 9.435kg Day one saw Schuch’s historical spot pay dividends on a crankbait (Imakatsu IK800) and a chatterbait

Braden had four kicker fish like this and a 750g fish in his day two bag. He thought the small fish would cost him the win.

BOATER RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 118 DECEMBER 2023

Angler Braden Schuch Matt Johnson Mitchell Cone Matthew Langford Ben Hay Shaun Falkenhagen Mick Johnson Tony Thorley Steve Morgan John Noble

Fish 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10

Don't mention to Matt Johnson that the winning margin was only 70grams... (Jackall 1/2oz), yet he was still half-a-kilo short of Johnson, who placed the only 5kg+ limit on the scales. On Day two, Schuch slid around the corner from the scrum of anglers on the front of the ledge and found a small island and flat that showed potential. He set up there and did the damage on the chatterbait and a Hideup HU-400 deep crankbait, given to him be Shaun Falkenhagen the night before. “The weigh in was going to be close, but I thought it would fall the other way,”

Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) 9.435kg 9.365kg 8.360kg 8.270kg 7.890kg 7.765kg 7.545kg 7.415kg 6.995kg 6.920kg

Payout Boat 13 Fishing combo Millerod

Scan the QR code to watch the Field Highlights

Braden said, “I had four kiloclass fish in the bag and 750g one that I couldn’t upgrade.” Ultimately, Johnson ended up 70g short and Schuch went back-to-back. For the chatterbait, Braden used a Daiwa Tatula 712MLFB paired with a Steez A 6.3:1 reel and braid/leader. With the crankbaits, he used 10lb fluoroczrbon straight through on a Daiwa 7’6” medium-heavy regular taper rod with a Tatula 100 reel. “There’s something about the casting distance with fluorocarbon - the mass of the line seems to make it go further, but it hard to get used to the springiness of the line,” he continued. “I’ve got my sights set on the BASS Pro AOY title next year,” Braden said, “I’m going to give it a solid shot and we

BASS SERIES presented by will see if we can interrupt Matt Langford’s streak.” JOHNSON SECOND BY 70 GRAMS Queensland basser, Matt Johnson is a gun at the local tournaments and qualified for the Grand Final with a win on Boondooma in the Qualifier event only months before. As such, he was considered one of the favourites for the event and fell just 70g short of Schuch after the dust had settled. “I’d located plenty of good fish in the shallows in a practice session a few weeks before the event, but come the practice day on the Friday, most of these fish had moved,” Matt said. He re-located quality fish in deeper water about 200m from where he’d won the event, and caught a couple of these on deep crankbaits at the end of the practice day. Like the previous iteration, Johnson did a lot of damage on crankbaits, like the Imakatsu IK800, but this time, added a chatterbait into the mix. And like most fishing the area, he’d replaced a single hook with a pair of smaller, stinger hooks to maximise hookups from finicky bites. “The chatterbait was good for some late upgrades on the gravelly bottom I was fishing and it helped my to my first day 5kg bag,” he said. Taking a lead into the second day, he initially caught

Imagine taking home a tackle board like this! Maz has done it twice now and made a lot of new friends in the process. Scan the QR code to watch the Non-Boater Winners Interview

a limit in 10 casts, casting the deep crankbaits on an 8’ G Loomis CBR 968 rod and Shimano Curado HG DC reel. He mixed it up between the IK and the Hideup 400. He spent the day upgrading, but only by 50g at a time. He needed just one more bigger upgrade to seal the deal and that bite never came. Visibly disappointed after the final weigh-in, he said before the bag hit the scales that he thought he was 50-100g short and the scales proved him right.

The Fab-5. (L-R) Ben Hay, Matthew Langford, Mitchell Cone, Braden Schuch and Matt Johnson.

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

Angler Paul Mazaroli Adam Mears Alan Murray Phil Nix Bridgett Currey Barry Reynolds Troy Lowe Garry Wilton Reece Winters Nick Brown

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

Weight(kg) 6.870kg 4.950kg 4.825kg 4.730kg 4.640kg 4.560kg 4.290kg 3.910kg 3.780kg 3.760kg

Paul Mazaroli seems to land the big bass in the big events when it matters most. The Grand Final is unashamedly a winnertake-all event and he claimed a 13 Fishing baitcast rod and reel as a consolation prize. MAZAROLI TAKE SECOND NB TITLE Harrington’s Paul Mazaroli qualified for the BASS Pro Grand Final by winning the Somerset Qualifier earlier in the year - on the back of a 3kg+ bass that he boated from open water. The roll continued in Boondooma as he drew two lake-legends, but importantly, converted his opportunities to big bags at the weigh-in.

Full results at abt.org.au

Payout $4,000 tackle pack 13 Fishing combo Millerod

“I must have caught 35 legal bass today,’ Maz said when asked about his day with Matt Langford, “ I was looking for 41cm fork length fish to upgrade and threw back a string of 38 and 39cm fish.” Mazaroli predominantly fished a Hot Bite chatterbait that was fitted with a pair of stinger hooks to pin the finicky bites. He fished it on a Daiwa Zillion rod paired with a Daiwa Caldia reel, 10lb J-Braid and 10lb Daiwa X-Link leader. “We were fishing in 24’ of water and you’d cast the bait out, let it sink and then slow roll it off the bottom. During the retrieve, you’d stop it and let it fall back down and try to hug the bottom and that’s where it’d get eaten,” he concluded. This wasn’t Mazaroli’s first Grand Final win from the back of the boat - he also won the most recent BASS Pro Grand Final on the Richmond River and the bounty of tackle it yielded. His must have quite the tackle room. DECEMBER 2023 119

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Can we get the Mercury Avator 35e to plane a 4.5m Alloycraft boat? FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

Ever since Fishing Monthly’s sister company, Australian Bass Tournaments, has run electric motor only events, anglers have been searching for the fastest electricpowered craft they can put together. And it always comes down to the law of diminishing returns. The bigger your motor, the bigger your battery system needs to be, the heavier your boat is, and the slower you go. However, the broad acceptance of lithium-ion batteries is changing the playing field. You can now get large-capacity battery systems that weigh only a quarter of the old lead acid equivalence. Of course, lithium

Main: I never thought I’d see the day where I’d be planing across the electric-only waters of Hinze dam! Although expensive, the Avator 35e electric outboard system lets me do it. Above: Griff is the expert on all things Mercury at the Coomera facility and runs us through the motor specifications before the on water testing.

The 35e runs a 7” pitch composite propeller that’s primarily designed for high thrust. 124 DECEMBER 2023

batteries are expensive, but as time goes on their price reduces, and they become more accessible to the general public. At the same time, outboard motor giant Mercury has released the first of the range of Avator electric motors. We got to play with the very first 7.5e that came into the country. You can see the results of that range test in videos on Fishing Monthly’s YouTube channel.

The test boat was FM’s new Alloycraft P445 punt - this will ultimately become our new small water boat.

FMM More recently, the more powerful versions of the Avator have been released. After bugging Mercury for weeks, we got hold of the 35e – the biggest one in the range to date. Mercury advertises this as having the same acceleration as a 9.9hp

BOATING TEST only one way to find out. Both the 35e and its smaller sibling, the 20e, run on the same lithium-ion batteries. They’re a 2,300W module that basically fits the footprint of a standard, red portable fuel tank. The 20e can run on just one

Up to 4 of the 2.3kW batteries can be added to the junction box to increase range. A minimum of two are required for the 35e operation. combustion outboard. Now, let me say upfront, from a power-to-weight and price point of view, electrics are still nowhere near being a wholesale replacement for your standard 4-stroke outboard. However, there are many situations where combustion outboards aren’t allowed, or boaties want the amenity and ease of use of a petrol-free system. Recently, Fishing Monthly took delivery of a P445 Alloycraft punt. It is a flat-bottomed, 4.5m long fishing platform that weighs only 160kg. We were keen to try to plane it with an electric outboard. We hypothesised that the Avator 35e could, indeed, get this boat on the plane, but there was

of these, but the 35e needs at least two, joined with the proprietary junction box. This box adds up to four of these batteries in parallel, to increase the range of this motor. On the test day, we got hold of the motor, a junction box and two of these batteries. The RRP of this kit is around $15,000AUD, and the extra batteries are around $2,800 each – so the price

Top and above: Mercury does do motor mounts right. The Avator mounts tilt like the rest of their small outboards. The whole motor assembly can be removed with a simple spigot mount system. It takes one button and three seconds. batteries in the system automatically – just plug in and let it do the work. The moment of truth happened at Hinze Dam behind the Gold Coast. It’s an electric-only lake full of Aussie bass, and a favourite amongst

With a maximum speed on 17km/h, the Avator is heading in the right direction to bridging the gap between combustion and electric motors, even though electric is only for niche applications.

It was fun trying to fly the drone and steer a planing boat on Hinze!

is still up there. Maxed out with power, the rig is just over $20,000. Installation was pretty easy. We clamped on the motor mount and found that all Avators have the same, spigot mounting system that lets you remove the motor from the boat in about three seconds. You then plug in the box and plug the batteries into the other side of the box. Five minutes, and it was all done. We left the gear all up on the deck for weight distribution trials, although the box comes with a bracket to mount it out of the way. As an aside, you can actually plug a single charger into the J Box and it will manage the charging of the

SEQ anglers. I dropped the rig in and full throttled it. Holy cow! In seconds, I was planing for the very first time in an electric-powered boat! In most BASS Electric events, you’re going fast when you crack the 10km/h mark. I was planing at 17km/h and loving it. Traditional theory in electric boating is to weight your boat nose down, to reduce the turbulence from the square transom. Less turbulence = less drag and a higher speed and better range. However, this wasn’t the case with this rig. You could run the batteries basically anywhere and she’d still plane. The turbulence isn’t an

issue when you’re going that fast. Like all electric systems, however, the next consideration is range. I graphed the power draw and range (with the batteries at about 90%), and like most curves, the slower you go, you get exponentially more range. Creep around at 5km/h, and you get 56km. WOT it the whole time, and you get 12km. It was interesting that at wide open throttle (1,500rpm), the range was slightly better than 15km/h. This may be due to the hull planing and being more efficient. Dropping this through the prop slip calculator, it’s only slipping 6%, which is quite efficient. It’s supplied with a 7” propeller, which is the only one available. The next step, of course, would be to see whether a larger pitch prop would give substantially more speed. (I wonder whose arm I have to twist at Mercury to find that out?) So, is the Avator 35e an economical replacement for a 4-stroke outboard yet? Nope. Is it a lot of fun on electriconly lakes? Yep! We’re definitely looking forward to seeing how the Avator concept merges with the traditional Mercury range. PERFORMANCE Speed (km/h)

Draw (kW)

Range

(@90%)

5 ........................0.30 .................. 56km 7 ........................ 0.62 .................. 35km 9 .........................1.20 ................... 21km 11 ........................2.00 ................... 16km 13 ........................2.80 ................... 14km 15 ........................3.90 .................... 11km 17 ........................4.60 ................... 12km DECEMBER 2023 125