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Twitchin’ for bass • Tilapia: Curse of rec fishing • Give your lures a tune • Getting the jump on jacks •
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Species Spotlight
Toby Grundy is twitchin’ for bass
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CONTENTS
OUR COVER January 2021, Vol. 1 No.9 TAS
QUEENSLAND Gold Coast 14 Southern Bay 16 Brisbane 18 Northern Bay 20 Noosa 22 Hervey Bay 26 Gladstone 31 Bundaberg 28 Mackay 32 Whitsundays 34 Townsville 35 Lucinda 36 Hinchinbrook 38 Cairns 40 Port Douglas 40 Cape York 41 Freshwater 42 NEW SOUTH WALES Pittwater 48 Sydney North 49 Sydney Rock 50 Sydney South 52 Ballina 54 Coffs Harbour 56 Hastings 58 Forster 59 Port Stephens 60 Swansea 60 Central Coast 61 Illawarra 62 Batemans Bay 63 Bermagui 64 Tathra 64 New England Rivers 68 Hunter Valley 68 Lithgow/Oberon 69 Albury/Wodonga 70 Batlow 71 Canberra 72 VICTORIA West Coast 74 Warrnambool 75 Cobden 74 Apollo Bay 75 Geelong 76 Port Phillip East 78 Port Phillip West 80 Western Port 82 Phillip Island 84 Lakes Entrance 87 Gippsland Lakes 86 Bemm River 86 Marlo 88 Mallacoota 88 Robinvale 90 Bendigo 90 Ballarat 91 Wangaratta 92 Shepparton 94 Crater Lakes 95 Eildon 96 West/South Gippsland 95 TASMANIA Hobart 97 6
JANUARY 2021
From the editor’s Desk...
WA
Rodney Winkleman with a 1m+ coral trout he caught while fishing at Swains Reef on board MV Capricorn Star charter. A Troy Clarke image. Come and visit Fishing Monthly Group’s official Facebook page for all your monthly fishing information. Download QR Reader to access.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA Esperance 102 Augusta 103 Bunbury 104 Mandurah 105 Metro 106 Lancelin 108 Geraldton 109 Kalbarri 109 Broome 110 Karratha 110 Freshwater 112
CAN’T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG? I don’t want to start 2021 on a negative note, but I had a few facepalm moments in the lead-up to the print deadline for this magazine. I’ll give you a few of the details, but all of them could have been solved by a little communication, some common sense and by just being nice to each other. BRIDGE CHAMPION Most savvy anglers know that bridges can be a stalking ground for predators - doesn’t matter if it’s a mulloway in the Yarra, a Central Coast kingie or a Brisbane River threadfin, fish like to hang around the light lines at night and the structure in the day. We were recently throwing lures along a light line on a bridge and a fellow angler decided to anchor in the exact spot where the lures were splashing down. If fact, given the current and the darkness, he did bloody well to get it so precise. After the facepalm, we decided to check out the other structure on the bridge and then found good fish as well. But seriously, use your brain and don’t anchor in the exact position where people are casting. YOUTUBE LEGENDS Some BARRA Tour anglers sent me this one
15 22
REGULAR FEATURES Twitchin’ for bass 8 Tilapia: Curse of rec fishing 10 Starlo’s back to basics 12 Kayaking: Getting the jump on jacks 44 What’s New Fishing 73 WIRF 98 Sheik of the Creek 97 4WD: Nissan Navara ST-X 100 Recfishwest 114 Tournaments 116 Track my Fish 124 Trades and Services 126 Boat Test: Anglapro Sniper 554 Elite 128 Tide page 130 COMPS AND OFFERS Find the logo Sub page Fun page
116 ABT Barra Tour
after a ridiculously successful iteration of the event on Peter Faust Dam. A self-proclaimed YouTube professional took delight in belittling the event anglers because they didn’t catch the fish the same way he was. Here’s a hint: tournament anglers have matured to a point where they’re very accepting of every angler on a public waterway. We all share the waters. We all fish because we love it and none of us are in the position to criticise how others catch fish. We fish amongst trollers, live bait anglers and kids with a handline on the bank. Let’s let them all do it without ridicule. Unless they’re breaking the law, of course, then give them a nudge. KEYBOARD WARRIORS As part of our job here, we publish plenty of tests and reviews on YouTube. Man … you do need a thick skin to do that. There’s plenty of opinions out there and ours is just one of them. But take it or leave it, Y’all are grown ups. Some of the comments are priceless. One viewer imparted some wonderful business advice – that a manufacturer would sell lots more boats if they were $5,000 to $10,000 and not the $60,000 that they were asking. Others really do play the man and not the ball. Here’s a tip for the keyboard warriors: a closed mouth gathers no feet. We really do enjoy the feedback – positive and negative – but coming in swinging is the best way to get your input blocked. So here’s my advice for 2021: just be nice to each other. You can be cranky and abusive in the other parts of your life, but fishing is fun. Let’s keep it that way.
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BASS
Twitchin’ for bass CANBERRA
Toby Grundy
I spend a lot of time walking the edges of South Coast rivers and creeks in search of one of my favourite freshwater sport fish, Australian bass. These fish captured my imagination very
below is everything you need to know to get started. THE METHOD Up until stumbling across this technique, I used to work big, clear pools (with limited flow) quite slowly and would spend a lot of time crawling my plastic along the bottom. I caught fish by doing this, but I always had more luck
another bass picked up the lure. I ended up with five fish from the pool and moved to the next deep pool with similar results. The trick with this method is to start with a walk-the-dog, which is twitching the rod tip up and down while winding at the same time. This is a short, sharp retrieve and
Twitching along a likely area.
A light spin outfit with plenty of power is crucial. early on in my angling career because I live in Canberra and the idea of crystal clear water,
in shallower runs with more snags. However, on my last trip, my plastic became
kicks the lure from side to side. Then once the lure nears the bank, pause the lure for several seconds. Bass are built for speed and therefore this retrieve appeals to their natural inclination to run down prey. By killing the lure near the bank, it makes it a no brainer for the fish as they can then simply pick up what they think is not only a fleeing bait but also a wounded bait. The other real bonus with this twitch, aside from the visual aspect of watching a bass chase down
the lure at a furious pace, is that the lure comes back relatively weed and debris free despite the fact that this is a technique centred on fishing the bottom of a pool. This is because the lure is being retrieved at such a speed that anything the jighead does pick up tends to come off as the lure rips through the water. LURES I use soft plastics for this method because they are suitably ambiguous for the situation. I like plastics that can mimic more than one piece of forage because if the bass aren’t keen on baitfish, they are usually keen on worms or small crustaceans. Therefore, I use Dragon Maggot 2” plastics in natural colours. These are a particularly tough plastic that look like a small baitfish in profile but have a unique tail that when worked resembles a free-swimming worm in the water. I mention tough
because the plastic has to stay attached to the jighead and not slip despite the fast retrieve. The lure is going to hit a lot of rocks, sticks and weeds on the way back so needs to be hardy. I recommend testing out a few brands to find the one that suits the tough conditions. Also, it is important to check out the
Plastics need to imitate more than one food item.
The author caught this fish in fast water. surface explosions and screaming drags was a long way from my reality of targeting golden perch in turbid urban lakes. Nowadays, I am willing to go to great lengths to find new spots and ways of targeting bass and it was on one of these recent trips out in the middle of nowhere that I stumbled across a new way (well, new for me at least) of working particular types of soft plastics to elicit a strike from skittish bass in clear water pools. I like to think of it as a mix of ‘walk-the-dog’ and ‘burn-and-kill’ but for this article I’ll refer to it as ‘twitching’. Outlined 8
JANUARY 2021
snagged on the bottom and, instinctually, I yanked the lure off the snag (and thinking it was covered in weed), started ripping the lure back to my position while using a walk-the-dog retrieve, which is often used with surface lures. Just before the lure reached my feet, I saw a bass chasing and I killed (stopped) the retrieve, the bass scoffed the lure and bolted back to the middle of the pool. I ended up landing the bass and then I cast out again and repeated the process. This time I started ripping the lure back using a walkthe-dog retrieve but I killed the lure halfway back and
way the plastic moves in the water, as the plastic should dart from side to side on the retrieve. Not all plastics have the capability to move in this manner. LOCATION This method will elicit a strike wherever a hungry bass is holding, but is particularly effective when fishing the wider slower
Bass are built for speed so it is important to appeal to their instincts.
pools along a likely stretch of river. The twitch draws bass in because they sense the intruder through their lateral line and will go into a frenzy. The twitch also covers a lot of deep water, which is often skipped by anglers looking for mid water and surface feeding bass. So, in high traffic areas, with deep pools, this method really comes into its own. I have also had a lot of success with the twitch in really fast water. Where a surface lure or diver can be hard to fish in these situations, the twitch works well. The plastic perfectly mimics a baitfish running the rapids and by holding the rod tip low and performing the retrieve, it is possible to keep the lure deep. When the lure is paused in the rapid, the tail keeps moving in the current
BASS providing extra incentive for the bass to hit. TACKLE I use a 7’ fast action light spin rod matched to a 2000 sized spin reel spooled with 6lb braid and 8lb leader. I recommend a rod with a stiffer blank because the twitch is all about getting the plastic to jerk from side to side and this is better accomplished with a fast action stick.
GEAR UP The rivers and creeks that run through areas of the South Coast provide exciting sport fishing but are also a haven for a variety of animals, some of which can be problematic. I always carry a snake bite kit, wear long pants and long sleeve shirts and pack plenty of water, along with mosquito repellent. The other thing to
remember is to pack a lot of plastics and extra jigheads, as overhangs, submerged logs and even large bass will claim the odd lure or two. I think the most important item in my bass fishing arsenal (aside from rod, reel, line and lure) are my sunglasses. A good set of polaroids is a must when fishing for bass, especially when the bass chase the lure
This bass picked up the plastic halfway back to the bank.
Speed is the key to success.
CONCLUSION Twitchin for bass in the deeper, slower pools of a likely creek or river has very quickly become one of my favourite methods to use when targeting bronze brawlers. This technique triggers an aggressive response from
in and you can see the fish and watch how it reacts. I use Spotters Grit with gold leaf lenses because they are designed for peering through snags during high glare periods, but really any polaroids will do provided you can see a metre or so into the water column.
the fish because the lure is travelling at speed and the plastic resembles several prey items high on the bass’ list of favourite foods. It is a retrieve that brings the fish to the angler and it is possible to catch several fish in a likely pool, which makes it a must try!
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9
OLD
Hotting up in the NFZ CAIRNS
Dan Kaggelis dkaggelis@gmail.com
With a month to go before the barramundi open season, Trinity NFZ anglers will be biting at the bit to get
the snags that are submerged all tide. These all tide snags will attract jacks as they offer refuge and protection as well as awesome ambush spots to smash bait fish or, in this case, your lure! The more obvious snags are on the banks of creeks,
Some big threadfin will be out and about in January as you can see here on the Humminbird Mega. to 1 February and tangle with old bucket mouth. In the meantime, they will have to make do with the many other awesome species that thankfully will be hard on the bite in all creeks and rivers. The most obvious target will be the mighty mangrove jack and the good news is they will be chewing hard with the warmer temperatures. Whether you are chasing them in the Trinity Inlet, Thomatis and Barron River or Moon Creek they will be in abundance. One good rule of thumb if you are lure fishing for jacks is to concentrate on the in-coming tide by pressuring
however the better structure are those underwater that you can’t see. Here is where a side imaging sounder really helps as you can see any hidden timber, which is off the bank. I have been finding plenty of jacks on these underwater snags of late and it’s probably because they offer more structure and deeper water, which is a little cooler. The heat can play a huge role in where the fish are this time of year and so they will often seek deeper spots. If you miss the run in, you can still snare a few big jacks by targeting them off the snags and under the overhanging mangroves using weedless plastics or frogs. This is the best time of year to be using this technique as the fish are seeking the overhanging shade to get relief from the summer sun. It’s also the best way to fish for them as there is not much better to do in summertime than catch jacks
There is no better time to target jacks on surface than in summer. on surface. If inshore waters are calm enough, a quick look around the mouth of the Barron River is always a great idea in January, especially if we have had some rain. If we get a good flush the prawns will be moving, and this will bring the threadfin salmon into
play. I have been keeping a keen eye on the usual spots and the fish are there but very scattered at the
summer so let’s hope for a bit of rain to get them moving. Next month it will all be about the barramundi and
This is the perfect presentation to skip under those mangroves.
Jacks will be a likely target in January, especially in shaded areas.
moment. There is not much bait around either and this is what we need to congregate them and make them easier to target. It’s been a dry start to the
I can’t wait to target some of the good schools of fish we have in the NFZ. Much of their movements will be based on the weather so stay tuned for some updates.
Let’s hope for a fresh start this summer PORT DOUGLAS
Lynton Heffer www.fishingportdouglas.com.au
With the re-opening of the QLD borders we are all on tender hooks that this will remain moving forward. After an absolute horror year for all businesses in FNQ, the Christmas trade is a bandaid to help stop the severe bleeding. Overall, hospitality and the recreational fishing sector have been taken to with a sledgehammer in 2020. We are all looking to brighter days ahead, as will most in QLD. Importantly, the fishing has remained positive on all fronts. The reef fishing can be a bit finicky at times in the warmer weather but generally quite productive, and the rivers and creeks relish on the right tides and time of day. We’ve started to see a bit more precipitation 40
JANUARY 2021
around, not excessive, and seas have been very kind in regards to the wind factor. On the reef we have been seeing the whole deck of cards dealt with a real
variety of fish being taken on most days. Coral trout, nannygai and red emperor may take the limelight but they’ve been matched with the likes of reef mangrove
jack, big spangled emperor, long nose emperor, Maori bream, Moses perch, sweetlip, stripeys, trevally and cobia. There’s also been some
There have been quality Spaniards around.
good Spanish mackerel floating around to really add value on certain days. The sharks have been also a bit frisky in the warmer weather but our operators know where to steer clear of the problem areas. For those into their sportfishing the GT popper fishing is great this time of year with mostly calmer conditions on offer, which helps to identify the pooling bait on reef pressure points. Our average size is around 12-18kg but there’s always a few bigger ready to pull your arms off. As mentioned the river fishing has been going great guns and will remain so unless we experience a lot of rain. The moderate amount we have been seeing has only stirred the hornet’s nest bringing them on the bite. Our major rivers have seen a good run on big, quality fingermark, mangrove jack are always nattering away and there’s a great run of
river trevally and at times tarpon for more light gear sportfishing. People always ask about barra, which we are not supposed to target during the closure, but there’s always incidental catches and they must be released. Mornings before the heat kicks in has been best with the afternoons doing best when there’s a bit of cloud cover. Looking ahead, it is always a big question time on the wet season approaching. Going on previous logs over the years and local knowledge I suspect the near future is going to be fine. However, I’m never one to put my head on the chopping block when it comes to that crystal ball. Yet we look forward to some much needed activity and check us out on the website for the best fleet of boats whether it be river, reef or game angling.
OLD
Finding beasts from the deep COOKTOWN
Justin Coventry
The weather is so good at this time of the year and, with glass out conditions, it’s such a joy to be out on the water. The conditions are so good for venturing out further a field to chase the monsters of the deep! I love fishing deep
never look back. I tried an old spot of mine recently that was impressive when I first found it and over the years has produced some very large species. I think the structure is such that as you take fish from it, more fish move in. I think it’s a little like the best house on the block becoming vacant and it doesn’t take long for someone to move back in.
Fishing spots are the same and areas that produce will produce again. However, they may take some tine to recover and leaving them alone for a while gives it the best chance that a new monster will move in. The local wharf has also been inundated with very large schools of herring, which are easily caught. I recently went down there
Thanks to calm weather, plenty of anglers are getting out further afield for captures like this spangled emperor. structure, and having a spot lock electric motor makes it so easy. No more pulling over 50m of anchor rope attached to 6m of chain with a mighty plough anchor attached. I think my back muscles ached more from this than pulling in large fish from this depth. So glad those days are over. Even the ability to move quickly, if not right on the spot, increases the productive time on the reef. Those small marks on a sounder are so much more attractive to try knowing you’re not going to have to try to anchor on such a small area. The spot lock electric motor has changed the way we fish forever; the only losers are the fish. If you didn’t get one under the Christmas tree this year then see if the sales are still available, as it will change the way you fish and you will
to get some bait for a reef trip the following day – it only took one cast and I had enough herring. It was even difficult to lift the net back on the wharf as it was so full of herring. With herring schools so thick, the predators are making easy work of picking off the fish as they school together. The wharf is producing some nice mackerel and queenfish and the odd big trevally, so there is plenty on offer at the wharf. The key to success here is not the bait as it is so easy to get, but the presentation of it. As mentioned before if you are chasing mackerel I use a small length of trace and let the herring fly out into the current and therefore getting the attention of the incoming predators as they come into feed on the herring schools. A lone herring twitching away must be almost impossible for a passing predator to pass up. Be prepared as the run can be intense to start with, and we do get some very large mackerel come into our river month. Most escape, as land-based fishing from a wharf when a large fish gets
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Fingermark are a great target in summer.
A tasty beast from the deep, a delicious coral trout.
on, can be a challenge. I have seen people spooled on the wharf! How great is it that you can drive your car up to this spot and get amongst some quality fish? The month ahead should be much the same with more amazing days to head out to enjoy the reef. However, the rains will be on the way and the rivers will become brown with the amount of freshwater flowing down through the river systems. This will be a great time for chasing mud crabs as they move around escaping the increase in freshwater in the river and head out to sea. There’ll be so many good fishing trips ahead and some great meals of lovely seafood.
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JANUARY 2021
41
NSW
Overcoming the blues BERMAGUI
Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com
2020 was definitely a year to forget, from fires to floods and COVID, a lot of people were feeling down. As far as I’m concerned, the best way to overcome the blues is to have a big blue marlin on the end of your line, and right now is the best time to do this. January is a month renowned for these big fish, with more recorded captures being made at this time of year along with more numbers occurring in the waters out from Bermagui. Anglers can anticipate to find these large marlin as well as striped or blacks in the usual haunts like the Twelve Mile Reef through to the continental shelf and beyond to the deeper canyons. If the bait concentrates the Twelve Mile is a likely place to target with bait or lures, but if not lures will be the way to go to cover the water to find where the fish may be holding. If it is a big blue you are after, think big with your lures because the more commotion you make out the back of the
The variety of species available in Wallaga Lake at present is exceptional.
What everyone is looking for this season: a high flying billfish.
boat, the better the chance of raising one. The other marlin species will take these lures too. Not only are there marlin out there, you are also likely to encounter some respectable yellowfin tuna or maybe a big-eye, while there are always plenty of striped tuna to keep the light tackle enthusiast entertained. Also, where there are stripies there are likely to be hammerhead or mako sharks. Hammerheads especially like stripies, and one bridled towed as a live bait is often irresistible for a passing shark. Those anglers
who have caught hammers in the past know they are great fighting fish. It is definitely the year of the kingfish for those anglers who are rising early to make their way to Montague Island and are being rewarded with some very nice fish. The usual methods are working like jigs, live baits or strips of squid. It’s not just the Island that is producing either; many areas along the rocky shoreline are also producing their share. Anglers fishing the bottom for reef fish have also been surprised by
the occasional kingfish becoming attached, amongst some very nice morwong. Both blue and jackass are in good numbers, especially on the southern reefs out from Baragoot or off Goalen Head, where there are snapper also in the mix. Those fishing the sandy to muddy areas are getting nice bags of large tiger flathead in the deeper water while out from the beaches in around 30m of water there are schools of sand flatties to be found. It has been one of the best seasons for gummy sharks for many years, not only for those
Following tidal movements TATHRA
Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com
Wherever you fish in saltwater the major X-factor in your success is tidal movement. As a fishing guide, it can be a challenge to keep customers entertained as you wait for a tide change that will fire up the fish
and start them feeding. With time on the water, you will figure out where to be at what stage of the tide. If you have success at a particular stage of the tide, note where it is at, check it against a tide chart and try fishing at that stage of the tide on another day. You might be surprised how well this works. The time of day to fish in an estuary is not as
important as the stage of the tide. However, to take the best advantage of fish feeding on prawns, early morning starts are essential. Sunrise often comes too quickly for some prawns that have not already retired back to their muddy beds, thus making them easy prey for the predators pursuing them. This is a lure angler’s dream with fish actively on the chew where any well-
Whiting can be found in the estuaries or along the beaches surrounding Tathra. 64
JANUARY 2021
placed artificial will often gain a result. Soft plastics, hardbodies or popping lures are working well on species like dusky flathead, whiting, bream, estuary perch, tailor and mulloway. The upper reaches of the Bega River are fishing especially well with these methods where the water is warmer. Weed beds adjacent to snags like timber or rock are prime areas, and you should also look over the gravelly areas further from shore, as here schools of black bream work in packs to secure a meal. Once located they can produce excellent angling. For those wishing to bait fish the estuaries there is plenty of action there too. Using fresh baits like prawns or mullet can produce some exciting angling. Drop-offs around sand bars are prime areas for this, as are rocky outcrops or weed beds. These baits will work well over the flats at high tide, as will baits like nippers or worms for species like luderick, trevally, mullet or whiting, with surrounding estuaries like Nelsons Lagoon or Wapengo Lake producing well over the flats. There are plenty of other fishing opportunities this month in the form of
With most estuaries open to the ocean there are plenty of flatties on hand. rock, beach or offshore. Land-based anglers are experiencing plenty of salmon action, as these fish are frequenting the beaches, The Wharf and surrounding rocks. They are responding well to bait or lures and are generally of a good size. On the beaches we can
expect some tailor, bream, whiting, mullet or the occasional mulloway to feature in your captures, with the best areas being Bournda south, Gillards north, or the main beach in Tathra itself. The local wharf is a popular area in the To page 65
NSW
who go boating, but also for those fishing the beach. Most of your regular species are now being captured from the beach in the form of whiting, bream, tailor, salmon or mullet, and those anglers fishing of a night on a full moon have regularly been bagging out on gummy sharks. You may also expect the occasional mulloway taking a liking to your shark bait or you might find a small whaler shark also taking a liking to your bait. There is some pelagic action off the rocks, with kings often passing in range of the anglers tossing a lure from the stones. Salmon, bonito, tailor or frigate mackerel are also on the short list for this type of fishing, which is best achieved as you watch the sun rise over the ocean. At different times of the year you should be in certain estuaries around the country, and for the moment it should be on the south coast especially around Bermagui. These systems are alive with all forms of estuarine life feeding and growing. Prawns are growing fast in the warm waters, and most lakes around Bermagui are holding their share. For the holiday-makers it is the best for years, and they’re making the most of it. This means there is plenty of food for fish, and the From page 64
holidays, when schools of baitfish like slimy mackerel or yellowtail provide entertainment for visitors. Some pelagics are also passing the wharf, giving anglers a chance of catching fish like kingies, bonito or the occasional tuna. Garfish are another popular catch here, and they can be caught using small floats with a bit of fresh prawn. Using some form of berley enhanced with tuna oil will add to the chances of you acquiring a feed. Offshore there are plenty of choices for anglers. For those who like bottom fishing there
The fishing in Wallaga Lake is brilliant at the moment, with bream dominating catches. favoured estuary species are all on the chew. Flathead, bream, trevally or tailor are taking a liking to them in Wallaga Lake which is fishing extremely well as it is still open to the ocean following the floods, as is
the smaller lake to the south of Bermagui being Cuttagee. For those who like a bit of fun with smaller fish, plus the added bonus of some top table fish, both those lakes are loaded with garfish, so go and enjoy.
is never a better time than now to catch a lovely feed of fresh flathead. Tigers are out in the deeper water with the best area being down south out from Bournda in 50-60m of water. Close to shore surrounding Tathra, sandies are prolific in 30m of water out from most beaches. Expect to get a few gummy sharks or red gurnard while chasing the flatties, all of which are good eating. If you want larger fish, kingfish numbers are increasing along the coast, and they’re being taken on trolled lures. Once located in an area, baits or jigs may take over. If you want even larger
fish, try out wide trolling a good set of lures for marlin. There are plenty arriving in our waters along the coast with blacks, stripes or blues all featuring. The best areas are just inside the Continental Shelf in about 80 fathoms of water where they are feeding on the vast baitfish schools. One last fishing experience to check out is the sweetwater fishing for bass in the Bega River or Brogo Dam. Both of these areas are producing some excellent fishing, with fish up to 50cm not uncommon. However, for the best results you may need early starts or work well into the evening.
Luderick are another sought-after fish around Tathra. JANUARY 2021
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Canberra
ACT
Canberra angling pressure should be easing producing plenty of fish, with all three lure targets on the bite. Though the weed remains a constant issue in this waterway, it’s still possible to fish from the bank and catch good numbers of native fish by using a jig coupled with a
CANBERRA
Toby Grundy
Canberra becomes a bit of a ghost town from late December through to the middle of January as locals migrate to the coast, Sydney or Melbourne to catch up with friends and family over the holidays. This year will see another mass exodus as the COVID restrictions slacken and people are once again able to move about the country with relative ease, albeit with social distancing laws still in place. This creates a lot of opportunities for those Canberra fishos who stay behind, because as the crowds on the lakes and rivers thin, the angling pressure eases, and the fish come on the bite.
The river is still hit and miss, as the author discovered this month.
Redfin are hitting lures across all three of Canberra’s major lakes. I like to get out on my kayak and drift around the edges of Lake Burley Griffin at this time of year as it is rare to see more than a few boats, and the fishing action is always excellent with big golden perch hitting lures with abandon. The cod fishing also improves across all impoundments with Googong a standout, especially on hot, overcast days. So, if you are one of the handful of Canberra locals
hanging around throughout early January, there is a silver lining and it is the copious amounts of fish on offer until the return of the sunburnt masses. LOCAL LAKES Lake Burley Griffin has been fishing well for some time despite the dirty water. There are plenty of redfin holding off the deeper points throughout the lake, and these fish can be targeted using a variety of lures and
FG + KNOT
techniques, from slow rolling beetle spins attached to paddle-tail plastics through to twitching Bassday Sugapens along the top using a walkthe-dog style retrieve. There are some really big reddies on the bite right now, especially along the new boardwalk at Henry Rolland Park, and these fish bite well right through the night. Golden perch are prevalent throughout LBG, but getting them to bite is all about dialling in on their preferred food source. At the moment, the golden perch are feeding on small baitfish so small grub-tail and paddle-tail plastics (in a green colouration) hopped along the steeper points is proving to be the best method. There have also been some big cod caught recently by anglers vertically jigging large vibes like the Jackall TN70 on the edges of the rowing lanes near Black Mountain Peninsula. Lake Tuggeranong is proving to be a profitable hunting ground for anglers fishing from kayaks and boats. The native fish are holding deep but are hitting lures and there have been
some outstanding captures of late, including big cod and plenty of golden perch. The redfin are sitting closer to the shoreline and represent a great target species for young anglers looking to learn about lure fishing. Slow rolling plastics along the concrete ledges which lead up to the spillway is the best method if you’re after a reddie or two. Carp can also be caught using bread and corn baits, and on particularly hot days, these pests will also hit a grub-tail plastic hopped near the reeds. Lake Ginninderra is
A well-placed plastic hopped near the reeds on a hot day will entice carp. floating creature-style plastic. The jig ensures the lure remains on the bottom (and mostly snag-free) while the floating plastic attached to the jig sways enticingly just off the bottom. Slowly working this lure has accounted for some big golden perch. A few lucky anglers have also caught cod near the dam
Googong yellas are big and on the bite.
SUITS ALL SIZE BRAIDS AND LEADERS
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JANUARY 2021
wall using spinnerbaits and Jackall Doozers. SURROUNDS Googong Dam continues to fire with plenty of golden perch landed by boaters vertically jigging off the points, and shore-based
anglers casting beetle spins amongst the submerged timber. The size of these fish has to be seen to be believed, with Googong yellas being some of the roundest I have encountered anywhere in NSW. A few big cod have also been caught by anglers slow rolling swimbaits in darker colours, and the ever-present redfin have also come on the bite. Googong is a great place to visit in the warmer months as it is a stunning location with plenty of angling experiences on offer. The Murrumbidgee River is still hit and miss. There have been plenty of cod caught by a select few anglers who have worked out the surface bite but most anglers are leaving empty handed or with only one or two smaller fish. The river still hasn’t settled after the huge amount of winter rain and it could be some time before it fishes consistently.
• The easiest way to tie the FG knot • A strong, slim and reliable FG knot every time • Longer leaders and longer casting • Money well spent
WHAT’S NEW JIGSTAR PHANTOM RODS
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The Jigstar Phantom Series has been developed for jigging for dogtooth tuna, and it’s also an outstanding live or dead bait rod for many species. The tip not only works lighter jigs but transmits those pre-bite panic vibrations from live baits early enough to prepare the angler for the impending chaos. The longer rod length allows easier manoeuvring around duckboards or outboard obstacles. The blank uses high-performance graphite from Toray of Japan with advanced Nano technology. The Phantom rod features Jigstar’s standard specifications including Fuji PSS/ DPS reel seats with the latest Fuji K Frame SIC Guides and custom componentry. The Jigstar Phantom Series rods are 5’7” in length, have a Line Class Rating of PE 4-8 with a jig rating of 150-500g. These rods are available in both spin and overhead models, and the overhead model also features the innovative Acid or Spiral design. www.jurofishing.com
LOWRANCE GHOST 52 AND 60
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Lowrance has released new 52” and 60” Ghost models. Each has a brushless motor that weighs 2.7kg less than brushed motor equivalents, and generates thrust 25% greater than its competitors and delivers 45% longer run times on the same charge. The motor emits no electromagnetic interference, giving anglers clear sonar views. Users can steer, adjust speed, setup route navigation or anchor at a current location with touchscreen control from a Lowrance display using the SmartSteer interface. Ghost pairs easily with HDS LIVE, HDS Carbon and EliteTM -Ti2 displays. There are two integrated sonar nosecone options, including standard HDI (CHIRP and DownScan Imaging) and optional Active Imaging 3-in-1 (CHIRP Sonar, SideScan and DownScan Imaging) transducers. Instant and smooth fly-by-wire steering control gives Ghost the feel of a cable-steer motor. It comes with both a customisable foot pedal and standard remote. The 360° breakaway mount is designed to take the brunt of any impacts and will automatically realign itself once clear of impacted structure. A composite shaft, with a lifetime warranty, assists in withstanding impacts; and an integrated stabilizer bar reduces bouncing. Price: $5,219 and $5,939 www.lowrance.com
NEW EGILICIOUS SQUID JIGS
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The popular Fish Inc. Egilicious range of squid jigs has expanded to include new 2.0 and 2.5 sizes, which are ideal for fishing slack tide, tough bites and when fishing land-based, especially in shallow water. Constructed from high quality materials, these jigs are expertly designed and rigorously tested, with a buoyant ‘tail-up’ design that increases the hook-up rate while minimising snagging. In fact, the Egilicious tail is designed a few degrees higher than standard jigs to further reduce snagging and fouling. These jigs are fitted with quality Owner squid jig hooks that are finer than standard hooks to increase the hook-up rate. The hooks’ construction also allows them to be straightened under pressure to retrieve the jig when snagged, and then simply bend back into position to continue fishing. Additional strike triggers include realistic 3D eyes and feather fins, along with a unique range of tested and proven colours. The new Egilicious 2.0 and 2.5 are available now in eight colours. Price: $11.95 www.tackletactics.com.au
PRODUCT GUIDE
DAIWA TATULA 300
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Big baits and big fish, that’s been the standard practice for Murray cod anglers for the past few seasons. With the increased popularity of big bait fishing, Daiwa engineers needed a solution. The result? The new Tatula 300. Totally designed from the ground up to meet the needs of big-bait anglers worldwide, Tatula 300 features everything which has made Tatula reels popular, plus a host of features reserved exclusively for the 300 size. Built around a larger size aluminium frame, the Tatula 300 features a 43mm diameter, 26.5mm wide spool, that still sits low in the hand, and is easily palmed. A newly developed double anti-reverse is a feature which has long been requested in heavy-duty baitcaster reels by Australian anglers and is now available with the Tatula 300. Heavy-duty brass gearing is standard, while the stainless-steel main shaft is stronger than ever before. A seven-layer UTD drag stack pumps out 13kg of maximum drag pressure, stopping even Papuan Black Bass in their tracks. Available in multiple ratios in both right and left hand models, Tatula 300 is the ultimate big-bait reel for the ultimate in big-bait angling. www.daiwafishing.com.au
HUMMINBIRD G4N HELIX
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The new Humminbird Helix G4N Series gives anglers the latest in innovative imaging technology, with screen sizes ranging from 8” to 15.4”. These new fish finders feature MEGA Imaging+ and Dual Spectrum CHIRP 2D sonar, and are compatible with Humminbird’s Mega 360 Imaging. Built-in GPS and Humminbird Basemap provide depth contours and navigational aids. Helix G4N models are also compatible with Navionics charts. AutoChart Live allows anglers to easily create their own custom maps in real time – simply turn the feature on and watch as depth contours and even vegetation and bottom hardness layers appear on-screen. Built-in NMEA 2000 and Wi-Fi come standard, and all models have a dedicated NMEA 2000 networking port built-in to support the connection to compatible accessories to display information like engine data, vessel sensors and virtually any NMEA 2000 compatible accessory. Built-in Wi-Fi will support additional features. Packed with Ethernet networking and Bluetooth functionality, the G4N models have been designed to work seamlessly with the One-Boat Network, allowing anglers to integrate compatible fish finders, trolling motors, shallow water anchors, downriggers and more. Select Helix G4N models are also compatible with optional MEGA 360 Imaging transducers and Built-in MEGA Imaging on select Minn Kota trolling motors. www.humminbird.com
NEW FISH TRAP COLOURS
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
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The range of colours in the Zerek Fish Trap has expanded with the release of the DA (dark ale) and DL (dry lime) colours added to the range of 65, 95 and 110mm models. Dark ale has a clear body filled with gold fleck and striking black back and tiger stripes. It is aimed at species such as barramundi, threadfin salmon, flathead, snapper and more. Dry lime is a semi-transparent green with silver flecks and has been requested by many northern barramundi fishers, however it will also appeal to fish right across the country. Available, now, the new Fish Trap colours can be seen at your nearest tackle store. www.wilsonfishing.com
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6 visit www.tacklejunkie.fish for the latest tackle news - AS IT HAPPENS!
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JANUARY 2021
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VIC
Bagging big cod EILDON
Peter Burtchell
‘The perfect storm’ is how I describe the fishing action on Lake Eildon during late November. The bigger Murray cod were fresh off the nest and hungry, our
Jeremy and son Archie were among the successful anglers and the most photogenic was Archie, a very keen angler who managed to land and release two Murray cod and two yellowbelly during their stay at the Lake. Archie sure knows his native fishing and uses both surface and deep-diving lures
Jeremy, Archie’s fishing buddy. Metropolitan Melbourne friends were released earlier than planned and swarmed across all parts of the lake, the Victorian Fishing Authority released tagged fish into the lake with values of $2,000-$10,000, and north-easterly winds flushed most of the baitfish into the Jerusalem Creek Arm, where reports of over 40 1m+ Murray cod catch and releases were reported in one day. A local resident at the Jerusalem Creek Marina and Holiday Park decided to fish with his mate Macca using yabbies as bait and was well rewarded with an 80cm and a smaller tagged Murray cod.
to entice his catches. One lucky angler Dazza, who had never fished for Murray cod before booked a 2-hour guided tour with Jack Harder Guided Fishing Tours and had the fight of his life as he attempted to drag his 1m+ Murray cod out from the structure, where he had hooked it flicking an Ol’ Mate Colour 14. After a quick release and some tips on how to prevent ‘grenading’ his rod during future battles, it was back to the bar. His great photographs and memory of the fight took precedent over his need to purchase a new fishing rod, as he told his tale of the encounter to the many anglers settling in for a bit of serenity after the day’s fishing. The following day another new angler landed and released his first ever Murray cod at 130cm+ from the main arm using a Primal spinnerbait, David Butera also took a half day guided fishing tour, and caught and released his first ever Murray cod. Stuart Petty, using the fish oil and stimulantinfused chicken simply named ‘Cod Bait’ (now available
Archie, the keenest angler on the lake.
David Butera was very happy with his first ever Murray cod.
Bisho with a healthy 80cm Murray cod caught on a yabby.
headed to the upper reaches of the Lake Eildon headwaters as the Murray cod season opened. These rivers are closed to Murray cod fishing during the closed season, unlike the lake, which can be fished all year round for Murray cod and trout. Looking forward I am sure that 2021 will be the year that anglers at Eildon will be on the hunt for the elusive 1.5m Murray cod as the stocks of Murray cod continue to grow in both length, weight, numbers and legend. A common sight from the Café 301 Bar and Grill during 2021will be anglers flicking the largest of swimbaits, divers, and surface lures from the foreshore below the bar where the mighty Murray cod will always be on the hunt for an easy meal. • Jerusalem Creek Marina & Holiday Park is a friendly, family-orientated caravan
at the Café 501) also added himself to the Metre Club angling from the bank. One angler who had been fishing for yellowbelly jigging a small soft plastic hooked into a 1m+ fish on light line in the snags. His skill and determination enabled him to land the fish. Cod opening was quite
Relax and enjoy delicious food and warm hospitality. Stuart Pretty joined the metre club.
Open for breakfast from 6am 7 days a week (Closed Mother’s Day)
Coffee Light meals Pastries Cakes Bread 10 Main St, Eildon Victoria 3713 03 5774 2362 0438 881 629 96
JANUARY 2021
‘Do it in Denny’, they say. The Campbells mixing it up at Jerusalem Creek for cod opening.
the opposite to November with only three vessels taking to the water on December 1. The Campbell family from Deniliquin hired a Northern Waters Boat Hire Fishing Machine and were rewarded with some great catches. The fish captured and released in the photo was a joint effort with Fox setting the rod, Brayden hooking and little Harry assisting with the landing. The other two vessels
park, and makes the perfect home away from home. While there you can opt to hire one of their Boatel floating apartments, hire a boat or book a fishing guide at competitive prices. For more information on all of these services and other attractions in the area, visit jerusalemcreek.com. au, or give them a call on (03) 5774 2585 or email i n f o @ j e r u s a l e m c re e k . com.au.
Go Behind the Scenery
Salmon spreading out HOBART
Andrew Large
As summer warms up we are seeing anglers finally shaking off 2020 and enjoying quality fishing time closer to home. Anglers this last month were treated to an early start to the festive season with over 50,000 Atlantic salmon escaping from their pens in the D’Entrecasteaux Channel in early December... the madness continues with 4kg fish making their way high into the Derwent and Huon rivers. After just over a month of freedom, some of these salmon were reportedly encountered in the channel at Electrona, Margate and Woodbridge. Reports in the Huon have salmon as far up as the Huonville bridge but more reliable Cradoc, Cygnet Bay, Port Huon, Garden Island Creek. Reports are also coming from Esperance and Esperance Bay. Other reports have fish being caught at Tinderbox. Most fish in rivers will travel up as far as the freshwater rapids and congregate. Good numbers of sand flathead are biting well in the channel area too, and are being caught by those trolling for Atlantic Salmon. Norfolk, Chinamans and Marion Bays are producing fish as well. Tiger flathead are being encountered in reasonable numbers from Bicheno to Adventure Bay in the south
in depths of around 70m. Remember to use fresh squid bait as these fish can be quite fussy feeders. Dawn and dusk are the best times to target these fish. Large feeding schools of Australian salmon to 2kg are available around White Beach while other areas such as Cremorne and Carlton River have fish averaging 1kg. Anglers have experienced great success this year casting Halco 80 and 105 Roosta poppers into feeding schools. Calamari have become more consistent in recent weeks. The entire east coast region is giving fishers extra choice in their search for a feed. Closer to the CBD, North Bruny and Betsy Island are worth a try. Sand whiting are still available in Storm Bay. The upper east coast around St Helens sees King George whiting in reasonable numbers being caught. Gummy shark have been taken in waters off the peninsula and Bruny Island. There was a confirmed capture late last year of a mako of around 118kg off Pirates Bay at Eagle Hawk Neck. This seems a tad earlier than usual but bodes well for the summer season. Makos have been caught since mid-November. In the east we have captures of southern bluefin tuna keeping anglers entertained. Sizes have ranged from 20-90kg. Yellowtail kingfish were caught in December in the
northwest and have now filtered pretty much down the entire east coast, with fish being caught in peninsula waters around White Beach, Fortescue Bay and Coles Bay. Snapper have been keeping anglers happy for some time, with larger specimens moving onto offshore structure in recent weeks. The best fish we have heard of to date was 4.1kg caught close to Marion Bay. The usual mackerel and mullet are available from coastal jetties and piers under lights at night. Bibbed lures are being attacked by rather large black bream in the River Derwent. High concentrations of small bait are making them highly aggressive. FRESHWATER Dry fly activity continues to increase with the majority of waters this month seeing some level of activity. Trout are feeding freely on dun, spinner and gum beetle hatches for the moment. Great Lake has some fantastically conditioned fish being taking by anglers using all methods. Fish over 2kg have been taken. Lake Leake is unknown with few reports coming to hand at the time of writing. Tooms Lake sees both rainbows and browns being caught, particularly by spin fishers walking the shore of an evening. Bronte Lagoon is still producing above average sized fish this year. Both wet and dry flies have been taking fish lately, and gum beetle falls have been very
Tasmania
FISHING NEWS
Caught an escapee lately?
In late November and again in early December 2020, damage to marine farm infrastructure located in the D’Entrecasteaux Channel and Storm Bay resulted in the escape of a significant number of Atlantic salmon. If you have caught one of these salmon, the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) would like to hear from you. While it is a bonanza for recreational fishers, relatively little is known about the impacts of such escape events. There are several important questions that arise, including how widely and how quickly escapees disperse, how long they survive in the wild, and whether they are able to adapt to feeding on natural prey items. We are inviting recreational fishers to share their experiences in catching escapees, so we can use these recent escapes as a case study. By mapping the area over which the Atlantic salmon have been caught, we can better understand patterns of dispersal and, by tracking catch rates through time,
we hope to make inferences about survival rates. Finally, any observations about the presence or absence of food items in their stomachs will help us understand whether the escaped fish feed on natural prey. If you would like to find out more, go to www.surveymonkey. com/r/Salmon-survey2020.
consistent here over the last few weeks. Bradys Chain has seen quality fish caught of both species in Tungatinah Lagoon and Lake Binney. Bradys Lake has been tough.
Arthurs Lake is producing good fish to bait, lure and fly. The fishing can still be a little patchy, but strike the right day and you will do well. January and February
If you would prefer to receive the information by mail, please contact Fiona Ewing (IMAS) on 03 6226 8213 or email Fiona. Ewing@utas.edu.au and we will post you a copy. Thank you for helping us to learn more about salmon escape events. - Assoc Prof Jeremy Lyle, Senior Research Scientist, IMAS sees Tasmania’s fresh and salt waters firing. It’s the time to get out and get into the various summer offerings we have as generally summer species only remain for a few brief months each season.
SHEIK OF THE CREEK
Learning how to get the knack of my yak BRISBANE
The Sheik of the Creek
As my Uncle Freddy used to say, ‘I’ve developed a bit of a verandah over the playground’. These verandahs prove pretty hard to shift too, and the medic said I had to look at cycling, swimming or rowing as ways to trim things down a little. Apparently running is out of the question because of the extraordinary stress it would create on the load bearing system. Bit like carting a trailer of rocks on a Tonka axle. Actually, a trailer of marshmallow would be a better analogy. So anyway, I’ve gone and invested in a second-hand kayak from old mate. Now I’ve seen some kayaks around the traps and they’re pretty standard bits of plastic, sometimes coloured, that float even when you’re
sitting on them, and you push them around with a bit of flat timber. Not this thing. It’s similar to my last kayak, in that it has more ropes and pulleys than the Endeavour
and is probably just a tad shorter than Cookie’s tub. There are rudders, anchors, and even a sounder, with clips, ropes, occy straps, and other things that I haven’t
yet deciphered. One of them could be a microwave. I didn’t want a kayak with all the whistles, bells and microchips, because I wasn’t completely
convinced this one wouldn’t follow the compass point of my last one, which was primarily no direction. That is, it was used roughly once a, I’d like to say decade, but that could be kind. But anyway, old mate brought it all the way over from somewhere else, and I didn’t want to disappoint the poor old bugger; he was so skinny he looked like he’d rowed to Norfolk and back into a headwind and a Bamaga run out tide, so I paid what he wanted and put it out the back of the house. Stupidly, I thought I could work out where everything went and how it worked, but after a wee while, I thought I should just get on it, and get going. And so I did. And it worked out surprisingly well, as did I. Of course I need to place some Dudd caveats on that; it went as well as you would expect it to go when an accident prone idiot climbs onto floating plastic and
pushes it around with a flat stick while trying not to fall off the floating plastic. And generally doesn’t, until a helicopter flies overhead, or his hat falls off, or his flat stick gets tangled in some rigging... And who should I meet on my first forays into the perils of the reservoir? But Pete Jung, one of the ad reps from this particular publication and avid kayaker! Pete gave me some tips on throwing lures from floating plastic, and other pieces of safety advice. When I described some of the things that had already happened to me in the short time I’d been trying to exercise, he eyed me sideways. “I thought that ability to break and fall off things was just your alter ego,” he says, “… something you make up for the magazine.” I smile uncomfortably. “Yeah, nuh,” says I. JANUARY 2021
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BARRA Series presented by
BARRA SERIES
abt
Old bull pips young bull in night marathon
We all know that barra fishing can drain you mentally. Sometimes the fish just don’t bite. The 16-hour all-nighter at Peter Faust Dam was created to add the physical draining to the mental aspect. It’s an all-night barra marathon where the biggest bag of five fish wins. Each year, anglers wonder if it’s an afternoon bite, an early morning pattern or a
Ultimately, the battle for the trophy came down to 470g of barra, and it was between ABT veteran Matthew Mott’s Team Garmin (with Tom Griffiths) and his son’s Western Adventures (Dylan Mott and Ben von Pein). In comparative terms, around 1cm of fish split the top two teams. “It’s pretty special to end up going head-to-head with your son in an event like this
we fish and it seems to hold bigger fish at times,” Matthew said. Most of the time, the teams fished within sledging distance and didn’t waste the opportunity. When it came to tackle and technique, big, heavy soft plastic swimbaits slow rolled got the job done. “You just cast the swimbait out as far as you can, sink it to the bottom and slow roll it back to the boat – it’s that simple,” explained Tom. Tom used a Molix 140 in black/gold that had been modified by scoring the tail with a soldering iron (to increase flexibility), dipped in red Spike-It, and had Scan the QR code to see the Faust all nighter Winners Interview, Mott and Griffiths
Father and son fished in close proximity for most of the session. Team Western Adventures grabbed an early lead but were ultimately topped thanks to the last minute big barra. moonlit night bite that will get the job done. Sometimes it’s a combination of all three. Armed with a free Samaki Redic jerk bait at the briefing, 29 teams headed out onto Faust to try to add the title to their resume in the third round of the Zerek BARRA Tour.
and we had plenty of fun getting it done,” said Matthew in the winner’s interview. You can watch it by scanning the QR code hereby. This is how they got it done. “Faust Point looks pretty featureless, but there’s a little channel out there that
the factory Colorado blade swapped out with a treble. “A lot of the barra hit the lure on the drop and when they did that, they ate it deep,” Tom continued. Matthew’s rig was a little different. He used a black/gold Squidgy Slick Rig 130mm that was scored in the tail section with a soldering iron, heated in the tail joint to bend the foot over more, replaced the jighead to a home-made internal one with an added stinger treble. He also dipped the tail in chartreuse Spike-It. “The barra have always eaten these and, while they’re eating them, I’m going to
Tom Griffiths is not only the life of the party, he was a valuable contributor to the win at the Samaki Faust Overnight event. throw them,” he said. He threw it on a light, castable wire trace (to minimise having to re-tie between fish) on a Dobyns Fury rod and Lews Inshore baitcast reel with 7.5:1 retrieve ratio. YOUNG BULLS BUCKING CLOSE Dylan Mott and Ben
vonPein were gracious in defeat, if not a little disappointed in Matthew’s last minute heroics with his 21.5kg fish after dawn. “We had them covered for most of the session, but that’s barra fishing you never know when the big fish are going to eat,” he said.
BIG BARRA
Here’s the ultimate barra photo: Crocs, trackies, sunnies after an all-nighter and the event’s Big Barra at 21.5kg (115cm) for Team Garmin’s Matthew Mott.
What was ABT thinking? Combining a Hawaiian themed party and the presentations…? And we still don’t know what happened to the monkey.
RESULTS Place Team 1 Garmin Marine 2 Western Adventures 3 BMENQ/H’bird/Jackall 4 Humminbird/Edge Rods 5 Dobyns Rods 6 Fish With Me 7 Wilson 8 Crooked Brothers/Pro Lates 9 Zerek/About Town BnT 10 Extreme Secret Spot 116
JANUARY 2021
Matthew Mott earned a new Live Fibre Bladesn-Tails rod for his 21.5kg (115cm) fish, landed after
dawn. It ate his special recipe Slick Rig and made the final points tally a nail-biting affair.
Full results at abt.org.au
Anglers Mott/Griffiths Mott/von Pein Tunsted/Brier-Mills Griffiths/DeRidder Dial/Slade Edmonds/Maddick Paynesy/Reedsy Ferraro/Hapgood Detenon/Mulcahy Chelepy/Marshall
Fish 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5 4/5 5/5
Weight(kg) Payout 69.20 $1,800 68.73 $900 62.62 $700 62.13 $600 54.41 $500 52.14 Prize Pack 50.49 Prize Pack 49.94 Prize Pack 46.82 Prize Pack 45.42 Prize Pack
Shad 140 Extremely popular on ABT Barra Tour
Bone Blue Chartreuse
i
140mm, 50 grams Depth: 20 - 150cm
Black Gold Chartreuse Tail
The Molix Shad Swimbait is designed to handle the largest predators around. Built with a strong single hook and treble hook on the belly. A wire through construction leading to a The new Molix Glide Bait 18 s a 3oz slow sinking colorado blade under the belly which produces jointed glidebait designed in collaboration with Distributed by EJ Todd & Son Jocumsen. Ideal for tempting big cod, barra a high frequency vibration to call inCarlthe fish and flathead. Available in 5 colours. www.ejtodd.com.au that swim far away, even in murky waters.
Aussie Pearl White
Mullet
The segmented body produces a strong swimming action while the position of the eyelet in the head allows it to be used deep vertically as well as in shallow water. It’s made with a new blend of plastic that makes it resistant and durable.
JANUARY 2021
117
BARRA Series presented by
BARRA SERIES
abt
Samaki BARRA event winner TBC at Faust
Well, the title is technically correct, because the winner of the Samaki-sponsored final round of the Zerek BARRA Tour was Team ‘TBC’. With Mackaybased Peter Laine and Ben Williams struggling for a team name, the entry list started as TBC and didn’t change through the tour. So it has been confirmed that TBC can catch barra. “We always like to find out-of-the-way spots and have them to ourselves and Faust has plenty of opportunities to do this,” Peter said. When asked if the spot was the same one that he
Ben Williams used a black and gold customised Squidgy Slick Rig to get his fish during the event. As usual, it was customised by being boiled, head replaced with a TT Stinger and a ST66 treble added as a stinger. He fished it on a spin combo, with an old Shimano Stella FE reel matched with an ACM custom North Fork 736 rod, 40lb Sufix 832
the one-two punch needed to keep the scoreboard rolling over. “They’re a good bait, even if some of the bigger fish can start tearing them apart,” Peter said of the Rapalas. He fished them on an Edge 767 Swimbait rod paired with a Daiwa Ryoga 1520 reel, 40lb Sunline Super PE braid and 100lb leader. “The 100lb leader lets “You can pry that black and gold Slick Rig out of my cold, dead hands.” Ben Williams didn’t say this, but we read his body language in the winners’ interview (scan QR code to watch).
Scan the QR code to see the Faust Day 2 Winners Interview, Laine and Williams
dominated that event at a couple of years ago, he said that it was around 500m away from it and it set up right for the water levels at Faust right now. With 10/10 barra for 122.08kg, nobody could argue about their spot choice, even if their second night wasn’t as productive as their first. Working as a team, the pair benefitted from an approach where they threw different baits to see what was the best option at the time.
Peter Laine had a knack of finding unpressured spots in Faust and turning them into epic sessions and BARRA event wins. He challenges all vloggers to come and beat him in an ABT event. braid and 80lb Shimano Ocea fluorocarbon leader. Laine, on the other hand, liked experimenting with Rapala 12cm X-Raps and old Stiffy Bony Bream lures and this gave them
me catch a few fish before having to retie,” Peter explained. WILSONS A SOLID SECOND Lachie Reed and Rob Payne completed a full limit
in all four Zerek BARRA Tour events and finished with their best result in the final round. Their 10/10, 115.67kg limit was one of four teams to crack the 100kg mark. “We found the McDonalds,” said Rob after the event. It was a shallower section in the trees where the barra were coming to feed in between 10-14ft of water. And it was tight country – 80lb leader, PE5 braid and locked drags meant that we could limit their runs in the heavy timber as much as we could. Rod used a couple of Venom baitcast rods in the 6kg and 8kg class matched with a Daiwa Zillion and
Shimano Curado reels while Lachie used a PE 3-5 Venom baitcast rod and Shimano Calcutta 200 reel. Their gun bait was the blackjack coloured 110mm Zerek Fish Trap. “We caught 85% of the fish on tour on this bait and a couple on the 7” Flat Shads,” Rob explained, “We fish them straight out of the box and the terminals stand up perfectly.” Reed perfected his ‘start the lawnmower’, violent rip of the bait. “It’s the best way of describing the technique … let it sink to the bottom and pull start that thing with your rod hand”, he continued.
BIG BARRA
Drew Jackson took the event’s Big Barra (and the Live Fibre Blade N Tails rod that goes with it) with this 22kg (116cm) fish.
Left: Team Wilson found a hump amongst the timber and milked it for a string of big barra on Zerek Fish Traps. Right: Rob ‘Paynesy’ Payne reckons that Fish Traps + camo pants are a great combination.
RESULTS Place Team 1 TBC 2 Wilson 3 Fitzroy R Barra Bash 4 Anita Barra 5 Mustad Swamp Dogs 6 Imakatsu 7 ACM/Dogtooth 8 Jigpro/Baker 9 BMENQ/H’bird/Jackall 10 Mother and Son 118
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Dean Jackson landed the event’s Big Barra with a 22.33kg (116cm) fish that he caught at Faust Point as the moon rose. It ate a Molix 140 in black and gold with the Colorado
blade removed, the tail dipped in garlic chartreuse Spike-It and scored with a soldering iron. “I got most of my bites between sundown and when the moon rose,” Dean said.
Full results at abt.org.au
Anglers Laine/Williams Paynesy/Reedsy Conrad/Lill Robinson/Wilson Clark/Walker Brett/Maclean Crofts/Crofts Rods/Keitech Tunsted/Brier-Mills Aldous/Doyle
Fish 10/10 10/10 9/10 9/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 9/10
Weight(kg) Payout 122.08 $1,600 115.67 $900 110.88 $700 100.23 $600 96.02 $500 94.43 $500 92.34 Prize Pack 85.83 Prize Pack 85.72 Prize Pack 82.61 Prize Pack
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Teemburra finally fires for Lowrance round
Mackay’s Teemburra Dam has a less than wonderful reputation with tournament BARRA anglers. It’s a lake with massive potential that’s been collectively hard on the crew for many years. And who’d have thought that 2020 was the year that gave the field what they wanted – a great night’s fishing on the lake and some 30kg+ fish to boot! Indeed, the winning weight from 2019 wouldn’t have landed those anglers in
“In practice this time we actually tried to get bites and catch fish rather than idling around just finding fish. This meant we had a couple of spots where we were confident that we could actually catch fish. And luckily we got to fish our favourite one,” said Dylan. The team (BMENQ/ Humminbird/Jackall) then got off to a dream start by hooking and landing a 116cm fish in the first few casts of the afternoon. “That really got the
Ben Tunsted’s 116cm Teemburra fish wasn’t even close to Big Barra for the night, but anchored a bag of fish that went 116, 113, 102, 96 and 95cm.
Dylan Brier-Mills with a solid 113cm (20kg) contribution to the bag. the top 10. That’s a turnaround. Cairns anglers Ben Tunsted and Dylan BrierMills broke through for their maiden ABT win amongst a talented field. They may have also thought that the 116cm (over 20kg) barra they landed on one of the first casts of the session might have given them a sniff of Big Barra for the day. Ultimately, their big fish was well short of the mark but their total bag topped 75kg and was nearly 15kg ahead of their nearest competition. Here’s how they did it.
confidence up,” said Ben. Their confidence bait and the one that did the damage for them in the session was a Black Panther coloured Jackall Transam, fished with a series of small hops off the bottom. Dylan fished his on an Edge Rods 705BCR (10-17lb) loaded with Platypus green 30lb Bionic Braid and 60lb Sunline FC Rock leader. They also upgraded
Tommy Wood loved a pink Samaki Redic 80mm after dark. the hardware on the lure to Decoy YS-81 hooks in size 4 and #3 rings. WOODS A SOLID SECOND The father-son pairing of Rob and Tommy Woods (Team SC Marine Electrical Doctor) finished a solid second, with the pair doing most of their damage on an ultra-slow jerkbait retrieve. “We fish the deep diving 80mm Samaki Redic lures nearly all the time,” said father Rob when explaining their tactics for the session, “Usually
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the whitebait colour in the daytime and the pink ones at night.” The key was to twitch and fish the suspending baits slowly. Ridiculously (or is that rediculously) slowly.
“You could have three casts with a soft plastic in the time that we made one cast with a jerkbait,” Rob added. They started on shallow, underwater points and then moved to the timber, where they caught most of their better quality fish. The pair used both spin (Shimano Stella) and baitcast (Shimano Tranx) tackle with their Samaki C12 rods. The rods were 7’ and rated between 10 and 20lb.
BIG BARRAS
Rob Wood is the other half of this father/son team.
Place Team 1 BMENQ/H’bird/Jackall 2 SC Marine Elec Doctor 3 Dobyns Rods 4 Extreme Secret Spot 5 Wilson 6 Imakatsu 7 Part-Time Hookers 8 Lowrance 9 TBC 10 Bream Wankas
Scan the QR code to see the Teemburra Winners Interview with Dylan and Ben
Dylan’s 116cm big barra that they caught straight away in the session was beaten twice on the night. Taigan Heath landed a 125cm (31+kg) fish and this was beaten by Ben
Williams’ 126cm (32+) fish. That one ate a 7” Zerek Flat Shad with stinger hook added after dark and hearned him an extra $1,250 worth of Wilsons gear.
Full results at abt.org.au
Anglers Tunsted/Brier-Mills Wood/Wood Dial/Slade Chelepy/Marshall Paynesy/Reedsy Brett/Maclean Beck/Brady Price/Thomas Laine/Williams Mckeown/Heath
Fish 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5 5/5 2/5
Weight(kg) Payout 75.87 $1,700 62.79 $900 60.53 $700 53.63 $600 47.76 $500 46.42 Prize Pack 45.43 Prize Pack 43.62 Prize Pack 40.52 Prize Pack 32.58 Prize Pack
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Kariffo off to a flyer at Kinchant event
The dominant pairing of Craig Griffiths and Karim De Ridder (Humminbird/ Edge Rods), who we’ve decided to call Kariffo, won the first event of the Zerek BARRA Tour (and second event of the Zerek BARRA Series) on Kinchant Dam. Starting slowly, in further flung reaches of the lake, Kariffo doubled back to the boat ramp and went to work, bagging a quick
activity and structure present attracting all sizes of barra to a place where they feed. “I think it’s the lights and activity that help attract the fish,” the Griffiths part of the duo explained in the winner’s interview (you can watch it on the ABT YouTube channel), “There’s a lip on the edge of the ramp and the barra like to sit in there. You can see them on
that they caught for the session, including silent, dark Imakatsu Piranhas and Jackall Transams. They also caught a few fish on 5” Castaic soft plastics before switching to OSP Rudras (white/P44) to target barra that were surface feeding behind the boat. “You could hear the fish surface feeding out there so we spun the boat around to target the fish feeding.
It was the dominant pairing of recent BARRA Tours that started with a bang at Kinchant. Humminbird/ Edge Rods (Craig Griffiths and Karim deRidder) milked all of their weight off the main boat ramp. Williams may have been undecided about their team name, but their strategy for targeting fish in deeper water to access unpressured barra was locked in and productive. “We chose water around 14ft deep and fished it with heavy soft plastics to get our limit,” Peter said during the presentation at the Pinnacle Hotel.
BIG BARRA
Team TBC’s Ben Williams and his teammate Peter Laine fished deeper flats (15-20ft) to catch their bag, which weighed well enough for second place. limit and then some quality upgrades off the main boat ramp in the lake. If you haven’t heard, boat ramp barra are a thing in the lakes, with the lights,
the Humminbird 360, they swim around the boat and go and sit there.” Initially they used various vibration baits to land some of the 20 fish
Later, he reported that Ben was throwing a ubiquitous black/gold Slick Rig retrofitted with the TT 1oz replacement head while Peter was using a Chasebait Mud Bug (95mm, 31g) straight out of the packet and dragging it slowly across the bottom. They fished them on 30lb Sunline braid and 20lb Sunline fluorocarbon leader.
They don’t move too far when they feed like that, “ Karim said. “And there’s nothing as good as a jerkbait bite. Sometimes we’d leave the lure for up to 10 seconds and the moment you twitch it, they’re all over it,” said Craig. He had a Mustad Fastach clip attached to his Scan the QR code to see the Kinchant Winners Interview, Griffiths and DeRidder
Al Macnamara and Greg Beatty jumped to an early lead but failed to upgrade once the sun went down.
favourite Edge BCR605 rod that was spooled with 30lb Toray F4 braid and 54lb Toray fluorocarbon leader and he simply swapped the baits as required. The pair caught around 20 barramundi for the evening. SECOND PLACE TBC Peter Laine and Ben
RESULTS Place Team 1 Humminbird/Edge Rods 2 TBC 3 Anita Barra 4 Lowrance 5 BMENQ/H’bird/Jackall 6 Dobyns Rods 7 Zerek/About Town BnT 8 Millerods/Lowrance 9 Wilson 10 SC Marine Elec Doctor 122
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We’ll call him ‘Big Fish Ben’ (von Pein) soon. This year it was a 13.63kg (103cm) barra for the Big Barra win, but last year his team whacked a 31 and a 35kg fish. After the massive barra landed in Kinchant last year, this year’s Big Barra was a small-ish 13.63kg (103cm) fish,
caught by Ben von Pein late in the session. He won a Live Fibre Blades and Tails rod for his efforts.
Full results at abt.org.au
Anglers Griffiths/DeRidder Laine/Williams Robinson/Wilson Price/Thomas Tunsted/Brier-Mills Dial/Slade Detenon/Mulcahy McNamara/Beatty Paynesy/Reedsy Wood/Wood
Fish 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5
Weight(kg) Payout 59.94 $1,500 56.99 $900 52.07 $700 50.51 $600 49.90 $500 47.77 Prize Pack 47.37 Prize Pack 42.91 Prize Pack 41.61 Prize Pack 41.17 Prize Pack
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FISHABILITY I have mentioned versatility on a number of occasions and I am not sure whether this is a good thing or not. People love using the terminology of something being fit for purpose. The Anglapro Sniper 554 Elite is certainly fit to fish from. Add an electric motor to
Peter Jung pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au
The Anglapro Sniper range consists of seven models, of which the 554 Elite is the largest. They are a deep vee side console design that covers not only the waterways already mentioned, but with the deep vee design provides the option to venture slightly further afield. FIRST IMPRESSIONS The 554 Elite is certainly a step up in both size and space from anything else I have tested in the Anglapro ranges. As I said in the YouTube video (you will find the link somewhere on these pages) you instantly have a feeling of space as you jump into this boat. There is a spacious front casting platform, a generous lower SPECIFICATIONS Length................. 5.6m Beam................... 2.3m Bottom.sides ...... 4mm Top.sides ............ 3mm Max.hp .............. 135hp Max.people............... 5 Hull.weight ....... 530kg deck with multiple seating options and a side console with room for a multitude of electronics options. There is also plenty of legroom for the driver to be comfortable. The high gunnels add to the feeling of space but also provide the additional safety aspect should you venture further afield. This feeling of space is complemented by significant storage under the front casting deck, as well as handy storage pockets along 128
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young ones in the boat. The Sniper 554 is definitely fit to fish from. TRY IT FOR YOURSELF I tested this package with Simon Ryan from Boats and More in Shepparton and Echuca. Between the two dealerships they offer you the opportunity to check
PERFORMANCE Main: The Anglapro Sniper Elite 554 definitely fits into the crossover boat category. Big enough and safe enough to head out to your favourite inshore or bay location and small enough to poke around your favourite river, estuary or lake. Above: The 554 Elite comes standard with extended spray chines. Here you can see them doing their job. the sidewalls and at the base of the console for all your gear. There are purpose built hatches (for access) and space to house batteries and such like. All of this means the space above the decks can be kept clear of clutter and trip hazards, or that you can take more gear with you! Overall, the first impression was that it ticked a lot of boxes an angler would want. MANY THINGS ARE STANDARD FEATURES A key component when doing any boat test is to decipher what are ‘extras’ and what are standard features on the test boat. When I asked Simon from Boats and More that question, a little cheeky grin spread across his face as many of the desired options come standard. The list of items is quite impressive. Standard features include a drained anchor well with anchor winch supports, a removable bait board, a premium side console, electric motor bracket, underfloor keeper tank drained to the transom, painted hull, elite seats,
extended spray chines and much more. This means the purchaser can focus on the electronics they want fitted, knowing that this is the only other significant cost when purchasing the package. Therefore, you can spend as little or as much as you like. RIDE, HANDLING AND PERFORMANCE The Anglapro Sniper 554 Elite has a maximum horsepower rating of 135hp and the team at Boats and More had the test boat powered by a 135hp Mercury 4-stroke outboard. As we try to do with all boat tests, we collect performance statistic information. It was during the collecting of this information that we realised that the motor was over propped. This means the prop grabs too much water and therefore the engine is unable to get to the upper end of the rev range. This can affect the ride, handling and the performance of the package. Nevertheless, other than not being able to go beyond 4970rpm (two people on board), you couldn’t notice
a big difference to what would feel normal. The ride was excellent and handling at any speed was also very good. You could easily see the potential of the 135hp Mercury on this package, as even with the over propping it still got to a very respectable 71km/h at WOT with the best performance range sitting in the 35004000rpm range.
RPM.............Speed.(km/h).... Economy.(km/L) Idle.(670)......................... 4 ......................... 2.2 1000 ................................ 8 ......................... 3.5 2000.............................. 16 ......................... 5.4 3000.............................. 35 ....................... 15.0 4000.............................. 50 ....................... 32.0 WOT.(4970) ................... 71 ....................... 46.0 the package makes it an ideal platform to cast lures from, put in an anchor winch and you are set to anchor up on spot X and clean up on whiting. Even more importantly, you can get your family out on the water knowing that the boat is very stable at rest, with the added safety of the higher gunnels to keep the
out a number of boats in the Anglapro range and fit them out to your needs. The package as tested came in at just under $60,000, with base price starting at just under $54,000. You can go to their website www. boatsandmore.com.au for their contact details and to check out everything they have to offer.
Even though the Mercury 135hp 4-stroke was over propped on the boat tested it still showed more than enough indicators that it was an excellent choice to put with this package.
Top: There is plenty of room to have two anglers casting lures from the front deck of the Sniper 554 Elite. Above: The anchor well has additional supports to allow you to have an anchor winch installed.
Top: The lower deck feels spacious. It has a number of seating positions, basic storage and comes standard with Elite seats. Above: Although a medium sized boat, the 554 Elite was easy to launch and retrieve.
The Mercury 135hp 8-valve single overhead cam fuel injected motor is a great power plant for this package.
The Anglapro Sabre Hull is designed to provide excellent handling underway as well as maximum stability at rest.
Boats and More matched the package with a Dunbier dual axle trailer. Dual axle trailers provide excellent extended towing and make reversing that little bit easier too.
Top Left and Right: There is plenty of storage in the 554 Elite, ensuring you can keep the working areas clear of trip hazards. Bottom Left: Great access and storage for batteries and pumps is provided in the transom. Bottom Right: A simple bait board is provided with the Sniper 554 Elite. It is removable for those trips when it is not required.
Left: The side console offers plenty of space to flush mount electronics, with some simple storage and plenty of room for the skipper. Right: The walk through transom with ladder offers easy access to and from when on or off the water. JANUARY 2021
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