Fish’n SIPS Tagged Fish Comp is a winner

In mid-December 2022, Queensland’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries launched the Fish’n SIPS tagged fish competition. The competition has a $50,000 prize pool and is open to all SIPS permit holders.

Five impoundments in the Wide Bay Burnett, Central and North Queensland regions (see fact box on this page) have had 20 legal fish tagged and released in each, so anglers have the opportunity to win part of the prize pool if they are one of the first 15 to recapture one of the tagged fish. The competition will run until 31 October 2023, or until all 15 prizes have been claimed. For more details and the terms and conditions you can go to the DAF website at www. daf.qld.gov.au.

FIRST PRIZE, $20,000 HAS BEEN WON

No sooner had the Fish’n SIPS competition begun than Maleny angler Billy Perske caught a fish of a lifetime and a $20,000 windfall to go with it.

Fishing Tinaroo Dam in North Queensland with good mate Tom Hallam, as part of a trip that had been planned for several years, not only did Billy catch a metre long barramundi, he had also recaptured one of the 20 green tagged fish released in Tinaroo as part of the competition.

THE STORY BEHIND THE CAPTURE

There is no doubt that

Billy Perske and Tom Hallam will have a fishing story to tell for the rest of their lives. They had

been planning that fishing road trip for many years, with three goals in mind. First, they wanted to catch a metre barramundi, second, a mangrove jack, and lastly, a jungle perch. The final destination was to be Tinaroo Dam (to catch the barra), with the other two species hopefully ticked off along the way as they drove north from Maleny on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

By the time they arrived at Tinaroo, a tick had been placed in the boxes next to the mangrove jack and jungle perch on their list, and they hoped that Tinaroo would also be kind to them.

On the first couple of days they had no success, but that just made the boys keener to get their metre barramundi. They decided to fish with live baits at night as a last-ditch effort to put the final tick onto their checklist. This proved to be the winning approach, with Billy bagging a 1.07m barra (the winning tagged fish) at 2am, and Tom getting a 1.14m fish a little later that morning.

Neither angler was aware of the Fish’n SIPS competition, but luckily, they did notice a yellow SUNTAG tag on Billy’s fish. Then, just as they were about to release the fish, they spotted the green competition tag as well. The next day the pair made some investigations, and they discovered that Billy may well have caught a fish worth $20,000 in the competition. After several phone calls, they found that this was indeed the case. Billy was $20,000 richer (he decided to split the money with Tom, $10,000 each).

THERE IS STILL TIME Although the second prize has also been claimed (another Tinaroo fish), there is still money up for grabs in the Fish’n SIPS competition, so check the details out on the DAF website and go and give it a try yourself.

Samaki lure designers have spent years studying the action and performance of existing vibe lures, including the popular Vibelicious, to determine how performance can be maximised and what fish respond to. The goal: to design a new hard-bodied vibe that offers even more appeal to fish while maintaining the key attributes that make vibes so effective.

The result is the innovative Samaki Hardlicious. This lure is packed with clever features, like unique balancing to provide a controlled sink rate and a hook clip for the rear treble, avoiding snags while still allowing for secure hook-ups. It also features high quality premium Japanese Decoy hooks and split rings. The lure’s soft tail generates more vibration and action through the water, making it irresistible to fish. The hard body features an air pocket that slows the lure down on the descent, giving shut-down fish more of a chance to hit it on the drop.

The 110mm Hardlicious has been designed for fresh and saltwater fishing, and has an interchangeable soft fish tail. www.samaki.com.au

Available from participating dealers, Mercury’s ‘Go Further, Go Faster’ sale is offering savings on selected 20hp, 40hp, 50hp and 60hp four stroke outboards in a wide range of configurations.

With prices ranging from $5,024 for the 20hp MH EFI to $11,812 for the 60hp ELPT EFI Command Thrust motor, savings start at $400 for 20hp outboards, $600 for 40hp products, $750 for 50hp engines and $900 on the range of 60hp outboards.

There’s a full range of configurations to choose from, including manual start long shaft tiller (MLH), electric start long shaft power trim (ELPT), electric start long shaft tiller handle power trim (ELHPT) and Command Thrust EFI FourStroke engines.

Promotional RRPs include a standard aluminium propeller and relevant base rigging kit. The promotion will run until 20 April 2023, subject to availability. All engines must be installed and registered by no later than the 22nd of June 2023.

For more information on the promotion, including T&Cs, visit the Mercury Marine website. mercurymarine.com/en/au

The only thing tougher in salt than the TX2 is the TX3. This monster has 40lb of drag and an oversized aluminium Power Handle – the ultimate torque tool for dragging noncooperative fish to the boat.

The TX3’s corrosion-proof CZB Comp and Black Seal corrosion resistant bearings ensure reliability when it matters. The Alert Clicker tunes you into how the opponent is faring on the other end.

Features include: hi-tech Cast Iron carbon fibre frame and side plate, CZB Zero Bearing technology and Black Seal anti-corrosion ball bearings, extra-large spool for larger line capacity, low-friction 6-way brake system (allows optimum distance when casting or added control when dropping jigs into the depths). It comes with a double paddle power handle and single jigging handle.

Price: SRP $549 www.rapala.com.au

Daiwa’s new range of tackle trays, D-Box, has been developed to perfectly suit the modern angler. Available in a range of sizes and depths, the D-Box range is made from recycled polypropylene.

All Daiwa D-Box models feature a 4-sided clasp system to ensure secure latching and fully compress the water-resistant gasket seal, which is installed 360° around the lid of D-Box models.

Ten models feature in the range in three sizes (small, medium and large), and three depths (shallow, regular and deep). Each box carefully designed to maximise storage and versatility, with features such as spinnerbait storage incorporated into the D-Box MD (Medium Deep) and SD (Small Deep) models.

The D-Box LSU (Large Shallow Universal) is a unique box with moulded silicon holders which grab hooks and don’t let go. It’s a perfect jighead, soft vibe or hardbody lure storage box.

For more information on the different models in the range, visit the Daiwa Australia website. www.daiwafishing.com.au

The ultimate cicada lure packing the highest level of customisation, the Realis Shinmushi delivers results like no other cicada imitation.

This bug lure will induce bites with its silhouette and pulsation effect. It has incorporated the action of a hard body and soft rubber legs, creating a 3-dimensional pulsation that drives bass crazy. In addition, the rubber legs and feather on the tail hook will also induce bites from the bass.

The most important factor for the lure is the sound it makes when falling on the surface of the water, as it plops just like a real bug. The hard body of the Shinmushi will enable any angler to create this effect.

The wings work as a forward motion stopper, limiting the lure’s forward travel, while the wings create a freestyle swimming action when retrieving.

Shinmushi literally translates as ‘ultimate bug’, and this lure will deliver aggressive bites whether you’re stopping it or moving it.

Price: SRP $23.99 www.wilsonfishing.com

The ZMan 2.5” ST GrubZ has enhanced features that create the ultimate curl tail presentation.

The short and stocky body is heavily ribbed to create natural micro vibrations and a softer, more natural feel, while also retaining scent more effectively so fish can locate the lure more easily, eat it more aggressively and hang on for longer, allowing for more positive hook sets.

The long, curly tail features a split tail design that creates an irresistible, soft fluttering action, that works effectively on the drop, at very slow speeds and even when rigged on ultralight jigheads. These features combine to create a curl tail that excels in all scenarios, from an aggressive bite to shut down situations.

The 2.3” ST GrubZ is available now in 12 popular ZMan single and laminate colours, with 8 per pack.

Price: SRP $12.95 www.z-man.com.au