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Surface fishing for bream • Starlo’s tips for fishing La Nina • Kayaking at Wellington Point • Testing Booth: 13 Fishing rods • Victorian crabs

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Species Spotlight

INSIDE

Jamie Robley shows us the evolution of catching surface bream

November, 2022 ISSN 2652-5798

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Fishing Monthly Magazines

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CONTENTS

OUR COVER November 2022, Vol. 3 No.7 VIC

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QUEENSLAND The Tweed Gold Coast Jumpinpin Brisbane Northern Bay Noosa Bundaberg Mackay Townsville Hinchinbrook Cairns Port Douglas Cooktown Cape York Freshwater

16 18 22 26 28 30 32 34 36 37 38 39 42 44 50

NEW SOUTH WALES Pittwater Sydney Rock Sydney North Sydney South Ballina Coffs Coast Hastings Forster Port Stephens Swansea Central Coast Illawarra Batemans Bay Bermagui Tathra Albany/Wodonga Hunter Valley Batlow New England Rivers

58 60 58 62 64 66 68 70 71 73 74 74 75 76 77 78 81 79 80

VICTORIA Warrnambool Portland Cobden Geelong Port Phillip West Port Phillip East Phillip Island Marlo Bemm River Gippsland Lakes Lakes Entrance Port Albert Mallacoota Robinvale Bendigo Ballarat Wangaratta Shepparton Gippsland Freshwater Crater Lakes Eildon 6

NOVEMBER 2022

From the Editor’s Desk...

83 82 83 84 86 85 87 91 91 88 88 89 90 92 94 96 93 97 99 97 98

Leon McClymont taking advantage of the pelagic run. A Leon McClymont image. Come and visit Fishing Monthly Group’s official Facebook page for all your monthly fishing information. Download QR Reader to access.

TASMANIA Hobart Offshore

Politics aside, everyone’s excited about fishing at this time of the year. Warming waters mean that activity levels are rising, both above and below the surface. From the EAC charging south to bass feeding up in the flowing rivers, there’s optimism in the air. And then there’s the Sword of Damocles hanging over some of our heads. Western Australia’s proposed demersal fishery closures. Generally, anglers are accepting of wellbalanced fishery management, but the industry is uniting to fight this. There’s no balance in a proposed 9-month closure. It makes the recently introduced Spanish mackerel management in Queensland seem quite tame indeed, but in that case, I believe a happy middle ground was reached and we’re looking forward to the increase in stock levels that will be achieved by leaving biomass in the water. 1,000,000 TAG Bill Sawynok from Suntag recently informed us that the millionth tagged fish will be achieved before the year is out. That’s right, there’s been nearly 1,000,000

100 101

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

fish tagged within their program over the last 30 years. This is about quarter of the number of tags applied by citizen scientists globally. Australia can be proud that our anglers are conservation minded and happy to volunteer their time to further fisheries research. Stay tuned for an announcement in the next few months about who tags the millionth fish! MILLION DOLLAR BARRA News from the NT is that their Million Dollar Barra promotion is going well and there’s been several $10,000 and $20,000 fish landed so far. If you’re venturing to fish the Territory, make sure you register for this event. It’s free to do so. BREAM, BASS AND BARRA And it’s Grand Final time for the BREAM and BASS events. There’ll be multiple boats given away and excellent coverage on the www.abt.org.au site. Several of the events are app-based, which means that you can watch live scoreboards throughout the day. The recent BARRA events at Lake Tinaroo behind Cairns are testament to this – multiple lead changes and a winning bag of barra (released at the point of capture) of just under 100kg for 5 fish is mouth-watering stuff indeed. GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONS Thank you to all offspring who bought their dad a subscription on Father’s Day. If you just realised that this is a good idea, there’s another opportunity to do it at Christmas. It’s the gift that keeps on giving all year long! You can call Kym on 1800 228 244 and she will organise it for you … and if you ask her nicely, you’ll even get a free Christmas gift thrown in.

Esperance

107

Augusta

108

Bunbury

107

Metro

110

Mandurah

109

Kalbarri

113

Lancelin

112

Exmouth

113

Karratha

114

Business Office: Unit 1, 11 Knobel Court, Shailer Park, Qld, 4128

Freshwater

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Starlo’s: fishing La Nina

Kayak:Wellington Point

Sheik of the Creek

What’s New Fishing

Testing Booth: 13 Fishing rods

Fun page

Victorian crabs

100

Tournament Calendar

101

Tournaments

102

Trades and Services/Tide page

118

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REGULAR FEATURES Surface fishing for bream

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SUNGLASSES

PRESCRIPTION SUNGLASSES

GLASSES

The evolution of catching surface bream CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley

Catching bream on lures has been a long and steady evolutionary process. Several decades ago, our estuary dwelling bream were largely considered as a bait-only proposition. So when we went bream fishing,

pioneers of fishing for bream specifically with lures. I can vouch for this first-hand, because I stood next to him as he cast his fancy little imported lures around the Brunswick River, on the NSW Far North Coast, at a time when bream luring was in its infancy. Sure, bream were caught on lures long before

on the future of the bream fishing game! Fast forward over three decades and what are basically the same forms of tackle and techniques are still largely effective for bream. This very much includes one of the most popular branches of the game, which is targeting bream with surface or top water lures.

The author is a big fan of kayak fishing for bream, but simply walking around the shoreline, casting as you go will definitely put you in the running when it comes to catching bream with surface lures. before the angler started the retrieve or they would have simply hit a lure aimed at bass in creek or upper reaches of a river. So some of the lures that were first specifically cast for bream, were in fact just

angling perspective though, it matters how the lure performs in bream territory, rather than where it was designed or manufactured. There would be plenty of different opinions regarding favourite bream

box a bit, here are some that I can thoroughly recommend; Ecogear PX45 and PX55 lures, in the clear or translucent colours, Luckycraft Sammy 55, and a number of those small poppers in the 45-50mm

A nice Lake Macquarie bream taken on a surface lure just after sunrise. Being on the water early is beneficial when it comes to using surface lures for bream. it automatically invoked a tackle box with hooks and sinkers and a variety of baits, ranging from pink nippers and crabs to mullet gut, worms, pilchards and so on. Regular readers may be interested to know, that the main man behind this magazine, Steve Morgan, was actually one of Australia’s leading

this and it had even been publicised in fishing books as far back as the 1970s. What Steve did though, was use more modern and relatively sophisticated tackle and lures to start catching bream in a way that still influences our bream fishing tackle and techniques today. Along with his brother Tim, he pretty much opened the lid

SURFACE BREAM LURES Perhaps it’s best to jump right into the deep end, taking a look at the type of lures that work best. Back in the old days, before casting lures for bream became popular, most bream that were caught on a lure floating on the surface would have either hit a small lure just

An average size bream that smashed an Ecogear PX55 cast over a mix of shallow weed and sand, with a few scattered rocks here and there. Bream really like a mixture of features that offer them natural food and shelter.

Shallows with a nice mix of sand and weed like this are perfect bream territory. So always look around while you’re fishing and try to put in some casts in spots where you feel confident that bream may be present. 8

NOVEMBER 2022

bass surface lures. Some old lure names I’ll throw around here are Heddon, Arbogast and Rebel, which were American brands of lures made for their smallmouth bass and other panfish species. These days however, the variety of small surface lures floating around is mind boggling. There are still America-made bass lures on the market, but the majority of lures we now cast for bream are either of Japanese or Australian design origins. Some are made here and in Japan, but a lot are made in China and elsewhere. From an

lures or which ones are the best. Personal taste, an angler’s experience and marketing all influence what we buy and tie on the end of the line. Most lures also have a tendency to work better in certain conditions or at specific locations and not so well at other times or places. So it’s not really possible or logical to name the very best lures. We can, however, name ‘good’ lures that have well and truly passed the test of time on the water. So if you’re only just starting out or want to expand your tackle

range that are sometimes well known brand names and sometimes just cheapies found in a bargain bin. Don’t dismiss the cheap lures, as quite often they work well if you just put better hooks on them. Of course, some larger lures have also proven quite successful over the years, with a number of 65mm models being popular amongst some of the well-known tournament anglers. However, if you’re new to the game, I would definitely recommend the 45-55mm size bracket as a good start. Onto the topic of

hooks, even some of the more expensive lures come fitted with relatively thin, weak hooks which don’t stand up to powerful bream jaws too well. Even if a lure is already fitted with good hooks it only takes one bigger bream to crush or break them, so it’s worth investing in a box of spare hooks to keep in the lure box as well. My

number one treble hook for bream lures is the Owner ST-36BC and in most cases a size 12 is ideal, although some of the smaller lures may require a size 14 and some of the larger lures a size 10. It can also be worth considering W shaped hooks, which can be easily fitted to most surface lures, so the hook point

faces upwards, rather than down. At times, I’ve found this to be a good idea in particularly weedy places. The upwards facing hook points are more inclined to slip over the weed, rather than dig into it or rake up loose floating weed. Dangling, stinger style hook arrangements, fitted to the rear end of a lure are also popular amongst

Typical surface lures in the 45-55mm size bracket. Any of these will entice bream in the shallows during the warmer months.

Bream will also smash bass style lures, however the hook sizes and configurations on lures like these aren’t always so great when it comes to bream, which hit a lure a bit differently to bass.

some anglers. Some lures are already fitted with these hooks, which trail further behind the lure. The theory is that they are more effective on tail nipping fish, like whiting or more hesitant bream. So I would certainly consider both the W and stinger hooks for your lures, but in general, I still favour the more traditional treble hooks.

SURFACE BREAM TACKLE We’ve got an enormous variety of excellent rods, reels and lines to choose from these days. Without going into specifics, the very best advice I would give is to stick to the bigger, more established brand names. Daiwa, Shimano, ABU, G Loomis, Penn, Sunline and Okuma

have very much stood the test of time, with some of the very best tackle on the market today. They all have varying price ranges, to suit all budgets and they all have first rate back up service, within Australia. I’d be sticking with the ever popular light spinning outfit, with a 1000 to 2000 size reel, spooled up To page 10

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www.rapala.com.au NOVEMBER 2022

Southern

OLD

Hungry speedsters improve offshore fishing BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

Hot weather increases water temperatures, which in turns heightens metabolism in many fish species. This makes them hungrier and more aggressive, increasing the chances for anglers dramatically. Pelagic action will be a lot more noticeable for those

mackerel will also be caught from these surface melees but are more common during December and January. However, spotties have been in short supply throughout Moreton Bay over the last couple of seasons. The general technique for targeting surface feeding fish is to cast chromed slugs and slices close to the surface action and then retrieve flat stick. You cannot wind too fast – if you are getting follows yet no strikes then

Chris has been scoring a steady stream of quality fish of late, including this awesome snapper. transiting throughout Moreton Bay during November and surface feeding schools will be witnessed regularly. Mackerel, longtail tuna, bonito and mac tuna are likely adversaries for anglers casting lures and flies during November. Additionally, other species will be on offer including mangrove jack, threadfin salmon, crabs, estuary cod, tuskfish, flathead, snapper and many others. BAY PELAGICS With such high nutrient levels in Moreton Bay due to regular rainfall, baitfish numbers will be heightened somewhat during the warmer months. This will promote more activity amongst pelagic species. Whilst school mackerel can be caught all year round in Moreton Bay, they are mainly found deeper in the water column in the channels, around the bay islands and artificial reefs. However, with greater schools of baitfish around, these school mackerel may be found surface feeding on occasion. Sometimes spotted 26

NOVEMBER 2022

you are not winding fast enough. Occasionally large schools can be found, but it has been a few years since this pelagic prevalence has been prominent in the bay. Smaller bust-ups are reasonably common though. Whilst this activity can be seen from some distance on calm days, on rougher days birds wheeling overhead are often your first

indicator. Usually, it pays to creep up on the schools slowly or to get ahead of them, cut the motor and wait until they are within casting distance. They will often continue to feed towards you and not be worried by your presence. When they feed erratically and don’t stay up for long in one area you are sometimes best to charge the feeding fish to at least get one cast in before the frenzy subsides. Mackerel will also be caught around the various shipping channel beacons from the Measured Mile north to the top of the bay. These spots can be vertically jigged with chromed slugs and slices or fished by deploying pilchards close to the beacon. If anchored, a steady stream of pilchard slices can promote action. Trolling spoon and paravane combinations along the channel edges will remain one of the more successful ways to score schoolies in Moreton Bay. Longtail tuna can be found in all corners of the bay at times and you just never know when a fish or two will bust up near you. It pays to have a rod rigged and ready to cast when the occasion arises. Chromed slugs and slices are popular and do produce fish, but stickbaits, weighted casting minnows, GT Ice-creams, jighead rigged jerk shads, baitfish profiled flies, soft vibes, pencil poppers and numerous other offerings can be used with good result. Moreton Bay longtails can vary in size throughout the bay and I have caught them as small as 3kg and as heavy as 26kg. Even bigger specimens do get caught on occasion. Live baiting around the beacons, along current lines and over ledge lines (such as the Cowan ledge) can work well. Yakkas, slimy mackerel, cowanyoung, pike and other species can be utilized for

bait. It is best to fish multiple baits at different depths from a few feet below the surface to around mid-water. Cobia are also likely to fall for this approach, especially around the beacons and along prominent ledges such as the Cowan Ledge. Mac tuna can be a lot of fun to target on light tackle and ideal for teaching younger anglers and the inexperienced the techniques in fighting fish. They can be caught on small chromed lures, baitfish profiled flies and occasionally larger offerings. Like longtails, they are often fairly profiled orientated and will only be interested in exact profile replicas to the baitfish on which they are feeding. Whilst they are not very palatable, the fillets make great baits when salted, the frame and head are ideal for the crab pot and they can be a great way to teach inexperienced anglers the techniques for fighting a tough fish. Bonito schools may also be prevalent around the fringes of the bay islands and in the channels and can be caught with the same technique as mack tuna. They will also often hit a trolled spoon lure targeted at school mackerel. MANGROVE JACK Warm conditions will really get the jacks on the chew. Hot afternoons with rising barometer readings are ideal for chasing jacks as are night time and early morning sessions. Casting lures close to prominent structure, such as bridge pylons, mangrove snags, rock walls, retaining walls, pontoons, jetties and moored boats is a popular and exciting way to target jacks. The strikes are like lightning, extremely fast and often leaving a trail of destruction. Jacks will usually hit an offering as they head back to their structure, therefore they usually have

Pelagic action will be prolific as water temperatures rise. Whilst school mackerel will still be caught by trolling, anglers will hopefully locate some surface feeding schools as well.

Decent numbers of flathead are still being caught with regularity, like this prime table sized fish Mark recently lured. the upper hand in the fight. Minnow lures, soft plastics, soft vibes, swimbaits and topwater offerings are great lure options. The closer your lure is to the snag the greater the likelihood of a strike. Common by-catch includes trevally, estuary cod, bream, flathead and occasionally mulloway. Live offerings can also be deployed around these same snags. Mullet, herring, prawns and biddies will all entice strikes when fished lightly weighted. Deeper holes adjacent bridge pylons and rock walls offer great options, especially at night around lighted zones. The lights attract baitfish and the jacks and cod are usually on the prowl. Jacks will be active around the creeks, estuaries and canal systems throughout the warmer months. CRABS Mud, sand and blue swimmer crabs can all be caught with regularity over the coming months. Mud crabs have been flushed from deep in the estuarine expanse several times over the last year due to serious rainfall which lowers salinity in the upper extremes. Many will have taken up residence further down the system as a result instead of being deep in the thickest mangrove forest. This makes them easier for the average crabber to access. However, those who go to the effort to put their pots in more inaccessible spots are more likely to score the better bucks.

Safety pots baited with whole mullet, fish frames, chicken carcasses and similar fare are your best bet. Pickup dillies (not witches hat style which are illegal in Qld) can also be used but need to be checked more regularly. Some even mange to score quality crabs whilst using a line baited with a whole fish chunk. Once the crab is feeding on the bait the line is slowly retrieved and the crab hopefully scooped up before it lets go of the bait. Further out into Moreton Bay, sand and blue swimmer crabs are the main catch although I have had reports recently of a few muddies being caught around Green Island and out the front of Wellington Point and Ormiston. Setting safety pots around the bay islands, along the edges of major channels and the drains leading off the sand flats will stand you in good stead of scoring a few sand or blue swimmer crabs. I like to check pots at least every two hours, however they can be left overnight or for an entire tidal phase if need be. Ensure you can identify the major crab species and know the differing size and bag limits that apply to each. Also ensure that your crabbing apparatus complies with current regulations in respect to labelling and pot dimensions. SNAPPER A year round regular in Moreton Bay, snapper will remain to be caught in decent numbers over

Southern

OLD

the coming months. Whilst there are fewer than in the cooler months, the quality is usually fairly good. The artificial reefs, bay island surrounds, wrecks and other structures throughout the bay can all produce quality fish on both lures and baits. I opt to cast soft vibes but snapper will respond to a wide array of cast, jigged and trolled artificials. Trolling deep diving minnow lures will likely reward around the artificial reefs and bay island surrounds. Deeper waters of the artificial reefs and wrecks can be fished vertically with micro jigs or by casting soft plastics, blades and soft vibes. Quality baits such as mullet fillets, salted tuna and bonito strips, fresh squid and whole fish baits can all work exceptionally well when presented in the lower third of the water column. Minimal sinker weights, fluorocarbon leaders and sharp hooks hidden well in the bait with just the point exposed will go a long way towards a successful catch. ESTUARY OPTIONS Right throughout the summer months, flathead will be caught in good numbers throughout most river and estuarine areas. Trolling lures along the edges of prominent banks during the falling tide remains a

very popular pursuit. These same zones can be worked by casting soft plastics, soft vibes, flies and blades and working them down the decline. Drifting with whole fish baits aft is a great way to cover a good area of ground which increases chances with these ambush predators.

These can be drifted across the flats on the higher tidal stages and in the adjacent channels on the lower tidal stages. Whitebait, hardy heads, small diver whiting, pilchards, herring and many others will work well. Bream are always a serious option and can be

caught in much the same way as flathead in many areas. However, specific targeting by casting lures around structure or bait fishing the channel mouths on the falling tide can boost results. Casting baits up onto the flats and allowing the current to wash them off and

Mason Wessels caught this quality bream while on a family fishing trip with his dad Tyler and Poppy Ray.

into the deeper water is a good technique for bream as well as whiting and flathead in many areas. Whiting numbers can be good during the summer months when the larger yellowfin whiting (also called summer or sand whiting) are taken around the edges of many weed beds, yabby beds and the drains leading off the sand and mud flats. Sand worms, blood worms, thin tenderized squid strips and saltwater yabbies are all prime baits wen rigged on a #4 or #6 hook, light fluorocarbon leader and with a minimum of sinker weight. Both running ball sinker rigs and paternoster rigs will work. THREADFIN SALMON The Brisbane River has been producing some quality threadfin salmon in recent months. Anglers have been sounding out these fish with their electronics and then using various lures and baits to tempt them. Soft vibes, prawn profile and paddle tail plastics, blades and even flies can be used to good effect. Larger schools can often be found but these are often hard to tempt with lures or will only bite for a short period. The swing zone, declines into the main river, fronts of wharves and jetties, the International Cruise Ship

Terminal and oil pipeline areas are all good spots to try. Threadfin show prominently on quality marine electronics which is a boost for anglers. Getting them to bite at times can be hard, especially when they are feeding on prawn schools. Some put the lure rods down and resort to live offerings of herring, banana prawns, mullet and the like to get the bites. Baits are best fished close to the bottom yet lightly weighted. A few mulloway are still being caught with the same techniques and in the same locations as threadfin and you may even jag a good snapper, estuary cod or big flathead. CONCLUSION Warm weather promotes hot fishing action and Moreton Bay anglers are spoilt for choice with numerous piscatorial options on the menu during November. Bay pelagic action will be starting to ramp up and the usual favourites, such as snapper, flathead, bream, crabs, threadfin, cod, jacks and others will be plentiful. With the sun blaring down, anglers need to take steps to avoid the effects of the elements but I envisage plenty of anglers having some great days on the water over the coming weeks. Hope to see you out there.

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Whether you’re buying or selling, call us today on 07 3890 2322 or visit the sales yard at 1029 Manly Road, Tingalpa Brisbane. View the entire range at www.johncrawfordmarine.com.au NOVEMBER 2022

PRODUCT GUIDE

SAMAKI DELUXE ROD CASE

If you’re looking for a trusty, sturdy, rod protective case, the Deluxe Telescopic Rod Case could be exactly what you need. With a three-part design, two-colour concept, the Deluxe Telescopic Rod Case extends from each end in a telescopic manner, with the blue sections being able to be placed in more than one travelling position. From 1.5-2.2m, the Deluxe Telescopic Rod Case can carry up to 10 rods, and it has internal wavy foam that is adjustable to suit the guides, tips and butts and aid in the protection and secure travelling of your precious cargo. There are six locking mechanisms as well as two points for padlocks to prevent the unrequired opening of your case. A flat design ensures that your rod case won’t roll around in the car, ute or aeroplane and allows you to pack other luggage on top of it in all circumstances. Price: SRP $239.95 www.samaki.com.a

X-RAP MAGNUM STICK 17

Wanna play with the big dogs? Throw a big stick! The X-Rap Magnum Stick 17 is designed for maximum cast distance, and has a seductive ‘S’ shaped swimming action, making it a natural for fast and aggressive retrieves. Designed to swim near the surface, it is ideal for targeting pelagics feeding near the surface, or for working over reefs or flats. On the pause, this lure will slowly sink with a fluttering action that will make any saltwater predator salivate. To make it better, the X-Rap Magnum Stick’s scalloped internal reflective construction gives off a life-like flash – even with the slightest motion. This lure’s heavy-duty construction, with strong through-wire, ensures this stick will not crack on you, and it has been extensively tested on some of the gnarliest predators in Australian waters. Price: SRP $44.95 www.rapala.com

22 DAIWA LUGGAGE

Combining both function and style, the Daiwa Guide Series introduces three items designed to stand alone or be combined as part of Daiwa’s bag-on-bag system. The Guide Backpack is tailor made for long days walking streams, travelling, and working, and is the perfect everyday bag. It features a protective sunglasses pouch, laptop sleeve, waterproof PVC base, gear attachment points, padded back and valuables pocket. Each Guide Backpack comes with a tackle tray inside. The Guide Waist Pack is a great hip or waist bag for the angler who is on foot all day long, and it’s made from tough Denier material. The Waist Pack features padded support, multiple pockets, a large compartment for tackle boxes and tools, adjustable waist strap, corrosion resistant zippers, gear attachment points and internal organisation. The Guide Phone Pouch has a clear, touchscreen-friendly front window, waterproof zip, and storage room for credit cards and folded notes, making it ideal to keep your phone safe while out on the water. A restyled DVEC Sling Bag is perfect for land-based anglers and features a one shoulder/sling design that swivels around to the front of the body for easy access. The front pocket folds down to create a handy workbench for re-tying leaders or making a quick lure change. All Sling bags come standard with a tackle tray inside. www.daiwafishing.com.au

NOVEMBER 2022

WHAT’S NEW FISHING

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

SHIMANO LANDING NETS

Shimano’s brand-new landing nets with nylon mesh are built on a sturdy heavyduty alloy frame. With four models in the range, there is an option for all our favourite species across the country. The new grip design features long PVC handles for more ergonomic use, and most importantly the knotless coated nylon mesh is super durable and friendly on the fish’s protective slime. The wide mesh design is easy to pull through the water when netting a fish, and the honeycomb mesh pattern makes it easier to free your lures or hooks if fouled up. These nets are designed to suited to anglers of all levels, whether fishing for bream and bass in the kayak, dhufish on the western reefs, or the mighty Murray cod and barramundi in Australia’s vast impoundments. Price: SRP $59.99-$99.99 www.shimanofish.com.au

MERCURY OUTBOARD SALE

Mercury Marine has launched a savings special just in time for summer on a range of portable outboard engines. Available from participating dealers, Mercury is offering discounts on selected 3.5hp, 5hp, 6hp, 9.9hp, 15hp and 20hp manual start (MH) and manual-start, long-shaft tiller (MLH) EFI FourStroke engines. Ranging from $1,449 for the 3.5hp to $4,499 for the 20hp motor, these affordable motors provide the versatility needed to tackle all water adventures. They are great for aluminium tiller and inflatable boats, and are easy to install and operate, with reliable starting, low vibration and instant throttle response. Five products will be featured on the promotion, with the following promotional prices: 3.5hp MH and MLH FourStroke: $1,449 5hp MH FourStroke, 6hp MH & MLH FourStroke: $1,899 9.9hp MH and MLH FourStroke: $2,999 15hp MH and MLH EFI FourStroke: $3,999 20hp MH and MLH EFI FourStroke: $4,499 All offers will run from 23 September until 2 December 2022. The offer will be subject to availability, with all engines to be installed and registered by no later than 23 February, 2023. www.mercurymarine.com/en/au

TOIT SPLIT RING PLIERS

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NOVEMBER 2022

TESTING BOOTH

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13 Fishing rods relaunched just in time for Xmas For those of you that follow the Fishing Monthly YouTube channel or kept up with social media during this year’s AFTA Tackle Trade show, Rapala Australia relaunched new ranges of the very popular 13 Fishing rods. There will be a QR code somewhere within this Testing Booth for the launch video from our channel where Mick Horn and Matthew Osley take Steve Morgan through this latest iteration of the 13 Fishing rods. I must admit I was one of the people that tuned in when this launch was livestreamed and, after watching it, I was keen to see them for myself. After seeing them in person, it confirmed that this latest offering from 13 Fishing (with an Aussie twist) will be popular with Australian anglers. What was also exciting, was that I got to try out a few models! THE NEW RANGES There are five new ranges of 13 Fishing rods for anglers to choose from (plus a travel and surf rod range). You can check them out on Rapala Australia’s new website www.rapala.com.au. Starting with the entry level DEFY Black range (SRRP $129.00), then the FATE Black (SRRP $169.00), the FATE V3 (SRRP $199.00), the OMEN Black (SRRP $289.00) and then the top of the range MUSE Black (SRRP $349.00). They all have spin model options, and the FATE, OMEN and MUSE ranges also offer baitcast models. THE AUSSIE TWIST I was curious about why Rapala had relaunched the range, as previous releases of 13 Fishing rods have been very popular amongst Australian anglers. Their answer was that they wanted the range to be Australian focussed. As they are the new distributer of 13 Fishing, Rapala’s priority was to sift through the models available in each range and see what suited our target species and types of fishing in Australia. They also wanted to ensure that the components are what Australian anglers wanted to use on their

fishing rods – Fuji guides in their various styles (depending on the price point of the rod). Fuji guides are components we all trust and all of the ranges mentioned have Fuji guides on them. Before the relaunch, they also took the time to give anglers, like Mick Horn and other pros from the Rapala team, the opportunity to try out the rods. After 18 months to two years of testing, the team ensured tapers, blank construction and small things like hook keepers were in place. So whether you purchased an entry level model or a top of the range rod, you will be happy with your purchase and come back for more. Initial feedback since the launch of the ranges shows that this time taken was well spent, as anglers are voting with their wallets, and sales of the rods since their release have been excellent. GRAPHITE VS COMPOSITE RODS In this Testing Booth I wanted to look at the DEFY Black range and how this entry level graphite rod could be a great option for anglers looking to transition into fishing with lures or even to move from a composite rod to a graphite rod for their bait fishing.

One of the three DEFY Black outfits the author tested. The ultra light set up proved itself time and time again.

The combination of the UL outfit with a slightly heavier leader was the undoing of this solid 62cm flathead. The DEFY Black range has seven models in it (all spin), with all except one being 7’ (definitely a rod length we Aussies have taken to). They vary from ultra light to heavy models (2-6lb to 14-25lb) and are all two piece. As far as components go, each rod has split high density EVA grips, feature Evolve Seamless reel seats and have Fuji Concept O guides. The rods I tested are the DEFBS70UL2 (7’ Ultra light, 2-6lb, 1-3kg), the DEFBS70L2 (7’ Light, 3-8lb, 2-4kg) and the DEFBS70ML2 (7’ Medium light,

The light outfit was great for casting 5cm lipless crankbaits, like the Rapala V Blade. Although the 6’ model in the range would be better suited to the kayak fishing. Rain, hail or shine, the testing process must continue. 56

NOVEMBER 2022

8-14lb, 4-7kg) models. These rods cover many of your estuary, river, impoundment, lake and light inshore fishing applications. Before I delve into how I have used these rods, I wanted to quickly touch on why graphite rods can improve your fishing and why lure anglers use them. Much of it relates back to how you set your outfit up, with the ultimate result being that the angler will feel everything that is going on at the end of their line. It is the combination of a graphite rod, braided fishing line, fluorocarbon leaders and the use of quality components on the rod (guides, reel seat and grips) that offers the sensitivity, or what you can feel through the outfit, while fishing. You can feel everything that is happening at the end of your fishing line. It is a far cry from the monofilament line, composite rod outfits I used as a kid. You could hardly

The result of casting a 1/8oz jighead and plastic along a mangrove-lined bank of the Logan River a 55cm flathead.

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PRODUCT GUIDE feel what your lure was doing let alone realise that it had been fouled by weed, tangled or if you had a small bite from a fish. The right combination results in your lures being fished effectively, you feeling even the smallest of bites (especially while bait fishing), while being able to cast further (line diameters of braid are much thinner than mono line) with lighter weights. A lot more positives than negatives if you ask me. On top of that, the physical weight of a graphite set up is much lighter (and more powerful), making casting for longer

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ROD TAPERS AND FISHING I wanted to quickly touch on rod tapers and how they can help or hinder your fishing. Essentially, the taper of any fishing rod is its working curve, or from where in the blank the rods power is delivered. Most graphite rods range from a medium to a fast taper (with medium/fast in between), meaning that in the case of a fast taper rod (which the majority of the DEFY Black range is), the bottom two thirds of the rod provides the power to fight a fish and the top third is the shock absorber to avoid line

A big change to the latest release of 13 Fishing rod ranges is the use of Fuji guides. Concept O guides in the DEFY Black range and, something the author really liked, a hook keeper is on the rods.

The 7’ ultra light model in the DEFY Black range would be a great rod to buy for anyone looking to try their hand at bream fishing with soft plastics for the first time.

breakage while fighting fish ,and the flex to cast baits and all the different types of lures you may use. When it comes to casting, a faster taper rod is considered to be better for casting control and accuracy. So, when you hear people say they are fishing with a noodle stick, this will be a slow taper rod that bends from the reel seat all the way to the tip of the fishing rod. Minimum control for the angler when

periods of time a pleasure. I set the above outfits up as follows. The Ultra light outfit is matched with a 1000 sized reel spooled with 4lb braid with 4-8lb leader attached – my target species using this ranged from whiting, garfish, bream and flathead through to trout, silver and golden perch. I matched Scan the QR code to watch the 13Fishing Australia 2022 New Rod Launch

a 2000 sized reel, 6lb braid with 8-15lb leader looking to target flathead, snapper, mulloway, bass and golden perch on the light rod, while I matched the same size reel (although a 3000 would also work) and braid (again you could use stronger if required), but upped the leader to use on the same species with heavier lures or jigheads on the medium light rod.

This nearly 40cm bass wasn’t what the author was expecting to catch when he threw the light outfit into his kayak.

Casting small hardbody lures with the light outfit was no problem at all.

casting or fighting a fish, with maximum shock absorption to avoid line breakage. A big part of the transition from a composite rod to a graphite rod is the taper, the additional control and power it offers you is a huge plus. Some care however, does need to be taken. Composite rods are popular for a reason, mainly because they can be almost indestructible. They will absorb the bumps and bruises without breaking better than a graphite rod will, including overextending the working curve of the fishing rod or high sticking. High sticking would be the biggest cause of graphite rod breakage, followed rod bruising (where the rod has been hit on something causing a weak spot). This is not a reason to not go and buy a graphite rod (the positives far outweigh this), it just means take a little care when the rod isn’t being used and, when you are fighting a fish, avoid high sticking. IN THE FIELD Firstly, I would have liked to have had a little more time to use the DEFY Black rods

before reviewing, in particular the med/ light rod. But as I say to many people, “Magazine deadlines wait for nobody!”, so I will focus on the ultralight (UL) and light (L) outfits. My main target species have been bream, flathead and Australian bass using soft plastics and hardbody lures. As mentioned, the UL rod was set up for light line fishing and to cast small (lighter) lures and jigheads (1/24oz-1/6oz) with a bream focus in mind. The light rod was a slightly heavier focus (1/8oz-3/8oz) to target the abundance of flathead that have been on offer recently here in SE Queensland. Fishing with these rods provided some interesting insights for me. First and foremost, each rod dealt with its task with no problems at all. In fact, the UL rod ended up being hard to get out of my hands as the locations I fished ended up having shallower water than I usually fish, so I used the lighter lures combined with slightly heavier leaders to catch some very nice bream and flathead. Although listed as having a parabolic action (taper), I actually feel that it is more medium/ fast, which gives better control when casting in and around structure; a bit more ‘come to me’ power when you are fighting a fish, which translates when you are setting hooks as well. The light outfit did get a run too, with a couple of nice flathead testing it out. I did take it out chasing a few bass from my kayak. At 7’ it was a bit long for this (the 6’ option would be better suited), but apart from that, it was great to cast small hardbody lures and lipless crankbaits around. A bigger than expected bass certainly tested its stopping power as it dived for the nearby lily pads. I look forward to a few more outings with this outfit. CONCLUSION The hardest part about this testing booth for me has been tempering my expectations and remembering that the DEFY Black range is an entry level price point, as the quality of the build and components suggests otherwise. Having said that, there is a softening of the tapers and slightly less feel than higher price point rods (hence 5 ranges of new 13 Fishing rods now available), so they are catering for anglers transitioning into graphite rods. Would I use them on a regular basis? Yes. Are they a great entry into the world of graphite rods? Definitely. Am I looking forward to trying some of the other ranges? 100%. You can check them out at your quality tackle outlet or online at www.rapala.com. au.

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au NOVEMBER 2022

Sydney

NSW

Snapper numbers increasing SYD ROCK & BEACH

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com.au

I bet you have all been waiting for November. It marks the real beginning of the rise in sea temperatures and the warmer weather for Sydneysiders. Below are some of the predictions and what’s being caught around the northern suburbs of Sydney.

3-5oz. Alternatively, you can do the lighter version with sinkers up to just 2oz and use your rock blackfish or wash snapper outfit, and fish spots that have sand close to the rocks. Here, you may need to cast out only 30-50m, which suits the outfits I mentioned. Squid strips make good bait. Take a squid tube and cut it down the middle to open it up flat, then cut the squid with sharp scissors or

John Barthelmess with a double header of bream. This trip resulted in a nice bag of whiting and more bream. ROCK FISHING That transition period between the frigid cold water and the milder/ warmer water period can be frustrating for land-based anglers. An example is the period when the Palm Beach area is colder than, say, Dee Why area. This is just one example of how the temperatures can vary from one area to another, and only within a few kilometres. The snapper are increasing in numbers in the washes. We’re seeing good quality, less cool water more in the bluer colour, which is what snapper like in the wash zone. Multiple snapper to 50cm can be caught in the washes and distance casting, with a real chance for a larger fish this month. Generally, the deeper rock spots like Bluefish east front, Bangalley Head, and south and north Whale Headlands have the deeper water that produces snapper in the wash zones. I catch snapper off the headlands with a water depth generally more than 4.5m. In fact, you can catch snapper off just about every headland. Outfits for distance casting can be 7-15kg or 10-20kg, with snapper sinkers of 60

NOVEMBER 2022

a knife into strips approx. 1-1.5cm wide and 10-12cm long. These strips can then be rigged on a 2/0 to 3/0 size hook. Half pilchards are

suitable for this size hook as well, as are 20/30 size king prawns, banana prawns or endeavour prawns. Kingfish are certainly a target species worth pursuing this month. However, it is still a bit too early in the season for bonito. Most years they turn up in December, accompanied by even more kings. You can encounter numbers of small kings in that 50-55cm size, then a metre fish could be the very next cast. It’s fine to use your light tackle to have fun with the smaller fish, but you will find yourself severely under-gunned if you hook a big king. My suggestion is to use 50lb+ gear so you are ready if you encounter a much larger fish. I also recommend leader in the 60-100lb range, preferably with 10X hardness. For your reference, a 6X fluorocarbon or monofilament line is softer, and the 10X is in the harder, stiffer line range. You can purchase even harder lines, especially in fluorocarbon, but they can be difficult to tie knots – especially so in the line classes from 80-100lb fluoro. The ever-green eastern sea gar is a great bait when rigged on a snelled 2-hook rig or 4X gang hooks in the 5/0 to 7/0 size, which suits gars ranging from 60-80g. For XXL gars you may even need larger hooks. Live baiting for kings is another great way to fish for this species, and live yellowtail are one of the most reliable baits to get off the rocks. If you want to catch yellowtail, generally early in the morning is

best, around that dawn to sun-up period. Alternatively, you can catch them off the local jetties or wharves and transport them in with an aerator and a 10-15L bucket half full of saltwater. However, this can be hard work, especially the locations that are more difficult to get into. If you want to try for kings this month, The Hat and Bluefish point Manly, South and North Curl Curl, and north or south Whale rocks the go-to rock spots on the northern suburbs. BEACH FISHING Fishing the beach on a mild morning just before sun-up, rigging up for whiting and getting the worm baits out there with your light 3-5kg outfit, is one of the most pleasant ways to catch one of the most delicious fish in the ocean. Beach worms and

Jeoff Springer was completely over the moon with this 64cm brown groper, landed on a 7” Alvey. He released this fish and kept a smaller one for a feed.

Ali Seraidar with two quality snapper. There must have been a school of these as they were both caught a few minutes apart on an early morning session wash fishing.

Moe Dewji with his first king off the rocks. Lots of kings this size and larger have been caught off the rocks of late. They have been taking half pillies in a berley trail, spinning gars and Bait Junkie 7” jerkshads.

pink nippers are the go-to baits. If you can’t get live worms or nippers, a good back-up is preserved worms, either salted or preserved in methylated spirit. Pipis work OK too, just remember that you can only use pipis on the beach you harvested them from – you aren’t allowed to take them away from that particular beach. You can find more information on pipi restrictions and other Fisheries rules on the DPI website. Another bait you can use is a squid strip cut very thin – only slightly thicker than thin spaghetti – and baited up like you would do with a worm. Peeled school

prawns are also a reasonable alternative. North Narrabeen is one of the best beaches to go to for this species. They can turn up in large numbers thanks to the migrating whiting trying to enter Narrabeen lake. Whether the lake is open or closed can affect the run, and the water temperature can cause a later run. When these fish are on, it’s possible to catch a ‘double header’ on your 2-hook paternoster rig. Sometimes this can happen several times in an outing. Hooking up on two 40cm+ whiting at the same time is pretty exciting stuff! Other beaches that have good numbers are

Palm Beach, Warriewood, Bungan, Dee Why, Curl Curl and Manly beaches. That said, all of the beaches will produce whiting at times, so do not discount any beaches that have the right structure like sand banks and gutters. This month can be one of the best months for large Aussie salmon. They venture onto the beach in sizeable schools and it’s not uncommon to catch 65cm+ fish, and even several of them. If you have not caught a good-size salmon on light tackle then you’re missing out on a great sportfish. A light outfit which has a relatively fast action works best for casting out 30-40g metals for salmon, and your beach whiting outfit will do as well. If you some metals ready on standby in your carry bag whilst whiting fishing, you can switch to spinning for Aussie salmon within a minute. The proven method of ganged pillies works a treat as well, and a heavier outfit of 6-10kg or 7-15kg is better for this. Choosing a 7-15 kg outfit around 13ft, suitable for weights up to 180g, will enable you to fish a moderate swell. At the time of writing there have been no reports of jewfish, but this month is definitely worth a shot for this species. I like to have a real crack at mulloway in November. If you find fishing the rocks, beach or estuary perplexing, I can help you! Feel free to contact me, no obligation. • For rock and beach guided fishing or tuition in the northern Sydney region, visit www.bellissimocharters. com.au, email alex@ bellissimocharters.com.au or call Alex Bellissimo on 0408 283 616.

reader’s story

NSW

Mulloway monster Most anglers want to catch a ‘monster’, the fish of a lifetime, but since I retired 7 years ago it has become something of an obsession with me. My dream came true when I caught a monster mulloway of 1.46m from my kayak on the Hawkesbury River. Weather permitting I usually get in two full days of fishing a week, summer and winter, one day in my boat and one day in the kayak. With very few exceptions, my best mulloway have been caught from the kayak. I always fish during the week when the waterways are quieter, and I am on the water from sunrise to sunset. There are obviously many disadvantages in using a kayak as a fishing platform, most notably speed and distance limitations. This year I have been consciously trying to utilise the advantages, namely stealth and the ability to get very close to rocky areas with a

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current close in initially, then out wide into deep water and all the time I was trying to win back some line and get him off the bottom. It was 30 minutes before I could see the leader and at that stage the kayak was in safe water 100m from the shore and a good 200m from where the fight began. By then, the runs were short and (both) of us were very tired. The gaff went home first shot but when I tried to lift the fish into the kayak’s hatch I very nearly capsized and didn’t have the strength in one arm to bring it onboard. Eventually had to paddle one armed ashore with the other arm holding the gaffed fish. Even when I finally got ashore it was a tight fit to get the mulloway into the hatch. 11 hours on the water, 28.5km travelled on the GPS, tired to my bones and happy as a sand boy. – Ivan Jerman of Seaforth, NSW

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VIC

Snapper smashing plastics PPB WEST

Alan Bonnici alan@fishingmad.com.au

My favourite time of the year has finally arrived! That cold winter grind is well behind us now, and we have moved past the inconsistent early stages of spring. Right now we have moved into the phase which can only be described as prime fishing time around Melbourne. Why? Because the water temperatures are at optimal levels for a whole range of fish species, and our local bays, lakes and estuaries will awaken and the fishing will simply be epic. In my article, I will cover a whole range of species to target, but it would be unforgivable not to start with snapper. It’s always at this time of year – usually after finals footy and spring carnival festivities – that is prime snapper season opening for Port Phillip Bay. The

Bags of squid are to be expected at this time of year. water temperature has risen and will now hover between 14-17°C, which is optimal for snapper fishing. Snapper migration patterns are always fascinating to me. I find that early in the season they like to make their way up

to the top end, and are found in good numbers around Port Melbourne, Williamstown, Altona, Werribee, and St Kilda. As we move further into the season, we see them move deeper in to middle near the shipping channels and then

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heavily around areas such as Carrum, Black Rock, Ricketts Point and then back closer to the heads. It’s a fascinating migration pattern which I’ve followed for many years, but understanding the impact of water temperature, clarity and snapper movements can help with catch rates. It’s no secret I’m obsessed with targeting these big reds, especially with soft plastics. Pinkies are also fun to catch. Heading out to the water, covering ground, and staying active flicking soft plastics is so different from my early days chasing snapper. I catch my fair share on the boat and kayak without needing to hit the water at ridiculous hours of the morning. I still cringe thinking about those midnight and 2am starts which I did for many years. These days I tend to try to fish the right tides, times and the right locations, which makes the experience more pleasant and less taxing.

There are some big models mixed in with the smaller fish. with a no. 4/0 hook. My go-to soft plastic lately has been the Munroes 3.75” paddle tail, but I also like using the Keitech 4” Easy Shiner and the everreliable Berkley 7” Turtleback Worm and Berkley 5” Jerk Shads. It’s always good to bring a broad range of natural and bright colours to find what works on the day. I also have a lighter outfit that’s perfect for targeting pinkies. For this kind of fishing, a good outfit consists of a fastaction 2-4kg spin rod paired with a 2000-size reel spooled with 10lb braid. Sometimes I’ll even use my 1-3kg bream rod and 1000-size reel, as I really enjoy a challenge. I caught a 4kg snapper on my little 1000-sized Shimano Vanford last year, and that was one hell

time again. While it’s true that fishing pressure is growing immensely on our local waters, and boat ramps are insanely crowded, the good news is that netting is down and pinkie numbers are at record highs. Let’s hope this translates into lots of snapper being caught by our local anglers. We will also see our beloved bread-andbutter species in the bay like flathead, whiting and squid being caught in good numbers. It’s also great news for those fishing our local lakes and estuaries, because those fish species love the warmer water conditions and are also coming into their own. I’ll be spending a lot of time targeting redfin with soft plastics on my kayak at places

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The author with an early season snapper. For me, this usually means hitting the water with two spin outfits. The first is a 3-6kg fast-action spin rod paired with a 3000-size reel that is spooled with 15lb braid. This is my heavier outfit aimed at targeting those 3-5kg size snapper, whilst flicking 4” and 5” soft plastics using a 1/8oz, 1/6oz or 1/4oz jighead

of an experience that I’d like to do again. Snapper season will have its ups and downs. You will have some weeks where you’ll catch plenty, and some weeks where the catches are very quiet. That’s the nature of snapper fishing. It requires dedication, patience, and resilience to go back time and

like Pykes Creek, Melton Reservoir, Barwon River and Werribee River. With the water temperature rising that’s when you start to catch redfin in big numbers, along with the odd yellowbelly. I will also be targeting estuary perch and bass with surface lures in places like To page 87

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Looking for another challenge PHILLIP ISLAND

Craig Edmonds

It has certainly been a winter to remember, firstly because we’ve actually been able to get out and have a fish, and secondly because the offshore fishing has been like never before. I am mostly speaking about the tuna. The great school

and if the tuna are in big numbers again I think some anglers will be looking for another challenge. Personally, I think I would prefer a few kilograms of kingfish than tuna in the freezer. There are plenty of kings around offshore, judging from the reports we have been getting from divers. However, seeing the kingfish is one thing, and catching them on

of perfection. In late winter and early spring it seemed as though everything was going to fire early, then we had a month or more of rain and wind. Wind in spring is nothing new, but the air temperature was a little ordinary which, with the lack of sun, made for a longer stretch of colder water temperatures. However, despite this, we did see some

bad thing (the smaller fish are a much better feed), it’s just a little unusual for this early in the season. Although we are getting more regular reports the fish haven’t really fired yet, and I would expect it will be a bit later into November. It will be interesting to see just what the mix of snapper are. The reports are mostly concentrated around the top end of the bay, Elizabeth Island to Lang Lang, but I think by the time this is printed they will be spread across the corals. November and the start of daylight savings is the perfect time to target the tide change on dark across the mud, especially after a warm day. Whiting have been consistent over the last few

Steve took the kids out for an evening fish, and the girls managed to find some great pinkies for the table.

Quality snapper are expected at this time of the year. fish season we had last summer was backed up by an equally great barrel season through the winter, and everybody is now waiting to see what turns up this summer. Over the last few years the local kingfish have been left alone with so many tuna around, but from conversations with customers I think the kingfish might be a bit of a target this summer. A lot of people are now geared up to handle the bigger fish, From page 86

Albert Park, Werribee River. This has quickly become one of my favourite forms of fishing. Light gear and those crazy surface strikes are amazing. Finally, without a doubt I will be walking the banks of the Maribyrnong and

rod and reel is a very different story. The best advice I can give is to forget everything you know about catching kingfish, and be prepared to do things a little differently. I could take up the whole page trying to explain; it’s easier for you to just drop in and see us or have a talk to one of the many locals that chase them. It has taken what seems like forever for the water to warm up this year, and the fishing has been very much like the weather, i.e. very poor at times with patches

early fish. There is always the opportunity to catch fish, the trick is being able to take advantage of it. Snapper reports started typical of a normal season, with low numbers and large sizes, as you would expect. Then something changed once the weather started improving in late September, and the reports were of the odd big snapper but plenty around the 2-4kg mark. The bigger fish were still showing on the sounders, they weren’t getting to the baits. While this isn’t a

Yarra rivers targeting bream this month. At this time of year, they will start sitting high and holding the edges, so I’ll target them with shallowdiving hardbody lures. You can also get good results sight casting to them in stealth mode, and flicking plastics and crab or yabby imitations

along the shallows and any visible structure, and working them slowly with ultra-light spin gear. As you can see, there are so many options for anglers at this time of the year. Whether you fish with bait or lures and whether you fish saltwater of freshwater, get excited

Reds are great fun on soft plastics.

A nice brace of pinkie snapper. because the fishing gets very good from here. Until next time, good fishing everyone. Feel free to contact me directly to share your fishing experiences, photos and catches around Melbourne, Port Phillip Bay and beyond which we can feature in next month’s article. You can contact me by email at alan@fishingmad. com.au. Please consider becoming a FishingMad member at www.fishingmad. com.au/member for fishing workshops, podcasts, detailed reports and exciting monthly giveaways. Also, don’t forget to follow my fishing adventures on the FishingMad YouTube channel www.youtube. com/c/fishingmad and on social media on Facebook page www.facebook. com/fishingmad.com. au, Instagram page www. instagram.com/fishingmad. com.au and on Channel 31 Tuesday evenings at 9:30pm and Saturday afternoons at 3:00pm.

months, when the weather allowed you to get to where you needed to be. We had a lot of side-on to the tide winds, which makes whiting fishing difficult unless you take the time to bridle up on the anchor or use two anchors. Like the snapper, the whiting were initially all big and low in numbers, but towards the end of September plenty of smaller fish came into the bay. Now you can get your bag but the sizes will be all over the place. With pipi prices going up again and supply for the season still unknown, almost everybody is changing up to squid and pilchard fillet. It does take some time to get used to the alternate baits, but they do catch fish. Many anglers, when they are having a bad day, will blame their lack of whiting on not having any pipis. In reality, the problem probably isn’t the bait – it’s just that the fish weren’t hungry. In any case, you can get as much bait out of $6

of pilchards or squid as $30 of pipis, so with fuel as expensive as it is the difference can actually be your fuel cost for a whiting session. Those anglers who have been using pilchards or squid for years, and have it worked out, don’t have any problem catching their bag. They also find at times the alternate baits attract fewer rubbish fish. We have already seen plenty of whiting around the 50cm mark, and the only reason they’re under the 1kg mark is because they are a little light in condition. However, once they have been in the bay for a while they will fatten up and weigh what we would expect. The Rhyll boat ramp is back open, and while there seem to be some obvious problems that need to be sorted out I guess it’s going to need a little time for people to get used to it. By the end of the season we will have a much better idea of whether it’s going to work. They tell us that Newhaven is next on the list, and it’s important that you have your say to ensure that the end result is practical and functional. People who design a lot of these things don’t actually use them, and so have no idea how it will work best – just like the people who will use it have no idea of the engineering involved. The best approach for projects like these is when they call for submissions. Get together with a group or your fishing club and form your ideas to then submit as a group. This way it narrows the field of information, is more consistent in what is needed, and we might get closer to a design that will work. 500 submissions, all different, will be an overload of information and could lead to most heading for the too hard basket. It’s also pointless complaining after it is done if you haven’t bothered to have a say at the beginning. NOVEMBER 2022

BARRA Series presented by

Barra Drama took centre stage

The beginning of spring brings with it the beginning of the ABT BARRA season and kicking things off with a bang each year is the inaugural Venom Rods BARRA Australian Open held over three nights on the full moon at Lake Awoonga. 18 teams took to the field in very challenging conditions with the goal of entering their five biggest barra each session into the ABT Tournament Series app, where a weight is allocated to each fish based off its total length. Team Barra Drama (Keegan Hayden and Geoff Newby) took out first place with an 8/10 limit for 82.13kg, while in second place was reigning champions Team Schwerin Concreting/Bass to Barra, Jake Schwerin and Dylan Mott, with 6/10 fish for 52.34kg. BARRA DRAMA Ironically, Geoff Newby and Keegan Hayden of

casts here and there as they quickly figured out that there were no fish being caught in the daylight hours and their time was better spent relaxing! Although the first session was uneventful, the team had caught onto Scan the QR code to see the Winning team interview

a few hints the lake threw them in the first session and decided to work on them in the second. “We were spot-locked in Cormorant Bay casting when the Schwerin Concreting boys pulled up a couple hundred metres away and we watched Dylan catch a metre fish,” Geoff said, adding “that gave us the confidence that we were in the right area, we just had

Awoonga was tough but the Barra Drama boys, Keegan and Geoff, figured them out in the end. Catching more fish for the event than any other team, they took home the $6,000 first place cheque. 21ºC – relatively cold for barramundi – the fish were searching for the warmer water on the edges and, as such, were cruising in

this channel. Noticing the channel, the boys began to target it with instant results, weighing a full five fish for

The victorious team caught all their fish in the night hours of each session and spent the daylight hours watching the footy and relaxing. Team Barra Drama didn’t have a lot of drama with the Awoonga barra once they figured them out. The boys spent the daylight hours of each session watching football and making a few lazy

to adjust the approach”. The decision to return to Cormorant Bay and work the bank instead of spot-lock opened their eyes as to where the barra were sitting and why they weren’t catching.

As the lake has risen recently, a channel approximately 15ft wide has formed between the bank and where the old weed finished, running parallel with the bank. With water temperature at

RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 102

NOVEMBER 2022

Team Barra drama Schwerin concreting/bass to barra Samaki/SCMED Venom Fish with me Imakatsu/Dobyns rods Sporty’s/EJ Todd Hot reels Fishing Monthly Barra whispers

Fish 8/15 6/15 5/15 4/15 3/15 3/15 2/15 2/15 2/15 2/15

One of the very few teams to catch a fish with the sun still out, Schwerin Concreting got the session started right with this cracking barra.

Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) 82.13 52.34 50.58 39.93 30.01 29.44 25.55 20.52 20.35 18.36

Payout $6000 + Big Barra prize $3000 $2500 $2000 $1000 no payout Big Barra prize no payout no payout no payout

BARRA Series presented by 44.63kg bag in the second session and becoming the only team to weigh a full bag for the whole event. Due to the fish sitting in the back of the weed or on top of it, sounders were rendered almost useless so the pair didn’t rely on their electronics and instead fished what was in front of them.

the naming sponsor Wilson. SCHWERIN CONCRETING/ BASS TO BARRA The reigning champions had a red hot go at making it back-to-back wins and were far from disgraced by finishing in second place. This year Jake Schwerin teamed up with Dylan Mott, in replace of his old man,

Reigning Open Champion, Jake Schwerin, teamed up with Dylan Mott this year and almost went back-to-back victories if not for a heroic second session from Team Barra Drama.

Jono Bale won the Day 2 big barra with this Molix-crunching 105cm specimen.

didn’t fish any deeper than about 7ft the whole time”, said Jake. The main edges they targeted were red gravel banks that are found scattered around the dam, as the weed finds it hard to grow on these banks when the water rises. This meant there was a more defined channel at the back of the weed for them to

fish without getting hung up on weed. Jake’s bait of choice was an out of the packet Squidgie Slick Rig with half the lead cut out of the jighead to slow the sink rate down. “Some guys like to change the hooks, but I’ve never had an issue with the standard hook, so I don’t bother,” Jake said when asked about bait alterations.

He used the Garmin LiveScope transducer in perspective mode on his boat to watch fish up to 100ft away swimming out of the channel in the back of the weed and up on top of the weed bed, and deliver his bait with pinpoint accuracy. A self-confessed G. Loomis EDGE rods fanatic, Jake used a Delta 744 baitcast model matched with a Daiwa Zillion and spooled with Toray F4 braid and 80lb fluorocarbon leader. On the other hand, Dylan used a Berkley Hollowbelly on a 5/8oz Prolatees jighead with no stinger hook set up to avoid catching weed. The Berkley Hollowbelly accounted for a 99cm fish early in the last session that made a huge difference to their final bag weight. Dylan’s rod of choice was a Dobyns Sierra 704 spin paired with his ‘lucky’ Shimano Stradic 5000. Proving to be a consistent team year after year, we’re excited to see how far the boys can go next year for the 2023 BARRA Australian open.

They happened upon a small point with trees running down one side, the weed channel down the other and a small shrub out off it where they decided to spot-lock about 30m off. Rolling their lures out of the channel and over the old weed bed that was hidden 3m under the surface was when the bites came, as the fish would use the bankside edge of the old weed bed as cover. Geoff, using his 7’10, 10lb ACM custom rod built on a Bushido Warrior blank, fanned his casts around the point using a 1/2oz black and gold Squidgie Slick Rig A couple of very happy VENOM Big Barra prize winners. Each angler took home a with a stinger hook and a VENOM rod from Wilson for catching the biggest barra in each of the three sessions. chartreuse dipped tail. Meanwhile, Keegan specifically targeted the this year and with years right-hand side of the brush of experience between the pile with the same lure but two they were able to put on a G. Loomis EDGE six fish in the boat across Black Widow paired to a three sessions on a very Shimano Stella FI 4000 and tough bite. spooled with 20lb Sufix 832 The boys clued onto the and 55lb Schneider leader. same pattern as Team Barra “We like to call it boring Drama, although instead of them to death, just hit that targeting the one area they same spot over and over,” had almost a dozen spots said Geoff in their winner’s they jumped between all interview. throughout each session, All except one of their searching for active fish. fish fell to the Slick Rig and “I couldn’t narrow it the only exception was the down to one specific spot, session three Big BARRA at we caught fish all over 105cm, caught early in the the place. The key for us night (6pm) on a Zerek Live was just not to stay in one mullet in fat betty colour. spot, we kept moving and Jamie McKeown won a Venom rod on Day 2 with this This won them a Venom targeting the big channels barra. It was 104cm and the largest of the day. baitcast rod each thanks to in the weed. We also

NOVEMBER 2022

103

BREAM SERIES presented by

Deer in the spotlight gets the job done The Gladstone round of the DAIWA BREAM series sponsored by Rapala has become a popular stop on the tour drawing more anglers each year. It’s expansive reef structure and big tides make it a spectacle many anglers from the southern areas don’t often experience and the chance at a pikey bream and many other by-catch make it an alluring venue. This year, 17 boaters and 14 non-boaters made up the field and, being the last stop on the tour, it was a make or break round for those in the AOY race. Steve Morgan was able

with a 2nd place, however 2022 was his year, smoking the rest of the field by 1.5kg in the end with a 10/10 limit for 5.935kg. He paid close attention to the tides, keeping notes and being very technical in his approach to fishing an arena with such imposing tidal movement. He said, “I think the current has a lot more to do with how and when the fish want to eat instead of the actual tide height. The current didn’t start running until about 9am, which is when the fish started to push up onto new ground and the bite window opened, until it got too high and the fish pushed up

Tom Deer made his first victory a commanding one, winning by 1.5kg from the rest of the field. with 6lb Unitika braid and 6lb Unitika leader, prioritising the length of the rod for maximum casting distance. His other setup was identical, only it was spooled with straight through fluorocarbon. Tom’s boat is a Stacer Assault Pro fitted out with a Minn Kota Talon and his ability to run super shallow and hold there once he found fish was critical to his success.

“The Talon meant I definitely caught more fish. Having the ability to push up shallow and then hold position perfectly meant once I found fish, I could target them because almost every time I caught one I could put the Talon down and catch two or three before moving on,” he said. Although Deer fishes competitively he still has a pretty simple philosophy – just have fun, winning

The champion got it done fishing super shallow using a couple of his favourite crankbaits from Atomic and some quality gear from Frogleys Offshore. to cinch yet another AOY title with his 2nd place, finishing with a total of 487 points over Mark Crompton (474 points). Tom Deer won his first ABT event convincingly by over 1.5kg with both pikeys and yellowfin in the bag. Meanwhile in the non-boater division, the GOAT from the back, Stuey Walker, has done it again taking out his 11th win from the back deck with a 6/6 limit for 2.886kg. DEER CLAIMS FIRST BOATER VICTORY Tom Deer has fished ABT events for 15 years now and he’s come close to a win at Gladstone before

Scan the QR code to watch the Boater Winners Interview

into places I couldn’t fish, closing the bite window. “I found the yellowfin prefer the sandy, plain banks and flats, and the pikeys hang out on the reefy, rocky structure, so they’re the areas I targeted”. Once the tide was right, Tom pushed up shallow, targeting fish in 2-3ft of water with a combination of crankbaits and topwater. He used both the mid and deep iterations of the

Atomic Crank 38 in rock crab and muddy prawn colour and threw each according to the depth he was fishing. He also had a Bassday Sugapen handy for when he wanted to target fish in less than a foot of water. “Crankbaiting is a favourite technique of mine so I used the crankbait a lot more. However I always had the Sugapen on hand if it got too shallow to fish a crankbait without getting snagged and spooking fish,” explained Deer. His crankbait set up was a 7’4” Samurai rod paired with a Daiwa TD Sol spinning reel and spooled

BOATER RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 104

NOVEMBER 2022

Angler Tom Deer Steve Morgan Jamie McKeown Michael Slade Blake O’Grady Mark Crompton Harry Schofield Peter Cashman Wally Fahey Sam Peck

Fish 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 10/10 6/10 9/10 10/10 9/10

Weight(kg) 5.935 4.464 4.349 3.835 3.691 3.414 3.311 3.275 2.849 2.817

Brisbane’s Steve Morgan sealed yet another BREAM AOY trophy with a 2nd place finish in the last qualifying round of the year.

Full results at abt.org.au

Payout $1700 $900 + $250 1st Merc bonus $600 + $500 Buck n’ Big prize $500 $125 2nd Merc bonus $75 3rd Merc bonus + Maui Jim Mystery weight no payout no payout no payout no payout

BREAM SERIES presented by is a bonus. “I’ve mainly fished for fun for the past few years. It’s sort of like golf, you don’t have to beat the people you’re up against you just have to have a nice day, do well and feel good about it.” MORGO WRAPS UP ANOTHER AOY After Tom Deer’s heroics at the top of the list, it was Scan the QR code to watch the Field Highlights

up to the rest of the anglers to fight it out for second place. Needing a high finish to seal the 2022 Angler of the Year title, Brisbane’s Steve Morgan registered his highest placing in the Gladstone arena to record a 10/10, 4.464kg limit consisting of 80% pikey bream and 20% yellowfin. “I’ve fished each iteration of the Gladstone BREAM event since we began coming here, and each year I learn a little more about when and where to fish in various tidal and weather conditions. Morgan said, “This year was the first time I fished the Calliope River and we happened across a sensational pikey bream topwater bite as the tide rose into the mangroves on the overcast and stormy day one. “And sight casting pikey bream is about as fun and easy as bream fishing gets. You see the black fish easily in the clear water and if you land it remotely near them, they swim over and try to eat it,” he continued. The topwater session finished a day that started on the Aluminium Smelter Bridge on the South Trees Inlet, throwing the Rapala 4cm Fat Jack in black. “Pikeys love a crankbait fished really slowly, and a bonus is that if there’s a pack of fish coming out after your lure, you can usually catch multiple fish from the same area,” Steve suggested. He fished the Fat Jack on a Daiwa Infeet crankbait rod matched with a Daiwa Sol reel and 4lb Sufix Advance FC straight through. The topwater (a Tiemco Soft Shell Cicada) was delivered on a 6’8”

Never far off the money, 3rd place Jamie McKeown also took home the $500 Buck n’ Bass Big BREAM prize. Infeet with a Certate, 6lb Sufix 832 braid and an 8lb Sufix fluorocarbon leader. Day two was calm and sunny, which dictated a switch to spots that fished well several years ago. “For me, the open-water Gladstone Harbour rock bars fish well when there’s minimal wind. So after the first hour at the bridge I ran to a series of rock points in the eastern harbour that had fished well in the past. Scan the QR code to watch the NonBoater Winners Interview

The pikeys weren’t as big as I’d hoped, but they were big enough to seal second place,” he continued. “I finished the day in the Calliope but found the topwater action in the river a lot slower in the calm, bright conditions – I’ll remember that for next time,” Morgan concluded. All up, he logged around 40 bream into the app and described the Gladstone breaming as ‘excellent’. All bream for the event were recorded on the ABT Tournament Series app and the images forwarded to the Gladstone Healthy Harbours Partnership,

where they are used to help monitor waterway health. BUCK N’ BASS BIG BREAM PRIZE Gold Coast’s Jamie Mckeown won the $500 Buck N’ Bass Big BREAM prize after tying with Harry Schofield, both on 863g. With Jamie claiming the prize by landing his first fish. THE G.O.A.T STRIKES AGAIN We’re not sure what it is that makes him such an exceptional non-boater, however we just have to accept Stuey Walker winning a couple of qualifying events each year is just inevitable. He makes this his 11th qualifying win and now his 7th AOY title, standing unequalled in both records. Stuey fished with Morgo on an overcast day one up the Calliope arm where Morgo targeted the pikeys on topwater and Stuey chose to throw the new Infeet Kodachi Finesse crankbait from Daiwa. Trading compliments with Morgan in their winner’s interview, Stuey said “The fish I saw you catch yesterday and the way we went about it was bloody impressive.” Morgan offered his insight into why he thinks Walker has been so successful.

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

Angler Stuey Walker Steven Dee Wade Walker Shaun Egan Mark Street Aaron Bonser Allan Lavell Sean Bicknell John Glover Lance Marsh

Fish 6/6 6/6 5/6 6/6 4/6 5/6 5/6 3/6 5/6 3/6

The G.O.A.T. from the back of the boat continues to smash his own records, notching up his 11th qualifying win and 7th Non-boater AOY title. “From a boater’s perspective, you’re always doing something just that little different to us and accessing different fish, I think that’s a big part of

Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) 2.886 2.702 1.854 1.703 1.559 1.554 1.298 1.179 0.912 0.911

your success.” The crankbait and topwater eating pikeys bream from day one were a far cry from the fishing on day two with sunny, calm conditions making the fish skittish. “Day 2 was a lot harder and I got extremely lucky with my big fish. It went straight into a snag and 9 times out of 10 I would lose that fish but today it was just meant to be. I only got 3 fish on day two so that was really lucky”. At 31.5cm it bumped his bag weight up almost 200g heavier than his day one bag and ultimately won him the event as he only finished 180g ahead of 2nd place. The new X-link FC leader from Daiwa was untested for Walker until this event but it earned a pretty strong testimonial from after being put through its paces on day two. “That was the first

Payout Daiwa Baitjunkie prize pack Daiwa Baitjunkie prize pack Daiwa Baitjunkie Prize pack Prolure prize pack Atomic prize pack Rapala prize pack Keitech prize pack Toadfish prize pack Toadfish prize pack Toadfish prize pack

time I’ve used it and no complaints whatsoever, that stuff was really, really good,” said walker. Stuey still uses his famous Daiwa Silver Wolf rods that he is known for, only giving them a new engine this year in the form of a couple of Daiwa Luvias Airity reels spooled with his favourite Daiwa Tournament Evo 8 braid. His advice to all non-boaters is, “Just don’t give up, even when it is tough just keep casting. Also, watch what’s happening at the front of the boat, a few of those guys know a thing or two and you’ll always learn something.” NOVEMBER 2022

105

A bit tricky for trout FRESHWATER

Peter Fragomeni

This time of the year can be a bit tricky fishing our northern dams for trout, as November has been warm in some years, particularly in the latter part of the month. It’s just a matter of

to the Crater Lakes of South Victoria. Although it was tough going with extreme weather and cold winds we did manage to tick a few things off the bucket list, like a beautiful bass and a feisty chinook salmon, both on fly. All the reports coming in indicate there have been

some nice trout and redfin being caught in some of our waters recently. AUSSIE NATIVES The water warming up has stirred these species into action. I’ve noticed more activity in a couple of smaller dams I visited recently, however, they have proven hard to entice.

The South West of WA has a number of farm dams on private property that are stocked by individuals and fishing clubs, like WATFAA and SFFAC. This one is very large and can offer excellent fishing at times.

Private farm dams can produce well-conditioned fast growing trout if conditions are ideal. This 58cm rainbow went 6lb and put up a great fight on a #5 fly rod. adjusting your technique to suit the conditions. Getting on the water at sunrise or fishing deep off steep banks that drop off into deep water is your best chance for chasing trout. If you choose to troll from a boat then try using lures that dive down to between 3-7m. I’m only referring to those periods where we can get days that are in the mid 30s and on occasions even higher. If you choose to fish the streams or rivers then it is a different situation as they are generally shaded and remain cool. The same applies to the lower southern waters around Pemberton, as this area can fish best this time of the year. I haven’t been out fishing this last couple of months because I travelled to the East Coast and fished freshwater locations from mid NSW all the way down

A handy fishing stile placed over the fence line to gain better access to Lefroy Brook just out of Pemberton. Others like this one are planned by the WA branch of ATF, with the help from SFFAC.

A good sounder will show where fish are holding. The right side is downscan showing a school of redfin hanging around a tree.

PREDICTED DAM LEVELS FOR SW WA Predicted Dam Levels for South West WA Overall storage in our dams that allow public access and recreational activities are currently 75% as of the end of September, which is down from 78.5% as of the same time last year. Although they are down slightly from last year there is enough water to cater for anglers and irrigation needs throughout our hot summer conditions WAROONA DAM DRAKESBROOK WEIR LOGUE BROOK DAM HARVEY DAM WELLINGTON DAM GLEN MERVYN DAM BIG BROOK DAM 116

NOVEMBER 2022

the Troutfest in mid-October will get things going again. My mate Jonah has been getting into the redfin recently and reported that they were hitting the lures from the bank so it proves you don’t need a boat for success. A few browns have shown up and I can’t stress how important it is that they are returned as they prey on small redfin. I was chatting to Mick from Victorian Inland Charters

79% 95% 84% 97% 85% 92% 100%

A few big Murray cod have come from lakes around the metro area but reports are getting harder to come by of late. Waroona Dam The fishing has been slow. This could be because there hasn’t been a stocking for some time, although a few redfin are still being caught on lures. Drakesbrook Weir As of time of writing, it has been fishing slow for trout, however, a large stocking that is going in for

at Lake Purrumbete on my recent trip to the area and he said that the browns get big because they feed on the redfin and it keeps their numbers down. He regularly finds up to a dozen redfin in the bigger browns so suggests we stock more browns in our redfin waters. Hopefully, this will be the case in coming years. Logue Brook Dam A few reports of brown trout being caught by fly anglers is encouraging so it’s important that these

trout are released to grow to trophy size in the future. Ski boat and jet-ski activity is normally high from now- on so be alert if you happen to fish from a boat or kayak. Harvey Dam Reports indicate that the trout fishing has been very slow this spring compared to previous years. Normally the social media sites are dominated by trout captures from this water but, since the ban on camping it seems that anglers are staying away and fishing other locations. The cancellation of the Harvey Bash fishing competition is a big loss to the local community and to trout fishing in general in this state. The recent visit to a number of dams on the east-coast has provided a clear picture on just how underused our waters are in both freshwater species

and facilities to cater for travelling anglers like myself. With better policing they have we didn’t encounter any antisocial incidents in our travels with over 30 nights camping on the banks of their dams. Strict rules accompanied your receipt with actual fines and future bans for non-compliance. I just hope the local shire can provide a similar facility in the near future. Glen Mervyn Dam Not a lot of trout have been caught here recently however, the rewards can be good if you put the effort in. Some nice redfin lurk in this lightly fished water so it’s worth having a fish if you are in the area. Good free camping is aloud so this is a bonus. Wellington Dam Reports of a few good trout coming from the

upper area of the dam around Hamilton River is encouraging. It’s a big dam by WA standards so a boat or kayak is the preferred method to fish this dam.

is disappointing. Whilst I’m not a skier it’s going to put more pressure on smaller waters like Logues and Waroona Dams that are already suffering from

on the banks. I find this unacceptable as this dam is over 20km long and the gazetted ski area was only a small part of around 800m of shoreline. The fact they

casting clinics and displays by all those involved in the freshwater scene. Apparently, the word is that some very large trout will be stocked on the day which has not been seen before in WA, so it might be worth a visit even if it’s a few hours drive from Perth. Pemberton Private Farm Dams The area has many farm dams that range in size from 5 acres right up to over 30 acres that are stocked with both rainbow and brown trout. Some have very large redfin but generally these don’t fish well for trout. There are a couple of clubs that have exclusive access with strict rules and regularly stock them like WATFAA ( WA Trout and Freshwater Angling Association) if anyone is keen on joining. They have an impressive accommodation set-up in the town for members at cheap rates as well. RIVERS Murray River A few redfin are around

next month being a different river due to increased flow Collie River above Wellington Dam The section around the town of Collie has produced some impressive redfin recently with fish in the high 40s being common. Arm yourself with a good spin rod and array of soft plastics, spinners or hard bodied lures with a good action and you are in with a chance of tangling with one of these larger fish. Fish the banks casting at structure is the key and moving around until you find the fish is the preferred method. Capel River The section around Donnybrook is turning up a few redfin on any of the popular lures. Blackwood River This is the month when this river is at its best but don’t expect big numbers as not all the sections produce fish. If you are after redfin the upper reaches above Bridgetown is the go with the lower section down to

offer some truly exciting fly fishing to those that have mastered the technique. Using small dry flies cast into the gentle runs can be deadly if executed in the right manner to entice a rise. For those that spin fish then generally smaller lures and lightly weighted soft plastics are the go. The lower section close to the mouth has one run that produces a good fish if you know where to look. I can remember standing next to John Sauttle back in the early 80s and witnessing him take a 7 lbs brown on a tiny Adam’s in a way that only a truly experienced and talented fly angler could, as it was in a tricky tight spot with an erratic drift. It’s good to see a Stile placed over the fence at Thompson’s Flat. This is a ladder to assist the crossing of fences that not only places less strain on the fence itself but, can save torn waders as was the case for me on a few occasions. A credit to the AFT and the crew from SFFAC for their efforts.

Western Australia is home to some large Murray cod, however our authorities do not stock or allow species like these into the state. Locations are guarded but this lucky angler knows where to look and is an expert at catching them. Trolling to cover water is the secret to locate both trout and redfin. The recent decision to ban skiing up around the wall end at Potters Gorge

overcrowding. The reason given is that they want to conserve the area as it’s a pristine location and the ski boats are placing stress

The Warren River continues to produce quality redfin equal to other waters in the country. Blaine Simpson landed this 48cm model on a recent trip to the area.

spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to provide a decent camp site for the increased use by the skiers will now go to waste. The new rules will mean you can only use a vessel with a motor not bigger than 6hp or electric motors. Norilup Dam This little water near Greenbushes has turned up some nice little trout and redfin recently. The deep drop off on the farm side is the best location but, be careful as one wrong step will see you in over 10m of water. Fishing heavy lures like Tassie devils or spoons are the go or using a sinking fly line is also a good choice. Big Brook Dam Some good reports have come through of nice rainbow trout being caught up the back area on both fly and lures is encouraging. Brown trout are being caught but it’s unsure if they are recently stocked or carry overs from last year. A few nice redfin have been coming from the middle section by those on kayaks using soft plastics. This little dam that is shaded by majestic towering karri trees will host the Pemberton Trout Festival on Sunday 6 November to celebrate 50 years since the government had taken control of the Trout Hatchery situated on the banks of the Lefroy Brook. As was the case in this year’s Troutfest held at Drakesbrook Weir in October this event will also offer similar displays with

A pretty little brown trout caught at Logue Brook Dam. Wendy was casting a Berkley Puppy dog over a few we found on the sounder that were sitting up high in deeper water. in the deeper sections with trout a real chance in the fast runs dotted along the sections upstream of Dwellingup. Northern Jarrah Streams Most of the trout would have dropped back into the dams this month however, resident fish still reside in the permanent streams if you are lucky enough to know where they are. Brunswick River Worth a look if you are passing by as it doesn’t get much attention and is regularly stocked. Collie River below Wellington Dam Water very low with stagnant areas in most sections due to the lack of release for irrigation with

Nannup being more suited to trout. Warren River Some truly magical fishing has been had in this river with the stand out species being redfin of larger than average sizes getting caught on a variety of methods. Better success has come to those using kayaks but bank side anglers are getting their fare share as well. Trout have played the game with good numbers coming out of all the popular rapids from as far up as Regen Road all the way down to Barkers Crossing well down stream. Lefroy Brook This is the time of the year that this little stream excels in its capability to

Donnelly River No reports but good trout are there for the taking if you are keen on exploring this river. A good map is essential as it can be reasonably hard to locate the better areas. As can be seen we have a number of freshwater fishing locations to explore and whilst we can’t match the spectacular options the eastcoast of Australia offers, we can tangle with some nice size trout on occasions, and redfin that match anything on offer anywhere in the country. Be very wary of snakes around water and fire becomes a risk in the latter part of the month Until next time Keep your lines tight NOVEMBER 2022

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