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• TAILOR TACTICS • SPRING FISHING NEWS •

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Tailor made: techniques for catching greenbacks • Starlo shows how not to cast • Part II: Bait Junkie tactics • Latest news and area reports •

Species Spotlight

Sean Thompson shares his techniques for catching greenbacks

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Fishing Monthly Magazines

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CONTENTS

OUR COVER October 2023, Vol. 4 No.6 QLD NSW

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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

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NEW SOUTH WALES Sydney South Sydney Rock Coffs Coast South West Rocks Hasting Port Macquarie Central Coast Port Stephens Swansea Illawarra Batemans Bay Bermagui Tathra New England Rivers Hunter Valley Batlow Albury/Wodonga Canberra

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From the Editor’s Desk...

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With any luck, this will be the last Fishing Monthly magazine printed on newsprint paper. For over 30 years, South Queensland Fishing Monthly, which became Queensland Fishing Monthly, followed by a NSW version, Victoria and Western Australia and during COVID, Fishing Monthly magazine has been printed on the news stock. Expect to see something different in November. Tannhym Hodge with a nice barra taken on an Atomic Prong 4” in ghost orange. A David Hodge image. Come and visit Fishing Monthly Group’s official Facebook page for all your monthly fishing information. Download QR Reader to access.

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WESTERN AUSTRALIA Esperance Bunbury Augusta Metro Mandurah Lancelin Exmouth Karratha Exmouth Freshwater

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REGULAR FEATURES Tailor tactics

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Starlo: Casting

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Tailor made: techniques for catching greenbacks coastal environments. Tailor’s seasonal movements are thought to be dictated by ocean temperatures and their spawning instincts. However, it is also worth noting that tagging research as well as knowledge passed on to me by an ex-commercial fishers, is that while some schools of a similar size might migrate up and down the coasts, there are also localised schools that tend to stay in the same area. This is particularly the

QUEENSLAND

Sean Thompson

Tailor, also known in other parts of the world as ‘bluefish’, ‘elf’, ‘shad’ and ‘anchova’, are an extremely popular target for good reason. Tailor’s popularity stems from their good looks, fight, and the schooling nature of the fish, which means when they are on, they are on! Tailor hunt in schools along our beaches, headlands, estuaries, and nearshore reefs. With their razor like teeth, tailor have a habit of chopping their way through bait schools, disabling them by attacking tail first, which has earnt them the

Main photo: A perfect beach gutter: deep water close to shore, along with a close back bank. Above: A gang hook caught tailor. main range is from Exmouth south to around Augusta. They are in much smaller numbers along the bottom of the continent. Their arrival on the beaches in-season, particularly in popular tailor spawning locations such as K’gari, sees scores of anglers with long rods in picket lines targeting the popular fish. LOCATING TAILOR As noted above, tailor are found in a variety of

The author with a tailor from a gutter with a steep shore drop into deep water.

A long channel with entry points or rips into shore. nickname ‘choppers’. Larger fish (around 55cm+) are referred to as ‘greenbacks’, as their backs become a darker shade of green. These bigger fish are usually found travelling in 8 OCTOBER 2023

case with deeper estuary systems and offshore reefs. It is also commonly thought that tailor tend to rest up in deeper water, especially nearby reef systems and move in to feed along beaches, headlands and estuary entrances during dawn and dusk. However, once again exceptions to this rule aren’t uncommon. Only last year my mates and I had a couple of brilliant hightide tailor sessions at K’gari

much smaller groups or as individuals. TAILOR DISTRIBUTION Tailor prefer water temperatures of around 18-25ºC. This means they are largely concentrated on

the bottom half of the east and west coasts of Australia. On the east coast, they extend from around K’gari (Fraser Island) south to Lakes Entrance in Victoria, while on the west coast their

Weighted bibless lures have grown in popularity for tailor in recent years.

during the middle of the day with plenty of bait evident in the water. Offshore winds, i.e. that blow from the land towards the sea, also have a habit of bringing baitfish close to shore, and with them the tailor. My ex-professional mate also tells me he used to traverse the beach at high tide during the neap moon period (smaller tides) and look for the grey shadows of tailor swimming along the back sandbanks of the gutters, entering and exiting the gutter depending on baits and the amount of water.

Tailor can also give their presence away by fleeing bait on the surface of the water and wheeling, diving terns. This can happen in the surf, estuaries or just offshore, so it is something to keep an eye out for. Let’s now turn our

schools in the surf during the day is also a good time. Another tip when it comes to targeting tailor on a sunny afternoon (at least on the east coast of Australia) is finding a nice gutter with a big sand dune behind it. This will throw a shadow

a highway for the fish to move along, rather than hold position. However, if there is not too much sweep, look for an area where the back sandbank is closer to shore and there is a steep bank close to shore. In such areas, you can then throw a bit of

Light surf conditions are perfect for throwing bibless lures for tailor.

Alvey reels, long rods and gang hooks are a popular East Coast surf fishing set up for tailor. attention to the three main areas in which anglers target tailor and that is surf beaches, estuaries, and the rocks. Note also that near or offshore bomboras or reef breaks are another target area for boat anglers, but great care must be taking in these locations. In such spots, anglers keep the motor running while they throw lures or ganged pilchards or gar at the sudsy whitewater, while someone keeps an eye on the swell

over the gutter and can mean the fish come on earlier than gutters either side of it. That tactic has been successful for me several times over the years. I call this the “the shadow effect. Choosing the right water There are a few surf formations to look for when chasing tailor. To me, the perfect surf beach formation is a reasonable size gutter with a north and south entry and

berley (old pilchard pieces) to both attract and retain the fish there provided there is not much sweep.

in Queensland, or northern NSW, bait fishing for tailor normally involves the use of the indestructible Alvey sidecast reel. These are not only safe from the elements of sand and saltwater, but with their large diameter of around 6 and a half inches, they have the perfect retrieval rate for your bait. Keeping your bait moving for tailor is very effective and serves two purposes. Firstly, tailor are predators and like a moving bait while second, it will keep the line nice and tight to the rod tip. By retrieving slowly you will keep the bow out of the line and always

Trolling for tailor is a good way to find them in an estuary,

The author fishing with a top water popper along the wash off the rocks.

Chris with a nice sized night tailor. and proximity to the rocks]. SURF BEACH TAILOR Timing The best time to target tailor from the surf is dawn, dusk and into the evening especially on a rising moon. Overcast conditions and concentrations of bait

exit point for the fish. Even better if the gutter has a back sandbank within casting range and the beach itself shelves away steeply into deep water close to shore. Very long channels along the beach will also hold tailor, though they act as more of

Other likely locations in the surf for tailor include structure which will attract bait and hold fish. This includes the entrance to creeks or rivers and isolated patches of rock. Bait fishing technique Without doubt casting and slow retrieving gang pilchard baits is the most popular and productive bait fishing method for catching tailor. When it comes to pilchards, it is hard to go past the individually quick frozen (IQF) variety rather than the meshed together blocks. With the IQFs you can just defrost what you need and you aren’t losing baits having to smash the block up or defrost the lot at once. If you are a tailor angler

stay in contact with the bait. Braided line is another option to reduce the drag or bow in the line from the waves, but this is best fished with a spinning reel not an Alvey. At times however, strong sideways sweep mid tide can play havoc with this technique particularly if you are in a picket line of anglers. The thicker the diameter of your line, the less casting distance you will achieve from drag through the air while its greater drag through the water will mean it will also be washed into shore quicker. Keep the thicker, more abrasion resistant line for the rocks. Another tip to deal with strong sweep is to work out the direction of the sweep

and cast just below current of a rip, not up current where the strongest pull will take place. Also, if the sweep isn’t too fast and you have the gutter to yourself, you can slowly crab along sideways keeping in touch with your bait and stopping your line being pushed into shore. Another way to deal with strong sweep is the use of a star sinker on a paternoster rig to hold you out in the strike zone. This rig is more popular on the southern half of the continent. With such a rig I add three droppers, including a gang pilchard, surf fly and surf popper.

When the fish are on, you can occasionally get a double or even the occasional triple hook up on this rig. Finally, if you are after bigger tailor, these fish tend to be more night targets and require an adapted technique. This generally involves an anchored bait with either a larger ball sinker, or a star sinker attached with a running sinker clip. I will also increase my trace to a 50lb fluorocarbon leader. Generally, I use a large fillet of tailor or bonito and let the bait sit out in a deep hole. Tackle In terms of tackle, I like to use a 13’6” 5-10kg rated rod when bait fishing for tailor. Slightly shorter rods might catch you fish, except you can struggle with

The author with a triple hook up of tailor on his three dropper rig. OCTOBER 2023 9

Southern

OLD

Itching to get among the spring fishing action BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

Air and water temperatures have finally risen over recent weeks, which in turn, increases the metabolism of various species. Many baitfish species flourish in the warmer waters, which encourages greater numbers of pelagics to

a better option if chasing some fillets for the table as the larger fish can become a little tough at times. I think fish in the 50-65cm range are the best ones to grace the esky for a trip home. Smaller specimens (greater than the 35cm minimum length) can also eat well however the yield of flesh is not that high. Quality fresh or live baits are highly recommended if you are chasing better quality

just goes to highlight the fact that the most important thing is how you present and fish the lure, not the brand, style, colour or size. Quality snapper fishing will be achieved for several months yet but October is often a great month for scoring those premium quality specimens. MULLOWAY Anglers chasing mulloway have scored some solid specimens in recent

Although a prime size for the table, Anthony Johnson chose to release this healthy 63cm snapper. enter Moreton Bay waters. For us anglers, these are exciting times with increased opportunity to tangle with tunas, mackerel, bonito, cobia and others. Additionally, there remains plenty of snapper, mulloway, threadfin, flathead and numerous other species on offer. Add to the mix the possibility to score crabs, squid and prawns and you should be itching to get amongst the action. SNAPPER Many anglers have found snapper numbers sporadic in recent months due to hot action at times and then long periods of barely being able to score a decent fish. However, if you put in the hours and effort you will generally be rewarded with results. The artificial reefs have worked exceptionally well in recent months and there has been great baitfish presence in these zones to hold quality fish in the area. I have had reports of numerous 80cm+ specimens being caught from the Harry Atkinson, Curtin and Bill Turner Artificial Reef in recent months and specimens of this quality should be a serious proposition for several months yet. Usually, the smaller specimens are 24 OCTOBER 2023

snapper. Finesse rigging with fluorocarbon leaders, minimal sinker weights and razor-sharp hooks, hidden well in the baits with just the points exposed, will go a long way to tempting those more wary and pedantic larger specimens. Fillet baits from mullet, gar, slimy mackerel, yakkas, bonito and tuna are excellent options, especially when fresh or salted. Whole fish baits of yakkas, slimy mackerel, pilchards, diver whiting, gar and even grinners can score well. Snapper will eat a wide array of baits however quality baits are most likely to produce quality snapper. Baits that waft in the current instead of spinning are also more likely to produce on wary fish. Lures such as soft vibration baits, micro jigs, octo jigs, numerous soft plastic styles, blades and numerous others can all work well on snapper. The best type of lure will depend on the fishing situation. Soft plastics, vibration baits and blades are best for cast and retrieve applications, octo jigs and micro jigs for vertical presentation and deep diving minnow lures optimal for trolling. Obviously, various anglers will have personal favourites and the variance in these

months and these should continue to be encountered for a few more months at least. The Brisbane River has produced plenty of fish with the average size better than 85cm. Many of these have been taken on lures targeted at threadfin yet they are always a welcome bycatch. The beacons leading out from the Brisbane River mouth often hold decent quality bait and sometimes

there is a big mulloway or two lurking around as well. These zones can be targeted by casting soft vibes or soft plastics (especially paddle tails, crustacean profiles and jerk shads) or by deploying live baits such as mullet, yakkas, slimy mackerel, pike, squid and others. The deeper holes at the mouth (especially the dredge holes out from the retaining wall) are also great options and ideal areas for anchoring and deploying a live bait at night. Casting lures to the fronts of the jetties and wharves then allowing it to sink before hopping it down the decline will often work a treat. Out in the bay, mulloway will lurk around the artificial reefs, bay island margins and the numerous wrecks and other structures scattered throughout the bay. Recently I was lucky to score a quality 119cm mulloway (around 18kg) on an Oceans Legacy Hybrid Contact metal jig from one of the wrecks out from the Brisbane River mouth. The fish was sounded directly below the boat as soon as I got close to the submerged structure and the jig deployed for an immediate hook up once it was close to the bottom. The Origin Long Fall 732L did the trick and eventually the silver slab surfaced after more than 15min. Definitely a fish I will remember and my best from the bay so far! Although I didn’t originally intend on fishing slow pitch jigs at that spot, when the fish was sounded directly below the boat, they were the best option to put a lure in front of the fish immediately and accurately. Quickly taking advantage of the situation encountered will often reward.

The same lures that work for snapper will tempt mulloway and each species is often taken as bycatch whilst targeting the other. When specifically targeting mulloway, lure size can be increased as the better fish definitely have a preference for larger offerings. If you want those XOS specimens then live baits really seem to have the runs on the board over lures. Larger schools of mulloway are often found around the artificial reefs however when water temperatures are higher, shark activity can be increased and most hooked fish are engulfed by these predators, which is extremely disappointing. Whilst mulloway can be encountered right throughout the year, some of the better bay specimens are taken during September and October. BAY PELAGICS As the warmer conditions promote higher water temperatures, baitfish species will flourish in Moreton Bay. This encourages greater numbers of numerous pelagic species including mac tuna, bonito, school mackerel, cobia and longtail tuna. Their presence is most obvious when they are surface feeding on baitfish schools but this isn’t always the case. School mackerel are a heavily targeted species due to their prevalence and table qualities. These are commonly taken around the shipping channel beacons by drifting pilchards or vertical spinning with chrome slugs and slices. Trolling spoons behind paravanes (to get them down to 5m or more) is a great way to cover a range of ground in your search. This is best done along the edges of major banks on a falling tide or around any

Ian Johnson with a great southern bay snapper of 70cm, which was released after being tempted with a Gulp in nuclear chicken colour.

other areas where baitfish are prevalent. Halco Barra Drone, Macka Spoons and Halco Kimberley Spoons are most commonly used in 3” and 4” sizes. Obviously, these same areas can be fished using pilchards pinned on gang hook rigs. This can be done whilst anchored or drifting and current will dictate whether any sinker weight is needed to get the pilchard down to at least mid-water. Rigging the pilchard so that it is straight, with hooks placed centrally down through the back will promote it to waft in the current instead of spinning. With the leading hook placed centrally down through the head, just in front of the eyes this will offer a fairly natural presentation. Pilchards can even be cast and slowly retrieved on this set-up which is a great way to work the edges of the channels whilst drifting along with the current. Live baiting around the shipping channels beacons and Comboyuro Ledge (including the Curtin Artificial) is likely to produce longtail tuna and cobia during October. Yakkas, slimy mackerel, pike, cowanyoung and several other live offering will work when pinned on a snelled hook rig and deployed at differing depths. Longtails may be found surface feeding throughout numerous areas of the bay. They are often in smaller numbers at this time of the year and are best targeted by casting chromed slugs, stickbaits, pencil poppers, casting minnows and baitfish profiled flies. Longtails can be rather fussy at this time of the year as a lot of the baitfish species are still miniscule and they will get orientated to only eating baitfish of that size. This is an instance when fly fishing shines as you are able to present very small offerings that are too light to cast on conventional tackle. Bonito, mac tuna and bullet tuna will all be found throughout the bay during October. Small chromed slugs and slices are commonly used however baitfish profiled flies and several other lures may produce. These all make great bait species, especially when the fillets are salted down to toughen them a bit. The Watsons Bonito are decent table fare when lightly grilled or smoked. These can be located almost anywhere however along the shipping channels or around the bay flats or bay island surrounds are good places to search. Australian bonito are mainly only suitable for baits. CRABS Crabbing will be

Southern

OLD

good throughout October with decent numbers of sandies and blueswimmers throughout Moreton Bay and muddies in the estuaries, rivers, creeks and canals. Setting safety pots is generally the most reliable way however pickup dillies (not witches hat style) are also suitable providing you are checking them regularly. Pots are best baited with whole mullet, fish frames and heads, chicken carcasses and similar baits. Muddies are often deep in the mangrove expanse (except after serious rainfall) therefore setting pots in the harder to access spot will generally produce best. Out in the bay, sand and blueswimmer crabs can be taken in a host of spots with certain water depths often producing better than others, for this reason it often pays to initially set pots at an array of depths until you can determine which depth is most productive. Taking note of the depth where the majority of pro pots are deployed will also give you a good indication however don’t set in the same area. Ensure all your crabbing apparatus is adequately labelled as per regulations and be able to identify the various crab species, as they have different size and bag limits.

CEPHALOPODS Tiger squid and arrow squid will still be available in good numbers over the coming month or so providing water clarity remains clear around the bay island shallows, foreshores and channels. Casting egi into areas where clean water flows over reef, rubble rock and weed beds is highly likely to produce. Whilst fishing around the bay islands or Sand Hills area, drifting an egi or baited skewer behind the boat will also work well. The skewer is best

baited with a pilchard or other whole fish bait and suspended a few metres below the surface utilising a small float. When the current is minimal, the egi may also need a float to stop it sinking to the bottom. Cuttlefish are most commonly caught in the deeper channels such as the one which runs from Green Island up past Wellington Point to Ormiston area. Drifting weighted egi so that they track close to the bottom will generally produce the goods. THREADFIN With prawn schools

beginning to move downriver, threadfin salmon numbers in the lower Brisbane River will be improving. Large conglomerations can often be found close to the mouth in areas such as the swing zone, out from the Cruise Ship Terminal, in front of the main ship docking precinct, out from the QCL jetty and many other locales. Threadfin can often be easier to find than to catch and they can be rather fussy when they are fixated on the prawn schools. All manner of lures will often go ignored for long periods but occasionally they

After dropping a Hybrid Contact jig to an arc below the boat, the author came up solid on this 119cm central bay mulloway.

will come on the chew just before a tide change. With threadies, it is a sometimes a case of being in the right place at the right time. Live baits of mullet, prawns, herring, biddies and pike can sometimes turn the odds in your favour. These are best presented with minimal rigging including fluorocarbon leaders, chemicallysharpened suicide or kahle hooks and minimal sinker weights. Lures worth trying include soft vibes, blades and numerous soft plastics, especially prawn profiles such as the Chasebaits Flick Prawn and Curlytail Prawn, Atomic Prong and Samaki Live Shrimp. Threadfin numbers will improve in the coming months with a lot of the best action during the summer months. FLATHEAD Good numbers of flathead will be around in all the estuaries and river systems during the coming months. Flathead will still be in breeding mode or just finished this activity and a lot of larger females will still be around. Trolling lures along the edges of major estuarine channels on the falling tide is one of the easiest ways to score. These same zones can be worked with soft plastics and soft vibes. Drifting small whole fish baits (herring,

whitebait, diver whiting, hardiheads and pilchards) in the channels on the lower tidal stages and across the flats on the higher tides, will likely reward. Flathead will congregate in groups, commonly a large female surrounded by several smaller males so it pays to work over a successful spot several times before moving on. Remember that dusky flathead have a slot size between 40cm and 75cm (bag limit of 5) which is put in place to protect the large breeding females. CONCLUSION There’s a lot on offer for anglers over the coming month. October offers warmer fishing conditions and heightened activity for many fish species during the spring months. All manner of demersal and pelagic species are on offer in the bay. Estuarine waters additionally have some great action for flathead, bream, mangrove jack, threadfin, cod, trevally and many other species. The option to set a few pots to score crabs, work the shallows with an egi for some squid or cast net the deeper holes in the rivers for banana prawns, really highlights the great fishing potential and variety that the Moreton Bay area offers. Get out and enjoy it whenever you can.

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Always expect the unexpected around Coffs waiting on a bit of rain to get them firing. The fishing should improve as we head into summer. Bass will be on the move upstream so be prepared to cover some water to find them. In the salt, snapper, pearl perch and trag have been feeding well, and there have been plenty of kingfish out at South

COFFS COAST

Rob Taylor

Every now and then we hear about a fish capture so out of this world it beggars belief – a capture that comes around once in a lifetime and sends the fishing airwaves abuzz. We’ve just had one of those classic catches with local fisho, Luke Giovanetti, making a truly remarkable capture. Luke, better known for his local kayak exploits, was wading one of our local systems flicking around an Atomic Jerk Minnow on 6lb line when something bit hit the offering and ran. It ran really hard. It took Luke a considerable amount of time and finesse to get the

Bass season is now open, so grab some lures and hit the fresh for some iconic green brawlers.

The boys on Steve Sanders’ Bar Crusher had a great day on the snapper recently. We can expect some good snapper sessions throughout October.

fish back to the bank, and he did he was shocked to see a stud bonefish at the end of his line. Yep that’s right: stud bonefish…off Coffs Harbour…in the middle of winter! Not many anglers can lay claim to catching a big bonefish – and those who have caught one have usually travelled to a far-off tropical paradise to achieve the dream. Catching one on your own doorstep is hard to beat, and no doubt Luke is still walking on cloud nine after that capture. On to other local fishing news, and we’ve started to turn a corner in terms of weather. The first few warm days of spring have arrived, and with them the promise of a new season chasing all our usual favourites. The big news at this time of year is always the bass season open. While there have been a few reports of some healthy fish being taken, the bigger systems such as the Clarence are still

AVOID THE DELAY A

Solitary keeping the boaties busy. We’ve also seen the first few striped marlin hitting lure spreads out on the 100m line, so things are certainly starting to hot up out wide too. CREEKS AND RIVERS As this weather continues to warm, we can expect our local creeks and rivers to start fishing well

afternoons when the cicadas are at their most active. Surface presentations are the way to go for some truly visual fishing in locations that will keep you coming back for more. Big female flathead will be resting up on the sandflats and falling to big swim and glide baits in the shallows this month. The

ILAB

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Luke Giovanetti with a truly amazing capture: a solid bonefish taken off Coffs Harbour in the middle of winter.

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for flathead, whiting and the first run of mangrove jacks. Bass will be well on their way upriver, and if we get some decent rainfall, places like the iconic Clarence River Gorge will be holding some thumper-sized bass. You should also check the Bellinger and Kalang rivers for some fun early season bass on those hot

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ever-dependable Urunga, Kalang and Nambucca rivers will all be worth prospecting for big flatties from now through to summer. We should also start to see some good whiting numbers in the lower reaches, and the first of the jack fanatics will start chasing the red devils along the river rock walls,

coffee rock bars and upriver snags. There are plenty of places worth trying to score a big north coast jack. ROCKS AND BEACHES October can be a traditionally quiet time of year for our local rocks and beaches. Still, there will be the odd tailor and jewfish off the headlands and in the beach gutters for those

anglers willing to put in the time. It will also still be worth chasing a late drummer and blue groper in the right conditions. Look for some good, clean wash areas without sand, and berley hard before fishing. Some really enjoyable and productive land-based sessions can be enjoyed at this time of year.

Another shot of Luke Giovanetti’s epic bonefish caught throwing plastics on 6lb line in a local creek!

FISHING NEWS

Teralba Lakesiders Junior Fishing Competition – Free Entry The Teralba Lakesiders Fishing Club is holding a free entry Junior Fishing Tournament on 28-29. This catch-and-release event is open to juniors 16 years and under in two sections. The comp is local for Lake Macquarie, and online for everywhere else. Every junior must have an adult supervisor registered with them, and we have some mentors and preloved gear available for competitors who need it, so no child misses out on the fun. The Club Juniors will be hosting their ‘Fishing IS The Fashion’ parade and raffle on the Friday night, with all proceeds going to Marine Rescue Lake Macquarie. The parade will feature the prizes from the tournament and raffle, as well as the Favourite Crusty Lucky Fishing Shirt Competition. Contestants model their FCLF Shirt, and the audience will award a King/Queen Crusty and two Burley Up attendants. The tournament is now in its fourth year, and organisers anticipate between 80 to 100 juniors,

and 60+ adults to be involved this year. We have had juniors from Qld, NSW and Vic in the past, and hope to continue this. The aim of the event is to get as many juniors out there with family and friends as possible. Juniors can fish anywhere they want between 6am-6pm on Saturday, and 5am-10am on Sunday. Supervisors photograph catches with the daily special code word for reference, and complete a result sheet and SMS through to the Entry Coordinator. The presentation for locals is at 3pm at Teralba Bowling Club, with some VIP guests presenting prizes followed by the major raffle draws. Every junior receives at least one small prize or trophy, and a participant bag. PRIZES We have some great prizes for the kids coming from Gobblers Lures, Hot Tackle, The Brag Mat Man, Tailfin Water Rail, Tackle Addicts, Buzz Boats, Jo Starling, family passes to Fire Museum, Rail Museum plus ride, Paul Bennetts Air Show, Ninja Warrior On Course Racing holiday

class, Inflatable World, Weet Bix, Bar Crusher Boats, Jimmy Barnes Hoodie, Nimbus Baits, Tweed Baits, Duffs Salamanda Bait and Tackle, Reel Fun Lifestyle and Fishing, Ryan Moody Fish Finder Courses, and loads of trophies. The Friday raffle features signed merchandise from John Paul Young, Jimmy Barnes Limited edition record box set, Snap Blacksmiths 2m wall art, Lake Macquarie Cruise Voucher, Boolaroo Cinema passes, plus more coming. DONATIONS As you can see, we have some great prizes on offer, but we don’t want to have any junior miss out. We would welcome any donations of small items we could put into the kids’ bags. If you would like to support our event, or you have a child who’d like to compete, call Ian Guy on 0400 883 239, or email Leanda.Guy23@ outlook.com. – Leanda Guy, Junior Coordinator, Teralba Lakesiders Fishing Club

OCTOBER 2023 57

VIC

The upsides and the downsides of spring fishing ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

After being on this earth as long as I have, you’d think my memory would prepare me for the

pot. They get under your glasses, up your nose, in your eyes and, every now and again, in your mouth. After a bit of gagging and dry retching, some slobber and drool are expelled almost always minus the fly. The small culprit has

things that spring brings, like the promise of some thumping golden perch in our lakes, rivers and local channels. Around Swan Hill, a few good-sized perch have been taken in the channels earlier this year, with a couple pushing

Some good golden perch are starting to bite in our local waters. This one was taken on a Bassman jighead and soft plastic.

A pot full of yabbies cooked on the bank of the river. Does it get any better? trials that come with the warming of spring. When those bright, spring days arrive, my unprepared skin is always burnt to a crisp on my first time out on the water. It happens every year, and each and every time I swear it won’t happen again, but it does.

either made it to your stomach or has its feet wedged in your throat. If this wasn’t traumatic enough, the pre-dusk session, which was so well planned, is invaded by the droning wings of a billion blood-sucking mosquitoes. Yep, welcome to spring. While I was caught

up around the 55cm mark. Most of the fish caught so far have been taken on small hardbodied lures and spinnerbaits. The Bassman Tubby and Compact spinnerbaits have been working well, along with the small StumpJumpers and a range of vibes. Scrub worms, small yabbies and

these waters, and no doubt we will see a few pushing the 60cm bracket as the bite gets better. Carp continue to be a serious problem in the Murray, scoffing baits meant for golden perch. A few perch are getting landed, but they are far outnumbered by carp at the end of each session. It’s a similar story as you make your way downstream through Boundary Bend to

This crisping of the skin is followed by small, black buzzing flies numbered in the thousands, and which are as sticky as a honey 86 OCTOBER 2023

out this season, it won’t happen again. The funny thing is, my memory has no problem preparing me for the good

the local river shrimp have been the best baits. If past seasons are anything to go by, there are bigger perch around in

than expected; as the river dropped away you might have thought they would be about in better numbers. Still, it’s early days, and there’s plenty of time for these tasty critters to come on the chew. That’s it for this month. Don’t forget the sunscreen, fly and mozzie repellent, and have a great spring hooking into some quality-sized perch in our local waters.

Yellowbelly fever coming YARRAWONGA

Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com

Make sure you remember the repellent, as there are plenty of mosquitoes prepared to make a blood withdrawal. Photo courtesy of wired.co.uk.

Robinvale, Wemen all the way to Mildura. You can get enough perch to put a few in the pan, but once again, they are dotted amongst a mountain of carp. As is usually the case, good numbers of perch are biting below most of the locks and weirs locally on both bait and lures (although they can be sporadic at times). The yabby run has started a little slower

Everyone gets excited at this time of the year. The weather is improving, the birds are chirping, and the smell of liniment is in the air, with footy finals about. Unfortunately for the die-hard cod fishos who prefer to target naturally recruited cod (versus those who prefer to fish in stocked ponds), this time of year brings great disappointment. All the rods, reels and the rest of the gear specific to cod fishing in and around Lake Mulwala must be packed away until December 1. Anglers must keep in mind that from September 1 through to November 30 inclusive, targeting Murray cod is not permitted. The Murray River below Yarrawonga downstream through the Cobram area to the Tocumwal traffic bridge is totally closed to all forms

of fishing from September 1 through to November 30 inclusive. Those anglers who like chasing golden perch/ yellowbelly know they usually fire up around mid to late October. Traditionally, the top end of the lake and backwaters around the Bundalong area are more productive than the open waters of the lake itself. When the fish fire up, the old faithful Jackall TN60 crankbait is your best bet. Hardbodied lures up to 70mm, and smallerprofiled spinnerbaits will also account for their fair share. If you do encounter a by-catch cod over the next couple of months, please release it unharmed as quickly as possible. Looking back, August is a traditionally slow month for cod fishing, but persistent anglers were rewarded for their efforts. The most consistent fisho (not a scoper!) was local lad Mick Crothers, along with his wife Rachael. Mick and Rach had some

great evenings fishing the Woodlands area, with their best seeing them land a 58cm fish, a couple of 69s and a 75cm. When it comes to scopers, none came close to the efforts that Rick ‘Coddog’ Goward put in. Living locally allowed Rick to get out most evenings/mornings for many great-sized cod. I believe his best for the month measured 121cm, with numerous others measuring more than the magical 1m mark. Overall, the 2022/23 season saw many changes on the cod fishing landscape in and around Mulwala. The most notable was the increase in anglers using Live Scope technology to target fish, as opposed to the traditional fish finding ways of old. In years gone by it was a great achievement to land a metery whilst fishing. Nowadays, with the use of the latest technology, it’s nearly embarrassing

VIC

Golden perch fishing productivity is on the rise

productive technique on the redfin as well. Trolling hardbody lures hasn’t caught big numbers of fish of late, but as the water warms up over the next couple of months, this approach should be more productive. Late October is when we usually see a significant increase in golden perch catches. I often find early in the month when water temps are still low, the level of activity in the golden perch can be lower. Early in October I prefer to use small profile lures, such as the Jackall TN50 vibe in the silent models. Other good lure options early in October are blades, soft plastics and small profile

hardbody lures, especially any suspending models. As the water temperatures increase and the golden perch become more aggressive in late October/ early November, larger lipless crankbaits become more effective, particularly the rattle models. Mediumsized hardbody lures and spinnerbaits also work well on these aggressive fish. CAMPASPE RIVER The fishing has been very slow over recent months, due to cold water temperatures, high river flows and poor water clarity. The good news is that with the recent trend of below average rainfall, we have seen river flows reduce and the water clarity

to spruik your achievements. The last few years have seen a massive increase

in anglers surface fishing. Interestingly, this season was relatively quiet surfacewise, but I’ll hazard a guess

that a lot of these anglers were out scoping instead. Big plastics, swimbaits, glidebaits, swim jigs and

scope baits are now the preferred lure of choice for those chasing the big cod. I always like to award a Champion Angler for the season. This year the choice was easy, with the award going to Derek and Kade Blow for their outstanding results throughout the comp fishing season. Nobody really came close to them when it mattered. For consistency through the year, Rick ‘Coddog’ Goward gets second place, whilst Mick Massier gets third for his genuine weight of numbers and dedication to the cause. He has spent many a long night (and day!) on the water. Coming up on 21 October is the popular Golden Dollar$ fishing competition, an event designed to specifically target yellowbelly/golden perch. Entry forms are now available for this fun competition. Organisation for the 24th annual Cod Classic is well

underway, with the event shaping up to be as good as ever. Five boating packages, a chance to spend 30 seconds in a cash grab machine along with $100,000+ of prizes makes this is one event not to be missed. Entry forms are available at www.codclassic.com.au. For more information on the Cod Classic, the upcoming Golden Dollar$ or anything else relating to fishing Mulwala, feel free to give us a call at Lake Mulwala Fish Camp & Ski on 03 5744 3133. If you’re visiting town, you are welcome to call into Lake Mulwala Fish Camp & Ski, the shop with the big green cod out the front (opposite the Post Office) in Mulwala or our Yarrawonga store located between Rivers and One Zac in the heart of town. We are Yarrawonga/ Mulwala’s fishing specialists, and specialize in all things ‘green’! Until next edition, happy fishing.

codhuntertours@bigpond.com

Increased numbers of golden perch will be caught in the Bendigo region as water temperatures increase and water clarity improves.

Mick Crothers with a nice August cod measuring 69cm.

Hopefully the water clarity will be better by the end of October, making lure fishing more productive. LODDON RIVER Unfortunately, there isn’t much to report here; hardly anyone has been fishing due to the poor water clarity. With dirty water being released from the Cairn Curran, Tullaroop and Laanecoorie reservoirs, the river isn’t able to settle and clear up. I think it will be at least a couple of months before we see any significant improvement in the Loddon River. In the meantime, your best bet will be to use bait. However, if the river receives some floods, there will be some very good fishing below the weirs. Even though the river will still be dirty, the concentration of post-flood fish will make for some good angling opportunities.

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months. This should mean that Lake Eppalock’s water levels should maintain a very high level for the next few months. Over the last month the redfin were still making up the majority of anglers’ catch rates. The best concentrations of redfin have been found in between 5-7m of water. The most productive technique for targeting the redfin has been casting soft vibes and soft plastics rigged on jigheads, with a weight range of 7-10g. These moderately weighted jigheads allow you to get to the bottom quickly, where the majority of redfin are holding. Vertically jigging blades and ice jigs has been a

Roger Miles

AVAILABLE FROM:

The fishing over the last few months has not been great, thanks to the poor conditions. When cold water temperatures are combined with high river flows and poor water clarity, you just know you’re going to have some tough sessions on the water. Fortunately, since then we have received some more favourable weather, and there has been a slow improvement in conditions. The trend of below-average rainfall has been good, and the water clarity in the local river systems has been slowly improving. The water clarity in our local impoundments has also started to settle. I am hopeful that this trend will continue, but as always during the spring months, conditions can change very quickly. With the region’s impoundments at or near capacity, we need only one major rain event and there will be flooding in the region. I am sure that the region will experience some form of flooding over the next three months, but hopefully it will be minor. LAKE EPPALOCK At the time of writing this report, Lake Eppalock was still over 100% of capacity, and small volumes of water were still running over the spillway. With the current high water levels in the Upper Coliban, Lauriston and Malmsbury reservoirs, we should see reasonable inflows running into Lake Eppalock for the next several

has started to improve. The unpredictability of spring weather means this could change quickly after a significant rainfall event. However, if the trend of improving water clarity continues, we should start to see a good improvement in catch rates shortly. If the region does receive a major rain event and there is flooding, then for the next few weeks there will be very good angling opportunities below all the weirs along the Campaspe River. The resident golden perch will push upstream to the water directly below these weirs if flooding occurs. At these times you can catch large numbers of golden perch, and a reasonable number of redfin at times as well. If you want to keep a few goldens for a feed, please take only what you need, and release the others so they can live to fight another day. CAIRN CURRAN At the time of writing this report, Cairn Curran’s water level is at 99% of capacity. The water clarity is still very poor, so there haven’t been many anglers fishing there. If you are planning a trip there in the near future, I recommend bait fishing. Worms, yabbies and shrimp are good options, fished around the rocky shorelines and grassy banks. If you want to persist with some lure fishing, bright lures with a good amount of UV colours would be a good choice. Pink, orange and chartreuse are good choices. Dark colours such as black, purple and brown can also be good options in the dirty water.

BENDIGO

OCTOBER 2023 87

North Coast

The spring heat is on DAMPIER/KARRATHA

Troy Honey

The temperature is rising nicely as we approach wet season in the Pilbara and with it the activity in the

producing a few nice early fish. October and November are generally quite windy along the Pilbara Coast, and this is when anglers head up the creeks to escape the wind in search of barra. Next

In between work, I have had a couple of landbased sessions targeting threadies but to no avail. I have made it my goal to master Pilbara landbased threadies, something that is a lot easier in the Kimberley region. Two comps held last month were the King Bay Games Fishing Club Dampier Classic and the Ashburton Anglers Mack10K. Both comps were a great success with plenty of fish caught and plenty of stories of challenges to go with them. The Dampier Classic was a bit light on this year with sailfish due to reports of cold dirty water, but

An 8kg red emperor in the Pilbara can be hard work ensuring the taxman doesn’t take his share, especially coming from 70m like John Palermo’s last month.

John Palermo successfully caught a solid sailfish trolling a Halco lure during the Mack10k weekend off Onslow. creeks. Barra have started becoming more active with the Port Hedland and Whim Creek areas

edition there will be a few photos to share, along with threadfin salmon that are also being caught.

John Palermo with a beautiful scarlet sea perch (saddletail) out of 50m in ideal conditions.

a few were tagged along with black marlin. Lots of gold spot trevally were presented at weigh in along with Spanish mackerel. The juniors enjoyed some great land-based fishing during the event, which I am sure goes a long way to supporting our next generation of anglers. The Mack10K comp held out of Onslow is an angler friendly event that works hard to incorporate all levels of fishers. One of the ways is the wide range of target species from mud crabs, bream, coral trout, trevally, ranking cod and, of course, Spanish mackerel, with the prize for biggest mackie earning the winner $10k in prize money. This year’s winning mackie came in at

Favourable weather and great sessions on the water EXMOUTH

Barry Taylor

This month’s report has been supplied by Connor Luff. The fishing has been pretty good over the last

month or so. The weather has been great wind-wise, with heaps of good days allowing lots of anglers to get out. The bill fishing is still pretty good. The water has been slightly warmer, and there have been a couple

snapper and 8-bar cod. One punter recently brought in an 8-bar around 25kg, which is a decent fish. Anglers have

been getting good results on Vexed Dhu Drops in 400-600g. There have been a

A nice spot to spend the night. Image courtesy of @indepthanglerjosh.

Kyle and Annabelle with a tasty mixed bag. Image courtesy of @connorluff06. 98 OCTOBER 2023

of stripes getting around, which is a sign of the change of season. There are also the usual blacks and sails inshore, along with the odd blue marlin, taking trolled skirts such as Richter Soft Grassies or Soft Oscars, or on

trolled garfish. The bycatch has been pretty consistent, with plenty of wahoo and dolphinfish (mahimahi). With all the good weather, plenty of guys have been deep dropping for species like gold-band snapper, ruby

James with a delicious Chinaman rock cod – a 5-star fish. Image courtesy of @connorluff06.

North Coast

A POWERFUL PACKAGE

VIC MERCURY DEALERS

WA MERCURY DEALERS

a staggering 23.9kg won by Team Bananas. Octopus, queenies and bluebone are three species that I will also be targeting from40-60HP now as all FOURSTROKE three PERFORMANCE species move into the rocky areas along the coast and become easy game. Target octopus and queenies at low tide and bluebone on the rising tide for best results. I have covered bluebone fishing techniques many times in previous editions and will cover in detail octopus and live baiting big queenies land based in the next editions. There are still a lot of demersal being caught with the 50-70m depth range not only holding good numbers of fish such as ranking cod, red emperor and saddletail seaperch, but the deeper water has seen less sharks. There are plenty of good BRAESIDE ALBERTON fish in 35m or more but JV MARINE WORLD ALBERTON MARINE getting them past the sharks 39 Johnson Street Alberton 878 Springvale Road Braeside has been near impossible. Squid are 2344 still around P: (03) 5183 P: (03) 9798 8883 andF:those camping (03) 5183 2219 out at F: (03) 9798 7554 night around the islands W: albertonmarine.com.au W: jvmarine.com.au have been doing well with

the aid of lights attracting BENDIGO MELBOURNE them. We do get squid all & OUTDOORS MELBOURNE MARINE CENTRE yearBENDIGO round MARINE in Karratha but tend160 to Midland taper offHighway in numbers 2023 has seen red emperor in the 50m Epsom 393-399 South Gippsland Hwy range off as itP:warms up. Dampier being a predominate target species. Reuben (03) 5448 3988 Dandenong South As always, the full Bufton has been finding plenty of good size ones. W: bendigomarine.com.au P: (03) 9703 2003 moon has been seeing lots of thumper mud crabs south in ExmouthE:atinfo@melbournemarine.com.au the start will also heat up during MELBOURNE caught and those who have of September soW:please be October and November and melbournemarine.com.au BL walking MARINE the shallows vigilant when wading around now armed with a new suite been at night have been simply especially PENINSULA of tiny poppers, I hope to 612- 614 Plenty Road Preston any Pilbara creeks, MORNINGTON picking them up as they go at night. The only way they P: (03) 9478 1420 MY MARINE also bring you some epic along. Another confirmed can get that far down is by photos of these ferocious F: (03) of 9470 Cnr Nepean Highway sighting a 4638 croc in the coming past Karratha. fish in &the next couple W: blmarine.com.au Ponderosa Dromana Gascoyne region further Pilbara whiting actionPlace of editions. P: (03) 5987 0900 SHEPPARTON There have been a W: mymarine.com.au few squid around in 2-4m BOATS AND MORE of water, taking jigs either 207 Numurkah Road Shepparton MORNINGTON PENINSULA slow-trolled or cast. P: (03) 5822 2108 NAUTICAL MARINE In close fishing on the F: (03) 5821 2908 141 Hotham Road west side inside the reef is a good option this month, W: boatsandmore.com.au Sorrento chasing the likes of spangled P: (03) 5984 1666 emperor and golden trevally. MORWELL E: info@nauticalmarine.com.au Two of the most productive CRAWFORD MARINE W: nauticalmarine.com.au stickbaits are the Halco 71-77 Chickerell Street Morwell Slidog in 85 or 105 size, and P: (03) 5134 6522 TOORADIN Nomad Madscads. OCTOBER FISHING F: (03) 5134 6455 P&J MARINE SERVICE CENTRE P/L theTooradin coming weeks, W: crawfordmarine.com.au 101 Tooradin Station In Road we can expect the mackerel P: (03) 5998 3107 fishing to get better, both ECHUCA E: pjmarine_services@bigpond.com trolling and stickbaiting, EADES XTREME MARINE which is something to look 24 Sturt Street Echuca forward to. Hopefully, the P: (03) 5482 2333 MELBOURNE bill fishing will get better and better as we head towards F: (03) 5482 2133 TRIPLE M MARINE summer, with more stripes W: xtrememarine.net.au 117 Northgate Drive Thomastown and blues getting around in P: (03) 9465 8787 the coming months. GEELONG F: (03) 9466 1418• For all the latest news on A cracker mack from the national park. EDENCRAFT MARINE Image courtesy of @Maccydave. W: triplemmarine.com.au what’s biting and where, drop in to Tackle World 22-30 Buckley Grove Moolap few5248 mackerel P: (03) 4520 getting other marine life. People Exmouth at 3 Maley St, around, mostly around who don’t fish are enjoying Exmouth or give them a call E: admin@edencraftmarine.com.au 10-12kg in size, and they it as well. The fishing itself on (08) 9949 1315. You can W: www.edencraftmarine.com.au can be trolled up along isn’t too bad, with the odd also view the range at www. the back of the reef in tuna and plenty of mackerel. tackleworldexmouth.com. 15-30m of water. The There are plenty of bream au, and see the latest catch most popular lures for and whiting on offer, and all photos on their Facebook them are Laser Pros and you need is a size 6 hook page. This family business Samaki Pacemakers in and a very lightly-weighed stocks a large range of white redhead. running ball sinker rig. The tackle, from light spin to At the time of writing bream are also taking small big game. The staff have a this report, the Gulf waters soft plastics, such as the 3” wealth of local knowledge are alive with plenty of Daiwa Bait Junkie Grub and and expertise, and are whales, manta rays and Bait Junkie Minnow. always happy to help.

40-60HP FOURSTROKE PERFORMANCE

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OCTOBER 2023 99

BREAM SERIES presented by

Wilson finally wins Gold Coast BREAM The Gold Coast’s Steve ‘Wizard’ Wilson stepped up and won his first ABT BREAM event at the Rapala Crush City round of the Daiwa BREAM Series. Held on the Gold Coast at the tail end of the spawn, the event set up perfectly for Wilson, who has come close to many event wins fishing the deeper waters of the Jumpinpin. The ’Pin is a vast maze of mangrove islands between North and South Stradbroke islands in the northern part of the prescribed BREAM arena. It’s a known spawning area for bream and this event was held right at the end of that traditional time of year. “I reckon if this event was a week later, we wouldn’t have had anywhere near as much success as

times to be early and he was spot on. He landed his Day 1 limit along Kalinga Bank near the mouth of Duck Creek and upgraded to just under 3kg during the session. “I chose a heavier outfit for this event because I wanted to land every big Scan the QR code to watch Steve Wilson’s Winners Interview

bream that bit. Sometimes it’s hard to get the hook into the bony mouths of the big fish,” Steve explained. He used an Abu Garcia Salty Stage KRX 2-6kg rod with an Abu ALX 3000 sized reel, 10lb X9 braid and 8lb Vanish leader with a 1/8oz, #1 jighead. On the first day

Steve Wilson has been waiting for this moment for over two decades. His trophy now resides beside all of the memories of second places and below. booking for a family cruise spoiling the party. At least he has $3,000 more spending money to splash around now. MORGAN DRAGS INTO SECOND Fishing Monthly Magazine Publisher, Steve Morgan, definitely stepped out of his comfort zone for

the wintertime bite on the cold coast and also ventured north to the Jumpinpin in search of schooling fish. • Day 1: 5/5, 2.575kg • Day 2: 5/5, 3.090kg • Total: 10/10, 5.665kg “After some advice from Rapala’s Mick Horn, I spent a day practicing there

Steve Morgan finished the Qualifying season strong with a second place in this event and a second place in the Boater Angler of the Year points.

DUO Designed by Ultimate Organizer

we did up there,” Steve explained, “But I had a few electric motor issues on the practice day and I spent the morning idling around all of the regular spots. I found three places that were loaded with fish. After that, I went in and borrowed an electric motor and got it fitted for the tournament days.” • Day 1: 5/5, 2.980kg • Day 2: 5/5, 3.315kg • Total: 10/10, 6.295kg Steve expected the bite

it was a 3” Gulp Minnow that got the bites, but on the second day he switched to a swamp gas coloured Gulp Shrimp. Wilson would cast up-current and hop the lure off the bottom as the flow brought it back past the boat. Each day, he landed 10-15 legal fish. His kicker fish on the Sunday was a 36cmfork bream that he knew sealed the deal. “I didn’t tear-up after

BOATER RESULTS

104 OCTOBER 2023

that fish, but I did get pretty emotional and I felt that wave of euphoria go through me when I thought I had done it,” Steve concluded. It was great to see the reception he received at the final presentation, with all fellow anglers acknowledging the success at the end of a long journey. Although he’s instantly qualified for the BREAM Grand Final, he is unable to attend with an existing

Wilson didn’t weigh a bag under 3kg for the duration of the event. His fish at the Jumpinpin held up. By the time you read this, they will have dispersed.

Full results at abt.org.au

Place

Angler

Fish

Weight(kg)

Payout

Steve Wilson

10/10

6.295

$3,000

Steve Morgan

10/10

5.665

$1,500 + $250 Merc bonus

Mick Horn

10/10

5.320

$850

Matthew Fatafehi

10/10

4.960

$750 + $125 Merc bonus

Jamie McKeown

10/10

4.820

$650

Mark Crompton

10/10

4.800

$600 + $75 Merc bonus

Tim Morgan

10/10

4.775

$500

Anthony Wishey

10/10

4.635

Charlie Saykao

10/10

4.595

Bernard Kong

10/10

4.540

before the Queensland Open and then also on the Friday. I found good numbers of fish in 15-20ft of water in the middle of the deeper channels and decided that there were enough fish there to hold up for the whole weekend,” he said. This proved to be the case and he used a combination of Cranka Crabs and jigheadrigged Crush City Suspects to land over 20 fish each day. “On the runout tide, the fish were holding on the sand ridges in the middle of the channel. I could see

BREAM SERIES presented by with the current and the bream would inhale it. “I added some scent – it’s a blend I made from ProCure Sardine and then the leftovers from a few other bottles,” he said.

them on the LiveScope and it was a matter of getting them down to the bottom and keeping them there,” Steve explained. For this, he chose 2 and 3lb breaking strength straight-through fluorocarbon line instead on a braid-leader setup. “For the crab, it was a natural choice, but it was a bit weird fishing the plastic on 3lb fluorocarbon. I pinched some #2, 1/6oz

Scan the QR code to watch the on field highlights

Scan the QR code to watch Peter Clark’s Winners Interview

jigheads from brother Tim and that helped solve the problem of how to get the hook in at the end of a piece of stretchy line. He fished the baits on two Daiwa Infeet outfits – one was the 7’8” Crab rod, and the other the ultrafinesse 7’5” EX model. “I’d hold position with the electric motor while the bait was sinking and then let it drift when it had hit the bottom. That was the only

Scan the QR code in this story to see the field highlights, including the embedded sounder feeds from Morgan’s boat.

Clark reported 40 bream for the two days of fishing and his final limit consisted of a 29/29/30 fork length specimens. “They were crushing it,” he concluded.

Grand Final on the trip up to the Gold Coast with mate, Andrew Stubbs. Little did he realise that he’d be headed southbound a few days later with the hardware packed in the car and a golden ticket to the season’s ultimate event. Clark channelled the sponsor karma to land all of his fish on one of the SWAG Crush City plastics from the briefing – a pearl/watermelon coloured Rapala Crush City Suspect rigged on a 1/12oz

BIG BREAM PRIZE

Clark gets instant qualification to the Daiwa BREAM Grand Final to be held at Port Stephens in early November.

Paul Langley anchored his Day 1 limit with the Atomic Big BREAM. The 895g fish ate a Cranka Crab thrown at a pontoon in the Coomera River. On 6lb leader the fish ate the bait on the drop and fought under the pontoon for a little before playing nice and coming to the net. way to keep the bait in the strike zone for any amount of time,” he concluded. You can see the full range of catches from Morgan’s boat by watching the highlights on the YouTube channel (search: Steve Morgan). CLARK CRUSHES IT DOWN THE BACK Port Stephens local, Peter Clark, would have dreamed of an instant qualification to the Daiwa BREAM

painted TT jighead. • Day 1: 3/3, 1.625kg • Day 2: 3/3, 1.675kg • Total: 6/6, 3.300kg He fished with Steve Morgan on Day 1 and Drew Griffith on Day 2, both days around the Jumpinpin. Clark fished the bait on a Samurai Reaction rod, Daiwa Certate reel and J-Braid topped with 3lb leader. “You need to go light to get the bite,” he said at the final interview. With only one of the sample baits on Day 1, Tim Morgan drifted past and gave him an assorted bag of the Suspects that he then used for the remainder of the event. “That was lucky, because I lost my original after that,” he said. Clark would cast the lure upstream and hop it back

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

Angler Peter Clark Joel McKenzie Jordan Armstrong Lance Marsh Angus Collins Michael Maas Byron Cowell Col Wilson Mark Street Marco Grubb

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

DUO Designed by Ultimate Organizer

Peter Clark rode sponsor karma all the way to the non-boater win. All of his fish came on the Rapala Crush City Suspect on a 1/12oz jighead. Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) 3.300 3.235 3.110 2.825 2.740 2.160 1.995 1.980 1.920 1.835

Payout Daiwa pack + INFEET rod Cranka pack Daiwa pack Maui Jim pack Daiwa pack ProLure pack Samaki pack Atomic pack EJ Todd pack TT Pack OCTOBER 2023 105

Whittley SL20 with Mercury 3.0L 135hp 4-stroke MO

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angler-friendly boats. Interestingly, the live bait tank is built into the port side, transom step. Along the transom, there is a bait board and sink above the battery compartment. Missing is a full width, rear bench seat, but this is replaced by a pair of removable corner seats. With these removed, you can fish with stability right into the back corner. The cabin does not feature a lockable door, but

DE FOR E XT FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

We have tested plenty of Whittley boats in our years at Fishing Monthly magazine. The Whittley SL20 is the smallest of the Sea Legend range, a jointventure that Whittley had with New Zealand Rayglass. Whittley is famous for its cruising boats (which have a 19° deadrise), but the Sea Legend range features 23° transom deadrise. The SL20 is a rig that we have tested before with a Yamaha 130hp 4-stroke, which makes it an interesting comparison with this rig, powered with a

PERFORMANCE

YAMAHA F130

Main: Imagine the family out on the water sharing a swim and a fish out of the Whittley SL20. Above: Supplied with a 3.0L 135hp 4-stroke Mercury, I’d recommend the maximum horsepower if taking the plunge.

Blacked out rails are part of the Marlin Broadbill package and colours that debuted at the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show in 2023. 135hp Mercury 4-stroke. This particular boat was fresh from the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show, where it debuted a new style of colours into the Whittley range. Supplied with the 135hp outboard, this hull features a maximum horsepower rating of 150. Whittley was also celebrating its 70th anniversary of locally building boats this year – so well done to this familyowned company. 106 OCTOBER 2023

this rig was supplied overpropped. The 17” Mercury Enertia was a bit too much blade for the 135, but probably perfect for the identical weight 150 iteration. You can see this in the performance stats when compared with the F-Series Yamaha we’ve tested it with before – only revving out to 5,000rpm (where the Yamaha hit 6,000), but with a slightly higher top end speed. The

We were lucky enough to have Alan Whittley on this test, he could give us insights into this hull. “Without the weight of a hard top, this boat is a little rocketship,” he said. When questioned about why the 135hp instead of the maximum 150hp, I got the feeling that it was a price and availability thing. Personally, I’d always opt for the maximum horsepower a hull is rated to.

It arrived to the test on the Gold Coast on a Whittley branded twin axle trailer made locally by Mackay Trailers. Rated to 2.2t, it’s towable by most mid-sized SUVs, in fact, anything with a tow capacity greater than 2,200kg. Admittedly, local trailer manufacturers have been upping their game with regards to looks and quality of these locally built trailers and this rig is easily launched and retrieved by one person, as long as there’s a pontoon. “One of the advantages of getting a factory rigged boat, motor and trailer package is that they are delivered to the dealers, perfectly rigged and

ready to go,” said Alan. Whittley has a network of factory-owned dealerships nationwide that you can search on www. whittley.com.au. From the outside, this Marlin Broadbill edition features black and teal colour pattern and blacked out rail work, replacing the chrome bars usually supplied. It complements Whittley’s rubber decking that I love in

Economy 36km/h • 2.1km/L • 4,000rpm Speed 61km/h • 1.3km/L • 6,000rpm

MERCURY 135

Economy 38km/h • 1.7km/L • 3,500rpm Speed 62km/h • 1.2km/L • 5,000rpm it does feature a standard, 110L chemical toilet, and the bunks are big enough for a lie down out of the sun. Typifying the practicality of the Whittley range are the pair of cushion topped eskies that double as rear facing seats. Whittley is big on comfortable seating. Performance wise,

correct propping made the Yamaha more efficient at a more comfortable cruising load. Either combination would definitely make a family happy that’s moving up into a comfortable rig to be out on the water, creating some lifelong memories. For pricing, contact your local Whittley dealer.

SPECIFICATIONS Length ............................6.37m Beam .............................. 2.40m Transom Deadrise ....... 23° Fuel ......................................210L Max hp............................150hp Capacity...............6 persons

The absence of a hard top that raises the centre of gravity keeps the SL20 quite stable at rest.

Top: Supplied on a twin axle, locally built trailer, this boat is easily launchable single handed. Above: The fold down transom ladder is mounted on the starboard side.

The anchor hatch is accessible by a for’ard hatch, but you’d be crazy not to tick the anchor winch option.

Top: There’s a live bait tank in the port side step. Above: A large flat area in the dash holds large MFDs flush mounted, which gets a tick from us.

Whittley’s rubber flooring can be hosed out at the end of a trip.

There’s no lockable cabin door in this model, but the seating is practical and functional.

Top Left: Add the infill and there’s room for a cosy rest for a couple of adults. Top Right: The windscreen is positioned for adequate visibility. Bottom Left: Some small side pockets and a couple of sneaky rod holders sit each side of the cockpit. Bottom Right: You can hear the 135hp in action at the end of the Video Boat Test, scan the QR code hereby.

Top Left: The transom bait station sits neatly above the battery compartment. Bottom Left: The transom corner seats are removable, which let you get right into the rear corner of the boat while fishing. Top Right: There is no doubting that the Whittley SL20 Marlin Broadbill edition will turn heads at your local boat ramp. Bottom Right: There’s a couple of tackle hatches for’ard of the side pockets. OCTOBER 2023 107