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CATCHING AN EASTER HOLIDAY FEAST

What’s the right yak for you? T he lowdown on lifejackets

Features Catch more crabs G oulburn Weir secrets D oes lure colour matter?

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Tried & Tested Stacer 519 Crossfire model comparison H urricane Lures Sprat 65 and 75 soft plastics

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April, 2020 Fishing Monthly G R O U P

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LUVIAS AVAILABLE IN-STORES NOW

X The new 20 Luvias adopts Zaion Monocoque construction creating a light tackle reel that has no peers. The introduction of the Zaion MQ body allows use of a thicker and larger diameter gear in comparison to previous models. The 20 Luvias is fitted with a Machine Cut Forged Tough Digigear which creates the feel of effortless winding under pressure. Light but incredibly Tough, the 20 Luvias is the ultimate tool for finesse anglers.

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April 2020, Vol. 25 No. 9

Contents BYRON COAST

The Tweed 24 Ballina 26 Yamba 28 COFFS COAST Coffs Harbour South West Rocks MACQUARIE COAST

30 32

The Hastings 34 Forster 35 Harrington-Taree 37 HUNTER COAST Swansea 38 Port Stephens 39 Hunter Coast 41 Erina 41 SYDNEY Botany Bay 16 Sydney South 18 The Hawkesbury 19 Sydney Rock and Beach 20 Sydney North 22 Pittwater 23 ILLAWARRA COAST Nowra 42 Illawarra 43 BATEMANS COAST Bermagui 44 Batemans Bay 45 Merimbula 46 Moruya 47 EDEN COAST

From the Editor’s Desk... FISHING EXCITING, WORLD A WORRY It seems as though this world is changing daily and the challenge is to be able to mentally get over the noise and focus on what’s important. And with everyone wanting an opinion, sometimes it’s better to just think and act locally. At Fishing Monthly, we’re no different from everyone else. We’re a small group of people collecting and distributing information. We don’t know whether we’ll be the same shape after the current epidemic, but you can rest assured we’ll give it a go.

What you can be assured of is that we’ll stay on point. We’ll talk nearly always about fishing and fish. God knows we could all use a break from the sensationalists and panic-spreaders. With a dearth of sport, you might be interested in this. The Tasmanian ABT BREAM Tour has just wrapped up with a flotilla of boats travelling across to the Apple Isle and joining the keen locals to enjoy the amazing bream fishing that the state offers. We saw our first international angler take an ABT title with Singapore’s Mike

Sutcliffe taking the win on the second event of the Tassie Tour at St Helens. Of course, all of this positive activity sits under the impending cloud of tighter shutdowns and disruption from COVID19. We assume that this editorial will be out-ofdate by the time it hits the shelves. L e t ’s look broadly, however. Fishing may be one of the best things you can do. When the footy and cricket are shut down because of cancellation of mass gatherings, we will still be able to wet a line at our local. Also remember to spare a thought for your

local tackle and boating businesses. These guys are members of your local community and it’s probably a great time to spend a few dollars and help these guys out in a time of uncertainty. Looking for a way to avoid all of the negativity and the rest of the media talking you into depression? Grab your copy of Fishing Monthly and lay down on the couch; we’ll talk about what’s biting and what’s coming into season where you are. Sometimes you just need to shut off the TV, log out of social media and enjoy the basics. We’ll be here for you.

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Catching more crabs Goulburn Weir secrets PARTNER CONTENT

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ING TRADE

Glidebait 178

The new Molix Glide Bait 178 is a 3oz slow sinking jointed glidebait designed in collaboration with Carl Jocumsen. Ideal for tempting big cod, barra and flathead. Available in 5 colours.

Siglon PE, is made from EX-PE fibres and offers a tightly woven braid that provides superior abrasion resistance, a very thin diameter and minimal stretch. Available in 8 carrier PE (PEx8) and 4 carrier PE (PEx4).

PLEASE VISIT EJTODD.COM.AU

crabs

Get your gear and let’s do some crabbing! BRISBANE

Justin Willmer Find me on Facebook at Yaks On

In Australia our many inland waterways offer anglers almost endless fishing opportunities, along with a wide variety of tasty crustaceans. These include

essential to be aware of local regulations, including size, bag and possession limits, no-take species, taking of females, females with eggs (berried), seasonal restrictions and also rules and regulations surrounding the apparatus used to target and catch these species. The NSW DPI Fisheries website (www.dpi.

This is prime mud crab country.

Richard was pretty happy with this solid, dark crab. freshwater yabbies and shrimp; prawns; crayfish; blue swimmer, mud and spanner crabs; Balmain bugs and more. Let’s take a look at two popular NSW target species in more detail: the powerful, mangrove-loving mud crab and the sweet tasting sand crab or blue swimmer. When chasing any species of crustacean, it is

nsw.gov.au) is a great source of information, and there are also Recreational Fishing Guide books available from your local tackle store. There is an old saying in my area that you should ‘crab in the months with an ‘R’ in them’, which excludes May, June, July and August, with the summer months being the most productive. As you move further north, mud crabs

TIPS FOR CATCHING MUD CRABS 1. Focus on crabbing the high tide. 2. L eaving traps for overnight high tides will produce best results. 3. Tides around the new and full moon are preferable. 4. Target drains and dense mangrove edges. 5. Rain will get the crabs moving.

become more plentiful and readily available throughout the year. And if you head south and over to the west of Australia, the sand crab or blue swimmer becomes more plentiful. MUD CRAB (MANGROVE CRAB) The mud crab is the larger and more heavily built of the two crab species, with claws that are capable of breaking bones, so safety first when handling them. You can use a piece of timber or a fish donger (fish bat) to pin the crab down, using pressure on the top of their shell, then use your thumb on the outside of one flipper (rear leg) and your middle finger on the outside of the other flipper to apply pressure, lift and handle the crab. Watch those claws! Some crabbers will use twine to tie the mud crab, pulling both claws close to the body and securing them around the flippers, with a knot tied in the tag lines to create a handle for carrying them. There are plenty of videos on YouTube demonstrating how to tie a mud crab. Mud crabs are brown, green and black in colour on their smooth carapace (shell), with a lighter underside. They are found in tropical

RINCON

Like the California point break it was named for, the Rincon has a classic West Coast straight bridge, wrapping style lines and edgy curved temples.

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APRIL 2020

OPTIMAL USE: • Sight fishing in full sun • High contrast

and warm temperate waters, from northern WA, around Exmouth Gulf, right around the top of the country and south on the east coast to around the Bega River in NSW. They

Placing traps and hoop nets in close proximity to these holes can increase your success rates. Hoop nets are generally checked more regularly, while pots, being more enclosed with funnels, are generally left unchecked for longer periods and overnight. The high tide section of the tide cycle is prime time to target mud crabs because the rising water offers them cover to leave their holes, hunt and feed. Depending on the region that you are crabbing, you will soon find the tides that are most effective. The large night high tides around the full and new moon are the prime times for crabbing in my local waters. If there has been no rain for a while, look to get your traps right up in the upper reaches of

from their traps. It is important to clip the bait into the centre bottom of your trap. If the bait is clipped near the edge or in the top of the trap, crabs may be able to access it without entering the trap. Popular baits include mullet frames, whole mullet, fish frames and, in some regions where it is legal, chicken frames and meaty bones. In southern waters our traps are mostly covered by water, even at low tide, while in northern Australian waters, with their large variances in tide heights, traps are often out of the water, close to mangroves and in drains on low tide, being covered by plenty of water on the higher stages of the tide. Due to this crabbers will often throw their crab trap floats and

A few crabbing accessories including float, tags and permanent marker for labelling, along with bait clips and measures. favour a soft muddy bottom, preferring shallow estuaries, tidal flats and rivers lined with mangroves. They are described as large crabs, with a wide and broad carapace, robust claws, hind legs flattened for swimming and nine similar sized spines on each side of its eyes. Mud crabs can reach a maximum carapace size of around 24cm and can weigh up to 3.5kg, but the average size is around 15-20cm and 0.5-1kg. Crab traps, hoop nets or witches hats are generally set along mangrove edges, with special attention paid to the mouths of drains (which crabs may use to venture in and out of larger systems) and dense mangroves. You can even keep an eye out on the lower stages of the tide for mud crab holes, which resemble burrows in the mud with entries that are slightly larger than the size of the crab. Some of these holes will show activity around the entry, such as fresh mud, crab tracks and shell grit, which can signal that there is a crab actively using the hole.

creeks and drains. After rain, the crabs get flushed out, and are often caught in more open waters, even by those chasing blue swimmer crabs in sandy, estuarine areas.

ropes up into the mangrove trees, to avoid the float being washed under mangrove prop roots and trapped by rising waters, which would make the traps difficult to find on

Learning to safely handle crabs is important, especially if you’re crabbing from the kayak. Bait clips allow you to quickly and easily refresh the baits in your traps – simply clip out the old bait and clip in a fresh one. Crabbers will often drop their used baits into a bucket for disposal far away from the area being crabbed to avoid drawing crabs away

the higher stages of the tide. Remember to again check local regulations in terms of floats, tags and labelling. BLUE SWIMMER CRABS (SAND CRABS) Blue swimmer crabs are smaller and less bulky than mud crabs, often considered

crabs sweeter eating and feature a dark blue, brown, black and white carapace, with a white underside and blue colouration in the claws, legs and flippers of males and often a mottled brown colouration in females. Males have longer claws in relation to their body

during the day, from where they ambush food, while moving and hunting more actively at night. Leaving traps overnight, especially during a high tide, is an effective way of catching numbers of crabs. In saying that, blue swimmer crabs can

My family has targeted blue swimmer crabs for generations and there are definitely some tips that I have picked up over the years that increase catch rates. Like with mud crabs, we tend to get more crabs on the higher stages of the tide

Crabs are much easier to handle when tied up with twine. size, tending to make the female crabs look stockier. In terms of size they can reach approximately 25cm across the carapace, with a claw span of up to around 80cm. They are prey for birds and fish, while feeding on fish,

still be effectively targeted during the day, again often becoming more mobile during the higher stages of the tide. Here they are targeted with crab traps, hoop nets and also raked from the shallow weed flats

and leaving traps out for an overnight high tide produces the best numbers. The tides around the new and full moon often produce an influx of crabs into the river and estuary systems that we crab, however these larger tides

Check out the dense mangrove roots that this crab came from. worms, molluscs and at times algae and seagrass. Inhabiting estuarine systems and bays, blue swimmer crabs favour sandy and broken weed bottom, burying beneath the sand

in southern Australia. Their distribution in Australia ranges from around Nickol Bay in northern WA, around the bottom of the country and up the east coast to around southern Queensland.

TIPS FOR CATCHING BLUE SWIMMERS 1. Higher stages of the tide often produce better results. 2. Multiple traps allow you to cover some water. 3. Move your traps to find the crabs â€“ depth, bottom, location. 4. Hoop nets need to be checked more regularly than crab traps. 5. If crabbing the larger tides ensure your traps are heavy enough and ropes long enough.

can also cause traps to drift, so ensure you have enough weight in the trap (some cheaper quality traps are very light), enough rope for the tide and if necessary maybe avoid the deeper channels with heavy flow. Popular baits include mullet frames and whole mullet, with flathead and whiting frames also extremely effective. Plenty of blue swimmer crabs can be caught throughout the tide cycle and during daylight hours though, with many crabbers opting to check their traps or hoop nets every half an hour to an hour, while To page 10

APRIL 2020

NAGAMBIE

Goulburn Weir: a jewel in the Nagambie system FMG Caltex Wahring

KEY

Boat Ramp

Goulburn Weir Recreation Reserve

Goulburn Weir Holiday Units Nagambie Lakes Holiday Units

Goulburn Weir Rd

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catch a Murray cod than surface fishing and the Goulburn Weir offers plenty of opportunities to do this. Low light periods and during the night are the best times.

Goulburn Weir

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of methods you can use to get yourself one of these fish. Soaking a bait By far one of the most popular ways to fish the area, a bardi grub, yabby,

Cozens Ln The Salt Lake

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April is a busy time for the Nagambie area. The second ever GoFish Nagambie will hopefully happen this year (it has been postponed), bringing a multitude of anglers from far and wide. The Goulburn Weir is a particular highlight of the river, and after spending a couple of days with our Nagambie report writer, Sunny Martins, I couldn’t help but be impressed by the diversity of fishing options. ACCESS TO THE WATERWAY This is probably the biggest challenge of fishing the weir section of the Goulburn River. It is predominantly flanked by private property so there is limited shore-based angling. However, there is a section adjacent to Goulburn Weir Road that has good shore access and is known for holding good numbers of golden perch.

pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au

Ri ve r

Goulburn Weir

Moss Rd

Stuart Murray Canal

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Peter Jung

iver

To scale

and users need to take care when using it. It would only take one person doing the wrong thing to make the ramp unusable. Once on the water, please be aware that shallow water and structure are never too far away. FISHING THE WEIR The Nagambie section of the Goulburn has been heavily stocked by VFA for quite some time. The hard work put in by the local angling club in conjunction

The author loves fishing with spinnerbaits and got this decent golden perch rolling his Obsession Spinnerbait down the rocky bank in the background. scrubworm or cheese fished vertically when tied up to a willow or any of the abundant timber in slightly deeper water has a big chance of success. Getting quality baits can sometimes be an issue but Nagambie Outdoors sells

Cod tend to push out of the deeper creek and river channels to feed along the numerous reed beds and muds flats. Set yourself up to drift along a drop-off and cast towards the reed edges or if you have ventured out

It definitely pays to have a few hardbody lures on board when you are fishing the Goulburn Weir. Australian-made Kuttafurra lures are popular amongst the locals. If you have a boat, life is a little easier. There are a number of boat ramps upstream of the weir that provide water access and

then it is just a matter of navigating your way down to the weir. Care should be taken, as there is plenty of timber in the water you’ll

hit if you are a little off course. The only public boat ramp at the weir itself is a dirt ramp at Cozens Lane. It is a small boat ramp only

Sunrise is a great time to be on the water throwing surface lures.

The boat ramp at Cozens Lane is only suitable for small boats. 50

APRIL 2020

with Fisheries is really starting to bear fruit, as the area, particularly the Goulburn Weir section, is starting to produce some serious Murray cod and golden perch. What is even more impressive is the array

fresh baits locally and Boats and More in Shepparton always has good fresh baits available. Surface lures and swimbaits I am not sure if there is a more exciting way to

during the night, drift and cast the timbered flats. Don’t be afraid to use big lures, as it doesn’t seem to deter smaller fish from biting and it may well be the catalyst to hooking that fish of a lifetime. Popular lure options

NAGAMBIE are the Barambah Baby Bidjiwong and Bidjiwong, the Kuttafurra Creepers and

Rats, and the Zerek Stalker and Live Swimbaits. All will catch their fair share of fish.

Take the time to fish each piece of structure thoroughly. Native fishing is not always about getting a fish on the first cast.

Hardbodied lures In many cases, once the sun has made its way over the horizon it is time to look at other lure options. The key is still to target structure and shade pockets, and to use a lure that dives to the correct depth relating to the water you are fishing. Sunny Martins had two rods set up, one with a 2-3m diver and the other with a 4-5m diver. He basically cast under every willow and every laydown we came across. There were quite a few lilypad stands that he also peppered when we came across them. Whenever you are doing this type of fishing, make sure you hit each piece of structure from every angle. It is not always the first cast that catches the fish. Some good lures to have in your arsenal are the Gidgee Fatty Jnr, the Kuttafurra Mudhoney, the ever-reliable StumpJumper and the Goulburn Lures Codger. All are proven lures in the Nagambie system. Lipless crankbaits More and more anglers are using lipless crankbaits to target native fish and they are very effective in the Goulburn Weir. The key is finding either deeper water along an edge or structure in close proximity to a change in depth. Fish your crankbait deep with slow hops. This

There are plenty of redfin in the system. Get a few this size and you have a great feed. is a particularly effective method when the fishing is tough. It seems to annoy the fish enough to get a reaction from them. The Jackall Doozer is the most popular crankbait amongst anglers, but I am sure there are other options.

Spinnerbaits Fishing with spinnerbaits is very close to my heart and they are a fantastic option throughout the weir section of the river. The versatility a spinnerbait provides means that there are not many areas that canâ€™t

be fished with one. They can be bumped through timber, run along laydowns and dropped to the depths and slow rolled relatively snag-free. Fish love hitting them as you pull them out of weed or through lilypads. To page 52

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING

PRODUCT GUIDE

DELUXE ZMAN BAIT 1 BINDERS

ZEREK INFINITY BLADE

ZMan soft plastics are best stored in their original packets, and the new TT Deluxe ZMan Bait Binders feature extra heavy-duty rings designed to fit the pre-punched, reinforced holes located in the bottom corners of ZMan packets. Other features include larger, heavy duty zips, carry handle, water resistant, durable material and an internal pocket for storing a jighead tray, leader and snips. Deluxe Bait Binders are available in a Small (single) version that holds approximately 10 packets of ZMan 3” MinnowZ (more packets in less bulky models), and a Large (double) version that is designed to hold around 20 packets of ZMan 3” MinnowZ (more packets in less bulky models). By clipping your ZMan packets straight into the binder, there is no need for clear plastic sleeves to hold the packets and take up space in the binder. It’s also quicker and easier to access plastics and there is no need to remove the plastics from the binder, where they can then be misplaced or blown into the water. Price: SRP $19.95-$39.95 www.tackletactics.com.au

The Zerek Infinity Blade spinnerbait redefines spinnerbait design by providing an extra blade under the chin of the head weight. This addition gives the lure extra attraction through the water, while maintaining the standard spinnerbait benefits of snag resistance, excellent fish appeal and ease of use. Weighing an easy-to-cast 28g and available in 10 fish-catching colours and two blade configurations, the Infinity Blade features silicone skirts, durable hardware and strong hooks. Smart anglers have been adding trailer plastics and stinger hooks, making these lures deadly weapons in the water. During testing, Australian bass and Murray cod found this spinnerbait to be very appealing, and with an affordable price tag, this lure will be a great addition to your tackle trays. www.wilsonfishing.com

NEW EUREKA OCTANE JIG SIZE

In response to angler demand, Eureka Lures Australia has released a new 100g size in its popular range of Octane Jigs. The Eureka Octane Jigs are a realistic squid/octopus imitation designed for slowpitch jigging that have exceptional realism and a tantalising action. Each lure features a solid ring with quality Dacron running to twin assist hooks that feature ultrasharp points that have the fish hooking themselves. Most of the jigs also feature a highly luminous body for added attraction. Eureka Octane Jigs are available in six realistic colours. To find out more on the Eureka lure range, visit the Juro Fishing website. www.jurofishing.com

DAIWA 20 LUVIAS

Made in Japan and featuring Daiwa’s LT Concept, Infinite Anti-Reverse, Silent Oscillation, Air Rotor and CRBB bearings, the 20 Luvias is the lightest, strongest, and most refined Luvias that Daiwa has ever produced. The single-piece Zaion Monocoque (MQ) body not only makes the 20 Luvias lighter, but also improves the strength and size of the drive gear. The new larger main gear is forged and meticulously machined using the Tough Digigear concept, which improves strength and creates an effortless rotation. The MQ screw-in engine plate applies 360° pressure to the main gear to achieve perfect gear alignment and meshing. The result is flawless smoothness, today, tomorrow and long into the future. Finesse perfection continues with Air Rotor providing ultimate rotational balance and rigidity, while a new Longcast-ABS spool increases casting distance and line performance on and off the spool. The 20 Luvias finesse drag is the greatest that Luvias has ever had to offer, with Daiwa’s ATD providing flawless, silky smooth drag control even with the lightest of lines. www.daiwafishing.com.au 64

APRIL 2020

SHIMANO SALTIE

The new Shimano Saltie rod series has been designed and developed for Australia’s northern species. Built tough, the Saltie range includes two spin and four baitcast models with varying actions to suit a range of lure fishing styles. Traditional 5’8” and 6’ baitcast rods popular for barramundi are complemented by longer 6’4” and 7’ models, designed for casting large soft plastics and swimbaits. Saltie blanks are made with Shimano’s TC4 layered graphite construction, which is highly durable and enables great lure action and control. The TC4 construction also reduces rod twist, increases sensitivity and feel, and offers impressive power and fighting performance in a lightweight package. The Saltie range features a durable matte green finish, custom shaped premium grade cork grips and Fuji K guides with Alconite inserts. A larger diameter guide train has also been used to accommodate the use of thick leader, which is often required to wrestle big fish out of structure. Price: SRP $329.95 www.shimanofish.com.au

SAMAKI PACEMAKER

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

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The Samaki Pacemaker range has been boosted with three new colour concepts and a wicked upgrade. The sleek design has been tweaked and fine tuned to allow you to troll faster with a wider trolling spectrum to attract a variety of species. The new yakka, redbait and coral trout colours let you target new species and matching the hatch with precision, and the slimey mackerel colour has had a valuable upgrade with enhanced detail and chartreuse hints on the underbelly. Each colour has UV attributes to aid in enticing the bite. Pacemaker has an ideal trolling speed of 6 knots for you to target most pelagics, but can be trolled at up to 15 knots. It comes in 140mm and 180mm sizes, with a deep and double deep diving depth allowing you to target species from 2-10m. Other features include a 1-piece stainless welded wire, heavy-duty split rings and VMC 3X Perma steel hooks, realistic fish eye and prism tape inserts. www.samaki.com.au

visit www.tacklejunkie.fish for the latest tackle news - AS IT HAPPENS!

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PRODUCT GUIDE

WHAT’S NEW FISHING

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

SHIMANO BEASTMASTER 9000 7 The new Beastmaster 9000A electric reel possesses superior power, speed and durability. The Beastmaster utilises the upgraded brushless Giga-Max Motor that offers 10% more deadweight winding power than the previous model, taking it to 19kg from 17kg, and has 25kg of Cross Carbon Drag output. Regardless of the load applied to the reel, the Constant Speed Mode maintains a consistent retrieve speed without loss of cranking power during the fight. Meanwhile, the Heat-Free system allows for heat to be released from vents in the side plate, ensuring reliable performance. To reach the significant depth required, the reel can be spooled with up to 900m of PE8 braid. The new Beastmaster also features an aluminium cold-forged clutch lever and a sharp LCD screen with an easy to operate English menu. The Beastmaster is backed by Shimano’s 10-year warranty and is ready to lift monsters from the deep. Price: SRP $2269.95 www.shimanofish.com.au

NEW 3” DEUS COLOURS

The BIWAA Deus 3” paddle-tail now comes in four new colours. These soft finesse swimbaits are tailored for a wide range of techniques at any retrieval speed, and are ideal for trailers on skirted jigs, or rigged on a jighead for bream and bass. The Deus is injection-moulded using two different densities of plastic. The bottom half contains a denser, heavier salt formulation which allows the Deus to keep a balanced keel, even while rigged weightless. The ventral and dorsal hook slots create a perfect weedless presentation, and a prepositioned hole lets you add nail weights, while not compromising the action. A shrimp based, water-soluble scent is infused into the body and on the outside. It creates a strong scent trail, activating aggressive feeding behaviour. Meticulous attention to detail provides a big advantage in clear water, with a lifelike scale pattern. The tapered speartail design works at any speed, imitating a distressed fish. www.ejtodd.com.au

WILSON LURE WALLETS

Wilson’s upgraded Lure Wallets are available in two sizes, large and small. Featuring a clear swatch to allow you to see what’s inside, these lure wallets are exceptionally functional, allowing anglers to store plastics and spinnerbaits in a convenient and easy to manage way. The Large Lure Wallet is ideal for larger spinnerbaits and 7-9” soft plastics. It features eight zip-lock sleeves that are held in place by three stainless steel rings. The Small Lure Wallet is perfect for 5” and smaller plastics, as well as spinnerbaits up to about 1oz in weight. This wallet features 10 sleeves and a two stainless steel rings. Both wallets are double zippered with easy-pull zipper tabs, and feature a sturdy carry handle to make them easy to transport from home to the boat. www.wilsonfishing.com

CHASEBAITS RIPPLE 10 CICADA

The Chasebaits Ripple Cicada has been designed for Australian Freshwater natives like bass, saratoga, jungle perch and sooty grunter. Whether you are fishing in creeks, dams or lakes, the Ripple Cicada is a great option, especially in cicada season. The 43mm, 6g Ripple Cicada has a soft hollow body that feels lifelike to the fish. It sounds just like a cicada hitting the water, and the fast-acting crawling wings kick into gear almost instantly. Other features include ultra-sharp BKK trebles, robust wing structure, flexible wings and seven colours that will suit all conditions. The best way to use the Ripple Cicada is to let it land and sit for roughly 20 seconds, allowing the ripples to spread out, and then begin a steady slow wind or short, sharp twitches. For more information on the Ripple Cicada or other lures in the Chasebaits range, visit the Chasebaits Australia website. www.chasebaits.com.au

SAMAKI C-12 V3

NOMAD MADMACS

The new Samaki C-12 V3 is the lightest C-12 range of rods ever! The new 40-tonne prepreg blanks deliver the ultimate in strength, casting distance and power. The cork grips are perfectly tapered, and the ultra-light Fuji K and LKW silicon guides enhance the lightweight sensation. This premium rod series includes both spin and baitcast models. The 7’, 3-8lb model has a fast, crisp tip for casting small hardbodies, with a softer belly section to maximize hook-up rates and land big fish on small trebles. The 7’ light 4-8lb is perfect in the estuary for throwing plastics and vibes, with plenty of grunt to land juvenile mulloway. The 7’ medium 6-12lb is a crossover model targeting heavier estuary applications using large vibes, or light inshore snapper fishing. You can use the 7’ medium heavy 10-17lb for jacks and barra on soft plastics, or the 7’ heavy 10-20lb for dam barra, large snapper or chucking slugs at pelagics . In the baitcast range there’s a 6’8” 6-12lb rod for throwing spinnerbaits and hardbodies for freshwater species, a 6’8” medium model designed for football jigs or light barra, a 6’ traditional barra baitcaster, a 7’ medium for chucking vibes at barra, and a 6’8” heavy brute stick for dam barra. www.samaki.com.au

The new Nomad Madmacs range of super high speed trolling lures comes in 3 sizes – 6”, 8” and 10”. Developed specifically for trolling at high speeds, the 6” and 8” are capable of a max speed of 20 knots with the 10” rated at 15 knots. The Madmacs can also be trolled as slow as 5 knots and has an enticing vibrating action even at very low speeds due to the Nomad Autotune system. This feature allows the Madmac to always troll straight and to run perfectly and with an amazing action at a huge range of speeds. The Madmacs run at a depth of around 8-15ft when trolled at slower speeds, and around 3-4ft when trolled super fast. Featuring a machine-stamped stainless steel plate and full body foam core construction, this is one of the toughest lures available. Fitted with super strong BKK hooks and heavy-duty split rings, the Madmacs is ready for battle. Nomad recommends trolling it in the spread with a DTX Minnow to cover the whole water column. www.nomadtackle.com.au

Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au APRIL 2020

WHAT’S NEW FISHING RAPALA X-RAP HAKU

PLATYPUS HARD 13 ARMOUR LEADER

The all-new Rapala X-Rap Haku features Rapala’s 3R System Titanium Release Rig with VMC Coastal Black hooks. The 3R System, when clipped into place under the belly of the Haku, rests snugly in the lure’s belly groove out of the way and protected from weeds and other obstacles. At hook-set, the hook rig will partially release from the body, allowing a direct contact to the fish, from line to hook, removing the lure from the fish’s mouth which helps to reduce leverage that could allow the fish to break free. The 3R System also makes it easier to unhook the fish, as the body of the lure no longer gets in the way. Varied actions can be achieved by either twitching the rod or by imparting a stopand-go retrieve with your reel. Twitching the rod will create a faster turning side-to-side action, while a stop-and-go retrieve allows for a longer, gliding presentation. A fast burn in between the stops will send the Haku fleeing from predators, mimicking a frantic baitfish trying to escape. The durable rig is built with 100lb titanium wire and features a solid connector ring, heavy-duty split rings and premium VMC Coastal Black round bend trebles. www.rapala.com

SKITTER POP AND SKITTER V

With its unique loud popping, cupped plastic lip and balsa wood body, the Rapala Skitter Pop can be popped, blooped, walked and skittered across any aquatic surface with ease. Rapala has now expanded the colour range with the addition of two new patterns (TGS and THB), bringing the total number of colours to 9. Rapala has also released a new size in the Skitter V stickbait – a 13cm version, which joins the popular 10cm model. This topwater lure features an exclusive design that radically alters its action. V-Rap Technology combined with tail-weighed balance allows the lure to turn sharply with a snap of the rod, ending with a soft, long glide on slack line. Boasting excellent attention to detail, the Rapala Skitter V features a translucent body, 3-D holographic eyes, and a premium finish. The 13cm model is available in six colours, and the 10cm version comes in seven colours. www.rapala.com

LUMICA CHAP ON FLOATS

APRIL 2020

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Platypus Hard Armour mono leader is Australian made, has increased knot strength and up to 20% more strength and abrasion resistance than its competitors. It’s all thanks to intensive product development and testing to create a product that is worthy of Australia’s only fishing line manufacturer, which has been producing line for over 120 years. Manufactured from premium Japanese copolymers, Hard Armour has superior levels of clarity, controlled stretch for shock absorption and outstanding knot and crimp strength. It is available in both Tough (the ultimate abrasion resistance when extracting fish from cover), and Supple (increased sensitivity and action while still maintaining extreme abrasion resistance). To avoid frustration with spool management and locating the tag end, there’s a Line Tamer for leader control, spool management and simple leader dispensing. Supple leader is available in breaking strains from 20-100lb, and Tough comes in 20-15-lb breaking strains. Price: SRP: $19.90 www.fishplatypus.com.au

DAIWA 20 SALTIGA

Made in Japan and featuring Daiwa’s most advanced technologies, the 20 Saltiga is the ultimate saltwater spinning reel. The new single-piece Monocoque body is machined from high-strength aluminium to provide superior strength and improved sealing. A new G1 Drive Gear is thicker and larger with a newly designed Tough Digigear concept of larger and deeper cut teeth, providing increased strength. Drag pressures have been increased to an impressive 25/30kg, with 10 times the drag durability compared to the 15 Saltiga. All that pressure generates heat, and a newly designed aluminium Radiation Drag Knob delivers improved cooling and heat dissipation. The new ABS Longcast lip design offers improved casting performance and enhanced line management, while a brand-new aluminium Air Rotor delivers more than double the rigidity of its predecessor. Protection from the elements has been elevated with a new screwless rear cover, a reduction in spool porting and a unique underside lip in the spool design, all combining to reduce water intrusion. www.daiwafishing.com.au

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TIEMCO LONESOME 18 15 SWEEPER

Lumica Japan, inventors of the chemical light stick, have now developed a high quality range of LED floats for anglers targeting fish at night and in low light conditions. Lumica Chap On Floats are running floats that are available in both green and red and are visible for 100m. They measure 37.5mm x 29mm and weigh 12.5g. Chap On Floats are water activated and come with 2 x LR41 batteries. These floats are ideal for anglers fishing for trout and garfish at night time. To see more information and videos of the Lumica range of LEDs, chemical lights, deep sea lights and soft plastic squid, visit the Juro Fishing website. www.jurofishing.com 66

PRODUCT GUIDE

EJ Todd, the Australian distributor of Tiemco, has expanded the colour range of the popular Lonesome Sweeper surface lure, bringing the total number of colours to six. The 75mm Lonesome Sweeper is a popular topwater lure for tournament bream anglers. It is rigged with feather trebles, has a neon fibre tail and a jointed body to produce a tantalising yet subtle commotion on the surface that bream, whiting and bass find attractive. This subtle little lure is ideal for targeting spooky fish that are feeding just below the surface. Fished on a twitch and long pause retrieve, the Lonesome Sweeper is very effective for a range of species in both fresh and saltwater. www.ejtodd.com.au

visit www.tacklejunkie.fish for the latest tackle news - AS IT HAPPENS!

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WHAT’S NEW FISHING

Newly released Hurricane Lures Sprat 65 and 75 Hurricane Lures is the brainchild of Peter Nord, a super keen angler from East Gippsland in Victoria. Peter has been producing lures since 2006, releasing his newest offerings in late 2019, the Sprat 65 and Sprat 75. Both are small profile plastics, with the 65 being a paddle-tail format and the 75 a jerkbait-style plastic.

aware of with plastics made of this type of material is that they do not play well with others. Mix these plastics with other plastics and you’ll end up with a tackle tray full of unusable mess. The manufacturer recommends keeping the plastics in their original packets and in the plastic sleeves they come in, to ensure they will keep their shape and stay in pristine condition.

The Hurricane Sprat 65 and 75 are classic paddle-tail and jerkshad profiles. WHAT THEY HAVE IN COMMON Both models are made of a FlexiTech 8X tough material. This material makes the plastics very durable, super stretchy and very supple. The advantages this has for the angler are that multiple fish can be caught with just one plastic; you may not even have to change your plastic in a day’s fishing.

The Sprat 65 was perfect to fish the shallow sand pockets and depth changes of the sand flats in Yamba. I was impressed by the suppleness and softness of these plastics. They are very soft to touch, which equates to a natural feel for any predator eating it. Even better, the suppleness maximises the lure’s action, and this is particularly evident in the Sprat 65. The paddletail really rocks and rolls with minimal movement, and it even gets some body roll as well. Both plastics also have a hook penetration guide along the top of them. This helps you keep the hook nice and straight when you’re rigging them, while giving an indicator of where the hook needs to protrude from the lure. Something else you need to be

COLOURS From the moment I opened the parcel of plastics in the office, I loved the colour range that’s available in both the Sprat 65 and 75. Each model comes in six colours, with three colours standard in each and three unique colours to each shape. I had no doubt that all of them would catch fish. The colours are heavily baitfish orientated, and I like the fact that a number of the colours are two-tone and some are also UV enhanced. If you are looking to match the hatch, there is bound to be a colour that is suitable. FIRST IMPRESSIONS The shapes are not unique, but are a clever twist on these styles of plastics. The key is the profiles, which lend themselves to targeting multiple species in our estuary systems. They are subtle enough to finesse fish with if you are targeting bream or estuary perch, while also having a presence if flathead or other reaction type feeders are your preferred targets. Rigging the plastics is also easy. The guide helps you rig them straight, and the relative softness of the FlexiTech material makes getting a hook through it easy. IN THE FIELD My first opportunity to test the two Hurricane Sprat lures was in Yamba, NSW. Yamba is an amazing fishery at the mouth of the Clarence River. It offers all sorts of fishing opportunities for all of our estuary favourites, and that certainly proved to be the case over the Christmas period. My first challenge was fishing the middle wall, in hopes of picking up a mulloway or one of the big flathead that the area is known for. I chose the Sprat 75 because it was slightly larger. I wasn’t sure whether the mulloway or flathead were there because the tailor were in huge numbers right along the wall and nabbed the Sprat pretty much every time one hit the water. It may not have been the test for the lure that I envisaged, but it did show the value of an 8X Strong FlexiTech soft plastic. Tailor are savage on terminal tackle, so any time you land multiple fish on one lure and it doesn’t get destroyed it is a bonus. I left the fish biting because there are only so many 25cm tailor that you want to catch. Once the wall experiment was over it was back to the areas and type of fishing that I love: large sand flats and undulations, which Yamba has an abundance of. It is very visual fishing (you are focusing on fish in 2-3ft of water) and the profile and size of the Hurricane Sprat lures lends itself to this.

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

The Hurricane Sprat 65 and 75 are a great baitfish profile, which means the species you can target with them is only limited by your imagination. Once I started fishing these areas I was met with instant and consistent success. I was targeting sand patches in weed and subtle depth changes – areas where bream and flathead love to ambush their prey – and the Sprats matched the hatch beautifully. The small tailor were quickly forgotten as predominantly flathead consistently found their way into the net. I caught fish on every colour in both sizes, which is a great testament for the colours that are available. FINAL OBSERVATIONS Four months down the track and my initial thoughts still stand true: the colours,

The Sprat 75 is available in six colours, all of which have plenty of fish-catching potential.

profile and the suppleness of the plastics makes the Hurricane Sprat soft plastics very effective lures. However, there are a couple of things to keep in mind to get the most out of your Hurricane Sprat purchase. First of all, due to how supple these plastics are, your choice of jighead is very important. Although the Sprats can be rigged on a standard jighead, it doesn’t take long before the plastic will consistently slip off the grub keeper. Hurricane produces a jighead range that has a wire keeper that is very effective in this scenario, but there are a number of other products to choose from that will do the job just as well. My solution was a dab of quality super glue on the grub keeper (not on the head) of my jighead, and it was sorted. You should also definitely take heed of keeping these FlexiTech plastics separate from other types of soft plastic, and I have also taken to unrigging my Sprats after using them and putting them back into the sleeves provided. It maintains their shape and lets me use them multiple times. You can check out the full range of Hurricane Lures at www.hurricanelures. com, and the site also has some helpful tips and stockist locations. These lures are well worth a look. - Peter Jung

Plenty of flathead hit the net while the author was testing the Hurricane Sprat 65 and 75 in the Clarence River. APRIL 2020

Hayes bashes Tambo Bridge for 2nd ABT title Melbourne’s Mark Hayes found a mother lode of big bream on the Tambo River highway bridge and milked the pattern for two consecutive days to take the first event of the 2020 Costa BREAM Series. In doing so, he became one of a select group of anglers to win events on more than one Victorian BREAM arena. Boxing a huge 5.60kg on the first day to tie for the lead and following up with a solid 4.64kg on the second day of competition, Hayes outdistanced a red-hot Kristoffer Hickson by nearly a kilogram and was the only angler to break the 10kg mark. His 10/10 bag went 10.24kg; an average of over a kilogram per fish! Running a camera on the second day, Hayes showed his bridge crankbaiting style, running a variety of slowly floating crank and jerkbaits along the pylons to tempt the black bream to duck out a foot from cover and nip at the offerings. Once the fish bit, it was by no means over, with a furious battle ensuing to

when the bream would hit. Hayes prefers slow floating lures with upgraded hooks, like the Ecogear SX43 and Gladiator Mutant. He fished the lures on a Smith Dancing Bream rod matched with a Daiwa Caldia reel (that he won as a non-boater about a decade ago), 4lb Berkley braid and a surprisingly light 4lb leader. “Some people reckon

Melbourne’s Mark Hayes milked the Tambo River Bridge for all its worth to register his second ever ABT win as a boater. A devoted hardbody angler, he rode the pattern to the only 10-fish limit over 10kg. extract the fish from the abundant structure. Some he won, some he didn’t. Scan the QR Code hereby to see him in action – there are wins and losses recorded! “On the first day I had

12 bites and landed five fish. The others made it home into the pylons,” Hayes said, “so who knows what I could have brought in. I tried going hard on them and freespooling them … sometimes that just

made it worse.” Hayes’ technique for cranking bridges is pretty simple: cast parallel and as close as you can to the pylon, slow roll it back with twitches and add plenty of pauses. It’s on the pause

BOATER RESULTS Place Name 1 Mark Hayes 2 Kris Hickson 3 Brad Hodges 4 Jamie McKeown 5 Charlie Saykao 6 Andrew Moore 7 Steve Pryke 8 Steve Morgan 9 Peter Nord 10 Stephen Wheeler

Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize 10/10 10.24 $3,000 + $250 Mercury bonus 10/10 9.32 $1,250 + $125 Mercury bonus 10/10 9.23 $1,000 + $75 Mercury bonus 10/10 8.60 $900 10/10 7.91 $800 10/10 7.71 $700 10/10 6.99 $600 6/10 6.76 $500 9/10 6.13 8/10 5.78

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888 70

APRIL 2020

that the 4lb is a bit light, but I use that leader everywhere I go,” Hayes explained. The Tambo River bridge is around one hour and 40 minutes away from the start line, but there’s a lot of 5-knot idling to get there. Hayes left the bridge at 11am on the first day and fished it for the full session on the second. You can see his full winner’s interview on the QR Code hereby!

Hayes didn’t win all of the battles. With bream like this hitting inches from heavy cover, the toll was significant on his dwindling supplies of Ecogear SX43s.

Scan the QR code to see Mark Hayes’ winning interview.

Scan the QR code to see Kobi Rothall’s winning interview.

BREAM AUSTRALIAN OPEN

Hickson scrambles to second place It was a pretty big effort for Kris Hickson to even make it to the opening event of the 2020 Costa BREAM Series. Racing from a relocated Hobie Australian Championships (13 hours away rather than two hours from Gippsland), he drove most of the night to make the practice day and then scrambled to find fish. In case you didn’t know, he won the Hobie AC. According to Kris, he didn’t stop scrambling all weekend. “I started the first day in Paynesville, rotating through some docks and boats that I have done well on in the past. I lost a few early fish and bagged 1.1 and 1.2kg models on a ZMan GrubZ and a jerkbait, but as the session went on the fish dried up,” he said. Hickson then found fish with his Humminbird Mega 360 while traversing a flat near one of his go-to spots. “I spooked a couple of fish and then started seeing them on the 360. It was overcast and rough and I

dried up, leaving him no option but to expand on his flats pattern. He found more fish on flats in the Paynesville area and refined his crankbaiting flats technique. “It was all about bouncing between flats with fish on them and resting them in turn,” he said. Rolling the SX40 with small pauses and upwards twitches of the rod, he chipped away at a decent limit and ultimately, was

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only bettered by Hayes. You can see Kris in action and the 360 screen in the highlights video for day two.

DAIWA J BRAID BIG BREAM

Hickson caught a handful of fish on a variety of lures before settling into a flats pattern with his new Humminbird Mega 360 unit. couldn’t see them well on the flat, but they stood out on the new unit,” he said. After that, he went to work with a Ecogear SX40 (colour 390) on his

Daiwa Infeet 722 ULFS rod and Caldia reel spooled with 3lb Sunline Small Game FC. “If I saw a school of bream, I’d put down the

Talon and start working them over. Those two pieces of technology in tandem were deadly,” he concluded. On day two, all of his structure spots had

Rothall wins from back of boat Kobi Rothall also did some travelling to make it to the Gippsland event. Based in Nelson, Western Victoria, he attended the Hobie AC and then travelled back to Gippsland with Steve Pryke to make the tight connection. For the first-time ABT competitor it was well worth the effort, with the Victorian winning his first ever attempt at an ABT event as a non-boater. “I had two awesome boaters, Jamie McKeown and Daniel Kent,” Rothall said. “On the first day, Jamie and I fished the Nicholson River bridge with Cranka Crabs. It didn’t really matter what colour we threw, just as long as they were heavy and we fished them slow,” he continued. “The second day I fished with Daniel Kent and the presentation was totally different. We used ZMan

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GrubZ in 2.5” (gudgeon) rigged on a Gamahatsu Round 25 jighead (1/16oz) and cast right to the edges. If you weren’t right on the edge, you wouldn’t get a bite,” he said. Rothall fished both offerings on a Millerods Grub Freak and Daiwa 2004 Luvias spooled with Yamatoyo Resin Sheller braid and a 5lb Sniper FC leader. Indeed, the first day of this event saw a swathe of ABT newcomers in the top places. Rothall, Nikki Bryant, Leo Yu and Rhys Harris made up the top four after their first day of ABT tournament. This is encouraging news for those sitting on the sidelines wondering whether they should take the leap! You fish with a different boater each day and your learning curve accelerates out of sight. Visit www. for more abt. org.au information.

ABT first-timer Leo Yu burst onto the tournament scene with a bang, dropping a 1.67kg black bream on the scales in his first ever appearance at the weigh in. Fishing with Cam Whittam, he caught the fish on a Daiwa Steez Skybolt 701LFS rod and TD SOL III 2500S reel with 4lb FC straight through and a Cranka Crab (olive, heavy). “I normally don’t fish crabs, but found fish eating the crabs on pre-fish, so I thought that’s the lure I’m going to use in the comp. On day one, we went to Hollands Landing and fished the edges. We would just cast the lure at the right place and not do anything. I think the key was to try not to work it too much and wait for the biggest fish to eat your lure,” Yu said.

Scan the QR code to see the day one highlights.

Scan the QR code to see the day two highlights.

How could Kobi Rothall not like ABT Tournament angling after dropping fish like this on the scales in his first ever event?

NON-BOATER RESULTS Place Name 1 Kobi Rothall 2 Nikki Bryant 3 Grayson Fong 4 Nick Penprase 5 Lindsay Pryke 6 Mickael Hodges 7 Leo Yu 8 Rhys Harris 9 Wayne Mauger 10 Colin Wilson

Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize 10/10 7.87 Pro Lure pack 9/10 6.79 Daiwa pack 5/10 4.41 Costa sunglasses 4/10 3.17 Atomic pack + rod 4/10 3.09 EJ Todd pack 4/10 2.94 Samaki pack + rod 2/10 2.27 Tackle Tactics pack + $500 Big Bream + Daiwa J-Braid pack 3/10 2.24 Cranka pack 4/10 2.06 Ecogear pack 2/10 1.60 VMC pack

Nikki Bryant with a bream that nearly delivered her the top non-boater spot. APRIL 2020

Morgan is crowned the master of Metung Steve Morgan has managed to turn the Gippsland Lakes arena from a triple-donut result into a place he loves fishing, mainly through a specialty in a section of the waterway near Metung. Having never landed a 5kg limit on the mainland, Morgan did exactly that on the first day of the first event and followed it up with a pair of 5kg+ bags in the ZMan round. Dropping 5.43kg and then 5.95kg on the scales, he easily out-distanced a fastfinishing Scott Towner and registered an average weight of 1.13kg per fish. Learning his lesson from the first event, where he failed to capitalise on a Lakes Entrance yellowfin bream bite on the second day, Morgan nearly solely targeted black bream in the Metung area after the rest of the field charged out to greener paddocks. With strong wind warnings for both of the tournament days, boaters were allowed to tow their rigs to sheltered ramps across the arena and not face unsafe conditions on the lakes proper. “I was amazed when the entire field chose to

said, “mainly olive heavy, but in areas with no current I used some light models on the second day.” Each time Morgan visits Metung, there’s different docks and banks that fish well. “The hot docks from previous events always seem to change, so every year you need to find where the fish are stacked up,” he explained. “This year, we only found three areas at Metung that produced more than one fish, so on the final day, it was a case of rotating through these areas and picking up a fish here and there,” “When you’re getting less than 10 bites a day, you need to convert them.

After choking with a dying yellowfin bream pattern in the first round, Morgan focussed on black bream in round two and reaped the rewards. All his bream were caught within a kilometre of the start line. leave the checkout point at Metung on the first day,” Morgan said. The only other boat to share the area was Brett Penprase after his boat was too long to launch at the Tambo River ramp.

With the arena also windblown on Sunday, they all headed off as well, leaving Morgan and leading non-boater Grayson Fong the productive area to share with only one other boat. “Usually Metung gets

plenty of attention from anglers at the beginning and the end of the session, so I really think that the rough weather played into our hands for this event,” Morgan said. “I fished Cranka Crabs the whole event,” Morgan

BOATER RESULTS Place Name 1 Steve Morgan 2 Scott Towner 3 Andrew Moore 4 Mario Vukic 5 Steve Pryke 6 Alex Franchuk 7 Geoff Borg 8 Brad Hodges 9 Peter Nord 10 Declan Betts

Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize 10/10 11.38 $3,000 + $250 Mercury bonus 10/10 10.73 $1,250 10/10 8.98 $1,000 + $125 Mercury bonus 8/10 8.88 $900 10/10 8.17 $800 + $75 Mercury bonus 8/10 8.00 $700 10/10 7.68 $600 8/10 7.26 $500 10/10 6.02 6/10 5.96

Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888 72

APRIL 2020

During the event, I upped the line from 4lb Sufix Advance Fluorocarbon to 6lb Nanobraid and 7lb Yamatoyo Chinu Harris leader after losing a few fish in structure.” Morgan started with a 7’8” Daiwa Crab Rod/Sol III 2004 combo and finished with a Legit Designs Wild Side rod and a 2019 Certate 2500S LT reel. “The main thing I learned this event? Fish the crabs slow. The slower the better,” Morgan said. He donated the prize money to the Mallacoota Fishing Club to help with bushfire relief. All up, anglers donated just under $15,000 in ABT’s Bushfire Fundraiser.

What were the odds on a pair of Queenslanders taking home the trophies from the Victorian ZMan round of the Costa BREAM Series? Morgan and Fong both reside in Brisbane.

Scan the QR code to see the pre show.

Scan the QR code to see the day one highlights.

BREAM AUSTRALIAN OPEN

Towner takes second in smallest boat With the arena opened to trailer boats in sheltered launch areas, AFC legend Scott Towner got to fish Hollands Landing for the first time in an ABT event. Usually a 40km boat ride, plenty of anglers took the hour drive by road to take advantage of the fishing. Boxing 5.03kg on the Saturday and a massive 5.70kg on the Sunday, he was over 1.5kg clear of all other anglers bar Morgan. “I found good fish on the flats at the mouth of Hollands on the calm pre-fish day, but come tournament day, the rough dirty water had pushed the fish back into the channel proper,” Towner said. “I found ‘em within 500m of the boat ramp and went to work with a deep Jackall Chubby in brown suji.” “On the first day, the water stayed clear enough to fish effectively for a couple of hours, but on day two, I got five hours and clean water and landed at least 30 legal fish to help

After slow rolling and twitching the Chubby, Towner switched to fishing a Cranka Crab on a Daiwa Crab rod outfit that he borrowed from Wally Fahey. “After the event I found out why they liked the crabs so much – my livewell was full of crab shells and legs. They obviously form a major part of a bream’s diet at Hollands,” he concluded. Towner’s next stop is Tasmania, where he has

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logged multiple 6.5kg+ bags in the past. It’ll be interesting to see if the bream have gotten wiser in the meantime.

DAIWA J BRAID BIG BREAM

Yarrawonga’s Scott Towner has the tournament fishing bug again. He landed second place in the ZMan event from the smallest boat in the field. me upgrade my bag,” he continued. Towner’s tackle was definitely not cutting edge, using the rods he last

wielded in ABT and AFC events over a decade ago. “The Abu Garcia Soron reels still work fine, even if a few are a little

grindy,” Scott said, “but I did replace the line with new Berkley X8 braid and with new leaders I was good to go.”

Fong flogs fellow non-boaters Queensland acupuncturist Grayson Fong is always a threat whenever he graces the back of the boat. The ZMan event allowed him to put a real smackdown on the rest of the non-boating field and drop the two heaviest non-boater limits on the scales to cruise to victory by nearly 3kg. Fishing with Brett Crowe on day one and Steve Morgan on day two, Fong used two different techniques to get the job done. Up the Nicholson River Fong deep cranked Daiwa Spike hardbodies along deep river bends. “Brett and I targeted laydown timber that went out to about 6 or 7 feet of water,” Fong said. The key was to roll the lure frustratingly slowly with small twitches and pauses. The bream would eat the lure gently and hook up on the retrofitted Decoy

BREAM abtSeries presented by

YS25 trebles. He fished the lure on a Daiwa TD Hyper rod (the new grey model), a 2019 Certate and 8lb Daiwa braid with 4lb leader. Grayson hooked seven fish and landed five on the first day to finish the session in first place. As such, he was paired with Steve Morgan as the first placed boater. At Metung with Morgan, Fong threw heavy olive Cranka Crabs to edges of hard structure. As one of only two boats choosing to not trail his boat to a distant ramp, the pair rotated between productive docks and filled their limits one fish at a time. “There was only about four places that we caught fish and it was a matter of fishing them slowly and methodically,” Fong said. It took both anglers until around midday to fill their limits, with Fong eventually dropping 4.8kg on the scales to emphatically take the win.

Mario Vukic anchored the biggest bag of the week (5/5, 6.29kg) with an enormous, misshapen 1.59kg Hollands Landing brute. With a bent back and a tiny tail, it was an ideal tournament fish. It ate a ZMan GrubZ 2.5” in motor oil rigged on a Decoy Nail Bomb weedless jighead. He fished it on a Daiwa Beowulf rod, 2500 Daiwa Certate reel, 12lb Sunline Castaway braid and 4lb Sunline V-Hard leader. “I was fishing 10lb leaders all day until I busted them all off, so I grabbed the 4lb and the big girl bit,” Vukic said. We’ll bet he was glad it wasn’t in prime condition!

Grayson Fong was the only non-boater to bag a perfect 10/10 for the event. His limits of 3.70 and 4.80kg topped the best-of-the-rest by nearly 3kg.

NON-BOATER RESULTS Place Name

Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

10/10 7/10 3/10 4/10 3/10 5/10 4/10 5/10 2/10 4/10

Grayson Fong Michael Alexander Nick Penprase Michael Hodges Nikki Bryant Blair Bryant Allan Morrison Wayne Mauger Arthur Amies Jordan Armstrong

8.50 5.69 3.55 3.29 3.11 2.97 2.64 2.41 2.20 2.11

Pro Lure pack Daiwa pack Costa sunnies Atomic pack + rod EJ Todd pack Samaki pack + rod Tackle Tactics pack Cranka pack Ecogear pack VMC Pack

Scan the QR code to see the day two highlights.

Scan the QR code to see Scott Towner’s winning interview. APRIL 2020

FUN PAGE AND COMPETITIONS WATER ACTIVITIES

SCUBADIVE SNORKEL KAYAKING PADDLE BOARD JET SKI KITE SURFING RAFTING FISHING BOATING

SURFING SAILING CANOEING SWIMMING CAGE DIVING CLIFF DIVING PARASAILING ROWING WINDSURFING

Name: Address:

P/Code:

The first correct entry at the end of each month will win the prize pack. SEND ENTRIES TO: NSW Find-a-word Competition, PO box 3172, Loganholme Qld 4129

NSW APRIL 2020

Phone (day):

GEORGE & NEV by Michael Hardy

Complete the Find the Word and go in the draw to win a Fishing Monthly Prize Pack containing a limited edition neck scarf and a Fishing Monthly environmentally-friendly tote bag.

SPOT THE

10 DIFFERENCES

BARRA COUNTRY by Brett Currie

ORIGINAL

FIND-A-WORD

Congratulations to Pete Dubbelde, who was last month’s winner of the Find-aWord Competition! Monthly winners receive a Fishing Monthly prize pack. Prize delivery can take 8 weeks. – NSWFM

SUBSCRIBER PRIZE

The subscriber prize winner for February is N Evenden of Cundletown, who won a EJ Todd Subscriber prize pack. All subscribers are entered in the monthly subscriber prize draws. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM

Cooper of Boorowa, R La Scala of Concord, T Hodges of Ballina, G Tasker of Belfield, O Swain of West Pennant Hills, S Cook of Seven Hills, C Wilson of Lake Albert, A Smith of Woombah, S Beaton of Plumpton, M Smith of Figtree, W Forbes of Nambucca Heads, R Kinkade of Forster, A Frawley of Catalina, M Muldoon of Caves Beach, J Gowan of Werombi, J Butcher of Basin View, R Jones of Toronto, J Coates of

Gwandalan, G Waugh of Greystanes, R Martin of Nowra, G Wade of Empire Bay, L Bennett of Marrangaroo, J Cross of Mondrook, D Harvey of Bangalow, A Morrison of Forbes, D Nisbet of Tuncurry, S Chapple of Nambucca Heads, M Beckett of Woollamra, K Peterkin of Taylors Arm, B Anschau of Skennars Head, M Cory of Aberdeen. Prize delivery takes up to 8 weeks. – NSWFM

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS

FIND THE ZMAN LOGO

APRIL 2020

GUESS THE FISH?

This month’s Guess the Fish Answer: Red Emperor

The answers to Find the ZMan Logo for February were: 9, 14, 19, 26, 33, 38, 41, 43, 78, 83, 93, 98, 104, 110, 114. – NSWFM The Find the ZMan Logo prize winners for February were: I Dando of Tuggerawong, L Wicks of Forbes, Z Mosessen of Wanniassa, M Blake of Walcha, N Evenden of Cundletown, P Bak of Denman Prospect, B Mannering of Blue Haven, B Laurenson of The Bight, T Kennedy of Karuah, C

Answer:

Trades & Services Directory ba Prawn Blade s” “Yam

SYDNEY

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Drop in to see Mick & Kelly

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KAYAK DEALERS

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•

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Dave Gaden’s Yamba • Deep Sea

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CHARTER BOATS

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MARINA BOAT & TACKLE, YAMBA MARINA

YAMBA’S LARGEST TACKLE STORE • Chandlery • Boat Sales • Ice & Gas • Bait & Tackle • Trailers Sales & Parts • Charter Bookings Ph: 6646 1994 or 0428 231 962 Email: dave@gaden.com.au Now Agents For

CLARENCE COAST Reel Time Fishing Charters Yamba 0428 231 962

MINN REPAIRS & SERVICING • • • •

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Minn Repairs & Servicing Call Troy 0412 605 080 – W: minnrepairs.com minnrepairsservicing E: minnrepairs@gmail.com

The Life Aquatic - Mona Vale – (02) 9979 1590 Australian Bass Angler - Penrith – (02) 4721 0455 Hunts Marine - Yallah – (02) 4284 0444 Bunyips Great Outdoors - Lismore – (02) 6622 1137 Maclean Outdoors - MacLean – (02) 6645 1120 Wetspot Watersports -Fyshwick – (02) 6239 1323 Graham Barclay Marine – Forster – (02) 6554 5866 Hunter Water Sports - Belmont – (02) 4947 7899 Totally Immersed Watersports - Nowra (02) 4421 5936 Hunts Marine - Batemans Bay – (02) 4472 2612 Compleat Angler – Merimbula – (02) 6495 3985

ONLINE TACKLE PRODUCTS

GET THE ULTIMATE FG KNOT TOOL Ideal for braids and leaders large and small.

MODIFIED DESIGN

COFFS COAST Freshest Fishing Tours 0421 405 221

MIKAT CRUISES

HOLIDAY RENTAL MACLEAY VALLEY COAST

CRESCENT HEAD HOLIDAY RENTALS

SATELLITE TV INSTALLED Phone: 0427 125 727 I Fax: (07) 4972 1759 michael@mikat.com.au

www.mikat.com.au MARINE MECHANICS COFFS COAST Coffs Harbour Marine (02) 6652 4722 North Coast Boating Centre (02) 6655 7700 Jetty Boating (02) 6651 4002 Thwaites Marine (02) 6651 7810

CHECK IT OUT ONLINE ORDERS

www.fgwizz.com.au

www.fishin.com.au

THE FISHING EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME! • Reef, Deep Sea and Sport Fishing • Swains, Samurez, Cap Bunker Group • Dories available • LUXURY 20m Cat. New V8 Scanias. Large comfortable and stable. • Air conditioned and fast (cruise up to 16 knots) • Professional crew (over 22 years experience) • Cater for groups up to 12 people from 3 to 10 days • BYO or fully licenced bar • Desalinate unit • Trips designed to suit your requirements

allows braid tension adjustment

For all your accommodation needs, house, units & townhouses for every budget. Contact the friendly team at Crescent Head Real Estate for your free holiday brochure.

TOURNAMENT TACKLE STORE

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Phone: 02 6566 0500

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BAIT & TACKLE FRESHWATER

BENT MINNOWS

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FREE EXPRESS SHIPPING

Aberdeen Fishing & Outdoors (02) 6543 7111 Loomzys Fish and Fix (Forbes) (02) 6851 1425

MACQUARIE COAST Ned Kelly Bait n Tackle Port Macquarie (02) 6583 8318 Manning River Marine Taree (02) 6552 2333

0425 230 964 – info@fishin.com.au SHOP 18, 29 KIORA RD MIRANDA NSW 2228

Advertisers wanting to be involved in this directory can call (07) 3387 0800 or email ads@fishingmonthly.com.au APRIL 2020

2020 2020 Local Time

SYDNEY (FORT DENISON) – NEW SOUTH WALES SYDNEY (FORT DENISON) – LONG NEW SOUTH WALES LAT 33° 51’ S 151° 14’ E

Time

1 1 0119 0648 WE 1307

WE 1307 1955

2 2

0207 0741 TH TH 1352 2039

3 3

0300 0842 FR FR 1445 2128

4 4

0356 0951 SA SA 1547 2217

5 5

0450 1103 SU SU 1654 2306

6 6

0541 1209 MO MO 1756 2353

7 7

0628 1304 TU TU 1851

LAT 33° 51’ S LONG 151° 14’ E Times and Heights of High and Low Waters Times and Heights of High and Low Waters MARCH FEBRUARY JANUARY MARCH FEBRUARY JANUARY Time m Time m Time Time m Time m Time m m 0119 1.27 0648 0.70 1307 1.54 1955 0.52 0207 1.27 0741 0.74 1352 1.45 2039 0.55 0300 1.30 0842 0.77 1445 1.37 2128 0.57 0356 1.34 0951 0.77 1547 1.30 2217 0.58 0450 1.41 1103 0.74 1654 1.26 2306 0.58 0541 1.49 1209 0.67 1756 1.26 2353 0.56 0628 1.58 1304 0.58 1851 1.28

1.27 0.70 1.54 TH 0.52

Time

16 16 0129 0716 TH 1331 1.27 0.74 1.45 FR 0.55

1331 2007

17 17 1.30 0.77 1.37 SA 0.57

0226 0821 FR 1430 2100

18 18 1.34 0.77 1.30 SU 0.58

0327 0934 SA 1535 2155

19 19 1.41 0.74 1.26 MO 0.58

0430 1053 SU 1647 2252

20 20 1.49 0.67 1.26 TU 0.56

0530 1209 MO 1800 2348

21 21 1.58 0.58 1.28 WE

0628 1315 TU 1903

0043 0.53 22 22 0721 1.75 1409 0.41 0043 0721 WE 1409 1959

0038 0.54 0.54 1.68 0132 23 8 8 0712 1.68 23 1353 0.48 0809 TH 0.48 1454

0038 0712 WE WE 1353 1941

9 9 0122 0755 TH 1438

TH 1438 2029

10 10 0206 0840 FR 1522 FR 1522 2115

11 11 0252 0925 SA 1606 SA 1606 2203

12 12 0340 1011 SU 1652 SU 1652 2252

13 13 0430 1059 MO 1739 MO 1739 2342

14 14 0522 1147 TU 1827 TU 1827

0.48 1941 1.31 0122 0.51 0755 1.78 1438 0.38 2029 1.34 0206 0.47 0840 1.87 1522 0.30 2115 1.38 0252 0.44 0925 1.94 1606 0.24 2203 1.41 0340 0.42 1011 1.98 1652 0.20 2252 1.43 0430 0.42 1059 1.98 1739 0.20 2342 1.44 0522 0.43 1147 1.93 1827 0.23

m 0129 1.46 0716 0.52 1331 1.70 2007 0.35 0226 1.48 0821 0.56 1430 1.56 2100 0.41 0327 1.51 0934 0.59 1535 1.43 2155 0.47 0430 1.56 1053 0.59 1647 1.33 2252 0.51 0530 1.63 1209 0.54 1800 1.29 2348 0.53 0628 1.69 1315 0.47 1903 1.28

TH 1454 1.31 2045 0.51 1.78 0218 0.38 0853 FR FR 1535 1.34 2128 0.47 1.87 0300 0.30 0933 SA SA 1613 1.38 2207 0.44 1.94 0340 0.24 1011 SU SU 1647 1.41 2244 0.42 1.98 0418 0.20 1046 MO MO 1721 1.43 2320 0.42 1.98 0456 0.20 1121 TU TU 1754 1.44 2356 0.43 1.93 0535 0.23 1156 WE WE 1827

24 24 25 25 26 26

27 27 28 28 29 29

1.46 0.52 1.70 SA 0.35

Time

1 1 0202 0758 SA 1357

1.48 0.56 1.56 SU 0.41

1357 2023

2 2

1.51 0.59 1.43 MO 0.47

0255 0901 SU 1454 2113

3 3

1.56 0.59 1.33 TU 0.51

0352 1015 MO 1603 2209

4 4

1.63 0.54 1.29 WE 0.53

0451 1130 TU 1718 2309

5 5

1.69 0.47 1.28 TH

0548 1235 WE 1825

0005 0641 TH 1329 1921

7 7

0059 0731 FR 1416 2011

8 8 0148 0819 SA 1501 1501 2059

9 9 0238 0908 SU 1546 1546 2145

10 10 0328 0956 MO 1631 1631 2232

11 11 0419 1044 TU 1715 1715 2321

12 12 0512 1132 WE 1800 1800

Time

16 16 0256 0924 SU 1519 1.38 0.74 1.26 MO 0.63

1519 2121

17 17 1.41 0.74 1.20 TU 0.65

0401 1045 MO 1638 2225

18 18 1.47 0.68 1.19 WE 0.64

0509 1202 TU 1756 2330

19 19 0612 1306 WE 1900

0.48 1921 1.28 0059 0.54 0731 1.78 1416 0.36 2011 1.35 0148 0.46 0819 1.89 1501 0.26 2059 1.43 0238 0.39 0908 1.97 1546 0.18 2145 1.49 0328 0.34 0956 2.02 1631 0.14 2232 1.55 0419 0.31 1044 2.00 1715 0.15 2321 1.58 0512 0.32 1132 1.92 1800 0.20

1223 1846 1.79 1846 0.28 0101 0101 0706 1.60 0706 0.43 FR 1315 1315 1933 1.63 1933 0.39 1.36 0157 1.59 0.62 0157 0811 0.51 1.54 0811 SA 1413 1.45 SA 1413 2024 0.50 2024 0.49 1.36 0.67 1.44 0.54

14 14

m 0256 1.58 0924 0.57 1519 1.31 2121 0.58 0401 1.58 1045 0.58 1638 1.22 2225 0.64 0509 1.60 1202 0.56 1756 1.20 2330 0.65 0612 1.63 1306 0.50 1900 1.24

0031 0.62 20 20 0707 1.67 1356 0.45 1.55 0.59 1.22 TH

0031 0707 TH 1356 1950

FR 1436 1.28 2031 0.54 1.78 0208 0.36 0836 SA SA 1512 1.35 2108 0.46 1.89 0247 0.26 0914 SU SU 1545 1.43 2142 0.39 1.97 0324 0.18 0948 MO MO 1615 1.49 2215 0.34 2.02 0400 0.14 1021 TU TU 1645 1.55 2247 0.31 2.00 0435 0.15 1054 WE WE 1715 1.58 2320 0.32 1.92 0513 0.20 1127 TH TH 1744 2354 1.60 0.36 0553 1.79 1202 FR FR 1815 0.28

22 22 23 23 24 24

25 25 26 26 27 27

0010 1.60 13 28 0607 13 0010 0607 0.36 28 TH 1223 1223 1.79

0033 1.45 0034 1.45 0.47 0034 1.36 15 30 15 0617 0616 15 0033 30 0617 0.47 1.83 0616 0.62 15 WE 1238 TH 1231 1238 1.83 1231 1.54

31 31

1.36 0.71 1.35 SU 0.59

0005 0.60 0.60 1.66 0123 21 6 6 0641 1.66 21 1329 0.48 0755 FR 1436 0.48

0.53 1.75 0.41 0.41 1.30 FR 1959 1.30 0132 0.52 0.52 1.80 0809 1.80 0.36 1454 0.36 1.32 SA 2045 1.32 0218 0.51 0.51 1.82 0853 1.82 0.34 1535 0.34 1.34 SU 2128 1.34 0300 0.51 0.51 1.82 0933 1.82 0.33 1613 0.33 1.36 MO 2207 1.36 0340 0.51 0.51 1.80 1011 1.80 0.35 1647 0.35 1.36 TU 2244 1.36 0418 0.52 0.52 1.76 1046 1.76 0.38 1721 0.38 1.36 WE 2320 1.36 0456 0.54 0.54 1.70 1121 1.70 0.41 1754 0.41 1.36 TH 2356 1.36 0535 0.58 0.58 1.63 1156 1.63 0.45 1827 0.45 FR

1.83 0.28 1.54 WE 1238 1916 TH 1231 1901 1901 0.50 1916 0.28 0115 0115 0703 1.36 0703 0.67 FR 1311 1.44 FR 1311 1940 1940 0.54

m 0202 1.36 0758 0.71 1357 1.35 2023 0.59 0255 1.38 0901 0.74 1454 1.26 2113 0.63 0352 1.41 1015 0.74 1603 1.20 2209 0.65 0451 1.47 1130 0.68 1718 1.19 2309 0.64 0548 1.55 1235 0.59 1825 1.22

1.58 0.57 1.31 SU 0.58

Time

1 1 0113 0726 SU 1323

1.58 0.58 1.22 MO 0.64

1323 1927

2 2

1.60 0.56 1.20 TU 0.65

0200 0824 MO 1416 2015

3 3

1.63 0.50 1.24 WE

0257 0935 TU 1526 2116

4 4

0.62 1.67 0.45 0.45 1.29 TH 1950 1.29 0123 0.58 0.58 1.71 0755 1.71 0.41 1436 0.41 1.34 FR 2031 1.34 0208 0.54 0.54 1.73 0836 1.73 0.38 1512 0.38 1.39 SA 2108 1.39 0247 0.51 0.51 1.74 0914 1.74 0.37 1545 0.37 1.42 SU 2142 1.42 0324 0.49 0.49 1.73 0948 1.73 0.38 1615 0.38 1.44 MO 2215 1.44 0400 0.49 0.49 1.70 1021 1.70 0.39 1645 0.39 1.46 TU 2247 1.46 0435 0.50 0.50 1.65 1054 1.65 0.42 1715 0.42 1.47 WE 2320 1.47 0513 0.52 0.52 1.59 1127 1.59 0.46 1744 0.46 1.48 TH 2354 1.48 0553 0.56 0.56 1.51 1202 1.51 0.51 1815 0.51 FR

0401 1054 WE 1649 2230

5 5

0510 1203 TH 1803 2339

6 6

0612 1300 FR 1901

m 0113 1.47 0726 0.65 1323 1.32 1927 0.63 0200 1.45 0824 0.69 1416 1.23 2015 0.69 0257 1.45 0935 0.70 1526 1.17 2116 0.72 0401 1.48 1054 0.66 1649 1.17 2230 0.72 0510 1.55 1203 0.57 1803 1.22 2339 0.66 0612 1.66 1300 0.45 1901 1.32

1.47 0.65 1.32 MO 0.63

Time

16 16 0225 0915 MO 1510 1.45 0.69 1.23 TU 0.69

1510 2049

17 17 1.45 0.70 1.17 WE 0.72

0332 1031 TU 1631 2200

18 18 1.48 0.66 1.17 TH 0.72

0444 1144 WE 1748 2315

19 19 0551 1243 TH 1846

8 8 0133 0758 SU 1436 1436 2038

9 9 0225 0847 MO 1520 1520 2124

10 10 0316 0937 TU 1603 1603 2210

11 11 0408 1026 WE 1647 1647 2257

12 12 0501 1116 TH 1730 1730 2345

13 13 0558 1207 FR 1815 1815

0.33 1951 1.43 0133 0.45 0758 1.90 1436 0.23 2038 1.53 0225 0.35 0847 1.97 1520 0.16 2124 1.63 0316 0.28 0937 1.99 1603 0.14 2210 1.71 0408 0.25 1026 1.95 1647 0.17 2257 1.76 0501 0.26 1116 1.84 1730 0.25 2345 1.77 0558 0.31 1207 1.69 1815 0.36

1300 1900 1.52 1900 0.48 0127 0127 0801 1.71 0801 0.47 SU 1400 1400 1949 1.36 1949 0.60

15 15

Time

1 1 0215 0909 WE 1506

1.59 0.58 1.19 TH 0.75

1506 2040

2 2

1.57 0.57 1.21 FR 0.75

0322 1023 TH 1628 2200

3 3

1.58 0.54 1.27 SA

0435 1130 FR 1740 2315

4 4

1.54 0.66 1.19 TH 0.78

Time

16 16 0310 1009 TH 1622 1.54 0.62 1.21 FR 0.77

1622 2148

17 17 1.59 0.54 1.29 SA 0.70

0416 1102 FR 1715 2253

18 18 1.69 0.43 1.41 SU

0512 1146 SA 1759 2346

19 19 0557 1223 SU 1835

m 0310 1.55 1009 0.60 1622 1.26 2148 0.82 0416 1.54 1102 0.59 1715 1.32 2253 0.77 0512 1.55 1146 0.56 1759 1.40 2346 0.71 0557 1.56 1223 0.53 1835 1.48

1.66 0.45 1.32 SA

6 6 0016 0634 MO 1304

21 21 0110 0731 SA 1406 1406 2008

SU 1439 1.43 2042 0.45 1.90 0231 0.23 0846 MO MO 1509 1.53 2114 0.35 1.97 0306 0.16 0920 TU TU 1538 1.63 2144 0.28 1.99 0342 0.14 0953 WE WE 1606 1.71 2215 0.25 1.95 0417 0.17 1027 TH TH 1634 1.76 2246 0.26 1.84 0454 0.25 1101 FR FR 1702 1.77 2319 0.31 1.69 0533 0.36 1138 SA SA 1733 2354 1.75 0.38 0616 1.52 1217 SU SU 1806 0.48

23 23 24 24

25 25

26 26

27 27 28 28

0.70 1.61 0.50 0.50 1.34 SU 1930 1.34 0110 0.64 0.64 1.63 0731 1.63 0.47 1406 0.47 1.41 MO 2008 1.41 0153 0.58 0.58 1.66 0811 1.66 0.44 1439 0.44 1.47 TU 2042 1.47 0231 0.54 0.54 1.66 0846 1.66 0.43 1509 0.43 1.51 WE 2114 1.51 0306 0.50 0.50 1.66 0920 1.66 0.42 1538 0.42 1.56 TH 2144 1.56 0342 0.49 0.49 1.63 0953 1.63 0.44 1606 0.44 1.59 FR 2215 1.59 0417 0.48 0.48 1.59 1027 1.59 0.46 1634 0.46 1.61 SA 2246 1.61 0454 0.50 0.50 1.53 1101 1.53 0.51 1702 0.51 1.62 SU 2319 1.62 0533 0.52 0.52 1.45 1138 1.45 0.56 1733 0.56 1.62 MO 2354 1.62 0616 0.56 0.56 1.37 1217 1.37 0.62 1806 0.62 TU

0543 1228 SA 1837

m 0215 1.54 0909 0.66 1506 1.19 2040 0.78 0322 1.54 1023 0.62 1628 1.21 2200 0.77 0435 1.59 1130 0.54 1740 1.29 2315 0.70 0543 1.69 1228 0.43 1837 1.41

0019 0.58 0030 0.58 1.79 0030 0.64 20 5 0541 0637 5 1217 1.79 20 1.58 0.33 0637 MO 1257 0.33 1257 0.50

0018 0645 FR 1329 1930

1.60 0031 1.48 0034 1.48 0.60 0034 1.75 29 29 14 0.43 0031 0636 0657 14 29 0.60 1.41 0657 0.38 29 1.63 0636 SA 1240 SA 1300 1240 1.41 1300 1.52 1.41 0.57 SA 1240 1848 SA 0.39 1848 0.57 1.59 0.51 1.45 SU 0.49

m 1.65 0.54 1.24 WE 0.70

0018 0.70 20 20 0645 1.61 1329 0.50 1.55 0.57 1.22 FR 0.66

0039 0.56 0.56 1.78 0153 22 7 7 0707 1.78 22 1350 0.33 0811 SU 1439 0.33 0039 0707 SA 1350 1951

m 0225 1.65 0915 0.54 1510 1.24 2049 0.70 0332 1.59 1031 0.58 1631 1.19 2200 0.75 0444 1.57 1144 0.57 1748 1.21 2315 0.75 0551 1.58 1243 0.54 1846 1.27

Local Time APRIL APRIL Time Time m

0019 0541 SU 1217 1827

1304 1914

7 7 0111 0725 TU 1348 1348 2000

8 8 0203 0816 WE 1431 1431 2045

9 9 0257 0907 TH 1515 1515 2132

10 10 0352 1000 FR 1559 1559 2219

11 11 0448 1053 SA 1643 1643 2308

12 12 0547 1148 SU 1729 1729

31 31

MO 1257 1.54 1909 0.46 1.87 0110 0.25 0714 TU TU 1327 1.67 1941 0.35 1.91 0146 0.21 0749 WE WE 1356 1.79 2012 0.27 1.89 0222 0.22 0824 TH TH 1425 1.87 2043 0.24 1.82 0300 0.27 0900 FR FR 1454 1.92 2115 0.25 1.70 0338 0.36 0938 SA SA 1526 1.92 2149 0.30 1.56 0418 0.47 1017 SU SU 1559 1.87 2226 0.38 1.42 0501 0.60 1100 MO MO 1636 2306 1.80 0.47 0550 1.31 1149 TU TU 1719 0.71 2353 1.70 0.54 0646 1.23 1246 WE WE 1813 0.79

21 21

22 22 23 23 24 24

25 25

26 26

27 27

0000 1.80 13 28 0650 13 0000 0650 0.47 28 MO 1248 1248 1.31

1248 1819 1.31 1819 0.71 0056 0056 0758 1.70 0758 0.54 TU 1357 1357 1920 1.23 1920 0.79 1.59 0200 1.61 0.61 0200 0906 0.59 1.29 0906 WE 1513 1.22 WE 1513 2033 0.69 2033 0.83 1.56 0.65 1.23 0.75

14 14

0033 1.71 1.59 30 15 0704 0.47 0033 30 0.61 15 1.36 0704 MO 1302 1302 1.29 1.29 MO 1302 1845 0.60 1845 0.69 0119 0119 0800 1.56 0800 0.65 TU 1357 1.23 TU 1357 1933 1933 0.75

0.33 1827 1.54 0016 0.46 0634 1.87 1304 0.25 1914 1.67 0111 0.35 0725 1.91 1348 0.21 2000 1.79 0203 0.27 0816 1.89 1431 0.22 2045 1.87 0257 0.24 0907 1.82 1515 0.27 2132 1.92 0352 0.25 1000 1.70 1559 0.36 2219 1.92 0448 0.30 1053 1.56 1643 0.47 2308 1.87 0547 0.38 1148 1.42 1729 0.60

29 29

m 1.55 0.60 1.26 0.82 1.54 0.59 1.32 0.77 1.55 0.56 1.40 0.71 1.56 0.53 1.48

0.64 1.58 0.50 0.50 1.55 1909 1.55 0110 0.59 0.59 1.58 0714 1.58 0.49 1327 0.49 1.61 1941 1.61 0146 0.54 0.54 1.57 0749 1.57 0.49 1356 0.49 1.67 2012 1.67 0222 0.51 0.51 1.55 0824 1.55 0.50 1425 0.50 1.71 2043 1.71 0300 0.49 0.49 1.51 0900 1.51 0.53 1454 0.53 1.74 2115 1.74 0338 0.49 0.49 1.46 0938 1.46 0.57 1526 0.57 1.76 2149 1.76 0418 0.51 0.51 1.41 1017 1.41 0.62 1559 0.62 1.74 2226 1.74 0501 0.54 0.54 1.35 1100 1.35 0.67 1636 0.67 1.72 2306 1.72 0550 0.57 0.57 1.29 1149 1.29 0.73 1719 0.73 1.68 2353 1.68 0646 0.60 0.60 1.26 1246 1.26 0.78 1813 0.78

0048 1.64 0.60 1.25 1.25 0.80 TH 1354 1920 0.83 1920 0.80 1.61

1.64 30 0750 0.59 0048 30 0.60 1.22 0750 TH 1354 1354 1.25

 Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2019, Bureau of Meteorology  Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2019, Bureau of Meteorology Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect Times are in local Symbols standard time (UTC time (UTC +11:00) when in effect New+10:00) Moon or daylight savings First Quarter Last Quarter Moon Phase Full Moon Moon Phase Symbols New Moon First Quarter Full Moon Last Quarter Tide predictions for Sydney (Fort Denison) have been formatted by the National Tidal Centre, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Copyright reserved. All material is supplied in good faith and is believed to be correct. It is supplied on the condition that no warranty is given in relation thereto, that no responsibility or liability for errors or omissions is, or will be, accepted and that the recipient will hold MHL and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Australia free from all such responsibility or liability and from all loss or damage incurred as a consequence of any error or omission. Predictions should not be used for navigational purposes. Use of these tide predictions will be deemed to include acceptance of the above conditions. 78

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boats & kayaks

In the skipper’s seat

Inside story...

Stacer have been making boats for over 40 years, and in that time have gained a reputation for building tough boats to suit Australian conditions. With over 70 models in the range, whether you are after a serious fishing rig, a family fun machine or a budget-friendly tinny, Stacer has you covered.

Made for...

Stacer boats are designed to dominate all sorts of waterways. There are boats to suit offshore, in the bay and in freshwater fishing locations.

This month...

Editor Steve Morgan takes a ride in two Stacer 519 Crossfire models. Check it out on page 84!

80 Choosing the right kayak for you Justin Willmer explains the differences in certain kayak models, and how to choose the best one for your needs.

82 Are you up to date with PFDs?

Wayne Kampe discusses PFD laws and the importance of having these life-saving devices aboard.

87 What’s new in the world of boating

Want to know what’s been going on in the industry? Get the latest news and product information from the boating world!

APRIL 2020

A tale of two Stacers: 519 Crossfire models - SC

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Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

Coffs Harbour’s Thwaites Marine is a new and proud Stacer/Evinrude dealer. With a history in big boat and inboard servicing, the team have combined their indoor showroom with a range of Evinrude-powered Stacers that are set up for boating in their local area. Ben Thwaites had a great idea for their boat test: he organised their shop boat (a centre console Crossfire 519 fitted with a 115hp Evinrude HO outboard) and a customer boat that they’d recently

for ducking out before or after work for a quick fish or dive, and it’s an ideal configuration for this part of the world. They have added an aftermarket T-top to provide some shade, and there’s very little in the way of accessories. It’s just a big, open work space with a standard elevated front casting deck. In fact, I think that this boat would benefit from a lean seat or some other form of support. The 115 is a powerful engine and it would be nice to be able to brace yourself for the inevitable acceleration. Talking about the power plant, the Evinrude 115HO G2 E-Tec has the same amazing low and mid range torque that

Top: Here are the two test boats – both Stacer Crossfire 519s with 115hp Evinrude G2 E-Tecs. One is Thwaites Marine’s staff boat that they use for fishing offshore. The other belongs to a customer, Luke Strange, who set his side console version up for calmer water activities, from snorkelling and fishing through to tubing. Above: From the gunwales down, these hulls are identical. They both feature Stacer’s Revolution hull, which is a remarkably soft riding and open water capable base upon which to design a build to suit your needs.

On the single axle Stacer-built trailers these hulls will tow identically, and you don’t need a tank to tow them, either. Both are capably pulled by family cars. finished fitting out. This was the same hull and motor but with a side console layout. One is a dedicated offshore fishing and diving boat while the other has fishing, tubing, diving and family good times in mind. Let’s see which one would suit your type of boating best. CENTRE CONSOLE Thwaites Marine set up the centre console rig for owner and staff use. The team use it

we have come to expect from the remaining 2-stroke player in the market. Also fitted with power steering and auto trimming, this boat takes ‘ease of use’ to a whole new level. “For us, this is a great sea boat,” said Rob Thwaites. “We are able to launch it at some pretty ordinary ramps and the rig is light enough to manoeuvre the single axle trailer to where it needs to be.” Cavorting around the

harbour on a lumpy day allowed us to experience just how soft riding these hulls are. “This hull rides really well with a flared bow and moderate deadrise,” Rob said.

And we wholeheartedly agree. Hitting the first few lumps I was bracing for a rough ride, but as the test wore on, I found myself more and more impressed with the ability of the Crossfire hull to take the edge of the rough water. It’s one of the smoothest riding aluminium hulls that I’ve been in. Period! By the end of the test day, I found myself trying to land this hull rough. It is possible, but you need to travel at speeds you usually wouldn’t in any sort of a sea, and you had to get the hull landing flat on one of the hull sheets. It takes some doing. The take-home message is that, driven sensibly, you’ll have the softest ride you can in an aluminium hull – and

SPECIFICATIONS Length.(max) .... 5.37m Beam................. 2.24m Top.Sheet............ 3mm Bottom.Sheet ..... 4mm Max.hp ................... 115 Capacity ......5 persons Hull.Weight ........535kg I daresay better than many larger aluminium boats, regardless of the brand. “When you buy a Stacer boat/motor and Evinrude package, you get a full 5-year warranty on all of these components,” Rob said. This adds to the peace of mind when buying a matching package from one dealer.

SIDE CONSOLE The Stacer Crossfire side console is a new boat to Luke Strange, a Coffs roofer who spent months deliberating whether to go for a tinnie or the bigger Crossfire. Ultimately, he went the bigger boat and doesn’t regret the decision at all. Luke’s fit-out is fairly standard for a Crossfire. His has a side console, and the front casting deck is built in the shape of a standard bowrider. You can sit several people up there to enjoy the day on the water, or you can drop in an infill to use it as a fully functional casting deck for some serious fishing. “It’s been a great experience putting this boat

PERFORMANCE RPM........................ km/h.......................... km/L 650 ................................5.............................. 7.1 1000 ..............................7..............................4.9 2000 ............................ 11..............................1.6 3000 ............................37..............................3.1 3300 ............................41..............................3.4 4000 ............................50..............................2.8 84

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The main difference in driving is that you’re standing upright in the centre console and seated in the side console. The centre console needs a lean seat to take your weight in the nasty stuff but otherwise is a pleasure to ride in.

together,” Luke said. “It took me three or four months to finally work out what was the best way to go. I wanted an all rounder – something to fish, dive, snorkel and use for tow sports, and I particularly liked the fact that the hull and trailer are built just up the road.” Stacer makes its own trailers, and the single-axle aluminium I-Beam that Luke’s rig is cradled on is made in the same complex as the hull. However, it seems as though Luke’s real passion is for the E-Tec on the back of this boat. “The hole shot is amazing,” he said. “It’s less thirsty than 2-strokes of the past but it’s just as economical as slower

The author braced for the first impact and was surprised at the quality of the ride inside a lumpy Coffs Harbour. The best way to experience it for yourself is to go out on a test ride.

Left: The side console version compacts all of the driving and traveling seating positions down at the stern, leaving a massive front deck for leisure activities. This rig will eventually be fitted with a bow-mounted trolling motor. Middle: With Evinrude now having a major stake in Telwater (manufacturers of Stacer boats), it was a given that there would be some kick-ass boat/motor/trailer deals in the Stacer/Evinrude space. The 3-cylinder G2 E-Tec was launched in 2019 and suits lots of Australian boats. Right: Apart from a lack of places to hang onto, the ride of the Thwaites shop Stacer Crossfire was great. We can see why Coffs locals are keen to get into these boats. There’s plenty of space, along with the ability to traverse some sketchy water to get to where you need to go.

Here’s the centre console deck layout – a simple flat floor with a raised bow casting deck. The enclosed anchor well really keeps the ground gear hidden, and gives the owner a mountain of casting space all around the boat.

There are a couple of different seat mounting bases on the side console, allowing the skipper to balance weight if needed. The team found that the rear mounts offered a great compromise between hole shot and ride. Up front, that’s the standard Crossfire bow arrangement. Luke opted for an infill as well, to make the front casting deck full sized when he’s fishing. At other times, the default position is a front-lounge shape.

four-strokes. It really is the best of both worlds.” PERFORMANCE Not surprisingly, both rigs displayed near-identical performance numbers. Between 3,000-3,500rpm was the most economical range, with the Evinrude delivering a frugal 3.4km/L. It was a little lumpy to get wide open throttle figures. Apart from the ride, the speed out of the hole is the most impressive aspect of this rig. The power steering and automatic trim make the experience more like driving a car than an old, cable steer boat. We really did find ourselves with smiles on the dials when it came to running around in these boats and taking the video and photos we needed for the boat tests. To view the full boat test video, head to the Fishing Monthly Magazines YouTube Channel (or by scanning the QR code hereby). You can also find more information at www. thwaitesmarine.com.au, or to keep abreast of what they have in store you can follow them on Facebook (facebook.com/ thwaitesmarine) or Instagram (@thwaites_marine). Package prices as tested were just under $50,000 for the centre console and around $53,000 for the side console with the extras as tested. Get in one – you’ll be as surprised as we were! APRIL 2020

Lots of useable space is a feature of this great boat, so fitting in lots of gear shouldn’t be a problem. Stacer’s standard dash holds all of your electronics and digital gauges. There’s no doubt that this rig has turned plenty of heads at the local Coffs ramps.

There really are plenty of configurations for the side console rig. Like this, it’s easy for an angler up front and one down the back, but if you remove the infill, there’s a lot of lounging space and the seat can swivel around to add to the area.

Transom v transom: the centre console is more clean and open with a full transom, while Luke has optioned his transom up with a bait board and a transom door. 86

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Both rigs have long side pockets to make your fishing gear easily accessible.

You’ll love the efficiency and mid-range torque of the Evinrude G2. Both boats were fitted with the power steering models, which make the steering wheel as light as the one in your tow vehicle.

WHAT’S NEW BOATING HUMMINBIRD MEGA 1 360 IMAGING

RIVIERA 505 SUV

With Humminbird MEGA 360 Imaging you’ll view fish and structure in a whole new way, with a scanning diameter of up to 250’ (76m) around your boat. The high-frequency beam of MEGA Imaging CHIRPs across the megahertz range reveals the world below in picturelike detail all the way around your boat. You can use it alongside multiple sonar and map technologies, and can also customize sweep speed, viewing area, display info, sonar zoom and colour palette. Range rings indicate the distance to the target, so you can cast directly to it, and mark the waypoint on your 360 Imaging screen. Humminbird MEGA Imaging is now built into select Minn Kota electric motors, for a crystal clear view with no cluttered wires or clamps, and a transducer that’s fully protected. Whether you’re trolling or using Spot-Lock, MEGA 360 Imaging is independently mounted, so your sonar picture remains unchanged as the trolling motor turns. To see underwater footage of structure vs how it appears on the MEGA 360 screen, look up ‘Fishing Monthly’ on YouTube. www.humminbird.com.au

When Riviera’s design team set out to create their newest addition to the SUV Collection, their objective was to make the best of both worlds even better. The result is the Riviera 505 SUV. The same pedigree of a single-level alfresco entertainer with bluewater ability but with the added dimension of the mezzanine: a dining and relaxing space offering privacy and protection from harsh sun and weather. The generous cockpit is low to the water to maximise action and adventure, whether you’re cruising or fishing on the reef. From bow to boarding platform, you’ll experience the handcrafted luxury and operational technology. There’s a full-beam master stateroom, private en suite and walk-in robe, and two guest staterooms with shared bathroom. Topping it off is the Volvo Penta Glass Cockpit navigation system and smooth and economical performance of twin Volvo Penta IPS turbo diesels with joystick control. www.rivieraaustralia.com

CHILL WITH BAR CRUSHER

The new Suzuki DF300B strikes the perfect balance between superior power and thrust, with excellent fuel-efficiency and reliability all in a lightweight design. It features Suzuki’s Dual Prop system – contra-rotating, 6-blade propeller design which provides blistering acceleration and extreme cornering grip. The proven 4.4L block gives tremendous torque, making it the largest displacement V6 on the market. It has been engineered to run on 91 RON fuel, features Suzuki’s Lean Burn technology and 10.5:1 compression ratio. The materials of the new DF300B gears are ultra-strong to withstand high loads, and provide additional strength and reliability. Not only does this configuration record high speeds under heavy loads, it also produces a strong reverse thrust, aiding in greater manoeuvrability. The Dual Louver System keeps the intake air free of moisture and close to ambient temperature for ultimate performance, and the dual injectors deliver both cooling and power. The new DF300B comes in either a 25” or 30” shaft length, can be paired with Suzuki’s Precision Control system, and is backed by a 3+3 year warranty. www.suzukimarine.com.au

Aussie boat builder Bar Crusher has expanded its range of seating options with a new side-mount bolster seat with integrated tackle storage and slide-out 90L icebox. The stylish matte black framework is constructed from heavy-duty 32mm alloy tubing and accommodates three easilyaccessible tackle trays, with hassle-free bungee cord retention (as per the standard tackle storage seat boxes). Along with offering cool storage for food, drinks, bait, fish, and general dry storage for all sorts of gear, the split-lid icebox also provides additional seating, similar to Bar Crusher’s larger king/queen seat boxes. The icebox can be slid forward (towards the bunk) to maximise cockpit fishing space, while a strap point helps secure the icebox when underway. Fitted as standard with a range of features many other boat brands charge as extras, this latest personalisation option is available on both skipper and passenger sides, and suits all cuddy cabin (C Series) and hard top (HT Series) models from the 575 through to the 780. Check out Bar Crusher’s online boat builder to personalise your fishing weapon. www.barcrusher.com.au

BOAT POWERED BY 3 SEAWATER Energy Observer is the first vessel in the world to both generate and be powered by hydrogen, and is designed to test the efficiency of combining different renewable energies. The boat produces and stores hydrogen using seawater, solar panels (21kW peak), wind turbines (2 x 1kW), a traction kite and electric motors (2 x 41kW) of hydrogenation, lithium battery (106kWh), desalinisator, electrolyser, compressor, fuel cell (22kW), and 62kg of hydrogen. Another innovative project under development is a ferry that uses both sun and wave energy to produce hydrogen for propulsion. As renewable technology becomes more efficient, and fuel prices continue to climb, who knows what the boating world might look like in the decades to come? www.energy-observer.org

SUZUKI LAUNCHES NEW DF300B

YANMAR 6LF SERIES

PRODUCT GUIDE

Yanmar has announced the release of the 6LF and 6LT series of diesel engines. This advanced six-model line-up extends Yanmar’s portfolio of common rail diesel engines to encompass an output range from 40hp to 630hp. Enabling Yanmar to supply more compact, high performance solutions, the 478hp to 630hp 6LF and 6LT engines are ideal for leisure boats. The two series, consisting of the 3000rpm 6LF485, 6LF530 and 6LF550 engines and 2530rpm 6LT500, 6LT580 and 6LT640 engines, feature Yanmar’s next generation VC20 vessel control system for enhanced onboard comfort and an easier overall boating experience. The global emission-certified diesel engines also offer leading fuel economy and are compatible with a wide range of fuel types. Available as a complete package including engine, ZF transmission and VC20 vessel control system, the 6LF and 6LT are supplied with a full range of options. The 6LF and 6LT series will be available from Q3 2020. www.yanmarmarine.com

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

6 SCAN THE QR CODE!

APRIL 2020

A POWERFUL PACKAGE 40-60HP FOURSTROKE PERFORMANCE INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY

• SmartCraft Technology – Keeps you informed about your engine’s performance • The Most Intuitive Tiller – Feature packed for unmatched comfort and usability • Troll Control – Dial in precise troll control speeds on all Tiller models in 10RPM increments

PROVEN RELIABILITY

• EFI Reliable Turnkey Starting – Starts first time and every time • 3 + 3 = 6 Year Warranty – For real peace of mind • 18 amp Alternator – Built to handle the demands of marine electronics

POWERFUL PERFORMANCE

• High Displacement – For power and efficiency • Command Thrust Gearcase – For improved acceleration and maneuverability The Mercury 40-60hp FourStroke range ticks all the boxes, so see your nearest Mercury dealer to find out more. www.mercurymarine.com.au