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August 2019, Vol. 25 No. 1
Contents 16
BYRON COAST The Tweed 32 Ballina 34 Yamba 36 COFFS COAST Coffs Harbour South West Rocks
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MACQUARIE COAST The Hastings 41 Forster 42 Harrington-Taree 43 HUNTER COAST Hunter Coast 43 Port Stephens 44 Erina 45 Swansea 46 SYDNEY Sydney 12 The Hawkesbury 16 Sydney North 18 Sydney South 20 Botany Bay 22 Pittwater 24 Sydney Rock and Beach 26 ILLAWARRA COAST llawarra 68 Nowra 71 BATEMANS COAST
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From the Editor’s Desk...
DOORS OPEN TO AFTA SHOW FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 20 YEARS For decades AFTA (the Australian Fishing Trade Association) has been running a trade show. What’s a trade show? It’s when all of the manufacturers and distributors set up stands to show off their latest and greatest products and the tackle stores (retailers) come and check out the tackle that’s about to hit the market. It’s handy to have nearly all of the big players in the tackle industry in the one place at the one time. Usually there are around 70 exhibitors at an AFTA Show, and brands from Alvey to Zerek are represented – complete with a fair smattering of product designers and inventors to add that star factor. At least to us tackle junkies! Trade shows have always been closed to the public. However, thanks to social media, what’s launched at the AFTA Show isn’t a secret anymore.
Usually by an hour into the first day, there’s all the information you could want available online. This rise in awareness has prompted calls to let the public in to have a look. It makes sense for tackle suppliers to engage with their present and future customers. Sell the sizzle, even though the sausage may not be available until later in the year. And this year, it’s happening. There will be a Public Day at the 2019 AFTA Trade Show on the Gold Coast. Does this mean that you’ll be able to come home with the latest and greatest tackle? Nope. It’s not a retail selling show. You’ll be able to buy some caps and catalogues, but it’s not like the Lure Show, so you won’t need to re-mortgage the house to satisfy your addiction. Will you be able to go and see your local tackle store and get them to pre-order the gear for you? Hell yeah. That’s the way it works. Look at the show and buy from your retailer. For me though, the show will
be so much more than product. I believe it’s the people who make the show. And by people, I mean that basically every fishing TV show personality, fishing journo of note, pro staffer and fishing celebrity should be there. Want to meet ET, the Hook, Line and Sinker crew, Lee Rayner, Steve Starling or Rob Paxevanos? No worries – they’ll be kicking around the show. What about your favourite pro-staffers that you follow on social media? They’ll be there (unless they’re scared to do anything live!) Lure displays in casting tanks? There’ll be several. And in what we think is an excellent move by AFTA, the admittance price is around half of cost of any boat show. It’s just $10 a head, and kids under 15 are free, so you can have a cheap day out at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition centre. Public Day is on Saturday 17 August 2019, it’s open from 9am-4pm, and on-site parking is $12 per entry.
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We hope to see you there. It’s the celebration of the industry that you’re now invited to! MATT DRINKALL MARKS 25-YEAR ANNIVERSARY Fishing Monthly Co-Director Matthew Drinkall has marked a significant milestone: 25 years working for the magazine. In 1994 he was hired to change the way articles were laid up on the page, dispensing with bromides (photographic paper) in favour of laying it up on a computer. Now we have a whole design department to work on the magazines, which has freed Matthew up to spend more time doing what he loves most: photography. The best photos in our in-house boat tests are his handiwork, and many spectacular shots in corporate outboard and boating ads are his photos too. Matthew is usually the first to arrive at work and the last to leave, and we appreciate all his hard work. It wouldn’t be Fishing Monthly without Matty!
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Curtis Parker caught this solid yellowbelly on a trip to Windamere.
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Reeltime Charters: Yamba’s most successful & longest running fishing charter and the only charter based in the famous Yamba Marina. Rated as one of the best charters in NSW. With 12 years of running charters from the port of Yamba/Iluka. Comprising three custom built fishing vessels able to cater for over 30 anglers at a time: Silver Star 38ft Westcoaster by star boats, charter licence in all 4 endorsements (Game fishing, Offshore Deep-sea, Nearshore & Estuary) for 16 Odin 36ft Multicat, charter licence in all 4 endorsements for 14. Avalanche 34ft Steber. charter licence in all 4
endorsements for up to 12. All vessels are in perfect running order and in full survey. Turnkey operation with all gear and skippers if needed. Sale includes all websites, web addresses, social media sites, phone numbers and huge amount of existing signage and advertising as well as all future and annual bookings.
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Yamba Whale Watch: The only dedicated whale watch business in the area dedicating at least one boat (Avalanche) to whale watching for the season June to October every year. But with the ability to place over 30 people over 3 boats at a time if needed. Sale includes all websites, web addresses, social media sites, phone numbers and huge amount of existing signage and advertising as well as all future and annual bookings.
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Marina Boat and Tackle: One of the most comprehensive fishing tackle shops and boat chandlery in the area based right in the centre of Yamba Marina. Rated as the best tackle shop chandlery in the town with the only pro Humminbird and pro Minn Kota dealer in the lower Clarence. Selling most of the big name brands this is a walk in business with all stock and fixtures ready to go. Large established clientele and turnover.
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Golden Perch
Time to get your hands on some Capital gold CANBERRA
Toby Grundy
Canberra is home to three urban waterways, all of which have been heavily stocked with golden perch. Lake Tuggeranong, Lake Ginninderra and Lake Burley Griffin all contain football-sized yellas, and because each lake is located right in the heart of Canberra, they are easily accessible and are bank and boat/ kayak friendly.
These techniques are also applicable to any mediumsized dam located in a cooler climate. WORK THE REEDS Lining certain sections of Canberra’s three major waterways are partially submerged reeds. These areas are often my first stop because there is always plenty of food clinging to the stems of the reeds. Even during the coldest days I can spot bait on the reeds, so it is the obvious choice to fish these areas. I know that if there is a golden in
on the edge of the reeds. The fish usually sit in the reeds looking out, waiting for a baitfish or yabby to creep into open water. A lure sitting just out from the reeds mimics this situation. Once my lure has hit the bottom, I twitch the lure on the spot for a few seconds. Whether it is a soft plastic, blade or vibe, I like to create some disturbance on the bottom to imitate a yabby trying to bury itself after venturing out from the reeds, or a dying baitfish flapping around puffing up
allow a lengthy pause before repeating the process. It can take me a few minutes to complete a retrieve when fishing during the cooler
from bank and also from a boat or kayak. I cast plastics right into the heart of an overhang. Sometimes this means
lose a lot of lures when skip casting into these gnarly bits of structure). Once the lure has hit the water, I start working it back to my
It’s a good idea to switch to a lighter jighead when fishing around heavy cover.
Hungry, active goldens can be found patrolling the reeds. My favourite time of year to chase these fish is August because there are very few people out on the water, and if I do hook up, it is almost guaranteed that the fish will be above average size. In this article I will outline the cool water tactics I use to target these fish in Canberra’s waterways.
the vicinity, it will be high in the water column and actively hunting. In these areas, a kayak/ boat truly comes into its own because it is possible to creep almost into the reeds and still not spook the fish or the bait. I like to move in flush with the reeds and cast my lure parallel to the bank so that my lure lands just
dirt and sand. I have found that this disturbance is often more than enough to trigger a bite from a golden perch or large redfin. If I haven’t had a bite by jigging the lure on the spot, I work the lure back to my position by hopping it up off the bottom almost to the surface before letting it sink back down again. I then
months in Canberra because I like to give the fish plenty of time to have a good look at my lure. BRANCHES AND OVERHANGS Sometimes I won’t get a fish in the reeds, so I head to the overhangs and scattered branches, which are another common feature across each of Canberra’s urban lakes. I have caught a lot of goldens fishing overhangs which I wouldn’t describe as ‘heavy cover’, but are large enough to provide an ambush position. These fish aren’t necessarily as active as those sitting on the outskirts of weeds so a likely branch or overhang needs to be fished a little more aggressively. These areas are easily fished
skipping the plastic in or casting the plastic up in a wide arc and landing the lure in a gap between the
position using a pronounced twitch and pause retrieve. I really work the lure in this context because I’m looking
Casting into areas like this is often productive. twigs. I mostly use plastics when fishing these types of areas because they are effective but also cheap (I
for a reaction bite, as the fish in these areas usually aren’t feeding at the same rate as those in the reeds.
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.
GREEN MIRROR: Enhanced vision and contrast for fishing inshore and on flats. • Copper Base • 10% light transmission
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AUGUST 2019
OPTIMAL USE: • Sight fishing in full sun • High contrast
The author with a typical Canberra yella.
Golden Perch FINESSE IS BEST When fishing in winter, a little bit of finesse goes a long way. I’m not just talking about the line and leader – you also need a subtle retrieve and smaller lures. When fishing the reeds I’ll drop to 4lb braid and 6lb leader, but if there isn’t a snag in sight on the edge of the reeds, I’ll drop my leader to 4lb. Likewise, when jigging
on the edge of a reed bank, I use quick, short jigs when working my lure on the spot, as opposed to the exaggerated jigs I put into a lure during the warmer months. Further, when hitting an overhang, I use a 2” plastic instead of a 3” or 4” model, partly because the small size suits the tighter snags, but also because it is more subtle and appeals to lethargic fish.
TACKLE I use a Rovex Revenge 2-4kg spin rod matched to a Rovex Revenge 2000 sized spin reel. I bring two spools with me, each with a different line class, and I switch according to the situation. On one spool, I run 6lb braid and 8lb leader for fishing the twigs and overhangs, and on the other I run 4lb braid and 6lb leader for casting around
A sounder is invaluable for finding golden perch like this.
The author always brings two combos, one for casting small surface offerings and the other for working plastics.
the reeds. This combo is a good choice, as there is plenty of power in the butt and a decent amount of finesse in the tip for working plastics. It is also great for skip casting. This combo works well for casting small surface offerings. In late autumn in Canberra, there can be a surface bite, as hungry reddies tidy up the first
round of baitfish before spring really hits. These fish tend to stir up the system when hooked and send a lot of panic signals. The distress signals bring in golden perch, which can be readily targeted with a plastic fish under the school of surface feeders. I always carry a second combo with me as I often quickly switch from small
surface lures to plastics. I use a Quantum Synergy 2-4kg spin matched to a Quantum Smoke S15 reel in this context. LURE CHOICE As mentioned previously, in winter I tend to use smaller lures, ones that match the hatch almost perfectly. My favourite session opener has to be To page 10
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AUGUST 2019
9
Good numbers and sizes of flathead this month SWANSEA
Jason Scerri coloratolures@hotmail.com
As we move into August there are quite a few anglers who lose interest in the local fishing scene. I must be honest, it’s generally not the greatest month to score a few fish here on Lake Macquarie, but in saying that, every month has something to offer and there are always a few surprises thrown in the mix to reward those who put the effort in. August can be a little blowy at times and it’s obviously one of the colder months here. In saying that, it’s just a matter of putting the effort in on the right species in the right locations and you should be able to put a few runs on the board. The flathead would be one of the more available fish at the moment, with both good sizes and numbers about. Working 3” soft plastics and small metal blades around areas such as Myuna Bay has been producing some good bags for anglers. Slowly hoping your lures along the bottom with nice long pauses has been the key undoing to some good fish. Working these same bays with diving hardbody lures has also been scoring a few good bream of late. The northern parts of the Lake Belmont Bay have been producing a few good fish, as has the western side around Toronto and Bolton Point. The odd salmon school is also passing through this
area, so it pays to keep a rod rigged and ready to go when they boil up, as they certainly provide a great fight. We have been working the deeper sections of the
of water and finding 4” paddle-tail style plastics the most successful. The jighead size we use really depends on the weather. Generally we will be flicking 1/2oz
Dom Perrone with a solid flathead taken on a recent trip. This one went 74cm and was released in great condition. lake as we do every winter, and although it’s not producing as well as past few seasons, we are still finding our share of fish with some solid ones in the mix. We have been working 8-10m
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jigheads that have a 2/0-3/0 hook. We always use scent when we target these deep water flathead, and I can’t tell you how many times the fish may shake free initially only to pounce on it again the next chance they get, and without scent we find they rarely come back for seconds. We have not been scoring the same number of really big girls in our usual spots, but we are finding a few in the 70-80cm bracket to keep things interesting. We generally run 4-6kg braid and a 12-16lb leader. Mulloway continue to frustrate us, but other anglers are certainly finding some success, which is great to
see. Hopefully we will find them again this month. Some anglers have been braving the elements and staying out overnight, fishing with live squid and getting fairly consistent results. You need to make sure you’re rugged up, and a boat with some protection from the elements certainly helps if you’re contemplating an all nighter at this time of year. Generally the mulloway have not been huge, with most in the 80-90cm range. They are still lovely fish and a good reward for anglers. When chasing mulloway on live baits I’m a fan of flicking a large soft plastic around the boat while you’re waiting for the bite. The next good mulloway to fall to this method won’t be the last! Speaking of squid, they are still about and we’ve had some lovely fresh squid dishes lately. My wife Caroline loves cooking up fresh squid meals, and I certainly don’t mind eating them! We’re generally able to put 4-8 squid in the tank during a quick trip and weather you’re a salt and pepper squid person or prefer whole stuffed squid like I do, they’re well worth the effort. The biggest trick to scoring them regularly is the squid jig itself. A large jig that is too big will basically never get the touches, but get a few little 2.5 size jigs over the side and you will be in luck most times. The winter bream bite has not been a bad one, with some real stonkers in the mix. Hardbody lures slow rolled over the flats and around the edges is proving effective for some. Small metal blades worked deep and slow through areas such as Chain Valley Bay are also seeing a few fish. Mannering Park has been producing a few good fish and I have found a few in Bonnels Bay, but really found them much more active and willing to bite when the wind is up a little, particularly so when working the shallower edges of the bays. At the mouth of the
lake and just outside around Moon Island there are still pelagic fish about. Salmon are thick and there have also been some great tailor in the mix as well. Many people are quick to disregarded tailor as a poor eating fish but if bled when caught and cooked fresh they are a sensational table fish and they come up a treat when smoked. Small metal lures, small soft plastics like Bass
Not all the local flathead are destined for release! Ones like this model make for a great meal. Minnows in casper clear and even small flies have been the weapon of choice for many anglers enjoying this action. Offshore things remain a little quiet. There is plenty of anticipation for what may lie ahead in the months to come as we head into summer. A few tuna have been caught, but there is a load of water between them
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and more often than not they are a long way out to sea and simply too wide for many crews. The crews are seeing good numbers of SBT and a few YFT off more southern waters, so we are still hopeful that we’ll get some of the action. Trolling a spread of 7-8” lures would be my first choice. I’d suggest a couple of wider head options close to the transom and some bullet or longer profile heads
in those positions further from the boat. As for colours, pinks, purples, and greens are generally productive, so give them a go first up. Remember, there are some really good table fish on offer out wide at the moment, so if the weather allows and if the tuna are quiet, make sure you have a few GPS marks ready to go and the electric reels ready to drop.
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2019 zerek barra tour calendar
Springboarding from the successful Zerek BARRA Tour, ABT is excited about the 2019 calendar. It’s only one event longer, but what a cracker it will be! The Venom Rods BARRA Australian Open will be launched in Lake Awoonga in September, and according to local Awoonga guide Justin Nye, the timing couldn’t be better.
As the water warms in September, Awoonga’s current barra crop will be feeding up big time, and the positioning of the event as a mid-week, live scoreboard barra spectacle means that you’re not fighting the weekend warriors for a crack at these fish. Check out Justin Nye’s article inside to get a real head start on this event. Justin spends more time on this lake than nearly anyone, and he has handed out some pretty useful info. ABT’s motto is ‘Who Shares Wins’, and he has shared for us all. For several years, the Zerek BARRA Tour has been
DATE
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EVENT
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10-12 Sept
Lake Awoonga
BARRA Australian Open (Evening 3-day Event)
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2pm - 10pm
8 Nov
Kinchant Dam
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using the ABT Tournament Series app (powered by Track My Fish) to log and record catches, however the lakes on the traditional BARRA Tour are often out of mobile phone coverage. Kinchant is the only one that has 100% reception, and that event is just as exciting for anglers following off the water as it is for competitors. Last year, the lead chopped and changed until the final minutes. The Open will be the same. Featuring 100% cash paybacks as well as around $5,000 in Venom Rods prizes and a spectacular perennial trophy, we know you’ll want to be able to tell the story that you were there at the first BARRA Australian Open. With the BREAM and BASS Aus Opens firmly entrenched in the calendars, we know that the resurgent Awoonga event will be the start of something special. The other lesson we have learned in the Zerek BARRA Tour is: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. We have added a single rest day
between events 2 and 3, and that’s it. The waxing moon, the time of year and the lake rotation all stays the same for this epic barra trip that suits newbies and tournament veterans alike. There’s no better way to fast track your barra learning curve than to spend time with those anglers who excel at it. In recent years, competitors have been proud to share their knowledge. Just take a look at the 2018 BARRA Tour Team of the Year. Geoff Newby and Phill Lyons do their thing extremely well, and they’re happy to share all of the gear and techniques that they use inside this magazine. We hope that you enjoy their take on the Team of the Year title, and it might just give you the confidence to give it a go. Remember that all new teams are welcome to either of these events – it’s not a secret club – and the fishing looks to be as good as ever. I hope to see y’all on the Tour or at the Open. – Steve Morgan, ABT Director
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"The barra really crunch this lure hard so hang onto your tackle..." - Troy Dixon
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Zerek BARRA Tour’s top Four on the Floor MACKAY
Stephen Booth
Tournament anglers are unlike anything else you will find in the fishing world. They are pedantic, intuitive and exceptional. They discover the best of the best in lures, and quickly work out alterations or additions to get the most from these plastic and timber offerings. Rarely
is a lure fished by a barra tournament angler ‘straight out of the box’. Their penchant for tinkering goes against the efforts that lure designers and manufacturers put into their lures to get them right. However, clued-in manufacturers can learn valuable lessons from these switched-on anglers. Of course, the ultimate aim is to deliver a lure that anglers
The 5.5” Live Mullet was an immediate success for the Wells Brothers on Proserpine’s barra.
can literally take out of the box and tie on with absolute confidence, and that’s as it should be. While bream and bass fishers are moderate tinkerers, barra tournament anglers are elite tinkerers. I’m yet to run across a barra tournament angler who has not changed split rings, swapped over hooks, boiled soft plastics or cut extra nicks into a tail – all in an effort to get that extra 1% they are striving for daily. The reason is simple – that 1% may be the difference between coming first or last. At Zerek we thoroughly test all our lures before they are released, as do most manufacturers. We are happy to say that anglers can use our lures straight out of the box and catch fish, but barra tournament anglers find ways to modify the lure’s set-up to meet their needs. I don’t take any of this tinkering as a sign of poor design. I prefer to look at it as elite level anglers seeing something they really like in our lures, and taking the time to adjust it to suit their needs. It’s a real win-win for us, as we get loads of ideas for our next lure and some very solid feedback from the players who set the trends in fishing.
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The big paddle tail and easily crushed body of the Flat Shad allow for great hook sets. Very occasionally we will release a lure that is on point and needs no adjustment or retrofitting of components – a lure that everyone is comfortable using straight out of the box. The Fish Trap series, fitted out with 4x strong Mustad Saltism trebles, is one of the few lures that barra impoundment anglers can literally use straight out of the box! However, this lure does not suit every application tournament anglers fish. Some anglers still cut into the body and remove grams of lead, others are experimenting with assist-style hooks, still others are using lure pens to change the colours to suit. Tinkerers will be tinkerers! We’re lucky to have a number of very keen tournament barra anglers who choose to use our lures, and I’ve taken the time to talk to four of them about a particular Zerek lure and how they get the best from it in the heat of tournament battle. I deliberately asked them not to be afraid of telling me the whole story. I want to know
what changes they make to get that extra 1% in the end result. I want to know how the lure is best used and, more importantly, I want all of you to know these secrets too. Let’s get into it and look
a habit of working out exactly how to get the best from a number of Zerek Lures, and their immediate love for the Live Mullet when chasing Faust’s big silver slabs was obvious.
This barra nailed the Zerek Fish Trap on a vertical presentation. at the four Zerek lures you must have on this year’s Zerek BARRA Tour. WELLS BROTHERS ZEREK LIVE MULLET 5.5” Nick and Matt have made
“The Live Mullet showed up in 2017 and was an instant hit,” said Matt. “We were fishing and filming at Faust with Harro (Rod Harrison) just after they were released, and after a few good meteries
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The Zerek Flat Shad is a great search bait for barra in the impoundments.
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his words were, ‘Nice one boys, it’s a bloody game changer’. “We first fished them on a rising dam, and the smaller profile was great for fishing
soft lure is amazing,” he said. “Whether you fish it hard and fast or soft and gentle, the life-like tail will be pumping from the first turn of your reel to the last.”
applications, Matt said that they like to upgrade the treble to a size 1/0 Mustad 4x strong Saltism for that extra bit of sting and strength. “The extra width of the
Robbie and Dicko caught this double header on Zerek Fish Traps vertically jigging them to a deep snag that had fish stacked all over it. right up in the shallows in the newly flooded grass and sticks.” It was an epic first trip for the boys, and confirmed their initial thoughts that these lures would be a game changer. Nick said that they like to fish the Mullet in depths ranging from 3-12ft, but added that it can also be very productive fishing deeper. “The versatility of this
A medium to fast retrieve with a few quick rips of the rod gets the Mullet dancing around the water column and can help to get that reaction bite out of those lock-jawed fish. It’s really quite a sight when you first see the Live Mullet doing its thing in the water! Although the Live Mullet can be fished straight out of the box for a lot of
1/0’s gauge can also help to pin those inquisitive, swiping fish,” Matt said. In regards to colour, Nick said that their colours of choice for Faust are min min, fat betty, temmy and orange gill. “These three colours have been standouts from day one,” Nick said, “and they have each delivered many of Faust’s magical meteries to the net.”
LOCHIE REED - FISH TRAP Lochie Reed is a gun at interpreting sounders and making the right lure and techniques choices from these observations and, over the last couple of Zerek BARRA Tours, has come to rely on the Fish Trap for a lot of work. “When turning up to fish it can take some time to understand what’s happening with all the variables,” Lochie said. “The first thing I do is look for barra on the sounder and try to understand what they are doing, and then hatch a plan to catch them. “The most critical element is what to cast at the barra to trigger a bite, and nearly always my first choice is a Zerek 95mm Fish Trap. “Why? Versatility!” The Fish Trap can be fished in many ways and at many depths, making it the perfect prospecting lure. Barra can be fickle critters, and presenting a lure just right can be the difference between donuts or winning a competition. This is seen all the time on Tour, where one team can be fishing right beside another, throwing similar lures, and only one team is getting the bites. “Fishing the Zerek BARRA Tour for the last few years has put into perspective how important it is to crack a
pattern quickly,” Lochie said. “Running over a week and with events on three different dams, anglers need to be able to adapt to each dam’s requirements.” Lochie said that the Fish Traps can be cast at weed edges to tempt barra in Kinchant just as easily as it can be vertically presented to barra in Peter Faust and Teemburra in snag piles. It is this versatility that allows barra tournament anglers to use the Fish Trap at all the venues the Tour visits. “The Fish Traps are ready to fish straight out of the box,” said Lochie. “We
do experiment with them occasionally by changing hooks and rings to make them lighter or heavier depending on what we need to do, but on most occasions, they are fished as they come. All in all, the Fish Trap is versatile, strong and easy to fish. With four different sizes, there is a Fish Trap to match whatever the barra are feeding on at the time, and at any of the locations fished. “I wouldn’t even think about fishing the BARRA Tour without an assortment of fish traps in different sizes and To page 6
Faust barra love smashing the Zerek Live Mullet 5.5” whether that’s in the trees, over the weeds or over the flats.
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From page 5
colours in my kit,” Lochie said. TROY DIXON LIVE SWIMBAIT Troy ‘Dicko’ Dixon is a well-known identity on the Zerek BARRA Tour, and he uses the Tour to test many Zerek lures before release to the general public. It puts him in a position to really understand the lures and how to get the most from them. The 8” Live Swimbait holds a special place in Dicko’s heart, delivering him a metre-plus barra on the very first cast with the lure while pre-fishing for the 2018 Tour. This lure also delivered his largest impoundment barra over the 120cm mark! So it’s
fair to say this is a lure that can deliver on the big stage. “The best time to use the Live Swimbait is when you see fish sitting off the bottom or holding mid-water,” Dicko said. “These fish are a little more active than the weed dwellers, and respond well to the big bait. “When I see these fish on the sounder I will cast the lure towards the fish and allow it to sink to the just above the fish’s depth, and then start a slow retrieve with lots of pauses.” It’s interesting to note here that the Live Swimbait sinks in freshwater at a rate of a foot a second without additional weight, allowing for fairly precise positioning of the lure
Dark lures are becoming a real game changer for impoundment barra and the green sunset colour in the Zerek Fish Trap has proven itself during testing and after release since May 2019.
abt.org.au
The blended frog patterned Fish Trap is a new colour that had immediate success on impoundment barra. in the water column. Dicko added that the lure matches the hatch on many occasions, especially when the fish are eating bony bream. The Live Swimbait is a lure that you can option up, but Troy rarely alters the lure further than changing the split rings by doubling them up. You can add chin weights, hooks on the dorsal surface, swap out for assist hooks, add blades – the options are endless! “The bite is vicious so hang on,” Dicko said. “The barra really crunch this lure hard so hang onto your tackle as you could easily lose it over the side if you’re not concentrating.”
Park your boat on the floor it deserves!
As far as colours go, Troy recommends two colours, the mainly white FB (flying bear) and OBT (orange belly trout). If you want to go for something loud and proud, he said colour T (temmy) would be great. MICHAEL DETENON ZEREK FLAT SHAD Michael has fished the last two seasons of the Zerek BARRA Tour, and has been incredibly successful fishing the Zerek Flat Shad. The Flat Shad is a unique lure that features side slits that allow the soft plastic to compress and expose the worm hook it comes rigged with, however some anglers fish this lure on a jighead rig and yet others add a stinger to the bottom of the worm hook. The most recent upgrade to the Pro Series has seen the inclusion of an eyelet moulded into the worm hook weight to give anglers an easy connection point for their bottom stinger treble. “The Zerek Flat Shad has been my impoundment go-to lure for some time now, and it is the lure I tie on knowing on any given cast I can catch a barra,” Michael said. “My love for the 7” Flat Shad came about when I first started fishing competitions in the freshwater impoundments. I knew a big paddle tail plastic was needed, and I wanted something that I could rip out of the packet and throw without having to boil it, cut it or mangle it in any way. The 7” Flatty was what I found, and it didn’t only look good to me, the fish found it looked
pretty good as well.” Results came quickly for Michael and his team mates, finishing in the Top 10 in
several comps and bringing home a Top 5 Team of the Year finish last year. While Michael says these lures catch fish straight from the packet, he has added a 1/0, 4x strong treble to the tow point on the bottom of the standard hook, and with that Michael reckons the Flat Shad is ready to go. “They are just so easy to use, whether it is a weed point, a deep ledge or casting in amongst the trees,” he said. “You let the lure get to the depth you want and just slow wind. There is no need for hops or twitches, and as you slow roll you can feel the big tail doing its thing right through to your rod tip. “My confidence in these lures has grown so strong that on the last ABT Barra Tour I caught every single one of my
• Zerek Fish Trap
• Zerek Flat Shad
• Zerek Live Swimbait
• Zerek Live Swimbait
TACKLE All the lures mentioned can be fished on the following outfits. LIGHT OUTFIT • Venom 6kg 7’ baitcaster • ATC Combat Plus 200 baitcaster • 30lb braid MEDIUM OUTFIT • Venom 8kg 7’ baitcaster • ATC Combat Plus 200 • 40lb braid
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HEAVY OUTFIT • Venom 7’6” Swimbait • ATC Combat Plus 200 • 50lb braid
barra on the Flat Shad. The space mullet is the colour I tie on first, but I am never really worried about colour, as I have now caught barra on every single colour in the range.” LAST WORD These days there are many lures on the market for barra impoundment fishing and we are lucky to have a quality range of fish-producing lures that are tried and tested in the heat of battle. If you’re fishing the Zerek BARRA Tour this year, make sure you have these four on the floor!
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A likely win for the lads BRISBANE
Geoff Newby
Over the years my teammate Phill Lyons and I had been pretty consistent on the ABT BARRA Tour. Although we had never won an event, we had a couple of second places and top ten overall finishes – at least until 2017, which proved to be a disaster for Team Likely Lads.
old (2007) we have been doing it since 2009 when there were over 30 boats and although fished with two anglers per boat it was an individual event. The attendance gradually dropped to the lowest of 12 boats but this was due to the floods of 2010 when all the major barra dams were almost devoid of barramundi due to the fish loss over the dam spillways. The format was changed in 2013 to a two-person team
A bright yellow and red Nitro heralds the approach of the Likely Lads. We went into the 2018 Barra Tour not very confident, and our pre-fish experience was terrible. We spent over 40 hours on Peter Faust for one barra, around 30 hours on Teemburra for two barra, and 20 hours on Kinchant for a donut a couple of weeks before the tour started. During that period,
event, the dams gradually improved along with the team entry numbers and in 20018, 28 teams competed. We have not missed a tour since and it is the highlight of the year for us and I would advise any angler
Leicester called the Likely Lads, so we adopted that name here. We soon discovered that Australian comp fishing was very different. There are a couple of ways of barra tournament fishing: gunning and running, or hanging on a spot for the full tournament. The second option is the one we prefer. Different types of areas to fish are trees, bays and points, and we focus most of our efforts on points. The sounder we use is a Lowrance HDS Carbon (now being upgraded to the HDS Live), and we have found it to be the perfect tool for finding fish, and most of all for finding spots in the first place. The insight Genesis mapping system is first class, with almost all dams in Queensland mapped with depth contours. This makes it easy to locate potential spots around the dams that could hold fish in the conditions we would find the barra. ROUND 1, KINCHANT DAM Kinchant Dam isn’t like most of the other dams. Basically, it has one tree and one really significant point. The dam is almost 50% rock wall, and fishing within 100m of the rocks is not allowed, but it is chockers with big barra. Our spot was the bay
The author’s regular teammate and fellow compatriot Phill Lyons has many metre-plus barra under his belt to date. load of fish on the spot during the one pre-fish session, and although we couldn’t get them to bite, we thought we would have a better chance during the comp leading up to the full moon. It was a very slow night; we only just managed our five fish bag. One was caught on a 120mm Rapala silver ghost X-Rap, and one on a 130mm black/ gold Squidgy Slick Rig. We also each boated a good size barra on a new lure that Phill found: a Molix Shad swimbait. It needs to be modified by upgrading the front hook and split
ring, and we used an Owner ST66 no. 4 treble hook, heavy-duty split rings, and removed the spinner blade off the back and fitted a second treble as a stinger hook. This yielded two more barra of 90cm and 85cm. That got us into the prize list in 6th spot, and we were happy with that as we had not been confident leading up to the event. Phill uses an Ian Miller TCurve 1.73m, 6-8kg as his X-Rap rod, with a Daiwa Zillion baitcaster reel with Sufix 832 30lb braid and 55lb Schneider leader. His other outfit is an Ian Miller Toad rod with a Shimano
Stella FE 4000 reel spooled with Sufix 832 30lb braid and 28kg wire leader. I used an ACM custombuilt 15-30lb Revelation swimbait rod, with a Daiwa Certate HD 4000 30lb spooled with Sufix 832, and 70lb Schneider leader. ROUND 2, TEEMBURRA DAM We were more confident at Teemburra, as it’s what we call our home ground. On the October full moon, Phill, myself and another mate had boated 35 barra off our first-choice spot. We decided not to fish the dam during the week before the comp, and heard
• Berkley Giant Ripple Shad
we consoled ourselves with the fact that we were fishing at night on the wrong moon and it was very cold. We are not the youngest team in the ABT barra tour. We were already knocking on in years when we got our first boats, and we only tournament fish freshwater (dams). Although the ABT BARRA tour is not that 8
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who enjoys barra fishing and has a competitive nature, to give it a go. We both emigrated to Australia from England in the early 1990s. Although fishing was in our blood, lure fishing in freshwater was new to us. We had both been regular comp anglers on the match fishing scene in England, and there was a successful team from
towards the tower, located to the right of the boat ramp. We went straight to it and never moved all night. We decided to not use the anchor feature on the electric motor, as we think the barra have started to associate the noise with anglers, so once in position we dropped the 15kg lead plonker. We had found a
Fish of this calibre, and a truckload of determination despite an ordinary pre-fish, helped team Likely Lads to dominate the 2018 ABT Zerek BARRA Tour.
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that it was very tough from the visitors during pre-fish. Before any comp we prioritise three spots, so if anyone gets in before us we have somewhere else to go. Our number one spot, Pinnacle Point, was open as we raced across the dam. In we went, straight on the mark, and dropped the 15kg lead plonker. Again, it was a slow start, but we expected that because we were fishing during the afternoon; the spot usually fishes better at night. Phill got a follow at the boat after
about an hour, but it didn’t eat the lure. Still, it made us feel better knowing that there were barra around. We were seeing the odd fish but no numbers, then at 7:50pm we had a small 60cm barra that consumed a Berkley 160mm fire tiger Giant Ripple Shad,
which got us off the donut. Our first objective was complete. Another fish followed at 8:20pm, an 83cm barra taken on the 13cm Molix Shad. The barra had the Molix in its mouth like a dog with a bone, and all three hooks were set. With around an hour to go we said if we could get one more barra it could get us a top 10 place. We never expected to find the result we heard back at the boat ramp – that we had not only won, but the 83cm
HD 4000 spooled with 30lb Suffix 832, and 70lb Schneider leader. Phill used an Ian Miller Toad rod with a Shimano Stella FE 4000 reel with Sufix 832 30lb braid, and 28kg wire leader. ROUND 3, PETER FAUST DAM ALL NIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP Although we had a disastrous pre-fish, we had decided on our three spots at Peter Faust Dam. A point in the basin was our number one location, and two other spots were
• Squidgy Slick Rig
barra was the biggest barra. We took home the top prize of $1400 and the Biggest Barra prize pack. I again used the ACM custom built 15-30lb Revelation swimbait rod, with a Daiwa Certate
towards the river. We had a good draw off at number three, and with not far to go we thought we would get on our number one choice, and we did. It’s a very shallow point To page 10
The author is no stranger to the BARRA Tour, and his record of podium finishes at BARRA events is testament to his experience.
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with a weed edge coming out from the bank about 2-3m, then another 2m of weed towers under the surface, then 1m deep out to around 3.5m where we were anchored. We started as usual, with each of us using different lures and swapping every 15 minutes or so, casting to the solid weed edge and burning it off before slowing the retrieve in the clear water. After 90 minutes a good fish fell to a Squidgy Mongrel. It measured 109cm, and was a great start. After that we got quite busy, boating barra every 20 minutes or so, and the lure doing the damage was the Berkley Giant Ripple Shad in fire tiger. Then at 8pm we boated our biggest barra of the night – a cracking 112cm fish. We were starting to get the upgrades we needed. We had also had a lure swap, and started to get the better fish on the 13cm Molix Shad in black/gold. We finished up with 14 barra, and our best five measured 5.36m. That converted to a weight of 80.83kg, and was enough for the number one spot. The wind had been very strong in our face, so there were issues with backlash on
Tournament Angler Guide baitcaster reels, so we mainly used spin rods. I used the ACM custom built 15-30lb Revelation Swimbait rod with a Daiwa Certate HD 4000, 30lb Sufix 832, and 70lb Schneider leader with the Mustad quick change clip. My other outfit was
Toad rod with a Shimano Stella FE 4000 reel with Sufix 832 30lb braid and 28kg wire leader. The main lures were the Berkley 200mm Giant Ripple Shad in fire tiger and the 5.5” Molix Shad swimbait.
• Molix Shad swimbait
a custom built Geoff Busbridge 12-20lb spin rod on a Rain Shadow blank, with 20lb Sufix 832 braid and 55lb Schneider leader with the Mustad quick change clip, with Transam vibes that picked some of the early barra. Phill used an Ian Miller
LUCKY CRAFT ROUND 4, PETER FAUST DAM This was the start of two massive sessions for Phil and I. Coming into the fourth and final round, our nerves were jangling and our stomachs were turning somersaults. We were
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leading the Team of the Year table by three points, just ahead of the best barra team in the last four years – Craig Griffiths and Karim De Ridder. What a position to be in! We decided to go to the point we had fished on
the night championship, settled in, dropped the anchor and started to thrash the water to foam. We had a great start, with Phill smacking a 100cm barra at 4:30pm (30 minutes in) on the Squidgy Mongrel. Our first fish, donut gone, and on the board. Then we had a
abt.org.au disastrous hour or so, dropping around seven barra. We called a halt to the fishing, and sat and talked for a few minutes. We decided that we needed to settle down and get back into the groove. The bite had changed from the night comp; we had been concentrating on hitting the weed edge, a short burn, drop and then a steady retrieve. This wasn’t working. We changed to a 45° angle cast towards the bank, but falling short of the weed fringe, concentrating on a longer cast and keeping the lure in the deeper water. The barra started to come at a steady pace, and we finished up with 10 barra for the session. Our best five total measured 5.05m and weighed 63.7kg, putting us in 3rd place. Session 2 The first session was a good result, but we still faced a big threat from Team Edge Rods/EJ Todd. Craig and Karim had had a tough session, and were down the field in 12th place, 27kg behind us. However, if ever there was a team who could pull a rabbit out of the hat and make up the deficit, it was Craig and Karim. The thought of winning round four had gone, and
all we could think about was catching a bag that would keep us in front for the Team of The Year. We headed back to the same spot and concentrated on the angle cast, with the main lure being the green grunter Slick Rig. At 5.30pm our first barra hit the deck, and a steady stream of smaller barra followed. We had anticipated a very late bite of bigger fish, due to what happened the night before, and at 11:30 we were into a good fish that measured 113cm. Before we boated this fish we thought we would be safe with the Team of the Year title, but it would be tight for a 4th round victory as we had an 80cm barra in our best five bag. We ended up boating 11 barra, with the best five measuring 4.87m and 59.69kg, and it earned us another 1st place finish in Round 4. We had almost completed a clean sweep – three wins in the rounds and Team of the Year. We were $4,400 better off with two beautiful Ian Miller rods and a pile of trophies. Greatest of all though was the accolade of being the ABT Barra Team of the Year 2018.
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Lake Awoonga Ver. 3.0 GLADSTONE
Justin Nye
As barramundi addicts, we sit back and think about Lake Awoonga in its glory days! ‘Pre-flood 2011’ is a conversation that’s passed around many campfires, boat ramps and tournament briefings. The stories of 30 fish sessions, and 1.3m beasts that go bump in the night, were enough to spike
any anglers’ adrenaline rush into overdrive! However, as quickly as the conversation peaked, it plummeted back to Earth, with spillover comments bringing misery to the barra fishing fraternity. Between 2011 and 2016, the lake’s levels remained reasonably high, with strong monsoon seasons being prominent, forcing several spill events during this period. The record-breaking Australia
Day weekend floods of 2013 saw the spillway go over by an incredible 8m+! In April 2016, Lake Awoonga spilled one last time, which had anglers far and wide watching with nervous excitement as the next chapter of the lake’s history unfolded. October 2016 saw an opportunity for myself to turn my recreational fishing obsession into a career of guiding in the Gladstone region. During
The result of a double hook-up on jerkbaits.
Gladstone Area Water Board hatchery broodstock. the summer of 2016/17 I recorded good numbers of 50-65cm fish, although larger fish were rare. The 2017/18 spring and summer saw the lake gain momentum, attracting more anglers to try their luck. Good numbers of 60-75cm fish were being captured, with some quality 80-85cm fish mixed in. It was in August 2018 that I witnessed the rebirth of Lake Awoonga! An
reached maturity and were hungry! In the period from September 2018 to March 2019 I recorded almost 600 boated barramundi for clients onboard Gladstone Fly and Sportfishing, with an average size of 82cm. HIGHEST STOCKED BARRA IMPOUNDMENT The flood events over the period of six years was heartbreaking, but it didn’t stop the tireless work of the Gladstone Area Water
team took over the reigns of the GAWB hatchery and developed a program that would allow them to get the best numbers of high-quality barramundi out of the facility they had in Gladstone. Every Lake Awoonga barra is spawned from local wild-caught Central Queensland broodstock, and the fry and fingerlings are graded every 2-3 days to maximise numbers, which maintains the efficiency of
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WORK HARD FISH HARDER. 12
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Josh Butler caught this nice barra on a jerkbait. abundance of 70-90cm fish were spread throughout the lake, and their presence was mind-blowing. They had
Board in restoring the best impoundment barramundi fishery. In 2014, stocking guru Thomas Hayes and his
the program. Since the flood of 2016, there have been 1.12 million barramundi stocked into the lake, including
Tournament Angler Guide
abt.org.au 555,864 this financial year! And there are huge things to come for the hatchery, as the GAWB have been allocated funding to build a state-of-
abundance of 85-95cm fish, which are the real deal when it comes to barra impoundment angling. These fish are 3-4 years old, and they are
abt
quick as a hook-up comes with these fish, it can all end just as suddenly if they get the better of your angling ability in tight country.
This fish was caught on a Molix Swim Shad. the-art hatchery at Lake Awoonga itself, which would have the capacity to produce 1.2 million fingerlings a year. CURRENT FISH SIZES Currently, there is a clear defining presence of year class in the lake. From the top down you will see a large
ruthless at this size! They are known for blistering pace and acrobatics, and will give you the full run around wherever structure is involved. The next year class is the 75-80cm models, which to the bass or bream angler will blow your socks off! As
Apart from bulk numbers of these 2-year classes, there are plenty of smaller fish in the 50-65cm bracket given the massive numbers stocked last year, and metre class fish will also be on the cards for September. To page 14
A Weedless Castaic Jerky J was the undoing of this fish.
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Tournament Angler Guide
From page 13
TACKLE There’s plenty of highquality affordable tackle available on today’s market, so you can buy gear that’s up to the task without blowing your budget. Having a variety of rod options is beneficial,
especially if you want to turn bites into hook sets on every occasion. Tactics can quickly change in a tournament situation, especially if the fish are responding to a different presentation from the one used during pre-fish. Adjusting the sensitivity of a rod choice will often result in better hook-up
abt.org.au
rates, particularly when throwing soft plastics and weedless presentations. KEY AREAS AND TECHNIQUE If last September was anything to go by, experience tells me the fish will be moving around in large numbers in two distinct locations.
Various soft plastic presentations.
A healthy barra caught from a point.
The weed fence Look for direct or indirect windward facing edges, points or bays that have distinct weed fences, quite often with a small mix of standing timber. This weed creates a perimeter inside to the bank, which allows barra to herd the bait inside the ambush zone. These perimeters are often filled with chocolate coloured water as a result of east-northeast afternoon sea breezes.
Quite often when the word ‘weed’ is brought up, weedless presentations are the angler’s instant response. However, you shouldn’t be afraid to throw shallow hardbodies and standard jigheadrigged plastics into these areas. Practice variations in retrieve speed and aggressiveness, as ripping the lure through the weed quite often results in a bite. It’s a good way to maximise your catch rates.
Standing timber bays and points Again, using wind energy, directly or indirectly, find a bay that has a good variation of standing timber, particularly in 3-4m of water. Look for distinct laneways or pathways to open water, which the barra may use to move in or out of that area. Often one obvious laydown or horizontal timber may be the ambush zone for several fish, so look out for this kind of structure. Various techniques
TM
power-pole.com.au 14
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powerpoleasiapacific
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Tournament Angler Guide
abt.org.au
can be highly productive, so don’t hesitate to have a mixed bag of options rigged. Suspending hardbodies fished aggressively with long pauses, standard slow rolling plastics and vertical jigging vibes can all be great options. SCANNING TECHNOLOGY The use of modern-day sonar will enhance your ability to find fish during the pre-fish and during the tournament. All the major brands have incredible technology, and it’s vital that tournament anglers these days are equipped with at least side imaging or
downscan sonar equipment. During the pre-fish you should utilise these tools, mapping out contour lines and possible flight paths for daily barramundi movements. You will have a clear advantage if you can work out a pattern to their movements in the lead up to the tournament. It’s also important to keep an eye on the water temperature at this time of the year, as warm water honey holes can be a game changer. MY HOT TIPS You should pre-fish as close to the tournament as possible; don’t pre-fish in July
with the expectations of the same scenarios in September. The water levels, temperature range and trade winds will all have changed, resulting in significant barramundi mood swings. You can expect to see fish move through in a series of windows, such as moon and tide events, along with other natural occurrences like last light. You must capitalise on these events to be successful, as the bite windows will come hard and fast and often be gone again in the blink of an eye! Those anglers who can turn five bites into five
TACKLE SPIN OUTFIT: •7’-7’6”, 15-20lb medium-fast for weedless plastics and lighter presentations, matched with suitable 3000-4000 spinning reel with plenty of drag capability and 20lb braid or PE. •7’-7’6” 20-30lb fast action for heavier plastic presentations like slow rolling and even vibing, matched with 4000 to 5000 spinning reel and 30lb braid or PE. BAITCASTER OUTFIT: • 6’6”-7’ medium-fast to fast action 15-20lb for soft plastics and topwater, matched to suitable 100-150 size baitcast reel with plenty of drag capability (be prepared to thumb the spool). • 6’2”-7’ fast to extra-fast action, 15-25lb for heavier soft plastics and jerkbaits, matched to suitable 150-200 size baitcast reel with plenty of drag capability (again, be prepared to thumb the spool). LURE FAVOURITES Suspending hardbodies: Duo Realis 100DR, Jackall Squirrels, Lucky Craft Pointers Plastics: 5” and 7” Castaics, Hollowbellys, Happy Rock Swim Baits and Willys, Slick Rigs, Molix Shad, Zerek Flat Shads and ZMan SwimmerZ Vibes: Zerek Fish Traps, Jackall Transams, Madness Shiriten Vibes and Samaki Vibelicious.
captures will no doubt be on the leader board at the end of the tournament. Be prepared to cast your arms off, and if you’re going to take a
the second. For example, if the wind is blowing from the east, these anglers will automatically direct their attention to the western side
flight paths can produce good numbers of fish, there will always be an ‘end game’ (feeding location) destination nearby, and quite often in the
Garry caught this barra on fly from a weed wall. break, don’t take it around a bite window! My reference earlier to direct and indirect windwardfacing locations is a key factor. Most anglers will take the first option and disregard
of the lake. Although this is a likely location. It is not always the game changer, because barra will use wind energy down a point or bank as a flight path that can lead them to feeding locations. Although
most unlikely of places. With time and experience on the water though, you’ll know that these unlikely looking places are actually potential hotspots, giving you an extra edge on the competition.
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TAG 2019
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A new era in
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Mercury 115-300hp Pro XS FourStroke Performance without compromise the Pro XS range are engineered for those who crave speed and acceleration. Mercury developed exclusive components and tuning to extract every ounce of performance from each Pro XS model. With large displacement and class leading power to weight ratio the Pro XS models transform every drop of fuel into performance to deliver excellent economy at cruising speed and wide-open throttle. For more information visit mercurymarine.com.au
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WHAT’S NEW FISHING ZEREK ABSOLUTE SHRIMP
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Pre-rigged on a weighted hook and designed to be retrieved like a fleeing shrimp, the Zerek Absolute Shrimp features a tough TPE body that has a one-piece tail that is tear and puncture resistant, yet still supple enough to provide an enticing action. Able to be swum with a fish-attracting pulse of the rod tip, or sunk through the water column into the fish’s face, the Absolute Shrimp responds equally well to subtle rod work or stronger rips and shakes. This lure even performs on a straight retrieve, with its legs and tail swaying and pulsing throughout the retrieve. There are three sizes in the range, a 3”, 3.5” and a 4.5” model, covering a very broad list of target species. The 3” version weighs in at 9g and features a 1/0 hook, while the 3.5” weighs 11g and has a 2/0 hook. The 4.5” Absolute Shrimp weighs an easy casting 20g and features a 3/0 hook. There are 10 colour patterns in the range, including bright UV-enhanced colours along with some ultra-realistic patterns, and they are ready to be fished straight from the box! www.wilsonfishing.com
DAIWA AIRD LT
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Proving that gold medal performance doesn’t have to cost the world, the Aird LT will have you on the path to angling glory. Combining many of Daiwa best designs, including LT Concept and Tough Digigear, the Aird LT performs as well as it looks, and looks as good as it’s designed. Ultimate line control is delivered by two of Daiwa’s best technologies, with Twistbuster and Long Cast ABS combining for unequalled casting performance and line control on the retrieve, while Daiwa’s innovative Air Rotor adds high level design and performance with its precision engineered construction enhancing rotor balance, strength and sensitivity. A Carbon Light Body, EVA Knob, and ATD drag complete the long list of features and prove that you can indeed get superior performance without the premium price tag. The Daiwa Aird LT is available in six sizes from 2000 to 6000. www.daiwafishing.com.au
NEW STRIKE PRO VIBE COLOURS
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Strike Pro has released three new colours in its popular range of Cyber Vibe 35 and 40 lures, and two new colours in the Micro Vibe range. The new Cyber Vibe has three tow points and two rear hook points, giving the lure up to six different actions! This gives the Cyber Vibe more diversity than its competitors. The Cyber Vibe comes in 35mm (4.6g) and 40mm (6.6g) sizes, and these lures have become highly popular with competition and recreational anglers alike. They are very easy to use and create a great vibration on a small lift and hop retrieve. They are deadly on bream, mulloway, flathead, estuary perch, bass and redfin. The Micro Vibe is a miniature vibe lure that has become a favourite amongst bream anglers, in particular when fishing around structure such as piers, jetties, boat moorings and boat hulls. It is perfectly weight balanced and has a shimmy action on drop and lift and sits head down, tail up on the bottom. It is particularly effective when the fish have shut down or become fickle. www.jurofishing.com 64
AUGUST 2019
PRODUCT GUIDE
NEW SAMURAI REACTION RODS
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The Samurai Reaction is where it all started – a premium rod range combined all the best components with new, cutting-edge build techniques. Multiple successful rod ranges later, and Samurai have circled back to their eponymous rod range. The Reaction stable has been expanded with two new models that fill those little gaps within the range. The first is the RE-151 (7’4”, 2-6lb Extra Fast), and the other is the RE-212 (6’5”, 3-8lb Fast Action), which is perfectly suited to working light surface lures. Both models feature a triple layer, machinerolled carbon blank, hot press baked to deliver a precise rod with no imperfections along its length. It is combined with totally new Carbon/ Duralon grip assembly called CD6 Grip Control that stiffens the butt end of the rod, providing enhanced sensitivity and exceptional balance. The carbon quad Axial integrated blank wrap reduces torsion twist and results in a greater strength to weight ratio. It provides a crisp feel where the slightest flick of the line is transferred down the rod to the angler. The rods employ class-leading Fuji Titanium Silicon Carbide guides, and the matt black finish provides an understated premium appearance. www.samurairods.com.au
JIG STAR BAGS AND GLOVES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
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The Jig Star brand evolved after its founder and acclaimed jigging expert Chris Wong in NZ had spent many years jigging with some of the most renowned big fish anglers from all over the world. Hundreds of hours were spent testing products to the absolute limit. Two of the latest releases from Jig Star are the Jig Bag and Jigging Gloves. The Jig Bag is the ideal way to transport deepwater jigs. This easy to carry briefcase-style bag is marine proof, and easy to clean and rinse. It has 17 long pockets for jigs up to 38cm, 10 short pockets for jigs up to 21cm, and two front accessories pockets. Jig Star Fishing Gloves have been designed by jigging and topwater experts. These gloves feature fast-drying synthetic microfibre materials which deliver outstanding wear, comfort and protection. Special attention is paid to reinforcement to thumb, forefinger and palm areas. Available sizes are M, L, XL, XXL in blue/ black or red/black. www.jurofishing.com
STORM TRICK TAIL MINNOW
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A great choice for classic, soft jerkbaitstyle fishing, the Storm 360GT° Coastal Trick Tail Minnow rigged on a worm hook will glide and change direction like a fleeing baitfish. On the pause, the Trick Tail’s whole body rocks and its tail wiggles as it descends. You can remove the tail webbing to increase the amount of tail wiggle on the fall. Rigged on a jighead, the Trick Tail Minnow works particularly well for probing the bottom and fishing with a lift-and-drop technique. The Storm 360GT° Trick Tail Minnow is 5” long and comes in a pack of seven. It is currently available in eight colour patterns: chartreuse pearl pepper, cayenne gold, electric chicken, gold glow, kickin’ chicken, pilchard, pearl and silver mullet. It has back and belly slots for easy rigging and maximising the hook gap. www.stormfishing.com.au
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PRODUCT GUIDE
WHAT’S NEW FISHING
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
ZEREK AWAKE
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Wilson Fishing has announced the release of the Zerek Awake, a double-jointed swimbait measuring 160mm and is an easy casting 42g. This floating swimbait can be worked in the surface, or retrieved a little faster to get it to dive to approximately 0.5m. This ability to be worked at two levels gives the angler a versatility that is difficult to find in other wakebaits, allowing real coverage of the water in multiple ways. Equipped with 4x strong trebles and with a body constructed from tough ABS plastic, the Awake forms part of the new Zerek Evolution series of lures – the next step for Zerek. Check out Zerek Australia on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ZerekAustralia) to see all the latest releases, catch photos and videos. You can also find more information on the Wilson Fishing website. www.wilsonfishing.com
The Storm 360GT° Coastal Manta Tail has a baitfish profile with a lively tapered tail, and it has a slow rocking action on the fall. You can rig the 360GT Coastal Manta Tail with a weighted worm hook and give it some twitches to make it change direction like a panicked baitfish. Stop the retrieve and let the Manta Tail glide to the bottom as the body rocks and the tail wiggles as it falls. When targeting deep weed pockets you can rig a Manta Tail on a jighead and let it rest on the bottom, where the quivering tail action will entice even the most cautious of fish. 360GT Manta Tails are available in two sizes (4” and 5”) in packs of seven. There are eight colour patterns currently available: chartreuse pearl pepper, cayenne gold, electric chicken, gold glow, kickin’ chicken, pilchard, pearl and silver mullet. The body features belly and back slots for easy rigging, and to maximise the hook gap. www.stormfishing.com.au
SAMAKI RED EMPEROR SHIRT
DAIWA 5000 CERTATE LT
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Samaki’s Red Emperor shirt stands out from the crowd. The rich colours throughout the reef are saturated in natural light, which enhances the detail of the fish. You can clearly see the red emperor’s detailed fins, wide mouth and watchful eye as it waits atop the coral, ready to inhale the Ecooda Live Shrimp as it travels by. The lightweight fabric is perfect for all outdoor elements, protecting you from the harsh sun with Samaki’s UPF50+ resistant technology. The soft touch 100% polyester material is comfortable on the body, and has the added feature of being breathable, keeping you cool and dry. Samaki designs are brought to you by Australian anglers who love to design Australian species. Red Emperor shirts are available in adult, youth and kids sizes, from a size 2 through to a 5XL, allowing the whole family to get in on the action and out onto the water. Price: SRP $59.95 (adults), $49.95 (kids) www.samaki.com.au
PLANO BRIGHT SERIES 11
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STORM COASTAL MANTA TAIL
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Plano’s new trio of brightly coloured tackle boxes can help any angler to organise their gear in a big way. These classic tray tackle boxes feature your choice of one, two or three shelves with a cantilever tray design that extends when opened to showcase the contents. A sturdy fold-down handle simplifies transport and storage while the brass-bailed latch tightly secures the lid, keeping items protected and organised. The smallest model is the 6211, which has one tray with 7-13 compartments. It’s idea for the novice angler storing an assortment of floats, hooks, sinkers and a few artificial lures. The bulk storage in the bottom can handle items such as soft plastics, sunscreen and pliers. The next size up is the 6221, which has two cantilever trays that feature 14-25 adjustable compartments, plus bulk storage at the bottom. The largest model, the 6231, has three trays with 22-34 adjustable compartments. www.jmgillies.com.au
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The Certate LT line-up welcomes a new top dog to the family with the release of a 5000-sized model. Combining Daiwa’s most advanced technologies and designs to deliver anglers a reel with few peers, the foundation of the new Certate is its rock solid Monocoque body housing the Certate LT’s new super sized, ultra tough, machine-cut gears. Big on power and performance, the new 5000 Certate features 10 CRBBs, 12kg of drag, a large EVA knob for optimum cranking comfort and control, while its 295g weight keeps things light and nimble for a reel of its size to minimise angler fatigue and maximise rod and reel balance and performance. Daiwa’s new Long Cast ABS spool, Mag Seal, ATD drag, one-piece Air Bail, new Drag Knob, Perfect Line Stopper, Machined Aluminium Air Handle, and Air Rotor further enhances the reel’s list of features and combine to make the new 5000 Certate LT the ultimate lightweight, strong and precise workhorse. www.daiwafishing.com.au
BASSDAY BUN
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The Bassday Bun is the latest addition to the expanding range of Bassday lures in Australia. Bassday’s surface lure collection features some of the finest fish catchers available, and now the team have added this sub-surface wakebait to the range. The Bun is a realistic beetle imitation. It is a floating, shallow running wakebait, designed to imitate a beetle in distress on top or just under the water’s surface. It has a wide wobble action and creates a large wake. This new lure will be dynamite on fish like bass, bream, estuary perch, jungle perch, sooty grunter, trout and anything else that eats a beetle. The Bassday Bun comes in eight colours, measures 30mm in length and weighs 4.5g. It casts well and accurately due to the tungsten weight, and will prove irresistible when beetles and abundant. To see more information on this and other new lures from Bassday, as well as catch photos, head to www.facebook.com/ BassdayAus. www.bassday.com.au
Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au AUGUST 2019
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FATHERS DAY GUIDE NEW ATOMIC METALZ SIZES
HALCO 1 MAX 220
Atomic Metalz were launched years ago in a 35 and 40mm size. They became a hit with bream and bass anglers, and were used effectively by some teams to win events where the fish were holding deep. The lure’s effectiveness is down to the careful design and the speed at which the blade works, sending out a vibration that attracts nearby fish. The designers have also worked hard to ensure action at slow speeds. Across the entire range, all sizes swim confidently and perform with that fish-attracting vibration. With feedback from ambassadors, Atomic have added new larger sizes – 55mm, 80mm and 110mm – to cover the full breadth of inshore and offshore fishing as well as impoundments. Team ambassadors have caught bass, bream and threadfin salmon on the 55mm versions during testing, and coral trout and sweetlip when fished deep off the reefs. The models are 35mm (1/8oz), 40mm (1/4oz), 55mm (1/2oz), 80mm (1oz), 110mm (1.5oz), and they’re available in a slew of natural and striking colours. Price: from SRP $15.95 www.atomiclures.com.au
HOBIE LIFEJACKETS
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If you love the sound of a reel screaming in agony as line pours off the spool, then Halco Tackle has developed the perfect lure for you in the Max 220. Halco has developed an ultra tough, sinking, bibless minnow that will get the attention of any XOS Wahoo and Mackerel, huge Tuna and other massive predators that lurk out in the deep blue. Capable of being trolled at very high speed (up to 20kt) like its smaller brothers, the lure features heavily reinforced side walls to resist punctures by the toothy brigade and able to withstand the incredible crushing pressure inflicted by the jaws of its intended victims. Halco rounded out the package by included their legendary ultra tough 7xx fish rings and Mustad 9/0 inline singles for great hook sets and the ultimate in holding potential. The lure is 220mm long, weighs 175g, and is designed for heavy trolling and jigging applications. If you are into fishing for the brutes of the ocean, look for the all new Max 220 at all good tackle outlets. Price: approx. $15 www.halcotackle.com
SHIMANO TRAVEL STORAGE
AUGUST 2019
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EGILICIOUS SQUID JIGS
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TACKLE CLUB
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Shimano’s latest tackle storage range includes two new releases for anglers on the go – the Travel Wrap and Soft Back Pack. The Travel Wrap comes with a hard tackle tray and additional sleeves for soft plastic storage. This lightweight, minimal travel wrap can be filled in a variety of useful ways depending on the situation. The travel wrap also doubles as a minimal soft plastic wallet – the tray is removable and the mesh pocket can be used to store braid cutters, catch scent, leader, or any other tools essential for fishing. The Soft Tackle Back Pack has a versatile range of applications and features, which make it ideal for both diehard fishos and weekend warriors. With added benefits such as four included tackle trays, a heavy-duty mesh front compartment, hard sunglasses case, an elastic tool holder and drink pocket, this bag is sure to impress even the fussiest of anglers. Price: approx. $27-$99 www.shimanofish.com.au
Tackle Club is Australia’s favourite fishing subscription box, sending subscribers the best lures from the best brands from around the world. It’s a fun way to discover new lures while saving money. Each month you will get a variety of quality fishing products, with prices starting from $49.99 a month for over $80 worth of gear. There is also the option to purchase a gift subscription, with prices starting from $149.97 for a 3-month subscription. Tackle Club currently offers four boxes: an Estuary Box, Freshwater Bass & Yellowbelly Box, Cod Box, and a Freshwater Trout & Redfin box. Each box comes with 5-7 fishing products curated by experts, and contains 40%-60% more value than you pay, so you know you are getting a great deal. For all subscriptions there is free shipping, no lock-in contract and you can cancel at any time. You can also save 10% if you enter FISH10 at the checkout! To see our unboxing videos, search for ‘Fishing Monthly Tackle Club’ on YouTube. Price: from SRP $49.99 www.tackleclub.com.au
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Why should Dad have to leave his best mate at home while he enjoys a day on the water? With the Hobie Pet PFD he can take his dog with him safely. Features include added flotation, grab handles, adjustable fit, leash attachment, side pockets, grab handles and soft foam undercarriage support. It’s available in a range of sizes, from XS (12lb, 8”-12” collar, 13”-17” body girth) right through to XL (90lb-120lb, 22”30” collar, 30”-42” body girth). And for Dad himself, there’s the Hobie Manual Inflatable 150 Vest (Yoke), which is rated for offshore use while wearing foul weather clothing. It’s very lightweight and cool, and the collar folds down the back of your neck and shoulders, eliminating pressure on the neck and lower head. The yoke is manually inflated by pulling a cord that activates a replaceable CO2 cylinder. The vest fits up to 5XL, has an easy access storage pocket (great for keys, phone etc.); whistle; headphone port hole; D-ring for switch killer tether; UML Pro Sensor; self service; and more. Price: approx. $60-$120 www.hobie.com
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Gift
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The Fish Inc. Egilicious features a unique take on popular colour patterns, a tail design that is 3° higher than standard jigs to minimize snagging and fouling, and its fine Japanese Owner hooks. These super sharp and ultra-thin stainless steel hooks not only mean a better catch rate but also fewer jigs lost. They open with less force, so if you get snagged you just apply slow and steady pressure until the hook opens and the jig pops off the structure. Then you can straighten the hook and you’re good to go. These squid jigs are designed with the perfect weight for long casts, while maintaining a slow sink and realistic swimming action. Other features include 3D eyes, side feathers, tightly-wrapped cloth covers and a buoyant tail-up action. Many jigs sink flat to the bottom, reducing strikes and hook sets while increasing snagging, but Egilicious instead comes alive in the water. It’s available in 3.0 and 3.5 sizes and 12 colours. Price: SRP $11.95 www.tackletactics.com.au
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Guide
FATHERS DAY GUIDE
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RAPALA SPLIT RING PLIERS
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Maria have an extensive range of floating and sinking stickbaits, but the new Rerise adds another dimension to the line-up. This new concept lure measures 130mm long, weighs 70g and can search deep areas normal minnows can’t reach. It sinks at one second per metre, allowing the angler to fish any level of the water column with the appeal of a tuned Japanese stickbait. The heavy weight enables lets you drop the lure to the bottom, and the swimming action imitates a wound baitfish, resulting in explosive strikes. Fitted with Owner ST-66 trebles and a strong wire through construction, the Rerise is ready to battle any pelagic you can target. It is available now in eight colours. Price: approx. $35 www.ejtodd.com.au
7.
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MARIA RERISE
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The new Rapala RCD 4” Mag Spring Split Ring Pliers offer easy to use, single-handed operation. Unlike conventional split ring pliers, the new Rapala RCD series are built with two internally opposing magnets to hold the pliers open. The patent pending Mag Spring mechanism cannot fail, even in the harshest of conditions. The split ring nose opens rings up to size 0, while the built-in cutter cuts all lines or tag ends with ease. Other features include stainless steel jaws with a gun metal finish, and ergonomic co-moulded Soft Grip handles for a comfortable hold. In a nutshell, the RCD Split Ring Pliers are one of the easiest, quickest and toughest built split rings pliers on the market. Keep an eye out for them at your local tackle store. Price: approx. $35 www.rapala.com.au
SAMAKI BIG GRIP DIGITAL SCALE
9
The Samaki Big Grip Digital Scale has so many features that it’s hard to name them all. For starters, the ergonomic big grip handle is ideal for weighing big fish, with the scale catering up to 50kg or 100lb. It’s very comfortable to hold in the hand while you ready your catch for the weighing process. The casing is completely waterproof and holds a 100cm measuring tape for you to document your catch with ease. The Samaki Big Grip Digital Scale also has a backlit LED screen to give you readings in low light environments, plus a built-in thermometer in both Celsius and Fahrenheit. For more information and stockists just visit the Samaki website, or you can follow them on Instagram (@samakifishing) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/samakifishing). Price: approx. $50 www.samaki.com.au
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EUREKA GLIDE BLADE KNIVES
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Eureka Glide Blade knives offer an exceptional range of knives with outstanding features at affordable pricing.
The Eureka Glide Blades currently are available in a Straight Fillet 6” and 8” model. Each knife features a 3CR13 stainless steel Satin blade that is strong, flexible and holds great edge retention. The textured soft grip handles are comprised of nylon and rubber, enabling the handle to fit comfortably in your hand while also reducing the chance of slippage and injury. Each handle also features a finger guard for added safety. The Eureka Glide Blades come complete with a leather sheath with a belt clip to protect the knife and keep it within reach if required. For more information on this and other products in the Eureka range, visit the Juro OzPro Tackle website. You can also check out the latest catch photos, tips and videos on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ JuroOzProTackle), and YouTube (www. youtube.com/user/JuroOzPro). Price: from approx. $30 www.jurofishing.com
WILSON PLATINUM FISHING CHAIR
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The new Wilson Platinum Fishing Chair is rated to 150kg and built with a wider base to ensure anyone can comfortably sit in it. This folding chair also has some clever additions for anglers. For starters there is a rod holder that can be easily attached to the left hand side of the chair on the legs, setting your rod at an easy angle. If you plan on getting up from your chair, the designers have included a peg for the leg to ensure the chair is secured to the ground, and a massive strike won’t tip the chair over. There is also a drink holder and a lined cooler bag in the arms, and a small bottle opener attached to the arm on a lanyard. On the right arm there is also a mobile phone holder pouch, to ensure your phone doesn’t get damaged when the action heats up. The comfy and strong Platinum Fishing Chair is available now in your choice of blue or purple. Price: SRP $62 www.wilsonfishing.com
DUO ROUGH TRAIL HYDRA
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Long and lean and designed as the ultimate sinking stickbait for large predators, the new Duo Rough Trail Hydra 220 is the lure to pack for your next offshore adventure. Slim-profiled and with a fixed weight in the tail to maximise casting performance and enhance its action, the Hydra 220 features a dynamic skipping action when worked across the surface, while a twitch and jerk retrieve will see it move from side to side to enhance strikes. A hyper realistic garfish imitation when worked across the surface, the Hydra is ultra long (220mm) in length to reduce fishing swallowing and biting off the lure, while its tail-heavy, 58.2g body weight allows for long, tangle free casting on the water. If you’re looking to call up the predators to the surface the new Duo Rough Trail Hydra 220 is the lure to reach for. Price: approx. $40 www.duo-international.com.au AUGUST 2019
67
Ferguson flies to boater victory Mark Ferguson will be the one to watch at the Sufix BASS Pro Grand Final after taking out the Evinrude Qualifier on Lake St Clair, held on 22-23 June. Mark Ferguson is local to the Port Macquarie area, only an hour and a half away from Lake St Clair. It’s his closest bass dam and he classes it as his local, spending as much time there as he can. When the 2019 Sufix Bass Pro calendar came out, he was stoked to see that St Clair was on the list, and that the event was being held around his favourite time of year to fish it. On Friday’s pre-fish, Mark went out with only small soft plastics rigged up, and he soon found out that the deeper banks were holding much smaller fish and more fishing pressure than the shallowest flat banks he could find. He caught a few bigger fish off these shallow weedy banks and decided that that would be his pattern for the competition. Going into Day 1, Ferguson had a spot where he knew he could fill his bag of five fish fairly quickly. Taking only 20 minutes, he
BOATER WINNER’S GEAR Rod: Abu Garcia KRX Reel: Abu Garcia Revo MGXtreme Line: Berkley X9 braid Leader: 6lb Berkley Vanish Lure: 1/8oz and 1/6oz Berkley Dam Deep jighead on a 2.5” Keitech Easy Shiner in ayu
BOATER 2ND PLACE GEAR Rod: Reel: Line:
A pair of winners – Mark Ferguson took out the Boater division, and Mark Caneris was the top non-boater. was off to his shallow weedy banks to try to upgrade his bag. He looked for these key areas where he hadn’t seen anyone fish, and set about running and gunning the edges, fishing them fairly quickly. He cast his soft plastic into just inches of water most of the time, and if he didn’t get bit in the first 10 winds he burned it back and repeated the process. He
even caught fish off banks other anglers had fished, casting in a lot shallower than they had fished it. Mark said only one in 100 casts wouldn’t foul up with weed, and that other anglers would leave the banks for this reason. He ended up catching over 40 fish on Saturday and upgraded by 10-20g at a time. He made the scales
on Day 1 with five fish and a weight of 4.46kg. Mark said that Day 2 was much harder than the day before, and he didn’t change anything to start with. He went to a bank that he knew was holding much smaller fish, and after getting four from there he went to one of his key banks. Here he picked up a better fish, taking around
Millerods XFLC 7’3” Shimano Rarenium 1000 8lb Sunline Siglon and 6lb FC Rock leader
an hour to fill his limit of five bass. To get the bigger fish, he really had to sink his plastic deep into the weed and rip it out. He ended up with some other upgrades for the day. Ferguson said that after the Friday pre-fish and Saturday’s first session the kicker fish all moved deep into the weed and were a lot harder to get to bite. These fish have been in the dam a long time and most have been caught before, and they know the sound of comp boats. Being a local to Lake St Clair was key to Mark’s bag. He caught a limit of five bass weighing
4.27kg on Day 2, bringing his total weight to 8.73kg, and gave him his first ABT BASS Pro win.
Scan the QR code to see Mark Ferguson Interview.
BOATER RESULTS Place Name 1 Mark Ferguson 2 Kyle Lewis 3 Philip Nix 4 Graham Ford 5 Jonathan Bale 6 Keeghan Painter 7 Russell Babekuhl 8 Robert Tilley 9 Steve Chang 10 Peter Phelps
Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize 10/10 8.73 $3,000, $250 Evinrude Bonus 10/10 8.39 $1,750 10/10 8.34 $1,500 10/10 8.02 $1,250 10/10 7.90 $1,000 10/10 7.72 $900 9/10 7.57 $800, $500 Garmin Big Bass 10/10 7.55 $700 10/10 7.52 $600 10/10 7.51 $500
Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888 92
AUGUST 2019
Russell Babekuhl won the Garmin Big Bass cheque with a 1.15kg fish.
Local Lewis nabs St Clair second place Kyle Lewis took out 2nd place in the non-boater division. He pre-fished the main basin, trying to find some back-up areas, as he fishes St Clair regularly in the winter and finds better fish up the Carrowbrook Arm, right up in the old creek bed. He said there aren’t a lot of fish up there but that it’s worth working for them. Lewis had a pretty average pre-fish without checking his key areas, and it left him wondering whether they would be up there. On Day 1 he didn’t go straight up the Carrowbrook arm; he noticed no one went up the arm on the other side of the start, so he went there while a few boats went up the Carrowbrook. He caught his bag using a Keitech rigged on a 1/8oz Nitro Dam Deep jighead with
Kyle Lewis’ 8.39kg bag earned him 2nd place in only his second comp of the Sufix BASS Pro. a 2.5” in about two hours, and decided to go up the Carrowbrook. It didn’t take
him long to start upgrading, and after an hour he had caught another bag of five
bass, upgrading everything from his first spot. It left him wondering whether he
Caneris catches dream draw
The winning non-boater was Mark Caneris from Ipswich in QLD, which is a long way from Lake St Clair. On the Friday briefing he got a bit of a dream draw
– Jonathan Bale, a fellow Queenslander, and Mark Ferguson, a local to the area. In only his second ABT season Mark never thought he would take a win so quickly.
On Day 1 he headed out with Jonathan, and they went out with a plan that Jono would fish a 2” Keitech soft plastic, and Mark would fish a Nories Laydown Minnow Deep jerkbait. Looking for
Jason Martin finished in 2nd place in the non-boater division with his 8.16kg bag.
weedy edges fishing as a team, Bale would fish in front with the plastic and Mark would follow up with the jerkbait, trying to fool anything Bale missed. Winter bass seem to have a bit of a one-track mind, and 90% of the field fished the same technique. On Day 1 Mark made it in with five fish for 4.20kg. On Day 2 heading out with Mark Ferguson, the Day 1 leader, Caneris knew he was in for a good day. He started out fishing the same jerkbait from the day before, but soon realised he need to change things up and go to the 2” Keitech that Ferguson was using. From that point on, he started putting fish in the well too. The pair worked as a team, with Ferguson targeting very shallow water and Caneris targeting the face of the weed, catching fish as his lure dropped down the face of the weed. Catching around 20 fish for Day 2 of the 2019 Sufix BASS Pro, Mark Caneris weighed five fish for 4.27kg and a total of 8.47kg giving him his first ABT win in only five events.
should have gone straight there. Non-boater Paul Dunlop caught 30 legals for the day, and they were still happy with the bag of 4.36kg. On Day 2 Kyle went straight up the Carrowbrook Arm, fishing pretty much the same as the day before using a 1/8oz Dam Deep jighead and Keitech soft plastic along the weed edges. He would sink his lure into the weed and aggressively rip it through the weeds, and the fish would hit it as it sunk back down. The bite was a bit slower on Sunday, as expected, but Lewis still landed about 20 bass for the session. He brought a bag of five bass weighing 4.03kg and a total of 8.39kg giving him second place in only his second comp of the 2019 Sufix BASS Pro.
Bass Pro Series presented by
Scan the QR code to see St Clair day two highlights.
NON-BOATER WINNER’S GEAR Rods: Reels: Line: Lure:
Samurai 252 and Ian Miller XFLC Shimano Ci4 1000 Sufix 8lb braid, 8lb leader Nories Laydown Minnow Deep, 2” Keitech on 1/8oz jighead
Phillip Nix’s 8.34kg bag earned him $1,500 for finishing 3rd in the boater division.
NON-BOATER RESULTS Place Name 1 Mark Caneris 2 Jason Martin 3 Paul Dunlop 4 Curtis Black 5 Raffi Demirjian 6 Tim Steenhuis 7 Shannon Hush 8 Sam Parbery 9 Macoy Hansen 10 Blake Chivas
Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize 10/10 8.47 Bassman Pack, $300 Sufix Bonus 10/10 8.16 Fishtec Prize Pack 10/10 7.79 Tackle Tactics Prize Pack 10/10 7.79 Sufix Prize Pack 10/10 7.75 Daiwa Prize Pack 10/10 7.73 Sunline Prize Pack 10/10 7.72 Keitech Prize Pack 10/10 7.70 Lucky Craft Prize Pack 10/10 7.67 Ecogear Prize Pack 10/10 7.44 Shimano Prize Pack
Leaon Walker and William Schloss with a couple of healthy St Clair bass. AUGUST 2019
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Taylor chutes to victory in the Bribie Round Brisbane-based dentist Tristan Taylor managed to take out the Nu Look Floors Bribie Island qualifier in the 2019 Costa ABT BREAM Series with a total bag weight of 5.14kg, an impressive score for this arena. Taylor has his fair share of finishes up the pointy end of the scoreboard, and after a short hiatus from tournaments, he’s come back with a bang! Taylor said he’d found spawning fish in the Caloundra area on the pre-fish day, where three weeks before he couldn’t find any bream at all! This would prove to be the key for his win. Taylor started his efforts at the Bribie Island Bridge on day one for just one fish, and after a bit of consideration, he decided to make the run through Pumicestone Passage to Caloundra in his Phoenix at low tide. Taylor took care to make sure he didn’t get stuck on a sand bank, as some other boaters had unfortunately done. Upon arrival, Taylor and his non-boater found the same school of spawning fish he found on the pre-fish day near the Caloundra Bar
TRISTAN TAYLOR’S WINNING TCKLE Rod: Reel: Line:
Samurai Infinite 4-10lb Megabass Idaten Racing Condition 2506 10lb Unitika Aorika PE and 6lb Unitika Aiger fluorocarbon leader Lures: 2.5” ZMan GrubZ in motor oil rigged on Atomic Seekerz jigheads (1/11, 1/8 and 1/6oz) and 35mm Cranka Crab in olive
Champion boater and non-boater, Tristan Taylor and Stephen Maas, celebrate their respective victories. in around 15ft of water. He went to work fishing a ZMan GrubZ in motor oil. “They came on for a one-hour window,” Taylor said. “The key was to keep tight with the lure and feel every little touch of the lure to set hooks.” “This was difficult in the strong wind and current,
so I varied the jighead size accordingly. “ Taylor said he landed around 20 fish for the day, and ended up with a day one bag of 2.23kg. Day two saw Taylor come up with a different plan, and he decided to make the run to the Brisbane River mouth in horrendous conditions.
“I got in behind Shane Wolhuter’s boat [the biggest boat in the field] and it made for a great shield!” Taylor said. “I thanked him for his camaraderie and sportsmanship.” Taylor managed to catch fish tight to structure initially, but then found spawning fish spread across a nearby flat
in 10-20ft out the front of the Luggage Point Sewage Treatment Plant, known locally as the ‘poo chute’. Obviously, there’s no actual human excrement flowing into the bay here… Taylor caught all his day two fish on ZMan GrubZ, bar one, which ate a Cranka Crab, and weighed in a bag of 2.91kg for day two. “I didn’t think I had enough to take the win – I thought I would have needed one more kicker fish,” Taylor said. “So I was pleasantly surprised to take the win.” “My non-boater Michael Maas slayed them too, and we would have caught at least 60
Scan the QR code to see the Bribie day one highlights.
fish between us on day two.” Taylor thanked ABT and the other competitors and took home $2500 for his efforts.
BOATER RESULTS Place Name 1 Tristan Taylor 2 John Siggs 3 Peter Cashman 4 Denis Metzdorf 5 Kristoffer Hickson 6 William Lee 7 Scott Wilson 8 Jamie McKeown 9 Mark Crompton 10 Charlie Saykao
Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize 10/10 5.14 $2500 10/10 4.97 $1500 + $500 Mercury Bonus 10/10 4.95 $1000 10/10 4.83 $750 + $300 Mercury Bonus 10/10 4.69 $500 + $200 Mercury Bonus 8/10 4.17 8/10 3.92 8/10 3.72 $500 Daiwa J Braid Big Bream 8/10 3.47 8/10 3.37
Visit www.abt.org.au for entry forms. For general enquiries phone ABT on (07) 3387 0888 94
AUGUST 2019
It was Shane Wolhuter’s big boat that provided the weather shield Taylor needed to make the run south. Clearly there was big bream to be caught there!
Siggs lights up Caloundra canal fish Gold Coast local John Siggs had never fished Bribie before, so his pre-fish was based around what he knows best, fishing artificial structure in canals!
He started his pre-fish by making a quick run to the Caloundra canals and caught six decent fish in fairly quick succession. He left them, knowing
that was his spot for day one. Day one saw Siggs heading to the Bribie canals for a quick prospect, where he managed one keeper fish, waiting for the tide to come
in so he could make his way through the Passage to the Caloundra canals. By 9am there was enough water to make his run north. Once at Caloundra, he stayed there all day throwing a Gulp Crabby on a 1/50oz hidden weight jighead, skipping it under boats, jetties, ropes and any artificial structure he thought would hold fish. He caught his limit and even upgraded a few times. That gave him a day one total of 2.31kg, and had him sitting in 5th place. On day two Siggs had a plan to go back to the Caloundra canals, but on
BREAM SERIES
Scan the QR code to see the Bribie day two highlights. his way he noticed that only Kris Hickson had gone into the Bribie canals. With the bay being opened, most of the anglers had made their
JOHN SIGGS’S TACKLE Rod: Reel: Line: Lure: Siggs did what he does best for the Bribie Island round, fish hard around artificial structure for big angry bream!
Samurai Reaction 101 Daiwa SOL 2000 Major Craft 6lb and 3lb FC Rock leader 2.5” Gulb Crabby in camo rigged on a 1/50oz TT Lures Hidden Weight System jighead
Stephen finds critical ‘Maas’ Stephen Maas and his cousin Michael Maas took out 1st and 2nd in the non-boater division respectively, proving that bream fishing must run in the family. Stephen Maas knew he was in for a great Bribie Qualifier when he got paired with two reasonably local guys to the Bribie area, with Steve Morgan on day one and and Denis Metzdorf on day two. Day one saw Maas fishing with Steve Morgan. Unfortunately, the bay was closed due to strong winds. With the arena being reduced by virtually half, they went straight to the canals, fishing boat hulls and jetties. Before Maas would cast he was mindful of the areas Morgan would fish, trying to put his lure in places that Morgan had not hit, usually hitting the back jetty poles with a Gulp Crabby. By doing this he managed to box two legal fish. He also tried a Cranka Crab and a popper with no result. Once they fished the canals, Morgan took them to the Ningi Flats, where Maas
picked up one more legal bream on a Cranka Crank Shallow in ghost bluegill, which saw him finish day one with a bag of three fish for a weight of 1.24kg. Day two had Maas fishing with his good mate Denis Metzdorf, and the pair were happy to find out that the bay was open. This meant they could make the run straight to Redcliffe’s North Reef, which
took about 40 minutes. It was still a little rough making the journey south, but they realised the effort was worth it when Metzdorf caught three keepers straight away. Maas didn’t catch a legal fish until about 10:30am, when they made a move further south. Maas had noticed there were no baitfish on the shallow reefs, so he switched
way there, leaving the canals nearly free of angling pressure. He stayed there all day, mirroring his day one pattern using his Gulp Crabbies and casting at pontoons, poles and boat hulls. Once again, he got his limit of bream with a few upgrades and ended up weighing a day two bag of 2.66kg. For his 2nd place finish, Siggs took home $1500, plus a $500 Mercury Bonus. He also congratulated Tristan Taylor for his win, and thanked ABT and the other competitors.
STEPHEN MASS’S WINNING TACKLE Rod: Reel: Line: Lures:
G Loomis DL/SR 7ft Okuma Helios SX 30 Platypus P8 6lb and FC Rock 3lb leader Gulb Crabby in camo, 2.5” ZMan GrubZ in motor oil, Cranka Crank Shallow in ghost bluegill
Sandstone Point, where he got a few needed upgrades on his Cranka Crank Shallow. This had him bringing a limit of bream to the scales with a weight of 3kg, and combined with his day one bag gave him enough to win!
Maas went away from the event with a Daiwa Prize pack and a $200 Hobie Bonus. Maas was grateful to both his boaters, Steve Morgan and Denis Metzdorf, and thanked ABT and the other competitors.
DAIWA J BRAID BIG BREAM Jamie McKeown managed to weigh a 1.3kg stonker, which he caught on a Cranka Crab. He took home $500 for his efforts.
Stephen Maas had a great weekend on the water at the back of the boat.
NON-BOATER RESULTS
Place Name
Total Fish Total Weight (kg) Prize
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
8/10 8/10 10/10 9/10 7/10 5/10 7/10 7/10 5/10 5/10
Stephen Maas Michael Maas Aaron Sarna Justin Reeves Jordan Armstrong Darren Murphy Sam Peck Grant Oliver Neil Kelly Glen Sturrock
to a ZMan GrubZ in motor oil rigged on a 1/12oz jighead, and begun casting at the reef drop-offs and letting his grub slowly sink down the reef face. Doing this saw the bream shoot out from cover to eat his lure. Filling his limit on the first drift, he sat so his boater could do the same. He did not fish again until they got to Cooks Rocks at
BREAM Series presented by
4.24 3.81 3.67 3.43 3.21 2.90 2.57 2.51 2.22 1.87
Daiwa Prize Pack + $200 Hobie Bonus Fishtec Solutions Prize Pack Cranka Prize Pack + $100 Hobie Bonus Tackle Tactics Prize Pack $75 Hobie Bonus Sufix Prize Pack Ecogear Prize Pack Shimano Prize Pack Lucky Craft Prize Pack Keitech Prize Pack Sunline Prize Pack
Jamie McKeown managed this stonker 1.3kg bream to take out the Daiwa J Braid Big Bream prize. AUGUST 2019
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2019 2019 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 0546 1209 TU
WE 1825
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 JUNE JULY MAY Time m Time m Time Time m Time m Time m
m 0541 1.54 1208 0.53 1759 1.52 2358
Time m 0441 1.47 1.57 1.70 0.67 0.58 0559 1100 0.38 1.28 1.33 1215 WE 1652 1.77 0.53 TH 1836 2300 SA 0.50
1 1 0039 0631 FR
16 16
0536 0633 1.63 0.44 0.64 0.52 0051 17 2 1208 1310 2 1857 1.67 1.56 17 1.30 0651 TH 1800
0026 0628 WE TH 1244 1900
3 3 0106 0707 TH
FR 1315 1933
4 4 0145 0745 FR
SA 1347 2008
5 5 0225 0825 SA
SU 1421 2044
6 6 0306 0907 SU
MO 1458 2122
7 7
0351 0953 MO TU 1537 2204
8 8
0439 1042 TU WE 1620 2249
9 9
0531 1135 WE TH 1709 2340
10 10 0630 1235 TH FR 1806
0.50 1.61 0044 0.57 0720 1.58 1400 0.48 1947 1.69 0127 0.51 0803 1.57 1445 0.47 2032 1.76 0207 0.46 0844 1.55 1523 0.48 2114 1.82 0245 0.43 0920 1.52 1600 0.50 2152 1.86 0323 0.42 0957 1.48 1635 0.54 2230 1.86 0400 0.43 1031 1.43 1710 0.59 2306 1.85 0437 0.45 1107 1.37 1745 0.65 2344 1.81 0516 0.48 1143 1.34 1821 0.71
FR 1258 1922 0.51 1.69 0144 0.47 0742 FR SA 1340 1.30 2006 0.52 1.73 0233 0.42 0831 SA SU 1420 1.31 2048 0.52 1.76 0321 0.39 0919 SU MO 1500 1.32 2130 0.52 1.77 0408 0.37 1006 MO TU 1539 1.32 2211 0.53 1.77 0454 0.37 1053 TU WE 1618 1.32 2251 0.54 1.75 0541 0.38 1139 WE TH 1700 1.32 2331 0.56 1.72 0629 0.41 1228 TH FR 1745 1.31
18 18 19 19 20 20 21 21 22 22
23 23 24 24
0.59 1.67 0016 0.44 0718 FR SA 1321 1840 1.31 0.62 0107 1.60 0810 SA SU 1420 0.47 1945 1.31 0.66 0206 1.53 0902 SU MO 1519 0.50 2055 1.32 0.70 0310 1.44 0951 MO TU 1614 0.53 2202 1.34 0.73 0408 1.37 1036 TU WE 1700 0.54 2302 1.39 0.72 0500 1.31 1116 WE TH 1742 0.55 2354
25 25
0024 1.75 11 26 11 0559 0.49 26 1220 0037 0735 FR SA 1342 1913
12 12 0143 0841 SA SU 1454 2029
13 13 0254 0943 SU MO 1600 2145
14 14 0401 1038 MO TU 1657 2253
15 15 0502 1128 TU WE 1748 2355
1.33 1900 0.74 0107 1.71 0645 0.48 1300 1.36 1940 0.74 0156 1.69 0736 0.46 1345 1.44 2024 0.69 0247 1.70 0836 0.42 1439 1.55 2113 0.61 0344 1.70 0945 0.39 1542 1.67 2205 0.52
27 27 28 28 29 29
30 30 31 31 0547 1154 TH FR 1820
Time
1230 1859
1.57 0.58 0123 1.30 0715 SA 0.39 0.50 SU 1308 2355 1.86 1937 0630 1.69 0.39 0.45 0206 1309 1.62 1.34 0800 1902 SU 0.42 MO 1347 1.91 2017 0048 0.46 0.36 1.82 0251 0722 1.55 0.33 0848 1403 MO 0.48 1.39 TU 1430 1959 2101 1.92 0141 0.40 0.37 1.93 0339 0814 1.48 0.22 0939 1455 TU 0.54 1.45 WE 1516 2052 1.90 2147 0233 0.36 0.41 2.02 0430 0905 1.41 0.14 1032 1545 WE 0.61 1.49 TH 1606 2145 2236 1.85 0326 0.32 0.46 2.07 0523 0956 1.35 0.10 1128 1635 TH 0.68 1.52 FR 1700 2236 1.78 2329 0419 0.32 0.52 2.05 0620 1047 1.30 0.12 1227 1724 FR 0.75 1.53 SA 1800 2328 1.70 0514 0.34 0.58 1.98 0026 1138 1.27 0.17 0719 1813 SA 0.80 SU 1330 1905 0020 1.53 1.62 0.39 0128 0610 0.62 1.85 0818 1229 SU 1.26 0.26 MO 1434 1901 0.85 2017 0114 1.52 1.55 0.47 0233 0708 0.64 1.68 0914 1321 MO 1.27 0.36 TU 1536 1950 0.87 2131 0210 1.51 1.50 0.54 0340 0812 0.63 1.51 1007 1416 TU 1.32 0.45 WE 1632 2041 2242 0.86 0308 1.50 1.47 0.61 0442 0921 0.61 1.36 1056 1518 WE 1.39 0.53 TH 1725 2134 2346 0.82 0410 1.51 1.46 0.63 0540 1037 0.59 1.25 1143 1628 TH 1.47 0.59 FR 1815 2230 0.75 0511 1.54 1.47 0.61 0044 1152 0.56 1.21 0634 1740 FR 1.57 0.61 SA 1227 2327 1900 0.68 0608 1.58 1.48 0.57 1256 0.53 1.21 1843 1.66
2 2
3 3 4 4 5 5
6 6 7 7
8 8
m 0020 0.59 0700 1.49 1346 0.51 1935 1.76 0108 0.51 0745 1.49 1428 0.50 2018 1.85 0151 0.44 0824 1.49 1503 0.50 2056 1.92 0230 0.38 0901 1.47 1537 0.51 2131 1.96 0306 0.35 0936 1.45 1610 0.53 2205 1.97 0343 0.35 1010 1.43 1642 0.57 2239 1.95 0419 0.36 1044 1.40 1713 0.61 2314 1.90 0457 0.39 1118 1.39 1745 0.66 2349
Time m 0603 1.69 0.61 0.43 0.43 1.62 0135 1250 1.45 1.32 0.51 0725 SA 1848 SU 1309 0.51 MO 1.24 1944 1.89 0030 0.50 0.59 0.41 1.81 1.66 0222 0702 1.41 0.31 0.46 0814 SU 1346 0.55 1.41 MO 1350 1945 TU 1.28 2026 1.89 0128 0.41 0.56 0.40 1.93 1.70 0305 0757 1.38 0.20 0.41 0859 MO 1438 0.58 1.50 TU 1430 2038 WE 1.32 2105 1.88 0222 0.33 0.53 0.42 2.01 1.73 0347 0849 1.36 0.13 0.39 0943 TU 1527 0.62 1.57 WE 1510 2128 TH 1.35 2144 1.84 0.51 0315 0.28 0.45 2.04 1.74 0428 0941 1.33 0.10 0.37 1025 WE 1614 0.66 1.62 TH 1549 2216 FR 1.38 2221 1.78 0.50 0408 0.26 0.49 2.01 1.74 0508 1030 1.31 0.13 0.37 1107 TH 1659 0.70 1.65 FR 1630 2305 SA 1.39 2300 1.71 0.50 0501 0.28 0.53 1.91 1.71 0549 1120 1.30 0.20 0.38 1151 FR 1744 0.74 1.65 SA 1714 2354 SU 1.40 2340 1.64 0.51 0556 0.33 0.56 1.76 1.67 0631 1210 1.29 0.31 0.41 1238 SA 1828 SU 1802 0.78 MO 1.41
1 1 0101 0651 FR
16 16
17 17
10 10
18 18
11 11 12 12 13 13 14 14
0600 1209 TH 1750
m 0537 0.47 1230 1.41 1827 0.49 2358 1.88 0633 0.37 1320 1.43 1916 0.47 1.97 0051 0.30 0720 1.44 1400 0.46 1958 2.02 0135 0.25 0800 1.45 1435 0.46 2033 2.04 0215 0.23 0837 1.46 1507 0.47 2106 2.01 0250 0.25 0912 1.46 1538 0.50 2138 1.93 0326 0.29 0945 1.46 1608 0.55 2210
m Time m 0432 1.60 1.51 0.41 0.52 0.60 0207 1124 1.33 1.27 1.19 0757 SA 1730 0.55 0.63 TU 1329 2310 TH 0.69 2005 1.82 0542 1.70 1.55 0.39 0.41 0.54 0245 1230 1.33 1.37 1.26 0838 SU 1836 FR WE 1408 0.56 2043 1.81 0017 0.54 0.65 0.40 1.81 1.60 0322 0644 1.34 0.30 0.49 0917 MO 1325 0.57 1.48 SA TH 1446 1930 1.32 2119 1.79 0116 0.43 0.59 0.41 1.90 1.64 0358 0739 1.34 0.22 0.44 0955 TU 1415 0.58 1.59 FR 1525 2020 SU 1.38 2154 1.75 0212 0.34 0.54 0.43 1.95 1.68 0433 0831 1.33 0.17 0.41 1033 WE 1501 0.61 1.68 MO SA 1603 2108 1.43 2230 1.69 0.50 0304 0.27 0.46 1.95 1.70 0509 0922 1.33 0.17 0.39 1113 TH 1545 0.64 1.75 TU SU 1645 2154 1.47 2306 1.62 0357 0.25 0.47 0.49 1.88 1.70 0545 1012 1.33 0.22 0.38 1154 FR 1629 0.68 1.78 WE MO 1730 2240 1.50 2345 1.54 0448 0.27 0.46 0.52 1.77 1.67 0625 1100 1.34 0.30 0.39 1240 SA 1710 0.72 1.78 TU 1821 2326 TH 1.53
0011 0654 FR 1308 1854
1.63 0.42 0109 1.58 0747 SA 1.31 0.43 TU 1408 1912 2004 0.81 0134 1.59 1.49 0.51 0212 0753 0.60 1.41 0841 1353 SU 1.34 0.54 WE 1508 1958 2119 0.83 0229 1.55 1.43 0.59 0318 0900 0.59 1.27 0934 1452 MO 1.40 0.64 TH 1607 2048 0.81 2233 0329 1.51 1.39 0.64 0425 1013 0.59 1.18 1026 1603 TU 1.48 0.70 FR 1703 2149 2340 0.76 0434 1.50 1.37 0.64 0527 1127 0.57 1.16 1115 1720 WE 1.57 0.72 SA 1755 2256 0.67
29
0.58 1.38 0.48 0.57 SU 1151 0.52 2328 1.85 1826 1.78
9 9
10 10
11 11
12 12 13 13
1.48 2243 0.59 0439 1.69 1054 0.40 1708 1.51 2317 0.63 0518 1.56 1130 0.45 1740 1.55 2354 0.64 0601 1.45 1208 0.49 1814 1.61 0.61 0034 1.37 0648 0.52 1251 1.68 1852 0.55 0120 1.34 0744 0.53 1343 1.74 1939
0215
17 17
15 15
1357 2028
2 2 0307 0908 TU 1450 2118
3 3 0356 1000 WE
18 18 19 19
1544 2209
4 4 0444 1051 TH
20 20
1640 2300
5 5 0532 1145 FR
21 21
1738 2352
6 6 0621 1239 SA 1841
m 0026 0.19 0645 1.45 1321 0.36 1928 2.04 0113 0.14 0728 1.50 1357 0.33 2003 2.05 0153 0.13 0806 1.53 1430 0.34 2036 2.00 0230 0.16 0842 1.54 1500 0.37 2107 1.89 0307 0.22 0916 1.55 1530 0.43 2140 1.73 0344 0.31 0952 1.55 1600 0.50 2213
m Time m 0524 1.78 0.72 0.36 0.33 1.55 0253 1159 1.36 1.58 0.53 0850 TU 1812 FR 1428 0.49 1.38 2054 1.72 0.65 0005 0.47 0.36 1.83 1.59 0325 0619 1.38 0.28 0.48 0924 WE 1246 0.49 1.70 SA 1504 1900 1.45 2128 1.69 0.58 0100 0.38 0.37 1.84 1.63 0357 0712 1.39 0.27 0.45 0959 TH 1331 0.50 1.79 SU 1542 1945 1.52 2201 1.64 0.53 0154 0.32 0.40 1.80 1.64 0429 0802 1.40 0.29 0.43 1035 FR 1414 0.53 1.86 MO 1621 2030 1.58 2236 1.57 0245 0.30 0.48 0.43 1.72 1.64 0501 0851 1.41 0.35 0.42 1113 SA 1455 0.57 1.88 TU 1704 2114 1.64 2314 1.48 0.46 0335 0.32 0.47 1.62 1.62 0535 0940 1.41 0.44 0.43 1154 SU 1534 0.62 1.87 WE 1751 2157 1.68 2355 1.39 0426 0.37 0.45 0.52 1.50 1.58 0614 1029 1.41 0.53 0.46 1240 MO 1614 0.65 1.82 TH 1846 2240 1.71
16 16
17 17 18 18 19 19
20 20
21 21
0323 1.56 7 22 7 0930 0.40 22 1531
22 22
0048 0712 SU 1337 1950
8 8
0542 0.33 0.47 1.45 1.63 1.63 0030 1149 0.55 0.41 0.41 0707 SU 1751 WE 1330 1.37 FR 1.55 1920 0.75 0.49 0011 1.74 1.37 0.42 1.57 0121 0635 0.57 1.47 0.45 0753 MO 1239 1.40 0.53 SA TH 1423 1831 1.56 2028 0.75 0058 1.68 0.52 1.30 0.51 1.49 0221 0732 0.58 1.33 0.50 0843 TU 1330 1.46 0.64 SU FR 1518 1914 2141 0.72 1.56 0147 1.60 1.26 0.59 0.56 0329 0834 0.58 1.23 1.40 0935 WE 1428 1.54 0.74 MO SA 1614 2003 0.56 2249 0.63 1.55 0244 1.53 1.26 0.64 0.60 0436 0941 0.56 1.17 1.31 1029 TH 1536 1.65 0.80 TU SU 1707 2105 0.62 2348 0.52 1.54 0348 1.49 1.29 0.65 0.62 0537 1048 0.52 1.18 1.24 1121 FR 1652 1.77 0.81 WE MO 1758 2219 0.67
24 24
0150 0804 MO 1438 2107
9 9 0259 0900 TU
25 25
1541 2224
10 10 0412 0958 WE 1642 2331
11 11 0518 1054 TH
26 26
27 27
1736
1.55 2148 0.56 0404 1.40 1009 0.49 1605 1.56 2226 0.59 0448 1.28 1052 0.55 1642 1.57 2307 0.58 0538 1.22 1141 0.59 1724 1.61 2355 0.53 0635 1.21 1237 0.59 1815 1.65 0050
0.45 0516 0.44 1.29 1.39 1.52 0044 1116 0.57 0.63 0.50 0657 TU 1653 1.43 1.75 FR 1331 2323 1.72 1951 0.67 0609 0.52 0.48 1.22 1.30 1.45 0144 1206 0.60 0.72 0.56 0749 WE 1734 SA 1430 1.46 1.71 2108 0.65 0008 1.66 0.51 1.18 0.59 1.37 0258 0704 0.61 1.24 0.62 0852 TH 1300 1.52 0.80 SU 1534 1822 1.68 2222 0.57 0.54 0058 1.58 1.19 0.64 1.30 0415 0802 0.58 1.21 0.69 0959 FR 1401 1.62 0.85 MO 1637 1921 2326 0.45 1.65 0157 1.51 1.25 0.66 0.56 0521 0901 0.52 1.23 1.26 1101 SA 1510 1.74 0.87 TU 1735 2033 0.73
23 23 24 24
25 25
26 26
0.48 12 0742 27 12 0025 0614 1.24 27 FR 1345
28 28
1145 1920 0.57 1824 1.68 0158 0109 0856 0.43 0700 1.27 SA 1503 1232 2039 0.55 1906 1.71 0312 0146 1005 0.39 0739 1.31 SU 1618 1314 2158 0.52 1945 1.73 1.48 0422 0.37 0.63 0221 1105 1.34 1.23 0815 MO 1719 0.50 TH 1351 2305 0.78 2020 1.74 1.51 0.58 1.30
13 13
0.49 14 0850 29 14 0037 0623 1.32 29 TH 1447 0.54 SU 1202 2038 1842 1.78 0319 0125 1008 0.44 0713 1.32 FR 1609 0.55 MO 1247 2154 1925 1.81
Time
1 1 0219 0817 MO
16 16
0401 1.82 23 8 8 1019 0.34 23 1638
MO 1329 1900 1.41 0.58 0114 1.52 0804 MO TU 1424 0.48 2004 1.42 0.63 0211 1.43 0852 TU WE 1518 0.53 2114 1.43 0.66 0313 1.34 0940 WE TH 1610 0.57 2220 1.45 0.67 0413 1.27 1024 TH FR 1658 0.60 2320 1.49 0.64 0508 1.37 1.23 1108 0.55 SA 1742 1.67 0.60
0500 1.57
1651 2316
7 7
23 23
0.48 0.56 0013 15 15 1144 1.48 30 1741 1.25 0600
1555 2224
6 6 0508 1113 WE
22 22
28 28
1501 2133
5 5 0415 1018 TU
21 21
27 27
1411 2044
4 4 0326 0925 MO
20 20
26 26
1322 1956
3 3 0236 0832 SU
19 19
25 25
1236 1910
2 2 0148 0742 SA
0536 0.54 0043 1.57 1.82 1.60 0024 9 24 1153 0652 9 1818 0.41 24 0.58 0.44 0717 SU 1300 1.40 0.69 0029 1.74 0619 0.43 1230 1.45 1854 0.70 0111 1.67 0707 0.44 1313 1.52 1932 0.67 0159 1.61 0802 0.45 1402 1.61 2018 0.62 0253 1.56 0909 0.45 1505 1.70 2115 0.55 0355 1.52 1028 0.46 1621 1.79 2220
Time
Local Time APRIL AUGUST Time Time m
1.63
WE 1158 0.73 1829 1.66 0.48 0110 1.35 0710 MO TH 1252 0.68 1920 1.72 0.41 0158 1.46 0759 TU FR 1345 0.58 2011
14 14
29 29
0.40 30 1149 15 0.60 0041 30 1.35 15 1.22 0633 SA 1758
30 30
31 31
31 0244 0847
1.55
0456
0.46 TU 1214 2329 0.68 1848 1.89 0556 0130 1240 0.28 0726 1.40 SU 1847 WE 1305 0.41 1938 1.98
0303 1.48 0.64 1.28 0.43 0.84 2146 1.87 0406 1.49 0.20 0.61 1048 1.43 1.35 1705 0.34 0.78 2249 1.96 0500 1.51 0.12 0.57 1131 1.52 1.44 1747 0.26 0.71 2342 2.01
0.32 28 0958 0.54 0020 28 1.34 1.27 0618 SU 1613
0.07 1.59 SA 1438 0.22 2100 1.99
Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2018, Bureau of Meteorology Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2018, 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 standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect New Moon First Quarter Last Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon New Moon First Quarter Last Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon 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. 98
AUGUST 2019
boats & kayaks
In the skipper’s seat
Inside story...
Bassco is a new Aussie boat company operating out of Wy Yung in Victoria. Owner Mike Boag is a skilled tradesman with many years of boat building experience and an acute attention to detail. He delivers three fantastic models in the Bassco range.
101 In the market for a new boat? Wayne Kampe outlines some rules to follow when looking for that next boat.
Made for...
102 Winter kayaking in the shallows
This month...
106 Stessco Amberjack 520 with Yamaha F90hp
All the boats that Mike builds are suited to fishing. There are two inshore/offshore style boats, the Tornado and the Storm, and one tournament style boat, the Hurricane. All are perfectly suited to Australian conditions and anglers. Steve Morgan checks out the Hurricane, powered by a 115hp Mercury Pro XS! Check it out on page 104!
Justin Willmer gets right into the spirit of winter and takes the kayak up shallow in search of some estuarine delights!
Bob Thornton takes this premium family rig for a spin in Pumicestone Passge.
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Bassco Hurricane with Mercury 115HP Pro XS - SC
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advantage in a saltwater boat. Want to see the Hurricane in action? Scan the QR code at the top of the page on your smartphone or search for the video test on the
PERFORMANCE
Main: Although Peter Nord has a $100K imported bass boat, you’ll most likely see him fishing Gippsland waters in his Bassco Hurricane. It’s smaller, cheaper to run and does nearly everything his bigger boat does – except in shallower water. Above: Wide open, the Hurricane hit 76km/h powered by the Mercury 115hp Pro-XS 2.1L 4-stroke bolted on the back. designs. They just couldn’t fit the volume of tackle that a standard tournament angler takes. Or, if they did manage to provide enough storage, it was often not waterproof, resulting in lure boxes with thousands of dollars worth of baits being left in a soaking,
SPECIFICATIONS Length........................................................5.0m Beam........................................................2.07m Capacity ............................................ 4 persons Transom deadrise ....................................... 20° Fuel ............................................................ 140L With my history as co-founder of ABT Tournaments in Australia, I’ve seen plenty of local manufacturers have a crack at making a tournament boat that rivalled the American imports. Few have done a good job. Primarily, tackle storage was the Achilles heel of the their
DE FOR EX
Bassco is an Australian-built fibreglass fishing boat created by Gippsland veteran boat builder, Michael Boag. With a lifetime of building big boats under his belt, Michael decided that he wanted to diversify into smaller fishing craft, and we tested the Tornado (a hybrid centre console and lurecasting boat) earlier in the year. The Hurricane is the Tornado’s sister craft, and was developed in a partnership between Boag and avid tournament angler Peter Nord from Lakes Entrance. Peter wanted a boat that was smaller, more nimble and more economical than his big American bass boat, and the Hurricane was born. Incidentally, Hurricane is also Peter’s lure brand, and the boat is finished in Hurricane’s corporate colours. Well played, gents.
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s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au
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we couldn’t find any rough water to test the bad-weather ability of this craft. “I just love this little rig,” Peter said, “which is why I use it more than my big rig.”
FMG
rusting mess after a rough or rainy day. I’m pleased to report that the Hurricane has nailed this part of the design, with a centrepiece tackle locker that will take the kit of the greediest tackle rat and keep it in good nick. Held up with sturdy gas struts, the lid makes up a
proportion of the front deck. The top deck layout is standard bass boat design with a front deck several times larger than the back deck. Interestingly, in the cockpit, the sliding seat bases can clear some room for a lower fishing position in the cockpit. This is handy when you’re fishing more open and rougher waters. Supplied on a single axle trailer, this boat will fit in plenty of suburban garages. It’s powered by a 115hp Mercury ProXS 2.1L 4-stroke outboard, so performance was never going to be an issue. Hammers down, the Hurricane reached 76km/h at wide open throttle (6,200rpm) achieving 1.62km/L. At the most economical cruising speed (4,000rpm and 46km/h) it delivered much better range at 2.4km/L. With a 140L underfloor fuel tank, that equates to over 350km of
theoretical range, which is much more than you’d use on nearly all tournaments or trips. This Bassco is pretty fun to drive. It takes trim well and handles nicely. Unfortunately the test day was breathless and
RPM .....Speed (km/h) ...........Economy (km/L) 650 ...........................4 .................................... 1000 .........................8 .................................... 2000....................... 12 .................................... 3000....................... 29 ................................. 1.8 4000....................... 46 ................................. 2.4 5000....................... 61 ................................. 1.7 6000....................... 74 ................................. 1.6 6200 ....................... 76 ................................. 1.6 * fuel metering not accurate at low RPM with gauge available It might have something to do with the ability to simply hose out the boat and not have to contend with wet carpets for days on end. The Hurricane ditched carpeted decks in favour of synthetic decking material. It dries and cleans up with ease, and is a real
Fishing Monthly Magazine’s YouTube channel. For more information on Bassco boats, you’ll have to visit their Facebook Page (Bassco Boats) or just call Michael Boag directly on 0417 545 593, as they don’t yet have a website.
There’s plenty of fishing room in this 5m rig, with anglers up front and down the back having their own casting decks to fish from.
20° of transom deadrise gives you a soft landing when it gets a little rough.
Cradled on a single-axle trailer and with nothing higher than a PowerPole, the Hurricane will be able to fit in most garages.
The centrally-located rod and tackle locker chews up a pile of rods and lure boxes, and keeps them safe and dry. Plenty of boat manufacturers don’t understand that anglers don’t want their expensive gear soaking in saltwater.
Twin consoles keep you and your passenger comfortable while underway, and the glovebox keeps your wallet and phone dry.
The livewell lives under the rear deck and is secured with twin folding decks.
The helm is minimalist with the sounder mounted on a Ram Mount.
The helm seat is adjustable. Move it forwards and you open up some cockpit space for fishing rougher waters. Move it back and you can sit in it to travel and drive.
Batteries and isolators are inside a rear hatch and protected from the elements.
The internal wiring is neat and hidden.
There’s no doubt that the Hurricane will turn heads at the ramp and on the water. It’s a good looking, Aussie-built fishing boat.
An automatic bow eye catch mechanism locks the boat in place while retrieving.
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Stessco Amberjack 520 with Yamaha F90hp - SC
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RPM......Speed.(km/h)...........Economy.(km/L) 1000 .........................7 ................................3.9 1500 .........................9 ................................3.1 2000....................... 12 ................................2.8 2500 ....................... 13 ................................2.1 3000....................... 26 ................................3.2 3500 ....................... 33 ................................3.4 4000....................... 39 ................................3.3 4500 ....................... 47 ................................3.1 5000....................... 53 ................................2.8 5500 ....................... 60 ................................2.2 5900 ....................... 65 ................................1.7 106
AUGUST 2019
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PERFORMANCE
us up to 65km/h, and a fuel economy of 1.7L/km, and this is a fair clip for a family boat. To conserve fuel but also get where you need to on time, the best cruising speed was around that 3500rpm, which delivered
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I was recently told that South East Queensland is the largest boating market in Australia, and Brisbanebased boat manufacturer Stessco definitely take advantage of that. This may not sound very important or interesting to you, but to me it means that by buying a Stessco you’re buying a boat that’s made for people who love boating! That’s exactly how I would describe the Amberjack 520. The 520 represents a line of high-quality boats, and is the middle size of three models, the others being the 490 and 550. The Amberjack is one of Stessco’s ‘premium’ runabouts, and is perfect for a more experienced boater who likes mixing fishing, water sports and time with friends and family. TRAILER A premium boat needs a premium trailer, and if the buyer chooses to sit the boat on one of the propose-built Stessco trailers (built by Dunbier) there’s a structural warranty of five years. The 520 sits on a single-axle braked trailer, meaning despite it’s large size it could still be fairly easily manoeuvred in a garage
for storage. It also makes sense to sit a boat on a trailer that is built specifically for that boat, as this will contribute to the boat’s longevity. ALL-ROUND SPECIALIST All-round specialist is the only way I can describe the boat’s intended purpose, with everything to accommodate the skier, fisher, camper, crabber, or someone who just like to lounge around on other peoples’ boats. The bow is kept clean and simple, with a tidy anchor well and grab rails either side to guide the boat in shallow water. The windscreen door means quick and safe access to the anchor well, and also allows people to enter from the bow. Behind the windscreen, the cockpit is laid out logically, and also provides relative comfort for the skipper and mate. Stessco’s Bolster seats are incredibly comfortable, and will be hugely appreciated on slightly longer trips. Flushmounted gadgets are always going to be much easier to look after, and it means you don’t have to worry about brackets and other annoying protrusions. The 520 will flush-mount a sounder up to nine inches, which is perfect if you want to download maps of your chosen hunting ground. There’s also a dry lockable glove box on the passenger
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you certainly don’t want your prized craft spending more time in the shop than out on the water. Although perfectly capable of heading offshore, weather permitting, these boats
SPECIFICATIONS
Main: A little bit of chop didn’t worry the Amberjack out on Pumicestone Passage. Above: The Softride hull ensured that anyone aboard would be comfortable when underway and at rest. side for phones, wallets, maps, watches and so on, and storage for larger items, such as camping gear, under the bow. The bimini is an excellent addition, especially in sunny states where sun protection is a priority. The bimini covers the skipper and mate comfortably, while leaving the work area open. The work area behind the cockpit is left open deliberately to allow room for extra passengers, gear and somewhere to enjoy being out on the water. If you want to keep smaller items out of the way, the side pockets are a handy addition, and the only under floor storage – the kill box – means there’s no need to bring extra ice boxes or eskies on board. There is a padded block for two to sit comfortably, which opens up for extra dry storage, and the added back rest makes the ride comfortable for passengers. The block can be tilted forward to expose two hatches built into the stern. The high sides, transom and splash well means that passengers in the rear will stay very dry, even in choppy conditions, and the positioning of the seating at the very back
of the work area ensures that the already very soft ride is even softer. The transom offers access to the craft via a small ladder and door, and the shallow draft of this boat allows a user to spin it around easily and climb in without difficulty. YAMAHA F90HP Powering this craft was a Yamaha F90hp. These engines are known for their quietness, reliability and fuel economy, and on the day, in around 10-15 knots of breeze on SEQ’s Pumicestone Passage, the engine lived up to that reputation. Full tilt into the breeze got
Length.(mm) ..............................................5420 Beam.(mm) ................................................2290 Depth.(mm)................................................ 1210 Bottom.sides.(mm) .........................................4 Top.sides.(mm) ................................................3 Max.hp ......................................................... 115 Max.Transom.weight.(kg) ...........................270 Transom.height.(“) ........................................20 Max.people......................................................5 Base.boat.hull.weight.(kg) .........................485 3.4L/km /h at 33km. Of course, the ride was comfortable for skipper, mate and rear passengers in the les than ideal conditions, and everyone stayed dry… until it rained while I was in the rear. FINAL THOUGHTS This tough contender offers everything you need for a general-purpose boat. The ease of use and logical layout makes it perfect for those who just love being on the water, without going all out on a more expensive fibreglass boat. With the simple layout comes the ease of maintenance, and
are designed for bays, lakes and rivers, and Stessco have other boats in the range that better suit offshore work. Coming in at around the $40,000 mark (as tested) this is very reasonable considering the top quality gadgets and design, and will no doubt last you many years of enjoyable boating, with added peace of mind when you have a 5-year structural warranty. For more info about any boats in the Stessco range, visit www.stessco.com.au, or find them on Facebook or Instagram at ‘Stessco’.
The Yamaha F90hp delivered excellent speed and economy, and the quietness at idle will be appreciated on those fun ‘non-fishing’ trips.
Flush-mounted electronics means that there’s no annoying protruding brackets that often just get in the way. Left: Stessco trailers (built by Dunbier) come in both aluminium and galvanised steel models. Right: Although capable of taking up to 115hp, the F90hp seems adequate for the craft’s intended use.
Driving this craft on and off was a breeze, and could easily be done solo if need be. The cockpit was simple yet comfortable, and the uncomplicated finish means there’s far less to go wrong.
Sitting a boat on a trailer designed specially for it makes sense, and extends the structural warranty to 5 years, or 60 months.
Boats of this size will tend to need a braked trailer, but that’s not to say the Amberjack 520 is difficult to trail.
The underfloor kill box is a great alternative to an external esky or icebox, which usually only gets in the way.
A drained anchor well up front, accessible by the door in the windscreen, makes parking up and enjoying the sunshine much easier.
Rear seating is not only comfortable, it also doubles as extra storage for anything you may want to keep dry.
The cranking battery sits out of the way but not out of sight, meaning any field work can be done quickly and easily.
Padded rear seating will be appreciated by those relegated to the back of the craft on longer journeys. AUGUST 2019
107